All Dropbox accounts were accessible with virtually any passwords, even incorrect ones, for four hours on Monday. The blunder was made when the company implemented a code update, and it took four hours before realizing the issue, eventually having it fixed in the next five minutes.

Less than one percent of users logged in during that period, according to a blog post by Arash Ferdowsi, Dropbox’s co-founder and CTO. These accounts will be flagged for investigation, and the account owner will be notified if there’s any unauthorized access:

We’re conducting a thorough investigation of related activity to understand whether any accounts were improperly accessed. If we identify any specific instances of unusual activity, we’ll immediately notify the account owner. If you’re concerned about any activity that has occurred in your account, you can contact us at support@dropbox.com.

2011 hasn’t been a particularly good year for Dropbox. Some users got upset when the company updated its terms of service in April, reserving the right to decrypt and hand over private files of any users to the government when requested, in compliance to the United States law.

The company was also alleged to have misled its users in a help article, stating “Dropbox employees aren’t able to access user files” statement.” The statement was later revised to “Dropbox employees are prohibited from viewing the content of files you store..” in the same month.

Along with the latest security blunder, Dropbox effectively went from “only you can see your files” to “employees and the government may also see your files”, and for four hours, “anyone can see your files.”

The commendable part? Dropbox admits its fault on each of these occasions, clarifying and communicating with its users through the company blog.

Protip: Regardless of any promises made by online storage service providers, if a file is too important to be seen by anyone, encrypt it yourself using free tools like TrueCrypt.

©2011 SheepTech

Dropbox Security Blunder Leaves All User Accounts Accessible Without Password

One of the main criteria I look for when choosing an antivirus is speed (if you have no concern about speed and lightness, you haven’t try McAfee yet. It’s.. nasty) . Protection comes second. The way I see it, no point having a top notch antivirus in detecting the bad guys, but have the antivirus itself bogs your machine down.

VIPRE Antivirus software prides itself for being a “high-performance antivirus software that doesn’t slow down your PC like older, traditional security products.” The antivirus maker also claims that protection will not be compromised, with the software offering world-class protection.

While I cannot verify the protection effectiveness (I don’t even know where to get an infected file for testing purpose to begin with), I will comment on the performance — speed and usability wise.

Installation

The usual software installation routine. Click “Next” several times, read the user agreement, and lastly, reboot. VIPRE setup wizard will start by its own after rebooting, in which you can optionally setup the email protection if you’re using a desktop email client.

When that is done, VIPRE will start downloading its virus definition for the first time. It will take a couple of minutes here.

Quick Scan

Two risk was detected in the 8 minutes quick scan — tracking cookies and HotSpot Shield. The former labeled as cookie with low risk, while the latter as adware with moderate risk. VIPRE offers to remove the cookies and quarantine HotSpot Shield, which I won’t be doing obviously.

A glance on Windows Task Manager shows that the antivirus is using zero to 4%of CPU and 6MB of memory. Very, very decent.

Deep Scan

CPU and memory usage is relatively unchanged here. I’m drafting this post as VIPRE is deep scanning in the background, with 18 tabs opened on Chrome and iTunes playing. The PC is just as responsive as ever.

Total scan time is slightly over 4 hours, with archives scanning on (off by default). Pausing and resuming will only work in the same session. Once you turn your computer off, it won’t pick up where it left and you’ll need to start all over again.

There is also no option to stop the scan and clean whatever risks that are being detected. Either you cancel the scan completely or allow the scan to finish.

Tools

VIPRE antivirus comes with three additional tools on top of, well, being an antivirus — namely Secure File Eraser, History Cleaner and PC Explorer. The first tool is used to securely delete files, leaving no trace behind. Think of it like a shredding machine.

The History Cleaner on the other hand, list and remove histories on all possible applications, not only on browsers. It even suggested that I delete “my” ICQ chat history. I don’t even remember installing ICQ. Who still uses that anyway?

The last tool is used to access hidden computer settings, like Startup Applications and Running Processes. You can’t do much here other than selecting trusted applications and  ”Add to Always Allow”. You won’t be able to customize your Startup Applications here.

Conclusion

I have spent barely two hours poking around VIPRE, there is only so much I can comment about. I have not noticed any PC slow down yet, so I guess it’s not just a marketing pitch when they say “Finally Antivirus Software That Won’t Slow Down Your PC!” tagline.

I’ve ditched Avira for VIPRE for further testing, now that I’m offered a 1-year free subscription for reviewing.

VIPRE antivirus is selling at $29.95 for one PC, $39.95 for two and $49.95 for three or more PCs. There’s a 30-days free trial if you’d like to take it for a spin.

©2011 SheepTech

First Impression on VIPRE Antivirus

Macs are gaining more market share in the personal computing world and therefore attracting more attention to virus makers, spammers, keyloggers and thieves. The same threats (keyloggers, malware, spyware, spam and identity thieves) that the PC has been combating for ages have now stepped into the Macintosh world.

Fortunately, Mac users have many programs at their fingertips to fight this unrepentant scourge. Here’s a list of ten of the most useful Macintosh security applications on the market today.

Photo by larsomat

1. iAlertU (Physical Security) – iAlertU is a great piece of software. The motion sensor and iSight camera work in tandem to create a physical alarm system for the computer. When the alarm is triggered, the screen flashes and the mute button is overridden. The iSight camera takes a picture of the robber for later identification. This tool acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves.

2. McAfee Virex for Macintosh (Anti Virus) – McAfee’s Virex provides the Mac user with the same great virus protection as the PC. It offers protection against malware, threats, and viruses using its constantly updated virus definition database. McAfee Virex protects both personal computers and networks.

3. PGP Desktop Home 9.7 (File Encryption) – PGP provides comprehensive encryption and protection for the files on your Mac. From full disks to single files, this program will do it all. It is compatible with Apple FileVault protection and can be deployed and managed through your server.

4. Intego Antispam (Spam Protection) – Intego’s Personal Antispam, like their other offerings, is incredibly easy to use. It filters phishing emails, compares addresses to known spammers and learns from the spam and non-spam messages that it receives. Personal Antispam is a great choice for any Mac user who wants to reduce the incidence of spam.

5. 1Password (Password Protection) – 1Password has been given high marks by most of the prominent Mac focused magazines. The program creates strong passwords that are stored on your browser instead of on your own computer. By storing your internet passwords elsewhere, your data is more secure and manageable. You do not have to remember your passwords, because 1Password will do it for you.

6. MacScan (Anti Spyware) – MacScan was created to find spyware and other programs that might not be directly categorized as malware like DNS poisoning tools, remote access and keylogging. It also examines incoming cookies and compares them to a blacklist of known cookies. This is more of a ‘companion’ program, meant to work in tandem with your computer’s security.

7. Intego VirusBarrier (Anti Virus) – VirusBarrier, NetBarrier and Personal Antispam are all neatly packaged in Intego’s Internet Security Barrier X6 suite. This is the best security software that money can buy for the Macintosh. A primary reason for this is that Intego writes FOR Macintosh systems, rather than merely porting their products over from the PC. VirusBarrier offers total virus protection for the latest Mac viruses.

8. Mac OS X’s Built-in Firewall (Firewall) – Leopard came with a firewall that is simple for Mac users to work with. The passive users will be able to allow or deny incoming connections. The more advanced users can use the command line to access more in-depth options. This is a great basic firewall solution.

9. Norton Internet Security Suite (Security Suite) – Protects your computer with the same technology that Symantec built its reputation on. It offers thorough security protection, calling on its extensive database to identify and remove threats to your machine.

10. Intego’s NetBarrier (Firewall) – An easy to use program, contained within Internet Security Barrier X6. Configuration and customization to prevent known threats are easy enough so that even the most novice of users can set it up. If you are unsure of the configuration that you desire, Intego’s NetBarrier offers default setups that provide the best in protection for the Macintosh.

There are many options out there for handling the security of your Macintosh. Even if you choose none of these applications for your Mac security, you still have to have some protection.

James Adams is a product manager working for a UK based supplier of printer ink where he reviews products such as the HP 339 ink cartridge. He also helps out on their design blog at Cartridgesave.co.uk where he writes about design and art.

©2011 SheepTech

An Overview of 10 Useful Mac OS X Security Apps

PC Tools is having a special offer giving away free 12 months subscription of PC Tools Internet Security 2009 (worth $59.95) to all Westpac customers. But surprisingly, the promotional page is not locked from the public and apparently just anyone including me and you can claim the free 12 months subscription.

Follow these steps to claim the free subscription and grab a copy of the software, which is a combination of Spyware Doctor AntiSpyware, AntiVirus, Firewall Plus and Spam protection:

Steps to claim a free 12 months subscription of PC Tools Internet Security

1. Go to the special offer page.

2. Enter your details and click on the “Signup!” button.

3. Check your inbox to verify your email address. If it is not there, check your spam folder. Gmail kept it in the spam folder in my case.

4. After clicking on the email verifying link, you will see your license code and a download link. You will receive another email containing the same information too.

5. Download and follow the instructions to install the PC Tools Internet Security 2009.

6. Voila!

As this special offer is not intended for anyone else but Westpac Banking Corporation customers, it might be stopped or locked anytime soon after PC Tools realized the flaw. Claim your copy while you could.

Only for Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows XP and Windows 2000.

(via eches.net)

©2011 SheepTech

PC Tools Internet Security Free Full Version Download