Larry Seltzer

Conventional wisdom would have it that a Windows system needs to be rebooted every time you play a tough game, every time the kids hit a new Web site, and every time Law and Order is on the tube. Its really an exaggerated reputation. I know of Windows servers, especially Windows 2000 servers, that have […]

As the editor of the Security Center, I have to stay informed on vulnerabilities and malicious code. Hey, its my job. I subscribe to a large number of mailing lists, and vendors and analysts regularly send me information. So I thought I was well informed. Then along came Symantecs DeepSight Alert and Threat Management Services. […]

Ive argued for several years that ISPs should be doing more to create secure environments for their customers. So I recently approached some major security companies and asked them to imagine that Im a medium-size ISP interested in providing security services for my users, such as antivirus, spam filtering, perhaps even some intrusion detection or […]

One of the scarier things Ive read about in security circles is what are called “shatter attacks.” These are software-based attacks that take advantage of a basic architectural flaw in Windows. They utilize flaws in the basic window communications in Windows either for buffer overflows or for privilege escalation. At a very basic level, GUI […]

Electronic voting has been in the news a lot lately, almost as much as in late 2000. The punch card debacle of that year inspired many states to adopt electronic systems in a precipitous hurry. Unfortunately, it appears that one of the major systems is riddled with security flaws. It all began when someone leaked […]

A new patch released Friday by Microsoft fixes a number of critical vulnerabilities in the browser and related products. One of the holes filled by the patch concerns a deficiency in a previous patch for which exploits have begun to appear. The vulnerabilities affect all versions of Internet Explorer since version 5.01, which is to […]

In a recent column, I suggested that Microsoft issue CDs periodically to update Windows systems. And I was overwhelmed by the response. This topic struck a chord with people on dial-up and broadband connections alike. To recount the idea, Microsoft has made the update process very easy and automatic for broadband users, but the sheer […]

A report last week from a group of security experts and Microsoft competitors raised a very familiar argument: Its dangerous for such a large percentage of users to rely on the products of one vendor, specifically Microsoft. Much of the report, especially the parts written by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (a group formed […]

People with money and influence, and who dont care for the outside element, can fence off their community from the rest of the world. Outsiders can get in, but only by passing through a security gate. A phenomenon similar to this is developing in the world of e-mail, especially corporate e-mail, and it could help […]

There are many outspoken voices in the security field, but most pale in comparison with Russ Cooper, Surgeon General of TruSecure Corporation and editor of the essential security site NTBugtraq. Fed up with people who do nothing to protect themselves (and others) from security threats that could be easily stopped, Cooper recently proposed financial penalties […]