Showing posts with label Microsoft Security Essentials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft Security Essentials. Show all posts
Windows 8.1: Everything You Need to Know
Microsoft continues to reveal details about the update to Windows 8, now known as Windows 8.1 and formerly known as Windows Blue.
Windows 8.1 shown off at the Microsoft Build developer conference in June and the final version will be available as a free downloadable Windows 8 update.
Microsoft also said in early May that there would be a preview version available before full release which we'll get on June 26
The "first look" blog post by Microsoft's Antoine Leblond doesn't talk about a Start button. It does, however, say that the Start "tip" will change to "be the familiar Windows logo".
That's pretty much the same as before - so, sorry people, you won't be getting a proper Start menu. "The new tip appears anytime you move the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen, and is always visible on the taskbar when on the desktop," says Leblond.
Windows 8.1 will bring greater personalisation
earlier this year: "Not only will Windows 8.1 respond to customer feedback, but it will add new features and functionality that advance the touch experience and mobile computing's potential." The feedback he's talking about is surely the mellowing of the Start screen dream and the reintroduction of a Start button of some sort.
Windows 8.1 security: what's been improved
"We're only a bit more than seven months into a new, bold approach to computing," continues Leblond.
"The response to Windows 8 has been substantial - from new devices to strong app growth to key enhancements to the OS and apps. We've learned from customers in how they are using the product and have received a lot of feedback. We've delivered hundreds of updates to the product and to apps. We're just getting started, and the potential ahead is tremendous.""We've been watching, we've been listening"
We've picked out the top 10 enhancements in Windows 8.1 along with some quotes from Leblond about each one.
1. Lock screen slideshow
"As people started using Windows 8, we found that people were using their Lock screens to show pictures of their families," Leblond says. So in Windows 8.1, you can turn your PC or tablet into a picture frame by making your Lock screen a slide show of your pictures - either locally on the device or photos from Microsoft SkyDrive. "We also added the ability to take pictures with the built-in camera right from the Lock screen without having to log in."
2. More backgrounds
Windows 8.1 offers more colours and backgrounds for the Start screen - including some with motion. You can also choose your desktop background as your Start screen background.
3. Different tile sizes
As in Windows Phone 8, the Windows 8.1 Start screen features a variety of tile sizes including a new large and new small tile. It's also even easier to name groups and rearrange tiles, says Leblond: "We found people were accidentally moving tiles on their Start screen so in Windows 8.1, you press and hold (or right click) to move things around." You can now select multiple apps all at once, resize them, uninstall them, or rearrange them:
"View all apps just by swiping from the bottom to view all apps, and we've added the ability to filter your apps by name, date installed, most used, or by category. You want the Start screen to be about all the things you love.
So when you install a new app from the Windows Store, we no longer put that app on your Start screen. Instead,
you'll find these apps under apps view as mentioned above and marked as 'new' where you can choose to pin the apps you want to your Start screen." Tiles can be even smaller
4. Aggregated search
Instead of having to select an app and then search when you go to the Search charm, Bing now powers an aggregated search system from the web, your files, SkyDrive and elsewhere. Leblond says: "We think this will really change the way you interact with the Web and with Windows making it quicker and easier to get things done. It is the modern version of the command line! Results from local files, apps, and settings are easily accessed in the same convenient view by scrolling to the left."
5. Enhanced apps
New app enhancements are also promised to all the built-in apps. According to Leblond: "The Photos app now has some new editing features that let you quickly edit or adjust photos when you view them in the Photos app or open them from other places like the Mail, SkyDrive, and Camera apps. And our Music app has been completely redesigned to help pick and play music from your collection. We plan to talk more about updates to the built in apps in
Windows 8.1 and some brand new apps we will be introducing in the future. We're also making improvements for using multiple apps at once in Windows 8.1."
6. More snap views
7. An enhanced Windows Store
App updates will now install automatically in the background as they come through the Store. And search is available in the upper right hand corner for finding the apps you want. Leblond elaborates: "The improved Windows Store is designed to show more info than before in Windows 8 with detailed lists of top free apps, new releases, and picks for you on the homepage. The app listing is more descriptive and informative and includes an area for related apps to help with app discovery."
8. Save direct to SkyDrive, plus offline files
In Windows 8.1 your files can be saved directly to SkyDrive. The SkyDrive app will also get a new update so that files are available even when offline - as in the desktop version.
SkyDrive will get offline support
9. You no longer need the desktop Control Panel
The updated PC Settings in Windows 8.1 gives you access to all your settings on your device without having to go to the Control Panel on the desktop. "You can do things like change your display resolution, set power options, see the make and model of my PC, change the product key, let me do Windows Update, and even join a domain – all from PC Settings," says Leblond. You can also manage SkyDrive from PC Settings as well.
10. A new Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer 11 will ship with Windows 8.1. "IE11 will offer even better touch performance, faster page load times and several other new features we think you will enjoy," says Leblond. "For example, you can now adjust the appearance of modern IE11 to always show the address bar and you can have as many open tabs as you like. And you can access your open tabs in sync across your other Windows 8.1 devices."
11. Better with a mouse and keyboard
For devices without touch, Windows 8.1 features a number of improvements for easier navigation using a mouse and keyboard. "PCs today are evolving for a world of mobile computing where people interact with their devices through touch, and we designed Windows 8 for this," explains Leblond. "But we also recognize there are many non-touch devices in use today - especially in the commercial setting."
12. A change to the Start 'tip'
You've already heard about this one, right? Leblond adds that there are also options to change what the corners do, and options to boot into alternate screens: "For example, if you prefer to see the Apps view versus all the tiles, you can choose to have the Start screen go directly to Apps view."
Microsoft says it will be releasing more Windows 8.1 details "in the coming weeks. As you've heard before, Windows 8.1 will be available later this year as a free update."
Microsoft also says that it will also be sharing more about Windows Embedded at Build. Embedded will be"updated in the same timeframe as Windows 8.1. We're aligning the platforms even more to bring Windows to form factors of all types, including not only tablets and PCs, but also the growing category of devices such as ATMs, point of service (POS) terminals, and kiosks."
Welcome, The New Microsoft
Microsoft has revealed it is changing its logo for the first time in 25 years.
The new logo now features four coloured squares and a more simplified font without the italics or joined up "O" and "S".
"It's been 25 years since we updated the Microsoft logo. Now is the perfect time for a change. Learn more at http://aka.ms/logo," says Microsoft with the accompanying video.
On the company's official blog Microsoft goes into more detail:
"It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change. This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning."
For typographers and corporate brand dudes keen to know more, the logo has two components.
"The logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, we are using the Segoe font which is the same font we use in our products as well as our marketing communications. The symbol is important in a world of digital motion. The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products."
Oh and video below shows the new logos of the products from Microsoft.
Microsoft SkyDrive Redesigned, More Features Added
Great news for SkyDrive users: Microsoft has revamped SkyDrive with a more modern Metro-style design (alright, "Windows 8"-like design), added a bunch of new features, and finally announced an Android dedicated app is on the way.
The new interface brings a tile-based layout to your files and folders, complete with support for dragging-and-dropping multiple files. (Don't worry, you can still access the normal details view.) A new contextual toolbar should make working with folders and docs quicker, and finding your files should be easier too with the new instant search. One handy feature is the customized sorting settings—so you can save your preference for arranging files by date created, modified, or saved on a folder-by-folder basis.
An official SkyDrive app for Android phones is finally coming—"in just a few weeks," according to the SkyDrive blog post. As with the Windows Phone and iOS apps, the Android SkyDrive app will give you access to your SkyDrive files on the go.
- A new modern SkyDrive.com, updated apps, and Outlook.com at 10 million users | SkyDrive Windows Blog
When Facebook Apps cease to be ‘Cool’
Articles
Have you ever wondered why certain ads show up in the right hand corner of your Facebook page? A closer look at these ads and you will be surprised at the volumes they speak about your lifestyle choices – be it exclusive shoes from an e-retailer or a self-development course! How does it all happen?
The Unique Facebook ID (UID) is a number assigned to each user – this being the most public part of the Facebook profile. Anyone with a browser can look up a person’s name with the UID even if that profile is set to be private. For others, it reveals all the information they have set to share with “everyone” like, age, occupation, photos, location etc.
Apps are considered to be an important way for Facebook to extend the utility of its network and converting it into a hub of activity. They are also a growing source of revenue beyond advertising for Facebook itself.
Here are a few examples to help you understand the working of the apps and how your information is used.
- Applications like FarmVille or Texas HoldEm Poker when given access to, request for permissions and data elements like your friends’ data (email address, current location, sexual preference, status updates, birthdays etc.) So even if you never connect your Facebook account to a single app, dozens of them may still have access to your profile information via your Facebook friends.
- When you keep your location up-to-date on Facebook it just gets scarier with the “Maps” feature which can be used for geotagging. It gathers data from a user’s location like, IP address, location, type of browser used or pages visited. This data is collected, even when a friend has GPS on and tags you in a photo that is being uploaded from a mobile phone.
- If you have to you have to RSVP on Facebook to an ‘Invite’ for a party or an event hosted by your local club and you click “Attending”, your plans are aired to your entire network – whether you realise it or not! “Sponsored Stories” are an effect of your ‘RSVP’ activity. Every time you like a brand or respond positively to a public event, companies can let your friends know that you are attending an event with hopes of getting a positive response from them too. Your information thus becomes available for brand ambassadorship!
- You find that your friend has read an article that interests you through the Washington Post Social Reader. The moment you click that link, the app requests for permission before reading the article. The working of this app doesn’t require for prompts before sharing the activity. So once you start clicking, your activity is reflected on others mini-feed. Thus, even without direct access your reading habits are exposed for anyone to access.
- You have given access to “My Calendar Birthdays” and you have liked your bank’s Facebook page. Under your Facebook list of family members is included your mother, whose profile is searchable under both her maiden and married name.
This provides ample opportunity for the data brokers to gather data from Facebook profiles and compare it with public browsing habits, creating a mine of data that can give any ad firm or a cyber crook a field day!
How do you prevent this? Have extremely conservative privacy settings – remove applications that you don’t use and edit the settings for the ones that you do. If any application requests for data that you are not comfortable sharing revoke that access. If access is required for that app, remove it. You can also have Internet Security software with parental control features would allow or block access to only specific sites.
In the attempt to have an overly social experience of making the world a smaller place to live in, what we have actually ended up with is, a situation where the boundary between what is sacredly private and personal and what is public, is heavily blurred. A situation that demands users to be educated on the implications of privacy policies and what it means to make personal information public.
Windows 8: Improvements for Business Customers
Microsoft’s Windows 8 consumer features are well documented, but how does the latest operating system cater for business customers?
Microsoft unveiled Windows 8 during its BUILD developers conference last week in Anaheim, California. The company revealed the new Metro interface for a range of new style applications. Desktop and classic Windows discussions were at a minimum but there’s a lot there for those who will need to use the classic desktop and deploy Windows 8 in business and enterprise workplaces.
Connectivity, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband improvements
Some of the most basic but important changes in Windows 8 from a business perspective are the improvements in connectivity. Windows 8 now treats a mobile broadband network as a metered connection, allowing Windows to automatically block further network connections and avoid costly data charges. Microsoft’s improved Wi-Fi support makes it easier for users to switch to hotspots as an alternative to mobile broadband connections. Microsoft has also improved its radio support in Windows 8. The operating system includes controls to allow users to quickly turn individual connections on and off or manage them all with a “flight mode” switch.
Metro style apps secure environment
Metro style apps run in a secure environment on Windows 8. The apps’s user data is isolated to the individual application and user. Microsoft revealed last week that Metro style apps will only be available via the new Windows Store environement but the company revealed sideloading will be available and supported. Microsoft is expected to allow businesses to load on their own Metro apps.
SmartScreen Filter
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| Windows 8 application warning |
Windows Defender
Microsoft is building its own antimalware protection straight into Windows 8. Windows Defender monitors and protects against viruses and known malware in real time. Windows Defender will also load approved antimalware drivers during the boot process to ensure that even 3rd party antimalware software can start correctly and monitor the system at all stages.
Secured Boot
Microsoft has improved the security of booting Windows desktops a great deal with Windows 8. Secured boot aims to make Windows more responsive to virus threats during bootup. If Windows detects any attempt to start malware before the operating system is up and running it will start the Windows Recover Environment which will attempt to automatically fix the operating system.
Windows To Go
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| Windows To Go Windows 8 USB |
Windows 8 includes the ability to run itself from a USB. Windows To Go will allow businesses to supply end users with a USB copy of their operating system, business apps, data and settings. End users can simply plug the USB into any regular desktop or laptop and Windows 8 will boot from the USB with all the users settings intact.
DirectAccess improvements
Windows 8 includes some improvements to DirectAccess. Windows 8 better supports existing infrastructure by supporting non-IPv6 server resources and simplified deployment for smaller organizations by not requiring Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
AppLocker
Microsoft has built in new capabilities to AppLocker in Windows 8. AppLocker can be used to manage both desktop and Metro style apps. Business IT environments can create security policies to allow or deny specific applications from being run on a Windows 8 desktop.
BitLocker
BitLocker includes improved performance benefits for Windows 8 users. BitLocker now only encrypts sectors on a HDD that have data stored on them. Windows 8 BitLocker will encrypt the drive as free space is used up. The user experienced is also improved via hard drive pre-encryption with clear key and user pin reset options.
File management Windows Explorer improvements
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| Windows 8 Explorer - Search tab |
Measured Boot
Systems with a TPM chip can be used to prevent rootkit or malware infections with Windows 8. TPM enabled systems will initiate a Measured Boot process in Windows 8 that is used to validate the boot process and prevent rootkits and other malware from loading.
Improved Active Directory-based activation
Windows 8 enables Windows activation based on user identities in Active Directory. The new feature does not require any additional infrastructure and lets Windows 8 systems be activated in an enterprise environment using Active Directory.
Task Manager
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| Windows 8 Task Manager |
Microsoft has overhauled the Task Manager to make it the number one place to monitor and control your PC. The new interface remains simplified to begin with, which then opens up to an advanced Task Manager with an array of new tabs and options. Microsoft has color-coded system resources to show users what tasks are taking up the bulk of the system. There’s also an App History tab that shows how applications have performed on a system.
Client Hyper-V
Windows 8 includes a client Hyper-V version, making it easy for businesses to take advantage of virtualization from the desktop client. Multiple operating system instances can run simultaneously on a Windows 8 computer as a result.
Deployment improvements
Microsoft has made several improvements to Windows 8 deployment methods. IT pros can enable pre-encryption of computers at the time of deployment and enable users to create a PIN during their first use of the system. Microsoft’s Active Directy-based activation improvements mean that a users identity can be used to activate a Windows 8 computer. IT pros can also deploy multiple languages in a single image of Windows 8.
Multi-monitor improvements
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| Windows 8 multi-monitor support |
Push-Button Reset
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| Windows 8 Reset |
Microsoft issues fix after security tool mistakenly removes Google Chrome as Malware
Microsoft this morning scrambled to release a fix after reports surfaced that its Security Essentials software was mistakenly identifying the Google Chrome browser as password-stealing malware — and removing the competing web browser from Windows machines.
Ed Bott of ZDNet has the rundown, including details on the updated definitions that Microsoft says will address the problem.
The false positive caused a stir among Chrome users, as reflected in this thread on the Chrome forums, starting with this post …
I have been using Chrome on my office PC for over a year. This morning, after I started up the PC, a Windows Security box popped up and said I had a Security Problem that needed to be removed. I clicked the Details button and saw that it was “PWS:Win32/Zbot”. I clicked the Remove button and restarted my PC. Now I do not have Chrome. It has been removed or uninstalled. The Chrome.exe file is gone. Was there really a problem, or is this just a way for Microsoft to stick it to Google? If I reinstall Chome, will it have my bookmarks and other settings? Not sure what to do about this, but I much prefer Chrome to Explorer.That question about bookmarks and settings is a critical one. Even after issuing the fix, Microsoft could have some very angry Chrome users on its hands.
Update: Here’s Microsoft’s statement…
On September 30th, 2011, an incorrect detection for PWS:Win32/Zbot was identified and as a result, Google Chrome was inadvertently blocked and in some cases removed from customers PCs. We have already fixed the issue — we released an updated signature (1.113.672.0) at 9:57 am PDT — but approximately 3,000 customers were impacted. Affected customers should manually update Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) with the latest signatures. To do this, simply launch MSE, go to the update tab and click the Update button, and then reinstall Google Chrome. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused our customers.
Faulty Microsoft Security Essentials update removes Chrome from Windows
Reports of problems originally started at Google’s support forums on Friday. A support thread with 200 comments includes a number of users reporting that Microsoft Security Essentials identified Google’s Chrome browser as a “severe” threat and removed the software. Some users reported that the threat was PWS:Win32/Zbot, a variant of the Zeus (Zbot) malware.
Microsoft acknowledged the mix up on Friday and addressed the problems by releasing a new definition file update for Microsoft Security Essentials. ZDNet reports that the software giant updated its Malware protection center listing for the Win32/Zbot listing with the following:
“On September 30th, 2011, an incorrect detection for PWS:Win32/Zbot was identified. On September 30th, 2011, Microsoft released an update that addresses the issue. Signature versions 1.113.672.0 and higher include this update.
PWS:Win32/Zbot is a password-stealing trojan that monitors for visits to certain Web sites. It allows limited backdoor access and control and may terminate certain security-related processes.”
Microsoft’s Windows chief, Steven Sinofsky, introduced Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 Metro style earlier this month at the company’s BUILD conference. Sinofsky joked: “I don’t think anything is better than a Chrome-less browsing experience.” Perhaps he’s more of a visionary than we first thought.
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