Archive for September, 2005
Targeted “Phishing”
The “phishers” get more sophisticated all the time. PC World magazine has an article on targeted or “spear” phishing. This method concentrates on a relatively small and selected group, making it harder to recognize than the mass mailings aimed at huge groups like Ebay or PayPal users.
Reviews of Anti-Spyware Apps
The spyware scene changes rapidly and it is wise to keep up with the software that can be used to guard against this Internet hazard. The latest edition of Windows Secrets Newsletter has a nice roundup of the latest software reviews in this important area.
Shortcut to Turn Off Your Computer
I am often asked if there is a quick way to close down a computer without having to go through all the steps Start-Turn Off Computer-Turn Off. Windows XP comes with a special executable file for shutting down called shutdown.exe that allows you to make a shortcut for just that purpose. It can [...]
“Six Dumbest Ideas In Computer Security”
Fred Langa’s newletter has a reference to an article by security specialist Marcus J. Ranum called “Six Dumbest Ideas In Computer Security” . Although it is probably aimed at IT professionals, it is easy to understand and I think it’s well worth reading by the average PC user.
More on the Relative Safety of IE vs. Firefox
ZDNet has been carrying a series of discussions by George Ou and others on the relative safety of the two most popular browsers. Unfortunately, I find the discussion by Ou to be a poor way of looking at the security issue. His analysis has been partly answered by one of the Firefox [...]
Use Blind Carbons in Email
I am constantly getting group email from people that I know. By group email, I mean a message sent to a bunch of different people at the same time. Sometimes these mailings have useful information and sometimes not. What really bothers me, however, is when the addresses of all the recipients are listed in [...]
Is Internet Explorer or Firefox Safer?
There is lot of talk on the Internet about this question and personally I think a lot of it is misleading (I am being diplomatic). I have written an article that expresses some of the points that I think people are missing. As time permits, I will be adding other comments on this subject in [...]
Use Limited Accounts in Windows XP
Many experts recommend that PC users not use the Administrator Account in Windows XP for daily use. Instead set up a limited account. By using a limited account you take out some insurance against an infection by a worm or Trojan. If you do get infected, the limited account cuts down the damage that can [...]
Make Windows Explorer Start Where You Want
In Windows XP, the default setting is for Windows Explorer to start with “My Documents” at the head. I am often asked how to get Windows Explorer to start where a user wants instead. Here is how to get Windows Explorer to start at the C: drive.
Right-click on an empty spot on the Desktop. In [...]
Why do people open weird email?
I just don’t get it. I am constantly receiving spam email with all sorts of strange things in the subject line. Who opens this sort of thing? Even more mystifying to me is why anybody would not only open but actually reply to this kind of junk mail. Here’s a typical one I got today. [...]
More on accessibility
Since the Internet has become such an important factor in modern life, more attention is being paid to those who may have some physical disadvantage in order to ensure that everyone can use the Internet. Here is a Digital Web article on designing accessible pages.