Microsoft has issued an Internet Explorer advisory for users to institute immediately until a workaround is created for a new weakness just discovered in IE.

Set Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to “High” to prompt before running ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones:

1. On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click the Internet icon.
3. Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to High. This sets the security level for all Web sites you visit to High.  If no slider is visible, click Default Level, and then move the slider to High.

While that number includes only PCs connected to the internet, do the math – is your PC one of the 1.91% that isn’t hosting some insecure software? Probably not!

Even though this data comes from Secunia in an effort to promote their own Secunia PSI scanning software (personally, I use FileHippo’s Update Checker), no matter how you do it, you need something in place to check for the latest patches and updates from software authors.

For those that don’t understand why, these software updates fix any bugs (errors) found after the initial release and often add new features to the software on your machine – and that’s a good thing.

You’ve been warned; now go secure those PCs!

The Agent.btz worm is spreading like a California wildfire across thumbdrives and other removable data storage devices – so much so that DOD is suspending their use across all agency electronic devices.

“The USB ban should be effective in stopping the worm,” says Ryan Olson, director of rapid response for the iDefense computer security firm. G\L guys!

Until 6am PST tomorrow morning, the Zone Labs folks are giving the Pro version of their firewall product away for free.

To be honest, I haven’t used ZA for a few years now, having switched to Comodo’s free firewall product about a year ago. It had tons of options to tweak, and in the end, I became disenfranchised with the notion of setting them each time I restored my Windows box (every few months).

In the end, I switched back to the default firewall that comes with Windows, and since I never have any problems anyway, I feel it’s good enough for my SOHO box. That being said, I’m never one to pass up on a good deal, especially when it’s free ‘as in air’.

The Thanksgiving season here in the U.S. has historically issued another tradition for us web surfers – a peak in the amount of malware activity going on across the internet.

As investigators have noted, if last year is any foreteller of future events, one week from today will show a peak in the amount of malware activity across the internet as people rush to online shops for their holiday shopping.

To avoid any mishaps, ensure your operating system, browser of choice, and anti-malware software is up to date. Also, please don’t fall for any internet / email scams.

DarkReading has posted an excellent list of tactics to watch out for while online.

1. A state election board’s Website could be spoofed, for instance, with purposely deceptive information on polling-place locations, times, and voter registration rules.
2. Phishing emails could be pushed out to voters, offering phony information on polling sites, voter records, voter registration, and voter registration status in an effort to confuse or scare away voters, for instance.
3. Pharming emails could use hijacked domain names such as “Get Out the Vote,” according to the report, as a way to redirect voters to fraudulent sites.
4. DOS attacks could be launched on voter information sites or voter help hotlines in order to disrupt the process.