Microsoft Account Aliases and Primary Email Account

When Microsoft announced in April the ability to sign in with any alias that you have connected to your account, it took second place to the addition of two-factor authentication.  As a result, the simplified process of adding and managing aliases may have been missed.

The change to Outlook.com in April provided the ability to sign in with any alias that has been added to your account as well as simplifying the process of adding and managing aliases.

With the change today, "Rename" is being replaced with the ability to make any of your aliases a primary alias.  Because it is possible to sign in with any alias, there is little need to use the option to change your primary alias, unless you want a different email name to show on your Microsoft devices. 

You can set up or manage aliases at https://account.live.com/names/Manage.

If you are confused between alias accounts and the old linked accounts, see Managing Formerly Linked Microsoft Accounts.

References

• A better way to manage aliases and primary email address for your Microsoft account
• Use aliases to add email addresses to your account

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Managing Formerly Linked Microsoft Accounts

Microsoft announced in June that starting in late July, the linked accounts feature was being eliminated from Outlook.com.  Linked accounts should not be confused with aliases.  

• An alias is an additional email address created within your primary account.  Alias addresses use the same inbox, contact list, and account settings as the primary account. 
• Linked accounts were completely separate e-mail accounts that were linked to your primary account with their own inbox, contact list and account settings.  After being linked, the linked accounts were easily accessible via a drop-down link from your account.

With the account(s) you had previously linked now only accessible by separately logging into those accounts, if you haven't done so yet, you may want to set up mail forwarding. 

Mail Forwarding

Forwarding email to your primary Outlook.com email account is not limited to Hotmail, MSN, Live or Outlook.  You can also send and receive email from Google, Yahoo! Mail Plus, or other services that use POP.

The only caveat for Microsoft services is that it is necessary to sign in to your forwarded account at least once every 365 days to prevent the system from closing the account. 

The basic steps for setting up mail forwarding from one Microsoft account to another are straight-forward:

1. Sign in to the previously linked account that you want to forward to your primary account.
2. Click the Options icon located in the upper-right corner and select "More mail settings".
3. Select "Email forwarding" from the Managing your account column on the left.
4. Select "Forward your mail to another email account".
5. Enter the email address for the main account. 
6. Decide if you want to "Keep a copy of forwarded messages in your Outlook inbox".
7. Click Save.
   
   
   
   
   

Caught in a loop?

In order to set up mail forwarding, you need to log out from your primary account and log in to the secondary account.  What if you discover that typing mail.live.com in the address bar takes you right back to the email account you thought you had just logged out from?  This is because you are not completely logged out of that account, most likely because you checked the box "Keep me signed in".

In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to completely clear all live.com cookies.  If you use a cookie manager program, there are ~5 cookies to be deleted.

The first is the cookie with the name of the mail server; e.g., blu###.mail.live.com, where ### is a letter or number(s).  The other cookies to remove are the following:   

home.live.com
live.com
login.live.com
mail.live.com

To manage cookies in Internet Explorer 10, see Delete and manage cookies in Internet Explorer.  Click the down arrow for IE9 or IE8:

To manage cookies in alternate browsers, see the instructions at the respective sites:

• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• Safari

Tip:  An easier way to access your other account is to use an alternate browser that you do not use to log in to your e-mail and it doesn't have the "Keep me signed in" box checked, use that browser to login to your live.com account and set up e-mail forwarding.

Remember when you are able to log in to the e-mail account that you want to manage, don't check the "Keep me signed in" box!

Additional information  on setting up mail forwarding is provided in this Microsoft help document at Set up your Gmail, Yahoo! Plus, or Microsoft email accounts in Outlook.com.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Firefox 23.0.1 Released

Mozilla sent Firefox Version 23.0.1 to the release channel.  As of this posting, it appears that the released update was to fix the issues shown below. However, based on the update notice, it is strongly suggested that the update be applied.

What’s New

• FIXED -- 23.0.1 - Rendering glitches on H.264 video only in FF23 on Vista (901944)
• FIXED -- 23.0.1 - Spellchecking broken with non-ASCII characters in profile path (902532)
• FIXED -- 23.0.1 - Audio static/"burble"/breakup in Firefox to Firefox WebRTC calls (901527)

Update

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu at the upper left of the browser window, then pick "About Firefox."  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.

If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Common questions after updating Firefox
• Security Updates
• Mozilla Firefox Release Notes
• Bug Fixes 

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Microsoft Security Updates for August, 2013

Microsoft released eight (8) bulletins.  Three of the bulletins are identified as Critical with the remaining five bulletins rated Important.

The bulletins address 23 vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer and Exchange. The updates will require a restart.

Bulletin ID	Bulletin Title	KB No.
MS13-059	Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer	2862772
MS13-060	Vulnerability in Unicode Scripts Processor Could Allow Remote Code Execution	2850869
MS13-061	Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server Could Allow Remote Code Execution	2876063
MS13-062	Vulnerability in Remote Procedure Call Could Allow Elevation of Privilege	2849470
MS13-063	Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege	2859537
MS13-064	Vulnerability in Windows NAT Driver Could Allow Denial of Service	2849568
MS13-065	Vulnerability in ICMPv6 could allow Denial of Service	2868623
MS13-066	Vulnerability in Active Directory Federation Services Could Allow Information Disclosure	2873872

Users of Windows XP are reminded that support ends for Windows XP on April 8, 2014.  See Tim Rains article, The Countdown Begins: Support for Windows XP Ends on April 8, 2014.

Support

The following additional information is provided in the Security Bulletin:

• The affected software listed have been tested to determine which versions are affected. Other versions are past their support life cycle. To determine the support life cycle for your software version, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.
• Security solutions for IT professionals: TechNet Security Troubleshooting and Support
• Help protect your computer that is running Windows from viruses and malware: Virus Solution and Security Center
• Local support according to your country: International Support

References

• MSRC: Leaving Las Vegas and the August 2013 security updates
• TechNet: Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for August 2013

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

WinPatrol 28.6.2013 Released

WinPatrol 28.6.2013.0 was released to add several enhancements as well as to include fixes to version 28. 

Of particular note, due to the influx of ransomware and software programs including unwanted added toobars, changes to start and search pages, WinPatrol has been updated to include changes made by those programs.

If you are still using the free version of WinPatrol, now is the time to update to WinPatrol PLUS.  Bill has extended the $2 special for WinPatrol Plus through Friday, August 16, 2013.  Additional information is available at WinPatrol PLUS Special.

Enhancements:

• Our timing and text describing page changes has improved and now a Help button. 
• Support for displaying a new Service type (Trigger Start) that is now supported by Windows 8.1. 
• Options & Reports menu text fixed.
• Restart no longer required to enter Name and Code if they have been cleared by Reset and Repair screen

Fixes:

• Fix bug when Removing programs from registry when they are disabled. 
• Fixed error restoring Shortcut or .lnk files that were removed but available in history file

WinPatrol runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, including x64 versions, and can be installed directly over your current WinPatrol.  There is no need to remove your previous version or reactivate WinPatrol PLUS.

Download WinPatrol 28.6.2013.0

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Security Bulletin Advance Notice for August, 2013

On Tuesday, August 13, 2013, Microsoft is planning to release eight (8) bulletins.  Three of the bulletins are identified as Critical with five bulletins rated Important.

The critical bulletins will address vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer and Exchange. The bulletins rated Important will also address issues in Microsoft Windows.  The updates will require a restart.


As happens each month, Microsoft will also release an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services, and the Download Center.

References

• MSRC Blog:  Advance Notification Service for August 2013 Security Bulletin Release
• TechNet: Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for August 2013

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

The Danger of Saved Browser Passwords

As illustrated by the articles provided as examples in the references below, the hot topic in tech news today is the way the Google Chrome browser stores saved passwords.  Any passwords saved on the browser are visibly accessible by anyone with access to the computer via chrome://settings/passwords.

Yes, the key is that someone has to have access to your computer in order to see the passwords.  However, with light-weight laptops, netbooks and tablets, people are more likely than ever before to take their device even on excursions to the library, local coffee shop or diner.  Leave the device unlocked and untended for minutes and even if the device is not missing, someone could have easily had access to your Chrome passwords in plain text.

What?  You say your e-mail, bank and credit card company passwords aren't saved.  Unless you use a very complex and unique password for those venues, how long do you think it will take to figure out those passwords?

Then, there is the shared family computer.  Even if family members are set up with separate Standard User Accounts (see reference), how often do you walk away from the computer without logging off?  It isn't that we don't trust our children, but we may not know all of their friends or they may think it a funny joke to go to your favorite web forum and post some silly nonsense. 

Don't a lender or a borrower be also applies to your computer.  In the event you do agree to let a friend or family member borrow your computer, either enable the guest account or create a Standard User Account for their use. 

What about Firefox?

Correct.  With Firefox, clicking Options > Security >Saved Passwords > Show Passwords reveals site passwords in plain text just like Chrome.  The major difference between the two, however, is that Mozilla provides a simple mechanism to create a Master Password.

After creating a master password, you will be prompted to enter it once when accessing your stored passwords.  Granted, it will also be necessary to enter the master password when you agree to Firefox remembering a new password, removing a password but your security is certainly worth that effort.

Most importantly, the master password will be needed for each Firefox session for each time you show your passwords.  So, if you do walk away from your computer, no one will be able to access your passwords.

Password Managers

Another option that is available for users of any browser, regardless of whether the password is visible or saved is a password manager program.

With a password manager, it does not matter which browser you use.  All passwords are secured. Rather than saving passwords to your computer, with a password manager, you only need to remember one password to access everywhere.

• 1Password (Licensed $49.99 USD)
• KeePass Password Safe (Free, open source)
• LastPass (Free and premium version available)
• RoboForm Password Manager (Free for 10 Logons, Licensed version available)

References

• Chrome's Password Security Strategy Is Insane
• Do you save passwords in Chrome? Maybe you should reconsider
• Google Chrome policy exposes user passwords on purpose: Here's how to prevent it
• MozillaZine Knowledge Base: Master password
• Using a Standard/Limited User Account

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Mozillia Firefox 23.0 Released with Critical Security Updates

Mozilla sent Firefox Version 23.0 to the release channel. The current update includes thirteen security updates of which five are critical, six high, one moderate and one low.

This article explains about the "mixed content blocking" that was included in Version 23.0: Mixed Content Blocking in Firefox Aurora | Mozilla Security Blog.

Fixed in Firefox 23

• MFSA 2013-75 Local Java applets may read contents of local file system
• MFSA 2013-74 Firefox full and stub installer DLL hijacking
• MFSA 2013-73 Same-origin bypass with web workers and XMLHttpRequest
• MFSA 2013-72 Wrong principal used for validating URI for some Javascript components
• MFSA 2013-71 Further Privilege escalation through Mozilla Updater
• MFSA 2013-70 Bypass of XrayWrappers using XBL Scopes
• MFSA 2013-69 CRMF requests allow for code execution and XSS attacks
• MFSA 2013-68 Document URI misrepresentation and masquerading
• MFSA 2013-67 Crash during WAV audio file decoding
• MFSA 2013-66 Buffer overflow in Mozilla Maintenance Service and Mozilla Updater
• MFSA 2013-65 Buffer underflow when generating CRMF requests
• MFSA 2013-64 Use after free mutating DOM during SetBody
• MFSA 2013-63 Miscellaneous memory safety hazards (rv:23.0 / rv:17.0.8)

What’s New

• NEW -- Mixed content blocking enabled to protects users from man-in-the-middle attacks and eavesdroppers on HTTPS pages (learn more)
• NEW -- Options panel created for Web Developer Toolbox
• CHANGED --"Enable JavaScript" preference checkbox has been removed and user-set values will be reset to the default
• CHANGED -- Updated Firefox Logo
• CHANGED -- Improved about:memory's functional UI
• CHANGED -- Simplified interface for notifications of plugin installation
• CHANGED -- Enabled DXVA2 on Windows Vista+ to accelerate H.264 video decoding
• CHANGED -- Users can now switch to a new search provider across the entire browser
• CHANGED -- CSP policies using the standard syntax and semantics will now be enforced
• CHANGED -- < input type='file' > rendering improvements (see bug 838675)
• CHANGED -- Replace fixed-ratio audio resampler in webrtc.org capture code with Speex resampler and eliminate pseudo-44000Hz rate
• CHANGED -- "Load images automatically" and Always show the tab bar" checkboxes removed from preferences and reset to defaults

Known Issues

• Unresolved -- Moving Firefox to background while playing a flash video in full screen mode and bring it back to view will freeze the app (see 809055)
• Unresolved -- If you try to start Firefox using a locked profile, it will crash (see 573369)

Update

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu at the upper left of the browser window, then pick "About Firefox."  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.

If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Common questions after updating Firefox
• Security Updates
• Mozilla Firefox Release Notes
• Bug Fixes 

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Update! WinPatrol Friends and Family Special Discount

Update!  An incredible offer is now available from BillP Studios:

For a limited time upgrading to WinPatrol PLUS can be as low as $2.00 USD.  In countries where the US dollar isn’t valuable this will be an even better bargain.  Due to the extremely low price a 50 cent surcharge will be included on bank credit card orders. This charge will not be applied to PayPal orders or other purchase options. This sale will end August 10th.

Additional details available from Bill at WinPatrol PLUS For Everyone Just $2.

This is a special offer for WinPatrol PLUS friends and family members.  For a limited time, WinPatrol is offering a 50% discount on WinPatrol PLUS.

Anyone who has been following Security Garden for any length of time knows that WinPatrol is my favorite security program.  I appreciate that Scotty notifies me about changes to my computer, even when I am knowingly installing software.

There is nothing more irritating than a program ignoring my installation instructions not to add itself to start up program.  With WinPatrol PLUS, I receive an immediate notification if a program ignores that instruction and provides the option to prevent the addition.

WinPatrol PLUS includes:

• One Time fee includes free upgrade for ALL future WinPatrol versions.
• No Hidden or Reoccurring Subscription Fees.
• Single License valid on all your personal desktops and laptops!
• No Toolbars or other unwanted software
• WinPatrol PLUS is quicker and faster.

Complete details of this new special offer are available at WinPatrol PLUS For Everyone Just $2.

To take advantage of this special offer and get a lifetime subscription for WinPatrol PLUS for only $14.97, follow the instructions at winpatrol.com/friends.html, being sure to enter friends as the promotion code in the box at the bottom of the order form.

WinPatrol runs on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, Windows 8 including x64 versions. 

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...