September Lumia Blowout!

Last month we gave a way an amazing Lumia 1020. That was pretty awesome. This month we wanted to take into consideration that maybe you aren’t on AT&T and would prefer a Lumia 925 or 928 to use on your carrier. Heck, it’s even possible you just don’t want a camera as awesome as the Lumia 1020 and would like a Lumia 920. If that’s the case then this months drawing is just for you. The winner will get their choice of a Lumia 920, 925, 928 or a 1020. The rules are simple:

1. You MUST live in the U.S. or Canada.
2. You MUST be an existing Windows Phone Developer WITH at least one published app currently in the marketplace.
3. You MUST be an active Windows Phone developer as of September 30th 2013, which means you must have either published a new Windows Phone application or have published an update to an existing Windows Phone application that required xap certification within a 180 day period (counting back from September 30th your last updated date must be April 4th 2013 or later.

Below is an example of where to find the last updated date on your Windows Phone application page in the Windows Phone Store.

Now that you know if you can participate or not here’s what you need to do. Email me the REQUIRED information below.

1. First and Last Name
2. Email address (this is the one we can reach you at, one you actually check daily)
3. The link to your qualifying application in the Windows Phone Store.
4. DVLUP.com username (If you haven’t registered yet, go do it, it’s free and you’ll be glad you did)
5. Your Windows Dev Center Publisher GUID (it’s on your dev center dashboard)
6. Your location: City, State/Province (and county if you are in TX or CA)

Make sure you include “September Lumia Blowout!” in the subject line or I might miss it. If you are missing any of the information above you will not be entered into the drawing for the new Lumia 920, 925, 928 or 1020.

Once I receive your entry I will verify your eligibility, enter you in the drawing then send it to the Ambassador for your area who will be your source for all things Nokia and Windows Phone development. We need your entry by September 30th. We will conduct the random drawing on October 1st 2013 and contact the winner.

No matter which area you are in the contest will be amazing and the entry is easy. So email me ASAP!

Send the email to ext-rich.dunbar@nokia.com with the subject “September Lumia Blowout!” .

Windows 8 security unshaken by antivirus vendor’s claims

Posted on September 13, 2013 by pljaniszewski Standard Reply

Bitdefender raises worry over trusting included antivirus software, but one analyst said Windows 8’s core security picks up the slack

November 12, 2012 — CSO — Small businesses and consumers should remain confident of the significant improvements in Windows 8 security, despite the weaknesses alleged by antivirus vendors pushing new products, experts say.

Bitdefender was the latest antivirus company to release a study questioning some of the security capabilities of the new version of Microsoft’s operating system. The study, which coincided with the release of Bitdefender’s antivirus product for Windows 8, found that 15% of the most common malware bypassed Windows Defender, the software Microsoft includes with the OS.

“The conclusion is clear: Using your PC without a security solution is extremely risky,” Bitdefender chief security strategist Catalin Cosoi said in a statement.

In terms of actual numbers, Bitdefender found that Windows Defender missed 61 malware of 385 used against Windows 8. However, without knowing how the system was configured for the test, it is impossible to know if the OS would have performed any better with a third-party antivirus product.

“I would look for a more independent outfit to do such tests rather than an antivirus vendor,” Forrester Research analyst Chenxi Wang said by email on Friday.

While antivirus vendor marketing is made to cast doubt on the security in Windows 8, the fact is the new OS contains a number of technologies unseen by users that make it much more difficult for hackers to exploit Windows vulnerabilities.

[See related: Windows 8 gets first critical Patch Tuesday security bulletins]

“One of the biggest areas that Windows 8 really pushes on is implementing what is known as exploit mitigation technologies,” said Dan Rosenberg, a consultant at Virtual Security Research. “They’re technical solutions that are designed to render classes of vulnerabilities, especially memory corruption vulnerabilities, either difficult or impossible to exploit.”

Corruption of a computer’s system memory typically occurs due to programming errors. Such an event can be exploited by hackers to gain remote access to a system. Other features include Secure Boot, which makes it difficult for a class of stealthy malware called rootkits to avoid detection.

Windows Defender as a standalone antivirus product does not have all the features of third-party software, which generally protects against more threats than just viruses, such as identity theft and links in social networks that point to malicious websites. Third-party products also have parental control and anti-phishing features.

“What Microsoft has done is create a minimum bar that all paid vendors need to exceed,” IDC analyst Charles Kolodgy said by email.

Windows 8’s more powerful security features take over where antivirus products end, Rosenberg said. “Antivirus has historically performed very poorly in detecting sophisticated, targeted attacks, such as exploits targeting previously unknown vulnerabilities.”

Where products are most helpful is in warning users when they ignore obvious danger signs, such as an unknown sender in an email, and try to open a malware-carrying attachment or click on a malicious link.

“That’s the niche where antivirus is most effective,” Rosenberg said. “Preventing users from basically hurting themselves.”