I decided to try a new blogging service other than blogger, since I was fed up with some of the things I had to face here, and wanted to try a new thing for a change, therefore all my post which will not be about technology anymore but simply about Open Source, are posted at my new Wordpress blog Hisham's Open Source Blog.
And since many of the posts that were posted here are still gaining many hits from Google Search (Like Peter Answer's Prank Instruction and others), I have decided not to delete this blog but keep it like it is, so I would not stop this daily traffic coming to it!
Yet I posted this in order to update readers who weekly used to read this blog with this information, and in the same time advertise my new blog to other new readers!
Hisham Hamdan!
I was reading Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence report, which declared that Malware had risen up 45%, and as usual while doing so, several thoughts just popped up in my mind, for some of the statements I read in it were so pathetic, that I couldn't stop myself from posting about them today, to post some humor and correct some of what has been said.
But most importantly I wanted to discuss and share with you a much more serious issue, which is as you hopefully have read in the title above, Who will profit when Malware Increases?
The main reason for asking that question, is that in all the articles I read over the web and in the reports about this increase, nobody mentioned a different reason of who is profiting from it, except that the objective behind is financial gain for the hackers through accessing bank accounts.
Which is not completely true, for if we look objectively upon this issue, we find another side benefiting from all this, the Anti-Malware and Viruses companies, though this might seem weird to some, but a Malware storm is what these guys hope or even plan to create, don't forget that when all this is happening their market will be growing even more bigger.
Still not very clear, imagine that you work in a insurance company, and one day someone comes to your company and decides that he will stop his insurance since he thinks he doesn't really needs it, most insurance companies in this case would send someone to throw rocks on his windows (pun intended), so that he will return to pay for insurance from the company!
Therefore let us not only blame the hackers, but also include the people who will have no businesses and jobs if Viruses and Malware didn't exist, but even knowing this fact doesn't solve the problem of Malware increasing.
I got a little carried away and forget to mention my opinion of some of the statements in the Microsoft Security Excuses Report, (Oops did I let out an excuse, well you will forget about it when you read all of these excuses mentioned below!)
Rather than only including facts in reports, Microsoft decided to give this security report a little flavor, for it included some excuses to show us that Malware increasing is not related to the security of MS Windows.
First it stated that the only reason its OS is receiving most Malware, is that it is on 90% of computers ( Yeah Right!, sorry for that....) .
Apparently that was not that convincing, since it also included that only 10% of it is infecting operating systems, while 90% is directed toward applications.
Second we read some advices, "frequently check for, and apply, security updates—including updates from third-party application providers. Make sure that your firewall is enabled and install up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware programs ".
While the real advice you must hear is that our OS is a piece of crap, the best thing to do is replace with a Linux.
No offense, but why spend your precious money on everything listed, when you could use something free and open, for maybe Linux low market share is a reason for having better security, but at least it is a more up to date and secure operating system of all, and if it received Malware, you will be able to control it easily, since at it you actually control the programs and the system, and not the other way around as in Macintosh and Windows.
Returning to our question, the answer should be as posted above, that Anti-Malware companies and hackers both profit from it, but if we could solve it, well the answer simply is never, as long as the people meant to be doing that, are busy in helping in its continuation, spreading and development.
Apple's Restrictions for iPhone Apps tale!
Posted in: Apple, Open Source, Phones, tales, Web BrowsersOnce in a small village lived a young talented boy, and one morning when he was lying on his bed thinking, he came up with a great Idea, to build a web browser for his new iPhone, and after years of work, he finally finished building his masterpiece, not sure what to name it he kept thinking, until one night it came to his mind, "Opera mini" he said to himself.
The next day he thought of another even more thrilling idea, for rather than he only using it, he decided to submit it to Apple, so everyone having a phone like him would be able to use his own innovation, and as he did, the next morning came a very disappointing response from Apple!
In a bold font it said "NO", the boy read it and started crying, he then checked his browser for any errors or flaws, but everything seemed perfect and fine, "Why would they reject it?" he asked himself.
Weeks passed by, and he couldn't find the answer, until one day he finally figured it out, and as he did, all his facial expressions seemed to change, for he didn't look confused and puzzled anymore, but he appeared to be regretful, and started questioning himself "How could I?, why did I do this?".
But as no answers came out of his mouth, he opened his phone, and with tears in his eyes deleted all the data he was working on for the past years, hoping that Apple will someday forgive him, for he could have damaged it by this stupid and unworthy Application he designed.
But who knows, this boy on his next birthday, might buy a better non-restricted phone, but till that day comes he will stay remembering, this terrible damage he could have done.
It may be announced as a brand new feature on the web, but private, p0rn or stealth mode, is not that new, for from a few years it was first included in Apple Safari, to then be copied by the name of inPrivate in Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, and as it seems, it will be also included in Firefox 3.1, but the question here, why are all browsers going for it?
The purpose of this feature, is to let your browser stop saving all browsing and forms history, with just one click! so if the mode is activated, the user has the complete privilege of browsing what he wants, without leaving any trails behind!
The reason it was created, is to let teenagers or other users, slip into inappropriate sites stealthily, without having to clear all their dirty laundry each time a family member, friend or coworker wants to use their browser, so it's mainly designed for certain sites addicts!
But and what apparently all developers don't comprehend, is it's crucial effect on the trust between the parents and the browser having it, for this function could cause some to actually abandon it, other than that, let us for a short period of time remember the release of IE 7, and all that fuss by Microsoft, about parent control, well adding a feature like that, is flushing all that control down the toilet!
What is even more shocking, is that this is considered a very important update to IE, for after they copied all other helpful browsing features in Firefox (preferably in private mode), this is what they ended up in creating, but to late, since Apple has already beat them to it!
When all browser developers brains must be over-functioning, to find a extravagant innovation, that could maybe make browsing more secure or faster, or make the web better (as a Mozilla folk would say!), it seems that most of developers have their mind focused on this silly function!
Which is not reliable, for only great features like tabbed browsing got Firefox in, and only features like this are the ones to depend on in any browser update!
But unfortunately, with that as the main added feature, IE 8 looks very weak, compared with all the opponents (preferably predators) out there! but why care about a browser, when the whole corporation is falling apart!
Why all browsers are going for it?, well apparently it is a sort of trend these days, that all rush to include it, so they could balance the function scale, but even all that, it must be considered a secondary and not primary function to attract users with!
