Super-Fast Linkfest Throw-down: Pt II

More for the masses!

Stuff

• Scott Hanselman - Ultimate Developer PC 2.0 - Part 2 - UPDATE and PODCAST on Building a WEI 7.9 and RFC for building a GOM (God’s Own Machine) – Power Windows system building (with component list) for the techies to drool over…
• MultiBootISOs Boots Multiple Operating Systems from a USB Drive – Lifehacker – not nearly as cool or powerful as a iodd : Multi-boot madness external drive, but still clever all the same.
• Improving Your Image Sector-Based, File-Based, and Sysprep - What Makes the Most Sense Part 1 Terms and Windows Tools Primer – Springboard Series blog post from Microsoft has some good intro on system imaging concepts.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta: The Next Gen Edition (2.0)

• Beta for Next Version of Microsoft Security Essentials Now Available – Windows Team Blog
• Microsoft’s latest Security Essentials is promising – Chron.com TechBlog  Read the “Update” section at the bottom of the post for more insights.
• New beta of Microsoft Security Essentials released with network protection – Ars Technica

I logged into Microsoft Connect and downloaded both the x32 and x64 flavors for various systems I work/play on.  Installations went great and no ill effects seen so far.

Utilities Galore

• SearchMyFiles – freeware – Nir Sofer’s tool has some more options now.  My favorite power file-search tool!  See also the freeware tool SMF – Search my Files over at funk.eu also a rockin’ tool.
• Updates: TCPView v3.0, Autoruns v10.02, ProcDump v1.81, Disk2vhd v1.61 – Sysinternals
• FREE: imagepatcher – Update WIM images – 4sysops links to a tool (script) that will put patches on all/selected images in a WIM/VHD file.  Pretty cool and based on Microsoft Powershell.  imagepatcher home.
• WhatChanged 1.07 – freeware – VTask Studio – this version update for file/registry diff’ing got a speed/performance enhancement.  Quite a handy tool for when Windows System State Analyzer is just too much brawn for your needs.
• Double Driver – freeware – This utility for backing up/restoring your Windows system drivers (Microsoft/OEM/third-party) is an awesome update.  I used it recently to back up and collect all my XP AT&T Sierra 881 Wireless card drivers.  Then we took those to an identical platform that wouldn’t recognize those same drivers from the same installer and restored them to that system.  Flawless.  I liked the options in the older 2.0 builds but this 4.0 version GUI is super-slick and mature.  Stop and get it right now!  You never know when your driver backup may come in handy!  See also DriverBackup! tool at SourceForge.net and DriverMax for alternative driver backup tools and Nir Sofer’s DriverView as well for cataloging them.
• Microsoft PowerToy Image Resizer – (XP only) – is a wonderful tool I add to supported user’s systems.  They can then right-click/resize photos from digital cameras in a no-brainer method so our email doesn’t get clogged with super-sized image attachments.  However it isn’t an option for Vista/Windows7 users.  So along comes…
• Image Resizer Powertoy Clone for Windows – via CodePlex and Brice Lambson – it mimics XP’s Image Resizer features perfectly on Vista/Windows7.  (Note: as for my own on-the-fly image resizing, I use these, but for batch-image resizing work rely on FastStone Photo Resizer and FastStone Image Viewer.  (spotted via this freewaregenius review)

Sandboxing

I’ve been surprised to see the following super-flood of interest again in sandboxing applications and processes!  I guess that’s a good thing.

• Dell’s Secure Browser is a sandboxed version of Firefox – Download Squad

And since Adobe PDF files seem to be a very common and growing vector for malware attack, it seems good measure to see the following focus:

• Microsoft gives Adobe Reader a Protected Mode – Ars Technica review
• Adobe Reader Protected Mode – SANS ISC Handler’s Diary
• Introducing Adobe Reader Protected Mode – Donna’s SecurityFlash
• Introducing Adobe Reader Protected Mode – Adobe Secure Software Engineering Team (ASSET) Blog
• Q&A: Sandbox for Adobe Reader – HelpNet Security focus with PDF guru Didier Stevens

Then there is system sandboxing in general.

• Practical Windows Sandboxing – Part 1 – David LeBlanc’s Web Log
• Practical Windows Sandboxing, Part 2 – David LeBlanc’s Web Log
• Practical Windows Sandboxing – Part 3 – David LeBlanc’s Web Log

And some tools/software to help make things easy for the end user

• Sandboxie - Sandbox software for application isolation and secure Web browsing – awesome, free trial/$, and still being updated! x64 compatible.
• Trustware’s BufferZone – free and Pro/$ versions.
• GeSWall – (free and Pro/$) GentleSecurity.com.

Oh My! Firewall Overload

And an updated round-up of Free Windows Firewalls

• 7 Top Firewall Programs To Consider For Your Computer’s Security – Make Use Of blog. From the list:

1. Comodo Internet Security 
2. PC Tools Firewall Plus Free Edition
3. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
4. Ashampoo FireWall Free
5. Online Armor Free
6. Agnitum Outpost Firewall Free 
7. Filseclab Personal Firewall Professional Edition

Also see these additional ones:

• Windows 7 Firewall Control : Sphinx Software
• GhostWall FireWall
• SoftPerfect Personal Firewall

Please do your research very carefully if you are really looking specifically for "out-bound” leak protection as many malware/root-kits have tricks up their sleves to evade and bypass less-than-robust outbound filtering by firewall products.

MatouSec is still probably one of the leading groups doing firewall leak testing/validation.  See the following site for a roundup

• Proactive Secuirty Challenge - Results and comments - matousec.com

Of course, if all you want is solid inbound firewall protection  Windows Firewall - Windows 7 is seriously robust, you just have to remember to enable it!

Vertical Tabs in Chrome

I was reading a recent TechBlog daily link-post and followed a link to Chrome 6: What made the cut--and what missed it.  While that article was interesting, what caught my eye was reference to "side tabs" were pushed back to Chrome's 7.  Was this possibly the elusive Work under way to add sidebars to Google Chrome I and other Chrome/ium fans are longing for so we can have bookmarks managed from the side like in Firefox, IE, Opera and (kinda-sorta) in Safari?

Nope, but it is cool still, and you can sort-of get them in Chrome anyway…

• How to Make Vertical Tabs in Google Chrome -- Web Talk
• vertical tabs in windows - Google Chrome Help (Chrome Forum)
• How to enable side tabs in Google Chrome – Download Squad
• Enable Side Tabs In Google Chrome – GadgetHubs

…though the effect isn’t terribly pleasing in my eyes.

--Claus V.