Comparing Privacy & Security of Android 1.5 Free Browsers

The following browsers support Android 1.5 (Cupcake) & above and can run as desktop/PC mode. Only 2 browsers support private browsing for clearing cache & history on exit but not cookies. Even the free Mercury & Atomic Lite browsers on Apple iOS platform have the private browsing option to clear history & cookies on exit.

Browser	Dolphin 3.1.1	Skyfire 2.3.3.19663 Beta	xScope 5.34	Opera Mobile 10.1 Beta
Private Browsing	Cache	History Cache	No	No
Privacy	Clear cache, passwords, history, cookies, form data & location access	Clear cache, passwords, history, cookies, form data & location access	Clear cache, passwords, history, cookies & form data	Clear cache, passwords, history, cookies & shared location
Disable Javascript	Yes	Yes	No	No
Disable Plug-ins	No	Yes	No	No
Disable Cookies	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Block Pop-up Windows	Yes	Yes	No	No

CCleaner Portable 2.27.1070

The changes are as follows :

- Added support to Wipe MFT Free Space.
- Added cleaning for Windows Explorer breadcrumb bar.
- Added cleaning for Opera beta versions.
- Added option to turn off CCleaner jumplist tasks on Windows 7.
- Added menu option to Registry Cleaner to add key to exclude list.
- Improved support for SeaMonkey 2.0.
- Improved Windows 7 Taskbar progress accuracy.
- Improved minimize to system tray functionality across all platforms.
- Improved Opera cleaning by including opcache and temporary_downloads folder.
- Improved performance of Compact database routines.
- Improved Wipe Free Space code to avoid locks.
- Improved security when deleting files.
- Minor GUI and interface improvements.
- Minor bug fixes.

CCleaner Portable 2.24.1010

The changes are as follows:

- Added file search history cleaning for Windows 7.
- Improved Opera 10 cleaning.
- Reduced temp folder cleaning delay to 24 hours.
- Several bugs fixed to better support Windows 7.
- Added winapp2.ini filter support to detailed results view.
- Improved 64-bit support for Registry Cleaner.
- Fixed minor bug in Uninstall Tool.
- Fixed minor bug in System Restore Tool.
- Minor interface bugs fixed.
- Minor display bugs fixed.

CCleaner Portable 2.23.993

The changes are as follows:

- Added Taskbar Jump List cleaning for Windows 7.
- Added history cleaning support for Opera 10.
- Added icons to Cookie selection to show browser.
- Improved scrolling in new results window.
- Improved Avira Anti-virus cleaning.
- Improved multiselect in listviews.
- Improved 64-bit support when including/excluding files.
- Improved 64-bit issue detection in Registry screen.
- Updated internal icons.
- Added language support for Armenian.
- Fixed language bugs with new results window.
- Fixed bug in Recycle Bin cleaning.
- Fixed minor bug with help files in Registry Cleaner.
- Fixed bug when deleting an application in Uninstall Tool.
- Fixed bug when enabling/disabling in Startup Tool.
- Minor GUI improvements.

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Version 6 Update 15

The latest version fixed several security vulnerabilities:

263408 : A Security Vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment Audio System may Allow System Properties to be Accessed

263409 : Security Vulnerabilities With the Proxy Mechanism Implementation in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) may Lead to Escalation of Privileges

263428 : Integer Overflow Vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment When Parsing JPEG Images

263429 : A Security Vulnerability With Verifying HMAC-based XML Digital Signatures in the XML Digital Signature Implementation Included With the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) may Allow Authentication to be Bypassed

263488 : Integer Overflow Vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) "Unpack200" JAR Unpacking Utility May Lead to Escalation of Privileges

263489 : A Security Vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) With Parsing XML Data May Allow a Remote Client to Create a Denial of Service (DoS) Condition

264648 : Security Vulnerability in the Active Template Library in Various Releases of Microsoft Visual Studio Used by the Java Web Start ActiveX Control May Be Leveraged to Execute Arbitrary Code

CCleaner Portable 2.22.968

The latest release has the following changes:

- Redesign of Cleaner results panel.
- Added support for Opera 10 Beta.
- Added support for Safari 4.0.
- Added search to Uninstall tool.
- Added search to Cookies screen.
- Improved User assist cleaning in Windows 7.
- Fixed bug in OpenOffice cleaning.
- Fixed IE8 SuggestedSites.dat cleaning support.
- Fixed UI bugs.

Mozilla Firefox 3.5

I installed this latest version and the browser crashed many times for no reason. In terms of security, there is no improvement except for private browsing mode. But, you can also manually configure the previous version Mozilla Firefox 3.0.11 to do the same thing.

I'll advise not using this new version until Mozilla has fixed its bugs.

CCleaner Portable 2.20.920

You can download the latest version of CCleaner Portable without the need to install.

Now it supports Windows 7 RC and 64-bit processor.

Lavasoft Ad-Aware Pro Anniversary Edition

I downloaded the 30 day trial version of Ad-Aware Pro Anniversary Edition from Lavasoft. After installation, it showed Ad-Aware Free Anniversary Edition instead of Ad-Aware Pro Anniversary Edition. Managed to run a Web Update successfully.

Also, according to the product comparison, Ad-Watch Live! Basic which provides real-time process protection should be available for Ad-Aware Free but it is turned off as shown for processes even though it is activated by default in the Settings.

So it seems Lavasoft does not want you to test the Ad-Watch function and malware protection. Ad-Aware Free does not provide any real-time protection.

CCleaner 2.18.878

The changes are as follows:

- Added support for Internet Explorer 8.
- Improved Wipe Free Space routines.
- Improved internal communication between threads.
- Escape key no longer closes CCleaner.
- Added scrolling to Options screen.
- Added support for multiple DetectFile options in INI files.
- Fixed bug when clicking links to navigate to URL.
- Fixed Win98 progress bar problem.
- Fixed repaint problem on Options screen when resizing.
- Minor GUI bugs fixed.

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Version 6 Update 13

The latest version fixed several security vulnerabilities:

254569 : Security Vulnerabilities in the JRE LDAP Implementation may Allow a Denial of Service (DoS) and Malicious Code to be Executed

254570 : Integer and Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities in the JRE "unpack200" JAR Unpacking Utility May Lead to Escalation of Privileges

254571 : Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities in the JRE with Processing Image Files and Fonts may Allow Privileges to be Escalated

254608 : Security Vulnerabilities in the JRE With Storing and Processing Font Files May Allow Denial of Service

254609 : A Security Vulnerability in the JRE HTTP Server Implementation May Allow a Denial of Service Condition on a JAX-WS Service Endpoint

254610 : A Security Vulnerability in the JRE Virtual Machine With Code Generation May Allow Escalation of Privileges

254611 : Multiple Security Vulnerabilities in Java Plug-in May Allow Privileges to be Escalated

For privacy reason, you can uncheck "Keep temporary files on my computer".

The bug which does not allow you to uncheck "
Check for Updates Automatically" in JRE Version 6 Update 10 is still not resolved in this version.





But, you can disable JRE Auto-Download and jsched setting in Windows startup using msconfig.

Webroot Window Washer 6.5.5.155

You can install Webroot Window Washer from the CD available from Personal Computer World March 2009.

It works with Windows XP/Vista/7 beta and cleans Internet Explorer 6.0/7.0/8.0, Netscape, Firefox, Mozilla, American Online and Instant Messaging. Also, it washes Start Menu and Desktop, Windows System, Recent Activity and MS Office.

It can be scheduled to wash during startup or when you close Internet Explorer. In addition, you can perform free space washing and System Eraser.

CCleaner 2.16.830

CCleaner works on Windows XP, Vista & Windows 7 Beta. It supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera & Google Chrome browsers but this is not evident in the software as shown.

On their website, it is mentioned it can clean temporary files, history, cookies, download history and form history for Mozilla Firefox. This is less effective than Firefox 3 which can clean more items such as search history, offline website data, saved passwords and authenticated sessions. But, CCleaner also can clean applications such as Foxit Reader, Windows Media Player, Windows Defender, MS Paint and RegEdit.

It can be scheduled to run when the computer starts. After installation on a computer, you can just copy the installation directory to a USB flash drive and it will work on any computer.

Is Mozilla Firefox Spying On You?

Every time I open Mozilla Firefox or Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition on my computers, I notice that Firefox is trying to connect to avgff.applicationstat.com instead of my home page. If you check that website, it shows a statistics reports website.

Reverse DNS

It's best to select an ISP which provides no reverse DNS for your internet connection. You can check online.

It's important to select a router or modem which can stealth the common ports and all service ports. You can perform the ShieldsUP test by clicking Proceed after checking whether your internet connection has reverse DNS.

Disk Wiping Software

A bootable CD can be created from all software and the free Darik's Boot & Nuke can even be booted from a USB flash drive. After wiping, the disks can be recycled or reused.

Software	Darik's Boot & Nuke 1.0.7	Iolo DriveScrubber 3.0	Paragon Disk Wiper 7.0
Data Wiping Methods	1, 3, 7, 8 or 35 passes	1, 7 or 35 passes	Paragon's algorithm or create own mask & pass
Wipe options	Verify	Verify Wipe from start to end	Verify
Status	Show %, runtime & remaining	Show progress bar with % & time remaining	Show progress bar, time elapsed & time to finish
Supported disks	IDE/SATA HDD SLC/MLC SSD	IDE/SATA HDD SLC/MLC SSD	IDE/SATA HDD SLC SSD
Speed - time to wipe 20GB IDE HDD with 1 pass & no verify	12 mins	13 mins	50 mins

East-Tec Eraser 2007 Build 8.5.2.111

Installed this software from the CD of Personal Computer World August 2008 on a computer running Windows Vista SP1. After choosing Basic or Advanced option in the Privacy Guard, it resulted in an application error.

CCleaner 2.09.600

CCleaner works on Windows XP & Vista. It supports Internet Explorer, Firefox & Opera browsers but this is not evident in the software as shown.

On their website, it is mentioned it can clean temporary files, URL history, cookies and download history for Mozilla Firefox 3. This is less effective than Firefox 3 which can clean more items such as saved form and search history, offline website data, saved passwords and authenticated sessions. But, CCleaner also can clean applications such as Foxit Reader, Sun Java, Adobe Flash Player, Windows Media Player, MS Paint and RegEdit.

It can be scheduled to run when the computer starts.

Free Internet Window Washer 2.1

Free Internet Window Washer 2.1 supports Windows XP & Vista. It works with Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and Mozilla Firefox browsers.

For Mozilla Firefox, it can clean cache (temporary internet files), cookies, URL history, download manager history, autocomplete history, saved form information and preferences. This is less effective than Firefox 3 which can clean more items such as search history, offline website data, saved passwords and authenticated sessions. But, Internet Window Washer can clean applications such as Ad-Aware SE, Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, Ahead Nero Burning ROM, Macromedia Flash Player, Microsoft Wordpad, PowerDVD, RegEdit, Sun Java and Webroot SpySweeper.

It can be scheduled to wash at time intervals and when windows start and shut down.

1-abc.net Surf Trail Washer 2.02

This software is available on the DVD of APC Magazine May 2008. I installed it on Windows Vista. It supports either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox to delete history, cookies and typed URLs. But, when I start Automatic Washer, an error appeared in a foreign language as shown even though the language selection is English. After restart, you still need to minimize the software to systray manually. The option to start Manual Washer automatically after a period of x days is there but cannot be saved permanently.