Cloud Computing: Do You Want So Much Data Online?

Cloud computing has enormous potential, and is already changing the way that we think about the Internet. For those involved in web design, in particular, the ability to access shared resources and software applications on demand is incredibly enticing. Offering access to up-to-the-minute applications and packages on a pay-as-you-go basis, the Cloud model's ability to provide that access without the need for capital expenditure is one of its most attractive features.

The ability to access and work on files irrespective of where you are and what device you're using is also hugely appealing. Not only does it mean you can work from anywhere and on any web-enabled device, but also that if your computer dies your data won't be lost.

But Cloud computing isn't trouble free. Criticised for not being sufficiently secure, it begs the question of whether you want all your data stored "in the Cloud".

Companies hosting Cloud services can easily monitor all the data they store, and third parties providing services to them have access to the data, too. This raises obvious concerns about privacy and security, especially for those who handle data protected by legislation - and for any business or individual with information and trade secrets that need protection.

To minimise the risks, educate yourself about privacy controls and levels of security available from Cloud providers. You should also enhance the security and privacy of your own data by educating yourself about appropriate security measures, and by choosing effective passwords.

Some security experts argue that shifting to Cloud computing will lead to better security, with opportunities to develop more rigorous controls and higher standards to ensure service providers offer a secure service. It remains to be seen whether this will happen, but hopes are high - although of course virtually every system that's ever been hacked has initially been believed to be impenetrable!

There are also concerns about whether putting all a company or individual's data in one place is good practice - especially if problems arise around the levels of performance and availability Cloud service providers can offer and maintain, and what happens if they shut down.

While Cloud computing is attractive to us here at Tomos Crowle, working on web design in Chester, we encourage everyone to consider all these issues when weighing up the pros and cons of Cloud computing, and how to make the most of it.

Getting Rid of a Trojan Virus - What to Do If Your Computer Is Infected

Trojan Viruses are malicious programs that can cause a lot of problems for your computer and jeopardize your personal information. Trojans can overwrite data, shut your computer off randomly, download files on its own, install a backdoor so hackers can remotely access your pc, track your personal information and worse.

Run an Anti-Virus - if you have an anti-virus program installed (which you should) then run the scan and 'delete' anything it finds. Deleting is important because if you only quarantine or clean the found files the trojan can reinstall itself afterwards. There are a number of well respected and free anti-virus programs out there, but make sure they are on the level before you download them. Of course there are a number of security suites you can pay for as well that have a lot more bells and whistles. There are other programs you can find like HouseCall and Trend Micro that are specifically designed for trojan removal. Since these two programs operate from an online browser instead of your computer, it may be more difficult for a Trojan to fool them.

Manual Deletion - if your antivirus can't identify or remove the trojan you will have to get rid of it by hand. The scanner will have no doubt located a number of troublesome files and maybe can give you a clue as to what you are dealing with. Check your systems program adder/remover in the control panel to see if you can find any programs installed you don't recognize. You can also check the running process with CTRL/ALT/Delete to see if there is anything suspicious. If there is make sure to end the process.

Identify the point of origin - If you can pinpoint the way you got the trojan you may be able to find help. This is particularly helpful for viruses that are a little older and more well known. Google the name of the program it came packed in or the name of the email address, or even the exact text of the pop up add you clicked. Many times other people have been in the same situation and have posted their solutions online.

Message Boards - in a similar vein, you can often find people on message boards who post a lot about getting rid of trojans and other types of malware. There you can find information on tutorials and even executables that can uproot trojans from your computer. Never be the first person to try something, unless you are good with computers. Make sure that the process you find in the forums has been effective for a lot of people. While the process of removing this particular type of malware is find it, keep it from executing and deleting it, each trojan has its own idiosyncrasies and requires specific steps in order to be effectively removed.

Reinstall the Operating System - even though this is the most effective way to get rid of a trojan it is also the most drastic and should be considered a last resort when everything else has failed. While this is definitely extreme, even the most advanced users have to resort to this tactic every once in a while. Before you being it is imperative that you back up your data files. Even if your OS reinstall disc or program insists that they can reinstall without losing your files, back up your files. This is one area where safe is infinitely more advisable than sorry.

The reinstall process can take a few hours, but it is one way to get your computer back to functioning as well as it did the day your first turned it on, trojan and malware free. If you are uncomfortable with this step you can have a tech support specialist help you with the process.

Trojan removal isn't as hard to remove when you can speak directly with a virus removal specialist. With a Support Squad tech support service plan you will always have an ally in the fight against malware and other technical issues.

Identity Theft - The Risks Are Increasing

Identity fraud is a very real threat with around 275 people each day being affected over the last 6 months in the UK alone. These figures are up on last year and they are expected to keep rising. This kind of crime continues to increase in popularity because it is faceless which makes it harder to find the people who are committing the crime.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone manages to get hold of your personal information and use your details to make financial transactions online. The cyber criminals can empty your bank accounts and run up debts by buying expensive products online. Trying to prove that you did not buy the goods or spend the money in your account can take a long time to put right. Unfortunately when it comes to id theft you are guilty until proven innocent and with this kind of crime increasing the banks can't keep picking up the bill.

When questioned, most people are worried about identity theft due to the financial devastation it can cause but people are less worried about internet security. This is irrational as quite often identity theft occurs online.

Taking the right internet security measures can greatly reduce the risk of you being a victim of identity theft. The World Wide Web is the fastest growing area for criminals and people have yet to connect that the acts they perform online can leave a trail for internet fraudsters.

Every time you purchase something online or update your Facebook profile you could be vulnerable to attack. This is why it is so important when you purchase goods online you use companies that are secure and use secure payment systems. One way to check you are in a secure area is to look in the address bar if the URL of the site you are on starts https:// then you are in a secure area which means the data you are entering is being encrypted.

Stay Safe Online

Criminals today are very clever they search the web for personal information and continuously come up with new ways to get hold of bank details and passwords. A very common technique used by cyber criminals are emails that appear to be from banks. They use very believable language, which if you are caught unaware get you to enter all of your account details. However these emails are not from your bank they are from a criminal who sends out millions of emails hoping that some people will fall for it.

By using a quality internet security product you can help keep your identity safe online so you don't end up a statistic.

An antivirus review can help to keep you safe and aware of the latest online threats.

Computer Viruses - What Are They?

What is a computer virus? Most people have heard of viruses, but many people don't really understand what they are. Often "viruses" are confused with bugs, or spyware.

A computer virus is a piece of software that gains access to your computer and there replicates itself. From there it is able to spread and infect other computers that yours is linked to.

A common misconception about viruses is that they infect the actual hardware of the computer. This is not true; viruses only infect the software that is on the computer. Another misconception is that viruses are all designed to be destructive. Again, this is not true. Some viruses only display a message or sign, others cannot even be detected by the average computer user, the only sign they are in the computer is that the system is slower than usual as the virus uses memory and power to replicate itself.

While many viruses are not harmful, merely rather frustrating, others can damage and even destroy your computer. Some viruses can even destroy entire networks, or shut down the computers of entire companies. Examples include the Melissa virus, according to HowStuffWorks, in March 1999 this virus forced the shut down of many large company's e-mail systems, or the CIH virus which according to ChannelWeb caused 20-80 billion dollars damage worldwide.

In the days before the internet was widespread, viruses were mainly spread on floppy discs. This was because floppy discs were the way people were able to share information, and so if a virus got onto one of these discs it would quickly spread to the computers of all the people who used the disc, and from there onto the discs they write to from their computers and then further onto the computers that used those new discs... And so on and so on and so on.

Nowadays with the way internet is used for sharing so much information, viruses are mainly spread online. They can be hidden inside files attached to e-mails, or hidden inside programs you download.

There are ways to protect yourself against viruses however. Antivirus programs such as Norton's, and AVG can be installed to detect and destroy any viruses that are found either on your computer or in discs you use with your computer. These programs rely on connection to the internet in order to download updates that tell them about the newest viruses and how to destroy them. In this day and age when viruses can be so dangerous to your computer, installing antivirus software and allowing it to update often is an absolute necessity.

In this day and age, where so much of our important information is held digitally, it is vital that we understand what viruses are and how to prevent them.

Keep Your Cyber Space Secure

Being secure, is a concept which most human beings want to experience in their everyday lives. It is something we no longer take for granted in our fast technological age. There are all types of security, including national security, public security, and in the physical realm we encounter airport security, school security, shopping center security and home security, just to mention a few. There is also financial or monetary security.

In the world of computing, there are also all types of security, whether it be, network security, computing security, data or information security and application security. You can try free antivirus programs for windows xp and free antivirus protection software download. There are some concepts which occur throughout varying areas of security.

• 1. Threat. This is a way of setting off a risk that is malicious.
• 2. Vulnerability. A weakness that can be exploited by a threat.
• 3. Exploit. This is a vulnerability which has been triggered by a threat.
• 4. Countermeasure is a way to stop a threat from triggering a risk event
• 5. Assurance involves the guarantee that your security system will deliver what you expect it to.
• 6. Defense insures you never rely on only one security measure. There are free antivirus programs for windows xp and free antivirus protection software download for you to try.

With all this in mind, it makes sense to ensure that you have countermeasures in place to defend your system from threats and vulnerabilities when on the Internet. Every user is continually at risk and is a potential target.

Take all the precautions necessary to keep your network, information and applications free from attack. While it should be remembered that no user is one hundred percent secure, the main objective is to keep your system as resistant as possible from attack.

• All software should be the latest version. Site Advisor or similar software is recommended along with the latest version of WordPress. Your Java run time (jre.exe) also should not be forgotten.

Do all you can to keep your cyber space secure.

MaryAnn Hay
http://allfreeantivirus.com

Hack Proof Computers - How to Detect If You've Been Hacked

Computer hacking, just like any other crime, is a serious issue. This illegal activity can lead to loss of crucial business information like client data and significant trade databases. These important data can be either lost or manipulated or copied by computer hackers and thus be used for their own personal profit. Even email addresses can pose significant threats to its users when these are exposed to hackers because these can be used to spam the victims' inbox and hinder their privacy.

Computer hacking is now being conducted side by side with identity theft. These two crimes have joined forces to claim more victims and gain more profit. Being two dangerous forces, they form a very huge threat against the privacy of individuals and businesses alike. Both can have grave consequences like loss of identity, misuse of funds, and even committing crimes without obligation. With the prevalence of both computer hacking and identity theft, one can say that the entire World Wide Web is not a very safe place anymore, no matter how virtual it can be.

There are various information that can be accessed by computer hackers that can pose critical threats to national security like confidential government data and other information that is related to national defense, and other societal issues like crimes. When these information are hacked, they can severe the entire nation and increase the risk of even the government, as a victim of identity theft crimes.

Which computer is prone to computer hacking? Every computer that is connected to the entire system of the World Wide Web is. As long as you have a cable going from your computer to your modem and your modem allows you to go online, there will always be chances that you will be a victim of identity theft crimes. When your computer is hacked, it can be transformed into a "zombie" computer. This simply means that your computer is being run by another individual (the computer hacker), thus even commands from its owner (you) will be ignored. This is very dangerous because in this situation, your personal data can be accessed and save on the hacker's computer.

Here are some signs which can indicate that your computer has been hacked:

1. Decline in computer performance. You will notice that the amount of space that your files occupy in your computer is either doubles or has made a significant increase although you have not made any downloads or transfer of huge files.

2. Unexplained modification of files. Your files are suddenly modified and when you checked the date when it was modified via properties, it shows a date that you can't remember that you did modify the file

3. Changes in network settings. Of course, computer will try to play with the settings of your network since they will try to gain access to other computers that might be connected to you.
The best way is still the most basic way to protect yourself against these computer hackers and minimize your risk of being victims of identity theft.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve identity protection monitoring and id protection plan.

How to Stay Safe on the Web

Identity theft is one of the largest growing criminal activities burgeoning in the world today and criminals are finding more ways of committing this crime without their victims even knowing it. The criminal element will always be there and your identity cannot always be guaranteed to be safe, but you can take some measures to try and prevent this intrusive crime from happening to you.

The history of identity theft

The actual term for stealing someone's identity goes back to 1964 before the domination of computers and the internet. Identities were often stolen by criminals rummaging through rubbish bags and finding old utility bills and bank statements. Armed with this information, criminals would take out loans and buy goods on credit; all at your expense.

Stores and services are strongly vigilant of this method of identity theft and will now ask for official picture identification like a passport or driving license to go along with any necessary paperwork. You can avoid this type of theft by investing in a shredder and dispose of all your paperwork carefully and in 1,000 small pieces to avoid it being legible.

Modern identity theft

The world we live in today is a world of technology and the need to protect yourself online is essential. Shopping is often carried out online, from the groceries through to a new car and many consumers will choose to carry out the transaction online by passing their security details over the internet.

On some occasions this information can be intercepted and used to commit fraud again and again over a period of many months. This can be avoided by taking care when you make purchases online that the page you use is secure.

Online protection

Identity theft is a nuisance and can cause extreme financial difficulties. To alleviate the problem and protect yourself online you should look into an anti-virus for your computer. This is the first step to take to protect yourself and one of the most commonly neglected ways in which you can fight identity thieves. Many different anti-viruses are available on the market and experts will be able to advice you on what is best for your personal online protection, which largely depends on what your computer is used for.

Scams

There are a number of scams out there where criminals trick unsuspecting members of the public into handing over their personal details. Emails, purported to come from your bank asking you to re-confirm your personal details like your address, date-of-birth and even you PIN, are just another form of identity theft. Banks will never ask for these details, they have them already and if you get this type of email forward it to your bank's security team.

Another popular internet-based scam is an email from someone who is in a third world country asking for your bank details so they can transfer in a large sum of money that you will then get half of. Delete it and ignore it as these are always part of a scam to get hold of your bank details. Above all, be very cautious and apply your common sense when you receive emails that seem too good to be true as they usually are.

To stay safe online make sure you always have the best antivirus software on your computer. Use a total pc protection program to fully protect your system.