Protect Your Work - Lock Your Computer

Autor: RarelyPublished

Anyone who has put in many hours, or at times even weeks of effort into work, may know what its like to lose a part of that work, but the worst thing you can do is to be the cause of your own loss. When you leave your computer, lets say for a bathroom break, an emergency meeting, or even to discuss something away from your machine, it may be natural to just walk away and do what you have to do, but I know from experience that this is a habit you should engrave into your computer work ethic just the same as being polite to the CEO of your organization. Allow me to go deeper, it will make more sense by example:

A few years ago, I took a course called 'Drafting/Design Tech I'. This was a basic CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) class where we learned how to use the software and along the way, the concepts of good CAD-work, understanding of views, and being able to draw anything we saw in any variation. It was a good experience. One of the few things my instructor told the class immediately after explaining how to log in with our user accounts was to lock our computers.

"Hold down the 'windows' button, and push 'L'. This will lock your computer and protect your work."

Now why would you want protection? Look at condoms and you'll see why...Okay, so you won't get AID's if you don't lock your computer, but those of us who didn't heed the advice of my instructor learned the hard way to lock it up. By good nature, lots of us used to love to walk over to each other's workstations and talk, hang out, and mess around. By the time we came back, one of several things generally happened to our computers:

1. Our directories were cleared out of any and all work we had in them (hours, or rather weeks of hours, of racking your head over something has just gone down the drain), or

2. Our current drawing file was modified (i.e. a few lines being offset, stretched and skewed, thereby throwing off all dimensions, which is especially bad when being graded on dimensions. Even worse is when somebody scales your entire project, so when you actually build a model of your project, instead of a 1/8 scale between the model and full-size, you have a 19/128ths scale. Firsthand experience sucks.)

3. All of our file names were mixed and mismatched, so when we sat down to work, we faced the unique issue of figuring out each time which of the twenty files is which. Lots of fun when you have an upcoming deadline.

4. Any other creative mischief (i.e. turning the screen by 90 degrees, making windows look retro, or even hiding parts of our drawings so they appear deleted and we appear to be redoing it when we come back)

Besides an annoyance ranging from mild all the way up to a promise of an a$s-kicking after class, locking your computer is important for security. From my experience with multiple private networks, leaving your console unattended while in full access can cause many problems for you and the network. One of your peers with lesser access rights may decide to play a joke on another and it doesn't turn out funny to the one it was being played on. He reports it to his boss. If the 'joke' was in any way decided as unacceptable by the boss, guess which two guys lose their jobs? Or even better if there is a visitor from somewhere and suddenly he has access to all of the top-secret files which are sworn by all employees to only stay on facility? Let me express it in one word: espionage. A car just doesn't sell as well when every other major car-maker sells exact knock-offs of it because some idiot in your business left the designs and assembly plans in easy access.



Windows Button + L

OR

Alt+Ctrl+Delete , then 'k'

For this to work, you must have a password set on your account. If your account is not password-protected, here is how to make it so:

(All instructions assume that the user has full administrative access rights)


For Windows XP:
1) Click on the 'Start' menu
2) Click on 'Control Panel'
3) Double-Click on 'User Accounts'
4) Click on your user account name
5) Click on 'Create a Password'
6) Follow the on-screen instructions

Source: Free Articles

Only AVG 8.0 Internet Security stops threats before they become a problem

As the nature of threats evolve, so must the nature of protection. As we move from an age of adolescent computer virus writers to an age of highly organized criminals devising ways to steal your identity, credit card information or banking details - all for financial gain, it is more important than ever to stop these things before they happen. Today, all you have to do is open a website or click on a web link to become infected or compromised.

AVG ensures your safety while you search or surf the net, download music, documents and pictures, send emails or instant message by scanning documents, files, Web pages and Web links before you open them. Unlike other security products, our unique software stops the threat before it reaches your hard drive and becomes a problem.
A look at AVG Internet Security 8.0

   * Safe Search. AVG scans Google, Yahoo! & MSN search results in real-time as you search and places safety ratings next to each link.
   * Safe Surf. AVG scans each and every Web site and Web link within a Web site before you open them to ensure they are safe.
   * Safe Link Scan. AVG scans every Web link you come across, whether in e-mails, documents or instant messages, no matter the source, before you open them to ensure you are protected in advance 100% of the time.
   * Safe Favorites & Bookmark Scan. AVG scans all your favorite and bookmarked sites before you open them to ensure they are safe.
   * Safe URL Scan. If you type your favorite site address (URL) into your browser, AVG will scan the contents of the site before you open it to ensure it is safe.
   * Safe Download Scan: AVG will scan all new applications you want to install as well as all Excel, Word, PowerPoint and other documents and music, videos and pictures to ensure they are safe before you download them.
   * Safety Ratings. Site specific safety details are displayed by simply hovering over the safety icons.

and more...LINK HERE

Protecting Your PC Against Viruses And Spyware

by: Martin Bailey
Spyware, trojans, dialers and viruses can cripple your PC's performance, destroy data and compromise your security. Find out how to identify if your PC is at risk and how to lock it down from attacks in the future by reading this factsheet.

What is spyware?

Spyware is software which can track what you do on a computer and report it back to another computer. With the widespread use of Broadband, spyware has an easy route back to its precipitator. Most spyware is quite benign - almost all applications will 'call home' to check for new versions, including your operating system. There are, however more advanced and aggressive spyware applications which can try to take over your PC, perhaps by forcing your web browser to another search engine page, or by displaying popups. Worse still, some spyware can store every keystroke on your computer, passing this back to its owner - this could include usernames and passwords, along with the websites that you may have entered them into. Still feel safe doing your banking online? Some applications will install a phone dialer which will change your dialup settings - instead of dialing your standard local rate number it'll dial a premium rate number, sometimes several Pounds per minute - you will only find out when you get your bill unless you notice the number's changed, and don't expect the phone company to reimburse you!

Where does spyware come from? The main spread of spyware comes from the human weakness to get something for nothing. Free toolbars, wallpapers, smileys, application add-ons or 'cracked' software often contain spyware or viruses. So if you download ANYTHING, try to make sure it comes from a reputable source, scan it for viruses and perhaps do a google search to see if anyone else has had problems with this application. Note that some programs require the 'spyware' in order to run, so it's possible that the program will stop working, or work incorrectly after spyware removal, however I have never had this happen to any mainstream program, and this is a warning that most Antispyware apps mention just to cover themselves.

What are viruses?

Viruses have been around for a long time, and have actually become less destructive (at least in my opinion). Going back 15 years it was not uncommon for a virus to wipe out the boot sector of the hard disc, similar to ripping out the index of a book. Nowadays viruses can corrupt files but most concentrate on their own propagation and stealth. They'll try to bypass or even disable your antivirus software and firewall, send themselves out to all of your address book and perhaps deliver another payload - some even turn your PC into a 'zombie' to perform predefined tasks. This might either be a SPAM attack or a DoS (Denial of Service) attack, where any infected PC sends out junk data to one specific server. If enough PCs do this it effectively swamps the server so that it cannot respond to legitimate traffic, bringing it down.

How do I know if I have spyware/viruses?

The symptoms can differ depending on the infection. I once cleaned a PC that had 700+ pieces of spyware/viruses on. Many of these were duplicates/mutations of the same one (MS Blaster), but nevertheless the effect was the same - a very lethargic PC that behaved erratically. It was incredibly slow, sometimes rebooted and would popup adverts for porn regularly. The start page was also configured to goto another search engine, and changing it within Internet Explorer settings made no difference.

Another useful tip is to open up Task Manager (right click on the taskbar and select it from the menu). Look at all of the processes that are running under your username login. Do a 'google' for the EXE filename - almost every application will have some writeup on its legitimacy and status so you can quickly determine applications that have a right to be running and those of a suspicious nature.

How can I get rid of spyware?

The best way to know if you are infected is to use one of the many excellent and free spyware detectors. The two best apps are LavaSoft Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy, both of which are free.

- Lavasoft
- Spybot

Download BOTH applications and perform a full system scan. What one doesn't find the other invariably will. Both will flag up 'cookies' as a security risk, however do not delete these unless they are obviously dodgy (e.g. they mention sex, for example and you've not been frequenting porn sites!) Many cookies are useful, storing your online preferences (e.g. your Amazon preferences...)

At the time of writing Microsoft has a free beta of its antispyware software available, which may also catch some items that Adaware and Spybot miss. If something shows up in either app that cannot be removed then give it a try as initial reports show it to be very good.

You should also run a complete virus scan, as antivirus software will remove trojans (pieces of code that are hidden inside other programs) just as successfully. AVG from Grisoft is an excellent free av program.

Once you've run all of the above applications several times and no more nasties are coming up recheck the Task Manager and ensure that no suspicious applications are still running. If there are any that a Google search shows as malicious, do another google for the name of the file and 'removal' - most of the big antivirus sites will have instructions on how to remove the tool, or may even provide free online tools to eradicate it from your system. Chances are that you will have to get your hands dirty and edit the Windows Registry. This is not as frightening as it sounds, as long as you a) take a backup of the registery and b) follow the instructions to the letter.

Sometimes using the System Restore feature in Windows can fix problems, so for the less technically experienced this might be the more painless route to go if the above scanning solutions don't work and you don't want to play around with the registry.

How do I prevent further attacks?

This is really down to common sense. There are a number of things you can do:

- Don't click on popup adverts or any suspicious 'error messages'. Some popups are disguised to look like error messages, saying 'Your computer is at risk from spyware - click here to fix the problem'. Quite ironic really...

- Install a popup blocker. Windows XP Service Pack 2 has one as standard. Alternativey the Google toolbar has one, with many other features besides

- Run regular scans with Adaware, Spybot and your chosen antivirus sofware. Free antivirus software such as AVG is pretty much as good as Norton and (in my opinion) will not slow your PC down as much!

- Don't open any attachments unless a) you know who sent them, b) you were expecting the email AND c) you've saved it to your hard disc and scanned it with up-to-date antivirus software. If in doubt email the source to confirm validity. Many viruses will replicate by sending an email addressed from you with a file attached renamed as one of your files.

If you use P2P software be extra careful with what you download

Ensure that your PC is patched and up-to-date. Ideally, set Windows Update to check for updates every day and install automatically. Do not leave your PC connected to the Internet while you are not there (either switch it off or switch off your modem/router)

Ensure that you are running a firewall. This will stop people from hacking into your computer. Windows XP Service Pack 2 has a perfectly adequate one, although you might also consider ZoneAlarm, which is free. Check to see how vulnerable your PC is by running the 'Shields Up' online test

About The Author

Martin Bailey is author of Marketing your Business and has been working with computers since 1982. He is available for marketing consultancy, web design and search engine optimisation. More information at http://www.marketingyour.biz.

Virus Strains

by: J Square Humboldt

What we need is the Dewey Decimal System to go digital ...

Specifically, someone needs to coax their keepers into putting some logical order into how computer viruses are sorted.

Recently, warnings abounded about the Kama Sutra virus quickly proliferating cyberspace, joining the Grew.A and Nyxem.E as serious threats to computer file security. However, only those who took a closer look at these strains were able to discover that they all had something in common.

They were virtually the same virus.

There is uniformity in the library world when it comes to catalogging the millions of books contained therein, thanks to Dewey. The weather service administrators do their bit for personnification by breathing a bit of nefarious charm into the tropical storms they track by assigning them names in alphabetical order each year. They key to both of these facts is that someone devised a universal means of identifying something that assists the general public in dealing with it.

The time is rapidly approaching when someone needs to step forward and put some order into the villainous world of computer infections.

New viruses arise so suddenly and spread so quickly that those whose job it is to seek and destroy them have little time to muse over what to name them. With Dama Sutra, for instance, its file-destroying program seemed to be spread by junk e-mail enticements to visit porn sites. The news media ran with that theme and gave it a headline-grabbing handle; Kama Sutra, of course, is the legendary lovemaking guide compiled to classify the creativity of ancient Hindu hedonism.

Geeks, however, have their own perspective when they put a spin on things. Just as banks need to have stately names, spyware apparently needs to carry Matrix-like titles to make them appear darker, more foreboding and a worthy challenge. After all, who amongst them would want to quash the Kama Sutra? Wouldn't that confirm the geek image as a cyber-eunuch?

Thus, titles like Grew.A and Nyxem.E are coined to look so much more imposing and in need of professional assistance to eradicate.

F-Secure is a Finnish virus fighter and widely acclaimed to be one of the best of its kind on the market. Their stature is such that when they identify an intrusive program, others notice and accept the name they give it. In this case, F-Secure saw the program shared code and techniques with cetain file-destroying predecessors, so they went with 'Nyxem.E,' derived from the acronym for the New York Mercentile Exchange, whose web site was targeted by the initial culprit.

Other vendors took note that this program destroyed files instead of overloading websites with fake traffic. Using a logic known only to one of the backroom gnomes in their employ, this meant that 'Grew.A' was the most appropriate description. I can only think that asking for a clarification for that decision would cause most of us as much of a headache as trying to remove the program after it has hit our computers.

Anyway, in these trying times of terrorism alerts, if nobody else is willing to tackle the task of virus classification, those rock-lifters and cobweb-sweepers at the USA Department of Homeland Security are prepared to step into the fray. They have devised a system of virus naming through the Common Malware Enumeration, or CME. Outbreaks are assigned a random number, which in this case turned out to be '24.'

We'll see if such a system captures teh public's imagination.

This is an important point, because if a unified virus identification system is to be effective, it has to immediately raise a general awareness so that the virus' spread can be better contained.

If nothing else, 'Kama Sutra' generated enough clicks to quickly spread the word that a cyber-invader was on the prowl. Once named as such, a program that had been circulating for weeks, but was set to destroy files only on the third day of each month, finally came to the public's attention. That gave vendors time to update their products and warn customers.

Incidentally, this strain is known to corrupt documents using the most common file types, including '.doc,' '.pdf' and '.zip.' It affects most versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system, which caused them to issue the most widely-heeded warning of the problem.

Given the recent animosity-filled anti-trust suit brought by the American government against the software giant, it does seem like their efforts to raise the awareness of this virus has necessitated that they become the proverbial strange bedfellows.

It's only appropriate that something named Kama Sutra would bring them together. It's inevitable that they would find themselves in this position. The task now is for them --- and everyone else --- to agree upon what to call it.

About The Author

Copyright 2006 – The Longer Life Group

J Square Humboldt is the featured columnist at the Longer Life website, which is dedicated to providing information, strategies, analysis and commentary designed to improve the quality of living. His page can be found at http://longerlifegroup.com/cyberiter.html and his observations are published three times per week.

Computer Security – It’s Bigger Than Spyware And Viruses

by: D. David Dugan

Computer security, in basic terms means keeping your computer and the data that’s in it safe and secure. More of our personal data is stored in or accessed from our computer, now more than ever before. Yet most people lack even the basic understanding of how to keep their computers safe and secure. By following just a few simple rules you can dramatically improve the overall security of your computer.

The first thing to understand is what exactly it means to be connected to the internet. Your computer connected to the internet is similar to your house in many ways. There are many ways into your house. Windows, doors, etc. The more windows and doors you have, the more ways someone has into your house. An open door doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be robbed, but it does improve the chances. Complicating matters, the ones that you think are locked, may not be because the lock is faulty or even the door itself may have an as of yet undiscovered flaw that would allow an intruder easy access to your home.

Your computer has many windows and doors, not all of which are locked. New flaws are being found everyday, often with the fix not coming until days after. Just like you wouldn’t leave your front door unlocked, you shouldn’t leave your computer wide open either. The first two things we will discuss to help with this task are installation of a quality firewall and regularly updating your installed software.

Updating your software is becoming easier these days, especially your Operating System. We don’t have the time here to go into detail about the many ways to update the many software packages you may have or use, but generally speaking the software manufacturer will provide you a way to do this automatically via the internet. A good example of this is the Microsoft Windows Update feature. Be sure to get the updates for everything installed on your computer, nothing is too trivial.

There are two basic types of firewalls and both perform the same functions. One is hardware the other is software. A hardware firewall is probably included in your router if you are using one, while you may or may not have a software firewall installed. To continue our house analogy, a firewall is like building a wall and gate around your home and giving the guard at the gate instructions on who to let in and out. While this does give a great deal of protection, it is not all that is required. Someone may know a way around or under your wall, or even be able to coerce the guard into letting them in.

You yourself may unwittingly allow someone in. This could happen by simply opening an email or even simply surfing the net. Spyware, viruses, trojans and the like are ever more adept in their methods of fooling you and your guards. Emails may come from a trusted friend containing a dangerous virus without them even knowing it. This is where the next layer of protection comes in, anti-virus software.

Anti-virus software is a large category these days. Often these packages come as “suites” including a firewall and Spyware scanner. While most of these programs are very effective in their promised tasks, it is not wise to be lulled into a false sense of security by them. They are simply one layer in what should be a multi tiered protection plan for you and your computer. One last important note about anti virus software is to be sure that it updates on a regular basis. New threats come out daily so check its updates manually to be sure they have happened.

Back to our house analogy, we now have all of our windows, doors and other entry ways locked and fully updated. We have a wall around our house with a guard at the gate and we have software scanning everything that comes in past the gate. Sounds pretty good, but there’s one last security hole we need to address, you.

A large percentage of infections are caused by the computer user themselves. The internet is an ever changing place that requires it’s users to be educated about its use. I’m not suggesting that you need to be a computer expert to simply read your email. I am however suggesting that you take some time to educate yourself on some of the dangers that pop up everyday, and the precautions to take in order to avoid them.

In summary, your computer is a powerful machine connected to one of the greatest things ever invented, the internet. This vast resource can be a dangerous place if you are not properly prepared and informed. Regular software updates, a good firewall, anti virus software and a little education are the basics in computer security. Having and understanding these basics will make your computer safer, more secure and more enjoyable.

About The Author

D. David Dugan is the president of DD&C (www.dugancom.com) and personally helps to maintain their computer support forum at http://forum.dugancom.com as well as their Spyware Information site http://spyware.dugancom.com.

Work_Grew.A” Virus, Threat, Hype Or Dud And Its Impact

by: Darren Miller

The Worm_Grew.A Virus Got Allot Of Attention

----------------------------

The 3rd has come and gone. What has been the real effect or impact of the “WORM_GREW.A (Also know as Nyxem, BlackMal, MyWife, and so on)” virus? For weeks there has been tons of warnings, in the news, print, e-zines, you name the forum and it has been a discussion topic. Current information indicates that the WORM_GREW.A virus has not caused mass destruction as promised or suspected. I’m sure some of those 600,000 or so suspected infected computers were impacted, but who really knows at this point.

Viruses Can Impact You In Various Ways

--------------------------

There is one thing I do know however; Even if the BlackMal virus has not done as much physical damage as predicted, it has done a good deal of indirect damage. Think about how much time corporate technical people have spent preparing for the possibilities, making sure their enterprise anti-virus solution is functioning properly, the time devoted to discussing and planning for disaster recovery in the event a direct impact is realized. What about all the home and small business people stressed about the doom looming over their computers head in the form of a “possible” destructive and wide spread infection.

How Do You Know If Your Business Is Protected Against Viruses

--------------------------------------------------

A business associate of mine recently worked on a project in which he performed a complete infrastructure upgrade for a document / information heavy business. During the upgrade, he found that the anti-virus solution they were using was not functioning properly, had not updated its virus signatures for eight months, and on top of this, their very expensive tape backup solution had not been working for about as long. The customer kept changing the tapes, but they were blank. Just imagine what would have happened if they had not had this upgrade done, and an effective anti-virus and tape backup solution put back in place. If they had contracted this virus it could have not only shut them down for a period of time, it very well may have cost them huge financial losses or worse.

Virus Threat, Hype, or Somewhere in Between

----------------------------

Do I think this particular virus scare is a product of a real threat, fueled by hype, or a dud? Quite frankly I think it has been a little of all three. The threat was / is definitely real, the hype was all over the media and other information outlets, and as far as being a dud, if you analyze it using the equation threat+hype= impact, maybe.

I think what really has set this virus apart from recent malware / threats, is its destructive capabilities. Many malware developers have moved away from creating destructive worms and viruses in favor of creating cash generating malware. There’s no money in it for them if they just blow up your system.

Conclusion

----------

It’s quite interesting, the parallel between how we deal with threats and risks in our personal lives, and that of the technology world. Many of us only prepare for a negative or damaging event shortly before the event takes place. That is if we have been warned with time to prepare. The bottom line is we can never let our guard down. Consistency, persistence, awareness, and preparedness need to be in the forefront of our minds.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/Worm_Grew.A-Threat-Hype-Or-Dud.htm

About The Author

Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with over seventeen years experience. He has written many technology & security articles, some of which have been published in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals. If you would like to contact Darren you can e-mail him at Darren.Miller@defendingthenet.com. If you would like to know more about computer security please visit us at http://www.defendingthenet.com.

Darren.Miller@paralogic.net

Malware, Spyware and Virus’s All Things Developed To Harm Your PC

by: Paul Cottam


How many people do you know that bought a PC that came with a limited virus package that have never paid for updates or have not even bothered to install and Anti Virus software on there PC,s at all

With all the Spyware and malicious Malware out the on the net now, especaily as most people now how broadband access and as a result most PC's are left connected to the internet for long periods or indefinitely the chances of a security threat is now very common

There are literally millions of computors out there connected to the internet with no antivirus sotware installed, many people simply cant afford to pay for the ever increasing cost of such software. Some even call for windows to come as standard with antivirus software built in, fortunatley there is an alternative that is FREE

When ever I am asked to help sort out a friend's PC, be it a simple windows problem or a complete reformat and reinstall of Windows. I always take along a CD with a few useful programs stored on disc. One is AV Antivirus from Grisoft, the next is Microsoft Antispyware now called Defender and the last is Swait a Anti Trojan and Bot Scanner/Remover all programs are FREE and so there is no excuse for not being protected at home

This is especially important if like me you have a home network that has several PC,s connected to it, one infected PC will infect all others on the network very quickly. Often malicious code can be downloaded very easily from the internet with even knowing, one of the main areas for infecting your PC with Spyware is by the use of file sharing software (P2P peer to peer networking) and some freeware which can often come bundled with Spyware that installs without informing you

This is especially important if you share your PC with other members of the household, or have other PC’s linked into your network as not everyone is as security concesious as yourself and guests etc often download and install stuff without thinking.

That new tool bar that they installed because it gave them more emoticons to use in there instant messenger or shopping helper starts to hijack your browser settings. Suddenly your home page changes and despite having a pop up blocker you get regular timed pop up windows, some Spyware like this can be so difficult to remover and occiosionall leads to a reinstallation of the operating software

One other necessity has to be a pop up blocker and my personal favourite has to be the Google tool bar as it allows you to use the full search facilities and block pop ups very effectively. Also effective in this area is the Yahoo tool bar which comes with some Antispyware features although I have never tested this function

Windows XP has some good security features in the Service Pack 2 download (SP2) and includes a Firewall that is simple but effective to use , I keep SP2 on a CD for any reformats that I have to do, as Microsoft is removing some of the downloads like this as it rolls back its support for older versions of windows

There is a great online tool from Norton that you can use to scan your PC for and security threats including virus's from Symantec Security Check page simply press the go button and let Symantec scan your PC for FREE

All in all theres really no excuse for not protecting your PC security and if we don’t the net will continue to drown in email virus’s and spam untill one day the whole internet will become clogged and ultimatley it will grind to a halt

About The Author

Paul Cottam built his first Web site in 1996 and has lots of information on anyone interested in Land Rovers, Stage Rallying, Classic Car Restoration, Rock Climbing and much more, he now builds affordable websites for small companies and is successful in the art of Search Engine Optimisation

View their website at: http://www.paul-cottam.co.uk

paul_cottam@hotmail.com

Virus Alertness Tricks

by: Andrew Corner

When talking about computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewalls, it is important to stress that no virus protection system is foolproof. Even top security computer systems have been infiltrated time and again by hackers and computer criminals simply by programming a virus. Files have been deleted, accounts and identities have been stolen, and confidential files have been accessed by these hackers. This is not to say that anti-virus softwares are useless, but to point out that these programs work and perform better with the users' assistance.

Computer viruses are programs that reproduce themselves and infect files and disks. They are spread and transmitted whenever files, disks, or programs are exchanged. Email attachments from known people, like your friends, professors, colleagues, or even your boss, can be virus-laden. The senders themselves may not even be aware that they're sending you a virus. Computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewalls are developed to help you identify the viruses, the infected part of your system, and the process by which the virus can be contained. But as pointed out before, they need your assistance. New programs are developed regularly, and aside from these, there are also new technologies put in use. With the improvements in technology, it is naive and erroneous to assume that viruses remain as they are. They are constantly changing, becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. Most advanced viruses aren't detected until they have brought down and controlled entire systems. Hence, the first trick of virus protection is to subscribe to a reputable anti-virus software. Free software can detect and quarantine simple worms and viruses, but they would be hard-pressed to detect the more sophisticated kinds. Subscription requires minimal fees compared to the degree of protection your computer receives. This is especially advisable to companies and large businesses where several computers are joined in a network. Computers for home use and ones that aren't used for storing sensitive data can do just fine with free downloadable software.

Subscription automatically causes your computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewall security to update whenever it is possible. This is an advantage because you can keep up with the rapid sophistication of new viruses. The more updated your software is, the more efficient it is in catching the virus. Free software must be updated or replaced with new versions regularly. It is best to update your software whenever your software site alerts you of newer versions. Aside from these tricks, doing virus scans on files, disks, software disks, programs, and other applications must be second nature to you before opening or downloading. Keep back-up files of the data and files in your computer in case a virus caused them to be deleted. Regular rebooting and "clean up" of your system also minimize susceptibility to viruses. Computer virus protection and anti-virus softwares optimize their performance with your help.

About The Author

Andrew Corner

To know more about computer virus protection and anti-virus software, please visit http://www.virus-protection.net

How To Recover After A Virus Attack

by: Paul Wilcox


PC viruses are more than just a nuisance; they can actually cause serious damage to your computer, just as a biological virus can cause damage to your body. There are many different types of viruses, some are just annoying and may cause a message to flash on your screen, while others are more malicious and can actually delete files necessary for your computerís operating system. There are others that can also leave your computer open for hackers to do as they please with your computer.

Viruses are for the most part easy to prevent. You should always have a trusted up to date anti-virus program running at all times as well as deleted emails with unknown file attachments. However, despite our best intentions it is still possible for your computer to become infected with a virus.

If you do get a virus, it is important to do a little diagnosis before trying to fix and eradicate the virus.

Firstly, you should try and find out what the virus is one your computer. Run a full virus scan using your anti-virus software. Make sure your software has the most current virus database and donít skip any sections of your hard drive or memory. This can take some time, but it should find it and recommend a course of action to get rid of the virus.

If your computer is not operational try and boot your computer using an anti-virus CD or diskette, you should have created one when you got your computer. Once you are back in your computer do the previous step and do a full virus scan of your system.

If you have only rebooted the computer once since infection and are running any version of Windows you can try to reboot from the Last Known Good Configuration. This usually doesnít help but it is worth a try.

If you canít discover the source of the virus take a look at your computerís operating files. Most of them should have the same date and one that is more current may be a virus. kernel32.exe and lsass.exe are two files that are often hit by viruses. If you find some discrepancy try replacing them with clean files.

If you find you're only having problems with one program try uninstalling it completely and reinstalling with a new copy.

If you have lost data that is vital to you and have no backup you may need to get professional help. While there is no guarantee that your data can be recovered it is possible. This may be an expensive lesson that you should frequently backup all important data.

About The Author

Paul Wilcox writes about internet security solutions for the TechnoSecurity website. Get more helpful information and advice at http://www.technosecurity.ca.

10 Smart Ways to Protect Your Computer against Viruses

by: Pinky Mcbanon


Virus infection on your computer may cause a very serious damage and even loss on your business. You can just imagine it may wreck your system registry or your entire computer (with all your receivables data on it!) or all your HTML programs! It will come to total black out screen, it will not boot at all. But that is actually the worse scenario that may happen. Are you going to wait for this worse scenario in your life to happen? I guess NOT, right?

Here are the 10 smart ways that I personally do to protect my computers against viruses, malicious dialers and spywares.

(1)If you are using Windows XP, always turn on the firewall.

(2)Always run all necessary latest updates & service packs (all windows! including all your programs & software!---keep them updated)

(3)Run your anti-virus program everyday (some do it every week) There are many virus programs that you can get for free scanning.

(4)Run your anti-spyware/adaware once a week (I run Spybot Search & Destroy & Lavasoft Adware Personal --- they are shareware, meaning it’s free!). What I do is that, I run the Lavasoft Adware first, then run the Spybot Search and Destroy (I also run it with “immunize” tool). These two tools are always on top of my desktop for easy access.

(5)Turn on the pop-up blocker – this feature is available on Windows XP (you can see this under tools>Internet Options >Privacy>click Block Pop Ups. In addition to this, I also download another pop up blocker, the Google Toolbar. I find their pop up blocker the most effective in blocking pop ups.

(6)Never open mails that are suspicious to you or not known to you. If they are in your bulk mail, send it back to your provider as “spam”! I never enable my bulk mail. I automatically delete emails from my bulk mail.

(7)When using messenger (IM) services, be very careful with files being sent through instant messenger. Rather choose to have it emailed it to you. Most of email services now has virus check and clears it if the file has virus or not.

(8)Be very careful when downloading files or any programs from the internet, pay attention on the instructions while downloading it. Downloading may sometimes cause error on the system registry or the entire computer system (one example, my nephew got his computer badly infected with viruses because of heavy downloading of games and music! – I guess!)

(9)Be careful with files that come from a floppy disk or any other external storage when you open it in your CD ROM of floppy drive. You should know its source, or better yet, when you insert it, have it scanned with your anti-virus program before you open the files.

(10)Run defragmentation, disk clean up, registry scanner at least once a week. You can find defragmentation by simply pointing your mouse on drive C: (which is usually the hard disk main logical drive)> right click the mouse>click on properties>click on tools>click on defragment now!

There are so many shareware on the internet that you can get for free! (that is the reason it is a shareware!). Keeping your computer healthy can make you more productive (if you have a business!) or it will make you enjoy more surfing and browsing the internet!

About The Author

Ms. Mcbanon is an experienced Medical Biller and Coder based in New York. A graduate of Bachelor Science in Computer Engineering. A Medical Practice Billing Consultant.

Read more about the author as she share her knowledge and expertise in her field by visiting her personal website at http://www.justmypassion.com.

She shares her expertise and knowledge with http://www.medclaimsplus.com She has extensive knowledge and skill in the area of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Anesthesiology, Surgery, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Mental & Behavioral Health, Pediatrics & Internal Medicine.

How Computer Viruses Work and How to Protect your Computer

by: Matt Gundesen


Many people are afraid of tinkering with their computers because of the fear that they might inadvertently introduce a computer virus into the computer system.

Computer viruses have become the technological bogeyman that scares computer users all over the world. We have all heard of how dangerous computer viruses are and how it can damage your data. Of course, aided by the bloated images Hollywood movies paint with regards to computer viruses, a big majority now have this insane (but mostly unfounded) fears about it.

It is true that computer viruses are dangerous. Anyone who has lost vital information in their computers because of a computer virus will know how big a damage it can cause. But computer viruses are not these insidiously little pieces of code that could wreak havoc on the world. If you know what to do when you get a virus in your computer then you can definitely limit, if not totally stop, the damage it can cause.

But what is a computer virus? Well, it is a software with a small imprint that would usually attach itself on to a legitimate program or software. Every time this program is executed the virus is also executed and it tries to reproduce itself by attaching to other programs or it immediately starts affecting the computer. A computer virus and email virus basically have the same modus operandi, the difference though is that an email virus would attach itself to an email message or automatically send itself using the addresses in the address book in order to infect the people who receive the email.

A computer virus is usually embedded in a larger program, often a legitimate piece of software. The virus will be run when the legitimate software is executed. The computer virus would load itself into the memory of the computer and then it will seek out any programs where it can likely attach itself. When a likely program is found then the virus would modify the file in order to add the virus’ code to the program. The virus would usually run before the actual legitimate program runs. In fact, the virus would usually perform the infection first before it commands the legitimate program to run. This process is so fast that no one would even notice that a virus was executed. With two programs now infected (the original program and the first infected program), the same process would be repeated whenever either program is launched worsening the level of infection.

After the infection phase, or even within the middle of the process of infection, the virus would usually start its attack on the system. The level of attack can range from silly actions like flashing messages on the screen to actually erasing sensitive data.

Fortunately, there are steps that you can do in order to protect your computer from viruses. Among the steps that you can take are:

* The simplest way to avoid a virus is to install a legitimate and effective antivirus program in your computer. The antivirus program is designed to look out for any kind of activity that could be seen as similar to a virus attack or infestation and it automatically stops it.

* You can opt to use a more secure operating system in your computer. For example, Unix is a secure operating system because the security features built into it prevents a virus from actually doing what it is programmed to do.

* Enable Macro Virus Protection in all of the Microsoft applications resident in your computer. Additionally, you should avoid running macros in a document unless you have a good idea of what these macros are going to do.

* Avoid using programs that you have downloaded on the internet especially when they come from dubious sources.

* Never open an email attachment that contains an executable file – these are files with the EXE, COM and VBS extensions.

About The Author

Matt Gundesen is a certified expert in the field of antivirus software. To download Norton Antivirus as well as many other tools in the battle against computer viruses, please visit: http://www.antivirusdownload.com.

Internet Security - Virus Checkers and Firewall Software, Protection Tips!

by: Gary Levy
I been using the Internet for a long time now, so long I don’t even remember when the first I ever used it. But back then there was a lot less hassle of having protection on our PCs and not only that! You also didn’t have to worry about having your very own identity stolen!

Today’s world is totally different, there are hundreds of thousands of people on the Internet that would love to steal your credit card, bank details, paypal account you name it they want it!

But it’s not just that they also want to take your identity to ruin your credit by taking out massive loans in your name and having it paid in to your account for them to just withdraw it from there PC…

It does not stop there either, not only are we scared to wits of losing our cash but we also have people wanting to destroy our data on our computers out of pure fun and joy… It’s a sad world we live in.


Now I’m not here to scare you, don’t close that Internet connection just yet as I do also have some great tips and ideas on how to keep your self protected from such worries.

Firstly, every computer must own a Firewall, but I can hear the slow ticking in your head already banging away and asking… What’s a Firewall?

Firewalls are designed to prevent other computers accessing your computer without your permission, to keep this very basic, a firewall is basically wall between you and the Internet. For others to get pass this wall they have to be given permission from the users on the other side.

Firewalls are great protection; I have used many, ZoneAlarm, Norton and also McAffee. But the best I have seen so far would have to be from Panda Software. They have a two in one package having Antivirus and Firewall all in one box. Though this may stop people from trying to attack your PC using software etc there are still many other routes that you can get attacked.

Viruses, Spyware, Trojans are just a few names that are currently taking advantage of thousands of PCs around the world; a firewall will not protect you from all of these!

Instead, you are going to need an Antivirus product which will take care of most of these threats.

Most Antivirus software will protect you from almost all threats on the Internet, you don’t need Spyware protection for Spyware, Trojan protection for Trojans… You get the picture?

One single Antivirus application will do all the work for you, don’t sit there searching endless searches for different products to help you out… Why?

In the end you will have loads of junk software on your PC all taking up system resources and wasting your computers CPU power. You will start to see your PC running slower and in the end you will just have to do a recovery of the entire system because it will be too naked to even start up… Phew!

But you get the picture now; a single application is all you need, the big brand names do all this for you at the moment, it runs in your task bar and does almost everything except make you a nice cold tea! Just make sure you install the latest Antivirus software soon as your Operating System is installed… We don’t want anything bad slipping through do we!

To keep your self safe from all the nasty stuff on the Internet then the only best advice I can give you is to stay away from them bad nasty adult sites and also stay away from FREE software sites… These type of sites are hard to pick from, some are bad… Some are good.

Keep your software up to date and watch where you go and you should have no problems at all.

About The Author

Gary Levy, IT Engineer, Internet Protection Adviser, Owner of http://www.PandaSoftwareDiscounts.com Panda Software Discounts For Free!

Fighting Off Viruses: Advancements In Antivirus Software Suites

by: Nial Robbins

Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.

Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.

The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.

Protecting Your Computer

Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.

With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.

Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.

4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Recommended Antivirus Software

There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.

Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.

The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.

BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.

PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-

About The Author

Nial Robbins owns the work at home directory website located at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com Come by and visit us today! Also, be sure to check out our "top pick" work at home opportunity at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com/pips.html

Norton Ghost 14.0

Key Technologies

* Creates full system and file backups
* Restores from system failures
* Saves recovery points to offsite locations
* Symantec ThreatCon integration*

Features

* Full system backup (disk image)—Backs up everything on a hard drive or partition.
* File and folder backup—Backs up only the specific files and folders you choose rather than saving an entire drive.
* FTP backup—Copies recovery points to a FTP site for easier offsite backup management. NEW
* Offsite backup—backs up your files to NAS (Network-Attached Storage) devices. NEW
* Symantec ThreatCon integration— triggers incremental backups whenever ThreatCon reaches a specified threat level. Great for computers without virus protection. NEW
* Incremental and differential backup—Backs up only files that have changed.
* EXCLUSIVE! Google Desktop™ integration—Makes data recovery even faster with searchable backup indexes.
* LightsOut Restore—Restores your system with an on-disk software recovery environment—no bootable CD required.
* EXCLUSIVE!: Remote management—Controls other Norton Ghost installations (12.0 or higher) on your local area network.
* Advanced compression and encryption—Minimizes storage space and helps keep sensitive documents safe.

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