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Posts Tagged ‘Computer Security’

Protecting Your Computer From Viruses

Dec 14th, 2009 by riskstar

With so many computer viruses lurking on the Internet ready to attack your computer, it is important that you are prepared for and know how to fend them off even before they arrive at their intended destination. Computer viruses can conceivably delete or destroy all the data on your computer. Worst of all, they can extract information from you computer and transmit it to other computers along with the virus itself.
It is essential that you protect your computer with an anti-virus security program which you can either download from an Internet merchant or buy at any computer software store. A good anti-virus program is one that is capable of detecting and blocking incoming viruses before they hit your PC, as well as detecting viruses that are already there. Once the virus is detected, your anti-virus program should be able to safely quarantine, repair, or simply delete infected files so your computer retains its optimum health and functionality.
There are three types of computer viruses that should be of concern to you. The first is a common and standard computer virus that is typically delivered through the medium of a launched program on your computer. The virus will then spread throughout your system and eventually infect other programs that it reaches. Most security software is designed to protect you against such viruses, but there are new viruses being developed every day by computer thugs, so it is vital that you keep your anti-virus definition file updated at least weekly.
The second type, and the one for which you are likely most familiar, is the email virus which can be sent unknowingly from person-to-person before being detected. These viruses are hidden in an email message; opening that message on the receiving end activates the virus. It can then collect, for example, the email addresses you have registered in your email client and send copies of the same virus to every person on your contact list. Most email services have built in protection that scans messages for viruses as an email is received, but the best protection is know what to look for in the first place. Email viruses “hang out” in emails from unknown sources and in attachments, usually from people you do not know.
Finally, the most dangerous of the computer viruses is the “worm.” This type of infection has the ability to worm its way from computer to computer across the Internet or a local area network. They copy themselves directly onto a computer without being notice, so you might not be aware you have one until your data is completely stolen or gone. They are written to seek out specific weaknesses of your security program through which entrance is made onto your computer. The best way to combat a worm is through a computer firewall. These front line security programs inhibit attempts to access your computer and alert you to when you have a potential danger.
Knowing now the high level types of viruses, you are in a more strategic position to protect yourself and your computer from pending dangerous data theft or destruction. Free Hip Hop Beats

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Protecting Your Computer From Viruses

Dec 14th, 2009 by riskstar

With so many computer viruses lurking on the Internet ready to attack your computer, it is important that you are prepared for and know how to fend them off even before they arrive at their intended destination. Computer viruses can conceivably delete or destroy all the data on your computer. Worst of all, they can extract information from you computer and transmit it to other computers along with the virus itself.
It is essential that you protect your computer with an anti-virus security program which you can either download from an Internet merchant or buy at any computer software store. A good anti-virus program is one that is capable of detecting and blocking incoming viruses before they hit your PC, as well as detecting viruses that are already there. Once the virus is detected, your anti-virus program should be able to safely quarantine, repair, or simply delete infected files so your computer retains its optimum health and functionality.
There are three types of computer viruses that should be of concern to you. The first is a common and standard computer virus that is typically delivered through the medium of a launched program on your computer. The virus will then spread throughout your system and eventually infect other programs that it reaches. Most security software is designed to protect you against such viruses, but there are new viruses being developed every day by computer thugs, so it is vital that you keep your anti-virus definition file updated at least weekly.
The second type, and the one for which you are likely most familiar, is the email virus which can be sent unknowingly from person-to-person before being detected. These viruses are hidden in an email message; opening that message on the receiving end activates the virus. It can then collect, for example, the email addresses you have registered in your email client and send copies of the same virus to every person on your contact list. Most email services have built in protection that scans messages for viruses as an email is received, but the best protection is know what to look for in the first place. Email viruses “hang out” in emails from unknown sources and in attachments, usually from people you do not know.
Finally, the most dangerous of the computer viruses is the “worm.” This type of infection has the ability to worm its way from computer to computer across the Internet or a local area network. They copy themselves directly onto a computer without being notice, so you might not be aware you have one until your data is completely stolen or gone. They are written to seek out specific weaknesses of your security program through which entrance is made onto your computer. The best way to combat a worm is through a computer firewall. These front line security programs inhibit attempts to access your computer and alert you to when you have a potential danger.
Knowing now the high level types of viruses, you are in a more strategic position to protect yourself and your computer from pending dangerous data theft or destruction. satellite navigation system

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Walling Data Provides Hassle-free Protection to Northern New Mexico College Networks With Avg Anti-virus

Nov 8th, 2009 by riskstar

Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the state of New Mexico. NNMC operates two campuses, one located in Espanola and another in El Rito. 3,200 students and 200 staff depend on the school’s network of 700 workstations and 13 servers for effective management and operation. For the past eight years, the responsibility for maintaining the availability of the network has fallen to Patricia Borrego, Director of Management and Information Systems for NNMC. The extent and importance of the network to the operation of the school means that a low-maintenance, high reliability security solution is high on Borrego’s list of priorities. “What’s important to me about network security is that the solutions I deploy need to work reliably, not drain staff or computing resources, and not break the bank,” she says. “My team needs to focus its time on strategic projects and proactively developing new applications, not fixing the after-effects of a virus infection.” Re-evaluating virus protection requirements As a matter of course, Borrego periodically reviews the choice of security protection to ensure the school continues to get the most cost-effective solution available. “We had been using Norton for some while,” she recalled. “While we were not experiencing any particular problems with it, I do like to review the alternatives. This time around, I compared Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro and AVG as possible providers.” Borrego finally chose AVG Anti-Virus Network Edition for three key reasons: First, AVG was highly recommended by one of the school’s instructors who had used the software and was extremely impressed with the price-performance ratio. Second, she found Walling Data, an Authorized Distributor for AVG that specialized in working with educational institutions. Borrego liked the generous educational discounts and the purchasing flexibility that allowed her to buy the exact number of licenses she needed over time, rather than having to purchase everything up front or ‘round up’, as many suppliers do, resulting in unnecessary extra expense. “Walling Data’s flexibility was ideal for our situation, as we wanted to start out with just 200 licenses of AVG to make sure we were making the right decision for the school as a whole,” Borrego recalled. Third, the proof of the pudding was in the eating. After deploying the first 200 licenses of AVG and seeing how well it performed, Borrego and her team decided to make AVG the school’s preferred security solution moving forward. “AVG proved to be easier to install and manage than Norton,” said Borrego. “In fact, it has been such a good match for our needs that we have never needed to call for support. AVG installs with no problem. It runs with no problem. It updates with no problem. So it solves my problem.” A Special Kind of Support Since Borrego had never experienced any problems with installing or managing AVG, she was barely aware of the free and unlimited US-based support Walling Data provides to all its customers. When it came time to plan for the upgrade to the latest version of AVG Anti-Virus Network Edition, version 8.0, earlier this year, she discovered just how helpful Walling Data’s Product Support Team could be. “I was trying to reach the help desk just to have them answer a few questions about 8.0 and for some reason I just couldn’t get through on the phone,” Borrego said. “So I emailed my query to Walling and, within minutes, a support team member responded with the information I needed. It turns out I was dialing the wrong number! The support team answered all my questions and went out of their way to help.” Walling Data’s responsiveness and deep knowledge of both the product and the particular issues for educational institutions left a lasting impression on her. “I have to tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised that they got back to me so quickly. I can’t imagine getting that level of responsiveness and personal service from the ‘big name’ vendors,” she said. Walling Data is the longest-standing and highest-volume distributor of AVG Technologies solutions in North America. For more information about how to purchase AVG Anti-Virus, resellers and end users should visit http://www.avg-antivirus.net. # # # About Walling Data Founded in 1994, North Carolina based Walling Data is a value-added distributor of technology products and solution for resellers, small businesses, education and government institutions. Walling Data was the nation’s first distributor of AVG Anti-Virus and Internet Security products and today is the highest-volume distributor for the product in North America, with more than 75,000 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. Walling Data provides no-cost, 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 or call 866-833-5727. About AVG Founded in 1991 and with offices in the US and Europe, AVG is a leading international developer of Internet threat protection solutions for consumers and SMBs. AVG is one of the fastest growing companies in the industry with more than 80 million active users around the world. The company employs some of the world’s leading experts in Internet security, specifically in the areas of threat research, analysis and detection. AVG’s award-winning products are distributed globally through resellers and over the Internet as well as via third parties through Software Developer’s Kits (SDK). Media Contacts:
Ashlie Lanning 919-557-7890 alanning@wallingdatasystems.comProvillus

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10 Free Programs You Should Download to Protect Yourself From Spyware, Computer Viruses and Keep Your Computer Safe.

Nov 4th, 2009 by riskstar

For this article, I decided to create a list of 10 free programs you can download to keep your computer secure. This list of programs will help you protect your computer from Viruses, Spyware, and hackers. All of the programs listed here are highly recommended, and like I said, all have a free version available.
I should note though that many websites that carry articles do not allow more then a couple links in the main body of the article. Because of this, I am unable to include download links for each program. However, if you do a search for them on Google, you can find where to download them. Alternatively, you can visit my website where I have uploaded this article and included links inside the article to download each program. The web address is listed in my author info.
Anyway, let’s get to the list of 10 programs you should download to protect yourself from Spyware and Computer Viruses and keep your computer safe.
Ad-Aware
Ad-Aware is one of the oldest Anti-Spyware programs available and also one of the best. Ad-Aware has been around for over ten years now. Over the ten years, Ad-Aware has been a top notch program and it doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. If you do not have Ad-Aware protecting your system, then I highly recommend you download it right now.
AVG Anti-virus
With McAfee and Norton on the market, many people are under the impression that you will have to pay money for virus protection. This is wrong! There are free anti-virus solutions available and AVG is one of the best. AVG has all of the usual features and it’s highly recommended that you download AVG Anti-Virus if you don’t already have a virus scanner.
Hijack This!
Hijack This! can be a great program for helping you get rid of some tricky Spyware. Beware though, you really need to know what you are doing when you are using Hijack This!. Hijack This! isn’t for beginners. However, it’s worth downloading and keeping around so if you ever do have a tricky spyware problem, an expert online can help you use Hijack This! to get rid of it. Because honestly, most experts online are going to ask you to download Hijack This!.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is newer then some of the other anti-Spyware products, but don’t let that discourage you. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a great tool for protecting yourself against spyware. Like Ad-Aware, it can do a complete scan of your computer and most spyware problems you are having you can say goodbye to thanks to this program.
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spybot Search & Destroy reminds me of Ad-Aware, it has been around a long time and has stood the test of time. Spybot Search & Destroy may not be as pretty as some of the other anti-spyware programs, but that’s okay because Spybot Search & Destroy means business. Spybot Search & Destroy should have all of the tools you need to protect you from Spyware even if you don’t download any other program listed here.
SpywareBlaster
What can I say about SpywareBlaster? SpywareBlaster is a really cool program. SpywareBlaster isn’t a scanner, instead, it’s purpose is to prevent Spyware from getting onto your system in the first place. SpywareBlaster has a database of thousands of harmful Active X Plug-ins that it blocks. Just download SpywareBlaster, install it, click to enable the protection, and that’s it. SpywareBlaster doesn’t even need to be running all the time. A very useful program that should be included in your list of programs you use to protect your computer.
SpywareGuard
SpywareGuard is simlar to SpywareBlaster, it tries to prevent Spyware from getting onto your system. However, SpywareGuard works in a different way. SpywareGuard works by monitoring your computer for typical Spyware-like behavior. If SpywareGuard spots anything, it will alert you. The downside to this is that you need to keep SpywareGuard open for it to work. On the plus side though, it means SpywareGuard doesn’t need to be constantly updated, since it doesn’t rely on definition files.
Startup Inspector
Startup Inspector is a program used for monitoring and disabling items that run when you turn on the computer. So how does that relate to this list? Well Startup Inspector can really be handy in fighting Spyware because a lot of Spyware programs will be set to run when you turn on the computer. Before you turn off the computer each night, take a quick look at Startup Inspector and see what is set to run when you turn on the computer next time. See anything suspicious? If so, go ahead and run a scan with another program listed here. But remember, you first noticed something suspicious thanks to Startup Inspector. This is why I included it in this list. :)
Update Windows
Okay, guess what? I lied. This isn’t even a software program. Regardless though, this has to be included in this list. One of the biggest ways your computer can be attacked is through security holes that were left open from not updating your operating system. Do your computer a favor and go online to WindowsUpdate and update your computer right away.
ZoneAlarm
Finally, we come to ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm is a firewall and will monitor all ingoing and outgoing connections on your computer. This is very useful for keeping your computer safe, because Zonealarm will block unauthorized connections to your computer. Basically, ZoneAlarm stops hackers. Great software!
In all honesty, if you don’t want to try all of these programs, even just download one or two. Having one or two of these can still make a big difference with your computer. It can be scary with so much Spyware and Viruses on the internet. But now, you have the information you need to stay protected. Good luck make your own website

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You Got To Protect Your Computer

Oct 26th, 2009 by riskstar

These days it is a must to have a good, reliable virus protection program. There happens to be a many good free virus protection software packages out on the internet today. The only way to protect our pc today is using software that acts like a antidote to the disease. By using this software you can take preventive measures of stopping the disease before it infects the system.
Removable media such as cds, floppy disks, usb keys that are infected and used in another system can carry the virus and infect the other machine. If you computer is infected with a virus you will need to remove the virus as soon as possible otherwise it can infect the system completely and spread to others. If a computer is infected by a computer virus the computer needs to be scanned by virus scanning software. When surfing the internet most likely you been infected with a Trojan, virus, or some type of spyware, according to many virus detection agencies, the unprotected PC is infected on average within 20 minutes of normal internet usage. Many systems get infected every day, you must take safety measures or your system might get infected, and the virus might corrupt your data on your system. A Computer Worm is a self replicating program, the first worm to gain wide attention was the Morris Worm this infected a large number of computers and earned its writer 400 hours of community service and over $10000 in fines. When a virus infects you computer it can replicate itself, use up system resources, allow a user remote access, record keystrokes to the infected computer, it also has the ability to destroy personal data.
You must take precautions because when you download it may contain spyware, adware or viruses, spyware and adware can collect personal data, record your browsing habits and no more about you. Ad and Spyware are programs that are automatically installed on your computer.
When your computer is infected with a virus they are designed to alter your normal computer functions and spyware infections are used to spy on you, one way they do this is by recording your personal information. Many times adware, viruses and spyware find what is called a “back door” to install and replicated itself you in your computer.
Downloading may sometimes cause error on the system or the entire computer system may crash. Many spyware or viruses are downloaded when downloading software and music. Many viruses can lay dormant without you knowing this, since you don’t know it is there it can attack at any moment when least expect it, it could attack when typing a report and downloading important. Whether you have learned your lesson from a past experience or not, try not to download unwanted files or open email messages sent to you by people you don’t know. Many people do all of this without any real understanding of just how vulnerable they are each time they are on the internet. Try to take precautions, find reputable software and install it to protect your system. There is free software on the web that will protect your system. Wordpress Yahoo Answers Autoposter Plugin

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Email Attachments And Viruses – Protecting Your Computer From Lurking

Oct 19th, 2009 by riskstar

Just as we depend on our computers for fun and entertainment, we simultaneously depend on software installed on that computer to protect it against persistent Internet threats. Our computers have become indispensable for both work and play, and we ought never risk the health of our PC’s by downloading programs that could be dangerous to them. Knowing that, we need to be observant for indicators of potential harm when downloading files from email messages.
As you are no doubt aware, there is a persistent threat of harmful emails sent from people who take pride in causing harm to your computer or attempting to separate you from your finances. The damaging emails are usually sent with attachments that cause destruction to your computer and key – if not all – data residing on it.
The emails themselves are harmless, but opening the attachment launches a virus or “worm” that make its way onto your PC and possibly also the computers of anyone you have listed as a contact in your email address book. These aren’t simply annoying or irritating; they can totally wipe out your ability to use your computer in a matter of seconds.
Frequently, the emails come disguised as from either a familiar address or a seemingly innocuous email name carrying a real attention grabber as a subject line. The content of the message entices you to open the attachment without providing much explanatory information.
There are many means of avoiding the receipt of these worms and viruses, and you need to be aware to adequately protect yourself and your computer. First, you should never open an email from someone you do not know, especially if it has an attachment.
Although some of these emails will automatically go to your junk mail folder, some will make their way through to your email inbox. If you don’t personally recognize the name or company, then do not open it, but rather immediately discard it into your junk email file to alert the email server you use that you will not accept emails from this person again.
If you do receive an email from an unknown source and open it, make sure to never open the attachment itself. Some attachments are automatically scanned for viruses by the email server prior to delivery. However, to be on the safe side, simply delete it.
Additionally, if the subject matter is not one with which you are familiar, delete the message and don’t even respond – as that simply confirms the validity of you email address to the sender, and they’ll continue to send more in the future.
Your best bet for avoiding all of this is to use an anti-virus program that safeguards your computer from PC viruses, even when you do open a destructive attachment accidentally. These threats are real, but very preventable if you follow email attachment safety.
Finally, when you send an email yourself, you should follow the same guidelines and never send an attachment to someone who is not expecting it. Otherwise your email may simply be discarded on the receiving end. email content filter

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