Online safety

As the rise in popularity and use of the internet increases, the threats increased too. It is easy to get a virus and easy to have your credit card number stolen, but you can take steps to prevent these things from happening to you. The following is a simple guide that anyone can follow to increase protection from these threats.

1. Keep the operating system updated. Right click icon My computer > Properties > Automatic update and then setting it your choice. Make sure your system is set to update automatically, so that criticyal services are patched when specurity flaws are found. Hasckers and spyware in general take advantage of flaws in system software to infiltrate and install onto the system. Keeping the system up to date is the first step in computer security.

2. Keep all security software updated. Make sure your antivirus and antispyware solutions are the latest versions and that they are set to download signatures on a regular basis. Spyware authors constantly change tactics and use different techniques to avoid being detected. As spyware change the solutions also have to change in order to detect them. Keeping your security software updated can increase your chance of detecting a vulnerability.

3. Use a safe web browser and keep it updated. Because of its popularity, Internet Explorer is the most targeted browser for spyware authors. The flaws in the browser that allow access to the computer are well known and traded amongst hackers world wide. You can use another web browser sush as Firefox to reduce your chance of getting infected with spyware.


4. Use caution visiting unpopular sites, especially when you search in Google. This image is example. The text "This may harm your computer" tells that site have some spyware or virus that will install to your computer when you open it. Read everything carefully and if anything looks suspicious then leave. The internet is large and there are plenty of places to get the information you seek. It is always a good idea to careful everytime when you surf.

5. Use caution clicking on links sent to you. E-mail and instant messenger is the best way to spread virus and spyware. Make sure you know the person who sent the link and that there is a description of the link.
.
6. Use caution clicking on links in discussion forums. Forums and chat rooms are a wonderful place to make new friends, but these social outlets are magnets for people wanting to do harm. Forums can attract thousands of people a day and hundreds of people can be attacked all at once by just one simple malicious post.

7. Download software from the original vendor. It is quite common for malware authors to bundle their wares with legitimate software and offer it for download on their site. To be safe you can do a search for the company that made the software and download it from that site. It is not only safer but a lot of times you get the latest version of the software.

8. Check links before logging on to do banking related activities. This call phishing, a common technique thieves use to get your credentials is to claim your password needs changed at an online banking service. Look carefully at the link and you will see that it is not the same as the link you usually use to login. These links sometimes start with numbers, or maybe they will just change one letter thinking you will not notice. To be safe, only use the link that your banking service gave you to do any banking or changing of passwords.

In fact it has a way that sure to keep your computer safe. That's offline or disconnect the internet. Do you known what I should say next. Must disconnect the internet if you don't use it for a long time is the best way to protect your computer from threats because connect the internet like open the door that many threats can come throught.

7 essential security tools

Unprotected computer or computer without any security tool is always vulnerable to cyber criminals, hackers, spammers and identity thieves. So, to avoid such security problems , you should always learn about security software such as antispyware, antivirus etc. or some features in your operating system that can protect that threats sush as firewall.

The following 5 essential security tools can help you to protect your identity, personal information and data on your computer, so learn how to use them and you'll worry free about computer threats.


1. Operating system firewall:

Firewall is essential to block the unauthorized access to your computer data. It monitors the inbound and outbound traffic from your computer to the internet and blocks any suspicious traffic. Operating system firewall is necessary to protect your operating system and your data. This security tool blocks any malicious software from causing damage to files in your core windows operating system. It also blocks entry of hard to remove spyware and protect your operating system from any damage.

To turn on Internet Connection Firewall (Windows) :

I. Go to Control Panel, double-click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Set up or change your home or small office network.

II. Follow the steps in the Network Setup Wizard to turn on the Internet Connection Firewall.

When you choose a configuration in the wizard that indicates that your computer is connected directly to the Internet, the Internet Connection Firewall is turned on.

2. Antivirus:

Antivirus is necessary to protect your computer from damages by viruses, worms and trojans. Viruses and worms spread from one computer to another either through e-mails or from files downloaded from internet. They can damaged data on your computer. So, to protect your data and your hard disk, you should always have updated antivirus program with the latest definition files.

For example of antivirus softwares are NOD (or ESET), Norton, McAfee, vScan, Trend Micro ect.

3. Antispyware:

Antispyware protects your computer from spywares and intruders to protect your personal information. Spywares get installed on your computer without your consent and take control of your computer, gather your personal data, information, web activities and web sites you visit and transmit that data to others.

For example of antivirus softwares are Spybot S&D, AdAware, Microsoft Windows Defender ect.

**Be careful that one computer can have only one antivirus and one antispyware installed.**

4. Real time updates:

Nothing can protect your computer if your software have only old database. Your computer, including antivirus, antispyware and windows security hotfix, should have latest updates or real time updates against viruses, spywares and any new possible attacks.

5. Anti Spam, Anti Phishing, Email protection:

Phishing is a scam, which looks like a correspondence from a bank or institution to gather your personal information or bank details. Sometime it's site that look alike and you should be careful before type your username, password or your creditcard number. Internet explorer 7 have Phishing filters that can help you. To setting it is click Tools > Phishing filter and then turn on it.

By the way, Instant messenger program is the best way threats come through. Must be careful when your friend send any URLs or files to you. Ask what it is before accept or click.

Spyware

Computer spyware is quickly becoming a high level security problem for computer users and companies that use technology products. This is a malicious matter that robs you of system speed and Internet access efficiency. Spyware can lead to data theft, spoil your system’s efficiency, and hamper your productivity.

While spyware may share some properties with viruses and worms, but it is much different from them. It tends to replicate and spread differently and is generally more resistant to quick-and-easy spyware removal than most computer viruses.

Spyware are especially designed to secretly monitor the user's computer behavior and collect its personal information, such as Internet surfing habit and websites that have been visited. It can also interfere with user control of the computer in different ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting internet browser, accessing websites blindly that will cause more harmful matter, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party. There is much more to what blunder they can cause. Suffice to say, the damage that they can do to your PC is at a minimum annoying, and at worst, detrimental to your personal life as a whole (some can capture credit card and personal info). Typically, what most people have to deal with when they are infested with spyware is popups and added internet search bars. These tend to over task your computer, and decrease usability.

That's why the best solutions aren't found in antispyware packages, even if they comprise of basic spyware-blocking features. Nowadays, you don’t have to waste time or money in buying prohibitive antispyware software programs. Also managing them can be complex and time-consuming, so these solutions are not always ideal for businesses.

Sign of spyware

My computer have many processes. When you first boot your computer, before you open any program, hold down Ctrl-Alt-Del, to bring up the Task Manager. For Windows XP, a normal amount of startup processes is between 20 and 30. An infected system will typically have more than 40 running at startup.

I see pop-up advertisements all the time. Some unwanted software will bombard you with pop-up ads that aren't related to a particular Web site you're visiting. These ads are often for adult or other Web sites you may find objectionable. If you see pop-up ads as soon as you turn on your computer or when you're not even browsing the Web, you may have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer.

My settings have changed and I can't change them back to the way they were. Some unwanted software has the ability to change your home page or search page settings. This means that the page that opens first when you start your Internet browser or the page that appears when you select "search" may be pages that you do not recognize. Even if you know how to adjust these settings, you may find that they revert back every time you restart your computer.

My Web browser contains additional components that I don't remember downloading. Spyware and other unwanted software can add additional toolbars to your Web browser that you don't want or need. Even if you know how to remove these toolbars, they may return each time you restart your computer.

My computer seems sluggish. Spyware and other unwanted software are not necessarily designed to be efficient. The resources these programs use to track your activities and deliver advertisements can slow down your computer and errors in the software can make your computer crash.

If you have more than one of those signs,be sure that's caused by spyware.

How to fire them out !!

I'm sure that nothing better than free antispyware program now. Without antispyware software, your PC is highly vulnerable to computer threats, including infected email attachments, attacks by threats over the Internet depending on the software you use. Free antispyware software is one of the main defenses against online problems. For example of those programs : Spybot S&D, AdAware, Windows Defender ect. It's very easy if you open your mind and learn how to use and then you can use your computer without worry.