Popular web browser plugins like Flash Player or Java are a prime target of malware and hackers. The core reasons are simple: Lack of centralized updating and little to no protection of the underlying system if the plugin has been compromised. Changes have been introduced, but only in select browsers at this point of time. [...]

Categories: Adobe, Browsing, Firefox

A sandbox in computing in layman terms puts a border around programs running in the sandbox so that they run isolated from the rest of the system. This protects the rest of the system if the sandboxed program is attacked or exploited. Sandboxing can be a very effective option when testing programs, running files where [...]

Categories: Security, Software, Windows

Two of the core reasons for installing Google Chrome are the browser’s speed and security. Especially the latter with its sandboxing approach proved to be very effective against many common attack forms and hacking attempts. Even the security experts at the Pwn2Own conference were not able to penetrate Chrome’s defense system, most did not even [...]

Categories: Browsing, Google Chrome

Sandboxing as a security concept means to limit a program’s reach on a computer system. When you normally run a program it can act with the same user rights as the user. If the user can make modifications to the Registry, so can the program. If you sandbox a program on the other hand it [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Spoon offers a web service for Windows users that allows them to run desktop applications directly in the web browser, without prior downloads or installations. The cloud approach offers several advantages over the convention way of running applications, including the ability to run apps from anywhere without downloading and installation. Spoon needs to be installed [...]

Categories: Windows

Want to see what other web browsers have to offer but have no interest in installing any of them on your computer system? You could hunt down the portable versions of those web browsers that you want to try out if they exist; Or, you could use the virtual browsers at Xenocode which allow you [...]

Categories: Browsing, Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, The Web

Several remote services are available to analyze submitted software programs or files for malicious contents like computer viruses or trojans. Among them are Virus Total which uses more than a dozen different antivirus engines to scan submitted files. All of them have one thing in common: They scan and analyze the files using signature databases [...]

Categories: Security, Windows

Today is the 20th day of the Ghacks Christmas Giveaway. We have handed out an incredible amount of software licenses already and will continue to do so until December 24. Up for grabs is Returnil Premium today which is available to anyone. Yes, that is right, no lottery today. If you want it you get [...]

Categories: Security, Software, Windows

Software virtualization is a clever security concept that puts certain applications and files in something that can be described as a virtual room where they cannot harm the underlying system. The benefits of this method are huge but unfortunately though not many users are using software virtualization solutions. One small example. Downloading an infected file [...]

Categories: Software, Windows