Microsoft has issued their monthly heads up for December’s patches.
The associated Security Bulletin outlines seven upcoming bulletins that address eleven security vulnerabilities, affecting Windows, Word and Internet Explorer (including IE 10).
The patches will become available at about 10am PST on December 11, 2012.
The latest version of Google’s Chrome web browser includes two security fixes and a few minor non-security fixes.
The latest version of Firefox includes several bug fixes, as well as some performance tweaks. The most notable changes are listed on the version 17.0.1 release notes page, while the 17.0.1 bug fixes page lists every change.
Just in case you had any doubt, new PCs loaded with Windows 8 also come pre-bloated with crapware. For those unfamiliar with the term, crapware refers to the software pre-installed on OEM systems that typically adds nothing useful, but uses up system resources and causes slowness and instability.
OEM system builders like Dell, HP, Acer and so on install the software because they make money from it: third-party software companies pay the OEM builders to install trial versions of their software. Other types of crapware originate with the OEM builder: software that delivers advertising, offers to sell more products, reminds the customer to register their software, tracks usage, and a host of other shady purposes, often presented as helpful.
Some builders offer an option to buy systems without the crapware, but that will cost you extra. A better solution is to use the free software PCDecrapifier.
ITWorld has some details on new Windows 8 crapware they’ve encountered.
Version 23.0.1271.91 of Chrome includes several security and other bug fixes.
With Christmas just over a month away, CERT is reminding us to be wary of holiday-related email. Malware and scam perpetrators use ‘big events’ like Christmas and celebrity deaths to push their wares on unsuspecting people.
Renowned interface expert Jakob Nielsen has taken a closer look at the new Windows 8 user interface, and his conclusions are not positive. While the new UI works reasonably well for tablets, it’s problematic for desktop PCs.
One of Nielsen’s most entertaining findings is that the new UI no longer supports multiple windows, leading him to suggest that the O/S be renamed “Microsoft Window”.
Computerworld has a useful summary of Nielsen’s findings.
The latest version of Firefox includes some security improvements designed to help prevent malware infection via out of date versions of Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight. Specifically, when Firefox tries to display content using those older plugins, it will prompt the user for confirmation.
Version 17 also includes the usual assortment of security, performance and other bug fixes.
The latest version of Opera includes security and stability improvements.
Anyone who hasn’t yet tried Opera is encouraged to do so. A lot of people who reflexively stay away from Internet Explorer use Firefox instead, but that browser has had some issues lately. Google Chrome is a good alternative, but lacks some features that many users like. Opera is an excellent fourth option.
Microsoft has been putting a lot of effort into making their software more secure, and it’s paying off: Kaspersky’s IT Threat Evolution: Q3 2012 report includes no Microsoft software in its Top Ten Vulnerabilities List.
The anti-malware software bundled with Windows 8 is Microsoft’s strongest offering in any version to date. But as long as Windows is widely deployed, it will remain a popular target for malware developers, as is demonstrated by the recent discovery by Symantec that a new Trojan variant, detected as Backdoor.Makadocs, includes code specific to the new O/S.
boot13