November 10th, 2009 -- Posted in Other |
If you’re going to connect to the internet, you need to protect your computer, otherwise it’s like leaving your front door wide open with a big ‘Robbers Welcome’ doormat on your front step. You’ve probably heard all the terms – such as virus, hacker, firewall, spyware and a million more – but perhaps think that the anti-virus programme that came with the computer, or that your PC-savvy mate downloaded for you is enough to keep you safe, right? Wrong …
First of all, you need a firewall. This is your first line of defence, making it extremely difficult for any hacker or malicious programme to get through. Nothing is 100% impenetrable, however, and an anti-virus programme that will always be on the lookout for anything nasty that manages to find its way in is essential.
But there are things that manage to get onto your pc in the most unlikely of ways: it can be inadvertently added by you as you download music, screensavers or games onto your PC, or it can even be added by someone you know and trust, such as a suspicious spouse or your employer. This is Spyware and is a frightening breach of privacy which allows people or programmes to see what you’re doing, what sites you look at and even log your keystrokes so that they can reproduce everything you type, such as passwords and credit card details.
The only way to truly guard against spyware is to have a dedicated programme that detects and removes it.
So, you have your firewall and your anti-virus programme in place; surely an anti-spyware programme is just money down the drain? Unfortunately not: this will fill the cracks left by your other security programmes, and although it will not make your computer completely impenetrable (unfortunately the people writing these programmes are extremely good at what they do) it will be the equivalent of locking all your doors and windows and having an alarm system armed before you leave your house – someone could still get in if they really wanted to, but they’d probably rather go next door, where they’ve rather invitingly left a downstairs window open.
People are now using their computers for a range of personal and business applications, the loss or infiltration of which could do them serious emotional and financial damage. Taking preventative measures to ensure your online security should be as natural as closing the door behind you when you go out, and there are affordable and easy to use programmes out there to help you do just that.
For a full range of products to keep your computer safe, visit www.vaultlock.com
Otherwise you might as well order that ‘Robbers Welcome’ mat now!
November 10th, 2009 -- Posted in Other |
File sharing is very common nowadays. You can get a P2P (peer-to-peer) program for free, and soon start sharing stuff like music, videos and programs. We use these applications freely and most of us don’t know the risks involved when using them.
Questionable reliability of files – Once we get our hands on a P2P program, we download everything we want like crazy. Favorite music, free softwares, as long as it is available, you download them. Hackers, attackers, or whatever, use this to their advantage. They can insert Trojans, viruses, spyware and other kinds of malware, and then share it to the P2P network. Unwary victims fall prey to these traps, and pay its price.
They make you vulnerable. Don’t let them. – Some P2P programs request you to open up your firewall in order for you to share and download files. This makes you vulnerable and giving attackers openings and opportunities to attack your system.
Breaching privacy – P2P programs that require you to give personal information are very doubtful when it comes to keeping your data secure. Since security is also unreliable, unauthorized people can gain access to your information easily.
Piracy – Would you consider the fact that P2P hosts illegal action which violates the intellectual property rights of hardworking people? The music industry, for example, is going down and most people don’t even care, as long as they get songs for free.
To eliminate P2P risks, take preventive measures and just don’t use them. If you still want to use such applications, be sure to be prepared for the worse.
Keep an anti-virus software in your computer and regularly update its definitions. Everyday, there are new kinds of viruses that spread in the internet, so keeping your anti-virus programs updated is a must.
Enable your firewall. If the P2P program asks you to turn it off or open some ports, don’t do it. Just find some other program that doesn’t require you to do anything irrational to your firewall.
To keep your computer secured and optimized, you can go to here for more stuff regarding security. It also contains tips and tricks for pc, internet, softwares and hardwares that can be of real benefit.
November 10th, 2009 -- Posted in Other |
It’s a dangerous internet out their kids. There are many unscrupulous individuals who work hard every second of their waking lives to destroy your computer, erase your hard drive and steal your bank details (you better lock up your daughters too).
What can you do to combat these nefarious evildoers? If you have a computer, and I presume you do, there are two things you must have in your armory. They are: a virus scanner and a firewall. These two items are you sword and shield in the ongoing battle of good against evil. But, how do you use them to protect yourself?
First things first, if you don’t have a firewall, go get one. There are many free ones out there that will do the job. Make sure the one you get can block both incoming and outgoing connections from your computer. If you are unfortunate enough to receive a piece of software which is up to no good on your system, the firewall will alert you when it tries to use the internet to contact it’s mother ship. If you are ever in doubt about the aims of software when they’re trying to access the internet, just block them, you can always unblock later when your web browser stops working.
The sword will be our trusty virus scanner. Once again, there are many free ones around that will do quite nicely. They will sit there on your machine, tirelessly scanning your storage areas for nasty bits of code you may not know about, but are there to cause mayhem and untold damage. When found, the scanner will work magic to delete the infected items and remove the source before the damage becomes too great.
Another tool that virus-free knight shouldn’t be without is the spyware scanner. This handy utility can be fired up once a week to perform a scan to check whether any devious miscreants have slipped through and are ruining our web viewing experience with annoying pop-ups.
So, you see, it’s quite easy to protect yourself. There are decent programs out there, produced by people in shiny castles, which will help you sleep at night. And, best of all, they’re so cheap they’re free!
Next »
