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Safari browser allows Mac to be easily taken over at hacker convention, Vista, Ubuntu machines survive the day It has not been a good couple weeks for Apple and Safari. First Opera knocked it from its position as sole 100 percent compatible Acid3 browser. Then it tried to force iTunes users to unintentionally download the browser as part of an iTunes update, which included a pre-checked install option for Safari. The move was met with broad criticism, including from Mozilla's CEO, who commented that Apple was bordering "on malware distribution practices." Finally, Safari users who updated to v3.1 reported many...

Multiple vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to install malicious code or steal personal data have been discovered in the Mozilla Suite and the Firefox open-source browser. Details of the nine flaws were published on Mozilla's security Web site over the weekend. Ian Latter, senior security consultant at Internet security specialist Pure Hacking, said most of the vulnerabilities are based on the way the applications handle JavaScript. "There are some permission issues related to running JavaScript at an escalated privilege level. They remove some of the security measures used to keep JavaScript sandboxed and allow it to potentially do malicious...

Never before in the history of telecommunications has a more important warning been needed for current and potential VoIP (computer phone) users who have joined, or will be joining, in the inevitable paradigm shift from telephone to VoIP. Warning! Warning! Warning! Beware of VoIP internet service providers that operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols because they are PUBLICLY OPEN and INTERPRETABLE! This also includes, but is not limited to, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In plain terms, this means, if you subscribe to, or considering subscribing to a VoIP internet solution provider who operates on these industry standards –...

Internet security takes a hit Report says computer-code experts concerned after flaw discovered in popular encryption technique. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The discovery of a crack in a commonly used Internet encryption technique raised concerns among government agencies and computer-code experts, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. "Our heads have been spun around," Jon Callas, chief technology officer at encryption supplier PGP Corp., told the newspaper. The technique, called a "hash function," has been commonly used by Web site operators to scramble online transmissions containing credit-card information, Social Security numbers and other personal information. Hash functions were...