If you use Windows, you need to make sure your computer has the latest updates. There’s a flaw which could be exploited without you doing anything. The worm can “call” your computer and do its mischief. It’s a critical flaw and should be patched immediately.

You should be able to find Windows Update in your Start menu. As always, we’re here to answer any questions and help any way we can. Just contact us.

Consumer Reports has a long history of providing quality information to help consumers make informed decisions about spending their hard-earned bucks. Now they’ve come out with a guide to help you stay safe as you navigate the internet. Visit the site for some great advice on protecting your computer and the information on it:

Consumer Reports Guide to Online Security

I especially liked the article titled “19 tips to stay safe online”. And as always, if you need any help implementing the ideas, or if you have any questions, you can contact us. We’re happy to assist!

There’s a new version of WordPress which fixes a very serious security flaw… one that could enable one user to change other user’s posts – not good! The latest version is 2.3.3. If you need help checking your version or upgrading, please get the update here, or contact us for installation – we’re happy to help!

There’s a new version of WordPress hot off the presses! It’s a good idea to upgrade to this newest version because there are some serious security flaws in 2.3.1…

Download WordPress 2.3.2 or contact us for upgrade assistance.

Sometimes you just don't want to give up your privacy to get a newsletter or freebie… so here's a site where you can get real-looking info to use in these types of situations:

Fake Name Generator

Of course, I would never suggest this data be used for evil purposes, but if you just want something to use so you don't get slammed with spam or other unwanted mail, this site is for you. It's also good for real-looking test data, so you can test your new application without using someone's real information.

Recently I found a new solution to hide your email address but still have a clickable link. The new script is very secure and extremely easy to set up and use.

www.jracademy.com/~jtucek/email/download.php

I plan on donating a portion of the proceeds for any installations of this script that I do. In fact, I plan on doing that with all of the open-source software I install. Gotta keep the whole movement going!

This one is scary because it has the potential to affect so many people. It turns out about half of the routers on a home network may have a critical security feature basically disabled by using the default setting… the password. This is bad enough, but now there are malicious Javascript programs being used on web sites which can alter your network settings without you knowing about it. And once your settings are changed, you may be taken to hacker sites which can steal your passwords or personal information, like internet banking logins.

So, if you have a router (a little box which connects your network to the internet), you should check the manual to see how the password is set, if you haven't done so already. If you need help figuring out if you have one or how it's set up, contact your favorite computer professional for assistance ASAP. Not sure if you have a router? Take a look at this picture of a home network to get an idea of what one looks like.

For more information about this threat, here's an article from The Register. Be sure to check out the Symantec page, too (it's linked at the start of the article). It gives an excellent description of how the attack works and advice on how to fix it. Also check out the video – it does a beautiful job explaining the problem. And finally, here is a router default password list. It's quite a list, and illustrates just how widespread the problem could be.

Viruses, malware, spyware, and all kinds of threats are abundant these days (sigh) and we all could use a little help protecting our computers. Here's a site with free resources to do just that:

http://www.freebyte.com/antivirus/

This is a great page because it gives some useful information and lots of good resources. Thanks, Trav! If you don't have anti-virus software, now is the time to get some. Not later today, not tomorrow or next week… NOW!!