Security News Planet

Archive for December, 2009

Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse.  For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions.  A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware,   a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cypercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities.  There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refereed as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy.  The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully.  They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network. The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker.  They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills.  A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons.  It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning. The term cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a company’s network. They will request a paid amount to not proceed sort of like black mailing in a since. An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days. When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks.  Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation.  A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs o attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that I seems copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake.  A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classifies as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harms a computer.  Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts happen:- Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.- You have less available memory then you expected- Music or sounds plays randomly.- Files get corrupted- Programs are files don’t work properly- Unknown files or programs randomly appear- System properties fluctuateComputer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through four common ways. One, when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files. Second, is when an individual runs an infected program. Third, is when an individual bots a computer with an infected drive, so that’s why it’s important to not leave media files in your computer when you shut it down.  Fourth is when it connects an unprotected computer to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment. There are literally thousands of computer malicious logic programs and new one comes out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for completely protecting a computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs.  Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in he drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a bot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given various on the bot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer for a particular reason, such as the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.

Are you scared that maybe one day you’ll get up and when you check your computer it’s not working anymore because of too much viruses or spywares on it? It would be very terrible to find your computer crashing down because you were now able to prevent such bad things to happen. You can actually do something to make your computer protected from all kinds of viruses or spywares that can ruin it. I’ll share with you some tips on how to secure computer from all the harmful things that can give you more problems in the future:Click Here For WindoClear Instant Access Now!Tip # 1: Have an Anti-Virus Installed in Your PCIf you have a computer it is indeed recommended that you download and install an anti-virus software. This software will help block all the viruses, spywares or trojans to affect your computer. Moreover, it will also help you scan and remove other errors or malicious things that may be hiding in your computer.Tip # 2: Use an Anti-Spyware SoftwareIf you are using the internet most of the time, then you should not be too confident about the things that you are downloading because these things might have some harmful spyware that can steal your personal information such as email address, password or bank account details. If you want to know how to secure computer, then you need to make sure that you use an anti-spyware software for your computer so that your important details will be in good hands.Tip # 3: Scan Your PC Most of the TimeMaking sure that your computer has the latest version of the anti-virus/anti-software is really important. If you have the current version, it would be much easier for you to scan and remove all the malicious things in your computer. Keep in mind that scanning your pc most of the time can really help you avoid tons of problems.You can prevent your computer from crashing down and you can prevent a lot of things that can ruin your computer’s performance. Just try to keep in mind these simple tips and you will surely find it easy on how to secure computer from all types of viruses, spywares or trojans. Good luck to you!Click Here For WindoClear Instant Access Now!

With all of the resources available to you, you may well ask yourself, “Why do I need a computer expert to maintain my computer?” The short answer is, you don’t. Just like you don’t need a technician to fix your car, repair your furnace, or do any other maintenance or repairs. If you have the knowledge and the time, you can easily repair and maintain your own computer.

But be warned, there are several potential “gotchas” involved in maintaining your own computer. If you decide to repair your own automobile, a company won’t sell you a carburetor what will break your car. Unfortunately, that’s not true of computer maintenance. There are many programs out there that either don’t do what they purport to do, perform unnecessary functions, or are just plain dangerous to install. It’s up to you, the computer maintenance technician, to determine what programs you can safely use in what manner.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the programs out there and what the do-it-yourselfer needs to watch out for.

Registry Cleaners Websites such as Finally Fast.com and Double My Speed.com have been promoting themselves heavily of late. These (and other) sites offer products to download and install that purport to improve your computer’s performance. These programs are mostly registry cleaners. The Windows registry is simply a database that the operating system uses to store everything it needs to know to run as per your specifications. In addition, it’s available to any other program to write their information in there as well. Since Windows 95, the registry has been the recommended repository for user preferences, settings, and any other variables a program has to remember.

Over time the Windows registry will become cluttered with unneeded information, most frequently caused by uninstallation programs not removing all of the data they should. The concept of a registry cleaner is that it will detect and remove these orphan settings, frequently improving computer performance.

The problem with registry cleaners is that they will often incorrectly detect a setting as unneeded and delete it, causing problems with either installed programs or the Windows operating system itself. Registry cleaners are good, but you should never blindly take their advice as to what to delete. You should always review each entry to verify that it can be deleted safely.

And keep in mind there are freeware applications that do an excellent job of cleaning your Windows registry. Ccleaner is the one recommended by The Computer Psychic. (Go to Google and search for ccleaner.)

Anti-Malware Applications Malware (spyware and virus) cleanup and prevention is one of the most important aspects of computer maintenance. If you catch a virus on your system, you leave yourself open to all sorts of mischief – including having files deleted, getting your address book scammed and spam e-mails being sent in your name, and even having your credit card and banking information stolen! Spyware can be just as bad – it typically “watches” what you do on your computer, down to even logging keystrokes, and thus stealing your passwords. In addition to these problems, spyware and viruses are often poorly written, causing performance problems in your system.

There are dozens of applications on the market that claim to remove malware from your system. And many of them do a good job. But here’s the rub – many programs that present themselves as anti-virus or anti-spyware are, themselves, viruses and spyware! The Computer Psychic has seen all too many systems where the owner has – with the best of intentions – installed an anti-malware app into their system, only to see the floodgates opened; they find themselves with more popup ads and performance problems than they’ve ever seen before.

So how do you make sure you don’t install one of these #$%& programs? First of all, if you get a pop-up message telling you that your computer is infected with viruses and click here to download a virus cleaner, don’t do it! Without exception, these programs are scams. Downloading one of these apps will introduce your system to more viruses than you thought existed. In fact, when you see this window, you’ll be presented with an OK and Cancel button. Don’t click either one! If you click Cancel, it will still install a virus. Instead, click on the little X in the upper right-hand corner to close the window.

Secondly, if you use a search engine looking for anti-malware programs, be careful what links you follow. Malware creators will name their applications very similar to – or even exactly the same as – legitimate programs, hoping to confuse you into downloading theirs instead of the good one. For example, if you wanted to download Spybot Search and Destroy (an excellent anti-spyware program) and searched for it in Yahoo, the very first result you’ll find purports itself to be Spybot. Clicking their link takes you to a page that says it’s Spybot Search and Destroy, but is actually an application that acts as a gateway to allow viruses into your system.

So, again, you need to take the time to learn what is and what isn’t safe to install. The Computer Psychic has a very easy recommendation. Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping your computer malware-free. If they do a good job of preventing viruses from getting into your system, then that’s one less thing that Apple can beat them up over. Towards that end, in September of 2009, Microsoft released an excellent free anti-malware program named Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials). In the past, The Computer Psychic has recommended against all-in-one solutions, arguing that no one application can catch everything. But Microsoft Security Essentials is just that good. It does as good a job as – or better than – any other application, or combination of apps, in blocking any type of spyware or virus.

Startup Monitors While not as popular as the other system maintenance programs, proper use of a startup monitor can dramatically speed up your computer. A startup monitor will tell you just what programs, drivers and processes load when you start your computer.

When you boot up your computer, the operating system will also auto-start many other components – possibly a fax application, printer elements, video or mouse drivers, to name a few. These are good – they are essential for the proper operation of your computer. However, many applications add themselves to the auto-run settings for their own convenience – not yours.

For example, programs such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office will tell the operating system to pre-load some of their components as Windows starts up. This allows their software to open more quickly when needed. The downside of this is, even if you aren’t actively using their software, your computer is using memory running those components. Better to not pre-load those components; let the software take a second or two longer to load, and speed up your entire system.

Another popular use for the startup is for auto-update programs. These apps will periodically check the internet looking for updates. If one is found, the program will present you with a window telling you an update is available. Not only do these apps consume computer resources, they can be an annoyance.

In order to easily prevent unwanted software from running automatically, The Computer Psychic recommends a Microsoft application called AutoRuns (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx). Using Autoruns you can decide just what apps you want to run when starting your computer. Once again, though, don’t blindly turn of all apps. Make sure you know what you’re disabling.

Summary

As you can see, using the tools recommended in this article makes it quite possible for anyone to maintain their computer’s health. But as with anything technical, make sure you know what you’re doing before just tinkering away.

Are you scared that maybe one day you’ll get up and when you check your computer it’s not working anymore because of too much viruses or spywares on it? It would be very terrible to find your computer crashing down because you were now able to prevent such bad things to happen. You can actually do something to make your computer protected from all kinds of viruses or spywares that can ruin it. I’ll share with you some tips on how to secure computer from all the harmful things that can give you more problems in the future:Click Here For WindoClear Instant Access Now!Tip # 1: Have an Anti-Virus Installed in Your PCIf you have a computer it is indeed recommended that you download and install an anti-virus software. This software will help block all the viruses, spywares or trojans to affect your computer. Moreover, it will also help you scan and remove other errors or malicious things that may be hiding in your computer.Tip # 2: Use an Anti-Spyware SoftwareIf you are using the internet most of the time, then you should not be too confident about the things that you are downloading because these things might have some harmful spyware that can steal your personal information such as email address, password or bank account details. If you want to know how to secure computer, then you need to make sure that you use an anti-spyware software for your computer so that your important details will be in good hands.Tip # 3: Scan Your PC Most of the TimeMaking sure that your computer has the latest version of the anti-virus/anti-software is really important. If you have the current version, it would be much easier for you to scan and remove all the malicious things in your computer. Keep in mind that scanning your pc most of the time can really help you avoid tons of problems.You can prevent your computer from crashing down and you can prevent a lot of things that can ruin your computer’s performance. Just try to keep in mind these simple tips and you will surely find it easy on how to secure computer from all types of viruses, spywares or trojans. Good luck to you!Click Here For WindoClear Instant Access Now!

Advanced science and technology makes people’s life more convenient now days. We live in an area of computers and information technology and there is a direct relationship between information technology and home security. Computers allow us to automate many different aspects of out business activities and personal life. Personal computers and other technological systems can also help in various home security activities and can increase the amount of protection that you can create for your house. In addition, a computerized system will save you a lot of time since most of the security related tasks will be done automatically.

Computer home security systems are a standard part of the security system industry. Previously, each security device, whether it was a motion detector, burglar alarm, or security camera, would work autonomously. Then in the last few years, technology allowed home owners to integrate several devices into a central home security system. This was the beginning of the computer home security system, or a complete system controlled by a central computer.

There are many security tasks where a personal computer can be used. One of the more popular uses of a computer is with the video security equipment. Wireless video cameras will transfer the video stream directly to the computer. With proper software the computer can digitally record either all the video information sent to it or it can activate the recording only when the software detects any movement (recording is started only when there is a change in the video picture).

There are many other benefits of this type of the security system. For example, if one of the cameras fails or breaks down, the PC will detect this and will notify you about this issue right away. If a wireless connection fails, the computer will try to reestablish the connection with the camera and will notify the owner if it did not succeed. All of the data (video stream) is stored digitally in a more compact form. It becomes very easy to examine the recorded video stream. Same benefits apply to the audio systems connected to the computer. Audio stream, in addition to video stream, can also be stored and analyzed by the computer. Both audio and video surveillance systems can be combined in one system using a PC.

The computer home security system can be taken even farther by integrating the system with the home computer wirelessly. Home owners can check the status of their security system or even view surveillance video footage on their own computer. It’s also possible to send the information to a laptop. Another advantage of computer home security systems is that they can connect to the internet to alert security companies or police of emergencies. Owners can even check on their home while away through the internet, or view reports on their cell phones.

You should spend enough time on selecting the proper home security software package when creating the computerized home security system. Quality software will definitely make your security systems work better. You should look for the software from trusted companies that were in business for a long time and that earned customers’ trust. This type of software will be more expensive but will provide you with a higher degree of protection. Proper software configuration is also very important. If you are not familiar with security and information technology, you should have a professional install and configure your computerized security system. You should try to find software that takes care of all security needs.

You can visit www.security2020.com for more information of home security products.