3 Simple Steps to Stay Safe from Spyware

There are several basic concepts to keep in mind when deciding to stay spyware free for good. This article will outline a spyware checklist for you to keep in mind when getting tough on spyware and taking back control of your computer using two popular free applications, Ad-Aware,and Spybot - S&D. Using these two programs in conjunction will eliminate a vast majority of spyware problems from your computer. For the purposes of this article, "spyware" refers also to adware, malware, and other not-so-nice "features" of today's computing reality.These are some tell-tale warning signs that your computer may be suffering from spyware-You receive many pop-upsYour computer is running slowlyYou may have invasive toolbars hijacking your browserYour home page may have been hijackedYour first step to escaping spyware's wrath is to download and run Ad-Aware and Spybot - S&D, the two leading spyware fighting tools out there, boasting millions of downloads each. Please remember it's always safest to backup your system before installing a new program or executing one. After downloading the two programs, be sure to run the update feature to be sure they are current when it comes to detecting the latest threats. Remove the detected spyware using these two programs, then move to step two.The second step in staying spyware free involves you to be proactive. At this point your computer should be free from spyware. What you want to do now is keep it this way, to do that there are helpful tips to guide you. In Windows 98 you can use msconfig to view the startup programs on your computer. This is helpful because you can control what programs automatically load when you boot your computer. To access this invaluable tool, go to START >> RUN, type MSCONFIG. If you check the startup programs occasionally you may see a new spyware entry that will alert you it's time to clean out the spyware again.The third step involves your web browsing habits. It means you must never click on an activex screen that asks you if you want to allow an innocuous looking toolbar, or "surfing aid"be installed. By clicking "allow" you are effectively giving these perfidious spyware authors free reign over your system and personal information. If possible you should surf with the security settings on "maximum" for safest surfing.In summary, it's important to avoid spyware for your computer and personal identity health. To do so, use free tools available to you and be mindful of your computer settings and surf the Internet responsibly. Following these easy steps will ensure a safe and spyware free existence for you and your computer!

What is Spyware?

Spyware is the most troublesome software to appear on the Internet in recent times. When spyware infects a computer system, it may be relatively harmless or it may be devastating.Spyware like coolwebsearch and new.net are capable of paralyzing a computer system. Laws to regulate spyware are pending in many states and may take years to enforce.What Is Spyware?Spyware is any software that collects information about computer usage and/or the computer user. It is installed on one computer and sends information to another computer. Some spywares like the Weather Bug, Bear Share and Kazaa are knowingly downloaded and installed by users. Other spyware is installed without the knowledge or permission of the user.How Does Spyware Affect A Computer?Symptoms of spyware infection includes:* Very slow system performance while browsing the Internet. * Your homepage changing mysteriously on its own. * Excessive appearance of pop-ups, on sites likes Google, Yahoo and MSN, which don't use them. * You can only get your browser to visit sites, which are trying to dupe you into buying spy ware removal software.Many spyware detection and elimination programs are easily available for free on the Internet.How Does One Deal With Spyware?There are many tools and catalogues available to deal with spyware. One of these tools is Spybot Search and Destroy. It scans computers for spyware and harmful programs. It shows a list of problem areas to the user and allows him to delete any or all of them.A user can leave legitimate programs installed by him. These may include peer-to-peer file sharing software or software installed to monitor the on-line activities of children.A Comprehensive SolutionIt may be a good idea for most computer owners to get a comprehensive PC security solution as a bundle. Norton and McAfee, now offer a complete security suite consisting of anti-virus, personal firewall, anti-spam and privacy offerings, and anti-spy ware.They are quite easy to install and allow parents to monitor children who use the computer. There are many threats on the Internet, from which these suites can protect your computer.

Refurbished Computers?

Refurbished Computers. Remanufactured Computers. Reconditioned Computers. Essentially, all of these terms refer to the same thing. But what does refurbished really mean? A refurbished computer is one that is sent back to the manufacturer for a variety of reasons, refitted with different parts as necessary, and then tested and approved for resale by the manufacturer. Yes, this could mean that a computer was returned because it didn’t work properly. But, this is not always the case. There is a excellent chance that the problem was nothing more than a cosmetic defect, such as a small ding on the monitor. Or it could be that a custumer recieved the wrong model, but had already opened the box.Most importantly, refurbished doesn’t mean that you’re buying a computer with a defect or something else wrong with it. All computers go through the same testing and approval process refurbished and new alike.Refurbished Computers are not Old Computers.Buying refurbished doesn’t mean you’re stuck with an outdated machine. While computers are forever becoming faster and able to hold more data on larger hard drives, the basics of the computer are still the same. The technology used is typically less than a year old, so you can get processing power and memory specifications that are almost the equivalent of brand new models, but at a much cheaper cost. If you just want an inexpensive computer to do e-mail, surf the Internet, balance your checkbook, play a few games, and do some word processing, you might want to invest in a refurbished model. Most are still upgradeable in case you want to add more memory, a larger hard drive, or even a faster processor later on.Who Should buy Refurbished Computers?Many people new to technology are unsure what there needs are. It often makes sense for them to purchase a refurbished computer. I recently did this for my grandmother. She enjoys geneology and has many boxes and books full of information about our family. The internet is a great tool for researching your ancestory and sharing the fascinating stories that you find. My grandmother had very limited experince with computers, but I purchased a Compaq for her for Christmas. She loves it, and it has allowed her to store much of her information electronically and to share that information with family all over the United States.Small home offices can also benifit from purchasing remanufactured computers. Many companies cannot afford a huge investement into hardware. By purchasing quality used equipment these businesses can take advantage of the benifits of technology without breaking the bank.

What is a Firewall?

The term "firewall" illustrates a system that protects a network and the machines on them from various types of attack. Firewalls are geared towards keeping the server up all the time and protecting the entire network.The primary goal of a firewall is to implement a desired security policy; controlling access in both directions through the firewall, and to protect the firewall itself from compromise. It wards off intrusion attempts, Trojans and other malicious attacks.Personal Firewalls:They are meant for the home user in a networked environment. They aim to block simple attacks, unlike the enterprise level firewalls that the corporate world uses at the server or router end. There are many ways to implement a firewall, each with specific advantages and disadvantages.Are they really needed?Nowadays organizations and professionals use Internet technology to establish their online presence and showcase their products and services globally. Their endeavor is to leverage digital technology to make their business work for them.All the organizations and professionals are shifting from Dialup to broadband and getting a fixed IP. It has led to an increase in security attacks, bugs in everyday working. This does not mean that Dialup being anonymous dynamic link or the firewall of the ISP network make you pretty safe.Now if your machine was under attack, you must have wondered what went wrong making your system crash suddenly. So I would rather like to say, it’s not necessary for anyone to actually know about you or your IP address to gain access to your system.If you system is infected or prone to intrusions, then beyond the anonymity of your Dialup connection or a dynamic IP, your system can be hacked.Types of AttacksIntrusion:There are many ways to gain unauthorized access to a system. Operating system vulnerabilities, cracked or guessed passwords are some of the more common. Once access is attained, the intruder can send email, tamper with data, or use the system privileges to attack another system.Information Theft and Tampering:Data theft and tampering do not always require that the system be compromised. There have been many bugs with FTP servers that allow attackers to download password files or upload Trojan horses.Service Attacks:Any attack that keeps the intended user from being able to use the services provided by their servers is considered a denial of service attack. There are many types of denial of service attacks, and unfortunately are very difficult to defend against. "Mail bombs" are one example in which an attacker repeatedly sends large mail files in the attempt at filling the server’s disk filesystem thus preventing legitimate mail from being received.Types of AttackersJoyrider:Not all attacks on computer systems are malicious. Joyriders are just looking for fun. Your system may be broken into just because it was easy, or to use the machine as a platform to attack others. It may be difficult to detect intrusion on a system that is used for this purpose. If the log files are modified, and if everything appears to be working, you may never know.Vandals:A vandal is malicious. They break in to delete files or crash computer systems either because they don't like you, or because they enjoy destroying things. If a vandal breaks into your computer, you will know about it right away. Vandals may also steal secrets and target your privacy.“In an incident a Trojan was being used to operate the web cam. All the activities being done in the house were being telecasted on the websites.”Spies:Spies are out to get secret information. It may be difficult to detect break-ins by spies since they will probably leave no trace if they get what they are looking for.A personal firewall, therefore, is one of the methods you can use to deny such intrusions.How Firewalls work?Firewalls basically work as a filter between your application and network connection. They act as gatekeepers and as per your settings, show a port as open or closed for communication. You can grant rights for different applications to gain access to the internet and also in a reverse manner by blocking outside applications trying to use ports and protocols and preventing attacks. Hence you can block ports that you don’t use or even block common ports used by Trojans.Using Firewalls you can also block protocols, so restricting access to NetBIOS will prevent computers on the network from accessing your data. Firewalls often use a combination of ports, protocols, and application level security to give you the desired security.

Types Of Computers

Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due to these different shapes and sizes they perform different sorts of jobs from one another.They can also be classified in different ways. All the computers are designed by the qualified computer architectures that design these machines as their requirements.A computer that is used in a home differs in size and shape from the computer being used in a hospital. Computers act as a server in large buildings, while the computer also differs in size and shape performing its job as a weather forecaster.A student carrying a laptop with him to his college is different in shape and size from all the computers mentioned above.Here we are going to introduce different classifications of computers one by one. We will discuss what are in classifications and what job they perform.Super computerThe biggest in size, the most expensive in price than any other is classified and known as super computer. It can process trillions of instructions in seconds. This computer is not used as a PC in a home neither by a student in a college.Governments specially use this type of computer for their different calculations and heavy jobs. Different industries also use this huge computer for designing their products.In most of the Hollywood’s movies it is used for animation purposes. This kind of computer is also helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide.MainframesAnother giant in computers after the super computer is Mainframe, which can also process millions of instruction per second and capable of accessing billions of data.This computer is commonly used in big hospitals, air line reservations companies, and many other huge companies prefer mainframe because of its capability of retrieving data on a huge basis.This is normally to expensive and out of reach from a salary-based person who wants a computer for his home.This kind of computer can cost up to thousands of dollars.MinicomputerThis computer is next in he line but less offers less than mainframe in work and performance. These are the computers, which are mostly preferred by the small type of business personals, colleges, etc.Personal computersAlmost all the computer users are familiar with the personal computers. They normally know what the personal computer is and what are its functions.This is the computer mostly preferred by the home users. These computers are lesser in cost than the computers given above and also, small in size; they are also called PCs in short for Personal computers.This computer is small in size and you can easily arrange it to fit in your single bedroom with its all accommodation. Today this is thought to be the most popular computer in all.Notebook computersHaving a small size and low weight the notebook is easy to carry to anywhere. A student can take it with him/her to his/her school in his/her bag with his/her book.This is easy to carry around and preferred by students and business people to meet their assignments and other necessary tasks.The approach of this computer is also the same as the Personal computer. It can store the same amount of data and having a memory of the same size as that of a personal computer. One can say that it is the replacement of personal desktop computer.

Are Internet Firewalls Effective??

Internet Firewalls - Are These Deterrents As Effective As We Presume?If someone sold you a filter for your furnace and said it can trap all dust particles and other pollutants forever, would you believe it? Odds are you know better. I mean, how can a filter trap each and every particle from traveling from your furnace up through your ductwork and into your room? After a certain amount of time and as the filter clogs, the filter looses strength. IIf you're smart, you'll periodically change that filter to get maximum coverage with the latest technology. A computer firewall operates in pretty much the same manner. While the majority of firewalls can block ordinary spam and viruses from getting through, these nasty infiltrators sometimes find ways to get into your system and shimmy past your firewall.So, are firewalls all they're talked up to be? Yes, firewalls offer a protection that you certainly don't want to be without. After all, would you be so foolish as to run through a wild storm without protection? Hopefully, you know better. You don't want so much debris hitting your computer that it can't recover or ends up stealing your private information. Firewalls offer the kind of protection that you need to ward off these mutating infiltrators. However, you have to make a conscious effort to upgrade your firewall frequently since it too must upgrade itself.The best way to protect your computer from infiltrators is to build several tough layers between your system and the invader. A firewall works in several layers arranged like a maze to throw off invaders and tear them apart. These layers and tunnels work similar to how a sound wave is broken apart by loosing momentum and speed. As viruses change after learning the language of a firewall, the firewall has to work even harder to keep up with these changes. That is why upgrades are so essential to your system's protection.Operating a computer that's connecting to another system and the Internet runs the risk of coming across encrypted messages with harmful or intrusive intentions. The thought of not having a firewall on your computer is similar to the action of running through a front line battle without armor - You just don't want to partake in that kind of foolish risk. A savvy Internet user relies on a firewall that has several protective layers: packet filtering, circuit relay and application gateway. Basically what this boils down to is prior to whatever wants to comes in must first go through a firewall and then whatever wants to go out must again first pass through a firewall. If information or systems operate separate of a firewall, the data and program is fully exposed to whatever elements come its way. To learn more about firewall layers, visit www.pc-help.org.One multi-layered firewall that is found on nearly every window system is Windows Firewall. This firewall blocks unsolicited messages, alerts you of intruders and automatically updates. The top firewalls for home computers according to PC World Online include:Sygate Personal Firewall, VisNetic Firewall, Kerio Personal Firewall, Norton Internet Security for Macintosh, ZoneAlarm Free, McAfee Personal Firewall Plus, BlackIce PC Protection, and Tiny Personal Firewall. While some firewalls are free, others are shareware or "buy only". Since deterrents that destroy information, rob our personal identity and basically intrude and track our movement without permission are as big of a threat as ever, always install the latest version of the best firewall for your hardware and software.

Are Internet Firewalls Effective??

Internet Firewalls - Are These Deterrents As Effective As We Presume?If someone sold you a filter for your furnace and said it can trap all dust particles and other pollutants forever, would you believe it? Odds are you know better. I mean, how can a filter trap each and every particle from traveling from your furnace up through your ductwork and into your room? After a certain amount of time and as the filter clogs, the filter looses strength. IIf you're smart, you'll periodically change that filter to get maximum coverage with the latest technology. A computer firewall operates in pretty much the same manner. While the majority of firewalls can block ordinary spam and viruses from getting through, these nasty infiltrators sometimes find ways to get into your system and shimmy past your firewall.So, are firewalls all they're talked up to be? Yes, firewalls offer a protection that you certainly don't want to be without. After all, would you be so foolish as to run through a wild storm without protection? Hopefully, you know better. You don't want so much debris hitting your computer that it can't recover or ends up stealing your private information. Firewalls offer the kind of protection that you need to ward off these mutating infiltrators. However, you have to make a conscious effort to upgrade your firewall frequently since it too must upgrade itself.The best way to protect your computer from infiltrators is to build several tough layers between your system and the invader. A firewall works in several layers arranged like a maze to throw off invaders and tear them apart. These layers and tunnels work similar to how a sound wave is broken apart by loosing momentum and speed. As viruses change after learning the language of a firewall, the firewall has to work even harder to keep up with these changes. That is why upgrades are so essential to your system's protection.Operating a computer that's connecting to another system and the Internet runs the risk of coming across encrypted messages with harmful or intrusive intentions. The thought of not having a firewall on your computer is similar to the action of running through a front line battle without armor - You just don't want to partake in that kind of foolish risk. A savvy Internet user relies on a firewall that has several protective layers: packet filtering, circuit relay and application gateway. Basically what this boils down to is prior to whatever wants to comes in must first go through a firewall and then whatever wants to go out must again first pass through a firewall. If information or systems operate separate of a firewall, the data and program is fully exposed to whatever elements come its way. To learn more about firewall layers, visit http://www.pc-help.org/.One multi-layered firewall that is found on nearly every window system is Windows Firewall. This firewall blocks unsolicited messages, alerts you of intruders and automatically updates. The top firewalls for home computers according to PC World Online include:Sygate Personal Firewall, VisNetic Firewall, Kerio Personal Firewall, Norton Internet Security for Macintosh, ZoneAlarm Free, McAfee Personal Firewall Plus, BlackIce PC Protection, and Tiny Personal Firewall. While some firewalls are free, others are shareware or "buy only". Since deterrents that destroy information, rob our personal identity and basically intrude and track our movement without permission are as big of a threat as ever, always install the latest version of the best firewall for your hardware and software.

How Does A Firewall Work?

You may have heard the term firewall before but have you ever wondered how does a firewall work and why do I need one? A computer firewall protects your computer by putting up a barrier to keep anyone from accessing your files when you are surfing the Internet.Once a hacker get access to your files malicious codes spread through your computer retrieving your personal information that the hacker can use to steal your identity or charge items with your credit card numbers. So how does a firewall work?A firewall not only stops this from happening but keeps the malicious file out of your computer so it can't spread to your other files. That's why it's called a firewall because its job is similar to a firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next.If a hacker tries to invade your computer files to get your passwords and credit card numbers you've used for online purchases he simply can't get access. Computer firewall software will allow good data in but blocks all bad data from entering your computer.Good data is when you are surfing the Internet, visiting web sites, downloading photos or data files. But bad data, like hacker programs, or anything that spies on your Internet habits without your knowledge is not allowed.When computer firewall protection is enabled, everything that goes in and out of your computer is monitored. With the amount of malicious programs on the Internet today it's also a way to prevent spyware and adware from getting into your computer.Many people think that the anti-virus software that came with their computer protects them from hackers. While it's important to keep anti-virus software updated for viruses it does nothing to secure your computer against direct hacker attacks.Whether you have a dial-up, cable, broadband or DSL connection, every minute that your computer is connected to the Internet, it is at risk. Hackers are looking to do you harm and even steal your identity. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes today.One of the most effective ways to guard your personal information and keep these criminals away from your sensitive passwords and credit card numbers is the use of computer firewall protection.You'll hear the term firewall used a lot in the near future because these problems are growing at an alarming rate on the Internet. You'll probably also hear other people ask, how does a firewall work and why do I need one? But now you'll know the answer.

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