srspg3_06

KCNET NEWSLETTER
06/17/07 & 06/24/07
TECHNICAL PAGE

TECH TALK BY ROXANNE FRYER
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
VIRUS AND OTHER STINKY STUFF
DOWNLOAD FREE ANTI VIRUS, SPYWARE AND ADWARE
INTERESTING SITES

TECH TALK
By KCnet Tech - Roxanne Fryer

Today we are going to learn how to do screen shots -- SCREEN SHOTS?
A screen shot is simply a picture of everything that is displayed on your computer screen when the screen shot is created.
Notice that the screen shot above captures not only the Education World home page, but also the Start menu, and the part of the desktop that shows above the home page.
Screen shots are an excellent teaching tool. The graphic images not only help your visual learners, they greatly reduce the instructions and directions you need to provide all your learners.
STEP ONE: CREATE A SCREEN SHOT
To create a screen shot:
l. Open Internet Explorer or another browser (such as Netscape Navigator).
2. Go to any Web page of your choice.
3. Press the PrtSc (Print Screen) key. (Nothing will appear to happen; no clicks, flashes, windows opening, etc. will let you know you've created a screen shot. Don't worry!)
The PrtSc (Print Screen) key is on your keyboard, either above the function keys (F9, F10, etc.) or above and to the right of the alphanumeric keyboard.
4. Close your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator...)
STEP TWO: INSERT A SCREEN SHOT
To insert a screen shot into a Word document:
l. Open Microsoft Word and then open a new Word document or open the document you want to insert the screen shot into.
2. Click Edit>Paste (or simultaneously press the keys CTRL and V). The screen shot is now visible and pasted into a Word document. Easy!
Note: You can use the same steps to insert a screen shot into files created by other programs, such as PowerPoint, Excel, Paint, Photoshop, and so on. In fact, you can insert a screen shot into any program into which you can insert a picture.
STEP THREE: CROP A SCREEN SHOT
You now have inserted a screen shot of a Web page into a Word document. Often, however, you won't want to include the entire screen shot in the document. In those cases, you can use the Microsoft Office Picture toolbar to "crop" that screen shot:
l. Click the screen shot you want to crop.
2. Go to View>Toolbars>Picture and make sure that Picture toolbar is checked. If it isn't, click to check it.
The Picture toolbar will appear, either in a rectangle on top of your document or in your tool bar.
STEP THREE CONTINUED
l. Click the screen shot in the Word document. Small black squares will appear around the edges of the image.
2. Click the cropping tool
3. Click and hold a black square on the edge of the screen shot. Drag the edge toward the part of the screen shot you want to use. Release the mouse button.
4. Click a square along another edge of the screen shot and drag that edge toward the part of the screen shot you want to use.
5. Continue cropping the screen shot until you only see the part of the image you want to use.
You did it!
Now that you have the image you want, you can use Word's formatting features (such as centering or indenting) to move your screen shot within the document. (Hint: If the screen shot doesn't move exactly where want it to, double-click the image to open the Format Picture window. Choose the Layout tab, click Tight, and then click OK. Drag the shot to wherever you want it in the document.
STEP FOUR: SAVE A SCREEN SHOT
By following steps 1-3, you can capture a screen shot and insert it into a program file. But what if you want just a copy of the screen shot itself? For example, you might want to:
l. E-mail the screen shot to your school's tech staff.
2. Publish the screen shot in a newsletter or on a Web site.
3. Send the screen shot to colleague who doesn't use Microsoft Office.
To save a screen shot as a separate image:
1. Insert the screen shot into a Word document.
2. Click the screen shot in the Word document, and then click Edit>Copy (or press CTRL and C keys)
3. Click Start>All Programs>Microsoft Office Tools (or Microsoft Office)>Microsoft Photo Editor to open Photo Editor. (Note: If you don't find Microsoft Office Tools or Photo Editor in your program files, you might need to install it from the Office
CD. Sometimes schools don't install all features as part of a normal set-up.)
4. Click Edit>Paste as New Image.
5. Go to File>Save and name your image. Photo Editor will add .jpg to the end of the file name and save it as an image.
Congratulations! You now know how to create, use, and save screen shots!
Not all screen shots are of Web pages, of course. You can create a screen shot of anything you can show on your desktop.

~ Thanks to Education World for their easy to follow tutorial. ~

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING:

06/12/07 Was June's Patch Tuesday for Microsoft

Critical’ Vista, IE 7 patches highlight MS security updates Posted by Ryan Naraine
for ZDNET June 12th, 2007

This month’s batch of patches from Microsoft includes six bulletins covering at least 15 vulnerabilities, including several critical code execution holes in Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7.

In all, Redmond pushed out four critical bulletins with fixes for flaws that could put Windows users at risk of complete PC takeover attacks.

The most serious is a cumulative Internet Explorer update (MS07-033) that affects all versions of the dominant browser — IE 5.01 on Windows 2000 through IE 7 on Windows Vista.

The mega IE update addresses a total of six flaws, including one that was publicly discussed prior to Patch Tuesday. Interestingly, all six IE bugs are rated “critical” across the board, except for some versions of Windows Server 2003.

Another high-priority update to pay special attention to is MS07-035, which touches a “critical” vulnerability in the way that the Win32 API validates parameters. This bug does not affect Windows Vista.

Microsoft provides a dire warning:
An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted Web page that could potentially allow remote code execution if a user viewed the Web page. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.

Windows Vista is also immune to MS07-031, a “critical” bulletin that covers a flaw in the Secure Channel (Schannel) security package in Windows. “This vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user viewed a specially crafted Web page using an Internet Web browser or used an application that makes use of SSL/TLS,” according to the bulletin. Affected software includes Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

However, the built-in Windows Mail client in Vista didn’t escape unscathed. The MS07-034 update contains fixes for four vulnerabilities (two publicly discussed before today) that could lead to code execution attacks. This update also affects Outlook Express.

The gaping hole that dings Windows Vista comes with this warning:
A remote code execution vulnerability results from the way local or UNC navigation requests are handled in Windows Mail. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted e-mail message that could potentially allow execution of code from a local file or UNC path if a user clicked on a link in the e-mail message. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.

Windows Vista users will also see an automatic update for MS07-032, a “moderate” bulletin that fixes an information disclosure issue. The bug “could allow non-privileged users to access local user information data stores including administrative passwords contained within the registry and local file system,” Microsoft warned.

The last bulletin this month (MS07-030) fixes two “important” bugs in Microsoft Visio 2002 and Microsoft Office Visio 2003.
Click to view Microsoft pages relative to this month's patches. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-jun.mspx

06/13/07 Was June's Exploit Wednesday for Microsoft

Exploit Wednesday follows MS Patch Tuesday Posted by Ryan Naraine
for ZDNET June 13th, 2007

Less than 24 hours after Microsoft shipped fixes for code execution holes in Internet Explorer and Windows, proof-of-concepts for remote exploits are popping up on the Internet.

On security mailings lists and at the Milw0rm.com site, there are at least three exploits circulating. These provide a roadmap for attackers to launch remote attacks to take complete control of an Windows machine.

Two of the three target gaping holes in the dominant Internet Explorer browser — flaws that could be exploited by simply luring the target to surf to a Web page. (See exploit code here and here).

The vulnerabilities — in the Microsoft Speech API ActiveListen and ActiveVoice ActiveX controls — have been patched with the MS07-033 bulletin so it’s important to treat that update with the highest possible priority.

Will Dorman of the CERT Coordination Center explains the real-world risks:
By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (e.g., a web page or an HTML email message or attachment), an attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user. The attacker could also cause Internet Explorer (or the program using the WebBrowser control) to crash.
This patch applies to Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista.

Proof-of-concept code for a third exploit was released by Thomas Lim of COSEINC to provide technical details of of a “critical” flaw in the Secure Channel (Schannel) security package in Windows. This bug was patched with MS07-031.

See step-by-step instructions on configuring Internet Explorer to run securely.
http://content.zdnet.com/2346-12691_22-87874.html

Basic Video Shooting Tips This tip from Worldstart.
It’s a much loved pastime now. You know, picking up a video camera and shooting some footage albeit family videos or even an attempt at a movie script. The short movie industry has seen a proliferation of movies from kindred enthusiasts, as well as, them being hosted on sites like YouTube and Atom Films.

Whether it’s a family shoot, a college project or a short fictional movie, anyone can learn some very basic techniques to ensure a smoothly shot piece of video. Once you've shot your video, you'll probably want to put it on the Web, but I’ll tackle that in another article. For today, my intention is to show you how to keep your video recording sharp. If the video is to be hosted online, some fine tuning during shooting is required. A little attention will ensure sharp detail and a great video clip for showing to friends, family or unsuspecting producers.

Here we go!
    * Use a storyboard to plan the shots if it is a short fiction or non-fiction movie intended to promote your skills. There's no need to be Picasso!
    * Absorb the surrounds initially by looking at the scene. If you need to pan suddenly, it causes blurry footage to be recorded. Where are the subjects being filmed? Is anything blocking the angle? Are you panning in front of a lamp post or a brick wall?
    * Avoid panning and zooming too much if the video is to be hosted online at YouTube, for example. The resulting video will carry some distortion even on faster broadband connections.
    * Use pans and zooms to introduce the filmed subjects, such as each family member or parts of a location. Avoid using them for dramatic effects.
    * Be aware of latency if you plan to host the video on the Web. Latency is the slow connection time due to data hitting a busy network while traveling from the server (where the video sits) to the PC. Motion blur will be very noticeable during this period.
    * Use lighting when shooting indoors. Don’t worry, you do not need to bug the home owner for any lighting equipment as you already have it in your home. A three minute movie I shot a few years ago looked very gloomy before I made the necessary lighting adjustments. This is extremely important when filming indoors. Use ceiling lamps (100 watts if possible) to shed some soft lighting on the room and head lamps to fill in light (in the same way as a camera flash) during the filming.
    * Avoid shooting against direct sunlight. Also, your footage will look burnt out if the background is white or if there is direct sunlight behind you when filming. The image recorded may also look smeared, so take notice of that.
    * If you are shooting a short fictional movie, avoid cluttering the background against your main character. This advice fairs well for family shoots too, particularly if you are standing at a distance or you are in a very busy restaurant, for example.
    * Try to focus on the main subject, such as the married couple or birthday boy as much as possible. Don’t be concerned with depth of field (objects that are in focus between the camera lens and most distant objects). Just ensure the main subject is crisp. Badly focused shots will look terrible across a broadband connection.
    * Use a tripod if camera shake is inevitable and the subjects being filmed are stationary. If you are mobile (walking around an exotic location, for instance), press the camera firmly against your shoulder.

Now, preparing video for the Web requires compression and as I said earlier, I will cover that in another article. For this article, I hope I have helped to offer up some useful tips on shooting video for the Web. Filming invites great enjoyment and even more of a buzz when you can showcase the movie to friends and family over the Internet. Most importantly, have fun with it!

Acck, My Hard Drive Died! -- Recovering From Hard Drive Failure This one from Bob Rankin of Tourbus
If it hasn't happened yet, be sure that it will... you're working on an important project and the computer freezes. You reboot, but instead of the familiar startup screen, you see an ugly black screen with one of these ominous messages: DISK BOOT FAILURE... ERROR READING FIXED DISK... or (horrors!) HARD DRIVE FAILURE. If you've ever lost an important file because of a hard drive crash, you know the pain. That final project you worked on so hard, the spreadsheet that has be in your boss's inbox in the morning, or those photos of Grandma taken at her 102nd birthday -- all gone in a flash, thanks to an apparent hard drive failure. But don't panic just yet, those scary looking messages are not always the final word. Before you take a sledge hammer to your hard drive, try these 12 hard drive recovery steps...
http://askbobrankin.com/hard_drive_recovery.html

Ask3D brings a fresh look to search Dan Farber & Larry Dignan For ZDNET
We looked at this search engine in the Advanced Users Class. Most of the attendees liked the new look and Search Concept.
Ask has breathed some new life into search with a major site overhaul. Dubbed Ask3D, the revamped site combines search suggestions, results and related structured data on a single page. “Search today puts so much onus on users to hunt and peck through millions of blue links,” said Ask CEO Jim Lanzone. “Search doesn’t have to look and act like it did in 1996.”

Lanzone could say the same about search in 2007. Google introduced its new Universal Search last month, which delivers search results across various data sources, including Web sites, videos, images, news, maps, and books, integrated on a single page. It’s similar to Ask3D by virtue of integrating various data types and using sophisticated technology, but it is still mostly a sea of links, lacking the user interface enhancements and layout navigation features that Ask3D delivers.

The left panel on the page includes the Ask’s Zoom Related Search, which suggests related queries to help users express their searches more precisely, with less guess work, Lanzone said. The middle panel houses the search result (which loads first), including Smart Answers and an upgraded Binoculars feature (below), which previews Web pages and includes information, such as the load time at 56k, page weight, number of pop-ups and whether the site is Flash-based.

The third panel applies a new “Morph” content-matching and ranking algorithm to return selected results from a hundred structured databases, such as images (with rollovers), news, music files, videos, encyclopedia entries, business listings, stock quotes and blogs, based on relevance (ExpertRank, which identifies the most authoritative sites) and click popularity (DirectHit) from previous user queries. The Morph algorithm retrieves only the most relevant content and reorders the content modules based on the query, Lanzone said. The Morph content does not appear for all search results, or at least in the demo version I used.

The home page has also been overhauled with new icons, search suggestions as the default and skins. Eventually users will be able to add their skins.

Ask3D is still the Budget to Google’s Hertz and Yahoo’s Avis, to use the car rental analogy, but it has developed a differentiated user experience for users who are looking for a search engine that is easier to drive.

I asked Lanzone about competing against Google’s more spare interface for Universal Search and search philosophy–the ‘cost’ of an extra query is minimal give how fast the engine returns results. “Google went in the right direction, but it’s baby steps. We have more flexibility in what we can do,” Lanzone said. In other words, Ask has less to lose by introducing a totally revamp user experience.

He said that Ask tested Ask3D on 5 percent of the 25 to 30 million users in the U.S. over the last six months. “Their query abandonment went down, and the number of picks into content went up,” Lanzone said. “Other search engines give you lots of links and leave you for dead.”

He admitted that Ask trails competitors in the comprehensiveness of its search engine, surfacing the freshest pages and crawling as deeply on average. “The Edison project, which is next big project this year, is a rebuilding of the entire search engine. We have been working on it for 18 months….We have always done batch crawling of the Web–every few months. Late this year will launch the new search engine, crawling deeper and more incrementally, and with more understanding of the pages,” Lanzone said.

Slowly but surely Ask is making the kind of improvements that will appeal to the broader market of users who are frustrated with the sea of blue link.

American Doctors Want Videogame 'Addiction' Recognized June 14th
The American Medical Association is preparing to recognize 'Internet/video game addiction' as a 'formal diagnostic disorder'.
This move would have wide ranging implications within the law as the ever-growing list of lawyers attempting to blame 'sick videogames' for crimes ranging from street robbery to mass murder, call on a medically-recognised disorder to bolster their defence. It will also inevitably lead to pharmaceutical companies coming out with a range of high-priced and pointless cures that can be dumped inside people.

The proposal comes in the form of a 'Report Of The Council On Science And Public Health: Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games" chaired by Mohamed K. Khan, MD, Phd.

Included in the report is the AMA's definition of a 'gamer':
"A gamer is a term used to describe a person who plays games. Historically, a gamer was someone who played role-playing games or war games, but more recently the term has come to include computer and video game players. Although the term technically includes those who do not necessarily consider themselves gamers (ie, casual gamers), it is a commonly used colloquial term to identify persons who spend as much of their leisure time as possible playing or reading about games. Video gaming has traditionally been a social experience, and most video games are playable by more than one person. Multi-player video games can be played either competitively or cooperatively online by using multiple input devices, or by “hotseating."

The report concludes with the following calls to action:
1. That our American Medical Association (AMA) urge agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission as well as national parent and public interest organizations such as the Entertainment Software Rating Board, and parent-teacher organizations to review the current ratings system for accuracy and appropriateness relative to content, and establish an improved ratings systems based on a combined effort from the entertainment industry and peer review. (Directive to Take Action)

2. That our AMA work with key stakeholder organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians to (a) educate physicians on the public health risks of media exposure and how to assess media usage in their pediatric populations; and (b) provide families with educational materials on the appropriate use of video games. (Directive to Take Action)

3. That our AMA, in accordance with the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics, support the recommendation of 1 to 2 hours of total daily screen time, and that the total time allotted to playing video games should be included in that 1 to 2 hour allotment. (Directive to Take Action)

4. That our AMA support increased awareness of the need for parents to monitor and restrict use of video games and the Internet and encourage increased vigilance in monitoring the content of games purchased and played for children 17 years old and younger. (New HOD Policy)

5. That our AMA encourage expanded research by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health to fund research on the long-term beneficial and detrimental effects not only of video games, but use of the Internet by children under 18 years of age. (Directive to Take Action)

6. That our AMA strongly encourage the consideration and inclusion of "Internet/video game addiction" as a formal diagnostic disorder in the upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV. (Directive to Take Action)

In the event that 'videogaming addiction' is recognized in the U.S.A. we can certainly expect the British Medical Association to follow suite.

Getting Started With Facebook Another Bob Rankin of Tourbus suggestion.
Are you fed up with MySpace? Facebook is a great alternative for the student and professional set. A little more serious than MySpace, Facebook is more than just competing to see who can have the most fake friends. Facebook is a place where users can meet and greet others around the planet, but connections must be formed based on existing real-world ties. Facebook was started in 2005 by a Harvard student who wanted to create an online version of the "face books" that many colleges print to help students connect on campus. It's now open to high school students and is becoming increasingly popular with young professionals. Facebook boasts over 25 million members, and is the number one photo sharing site on the Web. Here's the scoop on getting started with Facebook...
http://askbobrankin.com/facebook_getting_started.html

Big day for browser releases Posted by Marc Orchant ZD NET June 5th
While the browser market is still essentially a two-horse race, that is not stopping other contenders from trying to break into the game. Netscape has just released version 9.0 (beta 1) of their Navigator browser (based on core Mozilla code) which has a number of very interesting ideas in play, And Camino has just been revved to version 1.5 and uses the same Gecko rendering engine as Firefox and the same Mac keychain as Safari. To top off the buffet, version 2.0 of the Shiira browser for the Mac (from Japan) was recently released, offering up a WebKit-based alternative with a fresh UI and a unique shelf that displays thumbnails of open pages as opposed to the more typical tabs in other browsers. It’s a veritable smörgåsbord of browsing options I tell you!

Netscape Navigator 9.0 features include:
    * Social Integration: Navigator provides a feature that lets you share and vote for webpages that you find interesting. You can build your own network of friends and get their favorite stories in your sidebar. Sounds a lot like del.ici.ous if you ask me.
    * Netscape News in the Browser (sidebar): Allows you to catch up on the latest news directly in the sidebar. You can customize the News menu to show only your interests.
    * URL Correction: Navigator fixes common typing mistakes in URLs. And there’s no need to type prefix or suffix data like .cmo, .ogr, or htp:// .
    * Link Pad: Save interesting links for later without committing them to your bookmarks list.
    * Firefox 2 Extension Compatibility: Add-ins for Firefox 2 work in Navigator 9.
    * Versions for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

Camino 1.5 newness includes:
    * Spell checking using OS X’s built-in dictionary
    * Session restore - stores all open pages in a session and offers to restore on launch following a crash… er, unexpected termination of your browsing.
    * Keychain compatibilty - Camino can use the same Keychain entries as Safari.
    * Full screen mode - no browser chrome to distract you.
    * The latest Gecko rendering engine (1.8.1).
    * Mac OS only.

Shiira hasn’t actually documented what’s new in a succinct list (they’re working on it) and is worth a look only for the adventurous. It’s a work in progress and definitely not ready to be your everyday browser.

Special Note:
The next day Steve Jobs of Apple announced the latest version of Safari. The big deal is that Safari is available for Window Users too.
It is still in Beta. We downloaded it in the Advanced Users Class this past Wednesday. The Window Users weren't too excited.
http://www.download.com/Safari/3000-2356_4-10697481.html

FBI cracks down on botnets Posted by unnamed ZDNet Editor for ZDNet Government
June 14th, 2007

We can all sleep better at night knowing that the FBI is keeping our computers safe. On Wednesday, the FBI announced it had found over one million computers infected by botnets, or networks of “zombie” machines, reports Wired News.

Although it sounds like a 1950s sci-fi movie, zombie networks are controlled by criminals who create havoc by instituting denial-of-service attacks, identity theft, phishing and other online crimes.

So far, three people have been arrested in the FBI’s “Operation Bot Roast.”
The FBI says it’s putting a lot of effort into fighting botnet crime and is trying to educate the public about keeping computers secure.

Here’s the official FBI warning (from the agency’s press release):
“The majority of victims are not even aware that their computer has been compromised or their personal information exploited,” said FBI Assistant Director for the Cyber Division James Finch. “An attacker gains control by infecting the computer with a virus or other malicious code and the computer continues to operate normally. Citizens can protect themselves from botnets and the associated schemes by practicing strong computer security habits to reduce the risk that your computer will be compromised.”

They have their job cut out for them. Cybercrime is growing exponentially and can operate anywhere in the world. The bureau has agents on site in 60 different countries and has deployed agents in countries such as Romania to specifically work cybercrime cases, the FBI’s Shawn Henry said.

The three arrested are:
    * James C. Brewer of Arlington, Texas, is alleged to have operated a botnet that infected Chicago area hospitals. This botnet infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide.
    * Jason Michael Downey of Covington, Kentucky, is charged with an Information with using botnets to send a high volume of traffic to intended recipients to cause damage by impairing the availability of such systems.
    * Robert Alan Soloway of Seattle, Washington, is alleged to have used a large botnet network and spammed tens of millions of unsolicited email messages to advertise his website from which he offered services and products. (FBI Seattle)

Go Classic in Vista Vista Tip from Worldstart.
Have you recently started using Windows Vista? If so, are you having a little trouble navigating your way through the new setup of the operating system? At first, it can be quite confusing. Everything you were familiar with in Windows XP has been changed or moved to another location and that makes it really hard to get your work done, doesn't it? Well, lucky for all of us, there are a few things you can do to change everything back to the way it used to be. Read on for details!

I know this is starting to sound a lot like the Run command tip we ran last week, but I promise, it's all new information. As I'm sure you already know, along with Vista came a whole new Start menu. And I'm guessing that some of you don't care too much for it. If that's the case, you can switch it back to the way it looked in XP. To do so, just right click on the Start button and choose Properties. Make sure you're under the Start Menu tab and tick the option for Classic Start menu. Click OK and then check out your new Start menu. Now, doesn't that feel better?!

Once you switch back to the old Start menu, you can also customize it. Hit the Customize button and you'll see all the choices you have. You can add or remove items from your Start menu list, you can sort your items and so on and so forth. There's even a checklist of different options you can choose from. For example, you can choose to display your favorites, display the Run command, expand the Control Panel, use the personalized menus, etc. There's so many choices! When you're done, just click OK twice and you'll be all set. Ah, back to the old starting ways!

VIRUS AND OTHER STINKY STUFF:

It Was Patch Tuesday for Microsoft

Critical’ Vista, IE 7 patches highlight MS security updates Posted by Ryan Naraine
for ZDNET June 12th, 2007

In all, Redmond pushed out four critical bulletins with fixes for flaws that could put Windows users at risk of complete PC takeover attacks.

The most serious is a cumulative Internet Explorer update (MS07-033) that affects all versions of the dominant browser — IE 5.01 on Windows 2000 through IE 7 on Windows Vista.

The last bulletin this month (MS07-030) fixes two “important” bugs in Microsoft Visio 2002 and Microsoft Office Visio 2003.
Click to view Microsoft pages relative to this months patches. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-jun.mspx

Tracking the hackers - Symantec ships anti-botnet utility Posted by Ryan Naraine June 12th

Symantec has released a new utility called Norton Antibot to help users detect signs of botnet activity on a Windows computer.

The tool, available as a free beta download, is a sign that Symantec plans to fit the anti-bot capabilities into its anti-virus product offerings.

The move ratchets up the fight against botnets of hijacked Windows machines that are used as spam-spewing machines or in distributed denial-of-service attacks.

Symantec promises the Norton AntiBot can:
    * Actively and continuously monitor your PC’s applications and processes 24 X 7 so you’re always protected.
    * Thoroughly remove detected bots and malware and their related components, custom installation files and registry settings.
    * Strengthen any security product by providing an additional layer of protection against bots and other emerging threats.

Remember it is BETA but you can download it and try it at:
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/beta/overview.jsp?pvid=nab1beta

Have you updated your anti virus program lately?
If not, may I recommend that you do it now?

************************************************************************************************** Free Virus Scans
Best done with The Internet Explorer Browser.
Computer Associates, a reputable and reliable anti virus developer introduced a new free program which allows anyone to do a virus scan without downloading any software or registering for an anti virus program. You must use Internet Explorer for access to Computer Associates and to perform the scan. This is a good one and very simple to operate The address is http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx

Trend Micro, more commonly referred to as Housecall, offers free virus scans and in most cases can fix damage down by a virus or worm that your computer may have contacted. The program works well. The first time one uses the free program it is necessary to download a small program. Trend Micro walks you through the process. Then the virus scans are quite simple for each return. Go to http://housecall.antivirus.com/ then choose the link "Scan without registering". Follow the directions.

You should disable any anti virus program that you have running. If you do not have a virus program I recommend that you use one of the programs offered above first and then download and install one of the free programs listed below or install any anti virus program you have purchased.
**************************************************************************************************
Free Anti Virus programs for download.
Quite a few KCnet members use these programs and like them.
Be careful if you download a virus program and you already have one installed on your computer. You need to at least disable the program already installed.

AVG Free
AVG Free Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Free is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements).
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Avast
Avast has been "anti virusing" for quite awhile. The following info comes from their download page: Avast! Home is now free of charge for HOME users for NON-COMMERCIAL use. You can find more info here.
http://www.avast.com/eng/down_home.html
Note: This product is free for home non-commercial use after registration!
HINTS: Click on the English Version Link and download the installation file. Then click on the installation file and follow the directions. You will need to return to the download page and click on the link to get the registration key. It will be sent to you in an email after you provide some registration information. This will give you 14 months of coverage including any updates which can be set to auto download. You can reregister for additional free coverage at the end of the 14 months.
You will want to browse around and choose from the many options available for operation. This process will take some time and digging.

Another good free program is:
http://www.free-av.com/
This one installs a bit easier than Avast.

**************************************************************************************************
Free Spybot and Adware programs for download.

AVG Anti-Spyware Free is a free anti-spyware protection tool developed by GRISOFT for home use. We invite you to join the millions of satisfied customers worldwide who have downloaded the software and now enjoy the benefits of ewido anti-spyware Free.
What you get with anti-spyware Free
Easy to use
Daily database updates
Heuristics to detect unknown threats
Automatic Cleaning Engine
And most of all ... great customer satisfaction!
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/20/lng/us/tpl/v5

Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4 - product description
Application to scan for spyware, adware, hijackers and other malicious software.
Choose one of the sites to download from.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

Ad-Aware Personal provides advanced protection from known data-mining, aggressive advertising, Trojans, dialers, malware, browser hijackers, and tracking components. This software is downloadable free of charge.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Windows Defender is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

Weekly Top 5 Virus Incidents
The table below lists the top 5 virus and malware files submitted to CA during the week from June 04, 2007, to June 10, 2007.
   1. Win32/Luder.L
   2. Win32/Mydoom.N
   3. HTML/Phishbank.BMF
   4. Win32/Mydoom.O
   5. Win32/Netsky.P

True Viruses and Warning Letters of Impending Doom.
Believe it or not, the amount of harm done by sending false computer virus alarms and letters of impending doom to your thousand closest friends can be just as damaging as the alleged virus (if it even exists!); if you remember the story of the boy who cried wolf, you understand why.
If you think you've got the scoop on the latest new devastating virus or latest doom warning, check it out at the Web sites below before taking it on yourself to alert the world. If the virus is as terrible as you think it is, odds are the virus fighters already know about it and -- good news here! -- your anti virus software provider probably knows about it too and already has an update for it.
Sophos supplies this current information about actual hoaxes. Look at them. Read about them. If you are sent one of them, delete it.

Here are a few sites of many that can help you determine if an email is a hoax or real.

http://www.snopes.com/
http://vil.nai.com/VIL/hoaxes.asp
http://kumite.com/myths/
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
http://www.scambusters.org/VirusHoaxes.html
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/
http://www.truthorfiction.com/
http://www.quatloos.com/

INTERESTING SITES:

Doing some summer time sprucing up. You can't beat this site for color choices. Homeowner or professional it doesn't matter. There are color coordinator and matchers accessable on line. There are opportunities to choose your room, wall, gable, deck, etc. Then color code it. Find the right carpet, curtain, shutter, etc.
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/index.jsp

Earth Calendar This one recommended by Amanda

This is a fun Web site that allows you to find out what holidays are happening right now, today! Just click the Today button and see what holidays are celebrated on today’s date.

And as if that weren’t great enough on its own, you can even check out holidays based on date, country, religion and lunar phases with the tabs across the top of the page.

Date – This is like a search engine. You put in the year, month and date or just the month and click Show Holidays. It will then automatically find holidays for that time span.

Country – Here you will select the year and the country before clicking Show Holidays and it will find all of that country’s holidays for that year.

Religion – Looking for a specific holiday related to a religion? This is the section to do that in. Just choose the religion and year and click Show Holidays.

Lunar Phases – This one threw me for a loop at first, so of course, I had to check it out. It turns out this is really cool. It tells you when the full moons are for each month and when there will be eclipses. Pretty neat, huh?!

So, now you have access to the tool that will keep you on top of all the holidays from around the world!

http://www.earthcalendar.net/index.php

WildlifeGuides: Nature in North America
    * FieldGuides: More than 5,500 species
    * Birding: Identify, attract and understand birds
    * WildlifeOnline: Our free nature newsletter!
    * Articles: Search our vast archive
LocalNature: Your neck of the woods
    * ZipGuides: Find species by location
    * ParkFinder: Parks & refuges near you!
    * Gardening: Create, attract and conserve
    * Wildlife Lists: Save your sightings
FunStuff
    * eCards: Send nature images to friends
    * Screensavers: For your Mac or PC
    * Contests & Quizzes: Test your nature knowledge
    * PalmOS Bird Guide

http://enature.com/home/

http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Fingerjig Typing Game

Fingerjig is a 6 minute game that tests your typing prowess. Words are randomly chosen from a dictionary of over 70,000. You must try to type them as quickly and accurately as you can!
The average score for Fingerjig is 476,983. If you can beat this then you're doing well!
http://www.jonmiles.co.uk/fingerjig.php
This was fun and somewhat frustrating too. There are a number of other little games one can play. Access the Home Page:
http://www.jonmiles.co.uk/index.php

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