If you're like me (and let's face it, you wish you were), you grow weary of the avalanche of software vulnerabilities that target mostly free (and therefore very insecure) applications like Adobe Reader, Apple Quicktime, RealPlayer, Microsoft MDAC instances....I could go on and on.It seems like if you do manage to figure out you're running a vulnerable version, by the time you've uninstalled the insecure app and replaced it, the replacement app has new vulnerabilities that have already been identified. Couple this with some apps in this class that, for some reason, don't uninstall the vulnerable version while installing the new version, leaving you unknowingly open to attack and compromise. That's right, I'm looking at you, Macromedia Flash.
For several months now, I've been running the free personal edition of Secunia's Personal Software Inspector, and I have to say, I'm impressed. It lets me know what vulnerable software I may be running, along with the directory path to where it's located, in case I don't know. It also keeps me posted on applications that have reached end of lifecycle, which means they probably aren't supported by the vendor anymore, so security fixes are not forthcoming. As an added bonus, it keeps you posted on which Microsoft fixes you might be missing, which is especially helpful if a third-party product installed the app in a non-standard location where Microsoft update doesn't look for it or patch it when you have automatic updates enabled.
Give it a shot. You have nothing to lose but your exposed backside.
You're funnier when you're not making me feel guilty that I have to rely on some big-brained BOY to do my security dirty work. More pictures of the funny monkey president, Blog Boy.
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