Mac

Read PDF Files? You might be asleep at the wheel and headed over the cliff..

Jul 7th

Back in March of this year a security expert figured out a way to use a specially-crafted Adobe PDF file to cause your computer to run an executable file embedded in that PDF document. If you understood what I just wrote there’s a pretty high likelihood that you heard about the flaw and did your Adobe update last week when the patch was released. If you didn’t really get any of that you’re probably one of millions of people who don’t pay attention to the little blinking update icons sitting down there in your system tray. If that’s you, you need to change your ways! Most of the virus and malware issues I see are a result of two things: outdated virus subscriptions and missing system updates. Updates, especially Windows updates can be tedious. This is one of those things that you just have to do, so make the time!

Important Updates to do:

Antivirus (it should be doing this automatically)
Windows Updates (I’m not a fan of auto-applied updates – do them manually as the icon pops up)
Java updates (these are less frequent, do them as they come up)
Adobe updates (also infrequent, so catch them when they arrive)

Software updates are a fact of life on any platform – including Mac and Linux. In fact.. Linux updates come out much more frequently than Windows updates. Manage these little annoyances and you’ll have fewer computer issues!

malware, spyware, virus

Are you a Comcast subscriber? Read on about your AV protection..

Jan 21st

Posted by Neilster1 in Internet

2 comments

Many Internet service providers bundle antivirus protection in their service offerings for high-speed Internet service.. and Comcast is no exception. I heard rumblings that Comcast was making a change to the software that they provide so I had to check it out for myself. What I heard was indeed true.. Comcast has apparently dropped McAfee for Symantec! This is good news for many for several reasons :

McAfee was a pretty sorry product in my opinion. I’m basing that solely on my personal experience.
Easily 90% of the systems I see in my consulting practice are running a version of Norton that isn’t being updated because the user won’t pony up the cash for a subscription.
There’s a Mac version!

With this new offering brings a new concern.. since Comcast has apparently ended their relationship with McAfee, how long until current McAfee users stop getting virus definition updates? I’ve got a Comcast source I’m going to engage to see if I can get an answer to that question. Mind you, I’m sure that it isn’t going to be a question of if.. it will certainly be when. Stay tuned for the answer on that.

Bottom line.. you should switch. Go to http://security.comcast.net for more info.

PS.. happy 2010! I haven’t posted in over a month, sorry for that. Things are incredibly busy at work, and honestly – I just don’t want to look at a computer once I make it home. Even as I type I’m out of town on business.

See you round the Internets!