Computer Safety & News

ZDNet and other publications note that the 1st consumer beta version of Windows 8 should be available for download tomorrow Windows 8 Consumer Preview – Launch Date 02/29/2012 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/windows-8-consumer-preview-what-should-testers-expect/12052?tag=content;selector-blogs http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400000,00.asp http://redmondmag.com/articles/2012/02/23/beta-set-for-february-29.aspx QUOTE: Microsoft is launching the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 on February 29. By going with the “Consumer Preview” name rather than the traditional […]

Redmond Magazine captures several predictions from industry watchers, including the possibility that Office 15 may include touch screen capabilities. Office 15 Beta – early predictions noted by Redmond Magazine http://redmondmag.com/articles/2012/02/25/office-15-getting-touch-enhancements.aspx QUOTE: Office 15 is scheduled to appear as a public beta this summer, but Foley’s sources predict the release-to-manufacturing version of Office 15 will appear […]

Below is another excellent article from ESET related to potential risks as employees bring their own personal devices into the workplace. BYOD (Bring your own Device) to work challenge http://blog.eset.com/2012/02/28/sizing-up-the-byod-security-challenge QUOTE: Employee use of personally-owned computing devices for work-related purposes–known as Bring Your Own Device or BYOD–is not a new trend and security professionals have […]

ESET shares an informative early evaluation of the Windows phone 8, reflecting key smart phone security considerations Windows Phone 8 – early evaluation by ESET Security http://blog.eset.com/2012/02/24/windows-phone-8-security-heaven-or-hell QUOTE: While Microsoft was an early adopter in the creation of smartphones with Windows Mobile, it has lagged behind both Apple’s iOS and Google Android, at least until […]

This cloud security product was highlighted at RSA conference: Cloudlock – New Cloud Security product introduced at RSA http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/security/294688-rsa-cloudlock-security-for-data-in-the-cloud QUOTE: “CloudLock was founded with a vision of protecting information wherever it sits,” said Zimmerman. “In particular we protect data in the cloud. We focus on Enteprise and mid-market, but can scale down to hundreds of users […]

QUOTE: The following articles covering the new privacy policy update and how it impacts your privacy and/or user experience: Google’s Privacy Policy: A Wakeup Call, But That’s It McKenna questions Google’s new privacy policy 6 things you need to know about Google’s new privacy policy Canada Raises Concern over Google’s New Privacy Policy Google’s new […]

QUOTE:  ‘We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.’ You can get an overview and read more information about […]

McAfee shares an informative research report documenting the highly customized and polymorphic nature of malware currently circulating in the wild McAfee Q4 Threats Report Shows Malware Surpassed 75 Million Samples in 2011 http://blogs.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/mcafee-q4-threats-report-shows-malware-surpassed-75-million-samples-in-2011 QUOTE: The overall growth of PC-based malware actually declined throughout Q4 2011, and is significantly lower than Q4 2010. The cumulative number […]

Trend Labs security warns of fake sites using similar app names to trick users into loading them on their smartphones.  Please be careful of any app installed. Android Malware – Uses Fake Fan Application sites http://blog.trendmicro.com/fan-apps-now-spreading-on-the-android-market/ QUOTE: We’re seeing more and more scams on the Android Market. Last week, we wrote about a developer that […]

Apple Mac users should be careful of potential attacks from a trojan horse which disguises itself as a Flash Player installer: Flashback.G – New Mac Java Trojan in wild http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=12664 QUOTE: A Mac Trojan named Flashback released last year masquerading as a Flash Player installer appears to back under a new variant. A new variant […]