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Sony's PlayStation 3 has become the first game console with Internet security software. The software was included in the system upgrade received by owners last week, but has only just been announced. It's the work of Trend Micro, a security company ... working in partnership with Sony. The service is currently free of charge, but will be a subscription service from next April. Sony and Trend Micro have yet to reveal the prices which will then apply. Aside from anti-virus features the software also includes web filters. This blocks sites in two different ways; it checks history and ownership to ... (view more)

Most visitors to Infopackets.com are computer and Internet aficionados. Our readers know the web, and seem to generally enjoy it. Chances are, most of you have dabbled in its social networking sphere, posting profiles to Facebook, MySpace, or one of ... the other, lesser-known sites. Now one poll is warning that this activity can backfire, and although it may not mean downloading a Trojan horse or other virus, it could perhaps offer something even more sinister: identity theft. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) Although few readers will be surprised by the crime, some may be shocked by the chances of it ... (view more)

Google is showing no signs of slowing down: the web giant has just released a new service called Shared Stuff, which lets users share information like images, videos and bookmarks with their friends. The Inquirer's Martin Veitch calls it "a cross ... between a personal web page, Delicious and Digg," which he says will be surprisingly appealing. (Source: theinquirer.net ) In typical Google fashion, Shared Stuff was created to be extremely user friendly. A simple click of a button will share any webpage that you have visited. You can also enter a description and tags for each shared web page. ... (view more)

Independent security tests performed by CRN.com suggests that Windows Vista is only marginally more secure than Windows XP. CRN spent a week testing both operating systems against various Trojans, viruses and various exploits. The tests were ... performed with Windows Vista Business on an HP Compaq 6515b notebook with Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and an HP Compaq nc6400 with Windows XP with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), both using the default security features and settings. Finjan's RUSafe sniffer tool (a security tool that sniffs live traffic and generates logs that can be analyzed to help protect you ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Leslie D. writes: “ Dear Infopackets Team, How do you choose the software your review? Do you find new products or do people bring them to your attention? I am curious because I see there are many programs reviewed through i ...nfopackets.com. ” Doug's answer: Great question! ;-) While I can't speak for everyone on the Team, most of us find things by looking over download sites, seeing what is available through search engines, and by listening to others who have found software gems in their computing travels. For example: Dennis finds software through Snapfiles , ...ref="/news/1042/how-does-infopackets-select-software-review" class="more-link">view more)

According to the Washington Post, the "number of phishing Web sites skyrocketed in December [2005], as did the number of sites designed to spread password-stealing badware, according to the most recent report from the Anti-Phishing Working Group." ... Furthermore, it's been estimated that the number of phishing web sites rose 55 percent from November to December in 2005. (Source: WashingtonPost.com ). So what can you do to protect yourself? SiteAdvisor is an investigatory service that monitors web surfing habits and offers a safety-rating on the sites you visit and those that appear in ... (view more)

"Extra, Extra, Read all about it!" The corner Newsy has long since gone, replaced by the Newsstand with its wide variety of publications and sensational headlines hoping to attract the attention of a passerby. Times have changed, and with them, so ... have ways of communicating. To keep up with the events and happenings in the world of today, we often visit our favorite 'newsstands' via the web. If we visit one or two news sites on a regular basis, it's not difficult to keep track of events. A capable browser and set of bookmarks take care of that problem; but when there are a dozen or ... (view more)

Some users feel a little is not enough when it comes to Spyware prevention. And to a certain degree they are correct. That being said: enforcing the perimeter of your Operating System (OS) can be achieved with the following tools I recommend. The ... Host File Defense Strategy I have briefly discussed the Hosts file when it comes to malware infection [with respect to browser hijacking]; however, when managed properly, the Hosts file can also be used to fight against potential infections. Let me explain. The Hosts file is like an address book. When you type an address like www.yahoo.com into a web ... (view more)

Pop-up ads are a form of online advertising on the world wide web intended to increase web traffic or capture email addresses. It works when certain web sites open a new web browser window to display advertisements. The pop-up window containing an ... advertisement is usually generated by JavaScript, but can be generated by other means as well. A variation on the pop-up window is the pop-under advertisement. This opens a new browser window, behind the active window. Pop-unders interrupt the user less, but are not seen until the desired windows are closed, making it more difficult for the user to ... (view more)

Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, ... it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party. Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, spyware is designed to exploit infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include ... (view more)