Windows installation is not secure. There are hackers that can exploit security holes to gain unauthorized access to confidential data. However, you have nothing to worry about since there are tools to unlock the secrets of the strong security and lock down your computer system. Protect yourself against hacking scripts, rapidly spreading Trojan horses, viruses and worms. Using Computer Security Tool can optimize protection through scanning and configuring your system. The tool quickly scans to identify security vulnerabilities on a server or personal computer. In addition, it can be used in basic mode, but also offers total flexibility to manage individual settings to lock down a system of attack. More importantly, the tool provides a single access point for vulnerabilities. It is a tool that gives both the home user and the professionals the capacity to implement a security policy in minutes.
Archive for the ‘System Security’ Category
Computer Security Tool
Thursday, March 5th, 2009Choosing Antivirus Software
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009How you choose the best antivirus software product to meet your needs? You start by asking you a series of questions. Do you need password protection for individual files, the desktop, network, or block a person access to the Internet? Is your computer used only by you or multiple users have access to the computer? How many users in total do you expect on your computer? What are your system requirements? How do you spend?
Once you are able to answer these questions, you can start looking for security due to better suit your needs. Feedback from users of the product and the statements are a good starting point. PCMagaine (www.pcmag.com), zdnet.com (www.zdnet.com) and Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) are just a few news sites that offer searches in various software products.
There are many security suites available on the market. Take time to choose one that meets your specific needs. As a starting point, we’ve listed some of the most popular programs:
- Kaspersky Personal Security Suite. Description: A protection program designed to protect against worms, viruses, spyware, adware and other malicious programs. The program offers five pre-defined security levels and is useful for mobile users. System Requirements: Windows 98/2000/XP, Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher Memory: minimum 64 MB RAM, 100 MB of free space on the hard disk.
- Shield Deluxe 2005. Description: This program provides protection against viruses, adware, spyware, threats and privacy while using very little system resources. In addition, the manufacturer, PC Security Shield offers free technical support in progress. System Requirements: Windows 98 or later, WinNT, WinXP, WinME, Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher Memory: 32 MB RAM or higher, 65 MB free disk space.
Website Security Online
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Consumer spending online in 2004 is at a record of more than $ 65.1 billion. More and more people are attracted by the ease of online shopping and spending higher amounts. Unfortunately, the chances of becoming a victim of Internet fraud are also increasing. The Internet National Fraud Center Watch reported that the average loss for victims and for the first six months of 2005 was $ 2579. This is compared to the average of $ 895 for the full year 2004. Complaints relating to purchases of goods represented 30% of Internet fraud complaints, shopping and auctions (goods never received or badly) on top of the list to 44%.
Although many e-commerce sites are reputable and have taken appropriate security measures to protect you, it never hurts to always proceed with caution. If you make a purchase online with these simple steps:
- Use only a credit card, preferably with a low credit limit, by shopping online. Avoid using an ATM or debit card.
- Beware of unsolicited offers by sellers. The Internet National Fraud Information Center Watch reported that email as a method of contact by Internet scammers was up 22% in May 2004.While the offer is legitimate, spammers use this tactic to avoid sites trusted to ensure the protection of consumers shopping online.
- Use only known e-commerce sites that list an email address and phone number in case you need to contact them directly.
- Read the privacy policy of the website. Some websites may reserves the right to sell / give your information to third parties. See the document to see if they allow an opportunity to “opt-out” to receive special offers from third-party providers or for permission to share your personal information.
- Arrival of a padlock symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window. Also, do not provide your personal information if the website address should not begin with “https” (a sign that the site uses a secure server).
- Choose only verified sellers. Check if the seller is a member of a third party verification, such as the Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, or Guardian eCommerce. These third party sites to help online consumers will be protected when buying or conduct e-commerce transactions.
- Verify that the delivery date shown is reasonable. If you have not dealt with the supplier on a regular basis, be wary of any website which indicates the shipment will be delayed 20 days or more. Delivery dates of 7-10 days are more common.
- Keep a written record of all transactions online. Print a hard copy of the transaction and keep it on file for future reference.
- Beware of site that offers sound too good to be true. The Internet is littered with get rich quick scams and false advertising claims. Investigate thoroughly all applications before proceeding.
- If you do not receive what you paid for, and the seller would not return your emails or calls, contact your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs for help.
What Are Botnets?
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Heard about botnets? What really are botnets?
According to Stromberg (http://project.honeynet.org/papers/bots/), “A botnet is comparable to compulsory military service for windows boxes.”
Botnets are networks of computers that are infected by pirates and grouped under their control to propagate viruses, send illegal spam, and carry out attacks that cause websites to crash.
What makes extremely bad botnets is the difficulty in tracing them back to their creators, and the ever-increasing use of these systems in extortion. How are they used in the schemes of extortion? Imagine someone sending you messages or to pay or to see your website accident. This scenario is itself starting to play again and again.
Botnets can consist of thousands of compromised computers. With such a network, botnets can use distributed denial of service (DDoS), as a way to cause chaos and mayhem. For example, a small botnet with only 500 bots can bring to company websites to its knees by using the combined bandwidth of all computers to overwhelm the system and cause the site to appear offline.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service on 19 January 2006, quoted Kevin Hogan, senior manager of Symantec Security Response, in his article “Botnets shrinking in size, difficult to trace”, Hogan says “extortion schemes have been supported by the muscle of botnets, and hackers are also renting the use of armadas of computers for illegal purposes through advertisements on the Web. “
A well known technique in the fight against botnets is a honeypot. Honeypots help discover how attackers infiltrate systems. A Honeypot is essentially a set of resources that we consider to be compromised in order to study how hackers break the system. Unpatched Windows 2000 or XP machines great honeypots given the ease with which one can support such systems.
A site to read on this subject is the Honeynet Project (http://project.honeynet.org), which describes its own site is to “To use the tools, tactics and motives involved in the computer and network attacks, and share lessons learned. “
Finding The Security Suite That Meets Your Needs
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009It is essential for the reader to understand and appreciate that there is no such thing as security of the operating system or Web browser. Although the use of security suites and other complementing products can significantly reduce your risk, they are not magic wands that you can wave to eliminate 100% of your risk. Any product claiming they can do, it must be regarded with great skepticism.
There are many ways in which the security of your computer can be breached. In most cases, the threats come from worms, viruses, Trojans, phishing, hackers and crackers. Potential security breaches can take the form of downloading unknown attachments, being monitored by spyware, malware or maliciously attacked by scanning probe port.
Dshield.org (www.dshield.org), a non-profit corporation, operates as a “correlation engine that dominates tied with global coverage.” In short, they work with people and businesses to monitor, among other things, port scanning violations. Port scanning involves a person (hereinafter a hacker or cracker) who attempts to enter your computer through open ports on your system. Once an open port is located, the individual attempts to collect your personal information or install malicious software on your computer program. On average, Dshield.org more than 1.1 billion logs attempts to scan port each month. What is even more frightening is that it is only on the basis of their program participants. You can imagine how many other incidents occur each month, with the general population of computer users.
Dshield.org also reports on the survival time. Survival time refers to how long it takes before a PC is attacked or infected unpatched. Below is an overview of their current operating system breakdown:
Current breakdown OS
Category% Adjusted Survival Time
Windows 27.0000 128 min
Unix 0.5000 3648 min
Application 3.0000 1203 min
P2P 1.5000 1591 min
Backdoor 0.5000 5432 min
Source: Dshield.org – Survival Time History (11/8/05)
In short, if you have a Windows operating system without patches and a PC, you will be attacked or infected in a little over 2 hours. When you look in those terms, securing your computer becomes a mission.
Here are some easy steps you can take immediately to protect your computer.
- Do not run unfamiliar programs on your computer. It seems that common sense, but many of the biggest attacks have involved spyware and attachments such as worms Bagle and Netsky. If you do not recognize the sender, do not download attachments.
- Do not let physical access to your computer. If you have sensitive information or on your computer, allowing other employees or family members using your computer can lead to violations of the security of your computer.
- Do not use weak passwords. Use passwords that are difficult for someone to understand. People frequently use the names of children, pets, birthdays or anniversaries. As there seems to be a password needed for everything, it is not uncommon to see many people using the same password for everything. Big mistake! Using a single password provides a hacker with easy access to a jumble of personal information. If you write your password down, it is preferable not to leave on a post-it attached to your computer screen.You may laugh at the absurdity, but it happens more than you think.
- Do not forget to regularly patch your operating system and other applications. Many industry experts believe that most attacks on network security could be stopped if computer users simply keep their computers updated with patches and security fixes. Too often we forget to do on a regular basis. Remember that every day, new viruses, worms and Trojan horses are created and distributed. They look for weaknesses in your system. Having outdated software is basically the same as holding the door open and invite for a visit.
- Remember to make regular backups of important data. Always keep a copy of important files on removable media such as floppy / ZIP disks or CD-ROM. Keep backups in a location separate from the computer.
In most cases, the Windows desktop and screen saver passwords are properly protected security concerns normal. However, if you feel more comfortable taking additional security measures consider obtaining a comprehensive security suite.