Reconciling Parental Control Software with Internet Security Principles

Parental control software remains a useful tool to monitor your child's online activity and at the same time block inappropriate content. The fact that you are an adult does not necessarily mean you like to view offensive content, so the software can also be utilised to block offensive content on sites you often visit. Unfortunately, with the monitoring part of the software comes an inherent security risk of sensitive information that may fall into the wrong hands.

If you want to use parental control software, you need to use it responsibly, especially if you install it on a computer that is shared by several members of your household. The trustworthy members of the family need to be aware of the software and the need to have administrator privileges to disable the software before working on the computer. Parents often forget to disable the software before doing online shopping or banking, effectively allowing the key-logger component of the software to log important information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers and passwords.

Many Internet monitoring software packages take screen shots at certain intervals to capture the contents of the screen at a specific point in time. This is also dangerous if you forget to disable the monitoring part of the software, before logging into a secure area of a website. Screen shots can be taken of sensitive information that's normally only accessible behind a secure login area. All this information (keystrokes and screen shots) is stored on your hard drive, exposing it to possible exploits from crackers or spyware.

Well-written parental control software will obviously encrypt the information it logs, but crackers often decipher the encryption code in next to no time. The last thing you need is a spyware infection or an intruder on your system that can bypass the encryption of the parental control software. You don't want a stranger going through your logs if you accidentally forgot to disable the software before entering sensitive information on the Internet. So the most important thing to remember is to disable the monitoring software before you use the computer and remember to enable it again when you're done, otherwise there is no point in having the software on your computer in the first place.

Some parental control software allows you to create different profiles for different members of the family. You can for instance have a "Child" profile that blocks inappropriate content and monitors your child's activity on the web, a "Teen" profile that does not block any content, but only monitors your child's activity and a "Parent" profile that does not monitor your activity or block any content. The "Teen" profile can be activated when your teenager wants to use the computer, or you can activate the "Parent" profile if you are present while your children surfs the Internet. The "Child" profile should be used to limit Internet access while you are not at home to keep an eye on your children's Internet activity.

Kaspersky Lab recently integrated a parental control module into their Internet Security suite. It does not log keystrokes or take screen shots, it only monitors HTTP traffic. To know what your child is doing on his or her computer, you only need to monitor their Internet use. It is easy to see which games they are playing and which software they are using by examining certain areas of your system, like the Program Files folder and the Add and Remove Programs section of the control panel. Clever kids will know how to wipe this information, but most programs make connections to the Internet these days, so just by examining the HTTP traffic generated by these programs, you can easily tell which programs your child is using and which websites they are visiting.

The parental control module of Kaspersky Internet Security logs all the websites visited by your children, all the remote images loaded from e-mails that they read and all the servers they connect to for online gaming and software updates. If the logs contain entries from winamp.com, then your child is probably using Winamp to play music or movies. Entries from ea.com, might indicate that your child is playing some games developed by Electronic Arts. Your children will also download software from certain sites, which will give you another indication of what kind of software they are using. The fact that the software monitors HTTP traffic, means that you are not only limited to the traffic generated by a web browser or e-mail client, it monitors all Internet activity from any application.

The way that Kaspersky Lab approaches parental control and monitoring software, does not compromise your online safety like your conventional child monitoring software, because there is no security holes created by keystroke logging and capturing of screen data. The logs of your HTTP traffic may still contain tracking information that you may not want to reveal to advertising companies (and their spyware programs), but the beauty of this module is that it is integrated into an Internet security suite, so you are automatically protected against unauthorised access and malicious software infections, thanks to the firewall the anti-malware shields of the software. Traffic through secure servers (HTTPS) is normally encrypted, so the monitoring software only sees the encrypted data during a secure online session like Internet banking or online shopping. I still recommend that you turn of the parental control module before transmitting sensitive information over the Internet.

Up to know I basically discussed the monitoring part of parental control software. The control part allows you to block indecent content as well. Blocking inappropriate content minimises the risk of malware infections. Porn sites are often loaded with spyware, so keeping your children away from these sites, does not only protect them from exposure to harmful content, but it also protects your computer from dangerous infections. Your child's porn surfing may be the cause of a dangerous spyware infection, something you may not be aware of (especially if you don't have any spyware protection installed). You could easily log into your online banking account or enter sensitive information on the web, without realising that there are spyware lurking on your computer, watching your every move. Parental control software is not designed to protect your computer against malware infections, but preventing your children from accessing inappropriate websites, helps them to stay away from potentially dangerous websites, which is the number one rule in malware prevention.

Proper parental control software should allow you to set up filters to block specific inappropriate content, giving you complete control over what you allow your child to access on the Internet. Kaspersky Internet Security allows you to do exactly this. Lets say you want to block access to sites containing the word "murder" in the URL. You simply add the filter "*murder*" to the Parental Control Blacklist and it will block all websites containing the word "murder" in the URL. You can also blacklist specific URL's to prevent access to certain online chat rooms, web mail services or social community websites. Websites that carries your approval can be added to a white list to prevent the software from accidentally blocking it, or you may want to allow only specific pages from a site that's currently on the blacklist. The flexibility of the software allows you to fine tune the parental control software to your own specific needs, enhancing the online safety of your children.

So what is the message I'm trying to get across here? As I said at the beginning of this article, parental control and monitoring software remains a useful tool to keep an eye on your children's Internet activity when you are not present. As a parent you need to understand that parental control software poses certain security risks of you do not manage the software in a responsible way. I feel that developers of parental control software should move away from keystroke logging and screen capturing and focus on HTTP monitoring instead. Parental control software developed by a company who specialises in Internet security, gives you peace of mind that the software was designed with security as a top priority. The next step for Kaspersky Lab may be to make the module optional. Not everyone wants parental control software, but if I want to add this functionality to my computer, I'd rather buy it from a developer who has been in the Internet security industry for years, than buying the software from a developer who does not have a clue about Internet security.

About the Author
Coenraad is webmaster and founder of Cyber Top Cops, leaders in Internet security and analysts of Cyber Security Software Read our review of Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 for an in depth look into one of the most comprehensive Internet security suites in the security software industry.

What Is Multi-Factor Authentication?

Multi-Factor authentication, or sometimes called strong authentication, is an extension of two-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication involves two or more factors whereas two factor authentication only involves exactly two factors. There are three basic "factors" in existing authentication methodologies. These "factors" would be something the user knows, something the user has and something the user is. An example of something the user knows is a password or a personal identification number (PIN). Something the user has would be an item like an ATM card, smart card or cellular phone. Something the user is would be a biometric characteristic such as a fingerprint or iris scan.

An example of this kind of authentication is requiring that the user insert something the user has such as a smart card or using a cell phone (something the user has) and entering in a password (something the user knows). This authentication can be taken a step further by adding a third factor such as requiring a valid fingerprint or iris scan (something the user is).

When you are sending your personal information over the internet or over a server, are you confident that these are so-called "secure" networks? Although internet fraud has reportedly dipped in 2010 consumers are still skeptical while doing anything online that involves their personal information. In fact, in 2009 online fraud doubled from the year before.

There was a time when email passwords could be any password you choose, but even now email providers require you to have minimum length keywords and they even rate your password strength. Security is an important concern for most people and as people have needs for stronger passwords, stronger authentication is developed to meet this demand. Passwords are becoming more complex and now require minimum lengths, have symbol requirements and have restrictions to help increase security among users, but that still isn't enough.

Beyond creating more difficult passwords for someone to hack, crack or steal, there are even higher forms of security available. Multi-factor authentication is now being used by major corporations to protect your confidential information online or over their networks. Multi-factor authentication is the solution to data and identity breaches and is much more secure than just a simple one time password.

Two-Factor Authentication

With multi-factor authentication stealing a username and password is not enough. Usernames and passwords are only a single factor authentication method. In a two factor authentication system, the user provides a dual means of identification, one of which is typically a physical token such as a card or cell phone, and the other of which is typically something memorized, such as a security code. The security code is usually a one-time password sent through an SMS text message to your mobile phone, but sometimes two-factor authentication solutions provide proprietary devices that will produce an OTP for you.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi factor authentication uses a combination of two or three different ways to authenticate your identity. The first is usually a password (what you know), but can also include your response to a challenge question, known as knowledge based authentication. The second is what you have which could be a physical device such as a smart card or a hardware token that generates one time only passwords. The third is who you are, as indicated by a biometric such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. Almost ever factor approach uses a password, and then combines this with the second or third factor or both. Two-factor authentication is a multi-factor authentication, but not vice versa. With technology growing by leaps and bounds there are not only more ways of stealing your information, but more ways of combating it.

There are three independent factors to multi factor authentication: Something you know, something you have and something you are.

Something You Know
This is the traditional username and password system that we have been using for decades and still use today. This could also be your response to a challenge question, known as knowledge based authentication. With the possibility of being hacked or having your password stolen these days there had to be a more secure way of accessing confidential data. There is key logging software and other types of hardware devices to that have compromised the security of login credentials and personal logins like usernames and passwords.

Something You Have

Something you have consists of utilizing an outside network such as a mobile phone for SMS text messages or a proprietary token that creates one time passwords. Also, still used in some cases is a piece of paper that contains lists of passwords. Have you ever been sent a one-time password to access some sort of personal information such as online banking records or maybe an important account you were locked out of? That would be two-factor authentication through something you have.

Something You Are

Once you have your username, password and OTP there is only one thing left to identify you. With today's technology we can now measure our biological differences. Since everyone is unique like a snowflake utilizing biometrics to obtain access to confidential information is the most secure form of identification. Measuring parts of your body like an iris scan, fingerprints or even the spacing between fingers a security system can now authenticate a user.

Many technology vendors claim to be offering "multi factor authentication solutions" are, in fact, providing single-factor authentication approaches. Most notable are these approaches of the challenge/response approach which is often paired with a shared secret image. These kind of approaches are not true multi factor authentication solutions and are not compliant with the U.S. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, which is the formal interagency of the United States government that is empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards and reports forms for the federal examination of financial institutions.

A true multi factor authentication requires the use of solutions from two or more of the three categories of factors. Using multiple factors from the same category does not constitute multifactor authentication.

Maybe our society in this day and age is being paranoid, but it does not seem that way when everyone knows someone who has been affected by fraud. Trusting our personal data to a simple username and password is like protecting a pile of gold with a chain link fence. This type of authentication is the most effective way to authenticate a user and protect data as it is much harder to compromise combinations of something you know, something you have and something you are.

Mitchel Smith is a authentication security expert who has been in the industry of information technologies for over a decade. He provides authentication information about Two Factor Authentication and Multi Factor Authentication.

Anti-Phishing - Several Different Techniques to Combat Phishing

Phishing is a term used to describe the activity through which personal particulars like usernames and passwords and financial information like credit card details are tactfully retrieved from unsuspecting Internet users. Unlike hacking where the hacker breaks into a computer system or network and steals information, phishing is most often done with the full cooperation of the victim. This is probably what makes phishing all the more dangerous.

Phishers normally masquerade as trustworthy entities by impersonating popular organizations and websites. They would send a message to thousands of unsuspecting people asking them to confirm their username and password, threatening that their accounts would be terminated if they fail to do so. Most people never check the authenticity of such messages and immediately comply with the request. Especially when the message is written in an authoritative tone, people respond immediately to avoid any disruption in their service. This often forces them into sharing sensitive information which they would otherwise have never shared with anyone else online.

The term Phishing was first used in 1996, and is a variant of the word fishing. Just as bait is thrown in fishing to catch unsuspecting fish, Phishers send a message hoping that their victims would be "hooked" by responding to their message. Phishing initially started in the AOL network and then slowly moved to financial institutions as E-Commerce gained popularity.

Anti-Phishing Initiatives

Technological improvements and stricter legislation have been enforced to contain phishing as far as possible. Public awareness is probably the most effective weapon against this menace. Phishing is successful mainly due to the ignorance of the general public. Once they become cautious of these activities, phishing would lose much of its potency. There have indeed been massive efforts to educate the public and make them aware of this online menace. As a result, more people have become aware of phishing threats and are more cautious than they were just a year ago.

Improved browser design has made identifying phishing attempts a little easier. Most of the latest Internet browsers contain anti-phishing capabilities. Internet Explorer 8 for instance displays the domain name in black, and the rest of the URL in grey, making it easy to identify fraudulent URLs. Firefox for its part lets users create their own labels for their favorite sites. If a phisher tries to redirect them to a similar-looking fraudulent site, the browser would immediately warn the user or simply block access to the site. Most browsers also maintain their own lists of known phishing sites which they immediately block if the user tries to go to one of them. Email is another victim of phishing. Fortunately, powerful spam filters are in place these days that identity and block phishing mails from reaching the users' inbox.

Banks and other prime phishing targets have started using the services of dedicated technology groups which monitor and shut down phishing websites whenever they find them. Individuals and the public can also help by reporting phishing sites to these groups. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and equivalent bodies in other countries have taken legal action phishing offenders. Anti-Phishing Working Groups like FraudWatch International, PhishTank and Millersmiles publish the latest information on phishing scams to warn the public.

Phishing needs to be tackled using a multi-pronged approach. Cutting edge technology, stricter legislation and better user awareness are some of the defenses that can contain this online menace.

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Norton Internet Security Protection - The Leader on PC Protection

People are more dependent that ever on their computers these days. Not only do most people have a computer at work, but they also have at least one compute at home. In fact, an increasing number of families have computers that are truly personal; meaning each person in the family has their own. Norton Internet Security is a program that helps computer users to safeguard against internet security breaches.

The fact is that as computers have become more omnipresent in businesses and homes, the thieves, con men and criminals have become better and better at finding ways to circumvent internet safety protocols so that they can invade your computer and access your personal files and your personal data. Because of this, there is a flourishing computer internet security software industry that is designed to help computer users stay one step ahead of the bad guys who would like to take advantage of people who are not as internet savvy and who are not aware of the internet threats out there.

The Norton Internet Security brand of software has long been rated as one of the best programs for internet security protection. Norton has been in business for over 20 years and has been providing some of the best quality and most innovative software packages to help computer users keep their machines running in tip-top condition.

As the internet came along, along with the many internet threats, such as computer viruses and spyware, Norton kept up with internet security trends and as a result, the company developed their security package. Because of their long history in making excellent software utility programs, Norton has quickly become one of the most trusted names in the software publishing industry and is considered a leader in protection internet security these days.

The most popular version of the Norton software for internet safety is the package that retails for about $60 and that will protect up to three computers in a household. This package includes both antivirus functions, as well as spyware detection. These are two of the most basic and most important functions that should be included in internet security systems.

In addition, this reasonably priced Norton internet safety utility package also included a two-way firewall. This firewall software can boost and enhance any other firewall software that might be on your system and it is important because it can detect and prevent any kind of unauthorized access to your computer from potentially harmful websites.

The Norton security package also includes an anti-spam module, as well as parental controls that give the parents the ability to lock access to certain internet sites so that youngsters do not have access to inappropriate material or content online. This feature can also be used to protect specific files or folders on the computer so that they are not inadvertently deleted or changed by a curious child.

Similar to most of the other internet security software packages on the market today, the Norton Internet Security program is constantly being updated, improved and updated to keep up with new internet threats and to improve performance. Regularly using Norton's internet safety program will allow monitoring of email and instant messaging, assuring that viruses don't sneak into your system through these functions, thus providing an even better degree of security for your computers.

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Keep Your Website Secured

When you start an online business, you need something more than just a website with goods and services. If you plan to sell merchandise on your website, it's your duty to see that the transaction is done safely. When customers use their credit cards or any mode of payment, they are always worried about the security. As the owner of the website, you have to make your customers feel safe and secure. Getting SSL is very important. It will help you appear trust worthy and protect your customers. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an encryption technology that was created by Netscape. It is a type of protocol that helps to protect online transactions. You get a security certificate known as SSL certificate. It preserves the authenticity of your website. Internet security is an issue of worry these days. It is therefore important to take all safety measure to secure your website.

Socket Secure Layer helps to protect the personal payment information that customers enter on your website. When the customer enters information for payment, it is sent over the internet to be approved by the bank. It is possible for the information to leak during the transaction. Credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers are used every day over internet. It raises the risk of identity theft. The SSL certificates are issued from certificate authority. Certificate authorities are entities which issues digital certificates to organizations or people after validating them. Vrisign and Thawte are two such CAs. There are special types of SSL certificates. AlphaSSL Wildcard or Wildcard SSL certificate secures an unlimited number of first level sub domains on a single domain name.

The number of internet crime is increasing day by day. Most internet shoppers want to know that their information is safe. If their money is stolen or they become the prey of identity theft, then the website owner may have to blunt the blame. As customers, people want to know that the website owner values their privacy and their security. As a website owner you have to make sure that their trust remains intact on you. If your website consists of SSL certificate, the customers will feel secure and won't worry about internet security. It will ensure the customers that you send encrypted information through secure sockets layer (SSL); it will make them more comfortable to shop on your website. Secure sockets layer also verifies your identity. Many scam artist set up websites that look legitimate, but they are not. These websites steal information when the potential customers try to make payments.

With the help of SSL certificate your website is verified as secure. It is a relief for you as well as your customers. You can either buy these SSL certificates online or purchase them from certificate authorities. There are many websites that provide you with the variety of such certificates. It is more cost effective to buy them online.

S Jensen is the author of this article on AlphaSSL Wildcard. Find more information, about Verisign here

How To Monitor Employees' Computers To Protect Your Business

Many employers don't know how to monitor employees' computers to protect their own business interests, and that's costing them up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity a year, in addition to putting their business in grave danger of the online threats that are out there. Identity and intellectual property theft are huge costs that threaten to cripple any business whose owner does not know how to monitor employees' computers, regardless of how trustworthy the employees in question are thought of. Here's why every employer must know how to monitor employees' computers to protect their business.

Why You Must Know How To Monitor Employees' Computers To Protect Your Business

Like it or not, not every employee that you hire into your business can be regarded as infallible. The severity of the risk to your business may range from your employee surfing the internet and chatting with friends while your back is turned, all the way to him or her stealing proprietary business secrets and selling it to your competitors or keeping it for their own advantage. You won't know until it is too late, unless you have the training of how to monitor your employees' and the software you need to do it discreetly and effectively.

There are a few good quality software programs that will allow you to be able to master how to monitor your employees computer to protect your business. These software programs will allow you to block certain popular "time wasting" sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as private email clients like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. With certain monitoring software products, you'll also be able to filter their emails for sensitive keywords and/or attachments and in very extreme cases, monitor every action they do on the computer.

How To Monitor Employees' Computers - Is It Legal?

Yes, installing monitoring software on computers that you own is 100% legal, and as a business owner, it's your right. Your employees are at your workplace to perform work related tasks, and unless you specifically allow them to take "internet breaks" to send private emails and chat with their friends and family, they should not do so. To take it one step further, you may want to require every employee to sign agreements that make it clear that they are not allowed to do so on company time.

Just the fact that your employees know that you know how to check your employees' computers and are actively taking steps to do so will provide a strong deterrent to any one of them attempting some kind of prohibited or damaging activities. So what's the best way of how to monitor employees' computers? You'll definitely want to use a good software program, and the best program in terms of both functionality and price is NetSpy Pro.

With NetSpy Pro, you'll be able to learn how to monitor employees' computers with ease.

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Protecting Your Virtual Private Network

The virtual private network (VPN) has opened up a wide range of possibilities for remote network access to files from almost any geographic location. Using VPN software, computer users can access the files on their home or office computer anywhere they can get a reliable Internet connection. Unfortunately, this easy access to files has also created a new threat in the form of data thieves, criminals who steal personal or sensitive information for personal gain or malicious use.

To protect your information and enhance your network security, you should incorporate a few simple protocols into your system. The first step in virtual private network protection is the creation of a secure password. Data thieves, commonly called hackers, use a variety of tools to discover the passwords used to access a private network. Security experts tell us that common passwords, such as words found in the dictionary or numeric sequences, can be broken very quickly, sometimes within a matter of minutes, using a brute force attack tool.

By making your virtual private network password more complex you can protect your network security and ensure that your private files remain private. Secure passwords include both letters and numbers, as well as special characters. For the best possible protection, these passwords should be randomly chosen alphanumeric and special character sequences, rather than dictionary based words or calendar dates that could be easily guessed. Longer passwords of at least thirteen characters further enhance your private network security.

One great tool for virtual private network security is the password generator and storage program. Many free or low-cost options are available for these tools which ensure your passwords are unique and secure. The storage area of the program should be encrypted and locked with a master password as well in case your laptop or remote computer is ever stolen. By doing this, it protects your passwords from theft and misuse while making them easy to retrieve for your own personal use. It also makes it possible to create a different virtual private network password for every network you connect to regularly to ensure that your other virtual private networks remain private even if one is compromised.

In addition to using secure passwords, you can also choose to enhance your VPN security by using encryption. Encryption is a method of scrambling the data into an unrecognizable stream and then reassembling it properly on the remote machine that has the correct decryption software. By running encryption software at both ends of the virtual private network, security is maintained and communications remain safe from data thieves.

Finally, adding a warning system to your VPN security arsenal can further protect your privacy. These systems are software based and range in price from freeware to the very expensive, depending upon the level of protection you need. In most cases, this software logs the Internet protocol (IP) address of the remote computer, the time the connection was made and the files accessed. High end software may even send alerts to the system administrator when an unknown IP address accesses information or if the wrong user account or password has been entered multiple times, alerting you to the possibility of a brute force attack on your network.

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Is Your Website Being Hacked? Here Is How To Secure Your Website

Your website is one of the most precious commodities that you own as a small-, medium-, or large-sized business. When functioning properly, it can help to support your clients and customers and also garner new business for your organization. Some sites are even revenue generators directly, through concepts such as advertising and eCommerce. In order to keep your site functioning smoothly, you want it to have the best protection available, but hackers these days are pretty good at working the system and getting to you even when you think that you are fully protected. When your site deals in credit transactions, they could even be siphoning money directly from your account. How do you know (before it's too late) whether or not you are being hacked, and what must you do to protect your website from these Internet lowlifes?

First of all, you need a quality hosting provider that you can trust. The better ones will offer you the ability to set up secure shopping carts in order to give your customers peace of mind. These are distinguished typically via the "https://" designation. When you run things securely, the types of visitors that you get, as well as the types of advertisers, will be of better reputation, and so you can avoid certain hassles right there. While there is often a temptation to chase the money when you are trying to generate advertising revenue, you want to investigate the people that you do business with. Just because someone is willing to pay your asking price for a banner ad, that doesn't mean they are completely on the up-and-up. One site felt a direct impact from indirect hacking via a disreputable advertiser, who used their site prominently on spyware that was then distributed throughout the Internet leading to a blacklist from Google that took weeks to clear up. Some site owners are not so fortunate.

Staying on top of hackers and the tricks they use to hurt your reputation and your site revenue can be a lot more difficult with a poor hosting provider. Most of the bigger names in the industry, such as IX Web Hosting, keep their systems on the cutting edge of Internet security. Ideally, as a site owner, you want this aspect of your business to be on autopilot, but you must still safeguard your information by routine maintenance and awareness of the protections that are out there for you.

Your best defense against the Internet predators out there today is to stay apprised of the content management systems and software technologies that are available to you through your hosting provider. When you know how a hacker can strike and what the latest safeguards are, it becomes easier to protect your site.

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Do You Have Internet Security Issues?

Each and every day, people just like you are targeted and their Internet security is breached. The unfortunate truth is that you usually don't know it has happened until it is too late. Now you may think that the people targeting your Internet transmissions are cyber thieves and hackers. They may very well be, but there are also others who may be targeting you who are not quite such obvious suspects, including your friends, boss, co-workers, and even your very own family. If you aren't using the highest level of encryption software around, you can bet you probably have Internet security issues!

So what can high-level encryption software do to prevent Internet security issues from happening to you? The top-of-the-line software products allow you to gain access to sites you normally don't have access to, protect your data as it is transmitted over the Internet, and can even make it appear as though you are connecting from a location outside of the U.S. Such software programs also have other benefits as well, including the ability to un-ban yourself from boards and forums where you may currently be banned, and the ability to fully prevent anyone from breaking into or viewing your Internet communications. Essentially, such software takes back all of your privacy on the Internet and even adds additional benefits that allow you to freely use the Internet at your leisure.

Internet security issues can be more than a real pain. They can, in fact, cause you financial grief and sometimes legal issues, too. If you have been watching your step on the Internet and have been afraid of others watching you, you can rest assured that with the right encryption software, they won't be able to see your transmissions or censor your Internet experience in anyway. Take a look at some of the top software options available to you today!

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Tips on Improving Internet Security

A main concern of those who have come to think of their computer as their lifeline to the world is Internet Security. Many programs have been designed to prevent hacking and identity theft, but for many the solution comes too late. However, there are many things individuals can do to ensure their safety while working and playing on the worldwide web.

The compromise of, supposedly, secure websites is an ever-growing problem. During such times personal data is often stolen and accounts are vulnerable to theft. However, this is not as common as one might think. More common occurrences are attacks by sites like spyware or look-alike sites that end up collecting personal data such as email addresses and login information. Since it often happens to individuals rather than groups, it makes many people extremely nervous when putting personal information online.

Internet security can be vulnerable to today's high-tech crackers, but it's important to remember that there are laws in place to protect individuals. Additionally, individual web-based companies are working overtime to protect those visiting their sites. Hackers test the vulnerability of systems and then find ways to overcome weaknesses. Although they have gotten a bad reputation over time, in actuality they are hired by companies to ensure software is hack-proof prior to release.

Crackers are the ones that need to be caught. These are the people who find the backdoors in systems and then exploit these weaknesses for personal gain. Their access is usually covert and illegal and they are usually professionals that specialize in creating viruses that eat security systems. For the most, few get caught until they get greedy. This new type of hacker took the industry unprepared and, although originally with the goal of just seeing if they could access highly protected systems, it wasn't long before they started attacking individual users. Since they first appeared, many anti-hacking laws have been implemented, yet catching them has become a full-time job that generates few results.

Although protecting personal data is difficult, there are several things individuals can do to protect themselves. First and foremost is to limit the amount of information that's input into web-based systems. Additionally, unless a site is well-known, don't trust it. It's better to make a phone call than to order something online and give so much information that identity can be stolen. Finally, one of the most blatant errors people make is not reading the fine print before they hit "I agree." If the contract has grammar and spelling errors it's probably fraudulent.

There are many other ways to improve Internet Security and knowing the laws and how to protect one's self is important. The web has created many opportunities, but it has also made everyone online vulnerable to identify theft. The best way to increase protection is to become knowledgeable about weaknesses in the system as well as to always use caution.

For more information on Internet Security, visit one of the many different portals for internet security that can be found on the internet. Many of these contain databases with listings of security software solutions.

Internet Cafe Safety - Protect Your Online Identity

This article is primarily intended for travellers on their round the world trip, Gap Year or Sabbatical. Travellers are often the most vulnerable, being in a foreign land with limited funds with only the use of public internet facilities to contact family and friends. They are often advised by travel websites and fellow travellers to take copies of their itineraries, photo copy of passwords, emergency contact numbers, travellers cheques numbers, etc. in their email accounts so in the case of an emergency these details are available.

Internet Cafe's are often frequented by travellers and normal folk alike to update their blogs, pay bills and keep in touch with friends and family. Hopefully over the course of this article, it will educate the traveller and other users of public internet services about some of the possible risks associated with using these services.

so what are the potential risks?

Hackers can easily exploit public internet facilities where the desktop machines are not hardened (i.e. not fully patched with the latest security updates, anti-virus products, firewalls, unrestricted admin access etc).

In vulnerable environments hackers can install keylogging software / hardware keyloggers to capture keystrokes typed on a keyboard. If you enter credentials to log into email, the keystrokes entered into the keyboard whilst entering the credentials are logged. This allows the hackers to review the keylogger logs to extract your credentials. The hacker can then log into you email and peruse at their leisure sifting through your emails for sensitive data that can be used for criminal activity (identity theft etc). There is a suggestion that using a virtual keyboard can be used to defeat keyloggers. Whilst this may be true for hardware keyloggers, sophisticated software keyloggers can still capture the keyboard input of virtual keyboards.

Another tool hackers can install are Network Sniffers / Protocol analysers. This software will capture data packets to and from the workstation (data on the wire!). Therefore if you are using Instant Messaging / Email and are sending and receiving messages, the sent messages is converted to data packets if sent, and converted from data packets to messages if received (simplified view of what happens). This happens as the messages leave or enters the computer. Network sniffers capture the data while they are in the form of data packets. Anything not encrypted can be read by the hacker. Therefore a email / Instant messaging conversation that exchange sensitive information can be captured and sifted through by the hacker (to glean information to support criminal activities).

The non technical scam used by the the hacker is shoulder surfing, where your the hacker looks at your keyboard while you are entering your credentials when logging into a website or bank to uncover the password.

These are just some of the many techniques used by hackers to extract sensitive data. Some practical countermeasures are discussed in cyber cafe safety. Also accompany this with safe travel advice to ensure you are safe both online and offline whilst travelling.

Virtual And Physical Security For Your Business

If you want to succeed in your business, security is a basic concern you must address from the start. Whether you're online or in a physical office, you should be able to safeguard both your information and equipment so you can keep them running for a long time. How can you continue to transact with your customers if your database is constantly being hacked? How can you sell your goods when your store is constantly being ransacked? There are many ways that a security breach can happen, and there are many ways that it can compromise the security of your business. Hence, you should take the time to apply measures to prevent it from happening.

There are two aspects that you must look into when you consider the security of your business - virtual and physical. The virtual aspect is all about your information and keeping it safe from abuse. For example, if you own a supermarket, you're going to maintain an inventory list of all the items you sell alongside their prices. There can be other pertinent information that you need to keep in order to operate your business in an organized manner. When this information is compromised by unauthorized access, you could have your business in disarray which will inevitably affect customer experience. Thus, it is necessary for you to impose information security measures in order to avoid this scenario. Some of the basic precautions you can take are the following:

• Define employees' roles in dealing with high-risk data - who gets to print, read and connect to the Internet?
• Make it a company policy for all employees to log out of their database accounts in order to prevent unauthorized access.
• Install anti-malware or programs that control the entry and spread of viruses, bugs and other contaminants into your local area network.
• Use encryption when sending confidential data over the local area network or the Internet.

Aside from virtual security, you also need to protect the physical equipment that you house in your office or warehouse. The machines and devices you use are vital in your business' success, so make sure only those whom you trust and those who will need to use these use these things are the ones who can actually touch them. The dangers of unauthorized access are not only limited to thefts or robberies. Those pieces of equipment could actually be damaged when handled by untrained personnel. To secure them, consider the following measures:

• Assign a person or a team who will take turns in opening and closing the premises every day.
• Make sure everyone used an ID.
• Install security cameras for large work spaces.
• Provide lockers for employees so they can keep their valuables away from their place of work.
• Regularly conduct an inventory of all office equipment.

Boost your office security by providing an access door where you can regulate the entry of employees into your premises. Drywall access door and duct access door are other options for your other on site security needs.

Remove TSPY ZBOT XXT in Order to Restore System Security

While accessing social networking sites like Facebook you might have received message or an attachment promoting a freeware tool FB IPsecure.exe to reduce the user spamming. Most of the people unknowingly download this tool which further poses threat to their system. Basically this tool is a malicious file that spread malware into your system. Recently this tool is identifies as TSPY_ZBOT.XXT. It is spyware not a Facebook tool that badly affects your operating system including Windows 7. So, if you have unintentionally downloaded this fake FB tool then remove TSPY_ZBOT.XXT immediately to prevent your system from damages.

This harmful spyware uses social engineering methods to generates malicious routines and perform harmful actions to ruin the system performance. Once the spyware enters your system it modifies Windows registry and changes system settings. TSPY_ZBOT.XXT spyware attack your system during Facebook visit via spam emails and attachments. So, take proper care while accessing any emails or opening any type of attachments.

Impacts of TSPY_ZBOT.XXT

• It alters windows registry by creating malicious keys and entries
• The spyware changes system settings
• It inserts JavaScript code in the Web pages
• It executes malicious routines in the affected system
• Adds additional malware to the system
• Hijack web browser and redirect it to remote sites
• Monitor user web-browsing habits
• It sends browsing history to remote server
• It downloads configuration file from remote URL
• It steal personal information
• It disables Firewall and Windows security updates

With the help of JavaScript code and keyloggers it attempts to steal confidential data like user names, password, security codes and other information. It automatically gets started after each login to Windows and executes its malicious codes in the system. It terminates other application and degrades the performance of system. So, you should quickly remove TSPY_ZBOT.XXT in order to restore your system security.

Steps for Removal

You can remove this spyware manually as well as automatically. In manual removal process you should take proper care as minor mistake leads to serious problems. To remove it manually you should follow the following steps:

• Delete browser cookies and caches
• Stop running process of spyware
• Delete its registry keys and entries
• Delete hidden files and folders from every location of your system

In order to remove TSPY_ZBOT.XXT automatically use should use effective Registry Cleaner. It will repair the damaged registry and clean up infected files and folders.

Ken kiara is experienced computer technician who has done numerous research on malware programs and related errors. After continuous research she has developed effective antispyware programs to fix the error and remove the threat. You can get the required information about such programs through this article. For more information you can visit: Remove TSPY_ZBOT.XX
For Details visit: http://www.windows7errors.net

Immediately Remove Vista Guard From Your PC

Vista Guard is a bogus anti-spyware program which ensures about the system security but actually demean the system performance. This fake application belongs to the family of XP Guard program which is really very hazardous. It is basically designed to cheat computer user so that they can buy its fake license. It automatically installs in the system whenever you visit any blocked or unauthorized sites. This application will make your desktop cluttered as it creates shortcuts of several files and also generate several strange icons. It shows several errors, warnings or alert messages which indicates that your system is infected. One such warning message is as such:-

Internet Explorer alert. Visiting this site may pose a security threat to your system!

Once this rogue application installed in your system then it means that your system is unsafe. With the aim of making your system secure you will have to remove Vista- Guard as soon as possible.

Harmful impacts of Vista Guard:-

• Displays annoying pop ups and warnings
• Creates shortcuts of several files and folders
• Redirects your browser to any malicious sites
• Hijack web browser
• Leads to system crash
• Steals your confidential data
• Slow down the system speed
• Violates system security
• Degrades the system performance
• Modify registry entries
• Halts several executable processes or applications

How to remove Vista Guard:-

To get rid of the above mentioned issues you will have to remove this hazardous program quickly. You can remove this program by following the below cited manual steps:-

• Delete all its related files and programs
• Stop all its executable system processes
• Remove all the registry entries related to this fake program

But, manual steps are not at all safe as any single mistake or fault can cause a big problem. Any slip-up during manual process can crash the system which is really irritating. In order to remove this fake program safely you will have to use genuine Anti Spyware software. This software completely scans the system, detect all available malicious programs and then remove it within a short duration.

It has been said earlier that this rogue program modify the registry entries, creates several infected files etc. which degrades the system performance and makes PC slower. To overcome these awful situations, you will have to use PC maintenance tool which is very much influential in increasing the system performance. This tool instantly deletes the corrupted registry entries, remove infected files and thus make your PC safe and secure.

Samaria Kallie is one of the experienced technicians and has done a long research about various virus and malware attacks. In this article she is giving the relevant information about Vista Guard and also suggesting effective ways to remove Vista Guard. For getting more information,visit:- http://www.howtofixerror.com

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.