Speaking yesterday at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft has now introduced a new group of security related programs that share advanced information with partners about upcoming security threats.
As many in the tech industry know, within hours, and sometimes minutes of monthly security patches being released, exploits are already booming for the security holes fixed by these updates. The Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) will allow security software providers to provide protection to their customers quickly and effectively.
“The introduction of these new programs helps address evolving online threats and provides more practical guidance to assess and manage risk,” said Andrew Cushman, director of security response and outreach at Microsoft. “In the race between exploit and protection, Microsoft is committed to shifting the advantage to the security industry. The Microsoft Active Protections Program gives security software providers the information and resources they need to help better protect customers.”
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I’ve just updated my blog to WordPress 2.6 RC1… getting close to final now (according to them, it may be out today, actually)! I missed the update over the weekend, but that’s just as well as my site was being transferred to a new server. Can you see any difference? It’s all shiny and new! Anyway, for those wanting details on the new WordPress, check it:
WordPress 2.6 Release Candidate 1 is now available. We think this is ready for release on Monday. Try out RC1 and tell us if you agree. New since Beta 3:
- Media uploader and gallery improvements
- Image caption and image editing fixes
- Press This fixes
- Ability to toggle between the flash uploader and a regular browser uploader
- Notification bubble on the Plugins menu when plugin updates are available
See the full list of changes since Beta 3.
Get RC1.
The other updates to the site is my addition of a plugin to show my current Twitter posts (see it on the sidebar). I may tweak the design somewhat to make it look better, but it’s okay for now.
That’s it regarding my site for today… I know I haven’t been updating it as much as I’d like, but I’ve been busy lately. You can always check my Swurl account for other things I’ve been up to on the web!
From Wordpress.org:
Version 2.5.1 of WordPress is now available. It includes a number of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and one very important security fix. We recommend everyone update immediately, particularly if your blog has open registration. The vulnerability is not public but it will be shortly.
In addition to the security fix, 2.5.1 contains many bug fixes. If you are interested only in the security fixes, you can download these corrected copies of wp-includes/pluggable.php, wp-admin/includes/media.php, and wp-admin/media.php. Replace your existing copies of these files with these new copies.
If you download the entire 2.5.1 release, you will be getting over 70 other fixes. 2.5.1 focuses on fixing the most annoying bugs and improving performance.
I’m downloading now and will be updating here shortly… I suggest you do, too!
UPDATE - WordPress 2.51 is installed and live… so far, no issues! Whoo!
Finally, after weeks of working, the new design is finished. Well, I’d say it’s about 99% finished. I’ll be spending the rest of the week tweaking things here and there and making sure it works in all my favorite browsers (I think there are some minor issues with IE6, but when isn’t there, amirite?). If you notice any major issues, please drop a comment in here and I’ll take a look! 
P.S. The Wordpress Theme Test Drive Plugin is really awesome and really came in handy during this upgrade process. To sum it up, this plugin allows the Admin user to view a different theme than the public. Give it a try if you need to redesign!
I’ve added a brand new “Stats” area while working on the new design (which will have one built in to the code)… you can see it here:
<————– Look that way!
The downside? By default all the “Views” start at a nice round 0. Ugh. I’ve looked and I’ve yet to find a way to “restore” the number of views to what it really should be (from what I can tell, WordPress doesn’t keep track of that). Oh well. I guess it’s better late than never, right?
If you’d like this plugin, go here: Lester Chan’s WP-Postviews Plugin
Enjoy!
