Security Now
{{Short description|Technology podcast}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Notability|Web|date=October 2021}}
{{Self-published|date=October 2021}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox Podcast
|title = Security Now!
|image = Security Now cover art.jpg
|host = Steve Gibson
Leo Laporte
|url = {{url|https://twit.tv/shows/security-now}}
|status = Weekly
|audio format = MP3
|began = {{start date and age|2005|08|19}}
|ended =
|genre = Computer Security
|language = English
|ratings =
|license = CC-BY-NC-SA{{cite web|url=http://twit.tv/ |title=TWiT |access-date=8 April 2015 |quote=These netcasts are released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike license. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409013843/http://twit.tv/ |archive-date=April 9, 2015 }} (before 2015-04-09)
CC-BY-NC-ND{{cite web|url=http://twit.tv/ |title=TWiT |access-date=9 April 2015 |quote=All TWiT streams and on-demand shows are released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International license. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409220017/http://twit.tv/ |archive-date=April 9, 2015 }}
}}
Security Now! is a weekly podcast hosted by Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte. It was the second show to premiere on the TWiT Network, launching in summer 2005. The first episode, “As the Worm Turns”, was released on August 19, 2005.{{cite web|title=Security Now! Episode Archive 2005 |url=https://www.grc.com/sn/past/2005.htm|date=August 19, 2005|access-date=September 13, 2013}}
Security Now! consists of a discussion between Gibson and Laporte on issues of computer security and, conversely, insecurity. Covered topics have included security vulnerabilities, firewalls, password security, spyware, rootkits, Wi-Fi, virtual private networks, and virtual machines.
Podcast feed
Security Now! is distributed via its main podcast RSS feed and on the GRC Security Now! page. In addition to audio, text transcriptions are published, along with Gibson distributing a low-bandwidth 16 kbit/s version of the show on his own for those with low-bandwidth sources such as satellite internet or dial-up.
The podcast runs for approximately two hours, typically starting with security news. Then Gibson reads a testimonial for his software SpinRite. The remainder of the show is spent on a particular theme. During the show some advertisements for 3rd party commercial products or services are read out, by co-host Leo Laporte.
Popularity
In August 2007, Security Now! won in the People's Choice Podcast Awards Technology/Science category.{{Cite web | url=http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/08/16/peoples-choice-podcast-award-winners-announced/ |title = People's Choice Podcast Award Winners Announced|date = August 17, 2007}} In August 2006, Security Now! ranked fourth in the "Top 40" of all podcasts listened to via the PodNova service.{{cite web
| url = http://www.podnova.com/index_top40.srf
| title = PodNova Top 40
| access-date = 2007-01-12
|date=August 2006
| publisher = PodNova
| quote = 4. Security Now!
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070326195908/http://www.podnova.com/index_top40.srf
|archive-date = 2007-03-26}} Security Now! averaged around 100,000 downloads per episode throughout 2006.{{cite web
| url = http://www.twit.tv/2006/07/19/june_numbers
| title = June Numbers
| access-date = 2007-01-12
| author = Leo Laporte
| author-link = Leo Laporte
| date = 2006-07-19
| work = Leo Laporte's blog
| publisher = TWiT.tv
| quote = Security Now: 103,034}}{{cite web
|url = https://twit.tv/posts/inside-twit/october-numbers
|title = October Numbers
|access-date = 2007-01-12
|author = Leo Laporte
|author-link = Leo Laporte
|date = 2006-11-21
|work = Leo Laporte's blog
|publisher = TWiT.tv
|quote = Security Now 61: 99,751
|url-status = live
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20120913060819/http://www.twit.tv/2006/11/20/october_numbers
|archive-date = September 13, 2012
|df = mdy-all
}}
At the end of 2015, Security Now was number 4 on the Top 40 US Technology Podcasts, making it the highest weekly TWiT.tv podcast.{{cite web|url=http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/podcasts/technology/|title=iTunes Charts Top 40|publisher=iTunecharts.net|access-date=18 December 2015}} In October 2021 it was #6 on Apple Podcasts — US tech news,{{Cite web|url=https://chartable.com/charts/itunes/us-tech-news-podcasts-6e902e97-576f-429f-8322-372aad6c8de0|title = Apple Podcasts : United States of America : Tech News Podcast Charts - Top}} and #330 of global all podcasts.{{Cite web|url=https://chartable.com/podcasts/security-now-mp3|title = Security Now (Audio) Podcast - Listen, Reviews, Charts}}
Windows Metafile controversy
{{further|Windows Metafile vulnerability}}
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.{{cite episode |transcript=The Windows MetaFile Backdoor? |series=Security Now
|credits=Hosts: Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson
|transcript-url=http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-022.htm
|number=22
|airdate=January 12, 2006
}} Microsoft's Stephen Toulouse responded in a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post the next day, saying the behavior was not intentional.{{cite web | last=Toulouse |first=Stephen | title=Looking at the WMF issue, how did it get there? | date=January 13, 2006 |url=http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/01/13/417431.aspx | work=Microsoft Security Response Center Blog | publisher=Microsoft | access-date=March 18, 2006 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://grc.com/SecurityNow Security Now! page at grc.com]
{{TWiT podcasts}}