Windows Security

2015-11-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Windows Security Tools

Windows Security has information on Microsoft Windows Security tools and Windows Security Best Practices for protecting data against the myriad of security threats that a computer running the Windows operating system faces. Windows security tools available for securing windows apps includes obtaining the latest Windows Security Updates from the Window Security Center and testing and monitoring of the Windows Firewall and IIS Internet Information Server. Architecture of a secure windows application framework for Windows Web Security includes Web Application Design and development techniques for Internet Security and the protection of critical data assets.

Windows Web Security Techniques

Web application code is exposed to many threats. It is important to know and understand potential threats to your applications so as to know which Windows Web Security Techniques to apply when attempting to mitigate and reduce long-term risks. Information security begins with implementing best practice security policies and procedures for the hardening of Web servers to improve web server security and managing users interaction with Web applicatons. The security of Web appplications can be augmented through proper web application design and by applying specific techniques for data protection including encrypting and filtering data and securing XML.

Windows Internet Security Best Practices

Securely manage passwords and user password management.
Limiting exposure to brute force password attacks.
Employing symmetric and asymmetric encryption for private information.
Proper procedures for encrypting and decryting sensitive data.
Prevent SQL injection attacks by filtering user input data.
Protecting against cross-site scripting and directory traversal web application attacks.
Hardening Web servers to limit denial of service and buffer overflow attacks.
Securing databases and writing secure database code.

Online Banking Security on the Internet

2010-02-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Doing Online Banking Securely on the Web

Web and Internet users should be aware that the Internet was never designed to be secure. It was designed by the U.S. Department of Defense in the 1970's to be an open and robust network that could survive a nuclear attack. Any security that exists today on the Internet for e-commerce, credit card processing and online banking is built on an inherently insecure computer networking platform. Online banking services such as those provided by Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase enjoy touting to their their customers how secure their online banking platforms are. For practical purposes, the level of data protection provided by encrypted secure online banking transactions does provide a relatively high level of data security, but in reality, customer online banking accounts as they exist today are only as secure as the password. In terms of online network security, providing simple password protection for an online bank account is not a security authentication mechanism that experts would consider as providing a high level of security and should certainly NOT be advertised to banking customers as highly secure in such an especially brazen way.

Windows 7 Security

Here are a few simple recommendations to help improve windows security for Microsoft Windows 7 and enhance your online banking experience:

Microsoft Security Essentials

Download and install Microsoft Security Essentials software from Microsoft Corporation. Set the software up to run a computer virus check automatically on a regular basis with Microsoft Windows security updates. This antivirus software is also available for Windows Vista security.

Malwarebytes

A free antivirus software program, Malwarebytes provides an extra bit of anti-virus computer security since this software performs an independent antivirus spyware scan and may catch malware that Microsoft Security Essentials fails to find. Users can run Malwarebytes once per month for extra data protection and data security against computer viruses, spyware and malware.

Windows Web Security

Web browsers such as IE, Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome record user information about web history and web pages visited. The potential exists for this information to be compromised. It is recommended to choose a secure web browser for normal Web surfing and use another web browser for online web banking only. In this way, the user achieves a certain amount of data protection and any information stored by the online banking web browser will not be exposed to other potentially malicious websites.

Web Browser Security

It is very difficult to recommend Microsoft Internet Explorer as a secure web browser. Chose a secure web browser such as the Mozilla Firefox web browser, Apple Safari or try Google Chrome for online banking and then also choose another for Windows web browser security and normal Web surfing.

Computer Virus Guide

Phishing

NEVER click on links from an email. Hackers will try to steal your online banking password by sending a bogus email stating that you need logon to your bank account immediately when in fact the link in the email forwards the user to a false website where the user gives up his user name and password credentials. This is called phishing. For more information on phishing, malware and computer viruses see the computer virus guide where you can find a list of computer virus and information on the different types of computer viruses.

Fix IE Warning Allow Mixed Content IE Internet Explorer

2009-11-15T02:42:00.000-08:00

Allow Mixed Content IE

Microsoft continues to add windows web security features to the Internet Explorer web browser. Unfortunately, in many cases Microsoft's idea of windows security is to simply provide the user with a cryptic warning message asking if they are sure they want to proceed with a task. With Internet Explorer (IE), you may receive the windows security warning message "Do you want to view only the webpage content that was delivered securely" and you may want to know how to get rid of this mixed content pop up notice and stop security warnings on trusted sites.

Allowing Mixed Content in Trusted Sites

The mixed content warning message appears because the web page that the user is attempting to view has content that is being delivered securely via https and also normal web data being delivered via http.

Delivery of mixed content on a Web page is not always a security risk and you may want to allow IE8 mixed http and https on trusted sites.

Allow Mixed Content IE8

To fix the windows security warning,
on the Windows Web browser:

Tools → Internet Options → Security
Select Security tab → Click Custom Level button
Miscellaneous Section → Change Display mixed content to Enable

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK PROBLEM FIX EULA Appearing Reappearing

2008-06-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Outlook Problem: EULA keeps appearing

Microsoft Windows Outlook Problem: Every time user starts MS Outlook 2003 the Microsoft End-User License Agreement, comes up on the screen.

Windows 7 Problem Fix (also Windows Vista)

First, turn off "User Account Control". To do this, Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking User Accounts and Family Safety (or clicking User Accounts), and then clicking User Accounts. Then, click Turn User Account Control on or off. Select "off".
Start Outlook and accept the EULA
Reboot the computer
Start Outlook and accept EULA one more time if necessary.
Turn "User Account Control" back on (this is optional - but you'll get Microsoft security warnings if you don't turn it back on.
Restart OUTLOOK and the EULA should no longer appear.

Windows Web Security

2008-04-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Windows Web Site Security

Web Security is essential for those needing to implement, test and deploy secure Windows Web site applications. Attacks are targeting vulnerabilities in web applications in most operating systems and computer networks. Windows Security vulnerabilities can be exploited to obtain confidential company information and compromise the data integrity and security of the organization's information assets. Formulating an appropriate information security policy, installing a firewall and securing the Web server are important first steps towards Internet and windows web security. More and more often, companies must now implement more stringent security measures before and during the process of Web application design and Web application security testing.

Windows Web Server Security

Important considerations for Web Server Security include both early detection and preventative measures. Steps towards data confidentiality and integrity can be implemented by setting up the Web server to encrypt Web traffic with HTTPS and also by introducing restrictions on URL access. A regular auditing program of your Windows Web Server Security will aid in identifying, diagnosing and correcting key vulnerabilities and the detection of unauthorized modification of system files.

Levels of Security on Windows Databases

To protect a company's information assets from attack and implement levels of security on web based databases, access to the windows database should be secured by web services security authentication. The web application design should also include techniques for guarding against and preventing the injection of code into the operating system and Web based databases.

Windows Internet Security

Cross site scripting (XSS) and the interception and modification of signed SOAP messages are Web Application Security vulnerabilities which must be taken into consideration when managing web security and protecting Web Applications 2.0 Ajax and XML Web Services. Cross site scripting is a web site vulnerability that allows an attacker to take advantage the trust relationship that user has with the web site they are currently visiting. Auditing the security of web applications with source code and scanning applications is essential for the security of Web 2 0 Applications and Web services.

Web Browser Security

Web Browser Security vulnerabilities are often exploited and directed at web browsers through use of malicious code on web sites that take advantage of features and vulnerabilities on web browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Apple Safari and Opera. ActiveX is a Microsoft technology used by Internet Explorer which allows operating system applications to be run by the Web browser. To enhance Web Browser Security for Internet Explorer, it is recommended to set the Internet zone security setting to High and disable the running ActiveX controls and plugins if they are not needed.