Secunia Personal Software Inspector version 3.0 released

Version 3.0 of Secunia’s Personal Software Inspector (PSI) for Windows has just been released, see here. I’ve just upgraded to it and run a scan, and reckon that the improvements are well and truly worthwhile.

Secunia PSI 3.0 is a free computer security solution for Windows PCs that identifies vulnerabilities in non-Microsoft (third-party) programs which can expose the PCs to attacks.

If you don’t already have it or use it, I’d strongly suggest that at the very least you should evaluate it. It’s a very valuable additional weapon in your armory against malware attacks.

It extends (rather than replaces) the protection offered by anti-virus and firewall software, which are still essential. I’ve been using Windows 7 built-in firewall plus Microsoft Security Essentials, and find them very competent. I also use Spybot Search & Destroy, and regularly run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. I’m striving to not personally suffer from malware attacks, and to not pass on malware to family, friends and clients. I have a few spare CPU cycles left to do real work too, in case you wondered~

There’s a nice, fresh user interface in Versions 3.0. displaying icons for all the software products that it detects. Here’s part of the results from my first Secunia PSI scan:

At last I’ve gotten back to a 100% Secunia system score, because there was one program that has reached its “end of life” -- not being updated any longer. The previous version of PSI always complained about this, and reduced my score to just below 100% which annoyed me (because I was confident that the program’s developer was trustworthy).

Now in Version 3.0, as illustrated in the circled area, you can right-click on a product’s icon and tell PSI not to warn any more (include in system score) for such an end-of-life product. Hooray!

Other enhancements include automatic updating of software products that are scanned and determined to be “insecure” – which means out of date, not at the latest software level. I’d say this really should be termed “potentially insecure” or “possibly insecure” (but that’s not quite as easy to rattle off the lips).

Once again, you can get Secunia PSI version 3.0 and find out more here.

Simple Signer version 1.2 for IBM Lotus Notes released (freeware)

Simple Signer version 1.2 is now available for download.

It’s your simplest and easiest way to “sign” Lotus Notes database applications, that is, to stamp tall the design elements that make up each application: forms, view, XPages, agents, etc. When signed with your own organization’s Lotus Notes signature the applications are properly prepared/authorized to run in your organization’s IBM Lotus Notes/Domino production environment.

Signing is usually required when you obtain a Notes application from an external source, or before your own in-house-developed applications are moved from the development stage into productions.

Simple Signer was developed to make application signing easy for anybody to carry out.

You can download Simple Signer version 1.2 right now from notestracker.com (Australia) or notestracker.net (USA) web servers.

UPDATE: Please download a refreshed copy of Simple Signer v1.2 that was uploaded on 23rd June, without local encryption (which was causing the error "This database has local access protection"). Apologies for the slip up.

The self-extractor requires a PASSWORD … NotesTracker (what else would you expect from me?)

Apart from a few minor changes, the main enhancement is the ability to keep an audit trail of the various database signing events, for example:

As usual with applications provided by Asia/Pacific Computer Services, it is fully documented -- via the built-in Help About This Application and Help Using This Application menu items.

Simple Signer’s design is unhidden (“open source” more or less, you might call it) so you can tweak it to work exactly how you like.

ENJOY!

Simple Signer version 1.2 for IBM Lotus Notes released (freeware)

Simple Signer version 1.2 is now available for download.

It’s your simplest and easiest way to “sign” Lotus Notes database applications, that is, to stamp tall the design elements that make up each application (forms, view, XPages, agents, etc. When signed with your own organization’s Lotus Notes signature the applications are properly prepared/authorized to run in your organization’s IBM Lotus Notes/Domino production environment.

Signing is usually required when you obtain a Notes application from an external source, or before your own in-house-developed applications are moved from the development stage into productions.

Simple Signer was developed to make application signing easy for anybody to carry out.

You can download Simple Signer version 1.2 right now from notestracker.com (Australia) or notestracker.net (USA) web servers.

The self-extractor requires a password, which is NotesTracker (what else would you expect from me?)

Apart from a few minor changes, the main enhancement is the ability to keep an audit trail of the various database signing events, for example:

As usual with applications provided by Asia/Pacific Computer Services, it is fully documented -- via the built-in Help About This Application and Help Using This Application menu items.

Simple Signer’s design is unhidden (“open source” more or less, you might call it) so you can tweak it to work exactly how you like.

ENJOY!