computer

Microsoft has reportedly developed a small plug-in device that can be used by investigators to quickly extract forensic data from computers that may have been used in crimes. The Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) is a USB "thumb ... drive" that Microsoft quietly distributed to a handful of law-enforcement agencies last June. The COFEE device contains 150 commands that dramatically cut the time it takes to gather digital evidence. It can decrypt passwords and analyze a computer's Internet activity and data stored in the computer. COFEE lets the investigator scan for evidence on ... (view more)

The leading manufacturer of software using the open source Linux system says it's still too tricky to produce a serious competitor to the Windows operating system that is suitable for the average PC user. Linux is an operating system based on open ... source code; that means it's free to use, distribute and alter it. Indeed, many computer developers find ways to improve it and then share those improvements. Think of it like the Wikipedia of programming. The system is popular for running servers, the large machines at the heart of computer networks. That's because it's generally seen as more ... (view more)

Recently we reported the release of a tool that can hack into a Windows XP PC without a password using a two-year old authentication bypass technique. Information Week is reporting that it turns out the same method also works on Windows Vista and ... computers running Linux, Mac OS X and BSD Unix. Microsoft doesn't consider the bypass technique to be a legitimate security vulnerability. As noted by the company, if a hacker has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore. A couple weeks ago, researchers from Princeton University, the Electronic Frontier Foundation ... (view more)

A New Zealand-based security consultant has released a tool that can unlock a Windows computer in seconds without a password. The hack, which involves Windows XP computers but has not been tested with Windows Vista, was first demonstrated by Adam ... Boileau at a security conference in Sydney in 2006. Microsoft has not developed a fix for it yet. (Source: com.au ) The tool released by Boileau can unlock Windows machines or login without a password by plugging in a Firewire cable and running a command. Boileau did not release the tool in 2006 because Microsoft was cagey about whether Firewire ... (view more)

Network management is easy. No really, it is. Or at least, it is when you use a new software package from PacketTrap called pt360 Tool Suite Free/Pro (pt360). You see, the folks over at PacketTrap.com realize that running a network can be a painful, ... complex affair that often involves utilizing dozens of tools to diagnose a network problem -- and few ever use a graphical user interface (GUI). In other words, diagnosing a network problem relies on reading long-winded, boring, ugly, jargon-filled text. That's where PacketTrap's pt360 is different. pt360 works just like a dashboard on a car: or ... (view more)

Researchers from Princeton University have found a simple way to crack popular encryption software, including the FileVault feature built-in to Apple's operating system and BitLocker, which is included in Windows Vista. The software aims to store ... data in a scrambled form making it indecipherable if in the wrong hands. Both programs use a federally approved algorithm that encrypts the information when it is written to, or read from, a hard disk. However, the keys allowing the computer to unscramble data are stored in the computer's memory. In theory, any information in a computer's memory ... (view more)

The annual "X-Force" report, recently released by Internet Security Systems ( ISS ), part of IBM Corp., says 6,437 security flaws were acknowledged in 2007 by network and software vendors, down 5.4 percent from 2006. (Source: com.au ) While computer ... security vulnerabilities decreased last year, security researchers are cautioning that there has been no improvement in web safety. ISS Chief Technology officer Chris Rouland said that in at least 10 years of counting he had not seen that figure drop. Rouland suggests that the 2007 number of vulnerabilities reported would have been higher if a ... (view more)

Internet Protocol addresses (IP) are used to identify computers and the actions they take on the Internet. IPs are routinely stored by search companies and other online businesses to help improve search results and provide advertisers with complete ... billing data. While this practice has been questioned before, with Google's pending bid to purchase advertiser DoubleClick, European leaders are taking a hard look at these business practices. Peter Scharr, Germany's data-protection commissioner, believes that IPs are not just a tool for companies to use, but a form of personal identification that ... (view more)

Another year, another black mock turtleneck and jeans! That's right, Apple CEO Steve Jobs again thrilled crowds at Macworld 2008 with his style, and most of all his hardware. Although this year -- by comparison -- was a bit tame, Apple still managed ... to deliver some revolutionary ideas. MacBook Air: An Ultrathin laptop, MacBook Air is 0.76 inches at its thickest point, comes with an 80 GB hard drive, 2 GB of ram, an 802.11n wireless card, and only weighs 3 pounds. The computer also has the smallest Intel chips ever made! The trade-off? It will lighten your wallet by about $1,799. (Source: news ... (view more)

Hitachi Ltd. will soon become makers of the most powerful hard drive ever designed for a laptop computer when they reveal their astounding 500-gigabyte drive later this week. The Travelstar 5K500 will be the highest capacity drive ever developed for ... a portable notebook computer and hopes to finally put an end to the ever-increasing consumer demand for more drive space (for now). To put into perspective just how much space comes with the new hard drives, the Travelstar 5K500 has the potential to store up to 500 hours of digital video, 178 standard-definition, feature length movies, 250 games ... (view more)