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AMUST eCondom for Internet Explorer

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the clever-names-and-other-nonsense dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Irish Dev is reporting that AMUST Software recently announced the release of their 'eCondom for Microsoft Internet Explorer.' From the article: 'eCondom reduces and eliminates the risks by allowing users to run Internet Explorer in SafeBrowse mode. It works similar to Run As command in Windows XP, and forces a user to use Internet Explorer under User account, even if he/she is logged in under Administrator account. Unlike Run As command eCondom normally does not reduce Windows XP usability and flexibility, and does not downgrade users Internet experience while making Internet browsing much more secure and safe.'"

25 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Nice name :D by markild · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now... If they could only change the "run" to "wear", and "stop/exit/quit" to "throw away" my day is made! :D

    Also, make the package so that everyone feel totally embarrassed when buying it. Yeah, I know it's free, but they could at least make you hear a moaning sound when you click the download or something...

    All puns aside though. Does this really help. You can do a lot nasty stuff with a regular account as well, right? I think it is great though, that people try to make IE more secure, not only do the "use Firefox" solution (for the record I'm a Firefox user!). It's in everyones interest that as many browsers as possible is as secure as possible.

    --
    Scully: Should we arrest David Copperfield?
    Mulder: Yes we should, but not for this.
    1. Re:Nice name :D by TheWanderingHermit · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is a nice name.

      So I suppose we can now have safe hex while using Insecure-net Explorer?

      Or does it make it just another toy that just needs a good cleaning regularly?

  2. I always knew... by jb.hl.com · · Score: 1

    ...that IE was a pile of cock.

    --
    By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
    1. Re:I always knew... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 2, Funny

      ...that IE was a pile of cock.

      Yeah, but I wonder where it's been, cuz it smells like ass...

  3. too easy... by joemawlma · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...and does not downgrade users Internet experience...

    So nothing at all like a real condom then?

    1. Re:too easy... by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Funny

      "So nothing at all like a real condom then?"

      Why are you asking us?!

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  4. Re:Of course... by JVert · · Score: 1

    Even if you dont have any balls you dont want to fuck around without a condom.

  5. Too little, too late by Dark+Coder · · Score: 2, Interesting

    With some 80-odd million IE end-users getting pounded daily and relentlessly by the wild red-light district (Internet), I doubt that such AMUST 'eCondom' would help prevent 'pregnancy' (worm/trojans) or 'infection' (spyware/malware/adware) in a timely manner.

    Using a non-Administrator account doesn't stop these vector attacks.

    Just use something that is highly-resistance to these inane cross-site scripting silliness.

          Firefox 1.5 with the following addins:
                NoScript
                FlashBlock
                AdBlock

    And, you will have better control over these phishing sites...

  6. Just Pull Out :-D by bigwang · · Score: 1

    http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

  7. Practice safe browsing by Matilda+the+Hun · · Score: 1, Funny

    Using IE without an eCondom leaves the chance of ending up with unwanted bastard processes...plus you might catch some nasty viruses.

    So yes, I would say they chose that name correctly. It seems to work the same way...

    --
    Tluin natha Linux xxizzuss uriu olt bwael mon'tun.
  8. Vulnerable to bad jokes by jd · · Score: 1

    However, if you want to set the background colors, you can now practice safe hex.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  9. The result is still the same... by fmaxwell · · Score: 2, Funny

    eCondom or not, if you use IE, you're still fscked.

    1. Re:The result is still the same... by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      Yeah, when I browse... I'd rather be FOXED.

      It seems to me MS could have preconfigured nailed-down-tight installation of Windows 2000 and distribute it as a VirtualPC image with a version of VirtualPC like VMPlayer to allow completely safe browsing, with a special function to persist your bookmarks to your "real" system. If you end up trashing your VM, but just reload it from CD and v-ee-oh-la, everything's fixed. Of course, knowing MS, they'll allow some way to use a bookmark as a vehicle for a virus.

      Of course, peoeple do use the Web for downloading and other activities that this would make inconvenient, but after 13 years or so of browsing the Internet I've never had a virus/trojan/etc and I download stuff all the time. This would be a solution for people who can't otherwise maintain their security. Just boot a hermetically-sealed VM and browse away.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  10. Why take chances? by Omega+Hacker · · Score: 1

    Play it safe, practice abstinence:

    Use Firefox!

    --
    GStreamer - The only way to stream!
    1. Re:Why take chances? by mikiN · · Score: 1

      Abstinence, geez, why always the extremes? There's not much fun using a computer when you pull the plug on your Internet connection. I hope it's not the result of an indoctrination campaign by the anti-contraceptive lobby or something...

      There is a whole lot between overindulgence and abstinence, like moderation for example. Not the thing that Slashdotters can do to each others' comments when they have points, but simply doing something within reasonable limits.

      Surf the web, don't click on just everything you fancy, tame excessive ads, javascript and flash with...well, Firefox, Adblock, NoScript and Flashblock ofcourse :-)

      --
      The Hacker's Guide To The Kernel: Don't panic()!
  11. Always Use Protection by Kelson · · Score: 1

    Such options, of course, are already available, as a certain poster attests.

  12. Re:But what about catholic users? by lengau · · Score: 1

    A few choices of paths for eAbstinence (if you dont want to become eActive).
    Firefox
    Opera
    Konqueror
    Camino
    Safari
    Links
    Netscape 4.8 and below (or any version on Linux/Mac)
    WGet and a text editor

    --
    I really wanted to change my sig to something witty, but all I could come up with is this.
  13. Is this different from DropMyRights? by stickb0y · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How does this compare to Mike Howard's DropMyRights program?

    The way DropMyRights works is you run it with the path to the target program as a command-line argument. It then spawns the target program automatically with lower privileges. (Maybe too simple; Mike Howard's implementation doesn't allow for passing command-line arguments to the target program itself, although the code is basic enough that others have made their own implementations.)

    The only problem is that although it lets you easily modify the shortcut that starts Internet Explorer, there are plenty of ways to start IE without going through that shortcut. Without doing some registry hacking to change your file and protocol associations, it won't help you if you run, say, Outlook with administrator privileges and click a link in an email.

    Does eCondom somehow address this? And if it does, then how does it allow exceptions (like going to Windows Update)?

    1. Re:Is this different from DropMyRights? by Z00L00K · · Score: 1
      I took my time to compare them - and the verdict:

      DropMyRights is much better since it allows for dropping the rights of any program. The eCondom is very specialized and limited in use - it is only supporting IE, and even then only when it's your primary browser, it even refuses to install unless IE is your primary choice.

      The BAD sides with DropMyRights:

      • It's a pure command-line tool. A GUI toolbar for starting a user-configurable list of tools would have made that tool a lot more user-friendly and acceptable as a tool for corporate use.
      • The functionality should have been incorporated in Windows from the beginning as a "Run As..." function and a shortcut property.
      • Various applications requires various limitations in rights. The DropMyRights is using pre-defined levels, but if an application requires a certain facility provided by admin rights it should only get access to that right and not everything.

      Of course - a companion program to DropMyRights would be something that analyzes an application for the required rights (rights needed for the application to run) as well as optional rights (rights needed only for special functionality).

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:Is this different from DropMyRights? by stickb0y · · Score: 1
      It's a pure command-line tool. A GUI toolbar for starting a user-configurable list of tools would have made that tool a lot more user-friendly and acceptable as a tool for corporate use.

      Someone made a shell extension version, which is a bit friendlier.

      The functionality should have been incorporated in Windows from the beginning as a "Run As..." function and a shortcut property.

      Well, some of the functionality is there. If you edit a shortcut's properties in XP, the Shortcut > Advanced button lets you modify the shortcut to run with different credentials. Unfortunately, it's anemic; you can't set the shortcut to use particular credentials, so you instead get prompted every time you run it.

      Anyhow, I did download and try this eCondom thing. My opinion is that although DropMyRights is more general, eCondom is way better for dealing with IE specifically. It does seem to address the multiple-entry-point issue I mentioned before (links from other apps that spawn browser windows, typing an URL into the Run box, etc.), which is good. (This is probably why it's tied into IE being the system's default browser, although they likely could fail more gracefully than refusing to work at all.) DropMyRights and eCondom seem like good companions to each other.

      I kind of like that eCondom-spawned IE windows have "SAFE" in the titlebar so it's easy to distinguish privileged from unprivileged IE windows. On the other hand, it can give a false sense of security since the title text can be easily spoofed.

  14. A good idea but limited by Z00L00K · · Score: 1
    Right now it seems to ONLY support IE, and even IE as a primary browser. If you don't have IE as a primary browser it refuses to install.

    I actually would like to see this program a little more intelligent and used for most bread&butter programs in use like the MS Office programs (Especially Outlook) as well as other web browsers.

    --
    If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  15. abstinence? by M1FCJ · · Score: 1

    I thought the true solution to virii was abstinence - like do not use IE? There are always better alternatives - pleasuring yourself with writing free software licenced apps springs to my mind.

  16. Great name by CXI · · Score: 1

    This is a wonderful product that you're hardly ever going to see on a corporate network due to fear of sexual harrassment lawsuits. Nice choice in names morons.

    1. Re:Great name by brain+defrag · · Score: 1

      The name probably does a great job of preventing its illegal distribution on filesharing networks, though. Also imagine how hard it would be to pirate a piece of software called "Hot Lesbian Sluts".

  17. Re:Which One? by brain+defrag · · Score: 1

    First, it reduces the risk... and only THEN does it proceed to eliminate it. It's a testament to IE's inefficient nature.