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===Show format===
===Show format===
The podcast runs for approximately 90 minutes, with the actual discussion of the subject of the podcast typically starting 20 minutes into the show. The first 20 minutes being spent on general chat, security news, sponsors and reading out letters and e-mails. Discussion of Gibson's disk recovery product [[SpinRite]] has been criticized for its dominance in the show .<ref>{{cite web| url = http://12078.net/grcnews/article.php?id=7614&group=grc.securitynow#7614| title = Steve Gibson mentioning SpinRite criticism}}</ref>
The podcast runs for approximately 90 minutes, with sections on 'Attacks and Breaches', 'Security updates', 'Security News', and then the actual discussion of the subject of the podcast. Some have been annoyance created by testimonials about Gibson's disk recovery product [[SpinRite]] in the show.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://12078.net/grcnews/article.php?id=7614&group=grc.securitynow#7614
|title=Steve Gibson mentioning SpinRite criticism}}</ref>


===Additional content===
===Additional content===

Revision as of 22:24, 25 July 2011


Security Now!
Presentation
Hosted byLeo Laporte
Steve Gibson
GenreComputer Security
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
Audio formatMP3
Publication
Original releaseAugust 19, 2005
LicenseCreative Commons by-nc-sa

Security Now! is a weekly podcast hosted by Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson.[1] The first episode was released on 19 August 2005.

Released each Thursday, Security Now! consists of a discussion between Gibson and Laporte of issues of computer security and, conversely, insecurity. Covered topics have included security vulnerabilities, firewalls, password security, spyware, rootkits, Wi-Fi, virtual private networks (VPNs), virtual machines, full virtualization, hardware-assisted virtualization, and virtual appliances.

Podcast feed

Security Now! is distributed via its main podcast RSS feed (link) and on the GRC Security Now! page.[2] The audio is encoded as 64 kbit/s MP3 files with 16 kbit/s versions available for listeners on low bandwidth connections or those with limited storage space. The audio files are licensed under the creative commons by-nc-sa license.

Show format

The podcast runs for approximately 90 minutes, with sections on 'Attacks and Breaches', 'Security updates', 'Security News', and then the actual discussion of the subject of the podcast. Some have been annoyance created by testimonials about Gibson's disk recovery product SpinRite in the show.[3]

Additional content

As part of GRC's section on the podcast, supplementary notes and transcripts of each show are available in plain text, HTML and PDF formats.

Listener feedback

Regular episodes of the podcast have been devoted to the answering of questions and responding to feedback provided by Security Now! listeners. Originally every 4th episode (referred to as a "mod 4 episode" or "mod 4 equals 0 episode.") was devoted to this, but starting with Episode 108 this merged with the then recently introduced "Mailbag" episodes ("mod 4 + 2 episodes")[4] and became a bi-weekly feature. Listeners submit their comments and questions for the podcast at the GRC.COM Website.

Popularity

In August 2007, Security Now! won in the People's Choice Podcast Awards Technology/Science category.[5] In August 2006, Security Now! ranked fourth in the "Top 40" of all podcasts listened to via the PodNova service.[6] Security Now! averaged around 100,000 downloads per episode throughout 2006.[7][8]

Microsoft backdoor accusation

In January 2006 Steve Gibson accused Microsoft of intentionally putting a backdoor into the Windows Metafile processing code in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Gibson claimed that while reverse engineering the Windows Metafile format, he could run arbitrary code by using a "nonsensical" value in the metafile, and concluded Microsoft had intentionally designed Windows this way so it could run code on Windows computers without the user's knowledge.[9] Microsoft's Stephen Toulouse responded in a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post the next day, saying the behavior was not intentional.[10]

References

  1. ^ Leo Notenboom. "Security Now". Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  2. ^ Steve Gibson. "Security Now! website". Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  3. ^ "Steve Gibson mentioning SpinRite criticism".
  4. ^ Steve Gibson with Leo Laporte. "First Mailbag Episode". Retrieved 2007-08-03. Security Now!: 102
  5. ^ http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/08/16/peoples-choice-podcast-award-winners-announced/
  6. ^ "PodNova Top 40". PodNova. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-03-26. Retrieved 2007-01-12. 4. Security Now! {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Leo Laporte (2006-07-19). "June Numbers". Leo Laporte's blog. TWiT.tv. Retrieved 2007-01-12. Security Now: 103,034
  8. ^ Leo Laporte (2006-11-21). "October Numbers". Leo Laporte's blog. TWiT.tv. Retrieved 2007-01-12. Security Now 61: 99,751
  9. ^ Hosts: Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson (January 12, 2006). "Security Now". Episode 22. {{cite episode}}: External link in |transcripturl= (help); Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |transcripturl= ignored (|transcript-url= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Toulouse, Stephen (January 13, 2006). "Looking at the WMF issue, how did it get there?". Microsoft Security Response Center Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved March 18, 2006.