I received several good questions about Microsoft software restriction policies a few weeks ago. It's one of those features included in Windows that most people seem to have heard of once, but can't recall where and don't remember what it does. One of the e-mails was asking about how to know what files are good.

Personal security apps for mobile phones are here, and famed criminal profiler and frequent NBC/MSNBC guest commentator Clinton Van Zandt is getting into the act. Van Zandt is now featuring on his LiveSecure.org Website, among other personal security products, a silent panic-button app for smartphones. Separately, a new start-up called SafeKidZone is also about to launch a new panic-button app and service for kids' mobile phones.

Newspaper headlines about problems in Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock's marriage to Jesse James are (predictably, perhaps) being exploited by cybercriminals.

In "So Long, And No Thanks for the Externalities: The Rational Rejection of Security Advice by Users," Cormac Herley of Microsoft Research tries to answer why users don't respond to security advice.

In my last blog, I detailed several methods for imaging hard drives using hardware and software-based tools. To finish the discussion, today I want to get into software-based write-blocking tools that can be used when hardware options are not available, the drives are not supported, or the situation requires the system to be imaged while online.

Moving to a cloud-based database and virtual environment comes with plenty of benefits, but there's also a potential price to pay for security.

A client recently asked me about adding hard drive imaging into its standard incident response process. Because most of the incidents the client deals with are related to malware infections, its current process is to make sure the user's data is backed up before wiping the hard drive and installing a fresh version of the operating system -- a solid process, but it could use some improvements to deal with modern malware.

I recently saw a story about a young child who, upon being confronted by armed robbers in his home, had the presence of mind to lock himself in a bathroom with his younger sister and call 911. Doing so likely saved the lives of everyone in the house. Because this outcome is unusual, I think it's time we looked at personal security more closely.

If you've been in the information security field for more than six months, then you know it's vital to stay on top of the latest threats, tools, and news to be effective at your job. That's why many of us love the field so much--it's always changing. And it challenges us.

One of the key differences in military theory between Internet warfare and kinetic warfare is whether defense or offense are stronger. Here's a shortened version of an argument I am formulating about this matter following years of debate.

Last week I looked at some creative uses of log analysis for detecting malware, and ways to acquire Windows physical memory for analysis. What I've seen time and time again is where those in charge of security don't even bother to log information from their systems and applications, leading them to a much larger incident response scenario than if they could detect it sooner.

My company Secure Network has been performing a variety of penetration tests that leverage information derived from sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

It was a busy week. Some of you made the annual trek out to San Francisco, while the rest of you were stuck working diligently in your office. Me...well, I'm in the latter group.

Following a Facebook update from a soldier on an upcoming operation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) canceled an operation into the West Bank, illustrating how the connected world makes maintaining operational security (OPSEC) all the more difficult.

Cyberwar and advanced persistent threats (APT) are fun terms thrown around a lot lately. Everyone seems to have their own slightly varied opinion on what they each mean. Personally, I don't care all that much what the different nuances of each are as long as I can understand the associated threats and deal with them appropriately.

Good news for Department of Defense folks. They can now start using USB flash drives again -- provided there's absolutely no other way to transfer the data from point A to point B. OK, so maybe it isn't time to rejoice just yet.

The wave of phishing attacks against Twitter users continues to catch unwary surfers.

Let's face it: Users love the concept of adding free plug-ins and apps to customize and empower the base software tool, whether it's in a smartphone or browser. Doing so is fun, it's cool, and it lets them personalize their software to augment or shape how they use it. Even firewall management has joined the plug-in party.

The average computer user (a.k.a. most of my family) doesn't have a fighting chance. I hate to say it, but the malware we're seeing on a daily basis makes this scary fact evermore true. There is absolutely no way that most home users are going to be able to protect themselves against modern malware like Zeus. Malware authors have become extremely good and proficient at what they do because it's making them money.

Twitter users are being warned not to click on messages saying, "lol, this is funny." Doing so can lead to their account details being stolen.

With March Madness coming up, I recently spent the morning in some rather distinguished company simulating the effect of a March Madness smartphone app that turned out (within the confines of the simulation) to be malware.

I've been using FlashGot on and off for years. It is a useful plug-in that helps you download multiple files from the same Web page "automagically." So when Firefox informed me about a new update for an add-on I've used for years, I clicked "OK" and updated it, only to find a surprise the next time I used Google.

The buzz generated from Core Security's move to integrate with the Metasploit Framework has left me a little puzzled. Don't get me wrong: I love Metasploit. It's a fantastic tool that has certainly been put through its paces as a pen-testing tool -- it's free, open source, and extremely accessible to aspiring security professionals. And, of course, I've heard great things about Core's flagship product, Impact Pro. But the deal just seems like an odd move.