Specialized Computing Blog

Today, we do everything from order pizza to shop for household appliances online. With that level of traffic and financial information floating around, it’s no wonder the bad guys have turned their attentions to the Internet. But, lucky for you, so have the good guys.

No one wants to be the victim of identity theft or fraud. Even though it is not your fault, the burden of proof is on you and the red tape is monstrous. So, do all that you can to protect you and your loved ones while they are online.

One way to do that is to arm your computer with anti-spyware tools. Spyware constitutes programs that hide within other programs, hence the name “spy.” Here’s how it works: You go to a site and download a program. The program may be hiding another program within to track how you use it. This is a non-lethal spyware program. It was probably employed by the site for statistical purposes.

Then, there are other spyware that, when downloaded, will go in and rewrite certain things on your computer without your consent. If you’ve ever downloaded something and then your home page changed, it was probably courtesy of a spyware program.

Both of these are mild examples, but honestly, if someone has to do something behind your back to get you to try it, steer clear. More lethal types of spy ware will search your files and retrieve financial information.

Anti-spyware tools and programs seek out these dastardly additions and eliminate them. A well-protected computer will have both antivirus and anti-spyware installed for a wider net of protection. Spyware tools, like antivirus can be obtained for free or paid for.

Shop Around

Know what you are buying. Be sure that free programs offer you adequate spyware protection. Sites like STOPzilla and pctools offer free spyware tools for you to use. These tools work behind the scenes in real-time and on schedules to detect spyware. They also clear your browsing history and prevent pop-ups. Spyware can also let you know if a site in your search results is dangerous for you to visit.

Paid spyware offers a few more perks but make sure that you actually need those perks for your system. If you choose to pay, find software with multiple user capabilities so you can arm all of the computers in your home. Some good companies are Avast (as in “Avast yee scurvy computer information pirates!”) and AVG.

Protect yourself from the beginning. Use anti-spyware tools to prevent and remove spyware that threatens your computer.

In the time of rapidly advancing technology and identity theft, it is more necessary than ever to protect your PC.

With so many antivirus products on the market, which one do you choose? There is no right and wrong answers here but what is the difference between the free programs offered and the ones that you have to pay a yearly subscription for?

Let’s backtrack a bit and talk about viruses. Unlike the ones that humans deal with, the computer variety can be found and eliminated before they cause trouble. Computer viruses, adware and hijacking programs get into your hard drive and wreak havoc.

They slow your computer down by taking up your hard drive space or hijacking computer programs. Once there, they can infect steal personal and financial information and, depending on what information they can find on your computer, even steal your identity. What you are left with is a big mess that is a pain in the neck to fix.

Antivirus software may come pre-installed on your computer. If it does, it is likely a free trial or a paid subscription that you ordered with the system. Either way, its job is to detect viruses within items on your hard drive and remove them according to your specifications. When the paid subscription is up for renewal, you’ll receive pop-up messages warning you that your system is about to be left unprotected.

What many computer owners don’t know is that you have a choice. You don’t have to pay for antivirus protection and that many companies offer antivirus software for free. We have all heard the adage, “You get what you pay for,” but, just like everything else, it is best to shop wisely before making a choice.

Ideally you want antivirus protection to alert you when a virus is trying to hack your system. Also, spyware and adware falls into this category. You probably want the software will let you know if there is a danger from anything that you have or will download.

Both free and paid software can do those things. And in this case, free doesn’t mean cheap, it means ‘minimal features’. Some companies offer a program that does only what you really need, but offers the extra bells and whistles for a fee. Depending on your computer usage, the bells and whistles are often not needed. They take up extra hard drive space and almost never get used.

For a person, like yourself, who is careful about where they go on the Internet, the basics of free antivirus protection will work quite well. Protecting yourself with some basic surfing and downloading guidelines is half the battle.

Here is some good advice: While you are still within the free 30-day trial that the manufacturer gave you, compare free and paid software. If the free software gives you what you need, go for it. You can always upgrade later.

Well, we all have been there. We turn on our computer getting ready to type that report or business presentation and guess what, our computer just does not want to work today.

Whether it’s the word processor, spreadsheet, or financial package that isn’t working, most people do not know that Microsoft Windows XP has a built in feature that just may come and save the day. That feature is called “System Restore.”

Basically, System Restore is like a little hound that runs behind the scenes taking “snapshots” of various parts of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. So, if a part of Microsoft Windows XP stops working one day, the System Restore utility is able to reference one of the “snapshots” it took and restore your system from a previous day (a day when your computer worked).

It’s kind of like going back in time to a day when your computer worked. All your current data (Microsoft Word files, etc.) are remain untouched, so you don’t have to worry about losing any present day files or updates to the files you have made since then.

In order to restore your computer just follow these simple steps:

1. Close any open programs.
2. Click on the Windows “Start” button (normally located on the bottom of your computer desktop)
3. Click on “All Programs”
4. Click on “Accessories”
5. Click on “System Tools”
6. Then click on “System Restore”
7. At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will have two options:

a. “Restore my system from an earlier date”
b. “Create a system restore point”

If you just need to restore your system and get it working correctly again, just select option “a” and click “Next.”

8. On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the calendar and click “Next.”

9. The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the information on the screen and click “Next.” Windows XP will then reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the date you selected.

The System Restore process can take anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will pop up with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone.

With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.

Adware and spyware have reach epidemic proportions. They have turned into malware due to their viral and very aggressive behavior. With the threat of identity theft and financial fraud looming on the Internet, adware and spyware can be more than just annoying. Here are four methods to remove or simply avoid adware and spyware without spending a dime on the latest “anti-virus” software.

1. USE Firefox. If you don’t use the Internet much, than perhaps you don’t know much about Firefox. All you need to know is that it is a browser that works REALLY well and has great security features.

2. Do NOT USE Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is like Swiss cheese. It is open to the world by default. Microsoft is continually releasing patches to fix all the flaws in the Internet Explorer 6.X and lower versions of the browser. Although it can be “secured” by increasing the security it may loose much of its functionality once set to maximum security with certain exploitable features off.

3. Use a software or hardware firewall (not just Window XP Service Pack 2′s firewall). This may sound expensive and hard to do but it is not. If you have a DSL or broadband cable connection your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have given you a DSL/Cable router with a firewall built in. All you have to do is turn it on. This may require you to take a few minutes to read the manual.

If your ISP did not give you a DSL or Cable broadband router with a built in firewall you can spend anywhere from $20 – $60 (or sometimes even cheaper with a mail-in rebate) to get a router. If you have DSL you will need a DSL router. If you have Cable broadband ISP you will need a Cable Router. Brands such as Linksys have built in firewalls and a feature called NAT, Network Address Translation, which is very effective since it hides your real IP address from the Internet. All routers come with instruction on how to hook them up. If you want to keep you computer security free, just use a free software firewall.

4. Remove Spyware/Adware with free Anti-spyware, anti-adware software. Lavasoft’s Adaware and Spybot Search & Destroy are two excellent methods of cleaning your system for free. Majorgeeks.com is a popular and trusted freeware site that has these and many other excellent spyware/adware cleaning and malware prevention tools (including free downloadable firewalls).

The best method is to use ALL of the above. Being proactive by surfing with a decent browser and getting a firewall is important, but it also helps to know about a couple of good anti-adware/spyware applications. If you get hit with a really nasty bit of malware that can not be cleaned with Adaware or Spybot, find yourself a geek. There are many great forums on the Internet dedicated to doing nothing but finding and cleaning such malware. Chances are if your system is infected with it, hundreds of others before you have been infected and have already figured out how to get rid of the malware.

Whenever you are connected to the Internet, it is a sad fact of life that your computer is at risk of being infected with a virus or spyware, or even of being hacked. This can happen without you even knowing about it. It doesn’t matter whether you are just browsing through websites or signing up or logging in as members on others, you are still in danger of being compromised. The good news is that you can protect yourself by following a few simple steps.

Routers and Firewalls

It is recommended that you get yourself a router if you don’t already have one – this is still important even if you only have one computer in your home. The router will act as a hardware firewall – the best kind. It will protect personal information stored on your computer and keep it safe and will also protect your computer from all kinds of viruses.

Hackers may try to gain access to your computer by port scanning and a hardware router is more likely to be able to completely block the scans or at the very least slow the hackers down. Most of the hackers on the net don’t want to waste too much time trying to over-ride a router and are much more likely to move on – onto another victim who hasn’t got such powerful deterrents on their computer.

There are also lots of software firewalls to choose from if preferred – check your operating system to see if there is one included – Windows Firewall for instance is included with the Windows Operating System. Or there are large brand names (Norton, McAfee for example) that usually include other components and have several packages to choose from.

There are four main types of protection that you will need to have in order to protect yourself and your computer. These are:

1. A firewall

2. An automated virus scanner

3. A spyware scanner

4. A general anti-virus protection program

1. Firewalls

A firewall is essential to stop anyone or anything intruding or hacking into your computer. There are many software versions available and some are free to download and use. ZoneAlarm is highly recommended and is available for free for non-commercial users. You can get it here:

http://filehippo.com/download_zonealarm_free/ and it includes the following features (taken from their website):

A. Intrusion Blocking systematically identifies hackers and blocks access attempts.

B. Stealth Mode automatically makes your computer invisible to anyone on the Internet.

C. Automatic Program Configuration provides safety and simplicity by automatically configuring programs.

D. Automatically decides whether to allow or deny Internet access to individual programs.

E. Expert Controls give savvy users precise control over security settings.

Whilst the free firewall does provide you with basic protection from intruders, an anti-virus program does not come with the free version of ZoneAlarm, which would normally be included with any retail firewall software. This means that you will need to install other programs to run alongside it.

2. Automated Virus Scanner

Virus Scanners are automated programs, which run in the background whenever your computer is turned on. They run quick scans of every file in the background and they don’t utilize much memory to run so are an ideal addition to your protection suite of programs. There are free virus scanner programs on the net which you can use, A2 Guard or ASquared are highly recommended or check your ISP for any special offers that they may have running – some offer big reductions on the larger retailers software.

3. Spyware Scanners

Spyware Scanners are protection programs that scan your computer for spyware – you can usually set it to run at certain times, probably once a month would be adequate. Again check with your ISP to see if they include a free spyware scanner to run in the background or there are others available for free, including Ad-Aware which is very easy to use.

Spyware can be installed without you knowing it when you browse a website which has infected cookies. The spyware protection program will stop these being installed, or will at the very least ask you to choose whether to accept or reject the cookies when it suspects something suspicious is going on. It is highly recommended that you reject them.

4. Anti-Virus Protection

A general anti-virus protection program scans your computer for viruses and will either delete them or it will quarantine them until you decide to delete them. There are free anti-virus programs available, or you can buy complete packages. Once again, check with your ISP to make sure that they are not running any special offers on anti-virus protection programs.

If you have these protection programs installed on your computer and have them set up correctly to run in the background whenever your computer is turned on, you should have no trouble whilst browsing websites on the Internet.

Staying vigilant and being armed with protection is certainly the best way of keeping hackers, viruses and spyware away from your computer.

Hackers, phishers, viruses, worms…simply having your computer online can expose your data and personal information to all kinds of malicious and worrisome problems. If you’re somewhat new to the ‘net’ or to computers in general, these four tips could help protect you from identity theft, credit card fraud, or a complete computer takeover – all of which can happen without you even knowing about it!

1. What’s in Your Inbox? – If your e-mail program allows you to preview the entire message before or while it is being downloaded, turn this setting off. Some e-mails can contain dangerous code that could unknowingly compromise your computer and leave you vulnerable to viruses, worms or worse! Check the options in your e-mail program for a way to disable the message preview pane.

2. Scrutinize Your Messages – Don’t ever respond to messages claiming to be from your bank, credit card company, or other financial institution, which ask for personally identifiable information such as card or account numbers, passwords, or other private information – even if the e-mail looks to have come from the actual company. It may be a hoax designed to get you to unknowingly part with crucial financial or private contact information, leaving you vulnerable to credit card fraud, identity theft or credit card theft. Contact the institution or company that claims to be sending the e-mail and verify the contents of the message with them. Chances are – they never sent it. Only use the number on your statement though, and not the number that appears in the e-mail message. It may direct you right to the scammer, who will do everything they can to assure you that nothing is wrong!

3. If it’s From a Friend, it must be Safe, Right? – It’s logical to assume that a message from your friend or colleague is safe, but that isn’t always the case! If you receive an email from a friend or colleague which contains an attachment (could be a media clip, a screensaver, a picture or anything else), call them up to check and see if they really did send it. Many viruses and worms can hijack your computer and blast out a virus-ridden email to everyone in your address book, making it appear that it came from you and therefore, making it appear trustworthy.

4. Read Your Messages in Plain Text – Some e-mails written in HTML (the coding language that makes up many web pages) can be harmless. Others can contain malicious code that can hijack your e-mail program, browser, or your entire computer – and send your personal and financial information out to a hacker or scammer without you even knowing about it! Stay safe by setting your e-mail program to only show messages in plain text format (often in the options or settings section of the software). This will prevent threatening code from installing itself and compromising your system and private information.

Possibly one of the best ways to protect your e-mail is simply by exercising common sense. The Internet is a lot like a crowded plaza. Would your banker or credit card lender walk out into the middle of the throng of people and shout out to you to ask for your account information? Would you tell him where everyone could hear? Definitely not! The same caution should be exercised when checking your e-mail. These tips can help you stop scammers dead in their tracks while keeping you from becoming another victim of fraud or theft.

Spam e-mails are known to be the modern day version of junk mails. Usually e-mails from individuals or companies advertising their product or services, they are relatively harmless.

However, the increasing use of networks have made spammers smarter. With losses of about $20 billion in productivity and expenses, several IT companies saw the increasing demand for spam solutions.

Here are some of the features that could be helpful in choosing the “ideal” spam filtering subscription.

There are two important things to look for in evaluating a particular spam filtering subscription. This would be – accuracy and false-positive rating. Accuracy refers to the percentage of legitimate e-mails that make it to the user’s inbox after being filtered. The accuracy of several spam filtering subscriptions are tested by “passing through” thousands of e-mails. Some of these e-mails are legitimate while some are spam. The satisfactory rating for accuracy is 80% though some subscriptions have ratings as high as 98%.

False-positive rating refers to the percentage of legitimate e-mails that have been wrongly identified as spam. The satisfactory rating for a false-positive is 1%.

Usually, spam filter providers use quarantine features in order to avoid important e-mails from being disposed. The user may then sort the important e-mails from the spam. Different computer publications such as PCWorld and PCMagazine offers reports on the accuracy and false-positive ratings of different spam filtering subscriptions.

Most internet service providers (ISP) and e-mail programs such as MSN Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo! Mail provide a certain type of spam solution. If looking for a separate spam filter, try to know first if it works with several e-mail programs. A particular spam filter may work with Microsoft Outlook but not with Mozilla’s Thunderbird.

The cost of spam-filtering subscriptions has to be gauged with the services it provides. A certain subscription may be expensive but may be worth paying for with its features, speed and control. Sometimes choosing a lower cost provider may mean paying more due to lost time and frustration from poor output performance.

A good spam filter should fit the specific needs of the subscriber. It should allow a great deal of control by offering a wide range of flexibility in configuration according to his/her policies. It would also be helpful if it provides automatic updates.

These are the main things to consider in fighting spam. Depending on the complexity of your situation more time could be spent in evaluating and comparing your options.

What is “Phishing”?

Phishing is the process where an attempt is made to fraudulently extract sensitive information from someone, such as credit card details, user name and password, using electronic communication.

Users are often deceived by Instant messaging or an email which directs them to a false website, where they are asked for sensitive information. These requests often come from popular websites like Facebook, MySpace, eBay, Yahoo, etc.

Another part of this fraudulent process is achieved by “keylogging”. This is where keystrokes and mouse operations are recorded, and screen shots are captured enabling access to the Protected Storage Area in Windows where Internet Explorer stores passwords. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, the number of keylogger programmes has more than doubled in one year to 180.

Stolen Data

Security researchers are concerned that identity thieves and hackers are not just using keyloggers to steal sensitive information but the information captured in this way is often placed on unprotected FTP sites where it is available to anyone who encounters it. These servers are packed with stolen information from all over the world and in many languages. The information held includes Hotmail, Yahoo and other email account information, IP addresses, other usernames and passwords, etc. Criminals use complex methods to sift through the data to find what they are looking for.

Despite the obvious dangers many people neglect PC security and use their PC without anti-virus protection or spam blockers. If your PC is unprotected, criminals can use unknown programmes on your PC to contact the web. Therefore, it is essential that your firewall is capable of protecting your PC from this type of danger – not all built-in firewalls do. You should re-use your passwords but avoid using the same password and username at different sites. You should also note the following safeguards.

- Don’t react to urgent or excitable requests for personal information. Remember that banks do not ask for password details via email.

- Don’t click on embedded links – type the website address directly into the web browser. Contact your bank if you are suspicious.

- Note that e-commerce companies usually personalize their emails. Always check the website address line to verify.

- Criminals are now replicating the “http://” that appears when you are on a secure server. They are also duplicating the yellow lock that appears at the bottom of the page which contains the security certificate number for the site. If you get a message saying that the security certificate number does not match the site address you should close your browser.

- Install a web browser toolbar that identifies and protects you from known phishing websites.

- Report all phishing attempts as soon as possible.

Ever heard of VoIP Phishing? Yes, that is the mode of phishing attacks by hackers! Believe it or not, VoIP has made telecommunication very affordable but at the same it has made users more vulnerable to VoIP Phishing or Vishing (as it is popularly known). Fear not, there are ways to avoid being a victim of vishing.

Phishing is any type of personal data obtained by surreptitious means. Here a hacker will either send an email or voicemail making it appear like a genuine message from an authorized person or organization – either from a bank or an online financial account like Ebay auction site, PayPal or Western Union. This message will request your personal information like account userid and password and thus the hacker will harm you.

An example of phishing on the phone would be – you receive a voicemail from your internet bank stating that someone has hacked into your account and it requires you to call a certain number and verify your userid, password and also the secret security questions. The voicemail is really not from your internet bank but it is made to believe so. Typically, users panic when they hear such voicemails and forget to analyze the situation and think rationally. They immediately call the number stated in the voicemail and give out all the details. Thus they become victims of phishing!

Why is it easier to hack with VoIP rather than a traditional landline?

Let us examine how VoIP makes it easier for hacker and why hackers didn’t attack via the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network or the traditional landline).

* With VoIP, hackers can tamper with the caller ID and make the caller’s number appear like it came from your bank. It is much easier to tamper the caller number with VoIP when compared to PSTN.

* With VoIP, any mediocre programmer can call potential victim’s number without compromising his / her identity. i.e., it is easier for the hacker to mask himself / herself.

* VoIP phone numbers can be quickly generated and destroyed before the authorities can trace the hackers.

* With VoIP, a hacker can simulate an international call using a virtual phone number and then call local numbers for phishing purposes.

* All VoIP hardware like IP phones and routers have become very affordable and can be moved anywhere and used. This makes it easier for hackers to move around and not get caught.

In general, the VoIP system makes it easier for the hacker to mask his / her identity. PSTN is the most secure system where the hacker has to be an expert to mask his or her identity.

Four Steps to Avoid being a VoIP Phishing Victim

1. Never give out any personal information to an automated telephone system. Usually, the hacker’s voicemail will make it appear that it came from your internet bank and request you to call a phone number wherein you will be received by an automated phone system asking you to enter your password, social security number and other personal details. If you receive such a voicemail, call the number listed on your bank’s website (instead of the one stated in the voicemail) to verify the information in your voicemail or just walk up to your bank office location and let them know about the voicemail.

2. Use anti-phishing software along with your PBX, which will filter out all the suspicious calls.

3. If you suspect phishing, report it by sending an email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.

4. Create awareness among your friends, relatives and coworkers about VoIP phishing. This step itself can prevent and discourage hackers in a very significant way.

VoIP is a great invention, providing very affordable long distance communication for individual users, small businesses and large corporations. With some awareness about VoIP phishing or vishing, you can avoid being a victim and also prevent others from becoming victims.

Wireless networks are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Especially if you have broadband Internet access, a wireless router can give you instant communication with the world that is worthy of the science fiction I grew up reading!

The idea of reading email while lounging by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your MP3 collection is appealing to us all.

Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless units don’t come with security features already functioning. This may not seem like a big issue to someone who is simply setting up a home network, but there are a number of potential problems you should consider.

The most serious problem is the increase in identity theft. If your network is unsecured, the personal data on your wireless electronic equipment is also unsecured. The order you just placed for a book at Amazon may have given your contact and payment information to an unscrupulous hacker!

Nearly every town in which “WiFi” is common will have “War Drivers” and “War Chalkers” at work. These are people who walk or drive around town with wireless equipment, searching for unsecured networks. The “Chalkers” then live up their name, marking curbs and other public items with chalk so that others can more easily find and exploit your network.

Not all “War Drivers” are hackers, of course. Many just want to use your network for free, but the risk is high if you don’t learn how to protect yourself. You can usually find quite a bit of free information as to how to secure your network at the website of your router’s manufacturer, or by doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like “secure home wireless.”

Beyond the truly malicious, there are also your neighbors who may find your network by accident and enjoy nosing into your activities and using your Internet access at will, slowing down your network speed in the process.

Even many businesses use cheap, home-use quality equipment for their company networks. With the poor security often found on small business networks, anyone with a basic knowledge of wireless can access sensitive company and customer data.

If you are unable to secure your network yourself, there are many service companies who will do it for you. A search of your local yellow pages or an inquiry at your neighborhood computer store should yield professional help and get your private data private again.