A security vulnerability in Office XP 2003 and 2007 already exploited by hackers

Microsoft had to recognize the existence of a security vulnerability in its Office suite on the day of the distribution of its monthly security patches. This vulnerability lies in the web components of Office that are triggered via Internet Explorer. It is embarrassing for Microsoft, communicate attacks have been on Office XP, 2003 and 2007 users via a security hole. This vulnerability lies in Office Web Components which can be used with Internet Explorer.

Hackers create pages trapped and attract their victims through spam in disguise. Hackers have administrator rights on the infected PC and can then do what they want. Microsoft advises disabling Office Web Components until a patch is published at a yet unspecified date. Dave Marcus, director of security research at McAfee finds: "Despite the repairs today, Windows users are still attacked. When Microsoft made two steps forward, these attackers are the backward one." The attack exploiting the Excel Unspecified Remote Code Execution Vulnerability requires a computer user to open an attachment sent via e-mail that has a maliciously crafted Excel document. Opening the malicious spreadsheet triggers the
vulnerability. This causes the shellcode to execute and then drops two files on the system--the malicious binary mentioned earlier and another valid Excel document. The shell code then executes the dropped file and opens the valid Excel document to mask the fact that Excel has just crashed. This helps to decrease suspicion when the affected spreadsheet is opened."

Microsoft closes nine vulnerabilities in July

Three critical patches close vulnerabilities in DirectX and Windows. Attacker can use to infiltrate malicious code and execute it. Three "important" bugs in Publisher, ISA Server and Virtual PC and Virtual Server. Microsoft has released the July-Patchday six security updates for the nine sub-classified as critical vulnerabilities. The patches fix bug in DirectX, Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA) and Virtual PC and Virtual Server.

The critical error in DirectShow (MS09-028), in embedded OpenType font module (MS09-029) and in Video ActiveX control (MS09-032). They relate to DirectX 7, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., or Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and Server 2008. The Video ActiveX update is only for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

In Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 (MS09-030), ISA Server 2006 (MS09-031) and Virtual PC 2004 and 2007 and Virtual Server 2005 (MS09-033) are three important stuffs to security vulnerabilities. In addition, the company has a current version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, bringing to delete the wrong security program Win32/FakeSypgro. An update for the beginning of the week reported vulnerabilities in Office Web Components, according to the manufacturer's specifications could not be completed.

All updates are now available via the automatic update feature of Windows or the Download Center to download. Microsoft recommends that the patches should be installed immediately. The probability that in the next 30 days, malicious programs appear to fill the gaps to exploit, Microsoft has considered as high.

The competitor to Flash, Silverlight, is in version 3

Microsoft's technology allows the creation and implementation of rich Internet applications is now in version 3. Number of Internet users have probably already downloaded Silverlight, including those who have followed the broadcasts of tennis matches at Roland Garros on the site of France Television. The direct competitor of Flash and Adobe Flex has made some improvements and new features since the previous version released in 2008. Thus, in addition to support for hardware graphics acceleration to display high definition video (HD) full screen, Silverlight 3 manages the H.264 and AAC codecs.

Flows via the plugin available from Microsoft may also be protected by DRM, via support PlayReady Content Protection. The editor has also added to Silverlight 3 3D, and many graphics options (Bitmap Caching, Pixel Shader effect ). Another major change, the ability to install applications developed with Silverlight outside the browser and run offline. Silverlight's video capabilities have always been impressive when compared to Flash, and the new version boasts some new features that should keep the competition with Flash hot. It uses a media broadcasting technology Microsoft calls Smooth Streaming, an adaptive technology for playing the same H.264 video stream at the highest bit rate the device and its bandwidth limitations will allow. These applications can be launched from the desktop (Windows or Mac) like any other software. Security side, Microsoft has implemented the performance of applications in the sandbox with isolated persistent storage of data.

Mono C # and shake the free software community

Mono and C # should be used in Linux distributions. Mono, the open source implementation of the framework. NET platform, is at the heart of a debate within the free software community. Mono is included in several Linux distributions, including Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora. Yet, even though it is distributed under a free license, Mono incorporates technology covered by patents Microsoft (ADO.Net, ASP.Net and Windows.Forms). The fear exists that the publisher prosecution in respect of users of these technologies. This is the position defended by the father of the GPL, Richard Stallman, whose Free Software should not depend on Mono or C #.

In a message on the website of the FSF (Free Software Foundation) Richard Stallman has criticized the decision to include Mono Debian (via the application Tomboy) for the installation of Gnome. According to him, any implementation of C # describes the Open Source projects at risk of legal action from Microsoft, the existence of software patents. Therefore, on the one hand, discourage developers build applications using this programming language, and on the other hand, did not incorporate implementations of C # in the default installation of distributions Linux or in Gnome.

For the technical committee of Ubuntu, a withdrawal of Mono is not on the agenda. A patent does not announce itself in the desire to prosecute. On Fedora (supported by Red Hat), the position is different. The distribution company, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it is not affected by this change. As for Microsoft, he tries to adopt a posture reassuring. The editor of Redmond has decided to place the implementations of C # and CLI (Common Language Infrastructure), components of Mono, under its Community Promise. This announcement may allay the fears of the players free to see a Trojan horse penetrate Linux.

However, some do not forget the repeated threats by Microsoft against Linux and its allegations of patent infringement. Especially, that the editor has reignited tensions during its recent conflict with the seller of GPS, TomTom, by criticizing its intellectual property. His complaint criminalized the Linux kernel used by TomTom even if Microsoft is defending.

Browser plug-in from Finjan protects against links to malicious sites

Secure browsing supports Internet Explorer and Firefox. It examines the code of linked sites in real time. That is especially for the users of Twitter, Digg, Blogger or MySpace use. Finjan has under the name "Secure Browsing" a free browser plug-in for Internet Explorer and Firefox published. It warns users of services like Twitter, Digg, Blogger, or MySpace before the links that lead to Web sites rigged. The tool also supports AJAX-based email services like Gmail and Yahoo mail, search engines Google, Yahoo and MSN and Google's AdSense advertising service.

Secure browsing investigated the code directly linked websites, instead of a blacklist of URLs to retrieve. This distinguishes the plug-in of similar offers. In addition to links to websites which may be viruses, trojans and other malicious programs that shows the plug-in, a red cross, while a secure link with a green check mark. Links to sites that the plug-in can not be scanned, provides it with a yellow question mark. Finjan has been the development of secure browsing is concentrated on services, a scan without the input of user data. Therefore support the plug-in is not the social network Facebook.

Kaspersky had earlier this month warned that, for example, in Twitter messages Short URLs used social engineering beneficiary. A user can not see the URL of the site, which he will attend. According to Finjan Secure Browsing scans also with services such as tinyurl generated links.

Google fixes the bug in Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook

The application proposed by Google to enable users of its Cloud Services to access Outlook from experiencing a bug that affected the search engine software. Google is corrected and made some improvements to Apps Sync. Google has put an early end to controversy with Microsoft after the bug in its implementation Apps Sync for Outlook. Now, The new synchronization app is called Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook. It provides a way for users to keep their
familiar Microsoft user interface for e-mail and calendar functions while bypassing Microsoft Exchange Server. Instead, users connect with Google's Gmail servers in the Internet cloud.

Published in early June, the latter allows access to Google mail (Gmail, Calendar, Contacts) in Outlook. A way for Google to invest the business world where the mail client Microsoft is still so prevalent. A few days after its release, Microsoft has denounced the presence of a bug in Sync Apps blocking the functioning of the search engine of Outlook. Google ensured that this was not only the internal engine of Windows was concerned.

Now, New version is available for download. The dispute reached its conclusion yesterday with the publication of an updated version of Apps that Sync solves the problem and makes some improvements. For example, we can enable or disable automatic archiving at the time of installation. In addition, access to the Live Hotmail via Outlook plug-in connector is also restored. Users who have already installed Apps Sync will update automatically. The new version is it available for download.

Windows Vista less secure than Windows 2000, according to PC Tools

The British publisher of PC Tools antivirus has identified more threats on PCs running Vista with Windows 2000. The effectiveness of Window Vista is again being questioned, this time by the British publisher PC Tools. He has published the results of a study, saying that the latest Microsoft OS is less secure than Windows 2000. His analysis is based on figures collected over the last six months (since November 2007) from users of its software Threat Fire behavioral detection of threats. It appears that this time, Vista has been the target of 639 different threats, against 586 for Windows 2000.

"Microsoft introduced its latest OS as the version of Windows the most secure. "Yet, recent studies with statistics on 1.4 million computers with Threat Fire show that Vista is more susceptible to malware than Windows 2000, eight years, and only 37% more secure than Windows XP . "

An analysis that Microsoft has reacted, replying that the OS is not the only fault. He said that in many cases, users run necessarily at a given moment of harmful code on their machine, sometimes by lack of knowledge. "The amount of virus infections found by an antivirus publisher does not necessarily mean a poor safety. "

"The results published in the April 2008 edition, Security Intelligence Report show that Windows Vista is significantly less susceptible to malware than older operating system. To support its claims, PC Tools has released more accurate figures. 190 on 692 machines running Vista, 121 380 were infected by at least one type of harmful software and some up to 19 were identified, 74% were software cookies advertising (adware), and 17% of the Trojans.

"All systems used in the study using Threat Fire. As this technology examines the behavior, the data refers to threats that have alerted our detection tool because they had been executed on the client. Our data show that MSRT is not a complete anti-virus, but a tool to remove a certain type of harmful programs. "

Windows 7: Details on the availability of updated prices and the version without the Internet Explorer

The launch of Windows 7 tomorrow begins by updating the PC's bought with Vista (Home, Pro, Ultimate), which will be entitled to the equivalent version of Windows 7. An operation that will take place in three stages. Other information: Windows 7, not be called Windows Internet Explorer 7 E. The information has been confirmed by Microsoft that the program for upgrading to Windows 7 starts tomorrow, June 26. This is the "security technology" that will apply to any PC purchase until 31 January 2010 and which will be installed on Windows Vista Home Premium, Professional or Full.

Customers will be entitled to the equivalent boxed version of Windows 7 from its availability on 22 October. Thus, all net Book sold with XP will not be entitled to the security technology. A choice that threatens to grind teeth since Windows XP has been imposed on the net Book because of inadequate performance of Vista on these machines.

Officially, Microsoft will not require any extra charge for this update. "OEMs are free to pass or not additional costs,". Some PC manufacturers are in fact "customize the content of their machines by adding drivers, programs. This has a handling cost, ". It can therefore be expected to affect the selling price of PCs and / or costs. One speaks of "several tens of euros." The security technology is also applicable to the same boxed versions of Windows Vista that could be purchased during this period.

Besides the security technology, Microsoft has provided two additional stages for the launch of Windows 7. The first is a period of 15 July to 14 August. Users can reserve a copy of Windows 7 in stores or on the Internet at the special price of 49.99 euros for the Home Premium edition and 109.99 euros for the Pro edition. These prices are those that will carry Microsoft but dealers are free to set their prices.

Windows 7 Home Premium and Pro edition will be sold at the price of the upgrade is 119.99 euros and 285 euros. But curiously, the official price of Windows 7 has not yet been announced. Microsoft expects it to see how consumers react to these offers? In any case, we can get an idea of the price to such method by comparing those on Vista. The full version of Home Premium edition is currently sold at 199 euros and up to 99 days. One can imagine that Windows 7 Home Premium edition will be sold a hundred euros more expensive than its update. The Pro version of Vista is it proposed to 299 euros in update and 319 euros for the full edition. Windows 7, not be called Windows Internet Explorer 7 E.

A RC2 for Firefox 3.5

The Mozilla Foundation has just seconds to broadcast a version of the Release Candidate, a version that should be the last. This RC2 no new features but fixes bugs ultimate observed. To correct the remaining problems, the output of the final version was rejected in early June indicated Mozilla. Besides the native support for JSON (format data), tags

Viruses Removal and Troubleshooting Steps

Viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another computer. Viruses attack leads to interfere with computer operation and decrease in performance. Virus is a malicious software program which have many bad impacts on the computer operation. Viruses are generally spread by the following ways:--
1. E-mail attachments
2. Surfing on malicious websites
3. External storage devices
4. Downloading from malicious websites
5. Clicking on the unknown pop-ups and links6. Mobile devices

Antivirus Programs List:--
It is highly recommended that never click on unknown pop-ups and links. We should also avoid to visit on the malicious websites. Even, Many organization has launched different antivirus programs that avoids computer from the viruses attacks. There are some popular antiviruses programs like the following :--
1. Mcafee antivirus
2. AVG antivirus
3. Norton antivirus
4. Avira antivirus
5. Kaspersky antivirus
6. Panda antivirus
7. Avast antivirus
8. Windows Live One Care
9. Quick Heal antivirus
10. eTrust antivirus
11. NOD 32 antivirus

Sign of Viruses:--
It is very necessary to know that when your computer is infected by the viruses attacks. We are providing the some important indicator that your computer is infected :-
1. Slow down of computer performance
2. Computer stops responding or freezes
3. Computer crashes frequently
4. Computer restarts frequently
5. Improper function of some applications
6. Some disks or disk drivers become inaccessible
7. Some error messages pop-ups
8. Distorted menus and dialog boxes

Remove Viruses:--
We should know how to protect the computer from viruses attack. We should have firewall protection, spyware protection, malware protection, virus protection and adware protection programs on the computer. Viruses removal process mainly includes some troubleshooting steps that have to be performed in systematic order.
1. We should create a system restore point for the safety purpose.
2. We should delete all the temporary Internet files like temp, %temp% and prefetch files from your computer.
3. We should un-install the unwanted programs installed on the computer.
4. We should perform the "defrag" and "disk cleanup" utility over the specific time.
5. We should scan computer by using any updated antivirus program.
6. We should install and download the "Anti-malwarebytes" program.
7. We should update "Anti-malwarebytes" program on the regular basis.
8. We should scan computer using the "Anti-malwarebytes" program.
9. We should restart the computer in normal mode.
10. We should install and download the "Superantispyware" program.
11. We should restart the computer in safe mode.
12. We should scan computer using the updated "Superantispyware" program.
13. We should restart the computer in normal mode.

Microsoft Anti-spam weapon "Sender ID"

Microsoft talked about the success of the company with its Sender ID technology in his own e-mail service Hotmail. Microsoft wants above all to demonstrate the feasibility of its approach, while the company's development authenticated e-mail systems forward by the origin of messages will be checked more accurately than usual. It is also perhaps the most important weapon used by Microsoft. The company from Redmond, Washington, represents the sellers of products for e-mail security funds available to the verification of the authenticity of incoming messages to promote.

The main goal is to restore confidence in e-mail recover. Sender ID is a specification for verifying the authenticity of e-mails, in which the validity of the server from which the emails come, will be verified. This technology is one of several approaches of the industry, through the flood of spam and phishing attacks will be met by the sender is difficult, to forge their addresses and by e-mail filter to be improved.

With e-mails that use Sender ID, Microsoft could, in conjunction with improved spam filtering, the number of "false positives", that is incorrectly classified as spam e-mails in Hotmail by up to 80 percent. In addition, Microsoft's investigation showed that "benign" senders of large volumes of e-mails that use Sender ID, the rate of false positives dropped to almost zero.
The ultimate aim is the responsibility of each individual user has and what new approaches are available. Microsoft believe this is of great commercial and technological value to the entire e-mail ecosystem - a solution that effectively costs nothing, at stations and receivers do not affect the performance and real results.

As part of its efforts started at the end of February a Microsoft program, in the company of the area E-mail Security money for the use of e-mail authentication protocols like Sender ID. It is open to all providers, the tools for filtering incoming e-mails delivered.

Microsoft could cut Windows 7 list price to $100

Microsoft could drop the price of Windows 7 to around $100 when it announces retail prices later this month, according to calculations based on an earlier Vista cost-cutting move. Although Microsoft is not expected to go public with Windows 7 retail prices until next week, if it drops them by the same percentages it did in February 2008 when it cut U.S. prices for three editions of Vista, the upgrade to Windows 7 Home Vista could be $106.

If it does cut prices, Microsoft's motivations could range from a recognition of the recession's impact on consumers to a desire to move as many users as possible to Windows 7 -- which has been generally praised by reviewers -- to stem defections to other platforms, such as Apple's Mac OS X. In that Vista price cut, Microsoft dropped the list prices of Vista Home Premium Upgrade, Vista Ultimate and Vista Ultimate Upgrade in the U.S. by 18.8%, 20% and 15.4%, respectively.

Vista Home Premium Upgrade, which had been priced at $159, fell to $129 in February 2008. Vista Ultimate Upgrade, meanwhile, dropped from $260 to $220. In other markets, such as the U.K. and the European Union, prices fell even more: Home Premium Upgrade was slashed by 46% in the EU. Using the 2008 percentage price cuts for Ultimate as the basis for further reductions would put Windows 7 Ultimate at $256 and Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade at $186.

Those calculations, however, present problems with the pricing of Windows 7's other edition, dubbed Professional, the replacement for Vista Business in the line-up. Microsoft has been adamant that each version of Windows 7 will be a superset of the one immediately lower on the price/feature ladder. Such a strategy would hint at prices set accordingly; in other words, Business would be priced higher than Home Premium but lower than Ultimate.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Installation Errors

Microsoft has released the latest version of Windows XP SP3. It is available through Automatic updates, Windows updates and Download Center. Many users are facing an issue during the Windows XP SP3 installation process. This issue generally comes up with following error message :--
1. Service Pack 3 setup error. Access is denied.
2. Service Pack 3 setup error.Service Pack installation did not complete.
3. DoRegistryUpdates failed.

These errors can occur if permissions for one or more registry keys are restricted in a way that prevents the service pack from updating the keys. Registry keys can become restricted by certain programs that change the system access control lists (SACL) in the Registry so that administrator accounts cannot alter them. The service pack installer runs under an administrator account (User), and therefore cannot access restricted registry keys. If Windows XP Service Pack cannot update a registry key because it is restricted by another program, the service pack installation fails.

We should follow these troubleshooting methods in order to get rid off this issue :--
Method 1:--
1. We should restart the computer in "Normal Mode" and then try to download.
2. Install Windows XP SP3 from the Microsoft Download Center.
3. Restart the computer.
4. We should close or disable any antivirus or antispyware program that may be running on the computer.
5. Reset the registry and the file permissions.

Method 2:--
1. We should download and install the Subinacl.exe file.
2. Open Notepad and paste following code:
cd /d "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools"
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %windir%\*.* /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose
3. Save the file with name "SP3.bat".
4. Now right-click on the file and select "Run as administrator". It might take some time to complete.
5. After completion, restart your system and now you should be able to install SP3.

You should make sure that we are logged on to Windows with administrator account to complete all above methods

iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.
Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",

added Challu.

With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",

said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE

Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.