InetDaemon
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I’m paranoid about the web, and with good reason.
The #1 way hackers get into computers today is through your web browser from an infected website. The battle for control of your computer has spread from e-mail and attachments. Another battlefront has opened up on your web browser. A large number of big-name sites have been hacked recently and nobody is completely sure just what the hackers made off with. Hackers use DNS spoofing to trick computers into coming to an infected website, so you can’t completely be sure that you ended up on the website you intended to visit. They also buy up common misspellings of big sites to catch anyone that makes a typo.
Hackers have been using SQL injection vulnerabilities to break into websites for years (it is in fact one of the primary ways hackers get into a server), and these vulnerabilities still go unpatched. Now they are infecting websites in order to set up complex computer/browser/plugin fingerprinting engines that detect vulnerable versions. These engines deliver attacks custom-tailored to infect the visitor’s computer with slimy botware. Take out the cookies, pop-ups, plugins and JavaScript and you’ve stripped your attack surface these engines can attack, down to just your web browser. But this makes browsing less user friendly and a lot more frustrating in the short term, and confusing for people who aren’t technical.
Of course, whenever someone starts talking about a really secure platform, the Mac fanboys jump right in to tell me how secure Apple MacOS is–never mind that the MacOS/Safari combo gets hacked every year (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,2011) during PWN2OWN at CANSECWEST. Never mind that the hackers have now developed a crimeware kit for the Mac, which means Mac users will need to be on the lookout for a deluge of malware from now on.
With so much dangerous malware and so many threats, how do I stay secure online?
READ MORE: Browser inSecurity – How I Stay Protected Online
Internet Explorer 9: Overview
Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 with a new, slim, tabbed interface. Here’s a look at the new Microsoft Web browser.
Considering monetizing your website? Want to add advertising revenue? Two of many possible choices are Google AdSense and Kontera. Kontera is heavilly promoted by several web marketing ‘gurus’ and Google is well, Google. I tested these two systems to determine: how easy they were to put in place, how well they work, how they affect your traffic and lastly, which is the better revenue generator.
The Tale of Two Ad Systems (more)
I have a wireless computer mouse I purchased some years ago, a Logitech MX 700. The rechargeable batteries for the mouse are nearing the end of their lifespan–they won’t hold a charge for more than a few days. Worse, the blinking red dead-battery indicator on the top of my mouse blinks constantly, which is annoying. The buttons on the mouse don’t quite work the way they used to and the paint has worn off the plastic wherever it touched my hand. The mouse lasted six years, a respectable time for a computer mouse, but it’s time for it to crawl off to that place all mice go to die.
I decided to go looking for a replacement mouse with a bit longer battery life. I found the Logitech Wireless Marathon Mouse M705 which has a 3-year battery life, and favorable reviews.
Even though the mouse isn’t rechargeable, three years between battery replacements is a huge improvement.
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