security

How to Clean Up a Windows Spyware Infestation

security

How to Clean Up a Windows Spyware Infestation

I recently upgraded my dedicated racing simulation PC, so I was forced to re-install Windows XP SP2, along with all the games. As I was downloading the no-cd patches for the various racing sims I own, I was suddenly and inexplicably deluged with popups, icons, and unwanted software installations. I

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Removing The Login Barrier

authentication

Removing The Login Barrier

Dare Obasanjo’s May 26th thoughts on the Facebook platform contained a number of links to the Facebook API documentation. At the time, clicking through to any of the Facebook API links resulted in a login dialog: It struck me as incredibly odd that I had to login just to

By Jeff Atwood ·
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This Site May Harm Your Computer

security

This Site May Harm Your Computer

The Ghost In The Browser: Analysis of Web-based Malware (pdf) describes how Google is leveraging their overwhelming search dominance to combat browser malware installations. In a blog entry last summer, Matt Cutts said: Given how much I hate web pages that install malicious software or abuse browser security holes, I’

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Sins of Software Security

security

Sins of Software Security

I picked up a free copy of 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security at a conference last year. I didn’t expect the book to be good because it was a free giveaway item from one of the the vendor booths. But I paged through it on the flight home,

By Jeff Atwood ·
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security

Code Access Security and Bitfrost

The One Laptop Per Child operating system features a new security model – Bitfrost. It’s an interesting departure from the traditional UNIX and LINUX security model. The 1971 version of UNIX supported the following security permissions on user files: * non-owner can change file (write) * non-owner can read file * owner can

By Jeff Atwood ·
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windows vista

Choosing Anti-Anti-Virus Software

Now that Windows Vista has been available for almost a month, the comparative performance benchmarks are in. * Windows XP vs. Vista: The Benchmark Rundown (Tom’s Hardware) * Windows Vista Performance Guide (Anandtech) It’s about what I expected; rough parity with the performance of Windows XP. Vista’s a bit

By Jeff Atwood ·
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What You Have, What You Know, What You Are

security

What You Have, What You Know, What You Are

I’m no fan of the classic login/password scheme. I can barely remember any of the zillion logins and passwords I have. More often than not, I end up using the “forgot password” link. Which means, in effect, that my email account is my global password. And if you’

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Whitelist, Blacklist, Greylist

security

Whitelist, Blacklist, Greylist

I recently got into a spirited discussion about Akismet. What is Akismet? When a new comment, trackback, or pingback comes to your blog it is submitted to the Akismet web service which runs hundreds of tests on the comment and returns a thumbs up or thumbs down. Akismet is awfully

By Jeff Atwood ·
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CAPTCHA Effectiveness

security

CAPTCHA Effectiveness

If you’ve used the internet at all in the last few years, I’m sure you’ve seen your share of CAPTCHAs: Of course, nobody wants to use CAPTCHAs. They’re a necessary evil, just like the locks on the doors to your home and your car. CAPTCHAs are

By Jeff Atwood ·
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programming languages

Does Writing Code Matter?

Ian Landsman’s 10 tips for moving from programmer to entrepreneur is excellent advice. Even if you have no intention of becoming an entrepreneur. One of the biggest issues I see is developers getting caught up in the code. Spending countless hours making a function perfect or building features which

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Brute Force Key Attacks Are for Dummies

security

Brute Force Key Attacks Are for Dummies

Cory Doctorow recently linked to this fascinating email from Jon Callas, the CTO of PGP corporation. In it, Jon describes the impossibility of brute force attacks on modern cryptography: Modern cryptographic systems are essentially unbreakable, particularly if an adversary is restricted to intercepts. We have argued for, designed, and built

By Jeff Atwood ·
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You may be a victim of software counterfeiting.

security

You may be a victim of software counterfeiting.

Microsoft has finally activated the most aggressive part of their Windows Genuine Advantage program – active notifications. After downloading the latest Windows updates, if your Windows cd-key doesn’t validate against Microsoft’s online database of cd-keys, you may be greeted with this unpleasant five-second mandatory delay dialog at the login

By Jeff Atwood ·
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