Security

A friend took me to task last week for a post I wrote back in January on preventing Google from tracking you when you search. His alternative solution: "Just use Bing."

That got me thinking about other no-brainer approaches to security that thumb their noses at the conventional (and often convoluted and time-consuming) advice of the experts.

Search without footprints via the 'other' search engines Truly anonymous Web surfing requires the use of a VPN service that blocks your IP address as well as other personal information. (For more on VPN, see the tip below.) If you simply … Read more

In 2011, more than 80 firefighters in the U.S. died while on duty, and more than 60 have lost their lives so far this year. Engineering companies have been trying to reduce the harm they face and Maine-based Howe and Howe Technologies is offering this robot firefighter as a solution.

The firm is known for building high-speed tracked vehicles that can tear through rugged terrain. Thermite, billed as the world's first production firebot, also rolls on treads so it can get over obstacles lying between it and a dangerous fire. … Read more

Last week's notice by researchers at Security Explorations of an unpatched hole in the Java runtime environment may have left you wondering whether to disable Java until Oracle releases a patch. CNET's Topher Kessler noted in his report on the Java flaw that no malware exploiting the vulnerability has yet been documented.

Which leads to the question, "Do I need Java?"

The best way to find out is to disable Java in your browser and re-enable it only if you encounter a site that prompts you to download Java before it will open. Then you can … Read more

Android fragmentation affects security patches, too. Instead of waiting to see which devices have been protected against a Dialer app vulnerability discovered earlier this week, Lookout Mobile Security (download) has stepped into the breach with a patch for it today. So far, it's the only known Android security app to block the exploit, but even Lookout's patch requires initial user input.

The vulnerability allowed some Samsung phones to be remotely wiped from the Dialer app, the "phone" part of your smartphone. While Samsung pushed out a patch quickly, it's not clear if other phones have … Read more

If you've ever had an iPad or laptop go missing from the airport, it may have ended up in the home of a TSA officer. ABC News caught one security officer red-handed with a stolen iPad using the "find my iPad" feature on iOS after it disappeared from the Orlando, Fla., airport.

ABC News staff was actually able to watch as the iPad moved away from the airport to the home of officer Andy Ramirez 30 miles away. Fifteen days later a camera crew showed up at Ramirez's house to confront him and attempt to reclaim the iPad. … Read more

A new company called ZeroVulnerabilityLabs says that it has solved the Gordian knot of exploits, slicing through the complicated, Hydra-headed problem with a single stroke from a software weapon it calls ExploitShield.

Available exclusively today from Download.com, the first ExploitShield Browser Edition beta (download) appears to stop all manner of exploits, from those affecting browsers directly to browser plug-ins like PDF readers, Flash, and Java, to Microsoft Office components, to a handful of media players. The potential for raising the level of computer security here is huge, as a vast number of threats are actually mutations of malware, sold in kits like BlackHole, … Read more

The competition for the best free Windows security suite just got a lot more intense, as Avira returns to the field with its second major revamp in as many years of its flagship free antivirus and paid upgrades.

Available exclusively from Download.com today, Avira Free Antivirus 2013, along with the paid upgrades Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 and Avira Internet Security 2013, greatly expand the kinds of protection that Avira offers.

Avira wouldn't reveal a precise number of people who use the suite, but Opswat puts them at around 12.1 percent of the worldwide Windows market. Travis Witteveen, … Read more

Vipre has quietly made a name for itself as an effective security suite that can hold its own against the big boys. The latest update addresses issues with speed while simplifying some basic tasks, but its one killer extra may not be enough.

Available exclusively today from Download.com, Vipre Internet Security 2013 (download) and Vipre Antivirus 2013 (download) offer a solid set of Windows security tools. The most notable is a new feature only available in the premium Internet Security called Easy Update.

Easy Update streamlines the update process for your other programs. You won't have to accept … Read more

Mac security software developer Objective Development has announced the release of Little Snitch 3, a popular reverse-firewall package for OS X, which now includes a number of improvements that make the package both easier to use and more powerful.

Part of OS X's security system is a rudimentary firewall that lets users allow or deny incoming connections to system services and third-party software on a per-application basis. While the firewall is a good option to have and is recommended to keep enabled, it only blocks in one direction and therefore does not cover all bases for a security system. … Read more