Protecting Yourself Against Online Identity Thieves

Identity thieves, send out thousands of fake emails daily, claiming that they are representing certain official entities. So take care if you receive emails saying they are from some government agency or department, as it may be that these emails are part of phishing schemes.

Phishing typically is when someone sends you emails with "bad" links in them. When you click on these links you get redirected to a "fake" site which is an exact mirror of the official site. Here you are then prompted to submit some confidential information. This information that you provide is then used to log into your real account leaving you totally clueless as to what happened. You should be aware that companies rarely communicate via email if it is in relation with sensitive account information. If they do, it is typically in response to an email that you have sent them.


OK, so what exactly can I do to protect myself against identity thieves on the web?

1. Simple, just do not be gullible. These guys strike when you least expect it, so always be on the lookout for suspicious looking emails.
2. If you receive a suspicious mail, don't fill out any forms requesting sensitive personal information. In fact, do not do anything. Verify whether the email is legitimate or not. Nowadays, most agencies or companies are listed on the web. Their contact information readily is available. With this information at hand you can verify whether or not any communications you received are legitimate.
3. Don't click on or save attachments that come with suspicious emails. Delete these files immediately. Alternatively, if you have a good anti-virus, scan the attachments first before opening.
4. Update regularly. Windows posts updates almost daily, especially security patches. Make sure you have your settings set that you can download these automatically. I know it's a pain and eats away at your bandwidth and RAM. But I like to think that it's better to be safe than sorry!
5. Even though you should never take action on suspicious sites or emails, be sure to watch out that the address bar starts with "HTTPS". This means that the page is encrypted and should be secure. If there is no "HTTPS" then leave at once.

Unfortunately no Anti-virus software can protect you against phishing schemes.

In conclusion, if you keep these tips in mind when receiving strange suspicious emails you should be fine. And remember to always be awary of phishing schemes.

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Different Types of Malware

An alarming majority of internet users are either ignorant or careless about the prevalence of threats in the worldwide web. Whenever something goes wrong in their computer, they immediately dismiss it as an episodic malfunction that will not cause serious damage.

Those who are aware of malware infiltration only wait for their entire system to crash before they seek repairs and avail the aid of antivirus protection software.

Cyber criminal activities are not performed by bored high school students during summer breaks - they are attacks by underground organizations, hackers, and hacktivists who intend to cause mayhem in large corporations and governments. Those who target individuals are no less malicious, as they can now install a virus into your computer that will open a backdoor for them to gain administrative control over your entire system.

Accounts will be hacked, confidential documents will be stolen, and worse, webcams will be turned on to spy on you and your family.

Gaining a thorough awareness of these grave threats and the damages they can cause will help a lot in preserving your privacy and your security.

Introducing Malware:

Malware, for starters, is short for malicious software. It is a collective term for every kind of harmful software created and launched with the intention of vitiating people through the internet.

The most infamous categories under it are viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, spyware, and rootkits.

We will discuss their mode of penetration and the variety of ways they can endanger you.

Worms:

Its name can give you a very clear summation of its behavior. This internet pest is an extremely common, self-replicating malware. Because it can be acquired nearly everywhere in the web, it may give you the impression that is something you can easily pluck off your skin and thrown outdoors. We are warning you to alter that mindset.

Worms can enter your computer and remain undetected for months long. After some time, it will begin to delete your files, slow down your programs, instigate avenues for other malwares to pass through, and even create backdoors for hackers.

Prevention is better than cure, especially in this case, because it forces your infected gadget to suffer a slow dead with an impact you will certainly be in agony from.

Worms attach themselves to files and are efficiently spread through mass mailing. Be careful what you open in the internet.

Viruses:

You must have heard about the ILOVEYOU bug, the Chernobyl, the Melissa and many more that have caused companies millions of dollars during their debut and their succeeding hype.

The most notorious of its kind steal the contact information of an infected computer's address book, whether through MS Outlook or email accounts, and sends themselves as attachments with a luring prompt that have fooled many people.

It is a difficult malware to get rid of, as it clings stubbornly to every removable hardware plugged into an infected gadget.

Viruses behave in a slightly similar manner to worms; they will infect files and slow down your computer beyond usage. Reprogramming will require that all your files be deleted, because they are probably contaminated with the virus you acquired.

Trojan Horses:

This malware initiated the most serious cases of infiltration through trickery. Once it gets inside, like it did in Troy as told by Homer, defeat will be a difficult ending to avoid. Plenty of victims have felt the melancholy that had befallen the Trojans upon realizing that they have been fooled into letting the enemy in.

On the outside, it will appear as an inoffensive photo, document, or application, mimicking authentic ones in its presentation. Your war starts the moment you make the mistake of clicking its ploy. Although it does not self replicate, which is fortunate for us, it does deploy an army of worms and viruses that ensure little chance of survival on your part.

These malware will almost always cost you your files, and eventually your gadget.

Rootkits:

The previously mentioned malwares can enhance the destructive forces of Rootkits, as it is created by cyber criminals to gain complete control over its target's computer.

The complexity of its design makes its creators difficult to locate. With control over numerous infected computers, hackers will have an easier time tormenting others as much as they wish to do so.

Spyware:

This is the least malevolent malware of the bunch. Spywares usually cause annoyance with the way it can reprogram your applications and encourage the appearances of pop-ups. When this happens, antispyware software is a suitable solution.

Safety Measures:

• Antiviruses do a great job at keeping malware at bay and your gadgets from crashing.
• Be extra cautious with the files you download, and get applications only from trusted websites. If you do simply as you will in the internet, even the best antimalware software cannot save you from corruption.

Author Bio:

Author is a computer professional and blog writer who basically writes on various computer security topics. He brings many interesting reviews about the latest antivirus protection software and inform readers about the best free antivirus software for their computer protection.

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How Firewall Work's

Firewalls are the first line of defense for computers connected to other computers or to the Internet.

They help to protect against viruses, malicious software and hackers. At the same time, they can allow communication with other computers or Internet sites that are known to be safe. There are two types of firewalls: Hardware-based and software-based.

Hardware Firewall:

             A hardware firewall can be a stand-alone product, or it may be part of a broadband router. A firewall in a broadband router generally needs no configuration by the user, and it protects all computers on a local network. Hardware firewalls work by using a technique called packet filtering to intercept information before it enters the private network. Any data coming from unknown, unsecured or suspicious locations is rejected and not allowed through.

Software Firewall

           A software firewall is a program that must be installed on a computer. It can be customized by the user. The program runs in the background and protects the computer from suspicious data. It can be configured to always allow information from certain sites or to always block certain sites. It can also be temporarily turned off if it is interfering with attempts to access websites or other computers that are known to be safe.

Which is better?

           Hardware and software firewalls each have advantages and disadvantages. A hardware firewall will protect all computers on a network, but software firewalls must be installed on each computer. This does allow each computer user to choose and customize their firewall software. Since hardware firewalls protect all computers on a private network, individual customization per computer is not possible. Software firewalls must be updated regularly by downloading recommended updates from the manufacture. A software firewall is particularly important for laptop or notebook computers that are taken from place to place. Some functions of hardware and software firewalls overlap, but in general it is best to have both types.

What Firewalls Don’t Do

           A Firewall operates by barring unsecured data from reaching a computer or the computers on a network. It determines what is unsecured or potentially unsecured by following a set of rules that are programmed into it. While a firewall may prevent computer viruses by blocking them, viruses, malware, and other types of malicious data can still get past a firewall if it does not recognize them as a threat. Therefore, it is important to have anti-virus and anti-malware software installed in addition to a firewall.

Author Bio:

Peter Wendt is a writer & researcher interested in computer security. Wendt recommends visiting Ottawa IT support specialists for computer services.

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Web Monitoring Tools - Make Internet Surfing Safe For Your Child

Internet services are used by almost everyone across the globe. While some people use it to seek information, others might merely want it for entertainment. Users have complete freedom to use the internet according to their requirements.

Although internet has so many uses, it also has some drawbacks as well. It poses certain risks to children as well as grown-ups. We know that there are many violent content and pornographic websites, which are inept for children. According to some studies, many young people are addicted to social networking sites, which could impact their normal upbringing.

Parents always try to advice their children about using internet the right way. However, some children tend to ignore such warnings, and they end up accessing the websites that they are not supposed to.

How to deal with such a situation?

           Luckily, there are many software tools in the market, which can help you protect your child. Some of the well known ones are internet monitoring software and internet filtering software. These tools come with some great features that can help you take full control of your child’s online activities.

          You could block websites by listing out the URLs, or even filter the contents that are potentially inappropriate or harmful. You could also password protect the applications, so that your child will not be able to access them when you are not around.

           Internet monitoring applications are very efficient and flexible. You can even set filters to instant messages, chat boxes, and emails. You can customize them according to your kid’s age and suitability. Although these tools are user friendly, they come with many advanced features. The best thing is that you access your home computer remotely, from any other destination.

Log Files:

           Web tracking software creates a separate log file, which lists out all the activities taking place on a system. The usage history will still be available to you, even if your child or employee deletes the usage history from his end.

Internet monitoring at workplaces:

            Web monitoring tools are important for businesses as well. With the help of these tools, employers can check if their employees are seriously working, or just enjoying the internet facility. It also helps the management in allotting bandwidth to individual employees. You can easily block downloading and uploading on all the workstations. The tool gives detailed reports to the administrator on the usage of internet.

Make sure that you choose the right internet monitoring tools for your needs. Any good software will include most of the above stated features.

You could now create a safer online environment, be it at home or in your workplace.

Author Bio:

This article was written by Alex. I usually write on helpful tools like the internet monitoring software which can help businesses operate more efficiently. Feel free to leave your comments.

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Top 5 Mobile Security Concerns for 2013

The market share for traditional PC's is falling apart as smartphones and tablets are replacing the desktops. As millions of users shift from PC's to mobile devices, hackers and malware authors who once targeted PC ecosystems are focusing on attacking mobile devices, which are miniature PC's storing huge chunks of sensitive data. Therefore users need to be aware of potential security vulnerabilities and various methods to safeguard their valuable information on mobile devices more than ever. Although many users are familiar about PC security it seems that only few users are actually aware of ways to protect the smartphones and tablets from attacks. The following is a concise review on top 5 mobile security concerns for 2013.

Outdated Operating Systems:

                Outdated operating systems pose serious security threats to the smartphones and tablets. With the current pace at which hardware components are stacked together to produce new and powerful devices each day, predecessors are losing the limelight at a rapid rate. The upgrades to the operating systems are not always compatible with the older phones; therefore a vast majority of users tend to stick with older versions of the OS. Also security patches to the identified threats and updates to existing versions are usually not installed properly by the average users due to their lack of concern over mobile security or lack of knowledge on installation processes. Another major issue especially relevant to Android OS which powers about 75% of the smartphones and tablets out there is its huge fragmentation, which causes upgrade processes dreadfully slow. In fact around 50% of the devices still run Gingerbread, while two major upgrades, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean have already been rolled out.

Outdated Applications and Malicious Applications:

                People are shifting from Desktop PC's to smartphones and tablet PC's and so are the hackers and malware authors. Malicious application codes are often bundled with popular free applications found on apps stores, or with pirated copies of paid versions, and average users hardly notice the spying bots disguised within a popular service. Most trusted services like Google Play and Apple iTunes Apps Store too have been injected with malicious apps despite various security barricades, therefore chances of various third party app stores and web sites being infected with malware are quiet high. User modified versions of operating systems often known as Custom ROMs are usually vulnerable to attacks more than official stock ROMs, since users often root the smartphones to gain the super-user access for installing custom ROMs, and rely on pirated versions of popular apps. These third party markets usually are not monitored closely for potential threats by a professional body therefore malware authors can easily distribute their apps coated with malicious codes without getting caught.

Exploited Wireless Networks:

              Public wireless hotspots attract many savvy smartphone users looking for cheap data bundles and many prying eyes of malicious hackers looking for vulnerable targets. Network requests can be manipulated to redirect users to fake websites infected with malware or spyware exploiting the vulnerabilities of the network. User names, user passwords and even stored messages have been retrieved through public Wi-Fi networks without users consent in various occasions. Mobile phones are not typically equipped with firewalls to block insecure connections while surfing on a public Wi-Fi network, therefore potential intruders can steal sensitive data like credit card numbers and bank account numbers and hack into users’ email accounts as well. Using encrypted network connections at home and office, and avoiding accessing public Wi-Fi hotspots at airports and cafeterias are some basic precautions users can take to minimize security threats, until manufacturers and developers start bundling up security firewalls.

Rooting and Jailbreaking of Propriety Operating Systems:

              Gaining super-user access to the operating systems by rooting or jailbreaking exposes the system to plethora of security threats. This process allows users to gain full administrative privileges, and install any application including the ones not recommended by the manufactures over security concerns. Rooted devices are easily manipulated by malware including worms, Trojans and various viruses to steal user names and passwords, contact lists, messages and hijack email accounts behind users back. Rooting devices void manufacturers’ warranty, therefore users are not notified of security patches and security updates once devices are rooted and users typically have to manually address such concerns.

Vulnerabilities in Device to Device Connections:

              Device to device infections are quiet rare yet however that doesn’t mean they are impossible to be carried out. For instance malware authors can exploit the USB host feature introduced with Android Honeycomb for spreading malware. If the connected device’s USB debugging mode is turned on, chances of the device being infected with malware embedded in the host devices are quite high. This could either be accomplished by a bot running in the background of the host without the users’ consent, or by the owner of the infected host himself, by plugging the device into a target device and installing the malware on it. However it should be noted that device to device infections are quiet rare in earlier versions of Android which still powers up to 90% percent of the Android smartphones. It is also speculated that malware authors will utilize desktop PC's to spread smartphone malware in near future.

Author Bio:

This guest post was contributed by Dmitri Blackthorn, the online security expert, mobile technology specialist and a part of Stop-DDoS.net team - DDoS Mitigation Service provider.

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Is Your PC Infected With A Virus - Top 5 Anti Virus Programs

What to Do if Your PC is Infected From lethal infections to simply frustrating ones, virus infections are the curse of computer users. Once you’ve recognized the symptoms, what can you do about it?

Don’t Panic - Almost every computer is infected with a virus at one point or another. Quick action and caution are necessary. There are two types of computers - those that have been infected with a virus, and those that will be infected with a virus soon.

Top 4 Reasons to have a strong virus protection software:

• Protect your computer system from breakdown.
• Guard Data on your computer from identity theft.
• Prevent spam email inundation.
• Peace of Mind.

Definitions for Detection:

             Viruses work by placing bits of code onto separate files, infecting that file before moving on to the next one. This is why, unlike humans, computers are healed of viruses by cutting off the infected part. The code that viruses place on the file has a unique signature that antivirus programs can spot. This method of finding viruses is very common but has one drawback - the antivirus program is only as effective as it is current. Every time a new virus comes out, the program has to be updated.

Top 5 Features to look for in an anti virus software program are,

• Easy to Install.
• Simple to Use.
• Should update itself regularly.
• Effective at removing viruses and backed by certified testing.
• Technical Support available.

            To solve this problem, some antivirus programs use a “heuristic” algorithm. Viruses have behaviors in common with each other, such as working without changing the recorded “last modified” date, or avoiding changing the size of the file. The antivirus program will recognize this behavior and find the virus by tracing back to the source. Other antivirus systems use a “baiting” system, where several files are made to look and coded to be like regular files, but are in fact closely watched by the antivirus software. If a virus tries to modify these files, the software catches and contains it. Of course, the cat and mouse game between the virus creators and virus destroyers is endless. Viruses are constantly evolving to dodge tricks put forth by antivirus programs.

Top 5 Virus Protection Software Programs:

1. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
2. Kaspersky Anti-Virus
3. Norton AntiVirus
4. F-Secure Anti-Virus
5. G Data AntiVirus

Then comes the AVG, Avast, etc...

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Types Of Rootkit Viruses - Preventive Measures

Rootkit is malicious software which is designed to protect/hide the malware, spyware, and bots and prevent them to be detected by normal detection methods. Once it get’s installed in the host computer it has lethal potential to turn your important credentials into garbage.

It is designed to accomplish the following purposes:

• To get unauthorized access to the owner computer and steal his/her credentials for doing criminal activities, for stealing money via online banking, to steal important documents etc.
• To hide malicious software like key loggers, viruses to harm the owner of computer.
• To utilize the computer as a Zombie Computer for performing any unethical activities like sending spam mails, for attacking others computer attached through the Home group etc.

Types of Rootkit Virus:

Persistent Rootkit Virus:
               This Rootkit virus triggers every time the computer startup/reboots. It hides as a valid registry files and replicate action of valid windows registry files. It can’t be recognized easily and gets uploaded every time whenever the computers restart/reboot without any help from external factor. It remains in your computer registry even if the computer is rebooted.

Memory based Rootkit Virus:
               This type of Rootkit virus lies in your computer memory. They occupy an unallotted portion of your computer RAM and remain until computer is shut down by the owner.

User Mode Rootkits:
               In this case rootkits virus digs deep inside the operating system and stores itself in the system drive location and can’t be detected by the antivirus program. It escapes antivirus program detection by integrating itself with the antivirus program. When Antivirus program is initiated to scan the system, rootkit obstruct it and imitate the action of antivirus program and in result does not show any malware in result.

Kernel Mode Rootkits:
               Kernel mode rootkits are more dangerous as compared to the other rootkits. This type of rootkits modifies the Kernel data structures by adding or replacing the existing code. This is one of the most lethal rootkits which can’t be detected by antivirus program as they operate at the same security level as the operating systems.

Firmware Rootkits:
               Firmware rootkits affects the device attached by getting access to the device code and cease operation. You may have listen Mebromi rootkit which affects the graphic card of computer. This rootkit will reinstall itself when you restart your computer.

Boot kits:
              Bootkits is the rootkit which is designed to contaminate the MBR (Master Boot Record) of the computer. It mainly affects the booting process and POST (Power on Self Test) of computer.

Hypervisor Rootkits:
             This kind of rootkits is designed to affect the virtual machine setup. Hypervisor is a layer which is present between the physical layer and the virtual layer; it does not load itself when the computer restarts and become active when operating system is being prompted to initiate virtual machine. Its task is to exploit hardware virtualization and thus exploit system by intercepting hardware operation triggered by genuine operating system.

How to prevent Rootkits:

• One of the easiest ways to prevent your computer from rootkit is to create system restore points at regular interval.
• In most of the cases rootkit enters in computer through spam mails, it is always advised to avoid spam mails.
• It is always recommended to scan every external device before using it as they may contain harmful malwares.
• You must regularly update computer antivirus program from the genuine website of manufacturer. Apart from the genuine website of manufacturer don’t use antivirus which promises to provide full security these are traps created by the bad people to fulfill their evil intentions.
• Use Microsoft security essential security tools available on the Microsoft support website.

Symptoms Of a Rootkit:

• The anti-virus program that you currently have installed no longer runs.
• PC reboot itself
• Error messages
• Your anti-virus stop working
• Your PC date and time keep changing to a wrong date even after you change CMOS battery
• PC slow down or run out of memory when you are only running one application
• Internet become slower
• Your computer locks up or fails to respond to common inputs
• Settings in Windows change without your permission
• You experience excessive network traffic or your network connect becomes slow or disconnected

What to do if you think u are infected:

             If you think you are infected with rootkit virus, you can use one of many Rootkit virus removers available online. A simple search on google for "Anti RootKit" will yield you with various softwares available for this purpose.

Author Bio:

             Bella Martin received the Master degree in software engineering in 2006 and currently serving as a software engineer at Impcsupport. She provides informative articles on Online PC Support, PC technical support, windows support, computer maintenance tools and software’s. 

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How computer viruses work?

            Computer viruses are something that inspire almost as much as dread as the prospect of a terrorist threat. For all intents and purposes, computer viruses are an act of terrorism. Sure, we’re not talking loss of life should your humble PC become infected- but imagine the consequences of an entire hospitals system crashing, and a more frightening, and indeed, life threatening, picture emerges.

            While you may not have the health records of thousands of patients logged on your PC, there’s doubtless plenty of valuable information you’d rather not lose, thanks very much. supergeek can assist you in implementing measures to protect against computer viruses.

So what exactly is a computer virus?

           In laymans terms, a computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself. Imagine if David Koch could replicate himself. Imagine how bloody awful that would be. Terrible, but not nearly so devastating as a nasty, self replicating computer virus.

          Some viruses do nothing more than reproduce themselves, but others are of a far more malevolent nature and can harm or destroy a computer system’s data and performance. They’re not always easy to spot, though some do call attention to themselves if you know what to look for.

          You must ensure you have anti-virus software installed . There are free programs, but for total peace of mind you may want to pay for something like PC Matic. A few simple self-protection measures will save you from falling prey

To learn more, contact the experts at www.supergeek.com.au

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Is Spyware Slowing Your Computer Down?

              Everyday more and more computers are becoming infected with Spyware and Adware (advertising tracking). No matter where you go on the web, someone is trying to sneak something on your computer. From honest web sites placing simple logon cookies, to paid advertising tracking your movements on the web, to malicious software that is designed to record your keystrokes and discover your passwords, Spyware and Adware have together become the web's number one problem.

        Many of these programs are down right dangerous and seriously threaten your online privacy and identity. But even the simple and supposedly benign Adware programs can cause you serious problems.

        Spyware is any program that installs itself onto your computer with the intent to spy on your activity. This can be recording your online searching habits, or whatever you type on your keyboard. Adware is not much better. It is designed to watch what you do online, where you go, which terms you search for and then report this to the ad agency that runs the adware program.

        Adware programs may be designed with the best intentions in mind, but even these can cause your computer serious problems.

        Here is what happens. Many, if not most, advertisers on the internet will try and place a cookie or other small program on your computer. Many will add code that will track that cookie as it hits different pages. The code may be designed simply to gather anonymous data, or it may be trying to send ads to your browser that the advertising company thinks you will be more likely to respond to.

        Whatever the case, the Adware or Spyware is using your computer to do its tracking. This means that part of your computer's power and CPU cycles are being diverted away from the activity you are trying to perform. Your computer is being used by someone else instead to track your movements. Now, when we multiply this behavior by tens or hundreds of Adware or Spyware programs all trying to use your computer for their work you can begin to see the problem.

        These programs can literally slow your computer down to a crawl, or make it crash altogether. They can fill your computer up with trash files, open unwanted popup windows, use up the space in your internet cache and generally just make working on your computer a nightmare.

         Luckily there are several easy solutions to the problem. But first let me make one distinction, Spyware and Adware are not the same thing as a computer virus. Although a computer virus can install spyware on a computer, you will need different tools to remove a computer virus and to keep your system clean from Spyware and Adware. You should be using both a high quality commercial anti-virus program and one or more good quality programs for handling the spyware/adware problem.

        There are several good Spyware/adware programs on the market. I use two different programs on my network, Ad-aware from Lavasoft and Spy Sweeper from Webroot Software although there are several others. You can easily find both of these by doing an internet search for Ad-aware and Spy Sweeper. Or simply do a search for spyware. Both of these programs will scan your hard drives and registry and present you with a list of spyware/adware programs hiding on your system. You can then quarantine or remove the offending programs. I use both of these programs since neither one seems to catch everything. Plus I will run them 2 or more times in a row, the nastier spyware will not be completely removed on the first pass.

         The process is very easy and I recommend running these programs at least once a week and every time you have been doing some extended web surfing. You will be surprised at how many of these spyware/adware programs will sneak onto your system. I run a very clean network and I have yet to scan my system and not come up with at least a few of these hiding on my hard drive.

So be aware of the problem, take reasonable precautions, scan your system frequently, and the spyware/adware curse can be broken.

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Why You Should Buy An Antivirus Software? And 2013 Threats To Expect

New viruses, spyware, trojans, worms and other malware are created every day. The purpose of the viruses have also changed; viruses that used to be annoying pranks have evolved into pernicious threats capable of destroying not only your computer but also steal your information and identity. Nowadays, a computer without anti-virus is not just vulnerable, but probably, is already infected.

The modern antivirus software not only improves your level of protection, they significantly improve resources efficiency and speed of the system in general. You can have the protection without giving up resources. With advanced technology and simple usability, antivirus software is more effective than ever, and does not require constant maintenance from you. Say goodbye to annoying security warnings and slow computers, current antivirus programs offer constant protection.

What to look for in an antivirus program:

Protection:
         The best solutions include traditional antivirus protection against viruses, worms, trojans and spyware, but also should include protection against keyloggers, phishing, email threats and rootkits.

Effectiveness:
         Antivirus is specifically designed to protect your computer, and if it does not do that well, it has no reason to exist. All that paraphernalia, flashy graphics, etc ... can often compensate for the bad performance.

Ease of installation and use:
         The software security should not be difficult to install, and you should be protected as soon as possible. The best security programs must meet both sophisticated users as well as ordinary computer users who want a security solution that they can install and forget. The software should not require constant maintenance or have annoying interruptions.

Features:
       A set of well designed and useful resources.

Updates:
        Security software is only as good as its last update. Viruses are being identified and added to signature databases all the time, so it is important that your antivirus is up to date.

Help and Support:
         The best software does not require reading a manual in depth, but should always offer additional help and the best manufacturers should always offer support online and by phone.
A balanced antivirus solution is efficient and easy to use. Must combine all the features with a usable interface, and provide the best security and usability without a serious investment in time, money or system resources.

       According to the Guia Anti Virus, for 2013 we should expect the following threats to emerge, so make sure your computer antivirus or internet security software is keeping you safe.

• Continued increase in targeted attacks.
• Great advancement of "hacktivism".
• More cyber attacks come from countries.
• Use of legal tools of surveillance in cyberspace supported by governments.
• Attacks targeting cloud infrastructure.
• Deterioration of digital privacy.
• Problems of online trust and digital authority online will continue.
• New malicious attacks for Mac OS X.
• The vulnerabilities and exploits will remain the methods most used by cybercriminals.
• Attacks to steal data from smartphones and tablet PCs.

Author Bio:
Joe Conno, Guia Anti Virus 2013. Joe Conno works in the antivirus software industry and is looking to give good advice tips on the Guia Anti Virus website.

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Prevention Measures Before Your Computer Gets Infected

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Firewall:
         To protect your PC from hackers and internal malware that maybe trying to “phone home”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author Bio:

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

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Tips To Prevent Online Identity Theft

Identity theft rates one of the fastest growing crimes in America today and the Internet can make it even easier for some criminals to take your good name and drag it through the mud.

Identity theft involves criminals stealing your personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and other information, usually to buy things on credit or to empty out your bank accounts.

Through your financial liability with your credit cards may be limited to $50 to $500, it can take years for you to clean up the mess online identity thieves leave behind.

As with any crime, an ounce of prevention may just cause the would-be identity thieves to leave you alone and move on to an easier target.

The following tips can help you avoid having your identity stolen:

1.) Never give out your social security number, online or otherwise. No company you buy things from needs your social security number.

If you do business on the web, obtain a a Federal Tax ID number to use instead of your social security number.

Once criminals have your social security number, along with your birth date and address, they have virtually everything they need to start wreaking havoc in your life.

2.) Use a good anti-virus program. One of the ways criminals get your credit card numbers, passwords and other sensitive information is through "Trojan horse" viruses that log your keystrokes and transmit information to the evil doers.

The "Bad Trans" virus that has caused so much havoc is just such a virus.

3.) Always use a "secure" server when transmitting credit card information over the web and know something about the company before handing over your information.

You can feel pretty confident that you are using a secure server if a little lock displays in the status bar on the bottom of your web browser.

4.) A popular new way to pay for goods and services online is to "use your checking account just like a credit card".

Be extremely cautious about paying this way through the web. By giving a company your checking account numbers you give away much of the information necessary to empty your bank account!

5.) Never give out information such as your birthday, marital status, education level or other personal information.

This additional information makes it extremely easy for criminals to make themselves appear legitimate when they pose as you. Websites should ultimately only require you to provide your name, email and billing information for a purchase.

You should avoid any site requiring more information than that.

These criminals prey on people's ignorance and you can usually defeat them simply by making it too hard for them to get your information.

If you do find yourself a victim, immediately contact police and get legal help. Do not wait because you feel embarrassed or "stupid" over what happened.

Waiting only lets the trail grow cold and limits how much law enforcement can do to help you.

Author Bio:

            Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Click Here for more information on "Turn Words Into Traffic" at http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com.

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