There are a couple of new spam / phishing attacks which have been successful at circumventing my Junkmail filter and making it to my Inbox. One is titled 'Statement Request' and the other is titled 'Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Outlook' or sometimes 'Critical Update for Microsoft Outlook'. To me, these are obvious spam or phishing emails that I barely even think about before deleting them and moving on. But, the volume of them that has been hitting my Inbox has led me to examine them in more detail to help you understand how to recognize them as threats and avoid becoming a victim.

• 'Statement Request' spam
• 'Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Outlook' spam

Microsoft announced last November that they planned to discontinue their retail Windows Live OneCare security product and replace it with a new free antimalware offering. That time has come. Well, its coming soon. Microsoft just released the Beta of their new Microsoft Security Essentials software.

Aimed at the consumer market, Microsoft Security Essentials leverages the research and resources of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center to identify and block viruses, spyware, and other malicious threats in real-time. It does not replace some of the other functionality of Windows Live OneCare such as defragmenting hard drives or backing up data, but it promises industry leading malware protection at a price that is hard to ignore in this economy- free.

You can get a copy of the Beta version by visiting the Microsoft Security Essentials site. I have downloaded my copy and will post a review of the product in the coming weeks.

Do you have an iPhone? Have you downloaded version 3.0 of the iPhone OS (the real thing- not the leaked pirated version with the malware)? I mentioned in the comments to my post earlier this week about the leaked iPhone 3.0 scam that I didn't really understand what the rush was. It seemed like everyone *had* to have the update at precisely 1pm eastern. Not having an iPhone, I couldn't figure out why you couldn't wait an hour, or a day, or whatever and just download the update when it is convenient.

But, now it has been a few days and it seems safe to say that if you have an iPhone you probably should have acquired the 3.0 update by now. If the copy & paste feature isn't a compelling enough reason, consider that there are almost 50 security updates included in version 3.0. The security updates apply to a broad range of features and functions of the iPhone. Its a virtual guarantee that at least some of them will have some relevance to you.

Asus and Disney are teaming up to create the Disney Netpal. The Disney Netpal will be available in two models- the MK90 with a 16Gb solid state drive, and the MK90H with a 160Gb hard drive- and will only be available from Toys R Us and Amazon.com for a suggested retail price of $349.99. Both models will come in either 'Princess Pink' or 'Magic Blue', following the stereotypical gender color coding. The target market for the Disney Netpal is boys and girls age 6 to 12.

The next logical question is 'why would I spend $100 more than a comparable netbook that isn't branded by Disney?'. The answer is that Asus and Disney have worked to make the netbook safer for kids. First, it has a reinforced case and design to make it more 'kid-proof' from a physical perspective. Second, it is designed with a unique Disney user interface (built on Windows XP) with more than 40 parental control options.

According to this ZDNet article, "the system’s Disney browser is preloaded with numerous kid-friendly Disney websites for kids to explore, and the 2D “gadget tray” (think Windows taskbar, or OS X dock) displays visual icons for easy access to applications. There’s also a collection of 15 widgets, including a stopwatch, a digital memo pad and a calculator."

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

Ain't nothing like the real thing baby. And, since the real thing is officially released today do yourself a favor and don't fall for any messages claiming to lead to a leaked download of the latest iPhone update.

Apple is releasing the iPhone 3.0 update today which adds copy & paste functionality and some other features to the popular mobile device. Scammers have started a multi-pronged attack involving Twitter, file sharing services, and affiliate marketing schemes capitalizing on the popularity of the iPhone and the excitement about the 3.0 release of the iPhone OS.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

Free is almost always a good thing. Sometimes you get what you pay for, but the price is right. With a global economic recession, free is more of a necessity than a luxury for many people today. You can create your own stimulus plan and get your budget back on track by looking for free tools and utilities to help you protect and secure your computer and network. This categorized list contains links to a wide variety of free computer security software.

There is also a section for readers to respond with their feedback. Have you used some of these tools? Tell us what you liked and which ones you would never use again. Are there tools you use that aren't on these lists? Give us your feedback and let us know what we're missing and perhaps I can get them added to this list. With readers like you contributing opinions and feedback we can all help each other to not only get software at the right price (FREE!), but also make sure we're getting the best tools available at that price.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

Microsoft provides a free online file sharing service called Office Live Workspace. Office Live Workspace lets you store and manage files from Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can also synchronize contact, task, and event lists with Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft gives each user 5Gb of free space to store data online. There are a couple of advantages to this. First, you can access the data from anywhere with Web access. Rather than carrying sensitive data on USB flash drives when you travel, you can store the data online and access it from your destination. Second, you can share the data with others and use it as a file transfer or collaboration tool.

Office Live Workspace can also represent a form of secure off-site backup. Granted, 5Gb is not an unlimited amount of storage. You will still need to have a more complete backup solution as well. But, one of the weaknesses of backing up data locally is that a disaster such as a fire or flood can take out your data and your backup at the same time. With Office Live Workspace you can at least take your most important 5Gb of data and store it online where it will survive even when your data and your local backup are destroyed.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

We're halfway through the year now. Microsoft unveiled the Security Bulletins for June of 2009. On the down side- there are 10 new Security Bulletins for June. On the up side- the total for the year at this point is 27 which only puts us on pace to have 54 by the end of the year which would be a low total compared with recent years for Microsoft. This month, there are 6 Critical, 3 Important, and 1 Moderate Security Bulletins. Aside from the standard Cumulative Update for Internet Explorer, there are also Critical updates related to Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Active Directory, and the Windows Print Spooler. There are also patches for flaws in RPC, the Windows Kernel, and Windows Search.

To put it another way- Microsoft has something for everyone this month. Last month you may have been able to skip if you don't have PowerPoint installed or don't use PowerPoint. But, for June its a virtual guarantee that at least one of these Security Bulletins applies to you. Take a look at the summary of June 2009 Microsoft Security Bulletins to learn more about the flaws that are addressed and the patches available.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

I love digital cameras. I used to spend tons of money on film and processing only to find out that most of the photos I took were crap. With digital cameras I can see if the photo is any good instantly. I can take 1,000 photos and it doesn't really cost any more or less than taking 10 photos. Of course, you have to do something with all of those photos. In my family we store them on our hard drive. As of today, I have over 140Gb of family photos and video clips.

That brings me to my paranoia. I have 140Gb of one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable data that could all be gone in the blink of an eye. Hard drives die. So, once a month I copy the entire photo and video collection to a USB drive that I have connected to a different computer. Then it occurred to me that a fire or flood could still take out both drives, so I began also copying the data to another USB drive which I then store inside of a fireproof safe where I keep important documents like birth certificates and such.

All of that may sound extreme, but I want some assurances that decades of family memories can survive a hard drive crash, or a fire, or a flood. Imagine my excitement then to find out that one USB drive manufacturer has taken my paranoia into consideration and built a disaster proof USB drive. The ioSafe Solo drive comes in 500Gb, 1.0Tb, and 1.5Tb sizes and is encased in a fireproof and waterproof enclosure. With the ioSafe drive I can eliminate a few steps from my routine and still have some peace of mind that my data is relatively safe. In the coming weeks I will be evaluating the device and will post a full review later.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |

The Apple iPhone has been a tremendous success for Apple and for AT&T Wireless in the consumer arena. It has had some issues competing in the enterprise though. Regardless of their 'official' acceptance in the enterprise, many users have iPhones and may be using them to connect with internal network resources, or to store or transmit sensitive company information. They either need to be banned, or there has to be some way to ensure they are used securely. The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has developed an iPhone security benchmark that can help solve this problem. The CIS benchmark provides recommended guidance for configuring security on the iPhone itself, as well as advice for using the iPhone Configuration Utility tool developed by Apple.

| Follow me on Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Netsecurity Forum |