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Switched Download: Foxit PDF Reader

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 9th 2008 at 11:46AMFeatured Story

Switched Dowload: Foxit PDF Reader

Foxit PDF Reader

What it does:

Foxit is a replacement for that unfortunate staple of every computer user's life: Adobe Reader. Foxit reads and even edits PDFs -- those files that look exactly like original documents -- without the slowdown and crashes associated with Adobe's product.

What we like about it:

Foxit is about as close to perfect as a piece software can get: it opens and operates faster than Adobe's Reader, uses much less RAM, and packs more features into a download about a tenth the size.

In addition to reading PDFs, Foxit can perform basic editing tasks and lets you add notes to documents -- features Adobe charges several hundred dollars for in its Acrobat platform. Foxit even has some features that Adobe's professional application lacks, such as tabs for opening several PDFs in one window, and support for multimedia so you can actually play back audio and video in multimedia e-books.

What we don't like:

Our only problem with Foxit is that the latest versions are Windows-only. Mac and Linux users need love too.

Bottom line:

The existence of the fast, stable, and user-friendly Foxit makes you wonder why anyone would continue to use Adobe's bloated, crash-prone program. Get Foxit now and clicking links to PDF files will no longer prompt panic and cursing.

Download Foxit PDF Reader
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Spam E-Mail Virus Returns

by Tim Stevens, posted Nov 2nd 2007 at 12:17PM

PDF Spam Redux


Back in August, we reported on a new form of spam that was sweeping inboxes around the world: the use of PDF attachments to hide product pitches from spam filters. That seeming flood of spammy attachments was apparently more of a wave, which passed quickly and seemed to be gone. But now the PDF spam scourge is back, with hundreds of thousands of these attachment e-mails being received over the past few weeks. And, troublingly, the PDF attachments in those e-mails are infected with viruses that can lead to trouble down the line for your computer (and your personal information).


If opened, the PDFs use a flaw in the Acrobat Reader PDF viewer that enables the sender to install so-called malicious software, or malware. This malware actually goes out and downloads, then installs, other malware from other machines. Thankfully these programs don't appear to actually impact or corrupt the files on your machine, but they can be used to send that personal data to someone, and can also be used to turn your computer into a so-called zombie, which means it can be controlled remotely to participate in the sorts of attacks that were levied against Estonia in May.

So, as always, watch those attachments. If you don't know what the PDF contains or who sent it, don't open it.

From Network World

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Spammers' New Methods of Deception Uncovered

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 16th 2007 at 2:10PM

Spammers Break Out New Methods of Deception
Spammers, while evil, are a crafty bunch. They constantly adapt to the security firms who attempt to stay ahead of these scam artists. It used to be that spammers were simply the junk mailers of the electronic world, assuring you were aware of the latest deals on 'personal enhancement' devices. Then viruses and spyware embedded in HTML and images became a new threat. In January, image-based spam made up 50 percent of all spam. Since then, security firms have figured out ways to identify and block the images, and image-based spam has dropped to just eight percent of the total.

Now that spam blockers and security companies have caught on, spammers have moved on to their next method of attack: rogue file attachments.

In three short months, PDF (Portable Document Format) attachments have gone from non-existent as a form of spam to a surprising eight percent. Storm, a virus that disguises itself as an electronic greeting card, fools spam blockers since the e-mail looks like a harmless nice note from a friend. Even Excel files and Zip archives are becoming tools of the e-scammer, each capable of being embedded with spyware and "mail bots," programs that use your computer to send spam.

Always remember: Never open attachments from untrusted sources anyway.

From USA Today

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