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Computer Security and Protection

March 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When the Internet first started as ARPAnet in the mid 1960s, computers were big, slow and confined to use by the government and academia. Computer use was based on trust – trust that users would always act ethically and follow the rules. The growth of the Internet and its availability to millions of users coupled with the advent of e-commerce changed the cyber environment and simple trust no longer protected computers from cyber-crime.

The emergence and growth of cyber crime has brought about the creation of a new branch of computer technology in the corporate world and government – Information Security. The goal of Information Security is to implement a secure computer operating system that protects data from being stolen, corrupted or destroyed. At the same time, the system must remain accessible to authorized users. It is a tall order.

Individual computers are most vunerable to attack by hackers and cyber crooks when connected to other computers – like a network. Information security is best achieved through collective processes and techniques that protect sensitive information from being published or tampered with by unauthorized individuals at the server. This goal is accomplished by making corporate servers and networks elusive to cyber criminals intent onbreaking into a system.

The keys to ensuring a secure computer network liein three words: confidentiality, integrity and authentication – CIA for short. Confidentiality means a system cannot be acessed by unauthorized users and that secrecy and privacy will not be compromised. Integrity means that information is unauthorized changes canot be made to data without authorized users detecting the intrusion. Authentication means that authorized users are authenticated for access to information. A fourth key, availability, means that resources are available to authorized users on demand and protected against denial of service attacks.

The most important mission for Information Security remains - to ensure and maintain privacy for a computer system’s users.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Security Tagged With: Computer crime, Denial-of-service attack, Information security

Avoid Using Your Primary Email For Sign Ups

February 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Email has quickly become one of the most dominant ways in which to communicate with people. Whether you utilize it at your place of employment, or for personal uses, email has drastically increased in popularity and in terms of the number of people who utilize it on a regular basis. As this fact becomes more prevalent, people are going to find ways in which to take advantage of the large number of people using emails for various scams and virus implementation. This practice is already going on, and has gotten worse over the years as emailing has grown.

One of the most prone ways in which an email address becomes compromised is during a sign up process at a specific site regarding a product or service the consumer might be interested in. Primarily every online business requires potential customers to sign up and enter an email address as a result of this sign up process. This in itself is not an issue. However, what the company does with the information is where the problem lies. Many companies are legitimate and use the email addresses for simple updates regarding the various products and services that pertain to the company and the customers interests.

However, the less legitimate companies utilize the email addresses in one of two popular ways: The first consists of simply selling the information to marketing companies that are bent on spamming your inbox with irrelevant products and services that have no bearing on your own interests whatsoever. Secondly, and more rarely, the company is not a company at all, but a hacker or virus developer using the business as a front to obtain email addresses. Once they have access to your email address, they send a slew of spam, scammy messages, and emails containing file attachments that are generally viruses.

Filed Under: Emails, Security Tagged With: Email address, Gmail, Spam

Be Weary of Entering Too Much Personal Information

February 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

With the popularity of the Internet soaring to new heights, more people are utilizing it for a number of different things that are different from the primary entertainment factor that it was utilized for a decade ago. Among one of the areas of the Internet that has grown most over the past decade are the various retail outlets in which people can browse inventory online and purchase items. Through the variety of popular brick and mortar retailers that offer online stores to their customers, to primarily online vendors that operate solely through a web site; there are droves of options for consumers to choose from.

While in fact the diverse amount of choices that are available for consumers is not a bad thing, it can pose potential dangers if people are not careful. The problem lies in the fact that when you are making a purchase at the various online retailers, you are required to enter specific personal information in order to carry through with the purchase. Among one of the more important pieces of information is the credit card or debit card number that you might be using in order to make the purchase. This is by no means a problem in itself. but as people get used to the concept of having to enter their credit card information, they may get a little too relaxed on sites and in situations that they should be weary of. As a result of this, droves of people enter their information on sites that are phishing sites and obtain information fraudulently. This can result in excessive billing to the account in question and pose immense problems to the card carrier. Additionally, some sites have a great deal of small print in which people do not typically pay attention to that states their card will be billed for products or services that they are not interested in; running large tabs without the card owner knowing.

Filed Under: Internet, Security Tagged With: Credit card, Online shopping, Personally identifiable information

Utilizing a Spam Email Account

February 10, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Unfortunately, as the Internet continues to thrive as a viable source of information and entertainment for the millions of people who log on daily, there poses opportunity for people who are looking to make a quick buck, illegally and unethically through various tactics. Nothing is more prevalent regarding this fact than the email spam epidemic. No matter what, or how careful you are when you sign up for specific products or services; somehow, spam always finds its way to your inbox. An ongoing practice to help neutralize this problem has been growing in popularity over the years. This practice includes employing the services of an email address meant specifically for catching the spam that results from signing up for various products and services.

Delving into the world of email spam; there are droves of different kinds that range from seemingly harmless email spam simply advertising a product or service of no interest to the owner of the account, to more dangerous prospects, such as scams that attempt to collect personal information by posing as a viable and trustworthy entity. All of these types of email spam are extremely annoying for people who have to deal with them on a consistent basis, additionally, they can quickly spiral out of control and end up taking over your inbox, shadowing the legitimate email.

The best way to neutralize these issues is by creating a secondary email address solely for signing up for specific products and services. This email address will be the account that all of the spammy email and potential threats filter to, while your main email address will continue to only hold the legitimate emails of those whom you want to have the address. This is the easiest way to protect yourself, your main email address, and ensure that your inbox stays clean. Fortunately, laws have been passed that force companies that collect email lists for automated messages to provide an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email message. This allows people to at least clean the spam that plagues their main inbox that was unleashed prior to creating a spam email account.

Filed Under: Computers, Emails Tagged With: Electronic mailing list, Email address, email spam

Email – A Favorite Home For Web Spam

February 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

As our society becomes more fast paced, we are going to become equally dependent on the technology that makes living life more simple and efficient. Computers are a rather large part of this techno-revolution, and more people are becoming owners of PCs, laptops, and tablet computers. As more people jump into the online world, the amount of people who are ignorant to the potential dangers lurking around this vast world continues to grow. As a result of this fact, there are droves of illegal acts of fraud and spam that are committed on a daily basis throughout the Internet that unsuspecting people become victims of. The most dire of these problems being the prospect of identity theft, while the less detrimental, but just as irritating being spam. Among one of the most targeted areas for spam and scams is through email.

Many people have emails accounts that they use on a daily basis. Some people even have multiple email accounts that they use for various purposes; a favorite being utilizing one entire email address solely to catch spam. However, there are many avid emailers who have but one main email address that they use for virtually everything. Many places offering goods and services online require a potential customer to enter their email address in order to become a member of that specific site; this is where the problems begin.

While in fact there are plenty of legitimate sites and retailers, there are those sites that promise a specific good or service simply to obtain the email address of someone. Upon gaining access to the email, they do nothing but send automated messages that offer goods and services more likely than not, completely irrelevant to what that specific person is looking for. These types of message barrages are commonly referred to as email spam, and they are a true epidemic online. While many people are keen to the potential threats and create emails simply for signing up for web sites they are unsure about, groups are still ignorant to email spam and end up having to dump an email address as a result.

Filed Under: Computers, Emails Tagged With: Email address, email spam, Spam email

The Importance of Updating Your Operating System

February 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Despite the vast popularity of computers and their increasing necessity as a standard part of the modern home, there are still more people who do not own computers and have access to the internet than there are people that do in The United States. As a result of this, while in fact the demand for computers are growing, there are droves of people who are unfamiliar with their operation, let alone general maintenance and security. Unfortunately, malicious entities are aware of this fact and write programs to issue attacks onto unsuspecting computer operators. These attacks come in a wide range of forms, typically taking on the illusion of a trusted piece of software, or sneaking in via a pop-up or even through cookies. Many people who have these seemingly minute viruses are unknowingly having their search history recorded and private information stolen.

There are a few ways to go about ensuring your computer remains safe. These remedies are simple and should be followed on a consistent basis. By performing these acts, 99% of potential dangers will be sent packing. The most important of these methods, and arguably the most simple, is that users ensure their operating system is updated. Generally, the operating system lets the user know whenever there is an update available, and even offers the option for automatic installations when they are released. Typically, these updates are aesthetic as well as remedies to ongoing bugs that occur in the software. Additionally, and most importantly, they are updates to the security of the operating system; as new viruses and loopholes are discovered constantly, so it is vital for developers to consistently update the security of their software to neutralize these new threats. If you do not update your operating system, as simple as it is, you are putting your computer at major risk by leaving all of the potential loopholes unpatched.

In all, there are numerous ways to safeguard your computer against potential threats. The basis of any secure computer is updated software, particularly an updated and freshly patched operating system.

Filed Under: Computers, Security Tagged With: Operating system, Security, United States

The Dangers Lurking on The Internet

February 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The internet is a wonderful place, full of vast amounts of easily accessible information and droves on entertainment. People are using search engines such as Google to find the information they need more often than they are looking in traditional books at the library, this is an indication as to the power the internet holds on modern society. However, despite the popularity of computers and internet access, more people are not connected than people that are. As a result, there is still large amounts of space for the internet to grow in terms of people who utilize it. With this prospective growth also comes the increase in ignorance of these new people who are unaware of the dangers the internet can hold.

One of the most common issues that ties hand in hand with the internet are the viruses that are consistently transferring around from one place to another. These viruses come in many forms and thus, can be contracted in many different ways. People who are unfamiliar with computers and the internet are more prone to making the easy mistakes that result one of these viruses being transferred onto their computers.

Email is one of the most common ways to open a door for a computer virus. There are tens of thousands of ominous entities who obtain email addresses and mass-send emails on an auto-mated timer to their email lists. These types of emails are commonly referred to as spam, and tend to contain one or more downloadable files within them. These files can consist of anything from harmless text files that simply contain some irritating sales pitch, to malicious content that acts as a gateway for a virus onto your computer. As a rule of thumb, it is vital to never open any files within emails from sources you are unfamiliar with.

In all, the internet is a fantastic tool to utilize for finding information and seeking entertainment. However, as with anything that is extremely popular, there are always people that try to utilize measures to take advantage of the system and monetize off the honesty of others.

Filed Under: Internet, Security Tagged With: Email address, Internet, Personal computer

The Key Requirements For Data Protection

January 30, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Data is your most valuable asset when it comes to the things you do. Much of the data we have is being stored in the easy to access digital form. Some of that data is more important than others but it all carries a personal connection. So, when a thief comes around, their number one goal is to steal that data. There are two ways the thief tries really hard to find the code words to access it. They either steal it through your computer or con you into giving it to them. To keep your data safe, you need to keep your silence and your computer secure.

Keeping your computer secure from data theft is a continual process. Computer data theft is accomplished by uploading a specific piece of code that reads your data and transmits it to another computer. The thief can do this via email, a website, or anything they can get you to download or click. A good anti-virus program scans your computer and stops many of the incoming viruses. But you need to be on top of the updates to keep your protection up. In addition, a good firewall stops many attacks.

Keeping your silence is infinitely harder. Sometimes, our emotions get in the way of logic and we give out our data without considering the consequences. By the time the mistake is realized, the best we can do is damage control. But our silence is an important part of protecting our data. Investigating individual requests for data is essential to protecting ourselves. We can’t just hand out our data to anyone who requests it even if does personally invoke our emotions.

Data protection is a very personal matter. What it boils down to is you. You are the primary defense for your data. You need to use every defensive aid to help you keep your data safe.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers Tagged With: Anti-Virus, Data theft

Can You Have Too Much Protection?

January 29, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

There are lots of anti-virus, and anti-spam programs. But there is such a thing as too much. For the anti-spam and anti-virus programs all you need is one. Two is one too many for your computer system to handle. There are a few reasons why you only need to stick to one. Once you have picked the anti-virus and anti-spam program you like, stop. Don’t download any more than one. The main reason why is that two different anti-virus programs don’t play very well together.

When you run a typical scan, one program will detect the other and treat it as a virus. This causes problems for you, the programs you have downloaded, and for your computer. In other words, it can turn into one giant headache. So, instead of detecting and getting rid of real viruses, you are stuck with a program alarm on a virus that does not exist. Fixing it usually involves uninstalling one of the programs. If you pay for more than one, you are throwing your money away.

Two anti-virus programs can also cause conflicting reports. One report will say one thing and the other might tell you something totally different. This is a side effect of having two anti-virus programs. The question then comes up. Which one is right? The answer is not as clear as it seems. The headache is in trying to figure out which one needs attention and which one can be ignored. It can lead to some basic confusion which would only be solved by uninstalling one and running the scans again.

Yes, there is such a thing has having too much protection. So, don’t forget to deactivate and uninstall your old anti-virus before installing a new one onto your computer system. Otherwise, you will wind up with an enormous headache dealing with both programs.

Filed Under: Emails, Internet Tagged With: antivirus

The Online Gaming Playground: A Paradise for Hackers

January 27, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When you’re playing online video games, you can’t assume you’re safe. Even hackers can exist on the playgrounds. That’s particularly true when dealing with online casino games. There’s a lot more at stake with that as well given money is included in the equation. So be careful. Yes, you’re probably wondering how it’s possible hackers could attack and get into your personal info when you’re doing something as simple and insignificant as playing an online video game. Chances are you’re skeptical. You might even be laughing and will still willingly play your Facebook games without any thought to protect yourself and your computer. Think again. Be wary.

The fact is you need a personal profile; that’s exactly what a hacker uses to get into your personal information—something as simple as a profile. Your typical profile has your name, address, phone number, email address, and if you happen to be playing an online casino game, your bank account information, credit card information, or PayPal. There’s the rub. If a hacker gets a hold of any of that information, kiss your money good-bye.

Make sure your computer has one of the best antivirus software to date, such as Kaspersky or Avast, and have it run continually while you play your online games. It’ll keep any hidden malicious software in check as you’re laying down your royal flush or hitting the 21 on blackjack. Hackers won’t know what to do when their systems shut down from the “No!” front of an antivirus software scan. Also know that the site you’re playing on matters; make sure it’s reputable and not an easy, insecure breeding ground for hackers. Usually Facebook knows the ins and outs of online gaming, so you don’t have to worry much about that arena. But anywhere else? Be sure to do your research.

Be careful as you play on your online gaming playground. Hackers exist. And they’re looking for you.

Filed Under: Emails, Internet Tagged With: Casino game, Facebook, Gambling, Games, Hacker, Online game, PayPal, Video game