Technology,Security,Software Review
Backup Your Favorites: Make a backup of your favorite websites. Use import/Export Feature of Internet Explorer to Import or export your favorite. To import or Export favorites go to file menu and choose import/ export option. You can export your favorites to a HTML file and then this exported HTML file can be imported to any other computer.
In the starting of march Microsoft releases it’s new version of Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer 8 Beta comes with several new security improvements.Some of the major improvements includes how Internet Explorer handles the ActiveX Add-ons. This is why IE8 Beta 1 features such improvements as Per-User (Non-Admin) ActiveX, ActiveX Opt-In and Per-Site ActiveX. ActiveX is one of the most common avenues for web-based attacks.
Per user ActiveX (Non-Admin): Running IE8 in Windows Vista, a standard user may install ActiveX controls in their own user profile without requiring administrative privileges. This improvement makes it easier for an organization to realize the full benefit of User Account Control by enabling standard users to install ActiveX controls used in their day-to-day browsing.
On April 17 hundreds of thousands domains from USA and from UK are infected with the SQL injection as well as IFrame injection attacks. Including some of the .gov domains also. Many of these websites are serving the malicious web pages using the JavaScript and IFrame. These web pages tried eight different ways to hijack the end user computer and trying to install some malicious software on the end user computer. SQL injection and IFrame attacks are mainly ended up redirecting users to malicious webpages.
Over the 1.9 millions votes and from the 300 finalists webware releases the list of Top 100 web applications for the year 2008. These 300 finalists are selected (by Webware editors) from a pool of over 5000 qualifying nominees. Top 100 web applications are selected by the voting of more then 1.9 Millions votes. Webware selected the top 100 web applications in 10 categories including Audio(Amazon MP3), Browsing and Tools (Firefox), Commerce and events(Amazon.com),Communication(AOL Instant Messenger),Productivity (30 Boxes), Publishing and Photography (Apple’s .Mac service), Search and Reference (Answers.com),Social(Bebo),Utility and Security (Amazon Simple Storage Service) and video(Amazon Unbox).
According to the Symantec Corporation Mozilla’s Internet web browser Firefox[updated] has the highest number of security holes in the year 2007. There are 122 security holes are found in the year 2007. Its rival Microsoft Internet Explorer has only 57 security holes. One reason behind the more security holes in Firefox[Updated] is its popularity over the Internet explorer.
Web browser security is main concern because their role in the spyware and adware propagation. Web browser come first in contact with any type of security attack that has been tried over the internet as compare to other application. Browsers can also be used for client side attack by using their plug in functionality because these plugin can be used to invoke the client applications.
Many people now surf Internet for sharing and creating content. Various websites provides a medium for sharing and creating content. Microsoft Corp.’s upcoming Internet Explorer, version 8, embraces those trends by adding an “Activities” feature that makes all that easier for PC users.
By using Internet Explorer 8 Activity feature companies like eBay, Yahoo, Facebook and many web service providers can write application that can be install by the PC users in just two clicks.
Think PC user reading a news article and you want to email to your friend simply right-click and choose Microsoft’s Hotmail, and the e-mail service opens in a new browser tab with that item already added to the subject line and message body. If you’d rather blog about the item, simply right-click and choose Microsoft’s Live Spaces.
Other uses for Activities include looking up definitions of selected words or translating phrases to and from other languages. Anyone can write an Activity, and each developer can choose whether to offer the thumbnail. You don’t need Microsoft’s permission beforehand. Once Activities are available for the services I use most, including Google Inc.’s Gmail and search, I can see saving a lot of time in not having to manually open new tabs and copy words or paragraphs to launch other services.
I have found one very strange thing when i want to access Microsoft Office Live Workspace i get the message that your current browser does not support the Microsoft Office Live Workspace, please download the latest version of Internet Explorer.Can any one tell Microsoft to Which is the latest version of Internet Explorer other then Internet Explorer 8 Beat 1.
I Think Microsoft Office Live Workspace is not supported in Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1, but if Microsoft is looking for future and beat Google so why they make such silly mistakes.Most important thing is that Google docs is running fine on the Internet Explorer 8 Beat 1.
To use Microsoft Office Live, your computer must meet one of the following requirements:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) Beta 1 is available for download. it’s a new version of Microsoft browser.This new version has some significant improvements as compare to previous version of the Internet Explorer.
There are a lot of new feature that has been added in Internet Explore 8.
Activities : Activities are contextual services to quickly access a service from any web page. Users typically copy and paste from one web page to another. Internet Explorer 8 Activities make this common pattern easier to do.
WebSlices : WebSlices is a new feature for web sites to connect to their users by subscribing to content directly within a web page. WebSlices behave just like feeds where clients can subscribe to get updates and notify the user of changes. 
Favorites Bar: In Internet Explorer 7, the Links bar provided users with one-click access to their favorite sites. The Links bar has undergone a complete makeover for Internet Explorer 8. It has been renamed the Favorites bar to enable users to associate this bar as a place to put and easily access all their favorite web content such as links, feeds, WebSlices and even Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.
Automatic Crash Recovery:Automatic Crash Recovery (ACR) is a feature of Windows®Internet Explorer® 8 that can help to prevent the loss of work and productivity in the unlikely event of the browser crashing or hanging. The ACR feature takes advantage of the Loosely-Coupled Internet Explorer feature to provide new crash recovery capabilities, such as tab recovery, which will minimize interruptions to users’ browsing sessions. 
Improved Phishing Filter:Internet Explorer 7 introduced the Phishing Filter, a feature which helps warn users when they visit a Phishing site. Phishing sites spoof a trusted legitimate site, with the goal of stealing the user’s personal or financial information. For Internet Explorer 8, we are building on the success of the Phishing Filter with a more comprehensive feature called the “Safety Filter.”
Internet Explorer 8 can be installed on Microsoft Windows Vista® Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows Vista, Windows XP® Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2). Downloads are available from the following locations:
All the information given above is taken from Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Web site.
Microsoft will shortly release a new beta version of it’s Internet Explore ie Internet Explorer 8 beta. The release is expected in the first half of this year.before coming to the bets version it has to pass the acid test
Safer computing is possible without unplugging your Internet cable and also without installing any additional software , but making safer computing possible require some work on your part. Here is some tips that will make your computing experience more safe.
1. Install Antivirus Software: Install a good anti virus software for safer and secure computing experience. Always update your anti virus software if possible then allow to take updates from it’s remote server automatically.
2. Use A Bidirectional Firewall: Always use a bidirectional firewall that will limit your unwanted inbound and outbound traffic. zone alarm firewall is good for home users and you can also download it with free of cost.
3. Scan Files: Got a file from the mail and thinking it is infected you can check this file with Virus Total just simply upload the file and this web site will tell weather the file is infected or not.
4. Disable Auto run: It allows CD’,DVD and other external devices to automatically run when ever they plug into the system.This may allow those devices to install some Trojan or other virus programs. Also disable auto play in your system.In vista disable auto play with help of auto play control panel.
5. Control Startup programs: Control startup programs what to be loaded when windows start and what not to be. You can control this by type “msconfig” in run and a windows will appear and from there select selective startup, select programs that you want to start with the computer.
6. Use Strong Passwords: Use strong passwords and also remember them and don’t use week passwords. After a certain period of time change your passwords. Don’t use the same password for all your accounts over the Internet. if you want to store passwords then use RoboForm. it’s an easy to use password manager software that fill your passwords and also generate strong passwords.
7. Use Browser Shield: Firefox and Internet Explorer comes with web site phishing filters turn them on. These phishing filters check for sites trying to steal your information.You can also use third party phishing filters like Mcafee (SiteAdvisor) and Trend Micro(Trend Protect) offer phishing filters.
8. Deactivate ActiveX: If you are using Internet Explore then please turn off ActiveX this will allows software’s to install on your machine many of the time these software’s are nothing but Trojan hours or other harmful software on your machine.
9. Activate ForceField: ForceField comes with ZoneAlarm. It makes a virtual layer between your web browser and changes makes to your computer. This layer provide a complete safer computing experience.
10. Erase Browser History: Delete your browser history regularly. Don’t save passwords on public computers. Whenever you surf on public computer make sure that you delete the browser history, delete cookies, delete temporary Internet files and finally restart the system.
If you follow above discussed steps you have safer computing experience.
