Posted by MikeC/NY on 5/22/10 6:59pm
Msg #337756

OT - Computer Security

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in Leisure, but it seems more appropriate here.

I recently read an article in the NY times on computer security that I found interesting, and I suggest that you all at least take a look at it:

http://tinyurl.com/23wh2hv

One of the things mentioned in the article is a free piece of software from Secunia called the Personal Software Inspector (PSI). I downloaded it and used it on my home computer, and was really impressed with the results.

PSI scans your installed software to see if any of it is out-of-date and presents a security risk. It then gives you a list of the problem programs it finds, a link to an explanation of what the problems are, and - even better - the link to the manufacturer's update that will allow you to fix the problem.

I am usually very careful about keeping my computer up to date, but the initial PSI scan found 13 problems I was unaware of (a couple were programs I no longer use, so I just deleted them). The initial scan took about 30 minutes on my system (your mileage may vary), but within about an hour, I was able to download and install the latest patches for all of these programs; had I tried to research and do all this on my own, it would have taken hours if not days... PSI can then run in the background to monitor your system, but you can always turn it off and run it on demand every month or so to keep your computer up to date.

Secunia's PSI is available free for personal use at http://secunia.com - look for the download button for PSI on the lower right hand side of the page. As with anything else involving changes to your computer, be sure to make a backup before you start....

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/23/10 4:52am
Msg #337794

Thanks, Mike

Amazingly, my computer was in pretty good shape, but still needed 1 security patch (that I admittedly would not think about, wouldn't know where to go to fix it if I did think about it, and probably wouldn't trust it unless somebody I trust said it was OK). Thanks!
The only 'change' I 'see' is a little icon that will let me run this--click/poof--any time in the future.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 5/23/10 6:57am
Msg #337797

Thanks, Mike...

...as I enjoy utilizing these types of programs to make sure I'm up to snuff. No problems found here.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 5/23/10 2:10pm
Msg #337817

Great post, Mike

I was unaware of this site and it looks like it will save a ton of time.

Also, this is the best place to post about computer security. It's not off-topic and affects us all. Thanks.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 5/23/10 3:56pm
Msg #337821

Thanks for the post Mike. Found 3 on my computer. n/m