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Computers and Politics – A New Way to Campaign

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Just as television reshaped political campaigning strategy with the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960, computers are playing a bigger and more decisive role in political campaigns in the 21st century. The future of political races will become increasingly driven by computers.

Computers – through the media – can deliver information anywhere almost instantaneously. When a candidate speaks, voters can know what was said almost as fast as it was spoken. That is the power of computers.

With computers, direct mailings to voters can be done on line quicker and at a fraction of the cost using a database of voter email addresses – a neccesity for fundraising. Campaign data can be organized in ways that improve the efficiency and responsiveness of a campaign. Sophisticated statistical programs can analyze voter trends and determine demographic areas of a candidate’s strength and weakness.

Politics and the computer is a concept that works both ways.  While politicians and campaign managers use computers to get their message out to voters, voters an use the same medium to get their views to politicians.  Voters now have the ability to contact their local, state and national representatives using email – that is potential power. Social media like Facebook and Twitter gives politicians and individual citizens a means of expressing their political views to a wide audience. No longer is the public limited to websites like http://www.direct.tv and the like, as social media is now more interactive. That is part of what politics is all about.

Computers have the potential to revolutionize politics. Much of Barack Obama’s successful 2008 campaign was driven by access to computers and the Internet. It is not unreasonable to think that elections could someday be conducted using the Internet. That would be a new format for democracy in action.

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Anti Virus Software

June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Malware logo Crystal 128. 

Image via Wikipedia

The internet has changed the mode of communication. Practically everything from paying bills to communicating with loved ones is done on the web today. So it is no surprise that with the growth and popularity of the web comes a growth of invaders. There have been decades of issues that involve virus dating back before the Love Bug which was a virus that swarmed around the internet and crashed many computers. So how do prevent security breaches and viruses? First you must know what to look for. Here are a few tips to help against spam.

  • Be aware of the email monster: The best place to find spam is in your email inbox if you don’t have your spam filter on. chain emails can cary viruses, other email messages can lead to fraud. Some people pretend to be the government, or charities asking for donations and either way you will be ripped off.
  • Downloads can lead to disaster: Downloaded content, be it music or data files, can hold any type of virus that can change settings or completely destroy your computer.
  • Web pages: Some web pages can hold instantly downloading viruses as soon as you open them, so its a good idea to be cautious about what sites you are searching for.
  • Social Media Sites: There are even viruses inside social media sites, sometimes these won’t actually damage your computer but they can damage your reputation by sending out false emails that are offensive or racist to your entire contact list.

 

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

Computers and Society’s Future

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is a lot of thought given to the future of computers on society. Some predictions are encouraging and exciting; other predictions are dark and foreboding. For starters, it is important to see how far computers have come.

The very first basic computing tool was the abacus, circa 500 B.C. The first genuine computer was not invented until 1936.  From that point on, computer technology moved forward, gaining momentum with each year. Today, computers have advanced in use and sophistication to the point that they involved in the fabric of everyday life.  Therin lies the primary concern of many futurists.

One of the cornerstones on the future of computers is Moore’s Law.  Simply stated, More believed that as computers evolve and become smaller they will also become more powerful and capable of performing more functions. Over the past 40 years computers have reduced in size and at the same time, become more powerful and adaptable to a variety of tasks, Moore’s Law appears to have validity.

Computers are now used in almost every aspect of American – and world – society. One of the downsides to the growth of computer use is the reduction of people’s interaction with each other in business and socially. Computers are already replacing bank tellers and grocery clerks. Email and texting have replaced face-to-face interaction. Shopping can be done on the computer without ever talking to a sales clerk. While computer technology has spawned a career field that is in high demand, it has also led to the elimination of manufacturing jobs one done my humans in favor of automating and computerizing the work.

Filed Under: Computers, Security Tagged With: , ,

Personal Computer Evolution in the Late 20th Century

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The home personal computer is taken for granted in 2011. It is amazing to realize that the PC’s growth in popularity and use has taken place during the latter part of the 20th century.

The first personal computer (PC) traces its origin to 1975 as a kit for the MITS Altair 8800.  Two years later Radio Shack introduced the Commodore TRS-80 and it quickly became popular with earlyPC users.  Commodore improved on the success of the TRS-80 with the release of the VIC-20 which marked the real beginning of the home computing in American society. In 1979 there were one million personal computers in American homes.

In 1981 IBM released its PC and it did not take long for this computer to dominate the PC market. The design of this computer set a new standard for home computers.  By 1982 home computers where a significant enough part of  American life that Time magazine declared 1982 “the year of the computer” with 10 million personal computers in U.S. homes.

The first version of Microsoft Windows was released in 1985 and marked the start of the decline of MS-DOS as the dominate operating system for PCs.  Windows 2.03 was released in 1988.  during the same year the first computer worm was discovered and 3.5″ floppy disk replaced the 5.25″ disk as the format of choice.

By 1989 the use of home computers had grown to 54 million people.

1990 saw the release of Windows 3.0 and the 486 base processor.  Windows 3.1 was released in 1991, followed by Windows 3.2 in 1992.

The Internet caught home computer users’ attention in 1995 as more Internet service providers (ISP) gave homes access to the World Wide Web.

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Home Computers’ Security Quandry and the Solution

March 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A home computer, fresh out of the box, with software pre-loaded is safe and secure. Once it is plugged in, running and connected to the Internet, all bets are off for security.  There are a lot of nasty viruses and malware on the Internet. The good news is that there are several steps that can be taken to protect a computer from intruders.

The first task in protecting a computer is to install a strong anti-virus program that will recognize and stop any virus from getting in. When selecting an anti-virus program, compare the features on several programs and talk to others who have anti-virus software installed. The point is to find a program that is well known, respected and can do the job.

The next step is to install a firewall – preferably a two-sided firewall.  A firewall prevents any unwanted Internet traffic from gaining access to a computer. A two-sided firewall also looks at traffic going from the computer to the Internet. The better anti-virus software programs usually include a two-sided firewall.

It is also important to back up all important information and documents.  If there are constant changes or additions to what is stored on the computer, it is wise to back important files up at least once a month - or even once a week.  In the event that data on the computer is destroyed for any reason, the backed up data can be downloaded.  Back ups can be copied to a blank CD or with some anti-virus programs, be backed up to remote server.

Most computer users fail to understand that whatever they send out onto the Internet can be seen by anyone curious enough to look. For this reason, encryption software is important because it makes it difficult to see correspondence of any kind.

Finally, be cautious about unfamiliar email - if the party is unknown, delete the message.

Filed Under: Computers, Security Tagged With: , ,

Utilizing a Spam Email Account

February 10, 2011 By 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: , ,

The Importance of Updating Your Operating System

February 3, 2011 By 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: , ,

The Key Requirements For Data Protection

January 30, 2011 By 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: ,

Aspects of Identity Theft

January 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves stealing an individual’s identity usually to gain access to financial resources such as credit cards and bank accounts and to obtain credit and other benefits under the false identity. It can cause detrimental effects to the victim and he or she may be responsible for the actions of the thief. The victims do not usually know how their sensitive information was obtained.

Types of Identity Theft

  • Financial identity theft involves using another person’s identity to attain money, credit, goods, and services.
  • Business or commercial identity theft is when someone uses another person’s name of business to gain credit.
  • Medical identity theft is using another individual’s identity to receive medical care or prescription medication.
  • Criminal identity theft is pretending to be another person when detained for a crime.
  • Identity cloning involves another person’s information to pose as him or her in everyday life.

Methods for acquiring and taking advantage of personal information

Identity theft criminals usually attain and exploit personal information about victims or many different credentials used for identification. Examples:

  • Stealing bank or credit cards, passports, identification cards by robbery or mail theft.
  • Quickly memorizing bank or credit card numbers using a hand-held device and later creating duplicate cards.
  • Searching through garbage for personal information.
  • Observing individuals typing information at public places such as credit card numbers, login credentials, etc.
  • Using malware on computers that track and store personal information.
  • Hacking into computer networks, databases, or systems to gain access to large amounts of personal information.
  • Using public records about individuals that are published in public-access areas such as electoral registers.
  • Obtain data from disposed IT equipment such as personal computers, mobile phones, USB memory devices and hard drives.
  • Advertising fake job offers to access applications and resumes that contain personal information.
  • Pretending to be a trusted individual or organization in phone calls, emails, text messages, etc to fool victims into giving out personal information.
Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: ,
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