Today, more and more people are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking and investing to shopping. As we do these things on a more regular basis, we open ourselves up to potential hackers, attackers and crackers. While some may be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others simply just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets. Below are a few easy, cost-effective steps you can take to make your computer more secure.
1. Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.
2. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard. This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer. Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Office programs.
3. Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet. Consideration should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.
4. Review your browser and email settings for optimum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the Internet to build a profile of you. At a minimum set your security setting for the “internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.
5. Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions.
6. Do not open unknown email attachments. It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address.
7. Do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojans horse waiting to infect a computer.
8. Disable hidden filename extensions. By default, the Windows operating system is set to “hide file extensions for known file types”. Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default, continue to remain hidden, but you are more likely to see any unusual file extensions that do not belong.
9. Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.
10. Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised by a malicious program. Obviously, you need to take this step before you experience a hostile breach of your system.
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Phishing For Your Identity
Who hasn’t received an email directing them to visit a familiar website where they are being asked to update their personal information? The website needs you to verify or update your passwords, credit card numbers, social security number, or even your bank account number. You recognize the business name as one that you’ve conducted business with in the past. So, you click on the convenient “take me there” link and proceed to provide all the information they have requested. Unfortunately, you find out much later that the website is bogus. It was created with the sole intent to steal your personal information. You, my friend, have just been “phished”.
Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their private information, and ultimately steal your identity.
It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.
Many of these people are professional criminals. They have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.
A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.
Finally, follow the golden rule. Never, ever, click the links within the text of the e-mail, and always delete the e-mail immediately. Once you have deleted the e-mail, empty the trash box in your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. At least then you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed to the true and legitimate website.
Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their private information, and ultimately steal your identity.
It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.
Many of these people are professional criminals. They have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.
A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.
Finally, follow the golden rule. Never, ever, click the links within the text of the e-mail, and always delete the e-mail immediately. Once you have deleted the e-mail, empty the trash box in your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. At least then you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed to the true and legitimate website.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Website Security Rules of the Road
In 2004, online consumer spending was at a record $65.1 billion. More and more people are attracted to the ease of online shopping and are spending higher amounts. Unfortunately, the chances of becoming a victim of Internet fraud are also increasing. The Internet National Fraud Center Watch reported that the average loss to fraud victims for just the first six months of 2005 was $2,579. This is compared to the $895 average for all of 2004. Complaints relating to general merchandise purchases (goods never received or misrepresented) accounted for 30% of Internet fraud complaints, and auction purchases (goods never received or misrepresented) topped the list at 44%.
While many e-commerce Websites are reputable and have taken the necessary safety precautions to protect you, it never hurts to always proceed cautiously. If you are making an online purchase consider these easy steps:
1. Use only one credit card, preferably with a low credit limit, when making online purchases. Avoid using an ATM or debit card.
2. Be wary of unsolicited offers by sellers. The Internet National Fraud Information Center Watch reported that email, as a method of contact by Internet scammers was up 22% in 2004.While the offer may be legitimate, spammers like to use this tactic to side-step reputable sites that provide consumer protection for online purchases.
3. Use only reputable e-commerce websites that list a street address and telephone number in case you need to contact them directly.
4. Read the website’s privacy policy. Some websites may reserve the right to sell/give your information to a third party. Check the document to see if they allow an opportunity to “opt-out” of receiving special offers from third-party vendors or for permission to share your personal information.
5. Check for a lock symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your Web browser window. Also, do not provide your personal information if the website address doesn’t start with “https” (a sign that the site is using a secure server).
6. Choose only verified sellers. Check to see if the vendor is a verified member of a reputable third party such as the Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, or Guardian eCommerce. These third-party sites help to ensure online consumers will be protected when shopping or conducting e-commerce transactions.
7. Check that the delivery date posted is reasonable. If you have not dealt with the vendor on a regular basis, be wary of any Website that states the shipment will be delayed 20 or more days. Delivery dates of 7-10 days are more common.
8. Keep a paper trail of all online transactions. Print out a hard copy of the transaction and keep it in a file for future reference.
9. Be wary of website offers that just sound too good to be true. The Internet is littered with get rich quick scams and false advertising claims. Investigate all claims thoroughly before proceeding.
10. If you do not receive what you paid for, and the vendor will not return your emails or calls, contact your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs for further assistance.
While many e-commerce Websites are reputable and have taken the necessary safety precautions to protect you, it never hurts to always proceed cautiously. If you are making an online purchase consider these easy steps:
1. Use only one credit card, preferably with a low credit limit, when making online purchases. Avoid using an ATM or debit card.
2. Be wary of unsolicited offers by sellers. The Internet National Fraud Information Center Watch reported that email, as a method of contact by Internet scammers was up 22% in 2004.While the offer may be legitimate, spammers like to use this tactic to side-step reputable sites that provide consumer protection for online purchases.
3. Use only reputable e-commerce websites that list a street address and telephone number in case you need to contact them directly.
4. Read the website’s privacy policy. Some websites may reserve the right to sell/give your information to a third party. Check the document to see if they allow an opportunity to “opt-out” of receiving special offers from third-party vendors or for permission to share your personal information.
5. Check for a lock symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your Web browser window. Also, do not provide your personal information if the website address doesn’t start with “https” (a sign that the site is using a secure server).
6. Choose only verified sellers. Check to see if the vendor is a verified member of a reputable third party such as the Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, or Guardian eCommerce. These third-party sites help to ensure online consumers will be protected when shopping or conducting e-commerce transactions.
7. Check that the delivery date posted is reasonable. If you have not dealt with the vendor on a regular basis, be wary of any Website that states the shipment will be delayed 20 or more days. Delivery dates of 7-10 days are more common.
8. Keep a paper trail of all online transactions. Print out a hard copy of the transaction and keep it in a file for future reference.
9. Be wary of website offers that just sound too good to be true. The Internet is littered with get rich quick scams and false advertising claims. Investigate all claims thoroughly before proceeding.
10. If you do not receive what you paid for, and the vendor will not return your emails or calls, contact your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs for further assistance.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Computer Science Information
A computer from being a scientific tool to conduct research has taken many forms and have become as integral part of our lives. We see different forms of computers all around us laptops, palm pilots, tablet PC's and our own old faithful desktop PC's. We have to admit the fact that we can not live or resist life without a computer in our homes.
With the advent of computers to our homes the science behind it too changed. Computers were no longer huge cupboard sized gizmos which only engineers could operate they had to be pleasing and user friendly. They also had to be in shape which was more pleasing than our earlier friend the television. So there was a huge spurge of designs and methods of making a computer cute. We now have study of ergonomics which goes into creation of computer accessories like keyboards, mice etc.
This was the hardware part, the software also had to be user friendly, for you to read this article on internet there are at any given point of time four remote servers and millions of pixels on your monitor are working in harmony. This is the coordination and the high end software part. What about the display? Your browser? How should it take up all the complicated work and simplify the process to the end user. Well this is where the software came into picture, software which integrates, calculates and provides simple front end.
Computer science also gave in to related developments like internet, World Wide Web and extended networks. This made the entire world a tiny place. Now you have information at your fingertips and few clicks away. At the same time the cyber world has given rise to many cyber crimes too. Cyber crime is no longer a soft offence in many countries it's turned criminal and now a day's security has become big issue over the internet.
Security also has become big business, security not just to your hardware but also to your software. There are stray viruses over the internet waiting to get into your machine and disturb the way you work on your system. There are anti virus software's available to protect your computer from getting troubled.
Concluding this piece computer science is very similar to apples on a tree. As we all know when we discover the apple is a tasty fruit apples do appear to have discovered a way to lure us. So all Adams and Eves should watch out for the apples which they eat. Too much is definitely too bad in the cyber world.
Source By: Alexander Hjalmarsson
With the advent of computers to our homes the science behind it too changed. Computers were no longer huge cupboard sized gizmos which only engineers could operate they had to be pleasing and user friendly. They also had to be in shape which was more pleasing than our earlier friend the television. So there was a huge spurge of designs and methods of making a computer cute. We now have study of ergonomics which goes into creation of computer accessories like keyboards, mice etc.
This was the hardware part, the software also had to be user friendly, for you to read this article on internet there are at any given point of time four remote servers and millions of pixels on your monitor are working in harmony. This is the coordination and the high end software part. What about the display? Your browser? How should it take up all the complicated work and simplify the process to the end user. Well this is where the software came into picture, software which integrates, calculates and provides simple front end.
Computer science also gave in to related developments like internet, World Wide Web and extended networks. This made the entire world a tiny place. Now you have information at your fingertips and few clicks away. At the same time the cyber world has given rise to many cyber crimes too. Cyber crime is no longer a soft offence in many countries it's turned criminal and now a day's security has become big issue over the internet.
Security also has become big business, security not just to your hardware but also to your software. There are stray viruses over the internet waiting to get into your machine and disturb the way you work on your system. There are anti virus software's available to protect your computer from getting troubled.
Concluding this piece computer science is very similar to apples on a tree. As we all know when we discover the apple is a tasty fruit apples do appear to have discovered a way to lure us. So all Adams and Eves should watch out for the apples which they eat. Too much is definitely too bad in the cyber world.
Source By: Alexander Hjalmarsson
Monday, July 23, 2007
4 Things You Need To Know Before You Switch To VOIP Services
VOIP Service for making and receiving phone calls is probably the most cost effective way to communicate, and is showing the phone companies that their "cash cow" of home telephone service may be coming to an end on the horizon. Still, VOIP service is not for everyone, and here are some things that you need to verify and feel good about before you consider switching to VOIP service.
1. Your High-Speed Internet Connection is critical.
Almost any VOIP service that you choose is not going to include high-speed Internet service. The VOIP provider assumes you already have that, and would have that whether you decided to implement VOIP or not, which is probably true in most cases.
However, what the VOIP service provider does not tell you is that your high-speed Internet connection needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending on where you are and what high-speed Internet provider you have chosen, this may not be a given. The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this – if you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will be lousy, it is a one-to-one relationship.
There are various online sites that allow you to do a speed test on your connection so you can get a feel for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests do not tell the whole story – it might have been fast at the moment you did the test, but is slower than molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stopping when you are using it or having significant time delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not work well on it.
Also, do people in your household also use the computer when you would be talking on your VOIP phone? If so, your connection may not be capable of handling both connections at the same time. Typically this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, but it can represent a problem with a cable connection as well.
Is your only option a satellite high-speed Internet connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happy with the results of VOIP service on a satellite connection.
2. When your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your phone
Despite the fact that they have over-charged us for years, you need to give the telephone company credit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost always can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone, ready to make your call.
With a VOIP phone, you are depending on your Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. If your high-speed service goes down, then your ability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until the internet service comes back up. This again goes back to the reliability of your high-speed Internet connection and provider.
3. Be sure 911 is supported
All VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that they support 911 (or E-911) services in case of emergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if you call 911, they can tell where you are calling from. But this same ability does not exist with a VOIP phone, so you need to register your VOIP phone with the service so that if you call 911 from your VOIP phone, the emergency responders will know where to go.
4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous flexibility.
There is no doubt about it, VOIP service is significantly cheaper than traditional phones from the phone company. At no extra charge, you typically get the features you would pay the phone company extra for, like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and call blocking. You also typically get unlimited or high-usage local and long distance calling throughout the country at no additional cost with VOIP.
If you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with you. If you are traveling to visit your friends in Denver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP phone into their high-speed modem and you can continue to make and receive calls just as if you were at home, using your same phone number. If you are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed connection in your hotel room, and you are making and receiving phone calls as if you were at home.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Jon Arnold
1. Your High-Speed Internet Connection is critical.
Almost any VOIP service that you choose is not going to include high-speed Internet service. The VOIP provider assumes you already have that, and would have that whether you decided to implement VOIP or not, which is probably true in most cases.
However, what the VOIP service provider does not tell you is that your high-speed Internet connection needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending on where you are and what high-speed Internet provider you have chosen, this may not be a given. The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this – if you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will be lousy, it is a one-to-one relationship.
There are various online sites that allow you to do a speed test on your connection so you can get a feel for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests do not tell the whole story – it might have been fast at the moment you did the test, but is slower than molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stopping when you are using it or having significant time delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not work well on it.
Also, do people in your household also use the computer when you would be talking on your VOIP phone? If so, your connection may not be capable of handling both connections at the same time. Typically this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, but it can represent a problem with a cable connection as well.
Is your only option a satellite high-speed Internet connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happy with the results of VOIP service on a satellite connection.
2. When your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your phone
Despite the fact that they have over-charged us for years, you need to give the telephone company credit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost always can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone, ready to make your call.
With a VOIP phone, you are depending on your Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. If your high-speed service goes down, then your ability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until the internet service comes back up. This again goes back to the reliability of your high-speed Internet connection and provider.
3. Be sure 911 is supported
All VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that they support 911 (or E-911) services in case of emergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if you call 911, they can tell where you are calling from. But this same ability does not exist with a VOIP phone, so you need to register your VOIP phone with the service so that if you call 911 from your VOIP phone, the emergency responders will know where to go.
4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous flexibility.
There is no doubt about it, VOIP service is significantly cheaper than traditional phones from the phone company. At no extra charge, you typically get the features you would pay the phone company extra for, like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and call blocking. You also typically get unlimited or high-usage local and long distance calling throughout the country at no additional cost with VOIP.
If you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with you. If you are traveling to visit your friends in Denver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP phone into their high-speed modem and you can continue to make and receive calls just as if you were at home, using your same phone number. If you are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed connection in your hotel room, and you are making and receiving phone calls as if you were at home.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Jon Arnold
Thursday, July 19, 2007
What's Up With Wikipedia
Wikipedia - The biggest free-content encyclopedia on the internet and one of the top 100 websites in the world. It is also the most popular example of a Wiki (How Wikis Work). This unique online encyclopedia allows users to log on and become contributors. As a result many articles are written by the foremost experts in a field with lots of current information. Unfortunately, some articles are also poorly written and may contain incorrect information. This has led to several controversies.
The website has often been criticized for inaccuracies by educators (some examples here). Even the co-founder of the website, Larry Sanger has publicly stated that: "While Wikipedia is still quite useful and an amazing phenomenon, I have come to the view that it is also broken beyond repair." Here is a link to Wikipedia's response to the question of:
No mater how you feel about it, there are some good uses for a site like Wikipedia. For example, one good use for Wikipedia is researching the most recent developments in technology. Because of the way it is edited it can be quickly updated with the most recent information about technological developments long before more traditional reference sources can even start to make updates. It can also be useful in pointing a researcher towards more reliable sources of information. Most Wikipedia entries include several links to outside websites that contain additional information for example. One also has to admit that the site is well laid out, easy to use and has a pretty efficient search engine. At the very least educators should become familiar with it just as they should become familiar with any web phenomenon that effects their students' learning.
A few years ago there was a research study that compared Wikipedia to Britannica for accuracy. The study, which was published in December of 2005, showed Wikipedia to be more accurate that Britannica. You can read about the results here:
cnet.com: http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
wired.com: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69844
In a more recent development the co-founder of Wikipedia has founded a new website called Citizendium where he hopes to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding "gentle expert oversight" and requiring contributors to use their real names.
The website has often been criticized for inaccuracies by educators (some examples here). Even the co-founder of the website, Larry Sanger has publicly stated that: "While Wikipedia is still quite useful and an amazing phenomenon, I have come to the view that it is also broken beyond repair." Here is a link to Wikipedia's response to the question of:
No mater how you feel about it, there are some good uses for a site like Wikipedia. For example, one good use for Wikipedia is researching the most recent developments in technology. Because of the way it is edited it can be quickly updated with the most recent information about technological developments long before more traditional reference sources can even start to make updates. It can also be useful in pointing a researcher towards more reliable sources of information. Most Wikipedia entries include several links to outside websites that contain additional information for example. One also has to admit that the site is well laid out, easy to use and has a pretty efficient search engine. At the very least educators should become familiar with it just as they should become familiar with any web phenomenon that effects their students' learning.
A few years ago there was a research study that compared Wikipedia to Britannica for accuracy. The study, which was published in December of 2005, showed Wikipedia to be more accurate that Britannica. You can read about the results here:
cnet.com: http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
wired.com: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69844
In a more recent development the co-founder of Wikipedia has founded a new website called Citizendium where he hopes to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding "gentle expert oversight" and requiring contributors to use their real names.
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