Mozilla has hurried out a new version of Firefox to block code execution attacks from Apple’s QuickTime media player.

The fix (Firefox 2.0.0.7) comes just six days after the release of proof-of-concept exploits to show how rigged QuickTime files can be used to hijack Windows machines if Firefox is set as the default Web browser.

This is Mozilla’s second attempt to prevent this type of attack. A patch released in July 2007 was meant to address this issue but because QuickTime calls the browser in an unexpected way, that fix was bypassed.

To protect Firefox users from this problem we have now eliminated the ability to run arbitrary script from the command-line. Other command-line options remain, however, and QuickTime Media-link files could still be used to annoy users with popup windows and dialogs until this issue is fixed in QuickTime.

Apple also attempted a fix for this issue in February 2007 but as security researcher Aviv Raff discovered, QuickTime can still be used to pass attacks to both Firefox and Internet Explorer users.

The NoScript Firefox add-on has provided protection against this class of attack for several months.
Posted by Ryan Naraine 

Mozilla has hurried out a new version of Firefox to block code execution attacks from Apple’s QuickTime media player.

The fix (Firefox 2.0.0.7) comes just six days after the release of proof-of-concept exploits to show how rigged QuickTime files can be used to hijack Windows machines if Firefox is set as the default Web browser.

This is Mozilla’s second attempt to prevent this type of attack. A patch released in July 2007 was meant to address this issue but because QuickTime calls the browser in an unexpected way, that fix was bypassed.

Tip 1: Concentrate on the Story
If composition, framing and exposure are essentials to photography, what's even more essential before you click your first photograph is to first figure out the story behind the picture. What are you trying to convey through the picture? Is it purely to keep a record of a moment in time or are you trying to capture a candid emotion or action? Or, better yet, is it possibly a shot to give to someone? Is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to commemorate the moment? Once you have the answers to these questions, the objective becomes clear and it will show through in your pictures.

Tip 4: Double Check the Background and Foreground
One of the most common places for distractions in digital photography is the background of your shots. Run your eyes over the space behind your subject to see what else is in the image (do the same for the foreground). Consider whether you want the background in focus or for it to be nice and blurry.

Tip 5: Cozy Up to Your Subject
Another common mistake in digital photography is taking shots where your subject is too small in the frame. Shots that fill the frame with your subject tend to be much more dynamic and it shows a lot more detail of your subject. To get this effect, you have the option of moving yourself closer, moving your subject closer or using a longer focal length to give the effect of closeness.

Tip 6: Verify the Light Source
Always give consideration to how your subject is lit. Without light, you’ll lose detail and clarity in your image and your camera will have to compensate by doing things like increasing the ISO and lengthening shutter speeds. All of that could lead to noisy and blurred images, which you do not want. Ask yourself questions like, "What is the main source of light, where is it coming from, is there enough light, do you need artificial light sources (flash, etc.), do you need to stabilize your camera on a tripod to stop the camera from shaking, due to low light?" And so on.

Tip 7: Get Your Framing Right
It’s amazing how many otherwise good photos are spoiled by framing that is slightly offline. Sloping horizons and slightly leaning people or buildings should always be in the back of your mind to check. Also, check if you are holding the camera correctly. Many people don’t and as a result, suffer from camera shake and framing mistakes.

Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates.

Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses in this situation are objecting to the stealth patching.

Files changed with no notice to users
In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.

It's surprising that these files can be changed without the user's knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft's latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.

When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft's online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What's unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn't authorized to install anything.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Not long ago, another Windows component, svchost.exe, was causing problems with Windows Update, as last reported on June 21 in the Windows Secrets Newsletter. In that case, however, the Windows Update site notified users that updated software had to be installed before the patching process could proceed. This time, such a notice never appears.

For users who elect not to have updates installed automatically, the issue of consent is crucial. Microsoft has apparently decided, however, that it doesn't need permission to patch Windows Updates files, even if you've set your preferences to require it.

Microsoft provides no tech information — yet
To make matters even stranger, a search on Microsoft's Web site reveals no information at all on the stealth updates. Let's say you wished to voluntarily download and install the new WU executable files when you were, for example, reinstalling a system. You'd be hard-pressed to find the updated files in order to download them. At this writing, you either get a stealth install or nothing.

A few Web forums have already started to discuss the updated files, which bear the version number 7.0.6000.381. The only explanation found at Microsoft's site comes from a user identified as Dean-Dean on a Microsoft Communities forum. In reply to a question, he states:
    * "Windows Update Software 7.0.6000.381 is an update to Windows Update itself. It is an update for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Unless the update is installed, Windows Update won't work, at least in terms of searching for further updates. Normal use of Windows Update, in other words, is blocked until this update is installed."
Windows Secrets contributing editor Susan Bradley contacted Microsoft Partner Support about the update and received this short reply:
    * "7.0.6000.381 is a consumer only release that addresses some specific issues found after .374 was released. It will not be available via WSUS [Windows Server Update Services]. A standalone installer and the redist will be available soon, I will keep an eye on it and notify you when it is available."

Unfortunately, this reply does not explain why the stealth patching began with so little information provided to customers. Nor does it provide any details on the "specific issues" that the update supposedly addresses.

System logs confirm stealth installs
In his forum post, Dean-Dean names several files that are changed on XP and Vista. The patching process updates several Windows\System32 executables (with the extensions .exe, .dll, and .cpl) to version 7.0.6000.381, according to the post.

In Vista, the following files are updated:
1. wuapi.dll
2. wuapp.exe
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaueng.dll
5. wucltux.dll
6. wudriver.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuwebv.dll

In XP, the following files are updated:
1. cdm.dll
2. wuapi.dll
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaucpl.cpl
5. wuaueng.dll
6. wucltui.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuweb.dll

These files are by no means viruses, and Microsoft appears to have no malicious intent in patching them. However, writing files to a user's PC without notice (when auto-updating has been turned off) is behavior that's usually associated with hacker Web sites. The question being raised in discussion forums is, "Why is Microsoft operating in this way?"

How to check which version your PC has
If a system has been patched in the past few months, the nine executables in Windows\System32 will either show an earlier version number, 7.0.6000.374, or the stealth patch: 7.0.6000.381. (The version numbers can be seen by right-clicking a file and choosing Properties. In XP, click the Version tab and then select File Version. In Vista, click the Details tab.)

In addition, PCs that received the update will have new executables in subfolders named 7.0.6000.381 under the following folders:
c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups.dll
c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups2.dll

Users can also verify whether patching occurred by checking Windows' Event Log:
Step 1. In XP, click Start, Run.
Step 2. Type eventvwr.msc and press Enter.
Step 3. In the tree pane on the left, select System.
Step 4. The right pane displays events and several details about them. Event types such as "Installation" are labeled in the Category column. "Windows Update Agent" is the event typically listed in the Source column for system patches.

On systems that were checked recently by Windows Secrets readers, the Event Log shows two installation events on Aug. 24. The files were stealth-updated in the early morning hours. (The time stamp will vary, of course, on machines that received the patch on other dates.)

To investigate further, you can open the Event Log's properties for each event. Normally, when a Windows update event occurs, the properties dialog box shows an associated KB number, enabling you to find more information at Microsoft's Web site. Mysteriously, no KB number is given for the WU updates that began in August. The description merely reads, "Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Automatic Updates."

No need to roll back the updated files
Again, it's important to note that there's nothing harmful about the updated files themselves. There are no reports of software conflicts and no reason to remove the files (which WU apparently needs in order to access the latest patches). The only concern is the mechanism Microsoft is using to perform its patching, and how this mechanism might be used by the software giant in the future.

With the ever quickening pace of new technology and online trends, it can be an overwhelming task to stay current.  Did you hear about the sunglasses with a built-in video recorder?  How about that service that converts your incoming voicemails to text and forwards them to your email?  What's the latest in the Blu-Ray versus HD saga?  And how can you get automatic deliveries of toilet paper and dog food?

As you might imagine, there are quite a few websites devoted to technology, gadgets, and the future of computing.  But I've found that by focusing on a select handful, I'm able to stay up to date and keep an eye on future trends.  Here's my list of the top seven technology news sites...  read on, get your tech fix, and let me know if you have a site to add to the list!
http://askbobrankin.com/get_your_tech_fix.html

The new company will be led by David Ascher, who joins Mozilla from ActiveState where he last worked as CTO and vice president of engineering.

“Mozilla plans to develop Internet communications software based on the Thunderbird product, code and brand. The new initiative also aims to nurture a robust developer ecosystem in order to drive improvements through open source and community innovation, in the tradition of the Firefox web browser,” the Foundation said in a statement.

The new company does not have a name yet. Mozilla Foundation chair Mitchell Baker says the $3 million in seed funding will be spent mostly on building a small team of people who are passionate about e-mail and Internet communications.

“As the company develops, the Mozilla Foundation will evaluate what’s the best model for long-term sustainability. Mozilla may well invest additional funds; we also hope that there are other paths for sustainability,” she added.
The goals for the new company are:
    * Take care of Thunderbird users.
    * Move Thunderbird forward to provide better, deeper e-mail solutions.
    * Create a better user experience for a range of Internet communications — how does/should e-mail work with 
                    IM, RSS, VoIP, SMS, site-specific email, etc?
    * Spark the types of community involvement and innovation that we’ve seen around web “browsing” and Firefox.

Mozilla insists that nothing will change for Thunderbird users. The company plans to continue shipping regular security and stability updates through the transition.

Feature Overview - The Secunia Software Inspector:
 * Detects insecure versions of applications installed
 * Verifies that all Microsoft patches are applied
 * Assists you in updating your system and applications
 * Runs through your browser. No installation or download is required.

How Does it Work:
The Secunia Software Inspector relies on carefully crafted "Secunia File Signatures" to recognise applications on your system. The detected applications are then matched against our "Secunia Advisory Intelligence" to determine whether an application is up-to-date or not. The results are then used to advise you on how to update to more secure releases of the insecure applications.

Microsoft Windows Update is used to determine if your system is missing security updates from Microsoft.

The Secunia Software Inspector covers the most common/popular end user applications:
 * Internet browsers
 * Internet browser plugins
 * Instant messaging clients
 * Email clients
 * Media players
 * Operating systems
 * View detailed list of applications

Please note.
The Secunia Software Inspector does not cover or include information about vulnerabilities not addressed by either a new version or a security patch. For information about unpatched issues in your software, we suggest that you look at our Product Vulnerability Report Pages.

The Secunia Software Inspector works by inspecting version information on your system and therefore it does not take into account if you e.g. applied a workaround to address a vulnerability.

Minimum Requirements:
 * Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows 2003
 * Sun Java JRE 1.5.0_12
 * Internet Explorer 6.x, Opera 9.x, or Firefox 2.x
 * Latest version of Microsoft Windows Update 

Basically, Windows Defender (found in Windows Vista) automatically blocks all startup items that require administrator privileges to run. (That is usually considered bad behavior for a startup item). There is no known easy way to automatically unblock these items though. The only suggestion given is to "contact the software vendor for an updated version," which is Vista compatible and does not require administrator privileges to run.

So, Windows Defender offers three ways to help keep spyware and other potentially unwanted software from infecting your computer. Here they are:

    * Real Time Protection - Windows Defender alerts you when spyware or potentially unwanted software attempts to install itself or run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings.
    * SpyNet Community - The online Microsoft SpyNet community helps you see how other people respond to software that has not yet been classified for risks. Seeing if other members of the community allow certain software can help you choose whether to allow it on your computer or not. In turn, if you participate, your choices are added to the community ratings to help other people choose what to do as well.
    * Scanning Options - You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware and other potentially unwanted software that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis and to automatically remove any malicious software that is detected during a scan.

Okay, now we can move on! Here's how you can stop an application from running in your Windows Vista startup, by using Windows Defender.

There are ways to stop an application from running during startup while loading Windows Vista. The computer becomes a bit slow and takes a lot of time while loading up if there are a lot of programs in the startup. To remove all these from your startup in Windows Vista, just follow these steps:

China is host to almost half of the world's malware-infected Web sites.

According to a report released Monday by antivirus company Sophos, China--including Hong Kong--hosted 44.8 percent of the world's infected sites in August. The U.S. ranked a distant second, hosting 20.8 percent of sites that contain malicious code.

The number of infected Web pages has also grown. Sophos said it detected an average of 5,000 new infected pages each day in the month of August.

The company warned that simply staying clear of sites hosted in the top three countries of China, the U.S. and Russia is not an effective method of avoiding malware.

"Hackers are hijacking Web sites around the world to make them point to malware on sites based in China, the U.S. and Russia," Carole Theriault, Sophos senior security consultant, said in a statement.

Sophos also warned about a sharp rise in spam pointing people to these infected sites. Malicious senders, in an attempt to bypass attachment virus scanners, are using messages that direct people to Web sites with malicious code. Computers get infected when people click on the links in the e-mail message.

"Most malware writers...are using spam and the Web to infect users," Theriault said. "Criminals are hard at work trying to slip past filters at the corporate gateway."

June saw a spike in spam hosted on Chinese domains, when the figure rose from almost zero to 450 spam domains.

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 
 

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/

It’s back-to-school time again...  parents breathe a sigh of relief and students groan under the load of spiffy new backpacks.  Of course you want to help your child succeed in school, so here are some sites that will inspire K-12 kids to learn, help them with homework, and provide a little fun when the work is done.
http://askbobrankin.com/top_10_sites_for_students.html

Teachers, we've got something for you as well.  My top ten sites for teachers will help you with lesson plans, classroom activities, ideas to stimulate your students, and resources to make learning fun.
http://askbobrankin.com/top_ten_sites_for_teachers.html 

And for those who are home schooling, or considering home education, we've got you covered.  My top ten sites for homeschoolers has links to help you get started, and info on legal issues, books, supplies, curriculums, activities and support groups.
http://askbobrankin.com/top_ten_sites_for_homeschoolers.html

What are the Fallacy Files? - This section explains what the fallacy files are and how they came to be.

What is a Fallacy? – This section explains what a fallacy is, but it also goes into the history of fallacies and why they should be studied.

The Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies – This section goes further into how fallacies are typed and categorized.

Quote…Unquote - Here you will find some quotes about logical fallacies, as well as, the importance of logical thinking.

How to Use the Fallacy Files – This, of course, is almost a section you have to stop at, because it teaches you the best way to use the fallacy files. As I mentioned earlier, the tools for searching the fallacy files are in the left frame of the Web page and they consist of an alphabetical listing and search engine. This section will walk you through those, as well as, the taxonomy.

Seeing as I couldn’t think of any logical fallacies off hand, I started my search with the letter P from the alphabetical menu. From there, I chose at random, Petitio Principii. I learned that it breaks down into the phrase “begging the question,” which is a comment I am most familiar with from debates.

For this entry, there were aliases listed for the phrase, as well as, an etymology and then the form was discussed. An example of it was also given. Then I read the exposition on the subject, along with the exposure, which was where I got to see the phrase in action. You’ll also find sub-fallacies listed after that, which will tie you into other related fallacies on the same topic.

I am off to explore some more of the entries here and I hope you’ll do the same!
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. "Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder. "I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up." The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves." So punctuation really does matter, even if it is only occasionally a matter of life and death.

A very neat game about punctuation 
http://eatsshootsandleaves.com/ESLquiz.html

Pearson Prentice Hall  Another site from Amanda.
Welcome to a nifty Web site filled with interactive simulations you can play and learn with! In order to use them, you need to have a Shockwave player. If you don’t have one, don’t worry! There is a button right on the site that will take you to the link you need to download it for free. You’ll find it on the right side of the page near the top. It reads "Get Macromedia Shockwave Player."

There are ten activities to choose from, all with a different subject to teach you about. The activities are: Design and Test, Topographic Maps, Pheromone Trails, Eclipses, Seismic Waves, Ocean Waves, Solar System, Plant & Animal Cells, 4-Stroke Engine and Biomes.

I was the most curious about the 4-Stroke Engine, so I headed there first. When it loaded, I was faced with a working engine, as well as, a lot of other options. On the left side of the page, I found the menu for interacting with the simulation. I could choose between views of the engine, how many parts were working at one time, whether I saw the parts labeled and how fast the engine was accelerating.

At the top of the simulation I found, there was information for me to read about what I was seeing. I could also make the font larger or smaller with the A buttons above the text, as well as, scroll up and down with the scroll bar beside the text.

Underneath the view of the engine was another slider bar that let me control the start and stop of the engine simulator. Just to the right of that, I found two magnifying glasses that let me zoom in and out on the engine too!

Beneath the simulation, there was even more information about engines. It was really quite interesting to learn all about a 4-Stroke Engine. I was pleasantly surprised!

Now, I’m off to explore the other simulations. Are you ready to join me?!

http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/