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Torian Group Times
“Technology with Integrity”
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ATT is offering refurbished Iphones for $49
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10295717-233.html
Network Solutions Hacked, 500,000 Credit Cards Exposed.
www.infopackets.com/news/security/2009/20090805_network_solutions_hacked_500k_credit_cards_exposed.htm
www.Makeuseof.com looks
like a good tool for keeping up with interesting web tools.
Add it to your customized feed page. What! You don’t have a
customized feed page?
Create one using most of the major search home pages. I use
Igoogle. Add information feeds to your home page, so you can see
headlines for topics relevant to your industry or personal
interests. www.google.com/ig
Useful Outlook Add-ins. Xobni is a good tool if you use
Linked-In or Facebook. Plaxo helps you keep addresses for
contacts current.
http://techie-buzz.com/add-ins/12-must-have-useful-and-free-microsoft-outlook-add-ins.html
www.xobni.com www.plaxo.com
Directory of Outlook tools: http://www.slipstick.com/addins/index.htm
Windows 7 is now available on MSDN. If you are an MPAN
(Accounting) partner or Action Pack subscriber, you have access
starting August 23rd. Volume license sales start Oct 1st.
Retail release date is Oct 22. Initial reviews are positive.
More about Windows 7: http://www.winsupersite.com/win7
MS Word patent infringement brings injunction not to sell Word.
A settlement is likely.
http://mashable.com/2009/08/12/word-patent
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-Patent-Lawsuit-Could-Spell-Trouble-for-OpenSource-Format-437250/?kc=EWKNLNAV08142009STR1
If you get a missed call, either Google it or go to WhoCallsMe?, a user-supplied
database of phone numbers of telemarketers and other unsolicited
callers, before you call back. It could be a scam. www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001744.html
I really enjoyed reading The
Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It’s one of those
business parables about success. Thanks to Doug Ruby for
recommending it.
www.thegogiver.com
Jose passed his Network+ certification. Dustin is now a Certified
Internet Web Developer (CIW). As mentioned last month, Jose’s
rates have gone up some ($37 for Scheduled help desk). All PC work by
Jose, Dustin and Preston will now be at $50/Hour, to offer a consistent
rate for this type of work.
Security Patches for August
19 Security updates for Windows werereleased August 11th. This
includes 15 Critical updates for various versions of Windows of which 5
are expected to be actively used by attackers within the next month,
so be sure to patch your computers. Servers need to be updated as
well.
http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/08/11/august-2009-bulletin-release.aspx
Included is a fix for the flaw in Microsoft Active Template Library
(ATL) can allow attacker full rights to your computer. A patch was
issued late July. (KB973882) The updates are a permanent fix.
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/973882.mspx.
Flaw in Microsoft's Office Web Components also patched.This
is being exploited by malware. Simply clicking a link in an e-mail
could open in IE a Web page with one of these deadly spreadsheets. It
only works with Internet Explorer. Firefox and other browsers are not
vulnerable.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/973472.mspx
Adobe Flash Player, Shockwave, Acrobat, and Acrobat reader all need
updates for ATL Bug. www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-10.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/07/attackers_target_new_adobe_fla.html
Java also needs an update for the ATL bug, to version
6, update 15. You should be offered the update automatically in
your toolbar (bottom right of screen). Remember, you must manually
uninstall older versions of java using the control panel/add-remove
programs. http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
http://www.us-cert.gov/current/index.html#sun_releases_java_se_6
If you previously applied this workaround from the last
newsletter for a flaw in Active-X: http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/06/new-vulnerability-in-mpeg2tunerequest-activex-control-object-in-msvidctl-dll.aspx,
it may not appear in windows updates. Check to see if it is in your
update history after updating. You might need to manually
download and apply this patch: www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-032.mspx/en-us
Firefox 3.0 and 3.5 bugs require updates: http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/08/more_firefox_updates_for_more.php
Firefox 3.5 zero-day flaw being exploited.
http://blog.mozilla.com/security/2009/07/14/critical-javascript-vulnerability-in-firefox-35
The workaround is to install noscript: http://noscript.net
It may be wise to wait before upgrading Firefox until the developers
work out the kinks in 3.5.
Office SP2 problems
If you save a Word 2007 file in the .docx format, the XML tag
structure may not appear correctly. To fix this problem, you need
to request and install the hotfix presented in KB article 970942.
Click View and request hotfix downloads next to the screwdriver
and wrench icons at the top of the bulletin.
If Outlook 2007's performance decreases after installing SP2, run the
hotfix in KB article 970944
Windows Security Center is giving bogus warnings
A change to Microsoft's Windows Security Center is alarming many Vista
users by reporting that their security software is no longer supported.
This has affected ESET NOD32, ESET Smart Security, and even Microsoft's
own Live OneCare product, among others. Users are still protected. http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=4928
http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2292
http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/onecareupdate/thread/297455ff-0484-4dd6-9627-ca1b0e30b015
Version 3 makes iPhones more secure Version 3adds such
features as landscape typing and the ability to cut and paste text. It
also patches 46 security holes. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3639
One of the holes allows a script on a Web page to hijack your phone,
causing it to dial a number that places a huge charge on your
long-distance bill.
To update your iPhone, plug it into a computer that has iTunes
installed. The update will be offered to you automatically.
Tim Torian
Torian, Group, Inc.
http://www.toriangroup.com