Pin Files, Folders and Web Sites, To Windows 7 Taskbar – Free Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner

Pinning applications to the Windows 7 Taskbar is generally very easy. Unfortunately, Windows 7 Taskbar was not designed with the ability to pin files,  folders, or web pages – but, a small freeware tool, Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner, enables you to overcome this limitation.

Download the executable file from the developer’s site (Kishan Bagaria – a 13 year old from India), then be sure to run the executable as “administrator” or, you’ll get the following –

Currently, I’m testing Windows 8, so in some respects, I’m working with a user interface which has been turned upside down. One casualty of Microsoft’s thinking is – a reversal on a quick and easy way to reach all installed programs.

Using Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner, I’ve partially overcome this limitation by choosing to add two new links to the Taskbar – “Computer” and “Program Files”.

A partial screen shot showing “Program Files” on the Taskbar.

Activating the Program Files icon, launches the new Windows Explorer (notice the “Ribbon”) at C: Program Files. Since I work primarily in the “Desktop” –  as opposed to Windows 8 Metro interface, I now have quick access to a listing of installed applications.

Custom items, including files and folders, or even a website can easily be added to the Taskbar – as the following series of screen shots (in which I have created a link to this website), indicate.

The new Taskbar shortcut to Tech Thoughts, is shown in the following screen capture.

If adding files, folders and web links to the Taskbar in Windows 7 is an option you’d like to exercise, then checkout the developers page for additional information on how to use this freebie effectively.

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Search Engine Malware – The Same Old, Same Old

In the News within the past 3 days –

Web security firm Armorize – over 6 million e-commerce web pages have been compromised in order to serve malware to users.

Ed Bott Report – criminal gangs that specialize in malware love search engines, because they represent an ideal vector for getting Windows users to click on links that lead to potentially dangerous Trojans. The latest attack targets ads, and the social engineering is frighteningly good.

Not in the News –

The specifics may be news but, this particular malware attack vector is so old I’m surprised that more Internet users aren’t aware of it. No, I take that back – based on a conversation I had just last night.

Me: “So, what antimalware applications are you currently running?”

She: “Well, I can cut and paste and I can get on the Internet, but I don’t worry about all that other stuff. I don’t understand it anyway.”

I’m well past the point where I allow myself to show surprise when I hear this type of response – it’s just so typical. Given that level of knowledge, it’s hardly surprising then, that consumer confidence in the reliability of search engine results, including relevant ads, is taken for granted.

I’ve yet to meet a typical user who would consider questioning a search engine’s output as to its relevant safety.  It’s been my experience, that typical Internet users blindly assume all search engine results are malware free.

This, despite the reality that the manipulation of search engine results, exploiting legitimate pages, and the seeding of malicious websites among the top results returned by search engines in order to infect users with malware, is a continuing threat to system security.

Here’s how the cyber crooks do it:

When a potential victim visits one of these infected sites the likelihood of the downloading of malicious code onto the computer by exploiting existing vulnerabilities is high.

Let’s take, as an example, a typical user running a search for “great vacation spots” on one of the popular search engines.

Unknown to the user, the search engine returns a malicious or compromised web page as one of the most popular sites. Users with less than complete Internet security who visit this page will have an extremely high chance of becoming infected.

There are a number of ways that this can occur. Cyber-crooks can exploit vulnerabilities on the server hosting the web page to insert an iFrame, (an HTML element which makes it possible to embed another HTML document inside the main document). The iFrame can then activate the download of malicious code by exploiting additional vulnerabilities on the visiting machine.

Alternatively, a new web page can be built, with iFrames inserted, that can lead to malware downloads. This new web page appears to be legitimate. In the example mentioned earlier, the web page would appear to be a typical page offering great vacation spots.

Be proactive when it comes to your computer’s security; make sure you have adequate software based protection to reduce the chances that your machine will become infected.

Install an Internet Browser add-on such as WOT (my personal favorite), which provides detailed test results on a site’s safety; protecting you from security threats including spyware, adware, spam, viruses, browser exploits, and online scams

Don’t open unknown email attachments

Don’t run programs of unknown origin

Disable hidden filename extensions

Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched

Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use

Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible

Disable scripting features in email programs

Make regular backups of critical data

Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised

Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer

Install a personal firewall on the computer

Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet

Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments

Be proactive when it comes to your computer’s security; make sure you have adequate software based protection to reduce the chances that your machine will become infected.

The following comment (posted here March 15, 2011), illustrates perfectly the issues discussed in this article.

Funny you write about this today. I was reading about the spider issue Mazda was having and wanted to know what the spider looked like so I Googled it, went to images and there it was. There was also a US map that had areas highlighted, assuming where the spiders exist, and before I clicked on the map I made sure there was the green “O” for WOT for security reasons.

I clicked on the map and BAM I was redirected instantly and hit w/ the “You have a virus” scan malware. I turned off my modem then shut my computer off. I restarted it and scanned my computer w/ MS Security Essentials and Super Anti Spyware. MS Essentials found Exploit:Java/CVE-2010-0094.AF, and Trojan:Java/Mesdeh and removed them. I use WOT all the time, but now I’m going to be super cautious.

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Be Prepared – Japan Earthquake, Tsunami Spam, And Malware, On The Way

Experts Warn Of Japan Earthquake, Tsunami Spam

As the Pacific Rim braces for deadly Tsunami’s spawned by today’s magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan, the SANS Internet Storm Center says users should be on the lookout for a different kind of Tsunami: scam e-mail and Web pages looking to turn curiosity about the events in Japan into illicit gain.

The Internet Storm Center (ISC) issued a warning on its Web page Friday morning warning reader to expect “emails (sp) scams and malware circulating regarding the recent Japanese earthquake.”Examples of Tsunami-related spam have already shown up in spam filters, according to the Web site spamwarnings.com.

You can read more at Kaspersky’s ThreatPost here.

Fresh WebSuction – Free Offline Browser

Offline browsers are pretty cool applications – they can give you just a little more control over the Internet.

With an offline browser you can download websites ,or parts of a website, store locally, and then view the saved site at your convenience, while offline. If you’re on a dial-up Internet connection, you can add cost saving to the convenience factor – once the site is downloaded, you can disconnect.

Fresh WebMaster, the developers of the highly recommended Fresh UI Windows tweaking application, have just released Fresh WebSuction, a free offline browser application that’s worth considering if offline browsing is your thing.

The user interface is simply, and straightforward, as the screen capture illustrates:

Create a new project by clicking the “New” button on tool bar or choose “File |New Project” from the main menu.

Enter the URL in the address field and change the Project Name and Level setting if necessary, all other Properties information will be set by default.

Click the Run Now button, to start the download.

That’s it!

To view the downloaded files offline:

Open the application.

From the Project Content tree select the file that you want to view and double-click it, or right-click then select “Open”.

Or, from Download List tab right-click on any file then select “Open”.

The screen capture below, shows the results of opening “Test 2”, for offline viewing.

Fast facts:

Download and save an entire Website.

Download and save particular sections of a Website.

Download up to 50 files simultaneously, thus large amounts of information can be retrieved in very little time.

View saved web content offline.

File types: HTML, Images,Audio,Video,Documents,Archived,User-defined and others.

File extensions : htm, html, shtm, shtml, htms, htmlx, asp, pl, stm, stml,idc, htx, xsp, xml, cfm, cgi, htmp, php, php3, nsf, jsp, aspx.

System requirements: Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, Me

Download at: Fresh WebMaster (registration required).

Are you into Linux? If you are, then checkout Webhttrack, a free (GPL), easy-to-use offline browser utility.

Note: You can of course, save individual web pages for offline viewing, by using the File – Save Page As function, in your Browser.

As an alternative, if you’re a Firefox user, you might consider ScrapBook, a Firefox addon which is designed to save both web pages, and sites.

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PandaLabs Says the Facebook “Like” Option May Scam You

PandaLabs, the anti-malware laboratory of Panda Security, the company responsible for Panda Cloud Antivirus, the  antimalware application that should be high on every users list of installed antimalware applications, reported today on the increasing number of scams that utilize the Facebook “Like” option.

According to Panda, in one particular attack –

“The attack uses eye-catching messages related to the popular game Farmville, the “Sex and the City 2” movie, or the keyword sex to grab the attention of logged-in Facebook users as they browse Web pages with the “Like” button, the Facebook wall feature or messaging system.”

If you are a Facebook user, and you want to keep your “friends” happy, use extreme caution in using the Like option. In a  “clickjacking” attack, you’ll end up recommending your “Like” to all your friends, who may not be at all impressed with your choice, since you have potentially made them part of the clickjacking attack. Probably not a good way to keep friends and influence people.

If you’re wondering why clickjacking is important to cyber-criminals, I’ll let Panda CEO, Luis Corrons explain it –

“Cyber-criminals can make money just by tricking you into visiting a Web page with ads. Or worse still, they can spread malware and infect you. This possibility has not yet been exploited, but it would be relatively easy and effective to do it.”

Additional information is available in the PandaLabs blog.

About PandaLabs

Since 1990, its mission has been to detect and eliminate new threats as rapidly as possible to offer our clients maximum security. To do so, PandaLabs has an innovative automated system that analyzes and classifies thousands of new samples a day and returns automatic verdicts (malware or goodware). This system is the basis of collective intelligence, Panda Security’s new security model which can even detect malware that has evaded other security solutions.

Currently, 99.4 percent of malware detected by PandaLabs is analyzed through this system of collective intelligence. This is complemented through the work of several teams, each specialized in a specific type of malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, phishing, spam, etc), who work 24/7 to provide global coverage. This translates into more secure, simpler and more resource-friendly solutions for clients.

This explanation of how Panda manages its enterprise, is one reason I’m so high on Panda Cloud Antivirus as a first line of defense against malware infection. If you haven’t tried it yet, then check it out here.

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Photo Editing, Painting, Drawing, Text Manipulation, Web Animation! – PhotoPlus 6 for Free!

SerifSoftware has an interesting way to get you to buy their latest software offerings. They will give you an older version of any of their software packages for free. An interesting twist on the usual “try it for free for 30 days” we are all pretty familiar with.

I have used, and tested, Serif’s free editions for 10+ years now, and I have found that even their older software is more than up to the tasks I set.

Sure, the applications may be older than the current versions, but in terms of functionality and features, generally you are not missing much. Most software today is overblown and bloated with features that many users have little or no need of. So, in this older version there are not as many tools as might find with more recent products, but those that are there tend to be the ones that are most used by typical users.

Despite the slightly dated appearance, this is not an ‘old’ program that’s been revived just for give-away. PhotoPlus is still an amazing photo editing application that enables you to fix and enhance digital photos, create bitmap graphics and even web animations.

With PhotoPlus, you can easily adjust brightness and contrast, color balance, remove red-eye and make numerous other image editing adjustments and enhancements.

You’ll find a large number of tools for creating web-savvy images, including an Export Optimizer for gauging the appearance of an image at various output settings. As well, a group of web animation tools will help you import and export GIF files. You can even let PhotoPlus do all the hard work and create the animations for you.

Image slicing tools are another web feature that you just wouldn’t expect to find in a free package. With these tools you can sub-divide an image into invisible segments, each of which can then be given a hyperlink and popup window. Alternatively, you can add hotspots to your web page.

Another unexpected extra – that will be on some users’ essentials list – is the option to work in CMYK mode to create CMYK separations or view the image in its printer-ready form.

Though the layout is somewhat dated and the range of editing tools is not as extensive as in more recent applications, this free program is still capable of outputting amazing results.

Because of its simple layout, this is an easy program to pick up and work with, especially for those with little or no previous experience.

Overall PhotoPlus is an excellent, and probably the most complete free graphics editor and it will more than likely exceed the average users editing needs.

Quick Facts:

Creative Tools

· Enhance your images with easy-to-use creative tools, such as paintbrush, airbrush, clone, smudge and erase – adjustable brush settings include size, shape, softness and fade

Layer Effects

· Apply bevels and drop shadows to create sophisticated-looking text and images. Use the layer manager to add to and enhance images without affecting the originals

Digital Darkroom

· Adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, color hue, saturation, remove red-eye and more. Enhance, repair and tweak your photos for great results

Deform Tool

· The versatile Deform tool lets you rotate, resize, skew, reshape and add perspective to any selection or layer

Text

· Add editable, deformable text to your images and further enhance your text with drop shadows and bevel effects

Animation

· Create your own animated GIFs for websites and

Web Images

· Divide images into individual sections that can be clicked on to link to other web pages and websites, just like text hyperlinks. PhotoPlus 6 creates all the HTML code ensuring your images appear properly

Export Optimizer

· Simultaneously view up to four previews that display the relationship between image file size and quality, making it easy to decide how to save and export images for every purpose

QuickShapes

· Add ready-made, customizable QuickShapes to your images. Choose from a range including speech bubbles, starbursts and spirals

Download at: SerifSoftware

 

Don’t Have McAfee Site Advisor? Then How Do You Know Where You Are on the Net?

Would you wander through a neighborhood that you were unfamiliar with? One which might possibly be full of predators? Well of course you wouldn’t.

However, if wander through the Internet without the aid of SiteAdvisor, a free Internet service from McAfee, (the plug-in is available for Internet Explorer/ Firefox) that tests web sites you are visiting for spyware, spam, viruses and online scams, this is close to what you are doing.

According to McAfee, this service is based on a huge database with detailed test results for more than 100,000 pieces of software, and which covers more than 90% of the world’s Web traffic. The service integrates with search engine results from popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo, etc.

The plug-in’s icon, which is added to your browser toolbar, displays a color rating for each site you visit, which indicates whether a site is safe to use, or should be used with caution.

Site Ratings:

• Green – Safe: McAfee has tested the site and didn’t find any significant problems.
• Yellow – Caution: McAfee has tested the site and advise there are some issues you should consider.
• Red – Warning: McAfee has tested the site and found some serious issues that you need to carefully consider before using this site.
• Grey – McAfee has not yet tested the site, or the site is in the process of being tested.

 

According to McAfee’s own research, 90% of U.S. consumers on the Internet make use of search engines, and 80% of Web site visits originate from these search queries. Additionally, McAfee stated their May 2006 Search Engine Safety study revealed, search engines expose users to dangerous sites posing security risks including spyware, spam, and scams.

Surf more securely by adding this browser add-on which will provide you with an in-depth site analysis based on real world test results. Always keep in mind however, that you are your own best protection. Stop · Think · Click

Download this browser add-on at McAfee