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4 Basic Steps To Protect Your Computer Against Internet Intruders
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It never ceases to amaze me how many people connect to the Internet with no protection on the PC at all! This is a very dangerous activity and has led to financial ruin for some people. I have had family members and friends who ask me to check out their PC's because they are 'slow' or they can't stop these damn popup windows from coming up. These are the first signs of infection or security breaches on your PC.It takes 4 simple steps and it costs you nothing at all except a bit of time and effort.Step 1 - Get a firewall installed.Firewalls help to protect you from Internet attacks and intrusion from hackers on the Internet who go 'sniffing' for unprotected computers. What do they do when they hack your computer? Well they look for password files, security breaches that allow them to use YOUR computer for malicious attacks on other computers on the Internet.There was a story not long ago about the Russian Mafia hacking into a household computer and using it to transfer funds from unsuspecting bank accounts for their own illegal purposes. When the Feds tracked down the responsible computer, it belonged to some unsuspecting person who had no idea of what was happening. So be warned!!Microsoft Windows XP has a built in firewall so you could enable that and it gives you some basic protection.If you don't want to use that firewall then try a free firewall called zone alarm from http://www.zonelabs.com Zone alarm is a great firewall and even better for the price - they have a free version for home and non-commercial use.Step 2 - Get an anti virus product installedAnti virus software scans your computer for malicious code that can cause all sorts of problems on your computer and even delete files and make your computer inoperable.You can get a very good free virus scanning software called AVG virus scanner from http://www.grisoft.com/Step 3 - Get a reliable anti-spyware softwareSpyware tends to sit on your computer and 'spy' on what you are doing. It can do things like look at web sites you have visited, record your key strokes (looking for account numbers and passwords) and it can then sends this information back to its originator.A great and well know spyware scanner is called Spybot-S&D from http://www.safer-networking.org/The other great spyware utilities are adaware from lavasoft, and Microsoft have one as well.My advice would be to run two or three spyware utilities, particularly if you do a lot of online transactions with your computer.Step 4 - Keep your Microsoft (MS) Windows Operating System (OS) updatedMicrosoft come out with security patches on a regular bases to close up security 'holes' that have been identified. These patches can be applied manually by you or you can have MS Windows download and install them automatically.To check out what updates you require -1. Go to the Microsoft Windows Update page here - http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/2. Scan your computer to find out what critical updates and security patches are not installed.3. Select the updates to install paying particular attention to CRITICAL Updates.You may need to restart your computer after the patches have been appliedAs a final word on the 4 steps, it is critical that you keep all of the programs up to date. So check back with the vendors on a regular basis (at least weekly) to see if updates are available. The better programs (like Spybot) will have options in them to check for updates.The above list of programs is not the ultimate list. Like any programs there are dozens of choices. The ones above are those that I have had first hand experience of.I personally use commercial programs because I spend so much time connected to the Internet, my family surfs quite regularly and I am a big fan of online transactions. Even the commercial programs only cost pennies compared to what can happen if you do get an infection. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
Terry Jones owns and operates http://www.easywebresources.com. His web site offers hints and tips on setting up your web site including script installations, script & tool reviews for your web success. To subscribe to the Easy Web Resources Gold Mine just go here - http://www.easywebresources.com/subscribeform.php
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Monday, September 7, 2009
Pop-ups
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Pop-ups
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Pop-ups are those annoying advertisements that - as the name says - pop up on your monitor as you surf the Internet. Their main purpose is to attract visitors to advertisers' web sites or to collect e-mail addresses.The pop-ups that come on your screen as a web page loads are usually caused by something called JavaScript. This is a simple programming language that can be integrated into the HTML used to build web sites.Some pop-ups are useful. Sometimes a user clicks a link on the Web page and a small window will open asking a user to fill in information or giving a user more information. Music sites often use pop-ups to play tunes in a specialized player window. This can be a completely legitimate use of pop-ups and is quite different from the pop-up advertisements that appear unbidden. JavaScript can control the size of the window and the elements displayed. The status bar or the menus can be hidden, making it impossible to navigate away from the pop-up. Your only options are to close the window using the 'x' box in the top right corner or to click on the ad and be taken to the advertiser's web site. Annoying, huh?Some pop-up windows are either poorly programmed or intentionally malicious. The JavaScript will create multiple windows, and when one of those windows is closed more windows will open. The only way out of this endless cycle is to close the browser.A relatively new kind of pop-up is created using Flash and can be programmed to follow your mouse or to float on the screen as you scroll the window. In addition to pop-ups created with JavaScript and Flash, 'adware' can create pop-up ads according to the content on a web page. Adware is usually just advertising-supported software which displays ads when you use that program. Sometimes, however, 'adware' refers to small hidden programs that deliver targeted advertising to your web browser. These programs may look for certain keywords on a web page and generate advertisements based on those words. Another type of pop-up is the pop under. Rather than appearing on top of web pages they're hidden until you close the browser window. These are a little bit less intrusive than pop-ups but still an unwanted nuisance. There's no end to the cleverness of advertisers!It's the nuisance factor of pop-ups that has encouraged almost every web browser designer to include some kind of pop-up killer in their program. The latest versions of all the major browsers have integrated pop-up killers. There are also many specialized pop-up killer utilities that run in the background and require no user intervention, most available free of charge. So, download one today. Unless you just enjoy advertising.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Pop-ups
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Pop-ups are those annoying advertisements that - as the name says - pop up on your monitor as you surf the Internet. Their main purpose is to attract visitors to advertisers' web sites or to collect e-mail addresses.The pop-ups that come on your screen as a web page loads are usually caused by something called JavaScript. This is a simple programming language that can be integrated into the HTML used to build web sites.Some pop-ups are useful. Sometimes a user clicks a link on the Web page and a small window will open asking a user to fill in information or giving a user more information. Music sites often use pop-ups to play tunes in a specialized player window. This can be a completely legitimate use of pop-ups and is quite different from the pop-up advertisements that appear unbidden. JavaScript can control the size of the window and the elements displayed. The status bar or the menus can be hidden, making it impossible to navigate away from the pop-up. Your only options are to close the window using the 'x' box in the top right corner or to click on the ad and be taken to the advertiser's web site. Annoying, huh?Some pop-up windows are either poorly programmed or intentionally malicious. The JavaScript will create multiple windows, and when one of those windows is closed more windows will open. The only way out of this endless cycle is to close the browser.A relatively new kind of pop-up is created using Flash and can be programmed to follow your mouse or to float on the screen as you scroll the window. In addition to pop-ups created with JavaScript and Flash, 'adware' can create pop-up ads according to the content on a web page. Adware is usually just advertising-supported software which displays ads when you use that program. Sometimes, however, 'adware' refers to small hidden programs that deliver targeted advertising to your web browser. These programs may look for certain keywords on a web page and generate advertisements based on those words. Another type of pop-up is the pop under. Rather than appearing on top of web pages they're hidden until you close the browser window. These are a little bit less intrusive than pop-ups but still an unwanted nuisance. There's no end to the cleverness of advertisers!It's the nuisance factor of pop-ups that has encouraged almost every web browser designer to include some kind of pop-up killer in their program. The latest versions of all the major browsers have integrated pop-up killers. There are also many specialized pop-up killer utilities that run in the background and require no user intervention, most available free of charge. So, download one today. Unless you just enjoy advertising.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked
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What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked
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Prevention is always better than a pound of cure. Believe it or not, it is now utterly impossible to survive without a computer. Almost anything and everything could be done on-line nowadays. From purchasing to selling to paying bills, one really need not go out as any transaction could actually be made thru the computer thanks to the internet. Unless of course fresh air is also available online. However, the computer’s flexibility has also allowed it to be vulnerable to attack from one of the most potentially harmful entities around: the computer virus.The instance you detect that the computer you own is infected with a virus, the following are helpful tasks that you could do to protect it further and to also avoid other personal computers to be affected as well.Use disks from trusted sources You do not allow your shoes to tread on any mud puddle or any dirty floor, or your shirts to be easily vulnerable to stains or dirt. Therefore, it is always best to treat your computer the same way.As much as possible, always be careful with what kind of disks as well as files enter your computer. Either the files were downloaded from the internet or the disks borrowed from friends, it is always best to make sure where they come from or to scan them in order to avoid any potentially harmful viruses.It is also not a good idea to download any files from internet sites that are unsafe or insecure. Also, do not immediately open attachments received via e-mail. Take a good look on the subject of the email as well as where the email came from. Be wary even if the email was from your contacts. Fortunately, there are now facilities in email services that immediately scan attachments prior to opening them. Email subjects that are vague and from senders that have gibberish email addresses must arouse your suspicion. Included in this group are those emails that aggressively claim that you should “Check out this message!” or that you should “See the following pics!”Acquire a program that fights virusesFortunately, there are a lot of anti-virus software programs that scan and eliminate viruses once they are detected. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks, the freedom to download any files from the internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.When the virus hits Fear not. As much as possible, relax. There is a way out of this predicament. All you have to do is to visit the web site of the manufacturer of your anti-virus software. They may have the latest software which, if it will not delete the harmful virus, could identify and detect it.Search for a vaccineThe world wide web is available at your beck and call so you could search for any information you may need with regards to the particular virus that you want deleted. By entering the virus name on the search engine, all information as well as vaccine may present itself. Download, download, downloadBe free to install as well as download any patches of software or programs that could help in eliminating the computer virus. You could also try to religiously follow any of the instructions that you will find in order to manually delete the virus.Do not rest on your laurelsDo not be easily convinced that once the computer virus has been deleted, the virus is now totally eliminated. The best way to determine if the virus is completely destroyed is via running a virus scan. If the scan reports that no virus components have been detected, you can now relax.Un-attach yourself from attachmentsCaution must always be practiced once attachments have been received. The file extensions that one should be careful in opening are those that end in *.exe, *.doc, *.ppt or *.xls. However, those that end in the following extensions such as: *.js, *.vbs should – as much as possible – never be opened. All in all, every computer is vulnerable to be attacked. What one needs to protect your own PC is caution and preparedness to look towards the future and anticipate any potential attack prior to it happening. This ensures your computer to run as smoothly as it possibly could.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked
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Prevention is always better than a pound of cure. Believe it or not, it is now utterly impossible to survive without a computer. Almost anything and everything could be done on-line nowadays. From purchasing to selling to paying bills, one really need not go out as any transaction could actually be made thru the computer thanks to the internet. Unless of course fresh air is also available online. However, the computer’s flexibility has also allowed it to be vulnerable to attack from one of the most potentially harmful entities around: the computer virus.The instance you detect that the computer you own is infected with a virus, the following are helpful tasks that you could do to protect it further and to also avoid other personal computers to be affected as well.Use disks from trusted sources You do not allow your shoes to tread on any mud puddle or any dirty floor, or your shirts to be easily vulnerable to stains or dirt. Therefore, it is always best to treat your computer the same way.As much as possible, always be careful with what kind of disks as well as files enter your computer. Either the files were downloaded from the internet or the disks borrowed from friends, it is always best to make sure where they come from or to scan them in order to avoid any potentially harmful viruses.It is also not a good idea to download any files from internet sites that are unsafe or insecure. Also, do not immediately open attachments received via e-mail. Take a good look on the subject of the email as well as where the email came from. Be wary even if the email was from your contacts. Fortunately, there are now facilities in email services that immediately scan attachments prior to opening them. Email subjects that are vague and from senders that have gibberish email addresses must arouse your suspicion. Included in this group are those emails that aggressively claim that you should “Check out this message!” or that you should “See the following pics!”Acquire a program that fights virusesFortunately, there are a lot of anti-virus software programs that scan and eliminate viruses once they are detected. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks, the freedom to download any files from the internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.When the virus hits Fear not. As much as possible, relax. There is a way out of this predicament. All you have to do is to visit the web site of the manufacturer of your anti-virus software. They may have the latest software which, if it will not delete the harmful virus, could identify and detect it.Search for a vaccineThe world wide web is available at your beck and call so you could search for any information you may need with regards to the particular virus that you want deleted. By entering the virus name on the search engine, all information as well as vaccine may present itself. Download, download, downloadBe free to install as well as download any patches of software or programs that could help in eliminating the computer virus. You could also try to religiously follow any of the instructions that you will find in order to manually delete the virus.Do not rest on your laurelsDo not be easily convinced that once the computer virus has been deleted, the virus is now totally eliminated. The best way to determine if the virus is completely destroyed is via running a virus scan. If the scan reports that no virus components have been detected, you can now relax.Un-attach yourself from attachmentsCaution must always be practiced once attachments have been received. The file extensions that one should be careful in opening are those that end in *.exe, *.doc, *.ppt or *.xls. However, those that end in the following extensions such as: *.js, *.vbs should – as much as possible – never be opened. All in all, every computer is vulnerable to be attacked. What one needs to protect your own PC is caution and preparedness to look towards the future and anticipate any potential attack prior to it happening. This ensures your computer to run as smoothly as it possibly could.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Step Eight – Beware Of Opening eMail Attachments – The Danger Of Unknown Packages
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Step Eight – Beware Of Opening eMail Attachments – The Danger Of Unknown Packages
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Among the most popular and useful functions of the internet is email. Not only could people send messages to practically anyone all over the world, they can also send digital files such as pictures, sounds, and programs. However, much caution must be taken when opening such attachments because the internet is teeming with malicious minds that craft ways of inconveniencing people, or even getting something of value from them. What are the dangers of opening email attachments without caution?While a lot of email attachments, especially those that come from your contacts, may typically just contain innocent stuff such as pictures of your friends, the latest music from your favorite band, or spreadsheet reports from your colleagues, email attachments may also come with things that could damage your computer. Among such things are viruses and spyware. Every day, people in the online community discover new viruses, worms, and Trojans – software packets that are designed by malicious hackers to do damage to your computer. These programs usually attach themselves to unknown files that are sent to your inbox, and when you open them, you are often unaware that you are already triggering some damage to your unit. Sometimes, seemingly innocent files come up and since they seem so harmless, you just go on and open them without worry, but a lot of such seemingly safe files can actually be very damaging. Why do people do such a thing?Some hackers make viruses just for the heck of it o just for laughs. Such hackers just want to prove to the world how good (or rather bad) they are about the computer. But some hackers have more motives other than making pranks. There are hackers that are out there to get something from you that they can use for criminal activities. A lot of viruses that are distributed through email typically get access to the infected computer’s list of contacts or address book to look for email addresses to which it can distribute itself to. There are viruses that can even forge your name and appear as if that you are the one sending it to your contacts. By doing this, it can replicate and spread itself all over the world to do its damage. There are also viruses that get vital information from your computer which its creators may use for themselves. Critical data such as your credit card number, social security, and addresses, among many others may be maliciously obtained and used for crimes such as fraud or identity theft. While most of the viruses would not automatically retrieve this from your computer, they could lead you to give the information yourself, without you knowing that you are actually falling prey to those cunning malicious minds. But are people not protected by security systems and antivirus programs?Indeed you may get a certain level of protection from firewalls and antivirus programs, you may even get a very good level of security. However, multitudes of viruses are created each day, and there is not telling if what you receive is the latest one. Your computer might be equipped to fend of millions of viruses that have infected people in the previous days, but when you catch a new virus, the chances that your program may be able to fight it could be pretty slim. What should then be done with such danger lurking in emails?The most that you can do is to be cautions about your online activities, particularly when opening file attachments to the email you receive. Be very cautious when you are opening email attachments, particularly for computers that are using Microsoft Windows, because such computers are what most viruses target. Before opening an email attachment, be sure that it comes from a trusted source. However, do not be too complacent about opening attachments from friends and colleagues because as said earlier, viruses may mimic your contact’s information to make it appear that these attachments come from them. Do not open file attachments that you did not expect to receive. If you get an unexpected email with an attachment from one of your contacts, ask them if they did send something and what is inside that file. Avoid opening attachments with file extensions such as .cmd .scr. .pif .bat and .exe, because such files are the easiest for viruses to attach to.You can never be too careful in such an open channel as the internet. As the old people would say, it is always better to be safe than sorry. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Step Eight – Beware Of Opening eMail Attachments – The Danger Of Unknown Packages
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Among the most popular and useful functions of the internet is email. Not only could people send messages to practically anyone all over the world, they can also send digital files such as pictures, sounds, and programs. However, much caution must be taken when opening such attachments because the internet is teeming with malicious minds that craft ways of inconveniencing people, or even getting something of value from them. What are the dangers of opening email attachments without caution?While a lot of email attachments, especially those that come from your contacts, may typically just contain innocent stuff such as pictures of your friends, the latest music from your favorite band, or spreadsheet reports from your colleagues, email attachments may also come with things that could damage your computer. Among such things are viruses and spyware. Every day, people in the online community discover new viruses, worms, and Trojans – software packets that are designed by malicious hackers to do damage to your computer. These programs usually attach themselves to unknown files that are sent to your inbox, and when you open them, you are often unaware that you are already triggering some damage to your unit. Sometimes, seemingly innocent files come up and since they seem so harmless, you just go on and open them without worry, but a lot of such seemingly safe files can actually be very damaging. Why do people do such a thing?Some hackers make viruses just for the heck of it o just for laughs. Such hackers just want to prove to the world how good (or rather bad) they are about the computer. But some hackers have more motives other than making pranks. There are hackers that are out there to get something from you that they can use for criminal activities. A lot of viruses that are distributed through email typically get access to the infected computer’s list of contacts or address book to look for email addresses to which it can distribute itself to. There are viruses that can even forge your name and appear as if that you are the one sending it to your contacts. By doing this, it can replicate and spread itself all over the world to do its damage. There are also viruses that get vital information from your computer which its creators may use for themselves. Critical data such as your credit card number, social security, and addresses, among many others may be maliciously obtained and used for crimes such as fraud or identity theft. While most of the viruses would not automatically retrieve this from your computer, they could lead you to give the information yourself, without you knowing that you are actually falling prey to those cunning malicious minds. But are people not protected by security systems and antivirus programs?Indeed you may get a certain level of protection from firewalls and antivirus programs, you may even get a very good level of security. However, multitudes of viruses are created each day, and there is not telling if what you receive is the latest one. Your computer might be equipped to fend of millions of viruses that have infected people in the previous days, but when you catch a new virus, the chances that your program may be able to fight it could be pretty slim. What should then be done with such danger lurking in emails?The most that you can do is to be cautions about your online activities, particularly when opening file attachments to the email you receive. Be very cautious when you are opening email attachments, particularly for computers that are using Microsoft Windows, because such computers are what most viruses target. Before opening an email attachment, be sure that it comes from a trusted source. However, do not be too complacent about opening attachments from friends and colleagues because as said earlier, viruses may mimic your contact’s information to make it appear that these attachments come from them. Do not open file attachments that you did not expect to receive. If you get an unexpected email with an attachment from one of your contacts, ask them if they did send something and what is inside that file. Avoid opening attachments with file extensions such as .cmd .scr. .pif .bat and .exe, because such files are the easiest for viruses to attach to.You can never be too careful in such an open channel as the internet. As the old people would say, it is always better to be safe than sorry. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Protecting Your PC From Internet Dangers
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Protecting Your PC From Internet Dangers
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If you buy items online, surf the internet or use email then here are several tips to keeping your computer and your personal information secure.Many people find it very easy to safeguard themselves by installing antivirus protection. Most antivirus protection software protects your computer from known viruses and Trojan horses. If a new virus is detected, your virus software will automatically download the new definition so that your computer will be safe.Trojan horses are tiny programs that are downloaded inadvertently from the web. These small programs look for personal information and secretly upload it to a database. Many computer users have lost personal and financial information with the use of Trojan Horses.One of the most damaging of all malicious software is the back door Trojan virus. Unlike many other types of malicious code, the back door Trojan virus is designed specifically to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the operating system such as Windows. The virus uses a back door into the computer too steal personal information, wipe files, or do other types of damage. To make matters worse, some of these back door Trojan horses disguise themselves and hide from anti virus software. Some are even intelligent enough to disable and render unusable your anti virus and firewall software.You should also protect your computer from Spyware. Spyware is a tiny program that is downloaded usually when you download another program for free off the web. Spyware can be very irritating. Spyware keeps records of what your search for online and then sends you advertisements. Spyware can be difficult to erase.It is also vital to protect yourself from Spoof emails. Spoof emails look like real emails from Ebay, Paypal, Banks and big credit card companies, but they are fake. Most spoof emails ask you to provide a website with financial information and then they steal this information. If you receive any emails that ask you for financial details, shut your browser, open up a new browser and contact your company's web site personally to see if there is a message for you.Steps you can take to avoid problems with viruses and Trojans include being vigilant and paying attention to how your computer appears to be running. If you notice a decrease in performance that cannot be easily explained, or if you see an icon you do not recognize on the taskbar, it is a good idea to scan your computer and look for problems. Paying attention to your own computer, and using your own common sense, is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your computer. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
Jeff Usher is a PC Support Geek with over 17 years in the IT Industry.For more information on PC Security and threats please visit:-http://internet-security.morechoice.info/index2.html
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Protecting Your PC From Internet Dangers
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If you buy items online, surf the internet or use email then here are several tips to keeping your computer and your personal information secure.Many people find it very easy to safeguard themselves by installing antivirus protection. Most antivirus protection software protects your computer from known viruses and Trojan horses. If a new virus is detected, your virus software will automatically download the new definition so that your computer will be safe.Trojan horses are tiny programs that are downloaded inadvertently from the web. These small programs look for personal information and secretly upload it to a database. Many computer users have lost personal and financial information with the use of Trojan Horses.One of the most damaging of all malicious software is the back door Trojan virus. Unlike many other types of malicious code, the back door Trojan virus is designed specifically to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the operating system such as Windows. The virus uses a back door into the computer too steal personal information, wipe files, or do other types of damage. To make matters worse, some of these back door Trojan horses disguise themselves and hide from anti virus software. Some are even intelligent enough to disable and render unusable your anti virus and firewall software.You should also protect your computer from Spyware. Spyware is a tiny program that is downloaded usually when you download another program for free off the web. Spyware can be very irritating. Spyware keeps records of what your search for online and then sends you advertisements. Spyware can be difficult to erase.It is also vital to protect yourself from Spoof emails. Spoof emails look like real emails from Ebay, Paypal, Banks and big credit card companies, but they are fake. Most spoof emails ask you to provide a website with financial information and then they steal this information. If you receive any emails that ask you for financial details, shut your browser, open up a new browser and contact your company's web site personally to see if there is a message for you.Steps you can take to avoid problems with viruses and Trojans include being vigilant and paying attention to how your computer appears to be running. If you notice a decrease in performance that cannot be easily explained, or if you see an icon you do not recognize on the taskbar, it is a good idea to scan your computer and look for problems. Paying attention to your own computer, and using your own common sense, is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your computer. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
Jeff Usher is a PC Support Geek with over 17 years in the IT Industry.For more information on PC Security and threats please visit:-http://internet-security.morechoice.info/index2.html
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Computer Viruses And Guarding Against Them
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Computer Viruses And Guarding Against Them
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In this modern Information Age, computers are necessities in life. Whether we use them for simple functions such as typing our homework and business reports, up to more important acts like online business meetings and transactions, one cannot deny that computers are a big part in our daily lives. Using a computer, particularly the Internet, is one task that even a ten year old can do at this particular period in time.With the growing increase of popularity and reliance on computers, as well as the demand for it, security risks have also gone up, which is a reality that cannot be ignored. With the billions of information bits being spread across the World Wide Web, hackers and computer intruders (criminals) see the value in focusing their attention to computers and the Internet. The information they would retrieve here is (more often than not) more useful than when doing it the old-fashioned way.As such, these intruders have devised some methods into getting information out of computer users, with or without these people knowing that they’ve been hacked into. As is the case in real life, there are some computer programs that are disguised to be innocent, but actually act as spies, providing information to the intruders. These malicious programs which are security threats are called computer viruses.Computer viruses should not be taken lightly. They work in many different ways; one of them may be to provide data to the one who planted the virus. Other viruses can simply be annoying - slowing down your computer, building unwanted files, etc. – while some can be very disruptive, such as deleting your hard drive, compromising your operating system, etc.As such, there are different types of viruses which normally differ in how they function and how they are spread. Examples of these include Trojan horses, worms, email viruses, and logic bombs. It would be important for you to know these kinds of viruses in order to better protect you from them, as well as to have the proper programs to get rid of them.Trojan horses are simply computer program that cannot reproduce themselves, but can do damage anywhere from minimal to extremely dangerous. It usually disguises itself as a common file (maybe an .mp3 music file or a .jpeg picture file) but does the damage when the computer user opens it. This is why you should take extra care when opening a suspicious looking file – it could very well be a Trojan horse.Worms are self reproducing programs that mainly use security holes in order to spread itself throughout the network. If your computer is infected with a worm and is able to replicate itself a number of times, this usually causes your computer to slow down noticeably since it uses your computer resources and memory to do so. They often use security flaws in operating systems (such as Windows) in order to self reproduce.Email viruses are self explanatory – they spread via email. Once a user opens the infected email, what it usually does is send itself to other computer users via the email addresses found in the user’s address book. Because it uses email and a lot of people open emails without really checking or being careful, it spreads very quickly across the entire world and can cause chaos within just a few days.Logic bombs are viruses that target specific computer applications, causing them to crash (for example, Windows). This can also be spread via email attachments or by innocently downloading it off the Internet. It can cause a great deal of harm (particularly if it infects Windows and the like), or just a small amount (small program).Fortunately for computer users, there are anti-virus programs available anywhere, whether in the Internet or at the computer shop. These programs specifically target over thousands of viruses and wipe them clean from your system (if infected) or protect you from incoming attacks (if not yet infected).Anti-virus programs are constantly updated (normally everyday) since there are always new virus definitions each day, and you can get infected by these new viruses. These software developers are always researching about the newest viruses to ensure you, the user, are protected from these viruses as much as possible. Your PC security and safety are always being considered. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Computer Viruses And Guarding Against Them
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In this modern Information Age, computers are necessities in life. Whether we use them for simple functions such as typing our homework and business reports, up to more important acts like online business meetings and transactions, one cannot deny that computers are a big part in our daily lives. Using a computer, particularly the Internet, is one task that even a ten year old can do at this particular period in time.With the growing increase of popularity and reliance on computers, as well as the demand for it, security risks have also gone up, which is a reality that cannot be ignored. With the billions of information bits being spread across the World Wide Web, hackers and computer intruders (criminals) see the value in focusing their attention to computers and the Internet. The information they would retrieve here is (more often than not) more useful than when doing it the old-fashioned way.As such, these intruders have devised some methods into getting information out of computer users, with or without these people knowing that they’ve been hacked into. As is the case in real life, there are some computer programs that are disguised to be innocent, but actually act as spies, providing information to the intruders. These malicious programs which are security threats are called computer viruses.Computer viruses should not be taken lightly. They work in many different ways; one of them may be to provide data to the one who planted the virus. Other viruses can simply be annoying - slowing down your computer, building unwanted files, etc. – while some can be very disruptive, such as deleting your hard drive, compromising your operating system, etc.As such, there are different types of viruses which normally differ in how they function and how they are spread. Examples of these include Trojan horses, worms, email viruses, and logic bombs. It would be important for you to know these kinds of viruses in order to better protect you from them, as well as to have the proper programs to get rid of them.Trojan horses are simply computer program that cannot reproduce themselves, but can do damage anywhere from minimal to extremely dangerous. It usually disguises itself as a common file (maybe an .mp3 music file or a .jpeg picture file) but does the damage when the computer user opens it. This is why you should take extra care when opening a suspicious looking file – it could very well be a Trojan horse.Worms are self reproducing programs that mainly use security holes in order to spread itself throughout the network. If your computer is infected with a worm and is able to replicate itself a number of times, this usually causes your computer to slow down noticeably since it uses your computer resources and memory to do so. They often use security flaws in operating systems (such as Windows) in order to self reproduce.Email viruses are self explanatory – they spread via email. Once a user opens the infected email, what it usually does is send itself to other computer users via the email addresses found in the user’s address book. Because it uses email and a lot of people open emails without really checking or being careful, it spreads very quickly across the entire world and can cause chaos within just a few days.Logic bombs are viruses that target specific computer applications, causing them to crash (for example, Windows). This can also be spread via email attachments or by innocently downloading it off the Internet. It can cause a great deal of harm (particularly if it infects Windows and the like), or just a small amount (small program).Fortunately for computer users, there are anti-virus programs available anywhere, whether in the Internet or at the computer shop. These programs specifically target over thousands of viruses and wipe them clean from your system (if infected) or protect you from incoming attacks (if not yet infected).Anti-virus programs are constantly updated (normally everyday) since there are always new virus definitions each day, and you can get infected by these new viruses. These software developers are always researching about the newest viruses to ensure you, the user, are protected from these viruses as much as possible. Your PC security and safety are always being considered. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Browsers, Key To Security?
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Browsers, Key To Security?
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Less like the key, really, than a car - browsers provide the means for traveling around the Internet to interesting destinations. Unfortunately, sometimes uninvited passengers climb in. On rare occasions, they even 'carjack' you. So, what to do?Users have options, starting with browser selection. Internet Explorer still has over 90% of the 'market' (an odd term for free software), but it's popularity is waning slightly. Firefox and others have inherently better security and the added advantage of running on Linux.Even when not inherently better, other browsers and operating systems are less popular targets. Until both legislators and software vendors get really serious about security, it's possible to reduce your 'target area' by staying out of the limelight.Education is another key to 'hardening' browser security.There are dozens of options in Internet Explorer and other browsers that control what components triggered during surfing are allowed to do. Very few users have much knowledge about what they're for or the effects of setting them one way versus another.For example, is it desirable to 'Allow ActiveX controls and plug-ins' to Run, or should that be set to Prompt? Individual judgments here, as in all aspects of security in life, have to be made. One factor is your tolerance for responding to prompts versus your willingness to risk infection. After all, you have to decide whom to let in your car, don't you?It's an undesirable trade-off to be faced with, and one which we can hope someday won't be necessary. But in the interim, it isn't necessary to be a computer geek to experiment and read a bit to find out what these settings affect. The first time you're infected and lose a day recovering, you'll wish you'd spent the two hours finding out.Proper use is the final leg of browser security. Do you practice 'safe browsing'? Some sites prompt to download ActiveX controls (little programs), dialers, adware and other dynamic content. Do you really know what's likely to happen when you say yes, or are you trusting the source? Trust is necessary, but as the old saying goes 'Trust, but keep your eyes open'.Most users are unaware of the extent to which using a browser opens up their system to the rest of the world. Being on the Internet means not just seeing, but being visible. And accessing sites usually means being accessible. It isn't just harmless cookies that can be downloaded to your system. Once executable programs are downloaded they often have free rein to your entire system.Back to education for a moment. Spend some time learning how to lock down your system, outside the browser settings, to make it more difficult for these errant programs to gain Administrator level privileges. Your time will be well re-paid.So, be aware of what's happening when you navigate to a site. Download only from trusted sources. It's ok to be slightly suspicious of strangers. Don't pick up hitchhikers.Ok, Mom's going to make some hot chocolate now. Then we'll decide if you can have the keys to the car.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Browsers, Key To Security?
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Less like the key, really, than a car - browsers provide the means for traveling around the Internet to interesting destinations. Unfortunately, sometimes uninvited passengers climb in. On rare occasions, they even 'carjack' you. So, what to do?Users have options, starting with browser selection. Internet Explorer still has over 90% of the 'market' (an odd term for free software), but it's popularity is waning slightly. Firefox and others have inherently better security and the added advantage of running on Linux.Even when not inherently better, other browsers and operating systems are less popular targets. Until both legislators and software vendors get really serious about security, it's possible to reduce your 'target area' by staying out of the limelight.Education is another key to 'hardening' browser security.There are dozens of options in Internet Explorer and other browsers that control what components triggered during surfing are allowed to do. Very few users have much knowledge about what they're for or the effects of setting them one way versus another.For example, is it desirable to 'Allow ActiveX controls and plug-ins' to Run, or should that be set to Prompt? Individual judgments here, as in all aspects of security in life, have to be made. One factor is your tolerance for responding to prompts versus your willingness to risk infection. After all, you have to decide whom to let in your car, don't you?It's an undesirable trade-off to be faced with, and one which we can hope someday won't be necessary. But in the interim, it isn't necessary to be a computer geek to experiment and read a bit to find out what these settings affect. The first time you're infected and lose a day recovering, you'll wish you'd spent the two hours finding out.Proper use is the final leg of browser security. Do you practice 'safe browsing'? Some sites prompt to download ActiveX controls (little programs), dialers, adware and other dynamic content. Do you really know what's likely to happen when you say yes, or are you trusting the source? Trust is necessary, but as the old saying goes 'Trust, but keep your eyes open'.Most users are unaware of the extent to which using a browser opens up their system to the rest of the world. Being on the Internet means not just seeing, but being visible. And accessing sites usually means being accessible. It isn't just harmless cookies that can be downloaded to your system. Once executable programs are downloaded they often have free rein to your entire system.Back to education for a moment. Spend some time learning how to lock down your system, outside the browser settings, to make it more difficult for these errant programs to gain Administrator level privileges. Your time will be well re-paid.So, be aware of what's happening when you navigate to a site. Download only from trusted sources. It's ok to be slightly suspicious of strangers. Don't pick up hitchhikers.Ok, Mom's going to make some hot chocolate now. Then we'll decide if you can have the keys to the car.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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What You Should Know About Phishing?
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What You Should Know About Phishing?
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You can say that the internet is short cut for “international networking.” By just logging on, you can connect to people all over the world. They may be people you personally know or people you just know online. Whatever the case, there is always somebody on the other end of your internet connection. As accessible and easy daily life is now thanks to the internet, there are disadvantages from this convenience. Criminal activities such as illiciting sexual activities on the web is an example of online problems society has to deal with. Another online criminal activity is phishing. Phishing is acquiring personal information like passwords and credit card details by pretending to be a representative of a company. Phishing is done through email or instant messaging. It is called ‘phishing’ because it similar to the recretional activity fishing. It ‘fishes’ for users’ personal information such as passwords and financial data. Phishers create accounts on AOL by using fake algorithmically generated credit card numbers. These accounts are maintained for a number of months. Due to the reports of phishing incidences, AOL has brought in measures preventing this from happening by securing the data of their users and confiming the information of those signing up for AOL accounts. On AOL, a phisher pretends that he is an AOL employee and sends out instant messages to random customers which asks for passwords of their account. Luring the victim further, the phisher includes in the message “verify your account” or “confirm billing information.” Thus, a number of clients get lured in and give off their password. Once the phisher gains access of this sensitive information, he can use the victim’s account for spamming. Check your inbox and take a look at the spam messages you’ve received. Yes, those are real names of people. These people’s accounts have been hacked and is now being used to relay spam messages. Because of this, AOL assures their clients that no one from the staff of AOL ask for their personal or billing information. Also, AOL has created a system which deactivates accounts as soon as there are signs that it is used for phishing. Other recent phishing incidences involve that of the Internal Revenue Service. There is a way for phishers to know the bank of their potential victim. Then they pose as an employee of that bank and send an email to their victim. Also, social networking sites can be a home-base for phishers because personal details that have been printed online are used for identity theft. Statistics show that over 70% phishing attempts are done in social networks. Another technique used by phishers is coming up with a link in an email that belongs to a fake organization. They often use misspelled URLs or subdomains to trick potential victims. Note the web address and check the @ symbol. For example, http://www.google.com@members.tripod.com may be a link that can easily deceive anyone casually observing the page. However, whoever clicks on this will be merely directed to a page that simply does not exist. To tend to this problem, Internet Explorer and Mozzilla give users the option of either continuing or canceling their surfing. With a warning message, the user can just go to that questionable page or not. There are some phishing scam which utilizes JavaScript commands. These alter the address bar and is done by imposing a picture of a credible entity URL over it. These visually deceives a casual internet user. Another phishing technique is the cross-site scripting. Here, the culprit uses a legitimate companies own scripts on a potential victim. In doing so, the user is directed to sign in for the services of the imposed company. The security certificates and web address appearing on the page may seem correct for the non-professional eye. In truth though, this link the potential victim has clicked on is a way for a phisher to know his personal and financial information. Damages from phishing are:1. Loss of access to email which can also lead to financial loss. 2. Identity theft making the victim vulnerable to online criminal activities. 3. Access of public recordsOnce sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and mother’s maiden name are acquired, it will be so easy for the phisher to manipulate the account of his victim. For every problem, there is a solution and anti-phishing techniqes been created to prevent this online criminal activity from taking place. Users are taught to not believe every email sent to their inbox. When you get a message asking for your personal information, contact your bank or the company which supposedly sent you the email and verify it with them. Then there is the Anti-Phishing Working Group which serves as the law enforcement association dealing with phishing incidences. From them, anti-phishing software can be downloaded by websites and uploaded as their homepage web content. Eventually, the toolbar displays the real domain name and serves also the guard dog against suspected phishers. Installing Firefox and spam filters also protect the users from phishers. These programs reduce the email received by their clients. In the end, it is all carefully reading the messages you receive in your email. As soon as it sounds suspicious, report it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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What You Should Know About Phishing?
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You can say that the internet is short cut for “international networking.” By just logging on, you can connect to people all over the world. They may be people you personally know or people you just know online. Whatever the case, there is always somebody on the other end of your internet connection. As accessible and easy daily life is now thanks to the internet, there are disadvantages from this convenience. Criminal activities such as illiciting sexual activities on the web is an example of online problems society has to deal with. Another online criminal activity is phishing. Phishing is acquiring personal information like passwords and credit card details by pretending to be a representative of a company. Phishing is done through email or instant messaging. It is called ‘phishing’ because it similar to the recretional activity fishing. It ‘fishes’ for users’ personal information such as passwords and financial data. Phishers create accounts on AOL by using fake algorithmically generated credit card numbers. These accounts are maintained for a number of months. Due to the reports of phishing incidences, AOL has brought in measures preventing this from happening by securing the data of their users and confiming the information of those signing up for AOL accounts. On AOL, a phisher pretends that he is an AOL employee and sends out instant messages to random customers which asks for passwords of their account. Luring the victim further, the phisher includes in the message “verify your account” or “confirm billing information.” Thus, a number of clients get lured in and give off their password. Once the phisher gains access of this sensitive information, he can use the victim’s account for spamming. Check your inbox and take a look at the spam messages you’ve received. Yes, those are real names of people. These people’s accounts have been hacked and is now being used to relay spam messages. Because of this, AOL assures their clients that no one from the staff of AOL ask for their personal or billing information. Also, AOL has created a system which deactivates accounts as soon as there are signs that it is used for phishing. Other recent phishing incidences involve that of the Internal Revenue Service. There is a way for phishers to know the bank of their potential victim. Then they pose as an employee of that bank and send an email to their victim. Also, social networking sites can be a home-base for phishers because personal details that have been printed online are used for identity theft. Statistics show that over 70% phishing attempts are done in social networks. Another technique used by phishers is coming up with a link in an email that belongs to a fake organization. They often use misspelled URLs or subdomains to trick potential victims. Note the web address and check the @ symbol. For example, http://www.google.com@members.tripod.com may be a link that can easily deceive anyone casually observing the page. However, whoever clicks on this will be merely directed to a page that simply does not exist. To tend to this problem, Internet Explorer and Mozzilla give users the option of either continuing or canceling their surfing. With a warning message, the user can just go to that questionable page or not. There are some phishing scam which utilizes JavaScript commands. These alter the address bar and is done by imposing a picture of a credible entity URL over it. These visually deceives a casual internet user. Another phishing technique is the cross-site scripting. Here, the culprit uses a legitimate companies own scripts on a potential victim. In doing so, the user is directed to sign in for the services of the imposed company. The security certificates and web address appearing on the page may seem correct for the non-professional eye. In truth though, this link the potential victim has clicked on is a way for a phisher to know his personal and financial information. Damages from phishing are:1. Loss of access to email which can also lead to financial loss. 2. Identity theft making the victim vulnerable to online criminal activities. 3. Access of public recordsOnce sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and mother’s maiden name are acquired, it will be so easy for the phisher to manipulate the account of his victim. For every problem, there is a solution and anti-phishing techniqes been created to prevent this online criminal activity from taking place. Users are taught to not believe every email sent to their inbox. When you get a message asking for your personal information, contact your bank or the company which supposedly sent you the email and verify it with them. Then there is the Anti-Phishing Working Group which serves as the law enforcement association dealing with phishing incidences. From them, anti-phishing software can be downloaded by websites and uploaded as their homepage web content. Eventually, the toolbar displays the real domain name and serves also the guard dog against suspected phishers. Installing Firefox and spam filters also protect the users from phishers. These programs reduce the email received by their clients. In the end, it is all carefully reading the messages you receive in your email. As soon as it sounds suspicious, report it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Spyware programs are a rapidly growing threat in computer security. These programs are essentially worm type viruses that copy themselves onto your computer without your consent, and the copied porgrams are designed to allow a hacker to access to your computer from a remote terminal.The threats to your security are many, ranging from small, relatively harmless things like allowing a program to bypass your firewall security protocols and flooding your computer with useless and unsolicited advertisments, to more dangerous things like allowing a hacker to access your personal information, or even to gain actual control your PC from a remote terminal.There are dozens of anti spyware programs available over the internet. When looking for one to buy, here are the factors you should definetely consider when making your choice:Buy Anti Spyware Software - it is a truism that there are no free lunches. While there are fairly good free, downloadable anti spyware programs available, studies and consumer feedback show that the most comprehensive packages are the ones being marketed by major companies for consumer purchase. Try to obtain ones from a company that you have heard of and trust. Also, some of the more devious types of spyware actually disguise themselves as free anti spyware programs. These WILL block out the attempts of OTHER spyware programs, but will themselves be accessing your terminal...Compatibility Issues - when buying an anti spyware program, check consumer reviews for it first; make sure that the program is completely compatible with all of the other major programs that you're using on your computer. A compatibility issue is more than just a matter of convenience, since some spyware programs can use the incompatible programs as a back door to avoid the anti spyware's detection and access your computer.Periodic Updates - find a provider for your anti spyware program that periodically updates it's services to keep up with the latest technology, and offers you the ability to download these updates. Hackers are continually working to modify their programs and finding new measures to bypass known countermeasures. Therefore, what works today may not defend against next week's spyware programs, unless you keep your security program up to date.Added Security Programs - aside from spyware, packages are available that feature anti virus systems, firewalls, and anti adware programs. Even if you already have similar existing security programs installed on your computer, two security systems work better than one. As stated earlier, just make sure that the two programs are compatible with each other. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Spyware programs are a rapidly growing threat in computer security. These programs are essentially worm type viruses that copy themselves onto your computer without your consent, and the copied porgrams are designed to allow a hacker to access to your computer from a remote terminal.The threats to your security are many, ranging from small, relatively harmless things like allowing a program to bypass your firewall security protocols and flooding your computer with useless and unsolicited advertisments, to more dangerous things like allowing a hacker to access your personal information, or even to gain actual control your PC from a remote terminal.There are dozens of anti spyware programs available over the internet. When looking for one to buy, here are the factors you should definetely consider when making your choice:Buy Anti Spyware Software - it is a truism that there are no free lunches. While there are fairly good free, downloadable anti spyware programs available, studies and consumer feedback show that the most comprehensive packages are the ones being marketed by major companies for consumer purchase. Try to obtain ones from a company that you have heard of and trust. Also, some of the more devious types of spyware actually disguise themselves as free anti spyware programs. These WILL block out the attempts of OTHER spyware programs, but will themselves be accessing your terminal...Compatibility Issues - when buying an anti spyware program, check consumer reviews for it first; make sure that the program is completely compatible with all of the other major programs that you're using on your computer. A compatibility issue is more than just a matter of convenience, since some spyware programs can use the incompatible programs as a back door to avoid the anti spyware's detection and access your computer.Periodic Updates - find a provider for your anti spyware program that periodically updates it's services to keep up with the latest technology, and offers you the ability to download these updates. Hackers are continually working to modify their programs and finding new measures to bypass known countermeasures. Therefore, what works today may not defend against next week's spyware programs, unless you keep your security program up to date.Added Security Programs - aside from spyware, packages are available that feature anti virus systems, firewalls, and anti adware programs. Even if you already have similar existing security programs installed on your computer, two security systems work better than one. As stated earlier, just make sure that the two programs are compatible with each other. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Spyware programs are a rapidly growing threat in computer security. These programs are essentially worm type viruses that copy themselves onto your computer without your consent, and the copied porgrams are designed to allow a hacker to access to your computer from a remote terminal.The threats to your security are many, ranging from small, relatively harmless things like allowing a program to bypass your firewall security protocols and flooding your computer with useless and unsolicited advertisments, to more dangerous things like allowing a hacker to access your personal information, or even to gain actual control your PC from a remote terminal.There are dozens of anti spyware programs available over the internet. When looking for one to buy, here are the factors you should definetely consider when making your choice:Buy Anti Spyware Software - it is a truism that there are no free lunches. While there are fairly good free, downloadable anti spyware programs available, studies and consumer feedback show that the most comprehensive packages are the ones being marketed by major companies for consumer purchase. Try to obtain ones from a company that you have heard of and trust. Also, some of the more devious types of spyware actually disguise themselves as free anti spyware programs. These WILL block out the attempts of OTHER spyware programs, but will themselves be accessing your terminal...Compatibility Issues - when buying an anti spyware program, check consumer reviews for it first; make sure that the program is completely compatible with all of the other major programs that you're using on your computer. A compatibility issue is more than just a matter of convenience, since some spyware programs can use the incompatible programs as a back door to avoid the anti spyware's detection and access your computer.Periodic Updates - find a provider for your anti spyware program that periodically updates it's services to keep up with the latest technology, and offers you the ability to download these updates. Hackers are continually working to modify their programs and finding new measures to bypass known countermeasures. Therefore, what works today may not defend against next week's spyware programs, unless you keep your security program up to date.Added Security Programs - aside from spyware, packages are available that feature anti virus systems, firewalls, and anti adware programs. Even if you already have similar existing security programs installed on your computer, two security systems work better than one. As stated earlier, just make sure that the two programs are compatible with each other. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Finding The Best Anti-Spyware
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Spyware programs are a rapidly growing threat in computer security. These programs are essentially worm type viruses that copy themselves onto your computer without your consent, and the copied porgrams are designed to allow a hacker to access to your computer from a remote terminal.The threats to your security are many, ranging from small, relatively harmless things like allowing a program to bypass your firewall security protocols and flooding your computer with useless and unsolicited advertisments, to more dangerous things like allowing a hacker to access your personal information, or even to gain actual control your PC from a remote terminal.There are dozens of anti spyware programs available over the internet. When looking for one to buy, here are the factors you should definetely consider when making your choice:Buy Anti Spyware Software - it is a truism that there are no free lunches. While there are fairly good free, downloadable anti spyware programs available, studies and consumer feedback show that the most comprehensive packages are the ones being marketed by major companies for consumer purchase. Try to obtain ones from a company that you have heard of and trust. Also, some of the more devious types of spyware actually disguise themselves as free anti spyware programs. These WILL block out the attempts of OTHER spyware programs, but will themselves be accessing your terminal...Compatibility Issues - when buying an anti spyware program, check consumer reviews for it first; make sure that the program is completely compatible with all of the other major programs that you're using on your computer. A compatibility issue is more than just a matter of convenience, since some spyware programs can use the incompatible programs as a back door to avoid the anti spyware's detection and access your computer.Periodic Updates - find a provider for your anti spyware program that periodically updates it's services to keep up with the latest technology, and offers you the ability to download these updates. Hackers are continually working to modify their programs and finding new measures to bypass known countermeasures. Therefore, what works today may not defend against next week's spyware programs, unless you keep your security program up to date.Added Security Programs - aside from spyware, packages are available that feature anti virus systems, firewalls, and anti adware programs. Even if you already have similar existing security programs installed on your computer, two security systems work better than one. As stated earlier, just make sure that the two programs are compatible with each other. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Keeping Your Kids Safe Online At Home
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Keeping Your Kids Safe Online At Home
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With the internet becoming readily available to people from all ages, child safety is becoming a rising concern for parents. While this isn't a threat in a secure, controlled environment like the internet access children get at school, it becomes more important at home where your children have free access to a computer.Like in real life, you can't always be there to protect your kids; you have to teach them to be able to look out for themselves and stay safe. Here are a few tips you can take to educate your children in proper internet useage:Parental Controls - like cable TVs and dvd players, computers have parental filters that you can set to filter out programs that you don't want your kids to access. You can also use the parental control to monitor your child's internet activities.Explain to your child that most of the rules that apply to real life also apply to internet security. The safety basics are especially important. At the top of the list though, is NOT giving personal information out to strangers, particularly address and phone number, as this is all too easy to do online.Make sure that your child realizes that not all information on the internet is true. There is as much misinformation and bogus scams online as there are in the physical world. While the internet is a valuable source of information and is already an established tool for modern research and education, children should be taught to approach you or their school teachers to confirm the validity of information that they acquire online.Instruct your children in proper netiquette. Just because a person can't see them face to face, they shouldn't disregard the rules of good social behavior. Remaining polite and avoiding harsh language should be drilled into them, as people tend towards verbal abuse online because contact is anonymous. Conversely, you should also encourage your children to come to you if they are on the receiving end of such verbal abuse online.While children will be able to meet other people through online chat rooms and online games, you should insist that they DO NOT meet those other people in person. If they insist on doing so, make sure that you chaperone them to ensure your child's safety.Lastly, it's a sad fact that our children these days learn so fast that they usually wind up knowing more about the internet than we do. Don't sweat it. You can actually use this as a bonding opportunity with your child, asking your little boy or girl to help you learn more about the internet. Aside from the bonding, this also gives your child more self confidence.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Keeping Your Kids Safe Online At Home
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With the internet becoming readily available to people from all ages, child safety is becoming a rising concern for parents. While this isn't a threat in a secure, controlled environment like the internet access children get at school, it becomes more important at home where your children have free access to a computer.Like in real life, you can't always be there to protect your kids; you have to teach them to be able to look out for themselves and stay safe. Here are a few tips you can take to educate your children in proper internet useage:Parental Controls - like cable TVs and dvd players, computers have parental filters that you can set to filter out programs that you don't want your kids to access. You can also use the parental control to monitor your child's internet activities.Explain to your child that most of the rules that apply to real life also apply to internet security. The safety basics are especially important. At the top of the list though, is NOT giving personal information out to strangers, particularly address and phone number, as this is all too easy to do online.Make sure that your child realizes that not all information on the internet is true. There is as much misinformation and bogus scams online as there are in the physical world. While the internet is a valuable source of information and is already an established tool for modern research and education, children should be taught to approach you or their school teachers to confirm the validity of information that they acquire online.Instruct your children in proper netiquette. Just because a person can't see them face to face, they shouldn't disregard the rules of good social behavior. Remaining polite and avoiding harsh language should be drilled into them, as people tend towards verbal abuse online because contact is anonymous. Conversely, you should also encourage your children to come to you if they are on the receiving end of such verbal abuse online.While children will be able to meet other people through online chat rooms and online games, you should insist that they DO NOT meet those other people in person. If they insist on doing so, make sure that you chaperone them to ensure your child's safety.Lastly, it's a sad fact that our children these days learn so fast that they usually wind up knowing more about the internet than we do. Don't sweat it. You can actually use this as a bonding opportunity with your child, asking your little boy or girl to help you learn more about the internet. Aside from the bonding, this also gives your child more self confidence.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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What Features To Look For In Free Downloadable PC Security Software
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What Features To Look For In Free Downloadable PC Security Software
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Computer security software is readily available for free over the internet. While major corporations still produce extensive security software packages that are marketed for consumer purchase, they still release smaller versions that can be downloaded for free. When shopping for a free security software package, try to find ones that have as many of the following features as possible:Personal Firewalls - these are geared towards blocking active attempts by other terminals to access your computer over the internet. When looking for a free firewall, find one that has an easy user interface. This is because firewall settings are a major determinant in the extent of security they provide, so the interface should allow you to easily adjust these settings to suit your needs.Anti virus - anti virus software ideally should not only be able to detect and block incoming viruses, but should be able to detect existent viruses that are already in your system and clean them out. Since there are new viruses constantly being made, as well as thousands of existing known viruses, the best thing to look for in a virus software is an extensive database of viruses it can deal with, as well as constant updates on the latest viruses discovered.Adware and Pop Up Blockers - these are specialized programs similar to firewalls whose primary purpose is to keep ads, spam, and annoying pop ups from flooding your screen when you're accessing the internet. While not necessarily harmful, the sheer volume of these can, if unrestricted by a blocker, bog your computer speed down drastically.Anti Spyware - spyware is a form of virus that you should definitely consider protecting yourself against. While not a classic self-replicating and destructive virus per se, spyware actually inserts itself into your system and allows a hacker on a remote terminal to access your personal information This can range from simply monitoring and viewing your information and activities, to actually controlling your computer's functions. Spyware protection programs ideally should be able to not only block intrusion attempts, but to detect active spyware that manages to sneak in your system, and cut off its access.Anti Trojan Programs - Trojan viruses are special viruses that are usually disguised as a different program. For example, a trojan virus may appear to be a harmless game or a music file that you can download. Anti Trojan Programs scan all files that you attempt to download off the internet to make sure they are secure. Like regular anti virus programs, make sure the anti trojan program you select has a good coverage of known trojans.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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What Features To Look For In Free Downloadable PC Security Software
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Computer security software is readily available for free over the internet. While major corporations still produce extensive security software packages that are marketed for consumer purchase, they still release smaller versions that can be downloaded for free. When shopping for a free security software package, try to find ones that have as many of the following features as possible:Personal Firewalls - these are geared towards blocking active attempts by other terminals to access your computer over the internet. When looking for a free firewall, find one that has an easy user interface. This is because firewall settings are a major determinant in the extent of security they provide, so the interface should allow you to easily adjust these settings to suit your needs.Anti virus - anti virus software ideally should not only be able to detect and block incoming viruses, but should be able to detect existent viruses that are already in your system and clean them out. Since there are new viruses constantly being made, as well as thousands of existing known viruses, the best thing to look for in a virus software is an extensive database of viruses it can deal with, as well as constant updates on the latest viruses discovered.Adware and Pop Up Blockers - these are specialized programs similar to firewalls whose primary purpose is to keep ads, spam, and annoying pop ups from flooding your screen when you're accessing the internet. While not necessarily harmful, the sheer volume of these can, if unrestricted by a blocker, bog your computer speed down drastically.Anti Spyware - spyware is a form of virus that you should definitely consider protecting yourself against. While not a classic self-replicating and destructive virus per se, spyware actually inserts itself into your system and allows a hacker on a remote terminal to access your personal information This can range from simply monitoring and viewing your information and activities, to actually controlling your computer's functions. Spyware protection programs ideally should be able to not only block intrusion attempts, but to detect active spyware that manages to sneak in your system, and cut off its access.Anti Trojan Programs - Trojan viruses are special viruses that are usually disguised as a different program. For example, a trojan virus may appear to be a harmless game or a music file that you can download. Anti Trojan Programs scan all files that you attempt to download off the internet to make sure they are secure. Like regular anti virus programs, make sure the anti trojan program you select has a good coverage of known trojans.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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How To Protect Your Computer From A Virus
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How To Protect Your Computer From A Virus
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This article will give you the information on how to protect your computer from a virus. A computer virus is a program that is able to make copies of itself over and over to spread throughout the files on your computer and to the files of other computers, whenever information is exchanged. These viruses can do a lot of damage to your computer in a short amount of time. It can destroy all of your files and make your computer virtually useless. The most important thing that you can learn about your computer is how to protect if from a virus. The first thing that you should do to protect your computer against viruses is to get a high quality anti virus software installed on your computer. Make sure you update it regularly by visiting the manufacturer's website. Use this software to scan all files, diskettes, programs and software before you use them on your computer.Always make back up copies of important files or documents and store them on a separate CD or diskette. This will help protect your important information from accidental deletion or other damage. Always scan your disks and files after using them on another computer.Make sure that the security features on your computer is turned on. If you are using Microsoft Windows it comes with it's own security features. Enable the following, Internet firewall, Antispyware software and Anti virus software. This trio will do the most to protect you from getting a computer virus.Download information from only sites that you are familiar with and that you trust. Never open email attachments from someone that you don't know. Install software only from authentic CDs. If you are not sure of the source, don't install it.Know how to recognize the signs of a computer virus and take action right away to fix it. If your computer starts acting strangely, is running slower than normal or starts shutting down by itself frequently, then you may have a virus. Other symptoms may include, strange sounds or music coming from your speakers unexpectedly. Multiple pop up messages or boxes may start appearing on the screen or you may start receiving out of memory messages even though your computer has plenty of memory left. If any of these things happen, first visit the website for your anti virus software and download any updates. Then run a complete virus scan on your computer. When the scan is complete, you should be given recommendations on how to remove the virus from your computer. If you are a complete novice to computers and don't feel comfortable with this step, enlist the help of a more knowledgeable person. A computer is a big investment and in some cases it is the lifeline of your business. Protecting it from viruses should be your number one priority. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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How To Protect Your Computer From A Virus
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This article will give you the information on how to protect your computer from a virus. A computer virus is a program that is able to make copies of itself over and over to spread throughout the files on your computer and to the files of other computers, whenever information is exchanged. These viruses can do a lot of damage to your computer in a short amount of time. It can destroy all of your files and make your computer virtually useless. The most important thing that you can learn about your computer is how to protect if from a virus. The first thing that you should do to protect your computer against viruses is to get a high quality anti virus software installed on your computer. Make sure you update it regularly by visiting the manufacturer's website. Use this software to scan all files, diskettes, programs and software before you use them on your computer.Always make back up copies of important files or documents and store them on a separate CD or diskette. This will help protect your important information from accidental deletion or other damage. Always scan your disks and files after using them on another computer.Make sure that the security features on your computer is turned on. If you are using Microsoft Windows it comes with it's own security features. Enable the following, Internet firewall, Antispyware software and Anti virus software. This trio will do the most to protect you from getting a computer virus.Download information from only sites that you are familiar with and that you trust. Never open email attachments from someone that you don't know. Install software only from authentic CDs. If you are not sure of the source, don't install it.Know how to recognize the signs of a computer virus and take action right away to fix it. If your computer starts acting strangely, is running slower than normal or starts shutting down by itself frequently, then you may have a virus. Other symptoms may include, strange sounds or music coming from your speakers unexpectedly. Multiple pop up messages or boxes may start appearing on the screen or you may start receiving out of memory messages even though your computer has plenty of memory left. If any of these things happen, first visit the website for your anti virus software and download any updates. Then run a complete virus scan on your computer. When the scan is complete, you should be given recommendations on how to remove the virus from your computer. If you are a complete novice to computers and don't feel comfortable with this step, enlist the help of a more knowledgeable person. A computer is a big investment and in some cases it is the lifeline of your business. Protecting it from viruses should be your number one priority. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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How To Get Rid Of Spyware
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How To Get Rid Of Spyware
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Spyware is a virtual computer parasite that does just what the name suggests, it spies on you. It tracks your Internet usage by recording the websites that you visit. This is so companies can pitch products to you based on your surfing habits. However, spyware, in addition to seriously infringing on your privacy rights, will slow down your computer considerably because it is a program that is always running in the background. Once you get spyware attached to your computer, you could start getting so many popup ads that your computer could become totally unusable. Unfortunately, spyware is very easy to get and can be very difficult to get rid of. There are several good programs that you can download for free to help remove spyware from your computer. Programs such as AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy may help get rid of some spyware, but may not be able to eliminate them all.Spyware uses multiple hidden processes to not only take over your web browser and produce dozens of pop up ads, but it can also disable your anti virus or anti spyware programs. This will leave you open and vulnerable to every new virus that is coming down the pike. What makes spyware so hard to get rid of is that is hides it's installers in different folders and will automatically reinstall if removal is attempted.Anti spyware programs can combat spyware in two different ways. Some programs will provide real time protection against the installation of spyware on your computer. It does this by scanning all incoming data for spyware threats and blocks anything that may be suspicious. Other programs may combat spyware by detecting and removing the spyware that may already be installed on your computer. These are the more popular types of programs and easier to use. You can schedule weekly or monthly scans of your computer to remove any spyware present.It is a good idea to make backups of any important files that may be on your computer prior to running any type of anti virus or anti spyware programs. Once the programs are ran and you feel that you have eliminated the spyware, make sure your computer's firewall is turned on. Frequently check the AdAware and Spybot sites for updates and download them when available. Get your hands on a high quality anti virus program and install in on your computer.Your privacy should be very important to you. No one has the right to collect information on you without your knowledge. Hopefully, in the years to come, laws will be enacted to make spyware programs illegal. But until that happens you have to do everything you can to protect yourself and to get rid of spyware on your computer. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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How To Get Rid Of Spyware
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Spyware is a virtual computer parasite that does just what the name suggests, it spies on you. It tracks your Internet usage by recording the websites that you visit. This is so companies can pitch products to you based on your surfing habits. However, spyware, in addition to seriously infringing on your privacy rights, will slow down your computer considerably because it is a program that is always running in the background. Once you get spyware attached to your computer, you could start getting so many popup ads that your computer could become totally unusable. Unfortunately, spyware is very easy to get and can be very difficult to get rid of. There are several good programs that you can download for free to help remove spyware from your computer. Programs such as AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy may help get rid of some spyware, but may not be able to eliminate them all.Spyware uses multiple hidden processes to not only take over your web browser and produce dozens of pop up ads, but it can also disable your anti virus or anti spyware programs. This will leave you open and vulnerable to every new virus that is coming down the pike. What makes spyware so hard to get rid of is that is hides it's installers in different folders and will automatically reinstall if removal is attempted.Anti spyware programs can combat spyware in two different ways. Some programs will provide real time protection against the installation of spyware on your computer. It does this by scanning all incoming data for spyware threats and blocks anything that may be suspicious. Other programs may combat spyware by detecting and removing the spyware that may already be installed on your computer. These are the more popular types of programs and easier to use. You can schedule weekly or monthly scans of your computer to remove any spyware present.It is a good idea to make backups of any important files that may be on your computer prior to running any type of anti virus or anti spyware programs. Once the programs are ran and you feel that you have eliminated the spyware, make sure your computer's firewall is turned on. Frequently check the AdAware and Spybot sites for updates and download them when available. Get your hands on a high quality anti virus program and install in on your computer.Your privacy should be very important to you. No one has the right to collect information on you without your knowledge. Hopefully, in the years to come, laws will be enacted to make spyware programs illegal. But until that happens you have to do everything you can to protect yourself and to get rid of spyware on your computer. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Common Spam Scams
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Common Spam Scams
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Along with spam advertisements hawking prescription medicines, 'cheap' mortgage rates and online gambling sites, there are a number of common scams whose sole goal is to separate you from your money.One well-known example, circulating for years now, is the Nigerian bank scam. The sender, allegedly the wife or relative of a former dictator or government official (usually in Nigeria, hence the name) tells the sad story of how millions were deposited in a bank account which is no longer accessible. In exchange for your help, they're willing to share this wealth - for a few mere thousands from your bank account for 'expenses'. As ludicrous as it seems, people fall for this every year. In one well-publicized case an elderly Czech man who had lost his life savings to this scam shot the Nigerian consul in Prague.Some Internet scams offer investment opportunities with huge paybacks. They usually claim to be risk-free, but once they have your money, you're very unlikely to see any return. Another common scam involves offering credit cards for those with bad credit ratings - just send a security deposit and processing fees. In return you get - that's right - nothing. And by the time you start to investigate, the scam artist has disappeared.Then there are the multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), urging you to buy large quantities of the 'latest new product' - which you can resell for an easy profit while receiving a commission on each sale from the greater fool down the line. Once you've bought the merchandise, however, the distributor will have disappeared - sometimes without even sending the goods.Remember these offers are worse than even ordinary spam. Legitimate businesses do not promote their products by spamming. They e-mail selected groups, generally those who have purchased from them before or voluntarily offered an e-mail address. Other offers should usually be ignored. Simply hit your delete button. However, even highlighting the e-mail in order to delete it can signal a spammer that you received one. To fight that, see the article 'Fighting Spam' in this series.Never reply to spam. Doing so simply indicates to the spammer that your e-mail address is valid, and you'll receive more spam than before. Some spam contains a message offering to remove your e-mail address from their mailing list. Don't use even this service - it's nothing but another method for verifying e-mail addresses.Above all, never give your credit card number, bank account details or private data to anyone unknown over the Internet. PayPal, for example, and other legitimate online businesses will never ask for your password in an email. One common scam is to fake return addresses and tailor subject lines and content so the message appears to be from them or another financial institution 'confirming' your information. Don't fall for them.How do you know whether it's spam? Since, one man's spam is sometimes another's welcomed advertisement, there's no perfect answer. But there is one good rule of thumb: if you don't recognize the sender, it's probably not someone you want to hear from. After all, how many former dictators in Nigeria are you likely to know?New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Common Spam Scams
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Along with spam advertisements hawking prescription medicines, 'cheap' mortgage rates and online gambling sites, there are a number of common scams whose sole goal is to separate you from your money.One well-known example, circulating for years now, is the Nigerian bank scam. The sender, allegedly the wife or relative of a former dictator or government official (usually in Nigeria, hence the name) tells the sad story of how millions were deposited in a bank account which is no longer accessible. In exchange for your help, they're willing to share this wealth - for a few mere thousands from your bank account for 'expenses'. As ludicrous as it seems, people fall for this every year. In one well-publicized case an elderly Czech man who had lost his life savings to this scam shot the Nigerian consul in Prague.Some Internet scams offer investment opportunities with huge paybacks. They usually claim to be risk-free, but once they have your money, you're very unlikely to see any return. Another common scam involves offering credit cards for those with bad credit ratings - just send a security deposit and processing fees. In return you get - that's right - nothing. And by the time you start to investigate, the scam artist has disappeared.Then there are the multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), urging you to buy large quantities of the 'latest new product' - which you can resell for an easy profit while receiving a commission on each sale from the greater fool down the line. Once you've bought the merchandise, however, the distributor will have disappeared - sometimes without even sending the goods.Remember these offers are worse than even ordinary spam. Legitimate businesses do not promote their products by spamming. They e-mail selected groups, generally those who have purchased from them before or voluntarily offered an e-mail address. Other offers should usually be ignored. Simply hit your delete button. However, even highlighting the e-mail in order to delete it can signal a spammer that you received one. To fight that, see the article 'Fighting Spam' in this series.Never reply to spam. Doing so simply indicates to the spammer that your e-mail address is valid, and you'll receive more spam than before. Some spam contains a message offering to remove your e-mail address from their mailing list. Don't use even this service - it's nothing but another method for verifying e-mail addresses.Above all, never give your credit card number, bank account details or private data to anyone unknown over the Internet. PayPal, for example, and other legitimate online businesses will never ask for your password in an email. One common scam is to fake return addresses and tailor subject lines and content so the message appears to be from them or another financial institution 'confirming' your information. Don't fall for them.How do you know whether it's spam? Since, one man's spam is sometimes another's welcomed advertisement, there's no perfect answer. But there is one good rule of thumb: if you don't recognize the sender, it's probably not someone you want to hear from. After all, how many former dictators in Nigeria are you likely to know?New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Firewalls - Part One
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Firewalls - Part One
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Network firewalls get the name from physical firewalls which prevent fire spreading from one section of a building to another. Firewalls are structures which strictly control access from one side to another.That's exactly what a network firewall does — restrict the flow of data and program instructions in or out of a system.There are two basic types of firewalls — hardware and software, though the distinction can be misleading. Hardware rarely does much without extra software to guide it, and software can't even exist without hardware. It has to be stored somewhere and execute on something.Hardware firewalls are commonly used between networks — for example between a corporate network and the Internet. The Internet is nothing more than a large set of mutually cooperating networks. Incoming traffic from the Internet is restricted to public access areas or to particular computers on the corporate network. Computers in the corporate network 'behind' the firewall access each other and the Internet.Internal firewalls within corporate networks are also used, typically to keep resources restricted to certain groups, or to prevent viruses infecting some groups from spreading to others.Software firewalls — called 'personal firewalls' — are more often used in personal computers which connect to the Internet. They're slower than hardware firewalls, which are specialized for that function, and they use resources on the individual's PC.Firewalls help prevent unauthorized access to systems by hackers or viruses. They control both inbound and outbound traffic according to a 'policy' established when the firewall is installed, or later configured. The policy determines which programs can access the Internet and what kind of incoming or outgoing traffic is allowed.Browsers, e-mail programs and some auto-updating programs (such as antivirus software) all require network access. A personal firewall can be set up to allow this kind of traffic, while disallowing others.Firewalls 'learn' which programs can access the Internet freely. The first time a program tries to connect to the Internet the firewall signals an alert. The user modifies the firewall policy by (dis)allowing that particular program to access the Internet. The rule of thumb is: if you don't recognize the program, don't allow access. Most installation software will specify what firewall settings are needed to run common programs properly.Hackers routinely scan computer networks looking for open 'ports' (numbers used by network software to distinguish traffic) through which they can gain access to your computer. Ports are individual entry connection points between the computer and the Internet. If a hacker can find an open port, it can be used to transmit a worm carrying a payload which can give the hacker control over your computer. Firewalls can close all unused ports.The best personal firewalls not only close ports, they hide their very existence. This means a hacker program scanning for open ports won't receive a reply to scan requests, rendering the system 'invisible'.That doesn't mean, unfortunately, that personal firewalls are invulnerable. Unlike hardware firewalls, personal firewalls are part of the computer system — they're just another program — and are just as vulnerable to virus attacks as any other. Some viruses target firewalls by modifying the policy file. If this happens your computer may become vulnerable to hackers even when you thought it was secure.Nevertheless, connecting to the Internet without using a firewall is ill-advised. Open ports are a vulnerability that can be easily exploited by hackers. To protect your firewall integrity be diligent about scanning incoming files for viruses, by using antivirus software and avoiding unexpected e-mail attachments.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Firewalls - Part One
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Network firewalls get the name from physical firewalls which prevent fire spreading from one section of a building to another. Firewalls are structures which strictly control access from one side to another.That's exactly what a network firewall does — restrict the flow of data and program instructions in or out of a system.There are two basic types of firewalls — hardware and software, though the distinction can be misleading. Hardware rarely does much without extra software to guide it, and software can't even exist without hardware. It has to be stored somewhere and execute on something.Hardware firewalls are commonly used between networks — for example between a corporate network and the Internet. The Internet is nothing more than a large set of mutually cooperating networks. Incoming traffic from the Internet is restricted to public access areas or to particular computers on the corporate network. Computers in the corporate network 'behind' the firewall access each other and the Internet.Internal firewalls within corporate networks are also used, typically to keep resources restricted to certain groups, or to prevent viruses infecting some groups from spreading to others.Software firewalls — called 'personal firewalls' — are more often used in personal computers which connect to the Internet. They're slower than hardware firewalls, which are specialized for that function, and they use resources on the individual's PC.Firewalls help prevent unauthorized access to systems by hackers or viruses. They control both inbound and outbound traffic according to a 'policy' established when the firewall is installed, or later configured. The policy determines which programs can access the Internet and what kind of incoming or outgoing traffic is allowed.Browsers, e-mail programs and some auto-updating programs (such as antivirus software) all require network access. A personal firewall can be set up to allow this kind of traffic, while disallowing others.Firewalls 'learn' which programs can access the Internet freely. The first time a program tries to connect to the Internet the firewall signals an alert. The user modifies the firewall policy by (dis)allowing that particular program to access the Internet. The rule of thumb is: if you don't recognize the program, don't allow access. Most installation software will specify what firewall settings are needed to run common programs properly.Hackers routinely scan computer networks looking for open 'ports' (numbers used by network software to distinguish traffic) through which they can gain access to your computer. Ports are individual entry connection points between the computer and the Internet. If a hacker can find an open port, it can be used to transmit a worm carrying a payload which can give the hacker control over your computer. Firewalls can close all unused ports.The best personal firewalls not only close ports, they hide their very existence. This means a hacker program scanning for open ports won't receive a reply to scan requests, rendering the system 'invisible'.That doesn't mean, unfortunately, that personal firewalls are invulnerable. Unlike hardware firewalls, personal firewalls are part of the computer system — they're just another program — and are just as vulnerable to virus attacks as any other. Some viruses target firewalls by modifying the policy file. If this happens your computer may become vulnerable to hackers even when you thought it was secure.Nevertheless, connecting to the Internet without using a firewall is ill-advised. Open ports are a vulnerability that can be easily exploited by hackers. To protect your firewall integrity be diligent about scanning incoming files for viruses, by using antivirus software and avoiding unexpected e-mail attachments.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 393 ] Word Count: [ 621 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend
Malware: Spyware And Adware
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Malware: Spyware And Adware
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Malware is any program designed to do harm, though sometimes what's considered harmful is a bit vague. Viruses, Trojans, spyware, adware, pop-ups, even spam and more have all qualified. Sometimes, though, one man's junk is another man's treasure.AdwareAdware actually has two flavors - software supported with advertising, or a more malicious sort. The first could be a useful utility released free of charge but using advertising to generate revenue to support development - similar to TV commercials. You're not required to watch, but if you do you get ads along with content. Often this type of software is also available in ad-free form for a modest price.The other, more malicious, type monitors your browsing habits and delivers targeted advertising. This type of software may be considered a type of spyware, especially if it's installed without your knowledge and consent. When does adware becomes spyware? A gray area. Some software vendors claim that disclosing the inclusion of this type of software in the user agreement grants legal consent for its installation. Most users, obviously, don't read the fine print, which is full of legal jargon and unattractively formatted.SpywareSpyware can have a more insidious meaning, however. This can refer to software which does much more than simply monitor a user's browsing habits. It can also redirect your browser to advertising sites.This type is almost always installed without the user's consent or knowledge. It may be hidden in another program or arrive as the payload of a worm or virus. It's also illegal in many countries. In the U.S. the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has indicted, and in some cases convicted, several purveyors.Some software vendors require the user to install spyware as part of a package. File sharing utilities like Kazaa or BearShare are notorious for this practice. Its inclusion is declared in the user agreement but users don't have the option of not installing it - if they want the main program they have to install the spyware as well. Annoying, but legal.The spyware installed with these, and many other, programs gather information about web browsing habits so that targeted advertising can be delivered to the user. 'Targeted' advertising is designed to be presented to specific groups, selected by analyzing their buying or browsing habits. Selections are made by discovering gender, age, frequently visited sites or by other criteria.Spyware vendors argue that it doesn't collect specific personal information and there's an active controversy over whether it constitutes legitimate market analysis or privacy violation. Most users find it annoying at best and intrusive in the main. Advertisers claim it's the best way to deliver products and services to potential new customers who may actually end up wanting what's offered. Legally, they assert, it's just another form of free speech. Users retort that the advertisers' free speech doesn't reach to their browser or e-mail Inbox.The argument isn't likely to be settled soon. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Malware: Spyware And Adware
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Malware is any program designed to do harm, though sometimes what's considered harmful is a bit vague. Viruses, Trojans, spyware, adware, pop-ups, even spam and more have all qualified. Sometimes, though, one man's junk is another man's treasure.AdwareAdware actually has two flavors - software supported with advertising, or a more malicious sort. The first could be a useful utility released free of charge but using advertising to generate revenue to support development - similar to TV commercials. You're not required to watch, but if you do you get ads along with content. Often this type of software is also available in ad-free form for a modest price.The other, more malicious, type monitors your browsing habits and delivers targeted advertising. This type of software may be considered a type of spyware, especially if it's installed without your knowledge and consent. When does adware becomes spyware? A gray area. Some software vendors claim that disclosing the inclusion of this type of software in the user agreement grants legal consent for its installation. Most users, obviously, don't read the fine print, which is full of legal jargon and unattractively formatted.SpywareSpyware can have a more insidious meaning, however. This can refer to software which does much more than simply monitor a user's browsing habits. It can also redirect your browser to advertising sites.This type is almost always installed without the user's consent or knowledge. It may be hidden in another program or arrive as the payload of a worm or virus. It's also illegal in many countries. In the U.S. the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has indicted, and in some cases convicted, several purveyors.Some software vendors require the user to install spyware as part of a package. File sharing utilities like Kazaa or BearShare are notorious for this practice. Its inclusion is declared in the user agreement but users don't have the option of not installing it - if they want the main program they have to install the spyware as well. Annoying, but legal.The spyware installed with these, and many other, programs gather information about web browsing habits so that targeted advertising can be delivered to the user. 'Targeted' advertising is designed to be presented to specific groups, selected by analyzing their buying or browsing habits. Selections are made by discovering gender, age, frequently visited sites or by other criteria.Spyware vendors argue that it doesn't collect specific personal information and there's an active controversy over whether it constitutes legitimate market analysis or privacy violation. Most users find it annoying at best and intrusive in the main. Advertisers claim it's the best way to deliver products and services to potential new customers who may actually end up wanting what's offered. Legally, they assert, it's just another form of free speech. Users retort that the advertisers' free speech doesn't reach to their browser or e-mail Inbox.The argument isn't likely to be settled soon. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Virus Recovery Tips
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Virus Recovery Tips
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Why is a computer virus harmful? For the same basic reason that biological viruses are: they damage components that keep systems healthy.Some are relatively benign - they generate annoying, juvenile messages or crash the system once, then go away. But many are specifically designed to do substantial harm - by deleting files needed to run word processing programs or perform essential operating system tasks. Some prepare the way for further attacks by opening up access to administrative functions.Combating them is simple - install antivirus software, keep it up-to-date and running in the background and don't open email attachments from unknown sources.Nonetheless, odds are high that someday the system will be infected. Important data will be lost, essential program and operating system files will be zapped. Now what?First thing: Don't panic. You may not even be infected. Before implementing a cure you have to diagnose properly.If the system is still functional and you have access to the Internet, search for current, known viruses. Scan your system manually and search the file system for virus programs or infected files. Search memory too - sometimes the little creeps hide there.Test multiple programs and operating system functions. It may be that something just went wrong with one component. Not a fool-proof method, the virus may have just attacked those specific ones.If the system isn't functional, boot the system using an antivirus diskette or CD. You did prepare one, right? No? Er, go back to Step 0 - pre-attack - and (1) prepare bootable antivirus diskettes and a CD, (2) create CD copies of software purchased and/or organize the originals, and (3) backup important data.Scan the system after booting from diskette or CD and look for the virus or infected files. You really are infected? Ok, on to the next phase.If you're running Windows select the boot option: Last Known Good Configuration. It rarely helps, but sometimes you'll get lucky, and if you've re-booted twice you've lost the opportunity.If you're running Windows, check for existence and the dates of key operating system files. (The list is too long to display here. Search Microsoft's web site for 'Operating System files', or make a list from the Windows (or WINNT) directory and System (or System32) sub-directory, of another computer. For the same service pack level, the dates should match other files, for the most part. Check especially kernel32.exe and lsass.exe. Hackers like to go after those two. Fixes from Microsoft update some, but they tend to come in bunches. Just one with a different date is suspect. Yes, no one said this was going to be easy. Windows is to some extent self-protecting and self-healing but far from perfect. Replace those files with good ones, if needed.Again for Windows users, it may be the Registry that's corrupted. There are several useful tools available to fix it. Just search on Windows Registry repair utilities and choose one suitable for your version. Any recommendation made here will be out-of-date in six months, but forums are full of helpful up-to-date opinions.If the problem is only a program - word processing software, or email client or browser, for example - de-install and re-install. Annoying, but usually pretty straight forward, and most programs won't delete any user created data files without prompting you first.In the worst case scenario - lost user data not backed up somewhere (oops, you skipped Step 0) - several commericial Data Recovery services are available that can sometimes get it back. They tend to be expensive, but your data may be worth it. It sounds like magic, but they often can recover at least some even though you've searched thoroughly and the data appears lost.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Newest Computer Security Articles
Most Popular Computer Security Articles
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September 7, 2009
How To Password-Protect Documents In Your Computer From Prying EyesHow To Get Rid Of Computer Viruses: A Step By Step Guide And Important TipsControl Spyware Infection Or You'll Be Sorry LaterChoose The Best Password: The Key To Your AccountHow To Block Pop-Up Ads In Your PCHow To Protect Yourself From Phishing On The InternetWhen It Pays To Be Paranoid: How To Avoid Keyloggers From Being Installed In Your ComputerHow To Keep Your PC Healthy By Avoiding VirusesData Backups - Why Bother?Parental Control SoftwarePop-upsCombating SpywareVirus Hoaxes, As Bad As The Real Thing?Combating Viruses, Beyond The PCTrojan Horse Viruses, Not A MythWorm Viruses, Deadliest Of AllCombating VirusesWhat Is A Computer Virus, Anyway?Fighting Spam, Part II: Webmaster StrategiesFighting Spam, Part I: User StrategiesVirus Recovery TipsBrowsers, Key To Security?Malware: Spyware And AdwareHome Network Security, SimplifiedFighting Fire With FirewallsFirewalls - Part OneEmail SecurityCommon Spam ScamsWhat Is Spam?Common Computer Firewall Security Questions AnsweredHow To Get Rid Of A Computer VirusHow To Get Rid Of AdwareHow To Get Rid Of SpywareHow To Protect Your Computer From A VirusWhat Features To Look For In Free Downloadable PC Security SoftwareKeeping Your Kids Safe Online At HomeFinding The Best Anti-SpywareHow To Protect Your Computer From VirusesHow To Avoid Being Invaded By Adware And SpywareWhat You Should Know About Phishing?
document.write(lmonth + " " + year);
Virus Recovery Tips
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Why is a computer virus harmful? For the same basic reason that biological viruses are: they damage components that keep systems healthy.Some are relatively benign - they generate annoying, juvenile messages or crash the system once, then go away. But many are specifically designed to do substantial harm - by deleting files needed to run word processing programs or perform essential operating system tasks. Some prepare the way for further attacks by opening up access to administrative functions.Combating them is simple - install antivirus software, keep it up-to-date and running in the background and don't open email attachments from unknown sources.Nonetheless, odds are high that someday the system will be infected. Important data will be lost, essential program and operating system files will be zapped. Now what?First thing: Don't panic. You may not even be infected. Before implementing a cure you have to diagnose properly.If the system is still functional and you have access to the Internet, search for current, known viruses. Scan your system manually and search the file system for virus programs or infected files. Search memory too - sometimes the little creeps hide there.Test multiple programs and operating system functions. It may be that something just went wrong with one component. Not a fool-proof method, the virus may have just attacked those specific ones.If the system isn't functional, boot the system using an antivirus diskette or CD. You did prepare one, right? No? Er, go back to Step 0 - pre-attack - and (1) prepare bootable antivirus diskettes and a CD, (2) create CD copies of software purchased and/or organize the originals, and (3) backup important data.Scan the system after booting from diskette or CD and look for the virus or infected files. You really are infected? Ok, on to the next phase.If you're running Windows select the boot option: Last Known Good Configuration. It rarely helps, but sometimes you'll get lucky, and if you've re-booted twice you've lost the opportunity.If you're running Windows, check for existence and the dates of key operating system files. (The list is too long to display here. Search Microsoft's web site for 'Operating System files', or make a list from the Windows (or WINNT) directory and System (or System32) sub-directory, of another computer. For the same service pack level, the dates should match other files, for the most part. Check especially kernel32.exe and lsass.exe. Hackers like to go after those two. Fixes from Microsoft update some, but they tend to come in bunches. Just one with a different date is suspect. Yes, no one said this was going to be easy. Windows is to some extent self-protecting and self-healing but far from perfect. Replace those files with good ones, if needed.Again for Windows users, it may be the Registry that's corrupted. There are several useful tools available to fix it. Just search on Windows Registry repair utilities and choose one suitable for your version. Any recommendation made here will be out-of-date in six months, but forums are full of helpful up-to-date opinions.If the problem is only a program - word processing software, or email client or browser, for example - de-install and re-install. Annoying, but usually pretty straight forward, and most programs won't delete any user created data files without prompting you first.In the worst case scenario - lost user data not backed up somewhere (oops, you skipped Step 0) - several commericial Data Recovery services are available that can sometimes get it back. They tend to be expensive, but your data may be worth it. It sounds like magic, but they often can recover at least some even though you've searched thoroughly and the data appears lost.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 402 ] Word Count: [ 649 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend ]
Click Here Now To Learn More About Our Risk Free Trial Offer!
Newest Computer Security Articles
Most Popular Computer Security Articles
document.write(lmonth + " " + date + ", " + year);
September 7, 2009
How To Password-Protect Documents In Your Computer From Prying EyesHow To Get Rid Of Computer Viruses: A Step By Step Guide And Important TipsControl Spyware Infection Or You'll Be Sorry LaterChoose The Best Password: The Key To Your AccountHow To Block Pop-Up Ads In Your PCHow To Protect Yourself From Phishing On The InternetWhen It Pays To Be Paranoid: How To Avoid Keyloggers From Being Installed In Your ComputerHow To Keep Your PC Healthy By Avoiding VirusesData Backups - Why Bother?Parental Control SoftwarePop-upsCombating SpywareVirus Hoaxes, As Bad As The Real Thing?Combating Viruses, Beyond The PCTrojan Horse Viruses, Not A MythWorm Viruses, Deadliest Of AllCombating VirusesWhat Is A Computer Virus, Anyway?Fighting Spam, Part II: Webmaster StrategiesFighting Spam, Part I: User StrategiesVirus Recovery TipsBrowsers, Key To Security?Malware: Spyware And AdwareHome Network Security, SimplifiedFighting Fire With FirewallsFirewalls - Part OneEmail SecurityCommon Spam ScamsWhat Is Spam?Common Computer Firewall Security Questions AnsweredHow To Get Rid Of A Computer VirusHow To Get Rid Of AdwareHow To Get Rid Of SpywareHow To Protect Your Computer From A VirusWhat Features To Look For In Free Downloadable PC Security SoftwareKeeping Your Kids Safe Online At HomeFinding The Best Anti-SpywareHow To Protect Your Computer From VirusesHow To Avoid Being Invaded By Adware And SpywareWhat You Should Know About Phishing?
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What Is A Computer Virus, Anyway?
Click Here Now To Scan Your Computer For Free!
What Is A Computer Virus, Anyway?
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Combating infections and removing viruses is now big business. Lesson one is 'knowing the enemy'.THE ENEMY - Crackers and HackersGeeks make a distinction between crackers, who break into systems to do damage, and hackers who enjoy taking programs apart just to see how they tick. We'll stick with the more common, though less accurate, term of hacker. (The term 'hacker' originally meant 'someone who makes furniture' with an axe. Crude, but effective - like most computer viruses.)Viruses are actually a particular type of computer 'malware' - a general term covering all types of malicious software. The most common types are viruses, worms and Trojan horses.VIRUSESA virus is usually hidden inside another program such as an installation program delivered via e-mail attachment. (Biological viruses require a host organism to live and reproduce, hence the name.) When the 'host' program is run, the virus program also runs. Once it's in memory the virus is able to do its dirty work, which usually includes infecting other programs.After the infection stage of the virus, there's a destructive stage. The virus waits for a pre-determined trigger (such as a specific date or a certain number of times the virus has replicated itself) before delivering its 'payload'. Payloads range from simple messages to file deletion commands to destruction of the core operating system.When first developed, computer viruses were commonly distributed on floppy disks. With the growth of the Internet downloaded files and e-mail are the preferred delivery mechanisms. E-mail can contain attachments which can be any kind of computer file. Any executable file can be infected with a virus, and shouldn't be run unless you're confident they're virus free. WORMSWorms are similar to viruses in that they're self-replicating. They reproduce themselves across networks without human assistance, such as e-mail sending. A worm, though, doesn't need another executable program to be distributed.Worms usually affect networks more than individual computers on the network. Their self-replicating behavior can overload network resources, causing slowdowns in data transmission by consuming massive bandwidth normally used to forward normal traffic. Network systems that route Internet traffic are just specialized computer hardware and software. They, too, can be affected by malware.Worms can also be designed to carry a payload, using a 'backdoor' installation program. A backdoor is a hidden access point to a computer that bypasses the normal login procedure. They're commonly used by spammers to distribute junk e-mail, for example.TROJAN HORSESTrojan horses are the third common type of malware. A 'trojan' is a program that pretends to do one thing but actually does something different. (The term comes from the story of the Greeks who built a large wooden horse in which to hide. Their enemies, the Trojans persuaded they'd receive a gift, took the horse inside their compound giving the Greeks easy access to wreak havoc.) Unlike viruses or worms, a Trojan doesn't replicate itself.Trojans may be hidden in otherwise useful software. Once started they can do almost anything including erasing data, corrupting files, installing backdoors and logging keystrokes so that hackers can steal information such as credit card numbers and passwords.FIGHTING MALWAREElsewhere in the series, we'll discuss what is and can be done to combat the spread of malware. In the interim, just remember not to be passive and expect the problem to be solved by others. Fighting viruses requires active participation from vendors, webmasters AND users. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
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Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 527 ] Word Count: [ 600 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend ]
What Is A Computer Virus, Anyway?
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Combating infections and removing viruses is now big business. Lesson one is 'knowing the enemy'.THE ENEMY - Crackers and HackersGeeks make a distinction between crackers, who break into systems to do damage, and hackers who enjoy taking programs apart just to see how they tick. We'll stick with the more common, though less accurate, term of hacker. (The term 'hacker' originally meant 'someone who makes furniture' with an axe. Crude, but effective - like most computer viruses.)Viruses are actually a particular type of computer 'malware' - a general term covering all types of malicious software. The most common types are viruses, worms and Trojan horses.VIRUSESA virus is usually hidden inside another program such as an installation program delivered via e-mail attachment. (Biological viruses require a host organism to live and reproduce, hence the name.) When the 'host' program is run, the virus program also runs. Once it's in memory the virus is able to do its dirty work, which usually includes infecting other programs.After the infection stage of the virus, there's a destructive stage. The virus waits for a pre-determined trigger (such as a specific date or a certain number of times the virus has replicated itself) before delivering its 'payload'. Payloads range from simple messages to file deletion commands to destruction of the core operating system.When first developed, computer viruses were commonly distributed on floppy disks. With the growth of the Internet downloaded files and e-mail are the preferred delivery mechanisms. E-mail can contain attachments which can be any kind of computer file. Any executable file can be infected with a virus, and shouldn't be run unless you're confident they're virus free. WORMSWorms are similar to viruses in that they're self-replicating. They reproduce themselves across networks without human assistance, such as e-mail sending. A worm, though, doesn't need another executable program to be distributed.Worms usually affect networks more than individual computers on the network. Their self-replicating behavior can overload network resources, causing slowdowns in data transmission by consuming massive bandwidth normally used to forward normal traffic. Network systems that route Internet traffic are just specialized computer hardware and software. They, too, can be affected by malware.Worms can also be designed to carry a payload, using a 'backdoor' installation program. A backdoor is a hidden access point to a computer that bypasses the normal login procedure. They're commonly used by spammers to distribute junk e-mail, for example.TROJAN HORSESTrojan horses are the third common type of malware. A 'trojan' is a program that pretends to do one thing but actually does something different. (The term comes from the story of the Greeks who built a large wooden horse in which to hide. Their enemies, the Trojans persuaded they'd receive a gift, took the horse inside their compound giving the Greeks easy access to wreak havoc.) Unlike viruses or worms, a Trojan doesn't replicate itself.Trojans may be hidden in otherwise useful software. Once started they can do almost anything including erasing data, corrupting files, installing backdoors and logging keystrokes so that hackers can steal information such as credit card numbers and passwords.FIGHTING MALWAREElsewhere in the series, we'll discuss what is and can be done to combat the spread of malware. In the interim, just remember not to be passive and expect the problem to be solved by others. Fighting viruses requires active participation from vendors, webmasters AND users. New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 527 ] Word Count: [ 600 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend ]
Home Network Security, Simplified
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Home Network Security, Simplified
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Many home users have unknowingly become computer geeks. Not too long ago using the terms 'router' or 'wireless' signaled the presence of the enthusiast or professional. No longer. Now, routers, hubs, switches, Ethernet cards, firewalls and a bewildering array of other network related buzzwords have entered the home.By making the installation of these devices easy and inexpensive, vendors opened new sources of revenue for themselves and offered a significant value to home users. Now multiple home computers could share resources without 'sneaker net' - physically transporting files or moving printer connections. Now the whole family could use a single network connection to the Internet, and often without having to string wires all over the house.What users didn't get is what every networking and computer professional has early on - training in how to secure that gear from hackers.But, don't panic. The settings from the vendor are often quite good. Now, for some guidance...RFM is a common acronym known to computer professionals. For the sake of propriety I'll ignore the middle letter, but the first and last stand for Read the Manual. It'll give you common useful settings and configuration information. Now read it again.ROUTER PORTSFirst, change the password and if possible rename the administrator account. The person who bought the same model you did has that information, and he may not be as trustworthy as you.Port 80 is the standard for HTTP, needed for any web browsing. 'Ports' are network numbers used by software to distinguish traffic. Open that, but only for specific IP addresses or ranges going out. That way, only known computers can generate traffic out of your home network.That tip is imperfect if you acquire an IP address automatically. I.e. use DHCP, as most do. But many providers allow you to purchase one static address for your router. That's the one that should have access out.Why do you care about traffic going out? Because you can infect others. Practice safe networking. Don't spread viruses. Also, if you have wireless - see below - you may not know who's on your network. Even if you don't and you're not home, no one can sneak in with a laptop and get out of your network. Yes, it's happened.You'll have to open Port 80 for all incoming traffic, unless you want to try to track which sites have which IP address - nearly impossible.If you use a desktop e-mail client, rather than being entirely browser based, you need to open Port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming (POP3, ignore the acronym meanings).And that's ALL... usually.Manual or desktop FTP clients, which you should avoid because of their weak security, will need another, and specialized programs will require a few others. In most cases you'll find their numbers easily discoverable. Keep them to the bare minimum. The rule of thumb with network security is: everything closed by default, allow only those truly needed and only to those who need it.By the way, if these sound a lot like firewall settings it's because routers and firewalls have some overlapping functionality. Routers route traffic, firewalls prevent or allow it.WIRELESS NETWORKSIf you have wireless gear, you have more to do. Some, by default, allow anyone nearby to use them to access that network and hence the Internet. That means not only the teenager in the upstairs bedroom, but the neighbor next door and the hacker parked at the curb can access resources inside your home. Yes, that does happen.Lock down your wireless gear by, you guessed it, reading the manual to learn how to configure passwords and implement any other security features available.It isn't necessary to dedicate your life to becoming a network or security expert in order to safeguard your resources. But having a home network connected to the Internet via a home router, puts you at extra risk compared to dial-up or single-connection users.If you don't spend a modest amount of time to take simple steps today, someday you may spend much more after you've been hacked.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 358 ] Word Count: [ 709 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend ]
Home Network Security, Simplified
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Many home users have unknowingly become computer geeks. Not too long ago using the terms 'router' or 'wireless' signaled the presence of the enthusiast or professional. No longer. Now, routers, hubs, switches, Ethernet cards, firewalls and a bewildering array of other network related buzzwords have entered the home.By making the installation of these devices easy and inexpensive, vendors opened new sources of revenue for themselves and offered a significant value to home users. Now multiple home computers could share resources without 'sneaker net' - physically transporting files or moving printer connections. Now the whole family could use a single network connection to the Internet, and often without having to string wires all over the house.What users didn't get is what every networking and computer professional has early on - training in how to secure that gear from hackers.But, don't panic. The settings from the vendor are often quite good. Now, for some guidance...RFM is a common acronym known to computer professionals. For the sake of propriety I'll ignore the middle letter, but the first and last stand for Read the Manual. It'll give you common useful settings and configuration information. Now read it again.ROUTER PORTSFirst, change the password and if possible rename the administrator account. The person who bought the same model you did has that information, and he may not be as trustworthy as you.Port 80 is the standard for HTTP, needed for any web browsing. 'Ports' are network numbers used by software to distinguish traffic. Open that, but only for specific IP addresses or ranges going out. That way, only known computers can generate traffic out of your home network.That tip is imperfect if you acquire an IP address automatically. I.e. use DHCP, as most do. But many providers allow you to purchase one static address for your router. That's the one that should have access out.Why do you care about traffic going out? Because you can infect others. Practice safe networking. Don't spread viruses. Also, if you have wireless - see below - you may not know who's on your network. Even if you don't and you're not home, no one can sneak in with a laptop and get out of your network. Yes, it's happened.You'll have to open Port 80 for all incoming traffic, unless you want to try to track which sites have which IP address - nearly impossible.If you use a desktop e-mail client, rather than being entirely browser based, you need to open Port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming (POP3, ignore the acronym meanings).And that's ALL... usually.Manual or desktop FTP clients, which you should avoid because of their weak security, will need another, and specialized programs will require a few others. In most cases you'll find their numbers easily discoverable. Keep them to the bare minimum. The rule of thumb with network security is: everything closed by default, allow only those truly needed and only to those who need it.By the way, if these sound a lot like firewall settings it's because routers and firewalls have some overlapping functionality. Routers route traffic, firewalls prevent or allow it.WIRELESS NETWORKSIf you have wireless gear, you have more to do. Some, by default, allow anyone nearby to use them to access that network and hence the Internet. That means not only the teenager in the upstairs bedroom, but the neighbor next door and the hacker parked at the curb can access resources inside your home. Yes, that does happen.Lock down your wireless gear by, you guessed it, reading the manual to learn how to configure passwords and implement any other security features available.It isn't necessary to dedicate your life to becoming a network or security expert in order to safeguard your resources. But having a home network connected to the Internet via a home router, puts you at extra risk compared to dial-up or single-connection users.If you don't spend a modest amount of time to take simple steps today, someday you may spend much more after you've been hacked.New! Ezy-Internet Safety Guide is the perfect blueprint to the truth about Internet safety. Learn everything you need to know about making your computer safer, safety software that works and how to avoid all the nasty spyware, malware, viruses, worms and trojans.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Last Updated: December 26, 2007 -->
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Article Views: [ 358 ] Word Count: [ 709 ] [ Print Article ] [ Send Article To A Friend ]
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