December 30, 2011
Hackers Beware!
We don't use E-gold quite often since the majority of our internet business and shopper sales are conducted thru our online company account. Nonetheless we occasionally have someone who will request paying by E-gold so we keep an account there because of this. Once a month or so we withdraw the funds and decided to do so yesterday. Imagine our dismay when we logged into our E-gold account yesterday and found our balance to be a great fat Nil! We had checked the balance only a few days ago so we knew this wasn't correct. After investigating the history of the account, we revealed that a spend had been made to another e-gold account user WITHOUT our data or authorisation. We had been hacked!
Since we have current anti-virus and firewall software on our PC, we believed we were safe. Not so! It looks this isn't enough to keep away the hackers as the software does not forestall “Spyware” from being installed on your personal computer.
“Spyware” is software that gets onto your personal computer and literally “spies” on your activities. The spying can go from comparatively harmless use of cookies tracking you across multiple websites… To extremely perilous “keystroke loggers” which record passwords, credit cards, and other private info. That data then gets relayed to the individual that put the software on your personal computer.
Adware gets on your computer in one of several other ways.
First, it rides with software you download from the ‘Net and install on your system.
2nd, they come as email attachments (much like viruses) and instantly install themselves on your computer when you open the email message.
Third, hackers find an open port on your P. C and use the “back door” to install basically anything they desire.
And 4th, the more antagonistic types, like keystroke loggers, can even get installed by somebody with direct physical access to your personal computer such as an employer, suspicious spouse, business rival, or someone who would like to know precisely what you're doing.
So how do you protect yourself against these evil hackers? You want a programme that particularly scans your system for the tens-of-thousands of existing spyware programs along with the newer ones appearing daily.
Below are two programs which especially check for and get rid of spyware from your system:
“Spybot Search & Destroy” – http://www.safer-networking.org
“Ad Aware” – http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
You could have malicious software slinking on your P. C at this time so protect yourself today by downloading one of the above programs!
As a point of reference, we made contact with E-gold and informed them that we had been hacked. We provided them with the account number of the person that received the funds and demanded a contact email address on the individual. E-gold informed us that they couldn't provide that info without a “court order” and that fundamentally there wasn't any way of getting the cash back!
Do something today to defend yourself from this growing threat! The bottom line is: – Keep your antivirus program current
– Install a firewall
– Thoroughly screen software before installing it
– Scan specifically for malicious software weekly
– Stay current on this growing threat.
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Filed under Computer Games & Software by artnet
December 28, 2011
Keep Your Computer Healthy With Anti Virus Software
There are so many great things about the web you know that there is going to be problems. And there are! Identity theft, fraud, and maybe the largest most problematic is the epidemic of computer viruses that are wreaking havoc. Lack of ddr 3 ram may not be slowing your computer down, it may be sick! These viruses are different scripts (if you can call them that) written for purposes of destruction. It is the classic “minority of trouble makers ruining it for the vast majority of the rest of us.” So what sorts of viruses do we worry about and get anti virus programs for.
Well, there are all sorts of different kinds of virus-type things traveling around in cyber space and require the protection of an anti virus tool. Examples include worms, spiders, spyware, and adware. They have a variety of effects ranging from pure destruction to actually taking sensitive information off of a computer’s hard drive.
Spyware is an example of the latter effect. It is designed to come in via the internet (usually involves a download of some sort) and to search through the hard drive looking for sensitive and profitable information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and online preferences, and search or surf histories. The potential for badness with these is very real and very worth getting protection in the form of anti virus software tool for.
Anyway, as you may or may not know, there has been a new revolution of security (anti virus) software in response to this new demand for online security. This software ranges widely in both price and effectiveness. The software also generally offers both “treatment” and prevention of computer viral infections. That is to say that there is usually a scanning feature offered that is able to detect old infestations and to either quarantine them or sometimes it can actually repair the damage.
The other feature then is to disallow new infestations. This prevention is accomplished with daily scanning of anything new, for example downloads or email, and warning user of anything suspicious and recommending action.
My recommendation is to get a more well known software package and be willing to spend a bit, because after all “you pay for what you get.” Good bets are the anti virus software tools that are sold in computer, office supply, or electronic stores. You want to look and make sure that it has an automatic on line updates that allow your protection to stay as up-to-date as possible.
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March 20, 2011
The Different Types Of Spyware
Several computer users normally refer to spyware as a program that tracks their computer activity and gains information. It is not a package but it will come in various or more specific form. Each type has diffferent functions and it has also their own ways of gathering information from your computer. Source: Consumer Reviews
Domestic spyware It is installed to monitor the recording and activity of the computer user. This is usually used in business to monitor the employees or by parents to check their children.
Commercial spyware It is downloaded and installed without the user’s permission. They monitor, record, and send information from your computer. This one is ussually used by private companies and third parties for advertisement, profit or some other purposes.
AdwareThis is commonly known as adbot, an adware or advertising-supported program. It is a program that automatically displays advertisements in a computer whenever you go online. It is usually harmless but it usually contains spyware that are automatically downloaded.
Keyloggers A keylogger is a type of spyware that records all the keystrokes you make in your keyboard, making it one of the most destructive kinds of spyware. It could send the information immediately or can also store it for a while for retrieval. This spyware records important information such as PIN numbers, contact numbers ,Bank account or anything that you type. It works by stealing your personal information and give them access to your mail.
Internet URL loggers & screen recorders It works by tracking your Internet activity. URL loggers record the pages you have visited online. Another one is the screen recorders. It captures grayscale snapshots of your screen. These spyware are commonly used for domestic purposes.
Homepage Hijackers Homepage hijackers change the homepage of your Web browser to something else, like porn sites or sites advertising products. This annoying type of spyware will always modify the homepage even if you return it back to its original site. Without your permission, the hijackers place the internet shortcuts to your “favorites” folder.
Web bugs Like adware, this kind of spyware creates pop-up when you do a particular action, like typing on a search box. Even though you are no longer connected to the internet, pop-ups will still continue to appear.
Dialers Dialers connect your computer to other computers through your phone line if you happen to use a telephone modem to support your Internet connection. It makes money by making expensive calls, surprising you on your next phone bill. This is a more destructive spyware when it comes to financial rather than your personal information.
Find out more about Spyware by visiting Consumer Reports
Filed under Computer Games & Software by artnet
Long loading times, crashing and harmful net pop-ups. Everyone has had it happen to them, and everyone feels the same fear when it comes to attempting to fix PC problems. After you realize there is a problem present, people immediately think to take the PC right back to the retail store, usually a large retailer that doesn’t care about you, just your wallet. You are just money to them, as you have little or no knowledge regarding what is wrong with your personal computer or how to fix the issue. You’d pay whatever iT takes to get your PC back active again, right?
You’re not alone in that thought process, caught in the panic and want to get it over with. It is highly recommended nevertheless , to get round this at all costs. Big name stores will charge you an arm to just take in your PC into their store, then you’ll be handing over a leg to get the repair completed. It gets worse when you understand you could have done the precise service they provided for you. {The big~Huge retailers often know less than nothing about repairs and they’ll simply send your PC back to your manufacturer to have it repaired for you, after adding on a bunch cash for their time of course, something you could have saved had you done it yourself.
The simplest way to not get burned is to search around for local Burnsville computer repair. Don’t rely on those out to take your hard-earned money, depend on those that want to do a fair-priced, complete job so you can select them again and suggest your buddies to them. Geeks Computer Service and Assistance, LLC is a prime example of why to go looking for local PC maintenance wishes. This service is also mobile so there is not any lugging your heavy computer hardware around to pull it into the nearest blue-shirt palace. They offer many guarantees, most notable is the phrase : We aren’t happy until you are happy! You won’t see that on a banner at any large shop. At a little part of the price tag, Geeks in Prior Lake will take care of PC issues like : virus removal, slow computer, 1st system setup, home network / wireless Internet set-up and plenty more.
The better part about Geeks Computer Service and Assistance, LLC serving the Twin Cities suburb towns of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, Prior Lake, Savage and Shakopee is you get to keep both arms and both legs without going anywhere or lugging your hardware around. With their free diagnosing service they already save you at least the $60+ that the giant shops would charge just to even recognize your computer’s presence. Geeks comes to your house and troubleshoots the issue and will even unfasten your personal computer and bring it to their shop if the issue not be fixable in your house. Most repairs are basically done right within your house, the same day, to get you back active right away. You do not have to wait for some store to finally work on your personal computer and call when it’s done. You can find yourself quick, local and affordable techs for computer repair service and save a bundle.
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We all have a neighbor that’s continually having issues with their computer not working correctly? Chances are they’re getting infected with malware or PC viruses. There are 2 common methods to get an infection, either through e-mail or by visiting a malignant website.
Most frequently these problemss come from e-mail attachments from folks you do not know or folks that are infected and the virus uses their saved addresses to spread itself to even more computers. The second way to become infected is by visiting an internet site that is designed to add files or programs to your computer to rob your info, hurt your computer, or control certain actions on the web.
Your personal computer is acting unusually, and you suspect you could be handling a pathogen. You know this is going to be damaging for your data, and for the system in total. You want to act quickly to get rid of the issue, but you’re not sure where to begin. Start with a good anti-virus program, keep it up to date, and do a scan of your system. Many times this will be sufficient to clear up the issues with your PC and you can get back to business.
In many cases, a computer users overreaction to a virus can end up in damage that far exceeds what the malware would have done if left to its own devices. Put simply, do not sweat. A virus is – in general – quite easy to isolate and remove. It’s usually not important to reformat the whole PC ; an extreme step many are almost convinced to pursue. It can take lots of time to mend and there’s always the possibility of losing saved files.
Unless you are well informed enough to be able to distinguish viruses from other kinds of hardware or software issues, an anti-virus software scanner should have perceived the computer infection for you. Once it has detected something, be certain to write down the exact name of the program, as different viruses have different removal techniques.
If your scanner notices either a ‘Bloodhound ‘ or ‘Eicar ‘ infections, you can safely remove these, as they’re essentially not computer viruses. Instead they’re files installed by your anti virus software to ensure it’s working properly. If possible, viruses should be removed on detection – especially if they are attached to an executable ( .exe ) file. If the file is one you need and do not have backed up, it is possible to sterilize the file, although this doesn’t always work and could negatively affect your PC. It’s not enough to simply assume you have eliminated the virus. Instead, it’s necessary to have your anti-virus software rescan your personal computer. Actually it is recommended you have 2 up-to-date anti-virus programs run scans on your PC, as they’re known at times to find viruses the other one doesn’t .
Naturally, the best and most trustworthy technique of making certain your PC is rid of viruses is taking preventative measures – most vital being always practicing safe computing. Do not open e-mail attachments from folks you do not know, and do not go to risky sites.
July 18, 2010
About Norton Anti-Virus
With the many types of anti-virus software, it is helpful to read a brief description of what the different types do and how they can be beneficial to you and your computer.
Norton Antivirus
Symantec’s Norton Antivirus software is perhaps the world’s most trusted antivirus solution. It is available for both Windows PC’s, and Macintosh (Symantec Antivirus for Macintosh – S.A.M). Norton AntiVirus is a very reliable and easy-to-use anti-virus product. It’s the best anti-virus product for catching viruses in downloaded files and E-mail. Norton AntiVirus is also more expensive than McAfee VirusScan although not by much, and the added abilities of Norton can easily make up the difference.
Norton Antivirus includes many tools that can be run in the background, including watching for suspicious PC activity and automatically checking downloaded files for viruses. Norton AntiVirus is also automatically configured to handle E-mail virus scanning for email messages coming into your computer, as well as those you send. This process automatically scans and cleans both incoming and outgoing email, stopping viruses from infecting your computer or spreading to others. It removes viruses automatically, without interrupting your work and prevents infections during real-time online chats, and also detects viruses in instant-message attachments. Because so many viruses and internet worms are now spread using email and Instant Message Systems, this is extremely valuable and necessary protection.
Norton Installation
Installation is simple. Simply install the CD in your CD drive, and the installer will launch automatically. The installer should ask you if you want to do a pre-install scan of your system for viruses. This is a very good thing to do. Once this is finished, the installation will proceed, and you can accept all the defaults without worry. Once the installation is complete, you’ll be prompted to go online and get up-to-date virus definitions. DO NOT skip this step. Having up-to-date virus definitions is essential to the performance of any antivirus software.
Normal Use
Norton is a very hands-off program. Pretty much it is an install and forget program that looks after itself. It will automatically notify you if there is anything that you need to do. If a virus is found, the software will try to automatically repair the file, if it can’t, it will place the file in a safe ‘quarantine’ zone, and let you know. In addition to looking for known viruses, the Norton Antivirus Bloodhound feature tries to spot new viruses and worms by their behaviour that is common to such nasty programs.
Checking your system and downloading updates are two things you need to do regularly. Norton Antivirus makes them painless by setting up a full system scan once a week and checking for new updates (both to the software, and virus definitions) whenever you’re online. These simple update scans hardly slow down your PC down at all.
Overall, Norton Antivirus is an excellent way to guard against viruses. It is the system that I recommend to my clients most often, and that I use personally.
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