Psychological Computer Protection: Exploring the Darker Side of Email

There is no doubt email has revolutionized the way we communicate with one another. Millions of emails are transmitted daily throughout the world to everyone connected to the Internet. The question is, how do you know which emails are legitimate and which ones compromise your computer protection and internet security? If you think you know, you may be in for a little surprise.

What if someone told you they could become anyone you know (or any business, for that matter) without your knowledge? Some may think this is ridiculous, but it is not far from the truth. Complete strangers can take your email address and email anyone they wanted… all without knowing your email username and password. If they want, they can even attach malware (short for malicious software) to the emails that can evade antivirus protection and other forms of computer protection. So how do you know if an email came from someone you know versus a complete stranger that just used their email address?

Granted, the majority of email you receive is probably legitimate, but it is important to know the above exists. In fact, malicious emails are most commonly used to exploit your computer protection and personal vulnerabilities in three ways.

1. Entice you to download and run an email attachment with cloaked malware
2. Entice you to open up an email with malicious scripting
3. Entice you to forfeit personal and sensitive information

To protect yourself and your system from these email exploits, you can not strictly rely on computer protection and internet security software since they will never give you 100% security. Knowing this, you'll now learn proper personal and computer protection measures by looking for the appropriate signs of malicious emails.

The first thing to know is each part of an email can be randomly altered either by a hacker or a computer worm to look unique and legitimate. This includes:

1. The To:, From:, CC: and BCC: fields
2. The Subject line
3. The Body text
4. The email attachment name
5. The email attachment extension (i.e. .exe, .zip, etc.)

While antivirus software can not provide 100% computer protection, it definitely helps in detecting malicious emails. Antivirus software aside though, you need to analyze all your email before opening anything. If you don't know the sender, if the subject sounds bogus, or common words or names are spelled awkwardly, it should raise a red flag. Even if the email looks like it came from someone you know, it never hurts to get a confirmation. In short, if the email looks suspicious, don't open it!

Identifying malicious email without attachments or code in them is a different story. These emails are called phishing emails because they lure you to reveal personal information. They usually look like they come from companies and entice you to either click on a web link or call a phone number.

If you stumble into phishing emails, the two most important things to remember are first, never click on links in an email. If an email asks you to click on a web link, open up a web browser and manually type it in. Second, if you are unsure of the email's integrity, go to the company's website, contact their customer service department, and inquire about the email.

While the above are the two core things to always consider when looking for phishing emails, it never hurts to have additional layers of computer protection. With that in mind, download a free legitimate anti-phishing toolbar and make sure your antivirus software has the most recent updates on it.

Email is a wonderful thing; just know that malicious email can bypass computer protection and internet security. With people and computer worms having the capability of emulating any person or company, you always need to stay alert and analyze each and every email. By following these strategies and tactics for identifying emails, you will be steps ahead of the typical Internet user and dramatically increase your computer protection and internet security.

Internet Security For Newbies

The Internet is full of information and data, we can use it at work and at home, for increased productivity or for a great source of fun. Unfortunately, the Internet has also many dangers inside. I’ll try to explain the basic things that can be done to keep away those dangers from your computer.

To keep you from troubles if you are connected to the internet you need: the latest service pack for the operating system and all hotfixes that were released, one antivirus that must has the latest database for virus signatures, one firewall to protect for brute force attacks or various exploits and one antispyware and antitrojan program. There are some programs that combine the antivirus, firewall and antispyware capability. Also, if you work a lot with emails, you might need a powerful email client who can provide anti-spam protection, because even if most of the spam mails don’t contain viruses, you might get them in such a large numbers that sorting them might become very difficult.

Of course, the most important thing is that no antivirus or firewall can protect you better than you can. What I’m trying to say here is that by watching what programs you run, what websites you visit and what emails you open, you can prevent most of the dangers. Another thing that can very helpful is doing periodic backup of your important files, because if a virus infects or deletes your files, you will need those files back. And by backing up your files, you can recover quickly in case that you need to reinstall your operating system, or, even worse, in case of hard drive crash.

In the end, I hope that this short guide gave some information that will prevent a few viruses and trojans from spreading. Because, that’s what most of viruses and trojans do : they spread, and if one of you gets away from such a virus, this means that many more were saved, because the virus could not get any further to others, maybe other one, but, much more likely, other thousands or even more. So, keep yourself away from viruses and help others do the same thing.

Internet Anonymity Concerns - Hiding Your IP Address

In today's world of globalization and wide spread of computers, Internet has become increasingly popular way for communication, for expressing yourself, for sharing your mind with everybody. Popular types of resources include web blogs, instant messaging, chats, forums and many others. Just a few clicks and everybody in the world knows about your point of view on politics, culture, science, relationships, whatever, since quickly evolving technologies bring Internet to millions of people around the world.

But no good comes without bad. The worst thing to consider about many modern technologies such as Internet is a complete lack of privacy. Sitting at the front of your computer screen and surfing the net you are being watched constantly, by many people and organizations, interested or not. How is it possible? Let's see.

Internet is based on IP - Internet Protocol - special network protocol designed at the beginning of 70s for U.S. defense purposes, but has become widely used solution today (take a look at http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml for more information). Basically, most today's computers are connected by IP, and its extension, TCP/IP. We will not dive into details of TCP/IP here, but rather give a short explanation and point to major privacy concerns. Main idea of IP protocol is a set of independent nodes (computers) connected somehow between themselves, each node has unique identifier assigned to it, and special rules exists which help computers exchange data with each other through intermediate computers, called "IP routers". The unique identifier is called IP address, and every networked computer must have it in order communicate to others. To view your current IP address, run "ipconfig" from command line under Windows, or open web site like www.netconceal.com or www.showmyip.com.

Ok, but what's wrong with my IP address? Like a regular address (e.g. your postal address), IP address identifies your location, no matter how you are connected to the Internet. For example, DSL connection from your home is managed by ISP (remember, you have to sign agreement with ISP, and your actual and billing addresses are there). Wireless connections, such as GPRS or WiFi are being tracked as well (GPRS stations are able to determine your position with a mile precision, WiFi are even more location-bound), and service providers always register and identify you as a subscriber. Try web sites like www.ip2location.com to see this in practice (the information is not exactly precise in all cases, but remember, technology improves daily!).

Every time you surf the Internet, your IP address is publicly visible to everyone on target network resources, therefore, your actual location and even name and age can be tracked as well. Of course, this costs something (they need to contact web site owner or hosting provider, and ISP or WiFi access point owner), but interested parties can implement this fairly easy. This is very serious point to consider. For example, you submit blog article, and express your opinion about politics, criticize something or make really controversial statements. That's was just an opinion, relax, everybody. But someone, being, for example, a religious fanatic or simply paranoid, can find you and shoot you right at your home. What's the hell, why? That's true, simply because he knows EVERYTHING about you, your IP address, and thus your name and physical location, since all web sites keep logs of IP addresses accessing them (once you submit your post, web site records a number of entries in its log file, putting together your post and your IP address).

Just for demonstration, 4 simple steps to know everything about specific person:

1. Retrieve web site logs (not a problem for site owners, they already have them). How can these logs be retrieved by anyone? Simply by contacting web site owner, and many of them will give theirs logs away with easyness, don't worry. Just send e-mail using published contact information (click link like "Contact Us"), write words like: "Some guy who is using your site is suspected in credit card fraud, he has stolen my money already!", or "The person with nickname 'blackjack' from your site is promoting child porn, we need your web site logs for investigation, thank you." and 99% - you'll receive desired logs.

2. Analyze logs. For example, get timestamp of specific blog post and search for records matching this timestamp, then compare URLs of web site request and extract IP address from log entries.

3. Obtain IP address owner (the Internet Service Provider, ISP). Use www.ip2location.com, it displays ISP. For well-known ISPs like Verizon - you're almost done. Otherwise try looking it up in Google and find their web site. Half an hour and you'll surely find it.

4. Contact ISP, supply IP address, and say something like you did in step (1), and they'll easily reveal user of their IP address, because they don't want problems with that user. That's it.

Is there any way to protect you against this? Relax, really good solution exist and the rest of this article will point you right there.

Basic idea of all privacy solutions is faking of your real IP address. How is it accomplished? Solution is based on intermediary computers, which are placed between you (the person who wishes to hide himself from everyone) and target web sites (and other network resources - such as instant messaging, file sharing etc). Those computers are called 'Proxy Servers'. How does Proxy Server work? Very simple: it's just like a very simple tunnel between you and web site, all data sent by you to web site or received by you from web site are passed through proxy server as is, using special SOCKS protocol (don't mess with foot socks, it's just a coincidence :). What's the difference? Exactly, target web site sees Proxy Server IP address, but not your real IP. And web site logs keep Proxy Server IP but not your real one as well. Sound great, but how to use this?

Anonymous Proxy Server lists are published throughout the web on special web sites, for example www.proxyblind.org. Actually, proxy server list looks like a simple sequence of IP address : port number pairs, for example:

123.43.12.96 : 1080

98.15.13.17 : 1080

150.19.87.31 : 1080

Choosing proper Proxy Server from such lists can be a tedious task, some of them may be valid, and some are not. You just test them one by one, select valid ones and save them for further usage. This work must be repeated each time you want to use proxy, since Proxy Servers get closed very often. After choosing proper Proxy Server, you have to connect your application (web browser, instant messenger, whatever) to it and work. Try configuring your application for use with proxy server. For example, MSN, Yahoo! and ICQ support SOCKS proxies, but some programs do not. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Firefox web browsers also support this, but you must select another kind of Proxy Server - HTTP proxy (in opposite to SOCKS proxy).

Special software was developed to address the issues listed above - NetConceal Anonymizer, it keeps you free from manual proxy server checking, SOCKS configuration and supports ALL applications. Actually, a few clicks to hide IP address and become anonymous.

To learn more about NetConceal Anonymizer software, check out the www.netconceal.com web site and contact us if you need more help, we are really glad to help you with evaluation and ongoing usage

Computer Security Suites - Internet Security Suites

What is a Computer Security Suite?

A computer security suite (also referred to as an Internet Security Suite) is a bundled software package from the same manufacturer that includes several different types of internet security protection. The security software applications are all compatible with each other and work together to provide a thorough blanket of protection against viruses, spyware, adware and intruders. PC security suites normally include anti virus software, anti spyware, and personal firewall protection. Some also include a form of privacy protection, which protects personal data such as account numbers and passwords. Many anti spyware programs will also kill most adware, which is a distant cousin to spyware.

Do I Need a Security Suite?

If you use your computer on the internet, you need (at minimum) anti virus software. If you are using a broadband connection, you also need to use a firewall (hardware firewall, software firewall or both). If you do any business, shopping or banking online, or just spend more than a few hours a week browsing – you really should have anti spyware software. If you download anything at all (software, screensavers, clip art, pictures, etc…you really need some form of adware protection. Although you don’t need to buy an internet security suite to get all this protection, it is the cheapest, quickest, and easiest way to go. You can of course, pick and choose your internet security software from different manufacturers, but buying a suite is much easier.

Can I Count on an Internet Security Suite to Protect My Computer?

The key to successful computer protection with a computer security software suite (or any internet security software) is regularly updating the software. New viruses, spyware, adware and hacks are introduced every day, and your degree of protection is only as good as the last update. Just about all top quality security software includes an "auto update" feature that lets you choose to have the software automatically check for and install updates daily. It's always a good idea to turn on automatic updates so you don't have to remember to manually do this.

As with just about any program that requires regular database updates, a subscription is usually required. After purchasing the software, it will normally run for a year before it's time to renew the maintenance subscription. This is normally a small annual fee that also ensures you get program upgrades.

Recommended Computer Security Suites

Internet security software suites produced by large, reputable vendors like Symantec, Trend Micro, McAfee, Zone Labs, and Panda are excellent and should provide you with great overall protection. Although a bit more expensive than their small company counterparts, it's best to stick with one of the big boys; especially if you are relatively inexperienced with computers and software. After all, you are buying the internet security suite software to protect your data, your computer and your most valuable asset - your privacy and identity!

Internet Security Basics 101

The explosive growth of the Internet has meant that thousands of people are today experiencing the joys of being online for the first time. With growth there always comes pain. Be it your growing pains as a child or the growth and development of this part of our culture called the Internet.

Firstly we need to quickly explain what the Internet is and where it came from. The Internet is the offspring of a military project called Arpanet. Arpanet was designed to provide reliable communication during global nuclear war. A vast network of interconnected computers was set up all over the world to allow the various branches of US and NATO forces to communicate with each other.

Nuclear war never came (thankfully) and the world was left with a massive network of computers all connected together with nothing to do. Colleges and universities started to use these computers for sharing research internationally. From there it grew and spread outside colleges to local homes and businesses. The World Wide Web was born and its father was a guy called Tim Berners Lee.

When you're connected to the Internet you're sharing a vast network with hundreds of millions of other users. This shared network provides resources that 15 years ago were never thought possible. Unfortunately when something is shared its open to abuse. On the Internet this abuse comes from hackers and virus creators. Their sole intent is to cause chaos and/or harm to your computer system and millions of other computer systems all over the world.

How do you combat this? You need an Internet security system. This might sound complicated but your Internet security system will be quite straigtforward being comprised of just 2 - 3 Internet security products. We'll look at each of these products in more detail now:

AntiVirus Software

The first and most critical element of your Internet security system is antivirus software. If you don't have up-to-date antivirus software on your PC you're asking for trouble. 300 new viruses appear each month and if you're not constantly protecting your system against this threat your computer will become infected with at least one virus - it's only a matter of time.

Antivirus software scans your PC for signatures of a virus. A virus signature is the unique part of that virus. It can be a a file name, how the virus behaves or the size of the virus file itself. Good antivirus software will find viruses that haven't yet infected your PC and eliminate the ones that have.

Antivirus software can only protect your computer from viruses trying to infect it via email, CD-Rom, floppy disk, Word documents or other types of computer files. Antivirus software alone will not keep your computer 100% safe. You also need to use firewall software.

Firewall Software

The use of firewall software by home computer users is a relatively new occurence. All Internet connections are a two way process. Data must be sent and received by your computer. This data is sent through something called ports. These are not physical things rather aspects of the way your computer communicates online.

Firewall software watches these ports to make sure that only safe communication is happening between your computer and other computers online. If it sees something dangerous happening it blocks that port on your computer to make sure your computer stays safe from the person who is trying to hack into your system.

An easier way to understand a firewall would be to picture your computer as an apartment complex. At the front door of this complex there is a security guard. Every person who enters the complex must pass this security guard. If the security guard recognizes the person entering as a resident he allows them to pass without saying anything. If, however, the person entering the complex is unknown to him then he will stop that person and ask for identification. If they have no business being at the apartment complex he escorts them from the building.

If you are not currently using firewall software your computer will get hacked into - that's a guarantee.

PopUp Blocker

You can get a good popup blocker at no cost. An easy way to do this is to install either the Google or Yahoo toolbar. Both of these come with popup blockers built in. Popups are not necessarily dangerous but are a nuisance and using either of these toolbars will make your life that bit easier.

A simple rule for practicing online security is: "If in doubt then don't". If you don't recognize the file, the email address, the website or if your gut feeling says "no" then don't click that button.

Internet Security - How Safe is Our Worldwide Web

Are you aware that behind the scenes a depraved snake is watching, slithering through Internet security loopholes, ready to strike at any moment? Despicable, swindling crooks prey on unsuspecting victims every second of the day via our wonderful Internet.

Ahh, the Internet! What would we do without it? Need a quick answer to a question or a solution to a problem? Look it up on the Internet. Have some shopping to do and don’t want to hassle the crowds or search from store to store? No problem. Order off the Internet. Need to relax and unwind? Browse the Internet. No doubt about it, the Internet has impacted the lives of almost everyone.

A Look Behind the Scenes

Did you know when you log into the Internet, a fraudster can gather enough personal data on you to conduct monetary transfers from your banking account in a matter of seconds? You don’t even need to be browsing.

The keylogger computer virus has become one of the most serious and dangerous attacks on the Internet. It silently sits in your computer illegally recording key strokes of user names and passwords. While bank and credit card information is transmitted to the hacker, you may not even be aware you have a virus.

Computer virus attacks are increasing in frequency and complexity. Everyone who uses a computer, whether at home or at work, is exposed to more security risks than you can imagine. According to an FBI report, 90% of companies have detected Internet security incidents in the last year. Online attacks have become so widespread that unless we know how to protect ourselves, we are most certainly vulnerable to some type of personal destruction.

How to Defend Yourself

If you seriously want to be in command of your security and privacy, you need to follow these steps:

1. Get rid of any malware (virus, Trojans, worms) that lives in your PC now.

2. Protect yourself against future attacks.

3. Be aware of the tricks these hackers, scammers and snoops play.

4. Keep your personal information away from prying eyes.

It is imperative that you take some time to educate yourself. Putting it off is putting yourself at a high risk. Take advantage of our almighty worldwide Internet. You will find tons of information about spyware protection and even free downloads to see if your computer is infected. What you learn could save you from upsetting losses.

Clean up and secure your computer now. Don’t become a victim!

Internet Security Software

More and more people are taking advantage of the power of the Internet, as it is the most versatile means of communication nowadays. However, this growing popularity also has a disadvantage -- the continuous bombardment of new online threats. As cyber "criminals" see how people use the Internet for business and other personal transactions, they are enticed to do cyber crimes, such as email scams, identity theft and child solicitation. Because of this, Internet security is a big concern and a lot more people want to have Internet security software.

Internet security software is used to monitor areas of the Internet that are being accessed. A good example of this is web-filtering software. The access in these areas is blocked or limited by this software, so that anyone who wishes to use the Internet can only access those areas that are work-related and authorized sites. This software is also effective blocking specific websites, specifically pornographic sites and other specific URLs.

Antivirus software and spyware scanning software are examples of Internet security software. These provide essential virus and spyware protection from hackers, viruses and various online threats. Identity thieves and other cyber "criminals" make use of loggers and spyware in order to steal information -- from license and security numbers, to passwords and banking information. Software scans these viruses and spyware before cyber "criminals" can get any information on the Internet.

The Internet does bring many advantages to its user. But this also means risks. That is why Internet security should not be taken for granted. With viruses and spyware around, as well as cyber criminals on the loose, the Internet is not the safest place to make any transaction. It is therefore very important to have Internet security software because it is always better to be safe than sorry.

The Benefits of Internet Security on the Education Front

Online Courses Bring Advantages and Security Threats

A college education is mandatory in today’s job market. Because of this, many workers find themselves pursuing a higher education while they are employed. One way colleges are making access to education more convenient for workers is by offering a wide range of their curriculum via online courses. This growing trend brings with it all the advantages and disadvantages associated with Internet connectivity.

One of the main advantages to students is easy access to their coursework at all hours of the day and night. In fact, online classes can usually accommodate any work schedule. The ease of communication with the instructor is another reason online courses are so popular. Still another important advantage is that online courses can be accessed easily from any public commuter with an Internet connection, like those you might find at universities or in public libraries.

Colleges and universities support this trend toward online classes because they can attract more students and increase revenue without incurring the overhead associated with a classroom full of students.

However, as with any trend, there is a downside to this rapid increase in online education. Chief among the challenges institutions face is the need to defend against Internet-based threats. These threats are inherent in Web access and include instant messaging and peer-to-peer file sharing, spyware and phishing attacks, a wide-range of objectionable Web content and human nature itself.

MySpace.com

Examples of human corruption as a source of Internet-based threats are everywhere. The Internet is rife with everything from the criminality of hacking and phishing attacks to the irritation of surreptitious spyware agents. The most dangerous threat is from predators who often target young people, the very ones who are likely using computers at schools and libraries. In a recent scandal involving MySpace.com, a predator was tracking the movements of teenaged girls via their myspace.com postings. Predators on the Internet have been present since the beginning of Internet technology. They fish in chat rooms, message boards and e-mail. Even if the unsuspecting public is aware of the dangers posed by predators, the need for Internet security is essential in any strategy for defending against Web-based threats. This becomes even more critical when an educational site is vulnerable to attack.

Colleges provide their own websites, message boards, blogs and email addresses. When a phisher or hacker or a predator with hacking skills is able to breach the unsecured network of a college, it leaves more than just intellectual property open for perusal. And if external threats to the students and the network were not enough, a system administrator at a college also has to deal with the actions of the students as well.

The Hazards of Downloading

Computer access in the college library is very common even on the smallest of community college campuses. Students unaware of security threats can easily surf a number of questionable websites, downloading objectionable material and leaving a network vulnerable by visiting a chat room or opening an instant message with a skillful hacker on the other end.

Through any of these means an unprotected network can be at risk for backdoor programs, viruses and hackers. Defending against these threats is important for network security, student safety and the college’s reputation. An unsecured network is easy prey for an experienced hacker and the last thing a college can afford is to have a student’s personal information or worse, financial information compromised.

Reputation and Integrity

Colleges rely on their reputations and integrity to distinguish their institutions in a crowded field. Their reputation is comprised of many elements including student success rates and faculty expertise. The integrity of a college’s network security can directly impact student enrollment because any decline in a school’s good reputation can spread like wildfire. Schools with diminished reputations can see enrollment fall off as parents and students alike find other schools with better reputations.

This situation doesn’t just affect colleges, it also applies to local schools and school districts where networks, computers in classroom and wireless connections are becoming more common. Even more compelling, protecting young children is more critical for schools than even their reputations.

Utilizing proper filtering hardware and software can protect the integrity of the educational institution as well as their security and by extension, the security of the students. Filtering hardware can prevent students from accessing unsafe websites or questionable ones. It can prevent downloading of materials, backdoor programs and worms.

The Obvious Solution

With the use of filtering hardware, schools can protect ports into their network exploited by instant messaging programs and more. When it comes right down to it, educational institutions are negligent if they do not employ the right network security. With so many potential problems waiting to prey on the unsuspecting and unsecured network, filtering hardware is the obvious answer.

Psychological Internet Security: Drawing a Spider to the Web

Even if everyone knew exactly what they wanted and where to get it on the internet, they would not be safe from this. While antivirus solutions and computer protection software are evolving to identify these scams, many are still evading internet security solutions. These scams can affect everyone and can be summed up in one word: Pharming.

While you have probably heard about pharming as well as the dangers that come from surfing to sites containing pornography, warez (illegal downloads) and other underground-related sites, pharming can virtually affect any topic of any industry. As long as sensitive information can be extracted from you, pharming scams will be developed. After all, people can act like lemmings on the internet; one by one, they will stumble into the pharming scam and do exactly what the scam artists want them to do.

So you're probably wondering what pharming is and how it can compromise your computer protection and internet security. Simply put, it is like an evolved form of phishing. Instead of the scam artists trying to convince you to visit a fraudulent site, they just build tons of fraudulent sites and let you visit them through redirection tactics. While the details of these redirection tactics are beyond the scope of this article, it is important to know that financially-related websites are the primary targets of pharming scams.

As you can understand, it is extremely difficult to identify pharming scams because you have no idea when you visit one. But is this really the case? For many, the warnings literally pop up in front of their eyes, but they have simply trained themselves to ignore the computer protection and internet security signs. The question is, are you one of these people?

Answer this: have you ever browsed to a place where you are greeted with an internet security warning stating you just entered a site with an unsigned certificate? If you have, did you simply agree to view the site and not even bother to wonder why there was an unsigned certificate internet security warning? Well, that warning box could mean the loss of your identity if you are not careful enough. For scammers to set up these pharming websites, they try to duplicate every aspect of the real site as possible, including the certificates. If you ignore these unsigned certificate warnings and enter your personal information, you literally send it all to the scammers.

To help identify these scams, click File > Properties in your browser and make sure the website is an actual domain name instead of an IP address. Simply looking at the address bar of a pharming site is not enough, for scammers have ways to cloak it. Also, make sure that yellow lock is in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser window. That lock signifies SSL, which means your information is being transferred over a securely encrypted channel.

When it comes to additional computer protection and internet security, grab a free legitimate anti-phishing toolbar. Also make sure to install the most current updates for your antivirus software.

In the end, remember internet security and computer protection means using common sense and judgment when surfing the web. For any sites that require you to enter personal information, make sure you analyze the website like discussed above. In spending the additional time it takes to do this, you will dramatically increase your computer protection and online security, all without spending a penny.

The Many Uses of An Internet Security Camera

An Internet security camera is one of the newest innovations in surveillance. You can install it yourself because it is such a simple set up. All you need is your IP address and password to access your camera feed from anywhere that you have Internet access available. But many people do not realize how different it is than the basic security camera system because of the number of things it could be used for.

Imagine leaving your children at home alone for the first time and being able to keep an eye on their activities. If your children are not old enough to be home alone yet, you could monitor your babysitter to make sure that she is taking good care of your children while you are away. Of course, as long as you have a laptop with you, your vacations could be a lot more relaxed when you can get a live feed of your home from anywhere in the world. This is a just a small example of all of the things you could do with an Internet security camera.

If you own a business, you could set up your Internet security camera system in your shop or office to keep an eye on your employees or customers from the comfort of your own home. Of course they will be on their best behavior when you are present, but this way you can see what happens when you aren't there. It's a great way to know who you can trust, as opposed to who is being dishonest.

In addition to the great things it could do, it is not very expensive to buy and you can save money on paying for the installation. Almost anyone could benefit from an Internet security camera, whether it's for security of your home and belongings or just keeping an eye on your family.

Some Common Internet Security Terms Explained

Spam:

Spam is the general name for unsolicited electronic messages. It is most commonly seen as email but also occurs in almost all other digital formats including SMS, blogs and instant messaging. The term ‘spam’ is generally thought to have originated from a Monty Python Sketch where almost every item on the menu contains SPAM (the canned meat). This makes reference to World War II when SPAM was one of the few foods widely available. The excessive use of the term during the sketch has consequently led to the term being widely used to describe bulk and unwanted mail.

Phishing:

This is a scam where the criminal poses as someone else in order to steal information from the victim. The most common is in the form of a email sent to the victim(s) asking to ‘confirm your bank details by clicking the link’. The link will usually direct the victim to a fake site similar where they will enter personal information. The criminal will then use this information to commit some other fraud like steal you money and even your identity. Genuine companies will never ask for any personal information so never give your details in this form. It is very easy to copy a genuine website and make it appear exactly like the site you would expect. Always enter the web address manually into the address bar, or call the company to check and report the scam.

Pharming:

This is similar to phishing but more dangerous because the criminal is able to redirect you from a legitimate website to their fake site without you knowing, even if you type the address manually. It is done through a process called ‘DNS cache poisoning where the criminal is able to trick the local servers into providing you with a different website to the one you asked for. It is like changing the street signs to send traffic down the wrong street. Most websites that ask for personal information will have a small padlock in the lower right corner. You can check if the site is real by clicking the padlock to view the sites security certificate.

Joe- job:

This is a type of spam where the sender poses as someone else in order to damage their reputation. It is usually done by a business to a competitor in order to damage their reputation and steal their customers. For example Yahoo could pose as Google and send out billions of unsolicited email saying ‘We will now be charging to use our search engine” or something similar. The receiver would assume this has originated from Google and probably stop using the product. They may also report Google as a spammer which would result in further damage and possible fines. The same can be done by posing as someone else on forums and even the phone. Unfortunately it is currently very hard to pick a Joe- job but steps are being taken to help identify the sender of any email which will make it easier to track.

Evil Twin:

Criminals set up a wireless network posing as a legitimate network. The idea is to trick users into thinking it is a trusted network and connecting. Once connected the criminal can track online activity and possibly steal files.

Spyware:

This is a piece of software that secretly gathers information about the user. Spyware can track the websites you visit and even the keystrokes you make. This information can be used for advertising and marketing purposes but can also be used for criminal purposes. Spyware can be part of another program you buy or download, but can also come from email attachments and websites you visit. Luckily there are a range of products available to find and remove spyware,

Adware:

This is a piece of software on your computer that automatically displays advertising material. Some adware is straight forward about what it is, such as a free file sharing programs that displays ads while you use it. Others are more like a virus and will open at unexpected times and are hard to remove. Adware may also work with spyware and send you targeted ads based on the information the spyware is collecting.

Viruses:

Viruses or worms are software that generally has not purpose except to cause damage. Some viruses attack files while others will replicate to use up memory and other resources. Some viruses can even send emails without you knowing so they can infect other computers. Viruses are very hard to identify but most are controlled with anti virus software. It is usually the newest viruses that are most damaging because there is no cure. To help protect yourself you should never open email attachments without knowing what they are.

The Four Letter Word Called "SPAM" That Drives Us All Nuts

There are many four letter words in the English language that we will scold our children for saying but few will drive us to madness as quickly as the four letter word spam. I know that I have had people tell me that the telemarketer that I am rude enough to hang up on is just doing his/her job and trying to make a living but my immediate thought is let him/her call someone else because I am not interested in the least in what he/she has to say. I hate telemarketers and I hate spam. Spam has one thing that telemarketing does not however; it can carry viruses or other nasty things to infect my computer.

There is one clue to spam, never, and I repeat, never respond to spam. This only lets the sender know that it is a real email address and then he or she can add you to other unwanted spam lists. Even if they have the opt out button, do not respond. This is more than likely still a trick and a clever way to get you on a growing list of other spammers.

There are several purchasable programs to block spam from your computer. Some of them get rid of the spam so it never reaches a nose wherever they may be. Some of the purchasable programs make the spam go straight to the "junk folder." One of the more popular ones is called "SpamNet." You can download it for free but after the free trial period it does cost four dollars per month. All of the information about the spam received is collected and forwarded to the company. This information is then used to improve the program's ability to protect you from spam.

If you are someone that does not like to pay for a spam blocker there are things that your ISP furnishes. A major ISP can guard against the same spam as any purchased spam killer can. It can take an ISP a little longer to determine which email is all right to let in and which one to keep out. Certain ISP providers have specific spam killers unique to them such as: EarthLink has SpamBlocker, United Online which is the parent company of Juno, NetZero, and BlueLight uses content filters that scans and recognizes key words in the body as well as the subject line. MSN Premium, MSN Plus, and Hotmail use a Microsoft filtering tool that you train as to what emails to accept. You can have it accept emails based on your address book. SBC Yahoo has an Anti Spam Resource center that personalizes the filter for each individual computer. It also uses a Blackhole List. This detects and stops spam servers and can block any computer on their network that sends out large quantities of emails.

There are several typical spam email types. The emails look official and trustworthy. There is the "foreign country" email where they offer to transfer lots of money into your bank account if you pay the taxes or fees to access their money. They ask for your bank account numbers or other information. Another one is "Phishing." This one can be an email or a pop up. It claims that your information needs to be updated. It is never a good idea to just click on a link to a site from an email or pop up. It is best to go there on your own, even if it says that your account will be frozen or discontinued. Another popular one is the "Work at Home" offer. Usually these offers have hidden costs and if you pay them and get started working for them they will usually refuse to pay stating that your work is substandard.

The biggest way to ending spam is to ignore them. Also, be careful what web sites you sign up for a free email to be notified of free offers. Always make sure that you read the small print so you know if they are going to respect your privacy

A Guide to Computer Security

As the number of people connecting to the Internet continues to increase at a rapid pace, more and more of us are now creating our own home computer networks.

With these we can enjoy the benefits of having high bandwidth, instant access to the Internet and make this connection available to multiple computers in and around the home.

But for those unfamiliar with computer security, they are completely unaware of the risks they may be exposing their computer to.

Without implementing a proper computer security solution, your computer may become infected with viruses, spyware, and/or adware. These are all forms of malware than can play a part in rendering a computer unusable, destroy valuable information your storing, provide complete control of a computer to another person, allow someone to steal the information on your computer, record your keystrokes and give a 3rd party access to your online bank account, allow someone to use your computer to attack a computer belonging to somebody else, etc.

And if you opted for a wireless network, you could be sharing out your Internet connection to your neighbors or that person who has been sitting outside your house in the car for the last few hours. What is more, you are increasing the risk of exposing your own computer to hackers as a result.

So What Are The Basics of Computer Security?

1. Make sure that the link between you and the Internet is safe.

You need to have a hardware firewall installed between you and the Internet. Most recent devices that connect you to the Internet have one built in, but in any case you need to make sure that what you have is a stateful firewall.

It should give your computer full access to the Internet, but block all traffic trying to access your network when originated from the Internet side.

2. Secure your Internet router.

Change the administrator password and if possible the administrative account name as well. Everyone who has bought that device will know what the default account and password is, so you must change these and make them difficult to guess. This is especially important if you have a wireless network.

3. Install anti-virus software on your computer.

Make sure it scans the computer for viruses at least once a week. Keep the software up to date and make sure that the virus definitions are updated every day. Also make sure that this is monitoring the computer all the time to help prevent it being infected in the first place.

4. Install a personal firewall on your computer.

Not only should this help limit the damage malware can do to your computer, but it should also reduce the chances of this spreading to other computers. Get in the habit of checking the dialogues that you are prompted with and only allow Internet access to applications that really need it

5. Install anti-spyware software on your computer.

Make sure it fully scans your computer for spyware at least every week. Keep the software up to date and make sure that the definitions are updated every day. Also make sure that this monitors your computer all the time.

6. Keep up to date with the security patches for your Operating System.

Microsoft release security updates for Windows every month. However, make sure your computer is configured to automatically check for downloads every day and at a time when your computer is most likely to be turned on.

7. Secure your wireless network.

Do not broadcast your SSID (Service Set IDentifier). Although it can be learned by someone who is determined, there is no point making things easy. So make sure this is disabled.
Restrict access to your wireless network based on the MAC (Media Access Control) address of your computer. Yes, these can be faked, once known, but why make things simple?
Implement WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) or WPA2, if you can, to further secure your wireless network. And use a pre-shared key which is not easy to guess.

Conclusion

Although, you can never make a computer 100% secure, the objective is to put as many obstacles in the way and put off the casual hacker.

So by following these 7 basic steps you will have a more secure computing environment.

And remember, by implementing proper computer security on our own computer, we are making the Internet a safer place to surf for everyone.

Free Virus Protection Software, What Is It, Where to Get It and How To Use It

Free virus protection software is a great thing. There are many places on the internet where you can download this protection. Sometimes you can find 30 day trials and sometimes you can find it totally free.

However, users beware!

So, why is that you say? Well there are a few reasons for this. The first one is very simple. Not all software is created equal. Every virus scanner software is different in nature. Some will catch viruses while others may totally miss certain types of viruses. The reason is because it depends on how well the software was written first of all and how aware the company who made the software is about viruses and other types of things that can harm your computer. You need to understand this if you want to keep your computer protected all the time.

Ok, so how do you get around this? It's simple. Let's say you already have a virus software package on your computer. Ok, that's a great start. But you need to remember the above statement and use another virus solution also. This is where a free virus scanner comes into the picture. There are many free scanners online however you need to once again understand that not all of them are created equal. So you may want to try a few out and see which one works best for you.

Having some kind of protection on your computer is critical to keeping your information safe. Viruses get trickier all the time, and understand that new viruses are being written every day. They are being written stronger all the time. So, if you have any virus protection software you need to keep it updated at least once a week. Doing so will make sure you have the latest virus definitions available to keep your computer safe.

Now with all of this in mind, remember that you goal is to keep your data safe from hackers and viruses. So, below I am going to list out a free and simple way to do this is you are on a budget.

Please keep in mind that this is a free and simple way to help keep you protected and not necessarily the best solution for your computer system. However before I do so, let me give you one last piece of advice. Do you have a cable internet connection? If you do, have you ever sat there and watched your cable modem lights? If you haven't you should at least once.

You computer has many ports that connect to the internet. Some may be open and some may be blocked by default. However, it is these ports where a hacker can access your computer if they are left open. Now sit there for a bit and watch your cable modem. Does the data light blink over and over and you aren't even doing anything to your computer?

Well here is the skinny. That data light blinking over and over again could just be some software you have on your computer trying to connect with a server or it could be a hacker trying to connect with your computer. You see, these hackers can scan thousands of ip addresses at once. What is an ip address? It is the address to your computer. Just like your house has an address, so does your computer. And these hackers can scan for ip addresses in minutes.

If they find one open they can then try and get into the computer system. Make no mistake it does happen everyday. So the problem is if you get a Trojan horse virus on your computer. This is one very effective program that a hacker can see and communicate with to try and break into your computer system. This is reason number one why you need protection. Ok, enough said about that. Now onto what to do if you are on a budget and cannot afford anti virus software.

1. Visit housecall.antivirus.com and download the online scanner. Run it on your computer once a week. Run it twice a week if you use your computer all the time.

2. Download AVG antivirus software. You can search for it on the web under AVG anti virus. The free version is a very nice program for protecting your computer.

Remember to run both of these at least once a week. Again, you are doing this because it goes back to not all software was created equal. The last step is. When you can afford it move up to a paid anti virus solution and keep running the free anti virus online scanner also. This information will help keep your computer system protected, now don't just sit there, go try it out.

Where to Find Free Spyware Removal

The bad news is that spyware is everywhere on the internet and you could have it on your computer right now. The good news is there are free spy ware removal tools for your computer that are easy to find.

There are several programs available online that you can download that will assist in detecting and eradicating spyware from your computer. My personal favorite is download.com, which is a great and trusted source for software downloads. Simply choose from an array of free programs, download and install and you're on your way. Be sure to read the comments from previous users to help you decide which one to use.

What if you don't want to download an actual program to your computer to scan for spyware files? Well, you are in luck because there are sites out there that will help you out but those are much harder to find.

Free spyware removal sites generally are fronts. Many of these sites will scan your computer but you won't be able to remove them unless you download the program that they are promoting, usually at a cost. Some of these sites will even put spyware onto your computer to increase the numbers on your computer and make you think that you need the program much more desperately than you did a few moments earlier.

It is for this reason that you are much better off trying to find a program of your own to download and use at your own leisure. Most of these programs are small, easy to download and take up very little memory on your computer.

According to download.com, the best programs available are Spybot and Bazooka Adware. Both of these programs boast strong user reviews and features which will help knock out your spyware. Other great programs that I can recommend to readers out there would be Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor.

Both of these programs are very well programmed to update automatically to protect you against the latest forms of spyware that have found their ways online. I have Spyware Doctor installed on my computer at this moment and I have yet to find a single complaint about it.

Naturally not all programs out there are going to be useful or even helpful to you. You should always do some checking on each program to find out what its pros and cons are. If you are still in doubt, check the publisher's site and really take a close look at the details of each program to find out if it's right for you.

If all else fails, ask around. Chances are you already know someone who can help you with your search for a good scanner and then you'll be on your way to safe surfing.

Minimize Computer Virus Threats

Every computer user dreads the moment when a virus will manage to penetrate the computer system and become the uninvited party crasher. In an effort to minimize the probability of having to experience such a stressful moment, most computer users have now installed in their computer's memory, software programs that act as shields against such malicious threats. These defenders, called antivirus software programs are designed to recognize and thus prevent malicious computer code from being executed without the user's knowledge or permission. Most of today's computer users have at least one antivirus system installed in their computer's hard disk.

Just like mothers advise their children to dress warmly and drink lots of fluids, like orange juices which contain high quantities of Vitamin C, in order to protect their health during the cold winter season, so should a computer user take good care of his or her personal CPU. First, it is important to be aware of the different types of viruses that exist and also to know how they work. But most importantly, one has to keep his or her computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools. Knowing which the recent threats are is not enough. It is of immense significance to frequently update the antivirus program installed and to follow some simple basic rules when surfing the Internet, downloading files, and opening attachments. According to those who had suffered from malicious code, it does not matter what is the type of virus that your computer has been infected with, or through which method it was led to your computer's hard-disk, as it is critical for you to be able to remove it and to prevent any further damage from taking place.

Towards that direction, computer developers have developed antivirus software systems, Internet firewalls, and antispyware programs. Each of these methods can decrease the possibility of a computer being affected by a dangerous virus, but nothing can 100 percent guarantee that a computer will stay virus-free forever. The only thing one can do towards that direction, is to continue improving his or her computer's security by keeping the firewall system up-to-date and maintaining a current antivirus software subscription. Following the generally accepted guidelines, of never opening an email attachment coming from an unknown sender or to avoid downloading programs from not-trusted sources, can lead to a safer online navigation. These simple rules, along with the performing frequent system updates and keeping backup data files, might be the only methods computer users have so as to continue enjoying a virus-free life.

Keep in mind that as the Internet threats continue to increase in number and complexity, some of the best antivirus programs, like Norton and McAfee, quickly respond to the justifiable consumer need to keep their computer environment secure. New and improved features enable these enhanced versions of to detect, then quarantine and finally remove malicious code, which can harm computer files and/or disrupt a variety of computer functions.

PC Virus Threats

As the Internet threats continue to increase in number and complexity, some of the best antivirus programs, like Norton and McAfee, quickly respond to the justifiable consumer need to keep their computer environment secure. New and improved features enable these enhanced versions of antivirus and antispyware programs to detect, then quarantine and finally remove malicious code, which can harm computer files and/or disrupt a variety of computer functions.

Computer viruses are software programs deliberately designed to interfere with the usual computer operations, by recording, transmitting, corrupting, or deleting data. Some of these malicious programs also have the ability to copy themselves to other computer systems and thus spread to new unaffected computer units, much alike a human virus does. Since the introduction of the Internet, these dangerous software programs have increased in number and frequency, causing people to take measures against them. Nobody wishes to experience the frustration and anxiety of having to find ways to retrieve precious personal or business-related data, which most of the times are damaged severely or lost forever. In fact, the computer viruses can be of any form. They range from annoying software programs that run during setup mode and decrease a computer's ability to function properly by slowing things down or causing problems during an otherwise simple process, to complex destructive programs that may lead to the complete deletion of a computer's memory or other important components' distraction.

The most common way of getting a virus is from an email attachment, which is a file connected to an email message. Ranging from a simple Word or Excel file and images in JPEGs or GIFs formats, to any other type of file, even small computer programs, viruses travel through the cyberspace generating distraction and annoyance among all computer holders. The most annoying thing of all is that usually everything begins from an unwary computer user who shares the malicious file with others without even knowing it. In fact, even those wary computer savvies can be mislead, as some of the viruses existing today are extremely sophisticated forms of malicious software programs that run at the background of other computer programs, kwon also as worms. Alarmingly, these more advanced virus forms can replicate and send themselves automatically to other computers by controlling other software programs, such as an email sharing application.

The antivirus and antispyware programs, by scanning the files your computer's operating system creates, opens, closes or emails, is able to inform you in case a known virus is detected and attempts to enter your system. After the most recent forms of highly dangerous viruses called Trojans, for one to achieve consistent success in the medium to long term, it is necessary to keep his or her system fully patched via frequent downloads of updated virus dictionary entries

Easily and Quickly Hide Your Files and Folders

In the last few years, the number of computer users has definitely increased multifold. We now use computers to save all kinds of details of official as well personal nature.

However, the types and number of crimes related to computers have also risen simultaneously. This has caused a leading number of users to search for an effective solution for protection of the information stored on their computers.

How important is it to use protection software?

Today, one of the most common ways to commit frauds is by stealing another user's information from his or her computer using various techniques. Users normally do not take many precautions while storing personal information on their computers. This leaves them highly vulnerable to hackers who are always on a lookout for opportunities to steal such personal details.

Hence, it becomes extremely important for a user to use appropriate privacy protection software to safeguard his interests.

Is it easy to use the software?

Modern computer software is especially deigned with such users in view who are not very skilled at using computers. There is special privacy protection software available for hiding your folders and file so that no unauthorized user can view your private and important documents, pictures and the like.

However, the best part is that such software now comes with very well explained features that help you in hiding your folders and files. At each step in the process of hiding your information, proper help is available and the process becomes very easy.

In fact, if you are using software that you have purchased from an internet supplier, you can also avail of the facility of interactive help wherein you can actually clarify your queries from the vendor directly. This in turn makes the process far easier and you reduce the chances of committing any errors in properly hiding your folders and files.

About privacy protection software

There are plenty of options available in the market for good privacy protection software. The best way to choose appropriate privacy protection software is to conduct some research on the internet to analyze various options. Many internet suppliers now offer good folder hiding software along with an option of a trial version. This trial version can be downloaded free of cost for a limited period and installed on your computer. Once the trial period is over, you must purchase the software from the vendor.

Another option is to contact your nearest computer software provider who will then suggest various other options to you.

What Are Anti Virus Software, Anti Spyware Software, Computer Firewalls and What Can They Do For You

Now that most people use the internet these days, it is a very good idea to make sure that you have good quality computer security software installed and protecting your computer. Anti virus software, anti spyware software and having a hardware or software firewall are now essential for everyone using a computer and here is an explanation why this is so.

Anti Virus software protects your computer from virus threats that can contaminate your computer and can slow down your computer, damage your files or even damage your computers hard drive requiring you to reformat your hard drive and needing to reinstall your operating system in order to get things back to normal. So as you can see anti virus software is an essential thing to have if you want to keep your computer healthy and free from viruses.

It is not enough just to install the anti virus software however, you will also need to keep it up to date in order to protect your computer from new anti virus threats, fortunately this is easy to do as most anti virus software programs let you update their anti virus files over the internet.

So what is anti spyware software exactly? Well anti spyware software is another kind of security program which protects your computer against all kinds of undesirables, such as spyware, keystroke loggers, malware, tracking cookies, dialers, trojans and unwanted commercial software. All of these things should be removed from your computer so that your computer security is not compromised. A good quality antispyware software program will protect your identity from unscrupulous people, hackers and fraudsters so that you can have peace of mind.

A computer firewall is either a software program or a hardware device which only allows authorised users to access your computer system and stops all unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the internet or a network. So a firewall stops malicious users from accessing your system and this is absolutely essential if you use the internet, especially if you have an always on broadband connection on your computer. So which is better to have a software firewall or a hardware firewall? Well a software firewall will give you good firewall protection, but the absolute best firewall to have is a hardware one because this is even harder to get past for a malicious user.

So in summary, if you do not already have an antivirus program, an anti spyware program and a firewall, then you really should look into getting these things as they will save you a lot of hassle and worry in the future.

Backing Up Your Email Files - Crucial Procedure

If you frequently email friends, family, co-workers, customers, or your business associates, what better idea than to backup your email files. Backing up your email files can prevent you from losing very important information.

Types of email:

You may be working with one of a variety of email programs. Some of these email programs include: Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, or web-based email such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Google, Excite, and many others. All of these programs have different ways to go about backing up email files.

Backing up your email:

In order to figure out how to backup your files with the program you are using, it is as easy enough as clicking on the "help" menu of the program for detailed instructions. If you want a temporary backup of a specific email file that is important, but do not have the time or means to do so at the given time, you can always back that file up by sending it from the email address it was created in to another email address that you own. For example, if the file was created in Microsoft Outlook on your company's work computer, you can simply forward that email and any attachments to your home email perhaps on a web-based server like Yahoo.

Why backup your email?

There are several unfortunate circumstances that may occur that will cause you to lose important emails. For example, you may accidentally delete the email file yourself. Or, your computer can crash due to a bad virus, spyware, or malware. When you get your computer back online, you may find that the perpetrator caused you to lose all of your files. Even simple things such as a power outage or lightening storm could cause damage to your computer, and in turn, cause you to lose important email files. For these and other reasons, you should definitely back up your important email files.

Where should you keep your email backup files?

Depending on what email program you are using, it may be capable of exporting the email files to a directory that you can later burn on a CD using a CD-ROM drive. You can also move the files to an external hard drive. If you are very particular, you can even print out hard copies of your important email files and store them someplace safe.

How often should you backup your important email files?

The answer to this question is: As often as you would like to. This is simply personal preference. If you have no significant emails one week, then you may want to ignore the process that week. However, if you get a lot of important email, you will want to consider backing it up very frequently. You could even do it daily or weekly if you choose to. Remember: the more you take care to keep your information safe, the less of a chance that you will end up with the hassle of losing it!

Get Complete Privacy Protection from Innovative Software Solutions

In the recent years, life has become immensely easy for the common person who wants to carry out some basic operations through the computer. These include storage of some information and communication through emails and chat programs.

With the increase in number of computer users, the allied products available for them have also increased. Today the market offers a vast variety of software that helps an individual to effectively use the computer for his needs.

What does privacy protection software do?

Privacy protection software is one of the latest offerings of the computer software market.

Privacy protection software is meant to apply certain settings on your computer that will help you to save the important information from unauthorized users. We often save such information, pictures or even music files on our computers, which we do not want others to view. We want to hide them from public view, so that even our colleagues, roommates, children or other family members cannot view them.

The most important feature of protection software is the way in which it hides the folders. None of the users can even identify that a certain folder or file has been hidden somewhere in the computer. All possible traces of these are removed from every application of the computer. As a result, even the best of experts cannot manage to trace such hidden information on your computer.

Another main utility is the easy to use and secure features, which make it possible even for a person with minimal computer knowledge to use the software. The settings can be applied very easily on the folders. For security purposes, you can also apply locks and passwords on the hidden folders, so that no one else can operate upon them, not even hackers.

Who uses privacy protection software?

Such software is now being increasingly used by all usage groups. In an office environment, people often do not want the other colleagues or subordinates to view certain files and folders they save on the computer. Even at home, we save such material, which we do not want our children or other family members to view.

These could include our financial details, critical business information, personal details, photographs, videos, music files and the like.

Where is it available?

You can visit the various websites on the internet offering such privacy protection software. Many internet suppliers offer this software in various forms, having different features. Another alternative is to contact your local computer software provider who will be able to suggest you some good options.

In fact, most of the internet suppliers of such software offer a free of cost trial version of the software. This can be downloaded and installed on the computer. The trial version is available for a fixed period, usually lasting up to 20 days.

Wireless Network Security: Protecting Your Router

A wireless router is a great idea for networking computers that are not right next to each other. However, having a wireless router can pose a large threat to your computers' security. Take a look at how you can protect your wireless network from spyware, malware, viruses, and third party invasions.

The benefits of a wireless router:

There are a wide variety of reasons to use a wireless networking router. First of all, it is fairly inexpensive, simple to set up and use, and gives the user a great deal of mobility options. There are no messy cables connecting one computer to another or to a cable modem. Having a wireless router is like having computer freedom. But as with all freedoms, you will typically find yourself trying to protect it.

How does your wireless network router become insecure?

Well, think about it this way: the signal that a wireless router gives off will typically go far beyond your home or your office. Because of this fact, anyone in the vicinity of your area who has access to a slightly powerful antenna and some common hacking software can scan all of the data in your network. And to make matters worse, this person does not even have to be in a stationary position where you might easily spot him or her. No, he or she can simply be passing by your home or office in a car!

So, how can you protect your wireless network from hackers?

There are several things that you can do to make your wireless network more secure. One thing is that you can look at the access point on your router. It may allow you to control the strength of your router's signal and the direction in which the signal can go. You can test out how low you can make the signal so that it can still work in your home or office. Be aware though, that some experienced hackers do have software to detect all signals. So you do have the chance of encountering something like that.

Another thing you can do is to password-protect your router. Typically, when you set up your wireless router, the software you install gives you a password. Well, of course the hackers are aware of this. So, check with the particular brand of router that you have and find out how to change that password. This will make it much more difficult for hackers to get in.

You can also put a limit on the number of user addresses that you have on your wireless network router. This means that you can assign only enough addresses as you need to give to your valid users. This means of protection works very well, because if everyone in your home or business logs on, but some people can't connect to the network, then you have proof that someone is illegally logging on to your wireless network router.

Make sure that you take the time to make your network secure. It is worth the hassles that you may encounter otherwise

Beware The Trojan Horse

This article has been written because I recently read a short quote which made me stop in my tracks and take heed. What was the quote, it went like this Trojan Horse is it a Greek myth or your computer nemesis. I hope that this article will help to clarify matters.

We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses into your computer.

The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasnt been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their free, attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments.

When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious ones can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please.

To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines.

1 Remain diligent

Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.

2 Ensure that your operating system is always up to date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential.

3 Install reliable anti virus software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the anti virus program that you choose can also scan e mails and files downloaded through the internet.

4 Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti virus software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer.

Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computers security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.

There is of course a lot more information out there on this subject. Your local bookstore and library will have some useful articles on this, and I have seen a number of helpful Blogs on this as well.

Wireless Home Network Heaven or HELL

It would seem that just about everyone either has or wants a wireless network these days. The advantages are obvious: Being able to connect more than one PC or laptop to the internet in different parts of your home and having the flexibility to sit in the garden on a nice summer's day and do some work. The disadvantages are not so obvious.

FREE INTERNET ACCESS:

The really scary part about running an unsecured wireless network is just how easily it can be accessed. I had a client who recently bought a new Wi-Fi-enabled notebook and loved how it let him browse the Web for "free" from his house, blissfully unaware until I made it known to him, that he was in fact accessing his neighbor's wireless network.

Its actually quite common in cities for people with Wi-Fi-enabled notebooks to get this kind of free online service, making their neighbors wonder why their Internet connection isn't as fast as it used to be?

There seems to be some kinda 60s "make love not war?" ideology being bandied around the internet at the moment that its such a cool thing to make your network accessible, free for "the people", kinda thing. Burn your bra if it makes you happy but make sure you secure your network!

THE DANGERS:

Beyond the issue of bandwidth theft, the dangers of using an unsecured wireless network are ever present and growing at an alarming rate. Hackers often use this free Web access to e-mail threats or transmit other illegal material that will ultimately be traced to your network. No it doesn?t just happen in the movies or in The U.S.

I recently had a client here in The Hague who had his connection closed down by his internet service provider as his laptop was being used as a spam server, sending out hundreds of illegal emails offering all kinds of services every day. Oh, and he still has to pay his monthly connection fee even though he cannot access the internet.

These free-riders are not just looking for free Web access, either.
Using whats known as the "evil twin attack", a hacker can turn his laptop into an access point on your network, giving him the ability to eavesdrop on all the data transmitted through your unsecured network.

PROTECTION:

To protect yourself, enable encryption on your network. WPA encryption is the best, but WEP is still better than nothing, even though software is available online to help hackers bypass it. You should also change your wireless access point's SSID (the name of your wireless network) and password from its defaults since many factory settings are known to hackers.

SOFTWARE:

There are a number of software solutions to help with wireless security although most of them have their flaws but do offer a certain level of protection depending on your needs and budget

Crime Prevention Taken Seriously in Minneapolis

Even though the crime rates have been steadily falling from the 1990’s, some of the bigger cities across the nation have to still contend with a growing crime rate. While the government officials are doing their best, crime related problems continue to persist due to the ever-growing population in these urban centers. So fighting crime is a battle that must be waged continuously day after day by law enforcement agencies against elements of anarchy and social unrest.

With population currently hovering around 400,000, Minneapolis, Minnesota keeps its emergency services constantly busy with requests for aid and assistance. It has been estimated that over a 1,000 emergency calls are received and processed every day by the police, EMT and fire departments.

However, it is not possible to immediately respond to all calls due to budget constraints and the sheer reality of the situation. They give first priority to the calls involving life threatening problems. Then they prioritize the less severe calls for assistance and process them in the most logical manner to provide the best possible service.

During the busiest of times, it can take over an hour before a cop is even dispatched. Four factors must be met before an incoming call is put into a low priority status: 1. no immediate threat to life 2. no injuries 3. no ongoing criminal action and 4. the offender is not in the immediate area and is not expected to return.

Minneapolis devised this method of prioritization of incoming calls in order to handle crime more expediently. It is effective because it reduces the chances of spending time and energy on low priority calls. Moreover, they can focus their resources to handle ongoing crimes quickly and effectively. These strategies are all part of the new CODEFOR plan.

CODEFOR stands for Computer Optimized Deployment—Focus on Results. All sections of the police force are involved in this new crime reduction initiative and it involves four basic ideas: 1. accurate and timely intelligence on crime that is occurring 2. rapid deployment of personnel and resources in appropriate circumstances 3. effective tactics and 4. relentless follow-up and assessment.

Minneapolis is also using the "Watch Your Car" program to help reduce car theft. This is a voluntary program on the part of registered owners who must sign a release form stating that they are not normally driving their vehicle between 1-5 a.m. and therefore give police permission to pull their car over should it be seen on the road during these hours.

Reflective stickers are provided to the participants to be pasted on the vehicles. The police identify the vehicles by these stickers and have the right to pull over the vehicle even if no crime has been witnessed. Thus far, the citizens are finding this radical program effective and the results of this program seem to please all sides.

The Minneapolis Police Department is doing its best in fighting crime and in contributing to building a safer community for its citizens. The community as a whole is also committed to fighting crime thereby ensuring a safe environment for those wishing to relocate to the city of Minneapolis

Spyware Trial ware How To Spot A Good One

If you've been one of the unfortunate individuals whose system is plagued with Spyware problems, looking for a solution can be a daunting task. There are many programs out there that claim to help erase Spyware from your computer. The temptation for most would be to find a free solution such as freeware or shareware to erase the problem. No one wants to spend money unnecessarily and a quick search online will reveal both free software packages as well as moderate to heavily priced solutions that promise to help you with this aggravating problem.

Spyware is aggravating indeed. It slows down your computer and fills your screen with needless advertisements and pop-ups. It might be resetting your homepage relentlessly or could even be flooding your screen with pornographic images. No one wants their children to have such things appear on the screen while they're playing a game or doing their homework. Spyware can render your computer practically useless because it uses most of your memory and resources to run and do damage.

Spyware can be worse than aggravating though. It can be downright malicious. Spyware programs that infest your computer can be doing more than slowing it down and annoying you with advertisements. Spyware publishers could be sifting through your personal files and watching your online habits to attempt to capture passwords, pin numbers and personal identification information. Your online banking information could be being sent elsewhere; your personal files could be copied and uploaded somewhere else. It's frightening and dangerous and more than ever, it's a huge problem.

Your spyware program should fight back against the existing spyware in your system as well as watch out for future attacks. The program should also offer the ability to run at scheduled intervals in the background so that it doesn't disrupt your ability to freely use your computer. Many free trial ware or shareware packages will only help you out once and you could be exposed to the same threat and hassle all over again after it runs. Some may only be equipped to help with a limited number of Spyware threats. You need a program that works continually to fight new threats. New programs are written continually to sneak in and cause problems on your system.

Other software out there that's listed for free as shareware or freeware are really Trojan horses masquerading as a fix for your problem when really they are just more Spyware looking to infect your system. Caution about what you install on your system is key. Using a reputable program is your best bet in fighting back and protecting your computer and in protecting your privacy.

Information Security is Crucial

With all of the identity theft going on in the world right now, it is important to take steps to protect all personal information at any cost. Therefore, if your computer has personal information on it and the computer needs to be serviced for some reason, something you might consider having done is file shredding. This will keep anyone who has access to your computer for any length of time from gaining access to your personal information.

Lately, the new credit cards that use a swipe less process are actually very dangerous. Similar to accessing personal information from computers, identity thieves are now able to access the frequencies on which these swipes credit cards use and steal personal information that way. You might think this is being paranoid, but being a little paranoid sometimes really pays!

File wiping is a form of security for your personal information that works similar to taping over a VHS tape. Let's say your computer is running a little slower than you would like and you know there are files on your computer that you will never use again, but you also don't want anyone else to have access to that information. It used to be that and users thought that simply hitting the delete button or sending the file to the Recycle Bin would be enough.

When you tell the computer to delete a file, in fact, the file is not deleted at all. The only thing that happens is that the file's name is erased from the available list and is also marked by the computer as space available. As long as nothing new is recorded there, the file is still retrievable. This is how data restores can happen. Others found out that magnetic pulls on a floppy disk would erase the disk. Simple system commands are no longer considered a secure method of file deletion. As computers and their capabilities are enhanced, so are the abilities of hackers and the more complex the deleting process has become.

So, you want to get rid of some files. The process of file wiping is similar to that of taking your VHS tape that has a recording on it you no longer want, maybe it's an old movie or some instructional video that you taped from an infomercial. If you want to record another movie, you would just simply record over the old data (movie). If you want to wipe a file clean, it is the same as finding a television station that only transmits static and recording all the static over top of the old data. This prevents anyone (including yourself, remember) from accessing the data that you've taped over. The only thing that will be accessible will be the recorded static.

There are hundreds of software programs that allow you to file wipe and shred your files. It is important to be knowledgeable in the process - otherwise you will run the risk of erasing something that you really didn't want to delete.

Nothing is really foolproof as stated earlier. With the advancements in technology, it's hard to tell what the next step for a professional hacker will be, but for now, this is the best that cyber junkies have to offer

Credit Card Security Identity Theft

When a computer hacker steals your credit card information, it is known as "identity theft". The hacker can use your credit information to make purchases under your name. To be honest, it is not even that difficult for these experienced hackers to get your credit card digits. In no time at all, you can find out that you just purchased a Ferrari with your Visa card. If this sounds horribly frightening, don't think it can't happen to you. Identity theft occurs every single day in the United States. If you want some ways to understand this problem and deal with it, then read on.

Simple spyware can get all of your information:

With a simple spyware program, a computer hacker can detect every keystroke that you make on your computer. He or she can see all of your passwords, collect all of your credit card information, or your bank account information.

You may only have clicked on a small survey that popped up on your computer screen - but that simple little click you made just put the spyware right where it wanted to be: on your computer. Not all spyware is as malicious as the type that can steal your information - but why take any chances? This is why it is crucial that you get yourself some anti-spyware software protection.

Way out in cyberspace, spyware and malware are two dangerous types of viruses and worms that are your enemy. To protect yourself and kill them off, you need a top-of-the-line program such as Webroot Spy Sweeper, SpyBlaster, or Windows Defender. These programs and others can be downloaded directly from Internet web sites, and they can also be purchased in most computer stores. Your Internet cable or DSL provider can also provide you with free anti-spyware programs if you ask about them. The only thing you must remember is to update these programs frequently - daily, weekly, or monthly - however often you feel your computer needs it.

Trojan viruses open your computer wide up to hackers:

You may think that you have just downloaded a brand new snazzy screensaver for your computer. Wrong! You just got yourself a Trojan virus instead. This type of virus can seriously mess up your system as well as lead to the theft of your credit card information. By downloading that screensaver without running a virus check on it first, you just left your computer open to anyone to do just about anything with. Some hackers like to be funny and open and close your CD-ROM drive's door over and over again. But there is hope. A good, currently updated virus protection software program can scan all of your computer's files before such an awful thing happens.

Not only do most popular anti-virus programs come equipped with firewalls, but they are all fairly easy to operate and keep updated. Some popular anti-virus software programs currently include Panda Antivirus, Trend PC-cillin, The Shield Pro, Bit Defender 9, Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky 5.0, and McAfee Virusscan.

Understanding Firewalls For Comptia Security Exam

Firewalls are one of the most thoroughly misunderstood concepts around in networking and security today. It is your duty to dispel some of the most common misconceptions about firewalls not just for the purpose of passing the Comptia Security+ exam but also for the sake of the information security community!

What is a Firewall?

A firewall is any hardware or software designed to prevent unwanted network traffic. Some firewalls are simplistic in nature; in fact, many people use NAT devices as firewalls as they do effectively prevent direct incoming connections to hosts behind the NAT. Other firewalls are intricate operations, based on whitelists and blacklists, rules, and alerts. What all firewalls have in common, however, is an ability to block incoming traffic that may be deemed harmful.

Types of Firewalls

Because the definition of a firewall (at least as given above) is somewhat generalized, it is hard to define the general actions and methods of firewalls. Instead, we look at the ways different types of firewalls work. Each type of firewall has abilities, advantages, and drawbacks; to do well on the Security+ exam, you should understand these.

Packet Filtering Firewall

A packet filtering firewall polices traffic on the basis of packet headers. IP, UDP, TCP, and even ICMP have enough header information for a packet filtering firewall to make an informed decision as to whether to accept or reject that packet. You can think of a packet filtering firewall as a bouncer at a party. The bouncer may have a list of people that are allowed to come in (a whitelist) or a list of people to specifically exclude (a blacklist). The bouncer may even check a guest's identification to assure that the guest is above 18. Similarly, a packet filtering firewall simply inspects the source and destination of traffic in making a decision on whether to allow the packet to pass through. For example, some traffic may be addressed to a sensitive recipient and would therefore be blocked.

A packet filtering firewall can also filter traffic on the basis of port numbers. For example, many companies now block traffic on port 27374 because it is well-known to be a port used by the Trojan horse 'SubSeven.'

Note that a packet filtering firewall basically operates through a special ACL (access control list) in which both the white and black list of IP addresses and port numbers are listed. In essence, this firewall operates at the Network and Transport layers of the OSI Model. This model is notable for its simplicity, speed, and transparency ' however, traffic is not inspected for malicious content. In addition, IP addresses and DNS addresses can be hidden or 'spoofed,' as discussed in the Attacks lesson.

Circuit-Level Gateway

A circuit-level gateway is a type of firewall that operates on the Session layer of the OSI model. Instead of inspecting packets by header/source or port information, it instead maintains a connection between two hosts that is approved to be safe. This is something akin to a parent who approves the people that their children can speak with on the phone once they trust those people. In this scenario, the parent does not have to listen into the conversation because they know they can trust the two communicating children. Similarly, a circuit-level gateway establishes a secure connection between two hosts that have been authenticated and trust each other.

Application-Level Gateway

As the name suggests, an application-level gateway operates in the Application layer of the OSI model and actively inspects the contents of packets that are passed through to the gateway. It is for this reason that application-level gateways are considered the most secure as they can actively scan for malformed packets or malicious content. Think of an application-level gateway as the eavesdropping parent. An eavesdropping parent has the most complete knowledge of his or her child's activities because he or she can listen into all of the child's conversations. An application-level gateway does have drawbacks, however, including speed and routing problems. Application-level gateways are notorious for the amount of time it can take to inspect packets.

A special kind of application-level gateway is a proxy server, which is a server that serves as the 'middle man' between two hosts that wish to communicate. In the proxy server model, the host wishing to communicate sends a packet to the application-level gateway (proxy server), which then makes the decision whether to forward the packet to the intended recipient or to deny the request to send the packet.