Your application might be the most secure application ever written, but unbeknownst to you, the operating system is unintentionally working against your security. I’ve tested many applications that were otherwise securely written, but leaked clear text copies of confidential information into the operating system’s caches. From web caches that store web page data, to keyboard … Read more
The answer is really quite simple. Microsoft’s products are designed for maximum ease-of-use, which drives their rampant popularity. What many fail to grasp is that security is a zero-sum game: the easier it is to use something, the more time and effort must go into securing it. Think of security as a continuum between the … Read more
With a mobile device, the trade-off between security and convenience of use is more noticeable than that of a desktop machine with a full keyboard. The device’s smaller on-screen keyboard combined with its mobile form factor make unlocking it a productivity nightmare for an enterprise. As a mobile device, an average user will work in … Read more
As you start to understand how Ubuntu works, you’ll become more and more aware of commonsense methods that will protect your system. However, we’ll outline a few of these now to get you started: •Entering your password: Be very wary if you’re asked to enter your password (outside of initial login, of course). You’ll be … Read more
If you’ve switched to Ubuntu from Windows, there’s a very good chance that the security failings of Windows featured in your decision. Windows 7 contains many improvements, but Microsoft’s record on security over the past few years has not been great. New and serious security warnings have appeared on an ongoing basis, and even now, … Read more
The first thing to do before installing and using Kali Linux is to download it. You can get Kali Linux from the Kali Linux website ( http://www.kali.org/downloads/ ). On the download page, you can select the official Kali Linux image based on the following items, which is also shown in the next screenshot: • Machine … Read more
Nope. Well, not yet. Pictures are just data files that are read by special programs. But, someday, someone may come up with a picture file format that accommodates the inclusion of computer instructions — for whatever purpose someone dreams up. Are you thinking “macro virus” right now? So am I. Anytime someone comes up with … Read more
To date there are three primary types of viruses that exist today: file-infector viruses, which attach themselves to program files; boot-sector viruses, which install themselves in a hard drive’s or floppy disk’s boot sector; and macro viruses, which burrow into Microsoft Word and Excel documents. Details on each of these three follow. File infector As … Read more
Sometimes I think that it helps to understand a little bit more about the people who perpetrate crimes, in order to be able to avoid being a victim of those crimes. Others of you may just have a morbid curiosity about those who like to hurt other people. Either way, you’ll learn a little more … Read more
In the mid-to-late 1980s, data was most often transferred from computer to computer by using floppy disks and so-called bulletin board systems (BBSs), managed online locations that were the forerunners of today’s Web sites. Stowing away on floppy disks Even without using the Internet, people in offices where PCs were used traded and circulated programs, … Read more