Every day, new spyware programs and plug-ins are being discovered. These malicious software programs threaten the security of your PC each time you connect to the internet. It helps to learn how to protect your computer from malware, unless you wish to end up with a disabled system. So what does one need to know and do to protect his or her computer system?Click Here For Windo Clear Instant Access Now!You need not do anything complex. You simply need to have access to anti-spyware or anti-malware programs. Lots of software and computer security companies offer this kind of programs. There are anti-malware programs that you will need to purchase but there are also free versions. It is totally up to you to determine the level of security you would want to set for your computer system.It is a must that you protect your computer from malware each time you go online. Your anti-malware software must be able to block malicious software in real time. It should also have rollback or recovery capabilities in case a malware gets through its filter. The rollback or recovery feature will allow you to restore information and the state of your computer before the malware attack occurred.Installing an anti-malware software will ensure that malicious software will not be able to obtain critical information from your computer system without your knowledge or permission. In other cases, these malicious software can embed auto dialers into your system, making you connect to other computer systems without you knowing it. While there are those who do not take computer security seriously, it is still to your advantage to protect your computer from malware. Even a simple anti-malware software can just be the key to protecting your privacy and personal information while you connect to the extensive web of the internet. Be aware and protect yourself beginning today.Click Here For Windo Clear Instant Access Now!

Connecting to the internet poses a lot of risks, but there are only 3 quick and easy steps to protect your online privacy. Windo Clear is your best friend in keeping your personal information secure as you browse different internet sites. It is one way of keeping your computer more secure.Click Here For Windo Clear Instant Access Now!Through Windo Clear, you will be able to keep your private data from getting into the wrong hands. It will also allow you to block internet thieves from spying in on your work. It can also help eliminate all the red records that your Windows system keeps.  Practically, it will protect your privacy and personal information from eyes that are not supposed for them. In this manner, information and privacy bugs will not be able to ruin your career or social life.Most personal computers store histories of all the different activities that are supposed to be kept private. These pieces of private or personal information are stored in hard drives where anyone who has the right knowledge can browse through this database of personal and private information. Sure you can simply click on that buttons that says clear history but it is usually ineffective. There are lots of hackers who spam, phish, steal identities with the help of advanced methods and tools. This underscores the importance of protecting ourselves from malicious software and other dangers     posed by the digital world.If you are using one or more email addresses, you will definitely need Windo Clear to protect your online intimacy. More so if you use internet features like internet banking and online payments through your credit cards. It also helps to keep your system protected from security threats if you are visiting websites that should not be accessed by young children or storing files and documents that need to be kept private or secure.Click Here For Windo Clear Instant Access Now!

Providing security against email related threats has become a burden for most IT professionals in 2006. According to a recent study by Postini, spam and email viruses now make up to 80% of all emails sent out as compared to 50% in 2000. As a result, IT professionals now face a tougher challenge in providing network security for this amount of spam. IT professionals also have the disadvantage of defending against new forms of email threats such as spam zombies, directory harvest attacks, mass mailing trojans, as well as the latest email virus.

In this article, I have listed the seven most effective spam fighting tips for organizations with in-house mail servers. These seven tips are proven techniques I have used for my customers, partners and associates who wish to tighten their perimeter (network) security.

Firewall:
A firewall is your first line of defense against hackers, crackers, and spammers. Without a firewall, your network is a disaster waiting to happen and could give any novice hacker free reign over your network. If your organization has multiple Internet users, this tool is essential for securing your network.

Block Port 25:
On your firewall, allow outbound traffic on TCP port 25 for all mail servers. Block traffic on outbound TCP port 25 for all other computers and servers. On the Internet, TCP port 25 is used for email traffic through SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol). Blocking this port is a good security practice and prevents mass mailing worms and spam zombies from sending mail from your users’ computers.

Managed Email Filtering:
Consider using a managed filtering solution such as Postini, Brightmail, or SpamSoap. Managed Email Filtering services quarantine spam, viruses, and email threats before reaching the email servers on your network. In comparison to desktop filters and server appliances, managed filtering services provide superior perimeter (network) protection by preventing delivery of spam and viruses to your network and servers.

Check Relay Setting:
A mail server’s relay setting controls which computers and servers are able to send SMTP email on your organization’s behalf. Check your settings and limit the IP address range to email users on your local network. Some mail servers have settings to limit email relay through authentication. If authentication-based relay is available, setup and configure it too. NOTE: If the relay is not set properly, spammers will be able to send email from your mail server. This exploit is commonly known as an “Open Relay” or a “Spam Relay.” Use the Open Relay test at http://www.abuse.net/relay.htm to check if spammers can relay mail from your server.

Black Lists:
Setup your mail server(s) with a black list. A black list (black hole list) is a database or listing of known spam sources. Most modern email servers can be configured to query inbound email against online blacklists. Messages originating from these sources can then be blocked. I recommend configuring your email server with SpamHaus blacklist. Spamhaus.org is an excellent free service to use. Some other good blacklists are DBSL and SpamCop.

Reverse DNS:
Reverse DNS (rDNS) associates an IP Address with a Domain Name. Most mail servers, as an anti-spam feature, often use a reverse DNS lookup to compare an email address domain name with its IP address. If the IP address found from the rDNS lookup does not match the domain name, it is probably spam. If you haven’t done so, setup and configure reverse DNS records on your DNS server.

Anti-Virus Scan:
There are many tools that provide adequate anti-virus protection for desktops at the workplace. Most anti-virus software is good at detecting viral threats that proliferate email spam such as mass mailing worms, trojans, and directory harvesters. Large organizations might want to use enterprise anti-spam software with management and monitoring tools that will allow tracking of network virus outbreaks.

Recommended Links:
- http://www.spam-x.com [Postini service - managed filtering, 1 to 500 users]
- http://www.postini.com [Postini service - managed filtering, 500+ users]
- http://www.spamhaus.org [Blacklist]
- http://www.dbsl.org [Blacklist]
- http://www.spamcop.net [Blacklist]
- http://www.abuse.net/relay.htm [Open relay test]
- http://www.dnsreport.com [DNS report/open relay test]
- http://www.dnsstuff.com [Spam database lookup and open relay test]
- http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/02/17/spam.zombies.ap [Spam Zombie Article]

Email viruses and related threats delivered through spam have cost businesses billions of dollars in expenses and lost productivity. Each spam email sent or received from your domain costs your organization money and bandwidth. By implementing these seven tips, your organization can reduce spam and recover costs.

This article: © Copyright 2006 Todd Green and free for republishing.

Password Protection History
It would be better for your overall security if you take the necessary precautions and means when it comes to dealing with password protection. Numerous viruses abound in the computers of individuals around the world – computers that send and receive files through the Internet. Some companies that offer anti-spyware software solutions also make spyware software. Someone might be able to read your e-mails. But if you do not really do things that could compromise your security then perhaps getting file encryption would just be a waste of your money.
Security Patches
Patches may also come in larger forms. If you’ve recently purchased a computer or are just learning about using email and the internet you may have heard about computer viruses and anti-virus software. Before opening an email attachment be sure that it comes from a trusted source. Even computers can get those annoying buggers. Clear your internet history with Winclear at http://www.winclear.info/winclear.html
Should You Download an Applet?
Usually clicking a link or downloading an applet is what would be required to download a virus or a worm. Running a computer virus protection update can sometimes interfere with other software so it is best to run it automatically when you do not need the computer for other things. A good way of creating a password is to come up with a phrase that is memorable and using first letters of every word as the password of your choice. When this happens it’s time to get out your favorite anti spyware tool. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks the freedom to download any files from the Internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.
Know Your Security!
So what ripped me out of my peaceful serenity was the sudden realization that I didn’t know how many if any security measures were applied to this particular computer. Spyware can however download it self to your computer even if you refrain completely from downloading music and programs from the Internet which is one the reasons why it so important to use free spyware stoppers. That’s right. Users also remain at risk because once the patch is released they either do not know about the vulnerability or about the fix.

You would think that enough people have gotten infected with rogue applications, like Contra viro, that a majority of the population would have finally installed reliable malware protection programs. But unfortunately, not enough people are currently protecting themselves from these parasites.

The rate of growth that rogue applications are currently experiencing is phenomenal. There are an estimated ten rogue applications for every legitimate protection program and it is only getting worse. The reason there are so many rogues polluting the Internet has to do with scammers cloning programs when the infection rates go down. For example Contra viro is a clone of Unvirex which infected computer last year. Most of the rogue applications that are currently infecting computers are just clones of other infections. When you boil it all down, the four hundred known rogue applications are clones of less than two hundred programs.

Until something is done about this plague it is up to the user to protect their computers from these infections. Most users have limited options when it comes to protecting their computers from the harmful effects of rogue applications. The most dangerous option is to do nothing and hope that if the computer gets infected the rogue can be removed manually. This was the option that most people used in the beginning, but it does not work anymore.

The majority of rogue applications infect computers through trojans. These trojans are specially designed to block standard virus protection programs and drastically alter the registry, which makes manually removing them painstaking, even for computer professionals.

The time has passed when computer users could rely solely on their virus protection software to keep them safe from rogue applications. This is why it is so important for computer users to have some kind of alternate malware protection program installed as well.

If you are currently taking your chances with only a virus protection program installed, now is the time to find a fully guaranteed malware protection program also. By having both a virus protection program and a trusted malware protection program installed, you can be insure that your computer will not be infected with Contra viro or any of the over four hundred other rogue applications.

When looking for a trusted malware removal and protection program the most important thing to consider is what types of guarantees are offered. Installing just any malware protection program might be fine, but if your computer gets infected what can you do? Do it right the first time, install only a malware protection program that is 100% guaranteed. With just a few clicks and some research it should be fairly easy to find a reliable malware protection program that is 100% guaranteed.

To scan your pc for free and find out if you have Contra viro click here.

There is a continuous development of computers and intent technologies but in the mean time all these developments  on one side leads to the development  in the various fields  for example  education , communication and  business, but  on the other  side it caused several  threats  on the Internet such as virus, trojan horse, worm, and spyware .But before discussing on the process to get rid of these  threats, we need to understand what exactly these threats are and how they spreads.A virus is a program or code that copies itself into other programs, it execute itself and replicate itself. Virus can infect desktop and network server, some viruses are programmed to damage the computer by damaging programs deleting files or reformatting the hard disk. Others are not designed to do any damage, but simply to replicate themselves and make their presence in video, and audio messages. These viruses can create problems for the computer user. They take computer memory used by important programs, these viruses can crash your system and slow your computer or even some times freezes the computer . Viruses are of many kind and they infected different files like file infector viruses. These viruses normally infects executable code, such as .exe and .dll  files. They can infect other  files when an infected program is copied  from floppy, hard drive or from the network . Boot sector viruses infect the boot record on floppy disks and hard disks. All floppy disks and hard disks  contain a small program in the boot record that is run when the computer starts up. Boot sector viruses to this part of the disk and activate when the user attempts to start up from the infected disk these viruses responsible for slow booting of your computer. Master boot record Master boot record viruses are memory-resident viruses that infect disks in the same manner as boot sector viruses. To repair computer infected by virus you need antivirus.Worms are almost similar to that of the virus. Unlike the viruses, worm uses computer networks to replicate itself.  It searches for servers with security holes and copies itself .Worms are programs that replicate themselves from system to system without the user. This is in contrast to viruses which requires the spreading of an infected host file, However worms generally exist inside of other files often Word or Excel documents, there is a difference between how worms and viruses use the host file. To remove all these threats from our computer, we need to download and install antivirus software on our computer. But we have to keep one thing in our mind, that installing antivirus software never means that our computer is free from all the threats, as these virus worms are created on the daily basis, so to make our computer immune against all these new threats, we need to update our antivirus software, we can download these updates form the websites of the antivirus software.So if  we scan our computer, with the updated antivirus softwares atleast once in a weak, we can make our computer safe and secure against all the threats.

With the development of computer and Internet technologies, on one side one person can contact with others, but one of the drawback of development of this technologies opens us to, various sort of attack from the virus or malwares. And thus there is always the threat of attack on the personal data.Before discussing the use of adware and spyware services we must know what their services are. Starting with adware – they are the software which are used to display advertisements on our computer, in the form of Pop-up’s on our computers.Spyware are spy software’s which are used to extract our personal information , such as phone no, address, full name, Sites we are visiting, our user name and passwords,  credit card information and several other personal information from the computer and  transfer them to the third person without our information of our permission , to protect yourself from these spywares you need spyware removal software.Now the question arises if they are so dangerous to our personal data then how to get rid of this malicious software, to get rid of this software, we must always use proper antivirus support software. Which can trap these virus and spyware? But  all the antivirus software are not capable enough to deal with this sort of the malicious software, so we must select the antivirus properly , keeping in view that they are capable of detecting and removing these software’s. We must always scan our computer data against virus or adware, spyware. Scanning the computer with proper antivirus never means that our data is safe against the virus related threats, as there is always new threat available on the internet, to be safe and secure against such threat, we must always update our antivirus software. Updating the Antivirus definition is all about adding  new definitions of virus, adware, spyware, worms, in the antivirus software. Thus enable the antivirus software to scan the new virus related threats, and help in removing them from the computer, and makes our computer safe and provides the immunity to the data in the computer against the all new threats on the Internet.So in brief the Antivirus software provides help against the following 1) Unwanted pop-up’s of advertisement.2) Secure our personal data (financial information, sites visited). To be safe and secure on the internet against new threats always use proper antivirus software, with proper updates installed.

Hickory, N.C. – January 29, 2009- Todd Meche, network manager for St. Martin Parish School Board in St. Martinville, Louisiana, is happy to be a brand champion for AVG Anti-Virus. The Enterprise version of the software, AVG Network Edition, has made his job easier over the years, keeping the schools in his domain secure against viruses and other computer security threats. Meche estimates that over the last seven years he has encouraged hundreds of people to switch to the popular security product.

The story of how he came to be such a fan began in 2001, when he first joined the St. Martin Parish School Board.

“The school system was already using AVG Network Edition to protect more than 3,000 workstations across fourteen schools in the district,” said Meche. “Everything was running smoothly, and no-one ever seemed to have any problems. In fact, I didn’t know how good we had it until I was in a meeting at an administration conference and heard horror stories about other programs. Other network managers were telling me that the big name brands like McAfee and Norton were causing them major problems.”

“Not only were they complaining about the amount of system resources these programs were hogging, slowing entire networks down, but they were also concerned by the sheer time it took to maintain them on a day-to-day basis.”

“Many people were surprised that I wasn’t joining in the chorus of complaints, so they all wanted to know what we were using. I was happy to tell them just how great AVG Network Edition has been.”

In fact, as Meche reflected on the years he has trusted his networks’ security to AVG Network Edition, he estimated that he’s recommended to over two hundred people that they switch to the product.

More than 1,000 teachers and faculty work for St. Martin Parish and over the years, many have asked him what anti-virus products he recommends for their home computers. “Every time someone asks what to use to protect their home computers, I always recommend AVG Free Edition.”

“AVG Does Its Job So I Can Do Mine”

Since 2001, Meche has kept his AVG Network Edition installations upgraded to the latest versions to ensure the protection kept pace with the growing threats, and he’s always been pleased with the results.

“We started out with AVG 6.0 and we kept upgrading whenever a new version became available,” said Meche. “Now we’re using the 8.0 edition. AVG just gets better and better with the release of each version.”

He went on to explain that “AVG saves me time, because I don’t ever have to go back and change anything with it. It manages itself. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy options that no-one uses, and that’s just fine with me. AVG does what matters – it does its job effectively so I can focus on mine.”

A Great Product and a Great Supplier

Meche acknowledged that another reason he is a fan of AVG is because of Walling Data, the distributor from whom he purchases his AVG licenses.

Walling Data is the longest-standing and highest-volume distributor of AVG Technologies solutions in North America. Walling Data is also the only distributor to offer all its customers – resellers and end-users – free, unlimited, U.S.-based pre- and post-sales support.

Meche was impressed with that Free support offer, especially when it was coupled with generous educational discounts Walling Data offered on the purchase of the software.

“AVG is so easy to manage that I’ve have rarely needed tech support,” said Meche. “But with thousands of workstations and more than a dozen sites, we’ve encountered a few issues here and there. All I had to do was pick up the phone and call Walling Data’s tech support team. They’re always polite, friendly, and easy to work with.”

“When it comes time to renew our licenses, we always shop around, but we’ve never come across a supplier who’ll give us a better deal than Walling Data.”

Today, Meche is still eager to share his enthusiasm for AVG Anti-Virus and Walling Data, adding: “We have the best of both worlds. AVG is the most efficient and powerful security product out there, and Walling Data gives us great pricing and free support. What’s not to like?”

For more information about how to purchase AVG Anti-Virus, with Walling Data’s Unlimited US based support included at no cost, please visit http://www.avgantivirus.com

# # #

About Walling Data

Founded in 1994, N.C.-based Walling Data is a value-added technology distributor of technology products for resellers, small businesses, and education and government institutions. Walling Data was the nation’s first distributor of AVG security products and today is the highest-volume distributor for the product in North America, with more than 50,000 satisfied customers. Walling is also the only value-added distributor for Cymphonix Network Composer, an award-winning device that helps companies control and monitor users compliance with internet usage policies. Additionally, the company has recently become a distributor of CyberPatrol’s parental control and business-grade web filtering solutions. Walling Data provides free, unlimited, U.S.-based phone and “we-do-it-for-you” remote support for all of its customers. For more information, visit www.wallingdata.com and www.avgantivirus.com

About AVG TechnologiesAVG is a global security solutions leader protecting more than 80 million consumers and small business computer users in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. Headquartered in Amsterdam, AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free online, downloadable software model allows entry-level users to gain basic anti-virus protection and then to easily and inexpensively upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense in both single and multi-user environments. More information is available at www.avg.com.

Media Contact: Ashlie Lanning, alanning@wallingdata.com, 919-459-8158

Far too many company and household computers become infected with viruses annually, and the affects of these infections can be devastating to the user. Since there are so many ways a virus can enter your computer’s system, it’s important that you know how to block off those entrances. Here are several ways to decrease the chances of your computer becoming infected:

-Don’t solely rely on anti-virus software, although you should have it installed. Be sure to update often to detect and protect your computer from the most recently created viruses.

- It is also good for your computer to install a spyware, malware, and adware removal application.

-Read the headlines. Stay on top of the news to educate yourself about new viruses

-Try not to open an e-mail attachment until you are sure it is safe. Make sure you know the person or why it may be sent to you.

-Once again, surf the web for news about viruses so you know common subject lines and file extensions relative to those viruses.

-Disable automatic attachment viewing in your e-mail settings.

-Set your Word and Excel settings so that Macros are disabled when a file is opened up for viewing.

- Use search engines that are well-known for generating results relevant to search terms.

A site is probably safe if a lot of people have linked to it, but keep in mind that this isn’t always the case. This way, your chances of being directed to a site that hosts a virus is less likely.

-Make sure you set your security settings to ‘high’ in your web browser.

-Try to avoid downloading free applications from unverifiable websites

-Configure your settings so that you can always view file extensions.

-The following are examples of file extensions to be suspicious of when they show up in e-mails.

ADE, ADP, BAS, BAT, CHM, CMD, COM, CPL, CRT, DLL, EXE, HLP, HTA, INF, INS, ISP, JS, JSE, LNK, MDB, MDE, MSC, MSI, MSP, MST, OCX, PCD, PIF, POT, REG, SCR, SCT, SHB, SHS, SYS, URL, VB, VBE, VBS, WSC, WSF, WSH

It is easy to tell yourself you will regularly take these measures to maintain your computer’s health, but it is also quite easy to forget. This is often how viruses end up finding their way into your computer. If you’re running a business, your best bet is to seek IT support from an IT consulting firm.

Here’s A Good Way To Keep Your Business Protected From my previous article about Spring cleaning for your PC, this one is sort of a continuation. Since computers are something most people ‘set up and forget’, I figured I’d continue down that track with some more of what I consider the basics. This is very important for restaurant owners and other retail business owners out there. whether you are using the latest restaurant POS equipment or not, computer problems can greatly affect your business’ performance. By following these few reminders, you’ll be able to keep your business in tip top shape. 1. Computers Needs Regular Maintenance. As you change the oil of your car, your computer also needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly and extend the usable life. Tools like disk cleanup, defragmentation, and updating your virus protection files are necessary to keep your machine running at its’ best and to ward off small problems before they become huge. 2. An Anti-virus Software is A Must. As I always say, an antivirus software is a very important piece of software you should have. By now you should probably be aware of the attacks coming from the internet and sneaky infected emails. Anti-virus software will notify you before you open the infected file and release the virus to do damage. One key point to remember is anti-virus software cannot repair the damage a virus has already done. You also need to update your anti-virus software monthly so it’s using the latest protection against sneaky viruses that threatens your computer system. 3. Backup Backup Backup. It’s one of the most important things you should be doing to keep your file in safe place. CD-RW and DVD Disks, Tape Drives, Memory Sticks and USB External Hard Drives are all good medias to use for backing up. And once your backup plan good to go, use it regularly! Your computer will eventually retire someday. I kinda hate to tell you this, but it doesn’t really matter how new or old your computer is, it will retire one day. Like any other computers, the one you use is also a machine. But sadly, machines don’t last a lifetime. The data your computer holds can be priceless to replace. Think of all those financial data, e-mail contacts in your email address book, pictures, recipes, and so on. There will come a day you’ll open your computer wait for it to load and get disappointed because it has already retired! At that exact moment you’ll begin to realize how important it is to have a BACKUP. What are you going to do to backup all of your computer data? I find it surprising that most people don’t have a backup plan. You will never realize just how much you have on your computer until it is gone! You need a backup plan. In a restaurant, having a backup plan is a must. Why? Because there are so many business info you will be needing for future references, like employee and customer info, data on the products or services of the retail establishment, and so on. To be able to effectively track down sales and inventories, a reliable restaurant POS system must be used. And one way to protect their POS system is to maintain it in good condition. 4. Let An Expert Do What They Do Best. If your computer needs service, seek out a trained, qualified technician. Your friends’ son may know a bit about fixing your problem, but many times the problems even gets worse. This may cost you a lot of time and money in the end. Remember, your computer system is the ‘central nerve’ of your business. Trained, qualified technician’s are experts in their field and will have the necessary skills and resources to properly fix your problems in a timely, cost effective way.