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<h2 id="podcast-feed">Podcast feed</h2> <p><i>Security Now!</i> is distributed via its main podcast <a href="/facts/RSS_(file_format)/WBAWrkdj">RSS feed</a> and on the GRC <i>Security Now!</i> 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. </p><p>The podcast runs for approximately two hours, typically starting with security news. Then Gibson reads a testimonial for his software <a href="/facts/SpinRite/vtmQ4J0p">SpinRite</a>. 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. </p> <h2 id="popularity">Popularity</h2> <p>In August 2007, <i>Security Now!</i> won in the People's Choice <a href="/facts/Podcast_Awards/huLW82G4">Podcast Awards</a> Technology/Science category.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> In August 2006, <i>Security Now!</i> ranked fourth in the "Top 40" of all podcasts listened to via the <a href="/facts/Juice_(aggregator)/9M6lUTad">PodNova</a> service.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> <i>Security Now!</i> averaged around 100,000 downloads per episode throughout 2006.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> At the end of 2015, Security Now was number 4 on the Top 40 US Technology Podcasts, making it the highest weekly <a href="/facts/TWiT.tv/lkCroKDf">TWiT.tv</a> podcast.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> In October 2021 it was #6 on Apple Podcasts — US tech news,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> and #330 of global all podcasts.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="windows-metafile-controversy">Windows Metafile controversy</h2> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/Windows_Metafile_vulnerability/0cYBM2je">Windows Metafile vulnerability</a></p> <p>In January 2006, Steve Gibson accused <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> of intentionally putting a <a href="/facts/Backdoor_(computing)/4Vry8CKE">backdoor</a> into the <a href="/facts/Windows_Metafile/cdwb79jW">Windows Metafile</a> processing code in <a href="/facts/Windows_2000/amJIt9gz">Windows 2000</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_XP/IozrkAYS">Windows XP</a>. Gibson claimed that while <a href="/facts/Reverse_engineering/pmJCV7J7">reverse engineering</a> the Windows Metafile format, he could run <a href="/facts/Arbitrary_code/zwnFfLRw">arbitrary code</a> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Microsoft's Stephen Toulouse responded in a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post the next day, saying the behavior was not intentional.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://grc.com/SecurityNow"><i>Security Now!</i> page at grc.com</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Security Now! Episode Archive 2005". August 19, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2013. <a href="https://www.grc.com/sn/past/2005.htm" target="_blank">https://www.grc.com/sn/past/2005.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"People's Choice Podcast Award Winners Announced". August 17, 2007. <a href="http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/08/16/peoples-choice-podcast-award-winners-announced/" target="_blank">http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/08/16/peoples-choice-podcast-award-winners-announced/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"PodNova Top 40". PodNova. August 2006. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007. 4. Security Now! <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070326195908/http://www.podnova.com/index_top40.srf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070326195908/http://www.podnova.com/index_top40.srf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Leo Laporte (July 19, 2006). "June Numbers". Leo Laporte's blog. TWiT.tv. Retrieved January 12, 2007. Security Now: 103,034 <a href="/wiki/Leo_Laporte" target="_blank">/wiki/Leo_Laporte</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Leo Laporte (November 21, 2006). "October Numbers". Leo Laporte's blog. TWiT.tv. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2007. Security Now 61: 99,751 <a href="/wiki/Leo_Laporte" target="_blank">/wiki/Leo_Laporte</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"iTunes Charts Top 40". iTunecharts.net. Retrieved December 18, 2015. <a href="http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/podcasts/technology/" target="_blank">http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/podcasts/technology/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Apple Podcasts : United States of America : Tech News Podcast Charts - Top". <a href="https://chartable.com/charts/itunes/us-tech-news-podcasts-6e902e97-576f-429f-8322-372aad6c8de0" target="_blank">https://chartable.com/charts/itunes/us-tech-news-podcasts-6e902e97-576f-429f-8322-372aad6c8de0</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Security Now (Audio) Podcast - Listen, Reviews, Charts". <a href="https://chartable.com/podcasts/security-now-mp3" target="_blank">https://chartable.com/podcasts/security-now-mp3</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Hosts: Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson (January 12, 2006). Security Now. Episode 22. The Windows MetaFile Backdoor?. <a href="/wiki/Leo_Laporte" target="_blank">/wiki/Leo_Laporte</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>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. <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/01/13/417431.aspx" target="_blank">http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/01/13/417431.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>