Challenges of Internet Security

Have you had your share of challenges of internet security? It has gotten so that NO ONE is safe from virus attacks! Even the head honcho, Microsoft, has been hit a few times!

It wasn't long ago when the only way you could get a virus was if someone gave you a copy of a program or application on a floppy disk and that is what was infected. And because of the slow spread of physically handing disks around and the fact that most people who used computers were adept in how to use them, viruses were quite easily quarantined and eradicated. People knew about the viruses that were out there and made sure that they scanned each disk before they opened any files or activated any programs.

Now-a-days though, it seems that very few people in comparison have this knowledge and most are very impatient. They just want to put the disk in the computer and run it without doing any security checks. Even when they download things off the internet, they should by rights do a scan for viruses, trojans or any other nasties BEFORE starting up or opening the download. Even if it is just a picture!

Viruses now can infiltrate your computer as easily as just visiting a website and can be passed through the entire internet via the addresses in your address book without you even knowing about it!

As technology advances, the challenges of internet security increase. New types of viruses can now pass from computers to mobile devices, making this an ever increasing threat. Also with more and more people using their computers for online shopping and online banking, there is an even greater threat of personal information being compromised.

Protecting Your Computer

Lucky for us, Antivirus software has kept pace with the virus threats being released daily. Antivirus software has become an essential component to the challenges of internet security and your piece of mind. A good antivirus software package is designed to protect you against viruses that can access your computer through email, web browsers, file servers and copied disks. Also, these new antivirus are updatable and are centralized to aid in configuration and manual or automatic scanning any time you want or need.

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.

Because of the way that new viruses have been programmed to attack your computer, it has become necessary that we fight back with more than just one way of protection. Our antivirus must have more than one way of stopping these viruses from slipping past our defenses. Your antivirus should have some or all of the following:

• antivirus,
• firewall,
• content filtering,
• and intrusion detection

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known company.

Due to the fact that there are constantly new viruses being released to raise havoc on the internet, you want to make sure that you have an antivirus from a company that has been around for a while. You need to have the ability for your antivirus to update regularly and if you get one from a new company or a company that is not that well known, then you risk that when you need to get that update, they might not be there!

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they come from.

4. When opening Word, Excel or binary documents from unknown sources, be careful! Scan them before opening!

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Following these 5 simple steps are a start to making your computer a safer place for your information.

Your computer is not a safe place to keep your valuable information unless you find out more at Antivirus Software Review. Don't wait until it is too late!

Essential Tips For Secure Online Trading

The internet has caused a sensational boom in the business world by allowing individuals and businesses to conduct online trading with customers all over the world. The most exciting aspect of doing online trading is that it can be done from the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, just as in real life, unscrupulous minds have soured the fun for everyone by engaging in the criminal activities of internet fraud and theft of sensitive financial information of customers. Doing online business seems like a daunting prospect to the uninitiated who has little or no knowledge of the basics of secure trading. However, things are not as grim as they might seem. It is very easy to protect ourselves from internet fraud by taking care to follow certain precautions when doing business online. One of the first things to do before going ahead with a trade deal on the internet is to perform a background search on the business you will be dealing with. Such information can be gleaned from the various credit agencies and trade institutes. If still in doubt, you can also seek out information from the chambers of commerce.

It's always an excellent idea to ask as many questions as possible. Legitimate traders will be quite eager to answer all your queries pertaining to their business and will even provide references on demand. Since appearances can be very deceptive, don't be fooled by a really attractive website into believing that the company is honest. Be especially wary if the company provides only a fax number and an email with no further contact information. Although scammers are found everywhere, be especially suspicious of companies based in third world countries. Promises that seem too good to be true are usually a sign that the company is very interested in getting their hands on your money. Only go through with the deal after carefully verifying such a company's authenticity from third parties. Scammers usually try to entice buyers by posting items in great demand at ridiculously low prices.

Buyers should request a sample to judge the quality of the product and ensure that it meets their needs. Sellers shouldn't send samples to unknown buyers without asking for a small fee. If a buyer requests to complete the transaction using multiple credit card numbers, it's usually a sure sign that the numbers are stolen. If you suspect that you have become a victim of fraud, try contacting your trading partner through telephone to resolve the situation. Most traders are honest and may inadvertently have given you the wrong information due to language and cultural differences. Beware of traders who want to rush the trade. Legitimate traders are usually very patient and can wait a long time before the deal is finalized. You can use this time to verify the true identity of the trader and ask around to see if anyone has had bad experiences in dealing with this particular trader. If you get defrauded even after following all the aforementioned tips of secure trading, it is best to notify the relevant law enforcement authorities and hope that justice is served.

Liam Derbyshire is the founder of http://www.miraclesformen.com.The site is dedicated to helping individuals to improve their health and fitness. This site is based on Secure Trading.