Recommended Posts

opera has given me flash update warning when I start the browser, did it on 3 different computers recently so :)

 

But for the average user, if it doesn't do it for you automatically it never gets done. Which is why Microsoft added it to Windows update on Windows 8.

Only time i've seen Adobe prompt you to update flash is when Windows boots up. Most users don't restart that often and just sleep. Add to the fact if the Adobe updater did appear after getting so much adware in the past they are scared to click on anything and usually just cancel it.

 

I see it on boot up.. I usually get the updated file from the web then remove the old one and install new version in. I don't have Flash on Windows 8 system and keep that way.

But again, the AV will block the attack vector anyway and chrome updates whenever you start it if there's an update available. 

 

and in my experience, average users are the ones who restart the ones, they're the ones who actually turn off their computers, mine restart when it crashes or there's some stupid update that the programmers decided to force an unecessary restart 

Installed it on a system where I only run Windows Defender. Didn't find squat.  Wouldn't tell me what startup programs it wanted to disable or what files I was supposed to be deleting to save space.

Uninstalled, I'll stick to defender and save the cpu cycles.

Installed it on a system where I only run Windows Defender. Didn't find squat.  Wouldn't tell me what startup programs it wanted to disable or what files I was supposed to be deleting to save space.

Uninstalled, I'll stick to defender and save the cpu cycles.

 

That's why I say, use the program skip the speedup and use the AV

360 Total Security recommends disable the updater of Google and Adobe, this can help user to manage and optimize your system services, boot up items and plugins - Shorten your boot time and get going sooner. This behavior won't affect the use of Google and Adobe software.

In one word, please do what you want according your own idea.

And that worries me and makes me wonder why would you want to use their software.

The Chinese government has used flash and Google vulnerabilities in the past and now you have a piece of software from a Chinese company that disables both those updaters? The whole thing about reducing boot times is a load of ######.

Both those files are tiny and their impact to performance is completely negligible to anyone who is using a computer that was made after 2000. Its absolutely absurd that they (a security company) would recommend you make your computer vulnerable by using outdated software just to save 0.000000001 second on boot.

Hence why I wouldn't recommend anyone install this ######. If that's what they recommend you do who knows what other things their software does or will do.

Curious a bit, may I ask what you think the Chinese government wants from you? What information do you hold that they would want?

It doesn't have to be just the Chinese government. Just that in the past that has been their common vector for attacks.

By disabling Google and Adobe updaters you're essentially keeping your system at risk from really anyone since they're a popular choice for malware writers. Now you and I can probably realize that and disable it, but the average user who downloads this probably won't and think its a good idea because it'll speed up their computer..yeah right.

And the whole logic of "who cares if they get my information" is as stupid as stupid can get.

And the whole logic of "who cares if they get my information" is as stupid as stupid can get.

 

I was asking a specific question about a specific circumstance. You said the Chinese goverment may want in your computer. What do you think you have that they would be after?

Curious a bit, may I ask what you think the Chinese government wants from you? What information do you hold that they would want? 

Maybe they don't want your info. Maybe they just want another computer at their disposal for coordinated attacks on a target if they so choose.

I was asking a specific question about a specific circumstance. You said the Chinese goverment may want in your computer. What do you think you have that they would be after?

No I didn't say that at all. I said its a bit suspicious that the Chinese government loves to exploit flash vulnerabilities and here we have a piece of software, from what used to be a relatively unknown company, that tells you to leave flash and chrome outdated.

Keeping software upto date is like one of the most important things of computer security and you don't find it suspicious at all that a computer security company would recommend disabling an updater?

Keeping software up to date is like one of the most important things of computer security and you don't find it suspicious at all that a computer security company would recommend disabling an updater?

 

Although important, it is THEE most drastically overrated things you can do for security. Let me ask you another question then if you feel this way. Do you have an example of where you got a security breach by NOT updating? I would like to do this , I will install the oldest version of flash and the oldest version of chrome and then can you even point me to a example of a site that will do what you say? 

Although important, it is THEE most drastically overrated things you can do for security. Let me ask you another question then if you feel this way. Do you have an example of where you got a security breach by NOT updating? I would like to do this , I will install the oldest version of flash and the oldest version of chrome and then can you even point me to a example of a site that will do what you say? 

 

Less than five weeks into the new year, 2015 is already shaping up as one of the most perilous years for users of Adobe Flash, with active exploits against three separate zero-day vulnerabilities, one of which still wasn't fully patched as this post went live.

The latest attacks are hitting unsuspecting targets through drive-by downloads served through ads on dailymotion.com, theblaze.com, nydailynews.com, tagged.com, webmail.earthlink.net, and other sites, according to research from Malwarebytes. And while the vulnerability wasn't disclosed until this week, the exploits have been active and in the wild since December 3, Malwarebytes found.

Further Reading

The tooth gnashing you hear is from Flash users installing a new 0day patch

Remote code-execution bug under active attack, Adobe warns. Install now.

While the attacks target Windows users running Flash in a Firefox or Internet Explorer browser, the underlying CVE-2015-0313 security bug is present in Flash for Macs and Linux machines as well. On late Wednesday, Adobe began distributing a fix to users who have opted to receive automatic updates. In the meantime, readers should consider disabling Flash altogether, or at the very least, using Flash inside Google Chrome, the browser many security experts say provides the most comprehensive anti-exploit protections. Attacks exploiting CVE-2015-0313 are unable to escape the Chrome security sandbox, research from Trend Micro found.

 

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/02/as-flash-0day-exploits-reach-new-level-of-meanness-what-are-users-to-do/

Less than five weeks into the new year, 2015 is already shaping up as one of the most perilous years for users of Adobe Flash, with active exploits against three separate zero-day vulnerabilities, one of which still wasn't fully patched as this post went live.

The latest attacks are hitting unsuspecting targets through drive-by downloads served through ads on dailymotion.com, theblaze.com, nydailynews.com, tagged.com, webmail.earthlink.net, and other sites, according to research from Malwarebytes. And while the vulnerability wasn't disclosed until this week, the exploits have been active and in the wild since December 3, Malwarebytes found.

Further Reading

The tooth gnashing you hear is from Flash users installing a new 0day patch

Remote code-execution bug under active attack, Adobe warns. Install now.

While the attacks target Windows users running Flash in a Firefox or Internet Explorer browser, the underlying CVE-2015-0313 security bug is present in Flash for Macs and Linux machines as well. On late Wednesday, Adobe began distributing a fix to users who have opted to receive automatic updates. In the meantime, readers should consider disabling Flash altogether, or at the very least, using Flash inside Google Chrome, the browser many security experts say provides the most comprehensive anti-exploit protections. Attacks exploiting CVE-2015-0313 are unable to escape the Chrome security sandbox, research from Trend Micro found.

 

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/02/as-flash-0day-exploits-reach-new-level-of-meanness-what-are-users-to-do/

 

From what I have seen, for exploits to actually work, you need perfect conditions. Imagine a prison break. First the convict has to get out if his cell, once out of his cell, he must then get around guards, once around the guards, he must navigate around the prison to find a way out of the building, once out of the building he has to find his way to a yard with outside access, once outside, he has to find a spot he can actually get though without being seen but a guard, surveillance system, and or other measures, once outside, he must then escape to safe distance to be truly escaped. computer infection is somewhat like that. Out of the billions of PC's out there, an extreme low percentage of them meet this exacting criteria to allow actual non-user interacted infection. No matter how much a computer is patched, the end user will still get infected if they click yes to everything they see. No amount of updating can ever fix that. This is why - TO ME - that 360 Security suggestion to disable certain updates is causing an extreme over-reaction.

Less than five weeks into the new year, 2015 is already shaping up as one of the most perilous years for users of Adobe Flash, with active exploits against three separate zero-day vulnerabilities, one of which still wasn't fully patched as this post went live.

 

 

hence why updating flash isn't what's important, an AV will protect you against those attack vectors long before it's patched, and after.

Although important, it is THEE most drastically overrated things you can do for security. Let me ask you another question then if you feel this way. Do you have an example of where you got a security breach by NOT updating? I would like to do this , I will install the oldest version of flash and the oldest version of chrome and then can you even point me to a example of a site that will do what you say?

I'm not saying you will get anything.

But when its as simple as running an automatic updater that takes up virtually no resources and doesn't slow your computer down providing that its newer than 2000. Why the ###### wouldn't you update it and recommend people disable it? Its far simpler to update it than having to clean it after.

You would have something to argue about if the updater took up 1gig of ram and slowed your computer down. But it doesn't and hence you have no reason to turn it off.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Zoom Workplace 7.1.0.41345 by Razvan Serea Zoom Workplace for Windows is a reliable video conferencing tool that makes it easy to connect and collaborate. With features like messaging, file sharing, and app integrations, it’s designed to streamline teamwork. You’ll get high-quality audio and video, strong security with end-to-end encryption, and an intuitive interface—all of which help remote teams and businesses stay productive and connected. Zoom Workplace key features: High-Definition Video & Audio: Provides clear, reliable communication for virtual meetings. End-to-End Encryption: Ensures secure communication with strong data protection. Multi-Factor Authentication: Adds an extra layer of security for user accounts. Integration with Productivity Apps: Supports seamless integration with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and more. File Sharing: Easily share files during meetings for efficient collaboration. Real-Time Messaging: Enables team chat for ongoing communication. Collaborative Whiteboarding: Allows teams to brainstorm and collaborate visually. Webinar Support: Host large webinars with interactive features. Administrative Controls: Manage user permissions, meeting settings, and security features. Cloud Storage: Automatically stores meetings and files in the cloud for easy access. Cross-Platform Support: Available on Windows, macOS, and mobile devices. Meeting features: Virtual Backgrounds: Customize your background for meetings to maintain privacy or enhance professionalism. Touch Up My Appearance: Automatically smoothens skin tone for a more polished video appearance. Breakout Rooms: Divide meetings into smaller sessions for group discussions or workshops. Live Transcription: Automatically generate real-time captions during meetings for accessibility. Zoom Apps: Integrate third-party applications directly into Zoom for enhanced functionality. Meeting Reactions: Participants can use emojis for quick, non-verbal feedback during meetings. Polling: Conduct live polls during meetings to gather instant feedback from participants. Attention Tracking: Monitors participant attention during meetings to ensure engagement. Closed Captioning: Enable manual or automatic captions for a more inclusive experience. Webinar Replay: Record and share webinars with analytics for audience engagement. Download: Zoom 64-bit | 145.0 MB (Free, paid upgrade available) Links: Zoom Website | Zoom ARM64 | Zoom Installers | Release Notes Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • UK funds £60M AI labs to challenge US tech dominance with open-source models by Paul Hill The UK government has awarded £60 million to Oxford University and University College London to help keep the country in the AI race by focusing on open-source, low-hardware alternatives. This is in stark contrast to the expensive, closed-source, and high-hardware-requirement models being created in the United States and elsewhere. The money will be shared among two new academic research labs over six years to help them redesign the fundamental mathematics and architectures of AI to help the UK reduce its reliance on a handful of US tech firms. Commenting on the development, AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: Initially, the government planned to fund just one lab with a £40 million investment, but with this update, two labs will now get access to a larger pool of funds. The labs are expected to invest in the top AI researchers at every career stage, with £2 million per lab being set aside for hiring at least ten doctoral students. The government hopes that this will grow the UK’s talent in the field of AI. The labs are also expected to work closely with the leaders in British AI research, such as the Alan Turing Institute and UKRI’s AI research hubs. This will allow the various teams to collaborate and create new solutions faster than they could alone. This development is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, chiefly that it could create a long-term challenge for US tech firms if these labs successfully scale these open-source architectures that bypass the proprietary ecosystems. It could also give British businesses and public sector organizations access to AI features without paying high licensing fees to foreign providers or needing to invest in specialized server infrastructure.
    • If I were them, I'm gonna hold out until the prices of these semiconductor parts normalize. $1,049 for a ~5 year old hardware is DoA, more so for gamers. On a deeper note, if Steam Machine is priced like this, we are soo effed up for the next gen Xbox console and PS6. With great AAA titles releasing at the end of the year, this just creates more demand...and more tears for me. Lol.
    • I suspect one reason its hard to justify subsidising is that it's not a locked down device like a traditional console is. In this climate sadly if it was a "good deal" you'd get people hoarding them for anything but gaming. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme is £1300 here ($1720) for some context on how other SteamOS like devices are now priced. I got the older Z1 Extreme model for £300 with a dock, just shows how insane prices have got recently.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      nates earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      dorf went up a rank
      Rookie
    • First Post
      mike_rumble earned a badge
      First Post
    • Dedicated
      tuben earned a badge
      Dedicated
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      450
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      180
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      93
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      87
    5. 5
      neufuse
      67
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!