According to whitelisting vendor Bit9, these are the most vulnerable software applications in 2009. The critical vulnerabilities found in these programs could be exploited by malicious hackers to take complete control of a Windows computers.

Here's a list of ten free security tools you can and should be using to help protect, disinfect and manage your Windows computer.

This gallery takes a look at Haute Secure, a new Internet Explorer add-on that promises to block drive-by exploits from compromising Windows computers.

Here are several configuration settings you can make to reduce the attack surface on Mozilla's open-source Firefox browser.

Here are several steps you can take to disable various features in Safari to reduce the risk of hacker attacks.

Earlier this week, Microsoft shipped an emergency out-of-band patch to block zero-day attacks against a code execution hole in the way Windows handles animated cursor (.ani) files. This gallery provides a visual look at elements of the hacker attacks, including malicious Web sites, the exploit in action and the adult-themed spam-run linked to the attacks.

HD Moore's open-source Metasploit Framework has been rewritten from scratch and released with 177 exploits, 104 payloads and new modules to exploit Wi-Fi driver vulnerabilities in the Windows kernel.

In addition to hundreds of exploits and payloads, Moore said Metasploit 3.0 also ships with 30 auxiliary modules to perform tasks like host discovery, protocol fuzzing, and denial-of-service testing. See Ryan Naraine's report on the new version here.

Security researchers discuss vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi drivers, RFID proximity cards and weaknesses in hardware-based forensics.

Penetration testing firm Immunity has started shipping Silica, a wireless handheld pen-testing device capable of finding -- and exploiting -- security vulnerabilities.