How conditions have changed! Thirty years ago, anti-virus applications were optional -- needed only if you visited dicey bulletin boards. They were updated once or twice a year. Then came the Internet. Anti-virus applications haven't been optional for a couple of decades now and the updates happen several times per day. They're not sufficient, though, in today's increasingly dangerous world.
In addition to installing an anti-virus application, you might want to consider Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit. Both of these are designed to work in conjunction with an anti-virus application.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is intended to work with your anti-virus program. It can remove spyware, adware, potentially unwanted programs (PUP), and other software that's malicious or annoying (or both) from your Windows computer.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has both free and paid versions. The free version doesn't allow scheduling scans, so you'll need run scans manually when you think of doing so.
After the scan, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware lists suspicious items and asks if you'd like to quarantine them, ignore them once, or exclude them from all future scans. Quarantine is the safe choice. If you decide something isn't malicious later, you can restore it.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free does not have a quick-scan option or an automatic-update setting; that's one of the reasons I recommend buying the Premium license.
A standard anti-virus application can't protect you from zero-day exploits that attack vulnerabilities in the operating system and applications. Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit is designed to detect these kinds of threats.
Some anti-virus applications insist that you turn off applications such as Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit. When Avast Anti-virus reported problems with Windows 10, I tried switching to Bitdefender. In addition to other serious problems, I found that it wouldn't work with Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit. That was enough to push me back to Avast.
Malwarebytes says that its Anti-Exploit Premium application wraps protected applications in 3 defensive layers that watch for attempts to bypass OS security features, monitor memory for any attempt to execute exploit code, and block attacks on the application by eliminating "sandbox escapes and memory mitigation bypasses."
How does someone test this, though? Malwarebytes says that it hired a security blogger (Kafeine), who tried attacking a test system with Angler EK, Fiesta, FlashPack, Gondad, GrandSoft, HiMan EK, Infinity, Magnitude, Nuclear Pack, Styx, and Sweet Orange. Kafeine found one bug, Malwarebytes patched it, and the assumption is that it's secure. For now. That's the best you can ever hope for. Better protection causes crooks to create better exploits.
One thing I've noticed is that Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit blocks several Skype connections every day. Skype is a peer-to-peer (P2P) application, which means that it connects to many IP addresses. As a result, Skype sometimes connects to IP addresses that are known for hosting malicious content.
When this happens, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware blocks the connection. The block affects only a single IP address and shouldn't affect your usage of Skype or the quality of communication.
If the notifications are too frequent and you want to disable them, you can. In that case, the blocks will just be applied silently. Or you can disable the blocks entirely, although neither Malwarebytes nor I recommend doing that.
Malwarebytes Applications Are Today's EssentialsYes, there are free versions of
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit, but the paid ("Premium") versions aren't expensive and offer numerous advantages. Malwarebytes provides a robust forum, too, that's designed to assist if your computer has been compromised. If you have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit running on your computer, you may never need the forum.
Additional details are available on the Malwarebytes website.
I'm a fan of UltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio, the text editor for Windows systems. UltraEdit is the basic text editor and UltraEdit Studio includes several additional functions that I consider useful. IDM, the company that creates these applications, offers what was once called an "evergreen" license: Buy it once and you can update to the latest version forever. I made that choice many years ago, so my version of UltraEdit Studio is always up to date.
I've noticed, though, that the robust set of features offered by UltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio created an application that's slow to load and slow to respond. When the 64-bit version became available, I assumed that it would address performance issue. There are competing applications such as Notepad++, but UltraEdit is used by more than 2 million people around the world. The "evergreen" subscription model may no longer be supported, though, and I see that IDM is promoting a $100 per year program that provides access to all of the company's products.
Realizing that free applications will be attractive, IDM makes this offer: "We're so certain that you will love using UltraEdit, that we are offering you a 100% money back guarantee. Buy UltraEdit today, and if you're not satisfied, we will give you a 100% refund. Over 2 million users can't be wrong... Find out why UltraEdit is the industry standard in text editing!" That's reasonable. Every computer I own that has UltraEdit Studio installed also has Notepad++. Occasionally, the free application has been a better choice. Notepad++ has been better when it comes to loading huge text files, but UltraEdit is still my preferred choice because of its capabilities once the file has been loaded.
The 64-bit version of UltraEdit seems to address the problems of slow loading and crashing that I saw occasionally with the 32-bit version of UltraEdit Studio.
UltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio both include features such as syntax highlighting, code folding, and support for scripting and macros. UltraEdit Studio adds features such as an integrated PHP debugger and intellitips as well as integrated support for PHP and Ruby scripting.
Users can split the screen vertically or horizontally or set all windows to display full screen within the application. Operating system commands can be run from within UltraEdit Studio and I like the display at the right that allows scrolling through the document.
The 64-bit version allows UltraEdit Studio to handle extremely large files and because 64-bit applications can address more of the system's memory, it's faster than the 32-bit version.
Dreamweaver is my go-to application for editing HTML files for websites, but UltraEdit Studio is a good backup for those times when there's a problem with code handling in Dreamweaver.
UltraEdit Studio can open server-based files because it supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and SSH Telnet. This feature is handy because it allows me to store work-in-progress files for TechByter Worldwide on the server and then to edit the files via SFTP even if I'm not in the office. And I don't have to worry about making sure that I always have the latest version of the file with me.
A welcome screen, available from the Help menu lists tasks that new users will commonly need information about. Each of the links opens a Web page from the online reference section of the UltraEdit website.
I wish the developers would standardize version numbers between UltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio. UltraEdit is at version 22, but UltraEdit Studio is at version 15. That seems absurd because UltraEdit Studio appears to be based on UltraEdit. Does UltraEdit have any features that UltraEdit Studio lacks? If so, I haven't been able to find them.
UltraEdit Studio Does Everything You Need to Do with FilesUltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio are both applications that make any programmer or website developer's job easier, but it goes far beyond that. Powerful search and replace functions, sorting, code formatting and highlighting, scripting, built-in macros, templates, and lots of other features make the applications indispensible.
Additional details are available on the UltraEdit website.
Change comes fast at Adobe. Some significant updates were released this past Monday and more changes are pending. For example, it you use Revel, you'll need to make other plans after February 23, 2016, which is the last day it will be available. Instead, Revel users will need to move to the Creative Cloud Photography plan, which includes Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC. Lightroom works on IOS and Android mobile devices, so you can access all your images anywhere you are — just as you could with Revel. Creative Cloud members already have access to these products and benefits now.
Creative Cloud updates are more evolutionary than revolutionary these days. In the old days (a couple of years ago), you could count on major changes every year or so. Now, the changes (while still very much worthwhile) are less overwhelming.
For example, Photoshop CC has a new Start Screen that displays a panel of recently opened files, Creative Cloud libraries, presets for creating new files, and links to resources such as learning tutorials, Adobe Stock, and library downloads. Speaking of Adobe Stock, the company is promoting its acquisition of Fotolia by highlighting the price of individual images ($10) and videos ($80). If you're a professional designer, the prices are compelling. More than one million HD video clips are available along with tens of millions of photos and graphics.
The new Start Screen allows users to (1) switch between list view and thumbnail view, (2) choosse to view recent files, library items, or presets, (3) examine Adobe Stock for images and videos, and (4) select saved colors, color themes, or brushes.
The emphasis on mobile applications is also key to this update. Premiere Clip for Android is now live in the Google Play store, so mobile video editing is no longer limited to only those with IOS devices.
Sharing is increasingly a part of Adobe's plan. Creative Cloud Libraries make assets available anywhere. Users can create and share colors, character styles, graphics, and Adobe Stock assets in the Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps and then access them across other Creative Cloud apps as you need them.
Adobe's software engineers continue to enhance customization. Customizable toolbars and workspaces in Photoshop allow users to create toolbars and save multiple toolbar configurations as parts of different workspaces. Included workspaces have been streamlined to give you quick access to only the tools you need.
Lots of smaller features are part of the update. Adobe makes hundreds of typefaces available for use in print or on the Web. And because modern typefaces include lots of glyphs, users can find the right glyph in the Glyphs panel. The latest improvement allows users to see and insert the most recently used glyphs and sort glyphs for faster browsing.
Adobe Camera Raw 9 adds features that have been available in Lightroom. Users can remove or add atmospheric haze in specific areas of their photos with the Local Adjustment Brush, Radial Filter, and Graduated Filter.
If you're a Creative Cloud subscriber, you'll already have all of these new features.
You know the rest of the story, but this time of year scammers are hoping that you'll forget. Protective software publisher Sophos describes some of the frauds you might encounter this year on its Naked Security blog.
One example the blog cites offers incredible savings on cars, but the email claims to be from JC Penney. Penney, of course, does not sell cars. Follow the link and you'll find the the automobile "offer" no longer exists, but you'll see ads for various "deals".
The blog offers several tips for staying safe on-line during the holiday season or any time. For example: Watch out for sites that ask for way too much information, such as your card PIN or Social Security number. IF IN DOUBT, GIVE NOTHING OUT!
Read the full article on the Sophos website.
Central Ohio has outgrown its 614 area code and as of the end of January will join cities such as New York and Los Angeles where multiple area codes are used in the same physical area. It's called an overlay and it's the future for most urban areas. At one time, phone companies simply reduced an area code to serve a smaller area and assigned a new area code to the other users in the area.
Consider 513, for example. It used to cover most of southwest Ohio, but was shrunk to include just the metro Cincinnati area. Other users who used to be in 513 are now in 937. As a result, many people had to change advertisements, stationery, and anything else with their phone number on it.
Overlays are better because everyone who has a 614 area code number will keep it. New numbers will be assigned to area code 380. The disadvantage of overlays is that callers will be required to dial 10 digits instead of 7. You can dial all 10 digits now. Starting at the end of January, you will be required to dial all 10 digits.
Columbus Alive came up with a list of 16 ways the new area code will change things, including a challenge for conspiracy theorists (6+1+4=11 and 3+8+0=11 -- what's up with that); we can add “multiple area codes” to the list of reasons to stop thinking of Columbus as a small city; and tattoo laser removal gets a bump in business after people start getting their “614 ’Til I Die” tattoos removed. The full list is on-line.
If you use a mobile phone (and it seems that everyone does these days), it's no big deal because you're probably already used to dialing 10 digits and, if not, your phone does it for you.
Welcome to the future. Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton lag only a bit behind Columbus. Those areas will probably see overlays in 2018 and 2019.
