Virus Spreaders

Sometimes I wonder just what the world's coming to...

For some among y'all out there who read this column each week, you might've noticed a little while back that it didn't run for a week or so. As a result, I've had some people write and/or call and ask me just what was going on? Some thought I had decided to stop writing the column, some speculated that I had signed some kind of deal with "a big city newspaper" which meant that I couldn't write for my current ones anymore, and one person asked if I'd just "had enough?" For the record, the answer to each of those questions is a definitive "no."

I have a great time writing this column each week. It allows me to write about almost anything that pops into my mind, and I love having that kind of freedom. As a result, I seldom have a clue each week as to what I'm going to write about until I sit down in my chair and get to work. So, with that having been said, let me get right into the reason that "Free Wheelin'" went missing for a week or so. It vanished for a while due to the fact that some sweetheart out there in internet land sent me a virus.

That's right, a computer virus. One of those malicious little programs that's designed to wreak havoc on your computer. Viruses cost businesses and individuals tons of money each year, and for what? It makes no sense at all unless I give some thought as to just what type person sends out these viruses. It must be some super sloppy, maladjusted eighteen year old haint times three computer whiz whose closest contact with a woman comes through the serving line at his school's cafeteria, or some super-nerdy, pocket protector wearing geek who's mad at world because he doesn't yet possess a working personality. And, because these people would rather be anti-social than take a good, long look in the mirror we all have to pay for it. No one ever said that life would be fair, huh?

Fortunately, I'm pleased to report that I got out of my situation without too much damage. I did have to pay someone to reformat my hard drive, but I kept back-up copies of most of my stuff so I really didn't get hurt too badly. I also went out and bought some better anti-virus software, which hopefully will screen most of these cyber pests in the future. In the end, though, almost anyone can get nailed with a computer virus, and I've been far luckier than most - the people that fixed my computer told me that a lady brought in one a week earlier that had over two thousand viruses on it! It's a wonder that the "On" switch on her computer even worked with all that mischief lurking around on her hard drive.

In the end, I guess there are just some people out there who are sort of like walking cases of jock itch, they contribute nothing to the world and try and tear down those of us that do. People like the woman who walked up to my son recently at his job as a cashier at a well-known supermarket chain and presented him with over six hundred dollars worth of live lobsters and steaks. And what did she attempt to pay for all that food with? Food stamps. I kid you not, food stamps. Fortunately, the two food stamp cards she presented for payment had both expired, but, even with that happening, she proceeded to put down a dollar and some change in the hope that Will would be stupid enough to accept that for full payment. He politely told the lady that she was about six hundred some odd dollars short, to which she replied, "Well, I'll go someplace else and check my luck there."

So, for all you deadbeats, virus spreaders, bad check writers, child support non-payers, and the like, if I had my way I'd put you all in jail cells with Perry Como music playing in the background twenty four hours a day, serve you Spam sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then assign guards to sit outside your cells who've just eaten large Mexican dinners. And that's just for starters - don't even ask me what y'alls daily recreational program would consist of. The way I see it, every dog has his day, and it's more than time for some of you bottom feeders out there to stop having yours...

About The Author
Ed's latest book, "Rough As A Cob," can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He's also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: , or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com.

[tags]each week, went out, column each[/tags]

Fighting Or Financing Malicious Software

Come on. Be realistic. How should I approach security for my computer in the same way as I would approach security for my car or home? The answer is simple, just apply the same principles, not the same mechanisms. Why do I want to protect my car and my home? It prevents people from invading my privacy. What else is it when someone breaks into your car? A thief has no respect for the private assets of someone else, he takes what he wants, and an arsonist has no respect for the private assets of someone, he burns what he wants. Squatters have no respect for any private property, they occupy whatever piece of land they want. That is why we have alarms, security systems and security guards to protect our assets and most important of all our privacy. We don't like strangers strolling round on our premises, we take the necessary precautions to keep them off our property by putting fences and walls around our houses.

Your computer is nothing other than your private electronic property. Why would you go to all the trouble to keep unwanted people away from your home if you don't mind it when unwanted software crawls through your PC? You make online purchases, do online banking transactions, log into your e-mail, enter several passwords to keep people from gaining unauthorised access your private and critical information. Sure, so why would you want a key-logger or password-grabber to infiltrate your computer and steal all your important and private information? You need an anti-virus program, a spyware and ad-ware scanner and some kind of resident shield to prevent all these malicious programs from accessing your PC. We are talking about millions of home users who don't have the kind of budget to afford all these programs. That is why so many people ignore the threats of malicious software because it is just too expensive and not that important, to them, to battle them. It helps nothing to educate users against these threats if you can't empower them.

Many of the big anti-virus companies refuse to distribute free-ware versions of their software to help home users battle these threats. After all, it is home users that are the easiest targets for infections and they are the pawns for Denial Of Service attacks. This is where smaller anti-virus and -spyware companies made the difference when they introduced free, fully functional programs for home users. They even maintain these versions by updating them as new threats make an appearance. It clearly indicates that their main goal is to fight malicious software and not only profit. Companies like these make a positive contribution to the online community by empowering home users to battle the villains of the online world.

Home users no longer have an excuse for not protecting their computers. Not only companies, but also individuals have developed some useful tools to help their fellow man. The biggest problem users may face now is to make the right choice between all the free security software available today. That is why informed members of the online community have to share their knowledge with the uninformed to help them make the right choices and stay clear of fraudulent and malicious software.

Coenraad de Beer was born on 27 February 1982 in small town called Lichtenburg in the North West (Formerly known as Transvaal) province of South Africa. He graduated High school in 2000 and started doing computer programming on his own for 2 years using the C++ programming language. In 2003 he started a career in Accounting and he is currently studying BCompt at the University of South Africa.

Coenraad is a very dedicated person in whatever he takes on in life and believes that success only comes from hard work and believing in your own abilities, the abilities God gave to you.

Coenraad is also the Webmaster of Cyber Top Cops - The Cyber Security Specialists

You can also visit his homepage at http://myweb.absamail.co.za/coendb/

[tags]Anti-virus,antivrus,ant-spyware,adware,spy-ware,malicious software[/tags]

Viruses, Trojans, And Spyware - Oh My!

Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to ask them how to remove a virus? Or have you spent hours online trying to figure out how to remove spyware, only to find out that you did something wrong and now your computer won't boot? I know your pain and frustration with just trying to use your computer without worry. As a computer technician at ARCH Computing Services, I know how hard it can be to pay someone to remove viruses and spyware. In fact that's how I started in the computer business. I didn't want to pay someone to fix the problems that I usually caused. A little voice in my head told me "I can build a computer, it doesn't look that hard!"

Six years later, and a lot of dead computers in the beginning, have placed me where I am now. Let me tell you, it's a full time job, even when I'm not at work. There is always some new technology being developed, and of course security is a never-ending battle with new viruses, trojans and spyware daily.

The internet is full of how-to information. You can learn everything from how to make the perfect loaf of bread, tune your car, or remove a virus. Making a loaf of bread seems to be easy, and it probably is. Even if you end up making flat bread or burnt bread, you're not out a lot of money or in too much trouble. On the other hand, if you try to tune your car and break a spark plug or put the wires back incorrectly, it could end up costing you a lot more to fix it. All you wanted to do was save a few bucks and do it yourself. I've burnt bread and I've tried to fix my own car. The bread was thrown in the trash, the car I ended up taking to an auto mechanic and having it fixed right, which of course cost me much more than money, it cost me time.

You must be wondering what my point is. Yes, removing a virus or building a computer isn't really that hard of a task…if you live and breathe computers like I do and others do (we affectionately call ourselves Geeks). Let's take a look at the following scenario.

James is a real estate broker, and a damn good one. He makes his living helping people find the best buy for their dollar. As a result James keeps an extensive client list on his computer. Somewhere along the line he manages to pick up a nasty Trojan. His anti-virus software caught it but was unable to clean it. He does some research online and finds a site that explains how to remove the Trojan. After following the instructions he reboots his PC only to find that his machine will not boot. In frustration he goes to another computer and looks up information on boot problems and finds out that the best thing he can do is reformat his hard drive and re-install his operating system from his backup. Oh, by the way, he hasn't done a backup in over 6 months. By this time he has spent 4 or 5 hours trying to fix the problem, and now has the daunting task of re-installing his operating system without any backup…

The moral of the story here is that he literally wasted hours that he could have spent making a sale or helping a client purchase a house or land. Is the above scenario a little extreme? In some ways it is, but it doesn't fall too far from the truth. Many of the clients I see with virus or spyware problems have tried everything they can to remove the problem, only to find out they spent hours with no results, and often come out worse than they were. By the time they come to see me they are frustrated and just want it fixed. Unfortunately, this does cost them money that they didn't want to spend in the first place, and more importantly in this day and age, it costs them more time. Time is the great equalizer. If James had been able to make a 10% percent commission on a $200,000 house, spending the 65 to 100 dollars to clean his computer wouldn't have seemed very significant.

Nine times out of ten an infected computer does require a re-format and re-install. I don't say this lightly. It is usually much easier to backup and start over than spend hours trying to find every little piece of nastiness that was installed on your computer.

Eric Graves is a Senior Computer Technician at ARCH Computing Services. His computer knowledge and interpersonal skills have helped the company to grow at a remarkable rate. He's currently completing his BS in IT Management, and will go on to complete his Master Degree in Information Systems Security. He is also currently the administrator for the Mutagenix forums, a Slackware based Live CD.

[tags]virus, spyware, trojans, computer, backup, install[/tags]

Spyware, Viruses, And Other Online Threats - Is Your PC Properly Protected

AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) released their second annual Online Safety Study a few months back, and the results weren't pretty. While the latest survey did find that users were getting better at taking the steps necessary to keep their PCs properly secured, the findings show that there are still plenty of people who just don't understand online risks.

Some of the key facts uncovered by the Online Safety Study included:

• 81% of home PCs lack one of the three main sources of protection - a secure firewall, anti-virus software, and spyware protection.
• 56% of users had no anti-virus software installed, or had not updated their virus definition files in the last week.
• 44% of users did not have a properly-configured firewall in place.
• 38% of users lacked spyware protection.
• Most telling, perhaps, is the fact that even in light of these findings, 83% of users surveyed still believed that their PCs were safe and properly secured.

The online security threat landscape has certainly changed from the days when viruses were home users' biggest worry, but the survey shows that users are largely not keeping up with the times. Every PC connected to the Internet today should be configured with the following (at an absolute minimum):

• A personal firewall capable of filtering both inbound and outbound traffic.
• Updated anti-virus software that offers real-time protection, the ability to scan on-demand, and email message scanning features.
• Updated anti-spyware software that not only scans for and removes spyware on demand, but also proactively protects against threats in real-time.
• Windows Automatic Updates turned on (to download and install critical security patches, service packs, and updates automatically), or weekly visits to the Windows Update web site to obtain the latest critical updates.

Thankfully, keeping your PC updated and properly protected against online threats needn't cost you a penny. There are a number of anti-virus, anti-spyware, and personal firewall programs available free for personal use. A simple web search will turn up direct links to some of the more popular options, which I will be discussing in more detail in future articles.

For the time being, however, considering beginning your PC lockdown process by taking a look at my beginner's guide to eradicating spyware, The Best Free Anti-Spyware Programs. A secure PC is a fast PC, so take the time to start locking down your home computer today. Your system will thank you!

Dan DiNicolo is the author of the book PC Magazine Windows XP Security Solutions, and the managing editor of the online learning web site 2000Trainers.com

[tags]online security, spyware, viruses, anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall, personal firewall[/tags]

Switch From Managing Email Security To Managed Email Security

The days of riding horseback through the wilderness to deliver a message are over. But make no mistake; we're not out of the woods yet. The digital world exposes us all to a virtual wilderness. Email offers simplicity to both the messenger and the malevolent.

Email has grown in vitality, now becoming the most important communication tool in the corporate world. The perpetuation of emerging threats has transformed email from an asset to a liability. Gone are the days when organizations could manually cope with the occasional email-borne nuisance. Email security has become a necessity and organizations must know the best way to ensure the integrity of their email network.

Perhaps an even greater threat to your organization's effectiveness is an over-investment in an under-effective email security solution. Organizations must seek a comprehensive, future-proof solution on a platform that integrates flawlessly with their current infrastructure.

The email security market is not bound by in-house software or hardware solutions. Organizations can push the war against spam, viruses, and other email borne threats outside of their network using a managed service.

What is a managed service?

Unlike software and appliance solutions, a managed email security solution sits entirely outside of your network. With a quick change of your organization's Mail Exchange (MX) records, mail is routed through the managed service, effectively filtering your email and delivering only genuine messages to your network. Such an infrastructure offers a number of benefits over traditional appliance and software security measures.

Benefits

• Instant Deployment
• Zero Maintenance
• Failover / Redundancy
• Disaster Recovery
• Scalability
• Bandwidth Savings
• Complete Threat Protection
• Future-Proof
• Platform Independent
• Low TCO / Quick ROI

Instant Deployment

Since a managed service introduces no hardware or software into your infrastructures, deployments typically consist of only a simple MX record change. Moreover, managed solutions come pre-configured to maximize effectiveness with minimal user intervention.

Zero Maintenance

Updates to hardware and software are a necessary evil that demands time and money. This is especially true with security technology in order to stay ahead of new threats. But a managed service introduces absolutely no hardware or software into your infrastructure. All updates are performed by the managed service transparently to the end-user.

Failover / Redundancy

Implementing a redundant infrastructure is rarely cost-effective, especially in small to medium businesses. Yet, downtime is never acceptable. Deploying a managed solution is your ticket to enterprise-class reliability, without expending financial resources to integrate a redundant network infrastructure.

Disaster Recovery

Internal network and hardware glitches that compromise the availability of your email are inevitable. During downtime, not only is productivity lost, but also data which can cost your organization countless dollars. With a managed service, your email is queued during downtime. After connectivity is re-established, your email is promptly delivered to you. Organizations which deploy managed email security are able to focus solely on regaining connectivity, without worrying about lost messages during downtime.

Scalability

A managed service allows organizations the flexibility to grow without investing in additional information technology. Organizations with multiple geographic locations must purchase, implement, and maintain a software or hardware solution in each location that has a mail server. However, geographically dispersed organizations can be wholly controlled through a managed service, without any additional investments, installation, or maintenance.

Bandwidth Savings

Quality hardware and software solutions can effectively halt the flow of junk messages into end-users' inboxes. However, these junk messages still reach the perimeter of your network. Bandwidth is required to analyze all messages, and messages that are quarantined must be downloaded and stored. With a managed solution, only genuine messages reach your network. Spam, viruses, fraud, and malicious email messages are stopped before they approach your organization's perimeter.

Complete Threat Protection

There's much more to email security than spam and virus protection. Directory harvesting, mail bombs, phishing, dictionary attacks, and many other threats assault vulnerable organizations each day, causing countless dollars in damage and lost productivity. Most appliances and software solutions are only a piece of the email security puzzle.

More importantly, with a managed service you have professionals maintaining your email's security. Spam, viruses, and other email nuisances are growing more sophisticated, and require more sophisticated technology and know-how to combat them. A managed service supplies organizations with access to comprehensive technology and wisdom.

Future-Proof

Anti-spam technology, like no other, has an uncanny ability to lose effectiveness after a year or two. This is because spam is constantly changing, while your software and hardware is staying the same.

Spam is also growing in volume. A few years ago, you may have been receiving an average of ten spam messages a day. A spam solution with a 90% capture rate would catch all but one. Today, however, many users are receiving tens, even hundreds of junk messages a day. More intelligent software is needed to stop these additional messages, without misclassifying genuine ones.

A managed solution's core competency is to stay ahead of email threats. Thus, organizations are always plugged in to a cutting edge solution.

Platform Independent

Regardless of your organization's preferred OS and Mail Transfer Agent (MTA), a managed service can integrate easily into your infrastructure. Even organizations that utilize several operating systems and MTAs can quickly fit under the umbrella of a managed solution.

Low TCO / Quick ROI

Software and hardware solutions can rope you in with a large, non-refundable, upfront investment, and annual recurring fees. On the other hand, a managed solution is typically subscription-based, which can be cancelled at any time for a pro-rated refund. With a lower upfront outlay and minimal maintenance, organizations can realize a return on their investment in much less time with respect to traditional email security platforms.

Take Control of Your Email Network

Managed email security takes the burden off your budget and overworked IT staff and places it on the spammers. A managed service makes email what it was meant to be - an effective, hassle-free, business communication tool.

Spam Spy, LLC is an innovative provider in managed email security services. For more information on managed email security, visit http://www.spamspy.com (c) 2006 Spam Spy, LLC. All rights reserved.

[tags]anti spam,managed email security,viruses,phishing,spam,email,security,spam blocker[/tags]

Free Computer Security Software - A Leaking Seal!

There is nothing wrong with taking less than adequate measures to prevent a bigger damage to anything you treasure if you have financial or other constraints, as long as this is done temporarily over a short time. Similar reasoning applies when it comes to computer security threats.

Unfortunately some (if not most) computer users tend to forget this. They search on the internet for free computer security software which they dump into their computers and hope for the best. Most of the free software developers consistently forget to inform the downloaders of the inadequacies of their software – and they are many and significant!

A simple search for free anti-spyware programs on any search engine yields significant results. If we exclude genuine beta-software from these results, almost all of these anti-spyware programs operate on the principle – "Get infected first, then call us". In other words these programs are reactive. They scan and destroy spyware as it's found in the user's computer. The real downside of these programs is that they offer no real-time protection. Are you surprised? Maybe you've forgotten that "there's no such thing a free lunch"!

The big computer security software developers spend millions of dollars every year developing products that can quickly detect and destroy new computer security threats like spyware, adware, viruses, hacking techniques, Trojans, worms keyloggers etc

Do you think the developers of free computer security software inject millions of dollars in order to bring users of their software regular software updates? I think not!

Computer security software is such a critical purchase that I think one should actually buy the software before bringing home a new PC!

The most critical software that you should have in you PC is:

1. Firewall - To protect your PC from hackers and internal malware that maybe trying to "phone home"

2. Spyware/Adware - To detect the "ETs" that are "phoning home" from your PC, endangering your sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive information. These programs also use lots of your critical computer resources. That's why your computer is slow and crashing lately!

3. Anti-virus Software - These can either completely wipe out your critical data or render it or your computer useless. The most dangerous thing is that you may end up (unaware!) being a source of the virus (e.g. through email or infected website pages).

Here are common-sense measures you can take to protect your PC:

1. E-mail - Avoid replying to chain letters. Also be very careful of image attachment. Hackers attach malicious JavaScript program on these.

2. Regularly update your anti-virus definitions by running the update function of your security software.

3. Before buying a computer security software or package make sure that it offers regular updates to keep up with new viruses, adware, spyware and other computer security threats.

I want to repeat what I said at the beginning of this article: There is nothing wrong in taking temporary security measures as far as your computer security is concerned (i.e. using free software/downloads). What is wrong is forgetting that the measure was supposed to be over a temporary period in the first place.

About Msingathi Mnyengeza

Msingathi is the owner of the Computer Security Resources Website. The website is targeted at the computer user who wants the best computer security software to protect against spyware, adware, viruses and to improve computer performance using registry cleaners. Visit Msi's websites at http://www.computer-security-resources.com and at http://www.computer-security-resources.biz

Copyright: 1st Analyst Information Services 2006, All rights reserved.

Website owners can use this article on their websites and ezines, as long as no part of this article is changed/amended.

[tags]computer security software, computer security, spyware removers, adware, anti-virus,registry cleaner[/tags]

Blogs As Safe Haven For Cybercriminals

To blog or not to blog? Well, why not? Lots of people like either to write or to read blogs -- sometimes both. The much-quoted survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, says 27 percent read blogs. 38 percent of all Internet users at least know what a blog is. The survey was made in November 2004 and estimated that 32 million Americans to be blog readers by the end of 2004. So now there must be much more blog readers and writers.

But there has recently been bad news that spoiled bloggers' mood. The security firm Websense found that blogs are "being used as a safe haven by hackers for storing and distributing malicious code, including identity-stealing keyloggers." Since January, Websense Security Labs has discovered hundreds of blogs set by hackers.

There have been scores of articles on this topic since last week. See, for example, the article by Gregg Keizer "Hackers Use Blogs To Spread Worms, Keyloggers" April 13, 2005 at http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160702505

The general idea of all these articles is the same: hackers turn to blogs. Blogs are suitable for them: there are large amounts of free storage space, no identity authentication is required to post, and there is no scan of posted files for viruses, worms, or spyware in most blog hosting services.

Such blogs experts from Websense Security Labs call "toxic". In its press-release "Toxic Blogs Distribute Malcode and Keyloggers" http://ww2.websense.com/global/en/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressReleaseDetail/index.php?Release=050412889 they explained how some malevolent individuals use blogs for their own gain.

In some cases cybercriminals create a blog on a legitimate host site and post viral code or keylogging software at the page. Then they attract traffic to the toxic blog by sending a link through spam or spim (the analog of spam for instant messaging (IM). So a good advice never follow links in spam is worth remembering.

In other cases, a blog can be used only as a storage mechanism which keeps malicious code (for example, updates) for Trojan horses that have already been hidden on the users' computers.

"To read or not to read blogs -- that's a question?" Of course to read them, to write them -- blogs are already a part of our culture. But be careful.

While PC users can do little to stay aside of toxic blogs except not following links in spam and spim messages, leading to these blogs. If a blog is used as a storage for malicious code, users can do nothing at all about it.

It is up for blogging tool operators to add security, such as anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, to blog hosting service. They can also limit the types of files that can be stored. And it is high time they made their service more secure, because literally millions of Americans might be in danger of picking malicious code, such as a virus, worm or Trojan horse, simply by reading a blog.

Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC -- an independent software developing which created a technology capable of disabling the very processes of information capturing -- keylogging, screenshoting, etc. It makes the company's anti-keylogging software a solution against information-stealing programs and modules.

Learn more -- visit the company's website http://www.anti-keyloggers.com

[tags]blogs, blogging, malicious code, keyloggers, Trojans, viruses, worms, hackers, security, spam.[/tags]

Spyware. History And Description

The first known use of the expression "spyware" occurred on October 17th, 1994 in a post that joked about Microsoft's business model. Spyware later came to allude to snoop equipment such as diminutive cameras. In early 2000, the man who started Zone Labs used the term in a press release for a new product. Since then, the computer-community has used the term in its current definition.

Spyware often comes wrapped-in with shareware or other software, and with music CDs. The user installs a program, for example, a file-trading utility or music program. The installer also installs the spyware. Even though the acceptable software itself may not do harm, the wrapped-in spyware does. Occasionally, spyware authors will pay shareware creators to wrap-in spyware with their software. An example is the Gator spyware distributed by Claria. There are instances when spyware authors will repackage desirable free software with destructive installers that add spyware.

Another way of propagating spyware is by tricking users. A program will manipulate a security feature that is supposed to prevent harmful installations. Internet Explorer is designed to stop websites from starting an unwanted download. Alternately, a user action must normally trigger a download (like clicking on a link). Nevertheless, links can prove misleading. For example, a pop-up may look like a normal Windows dialog box. The box contains wording like "Do you want to improve your Internet experience?" with links that look like real buttons reading No and Yes. It doesn't matter which button the user selects, a malicious download will start, installing the spyware on the user's computer. Newer versions of Internet Explorer offer better security against this tactic.

Many unscrupulous spyware creators infect a computer by going after security weaknesses in the Web browser or in other applications on the targeted computer. When the user arrives at a Web site controlled by the spyware creator, the site includes code that forces the download and installation of spyware or infiltrates the browser. This kind of spyware creator will have broad knowledge of commercial-quality firewall and anti-virus programming. This is commonly known as a "drive-by download". It leaves the user an unfortunate onlooker to the intrusion. Conventional "browser attacks" target security weaknesses in Microsoft Java Runtime and Internet Explorer.

Another problem in the case of some kinds of spyware programs is that they will replace the banner ads on visited web sites. Spyware that acts like a Browser Helper or web proxy can replace a site's own advertisements with advertisements that benefit the spyware author. This can seriously affect the revenue stream of advertising funded web sites.

There have been instances when a worm or virus has delivered a cargo of spyware. For example, some attackers used the W32.Spybot.Worm to set up spyware that caused pornographic ads to pop up on the screens of an infected system. By re-routing traffic to commercial sites that are set up to funnel funds to the spyware creators, they can profit even by such obviously illegal actions.

Leif Wheeler began marketing on the internet in 1992 and he retired in 2004. Leif's internet-time is now spent researching and writing articles that improve everyone's internet experience. Benefit from Leif's vast experience at http://www.leifwheeler.com.

[tags]spyware, adware, viruses, worms[/tags]

Protecting Your Computer

I have been around computers for years. I even teach on Introduction to Computers class at a four-year university. Despite my knowledge of computers, I was not immune to the problems that viruses and spyware can do to a computer. My computer was attacked and it was so bad I ended up replacing my hard drive. Does that sound scary to you? If so, I apologize. At the same time, I hope that my experience can benefit you.

While many computer users are familiar with the term virus, not as many understand the term spyware. Simply put, spyware is software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without your premission. Here are a few things that can happen if you get spyware on your computer.

* Pop-up advertisements will appear even when you are not on the internet.

* Your home page (the page that comes up when you first open your internet browser) changes all of sudden and you don't know why.

* A new toolbar appears and you can't seem to get rid of it.

* Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.

* Your computer crashes a lot when it never used to.

Just reading the above list should be enough to encourage you to read on and do what you can to prevent viruses and spyware from attacking your computer. Below is a list I compiled of things you can do to protect yourself from viruses and/or spyware. Following these suggestions doesn't mean you will never have a problem. However, it should lessen the chance of it happening.

1. Everyone should have good anti-virus software on their computer. This is especially true it you use the internet. I use PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 on my computer. Before that I used Norton's Internet Security. Both are good but only work well if used properly. If you are a beginner computer user, I would recommend Norton over PC-cillin. However, PC-cillin is a good program for those who are more advanced computer users. It requires a little more patience to set up and a better understanding of computers than Norton's does.

2. While it is nice to have Internet Security software, one must make sure it is turned on and that it is updated weekly. New viruses are being created daily and if you don't update your anti-virus software weekly your computer is open to attack by new viruses.

3. Make sure you have a good firewall and that it is turned on. A firewall helps protect your computer from outside attacks. Again, a good Internet Security program such as Norton's and PC-cillin come with a firewall. However, remember they only work if they are turned on.

4. I use two free programs in addition to PC-cillin to give me a little extra protection from spyware. I run these programs once a week to ensure that my computer is free from spyware. The two programs I use are:

SpyBot - Search and Destroy
Spyware Blaster

Both these programs can be downloaded for free at www.downloads.com

5. I use a free program that checks for advertising trackers and lets me get rid of them. You can download a copy of this program at www.downloads.com. The name of this program is: Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal

There are a few other things I would like to mention concerning viruses and protecting yourself from them.

a. When you receive an email from someone you don't know and it has an attachment. Never open the attachment. Often times these attachments can have viruses in them.

b. If you receive an email from someone you know with an attachment and you weren't expecting it, don't open the attachment. Contact them first to make sure they sent it. Sometimes a virus can send out emails without the person even knowing.

c. Be careful when you are downloading software or programs off the internet. Often spyware software will install during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video files. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

d. Be careful when you use a file from someone else's computer. If someone gives you a disk, even if it is your best friend, run a virus scan on the disk before opening any files. It is possible for the file to have a virus without the person knowing about it.

I hope these tips will prove helpful to you. If you have good protection and exercise caution you have a much better chance of getting through your computer life without the headaches of viruses and spyware. However, remember there is no guarantee that it will never happen to you.

A computer virus is a program that invades your computer system, hides there, and replicates itself. Viruses spread when you launch an infected application or start up your computer from a disk that has infected system files.

Donna Rivera-Loudon
Tips on Computers and Technology
Donna has an MBA in Information Technology and is currently a Tupperware Director and CEO of her own company. She also teaches online Management and Business classes for a local community college as well as computer classes for a four-year university.

[tags]computer viruses, computer protection, computer spyware[/tags]

Background Of Password Cracking

Passwords to access computer systems are usually stored, in some form, in a database in order for the system to perform password verification. To enhance the privacy of passwords, the stored password verification data is generally produced by applying a one-way function to the password, possibly in combination with other available data. For simplicity of this discussion, when the one-way function does not incorporate a secret key, other than the password, we refer to the one way function employed as a hash and its output as a hashed password. Even though functions that create hashed passwords may be cryptographically secure, possession of a hashed password provides a quick way to verify guesses for the password by applying the function to each guess, and comparing the result to the verification data. The most commonly used hash functions can be computed rapidly and the attacker can do this repeatedly with different guesses until a valid match is found, meaning the plaintext password has been recovered.

The term password cracking is typically limited to recovery of one or more plaintext passwords from hashed passwords. Password cracking requires that an attacker can gain access to a hashed password, either by reading the password verification database or intercepting a hashed password sent over an open network, or has some other way to rapidly and without limit test if a guessed password is correct. Without the hashed password, the attacker can still attempt access to the computer system in question with guessed passwords. However well designed systems limit the number of failed access attempts and can alert administrators to trace the source of the attack if that quota is exceeded. With the hashed password, the attacker can work undetected, and if the attacker has obtained several hashed passwords, the chances for cracking at least one is quite high. There are also many other ways of obtaining passwords illicitly, such as social engineering, wiretapping, keystroke logging, login spoofing, dumpster diving, timing attack, etc.. However, cracking usually designates a guessing attack.

Cracking may be combined with other techniques. For example, use of a hash-based challenge-response authentication method for password verification may provide a hashed password to an eavesdropper, who can then crack the password. A number of stronger cryptographic protocols exist that do not expose hashed-passwords during verification over a network, either by protecting them in transmission using a high-grade key, or by using a zero-knowledge password proof.

David is the leader of a software development team, who developed many types of automation software. One of them is http://www.ArticlePostRobot.com, the software which can post articles to hundreds of article sites and mail lists automatically.

[tags]password cracking, virus, secret key, hash function[/tags]

Don't Be A Victim Of Cybercrime

Don't be a victim of Cybercrime

When you access the Internet through the world wide web it is extremely important that you safe guard your personal information.

There are literally thousands of people around the world that make a living exploiting the security loop holes by accessing your personal identity, passwords and bank accounts.

There are many more daily who are the victims of these crimes. You have a responsibility as a user of the Internet to take certain precautions to protect yourself from online crime.

Internet users who access bank accounts, e-currency accounts or any source of personal information online, should be aware of the following methods used by criminals to convince you to reveal your confidential information.

Here are some simple steps to help keep your information secure

1. Avoid being a victim of fradulent email requests for personal information

This method is called "Phishing" and is a popular way for criminals who are acting as legitimate businesses to steal your personal information. This is usually accomplished by sending you an email with a hyperlink to a fraudulent website made to look like the real one. Once you have entered your information the perpetrator will have access to your account, many times unknown to you.

One way to avoid falling victim to this sort of scam is to never provide any personal details in response to an email. Legitimate businesses will never ask you for your password by email. Be aware of suspicious emails from unknown individuals. Delete before opening anything that you think might be harmful.

2. Make sure you visit your bank, e-currency or financial website via your Internet browser with the correct website address.

3. You should take care to never follow any suspicious hyperlink, url, or open an unknown senders attachment.

If you inadvertently reply to a "Phishing" email or respond to what you think could be a fraudulent website, contact your associated financial institution immediately for advice. Do not delay in seeking help. Check your account for any unusual activity.

Ways to protect your computer

1. It is important to use only a trusted and secure computer to access your Internet banking account.

2. Using publicly shared computers, such as those at Internet cafes, is strongly discouraged.

3. It is recommended that you keep your computer up to date with current anti-virus protection, firewall and the latest patches.

4. Remember that after you install virus protection it is necessary to update the software so the protection remains current.

5. Avoid using the "remember my user name and password" feature when accessing sensitive financial information.

6. Make sure not to store your passwords and account information on your computer.

7. Use a different password for your bank than you would for your email address.

8. Do not use easy to guess passwords, or passwords that closely relate to you. Your birthdate, name or favorite pet make poor passwords.

9. Create passwords that have both numbers and letters.

10. If you use a wireless network it is important that you never leave your computer unattended.

11. Take extra precautions around wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) hotspots that provide free Internet connections. Coffee shops, Internet cafes, airports and libraries can pose significant security threats. Avoid conducting sensitive business in a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Sniffing and Evil Twinning are two methods devious criminals are using to steal confidential data. Sniffing is the act of using a program to search for certain information like passwords and credit card numbers over a Wi-Fi network. Evil twinning mirrors the setting of a Wi-Fi hotspot. When the unsuspecting person uses the evil twinning hotspot the hijacker uses sniffer technology to access anything the victim might be sending.

12. When accessing bank accounts online, confirm that your data is encrypted between the bank and your computer by looking for the padlock symbol on the bottom right hand corner of the browser window.

13. Close your Internet browser after logging out at the end of each online banking session.

14. Beware of any windows that 'pop-up' during an online banking session.

Most financial institutions have detailed information on their websites on how their customers can protect themselves from Online fraud attempts. Visit their website or contact them via email or telephone for information on how you can protect yourself from online criminals.

Copyright (c) 2005 by M.Sherborne. All rights reserved. The author authorizes you to post the above article on your Web Site or E-zine solely for personal and non-commercial use.

Matt Sherborne is the creator of "Get Rich Trading E-Currency." For more information please visit his website at: http://www.dxingold.com

[tags]online protection,online security,wifi,networking,security,protection,laptop,computer,antivirus[/tags]

How To Get Rid Of All Types Of Spyware, Pop-ups, Virus, Etc

I work for a very large company as a PC repair engineer. We have offices in almost every state, yet I can fix almost every software related pc problem remotely. We use Dameware Mini remote control to remotely access each PC, which are all connected via a large wide area network.

When a user calls me, I ask them for their IP address. If they do not know what that is, I explain to them, what it is, and how they can get it, via the "ipconfig" command.

Next I enter it into the "Dameware" program, and a few seconds later, I can see everything they see. Now there are some pc's that are just infested with spy-ware, pop-ups, Trojans, viruses etc.

Sometimes this makes the PC not respond to my Dameware remote control request. So what do I do? Most of my coworkers give up at this point. Their solution is to re-image the entire PC. They send out PC Restore and Re-image Cd's, to reformat the pc.

Basically they reformat the computer and reinstall windows and all the programs. But, I do not like to do this. I like to seek out and destroy the spy-ware. I do it, just like the Spybot program does. That is: "I search and destroy!"

So, here is my solution. I wrote a few batch files that map a network drive to the injured pc. The batch files also attempt to end as many unknown processes first. I made up a list of the most common ones, and I keep adding to the list, usually once a week. My batch file also cleans up the registry and other program files folders. I like to delete the entire run, and run once keys from the HK Local Machine/Software/Microsoft Windows/current version/…

I also clean the same under HK current user. Next I add back the run and run once keys. I also use the shutdown command to reboot the pc, and then once the batch file is finished, I am now able to remote control the computer and run some anti-spyware programs. I sometimes use the free ones, like Spybot and Ad-aware. But I also like to use Spy-sweeper and another program called Trojan hunter. From my experience those are the programs that I have found to work the best.

I rarely need to re-image any PC's. I enjoy finding new types of viruses and spy-ware. And besides, I get to add them into my little batch files.

Dave Perry

I also run my own computer consulting firm. You can contact me or read more at my website:

http://www.movicompservices.com/

[tags]Spyware, Adware, Popups, Viruses, trojans, computer, repair, cleanup, solutions[/tags]

Are You Safe From Hackers

We don't use E-gold very often since most of our online business and customer sales are conducted through our online merchant account. However, we occasionally have someone who will request paying by E-gold so we keep an account there for this reason. Once a month or so we withdraw the funds and decided to do so yesterday. Imagine our dismay when we logged into our E-gold account yesterday and found our balance to be a big fat ZERO! We had checked the balance just a few days ago so we knew this was not correct. After investigating the history of the account, we found that a spend had been made to another e-gold account user WITHOUT our knowledge or authorization. We had been hacked!

Since we have up to date anti-virus and firewall software on our computer, we assumed we were safe. Not so! It seems this is not enough to keep away the hackers as the software does not prevent "Spyware" from being installed on your computer.

"Spyware" is software that gets onto your computer and literally "spies" on your activities. The spying can range from relatively harmless use of cookies tracking you across multiple websites... to extremely dangerous "keystroke loggers" which record passwords, credit cards, and other personal data. That data then gets relayed to the person who put the software on your computer.

Spyware gets on your computer in one of several different ways.

First, it rides along with software you download from the 'Net and install on your system.

Second, they come as email attachments (much like viruses) and automatically install themselves on your computer when you open the email message.

Third, hackers find an open port on your computer and use the "back door" to install basically anything they want.

And fourth, the more malicious types, like keystroke loggers, can even get installed by someone with direct physical access to your computer such as an employer, suspicious spouse, business competitor, or someone who wants to know exactly what you're doing.

So how do you protect yourself against these malicious hackers? You need a program that specifically scans your system for the tens-of-thousands of existing spyware programs along with the new ones appearing daily.

Below are two programs which specifically check for and remove spyware from your system:

"Spybot Search & Destroy" - http://www.safer-networking.org/ "Ad Aware" - http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/

You may have spyware lurking on your computer right now so protect yourself today by downloading one of the above programs!

As a point of reference, we contacted E-gold and informed them that we had been hacked. We provided them with the account number of the person who received the funds and asked for a contact e-mail address on the person. E-gold informed us that they could not provide that information without a "court order" and that basically there was no way of getting the money back!

Take action today to protect yourself from this growing threat! The bottom line is: - Keep your anti-virus program current

- Install a firewall
- Carefully screen software before installing it
- Scan specifically for spyware weekly
- Stay current on this growing threat.

Charles & Susan Truett are experienced internet marketers who have built a successful online business and are now teaching others how to achieve the same success. For more more info on how to make money at home visit http://www.partnersinsuccess.net

[tags]anti virus, hackers[/tags]

Tips To Avoid Viruses

Earlier viruses meant an ailment which had no definition and worked its way out of the human system in 3-5 days. Today when one talks of viruses it largely means those that harm computers. Techies work round the clock to create defenses to new viruses. A virus can slow down the computer, prevent functions, damage software, steal files, introduce spyware, and more. They are thieves and murders of technology

As a computer user you can take a few simple and practical measures to protect yourself.

1. Instant messaging is useful and harmless if you use the latest version, and never ever download a file from a person you don't know or a friend who is a known prankster. It is attachments that carry viruses.

2. Keep abreast of new developments and update your computer software and hardware. If you are using Windows you can go to Microsoft Update and get your computer scanned and get patches as well as high priority updates.

3. Use the latest versions of antivirus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware / adware programs.

4. Help prevent spamming. Learn about dos and don'ts of spamming and report spams.

5. Protect your work by introducing a password as well as taking all steps to ensure that only you can access administrator functions.

6. Keep your peace of mind by creating a "back up" schedule for the computer.

7. Never give in to phishing even if it seems like real.

8. Prevent invaders who tempt you with goodies by using Cyberhawk, AVGantivirus, or Avast. These are efficient and free.

9. Use wireless connections and broadband connections to the internet with care. Thieves can steal your IP address and much more.

10. Learn about which files are likely virus carriers. Mostly files with only data do not carry a virus and end with extensions like .txt, .csv, .gif, .jpg, .mp3 and so on. Files that have extensions like .doc, .exe , or.htm can carry viruses.

What you need to know about and watch out for are: viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware, spyware, and phising. Don't install applications just because they are in vogue. Only install those you are likely to use. Never install file transfer or file sharing services or remote access to your systems. Further more always shut down when your computer is not in use. Be sure to log off from your internet connection. Try and store important documents on CDs, DVDs, or pen drives. Please store back ups in a safe place away from your computers. Never download files from unknown sources. Many offer temptations like flash games, music, movies, or videos free. Nothing in life is free and that is an established norm. Freebies always come at a price.

Look after your computer and your peace of mind and work will be undisturbed.

Andrew Bermam is a freelance writer for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com

[tags]free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software[/tags]