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Articles
Spyware. History and Description
by: Leif Wheeler
The first known use of the expression “spyware” occurred on
October 17th, 1994 in a post that joked about Microsoft's
business model. Spyware later came to allude to snoop equipment
such as diminutive cameras. In early 2000, the man who started
Zone Labs used the term in a press release for a new product.
Since then, the computer-community has used the term in its
current definition.
Spyware often comes wrapped-in with shareware or other
software, and with music CDs. The user installs a program, for
example, a file-trading utility or music program. The installer
also installs the spyware. Even though the acceptable software
itself may not do harm, the wrapped-in spyware does.
Occasionally, spyware authors will pay shareware creators to
wrap-in spyware with their software. An example is the Gator
spyware distributed by Claria. There are instances when spyware
authors will repackage desirable free software with destructive
installers that add spyware.
Another way of propagating spyware is by tricking users. A
program will manipulate a security feature that is supposed to
prevent harmful installations. Internet Explorer is designed to
stop websites from starting an unwanted download. Alternately, a
user action must normally trigger a download (like clicking on a
link). Nevertheless, links can prove misleading. For example, a
pop-up may look like a normal Windows dialog box. The box
contains wording like "Do you want to improve your Internet
experience?" with links that look like real buttons reading No
and Yes. It doesn’t matter which button the user selects, a
malicious download will start, installing the spyware on the
user's computer. Newer versions of Internet Explorer offer
better security against this tactic.
Many unscrupulous spyware creators infect a computer by going
after security weaknesses in the Web browser or in other
applications on the targeted computer. When the user arrives at
a Web site controlled by the spyware creator, the site includes
code that forces the download and installation of spyware or
infiltrates the browser. This kind of spyware creator will have
broad knowledge of commercial-quality firewall and anti-virus
programming. This is commonly known as a “drive-by download”. It
leaves the user an unfortunate onlooker to the intrusion.
Conventional "browser attacks" target security weaknesses in
Microsoft Java Runtime and Internet Explorer.
Another problem in the case of some kinds of spyware programs
is that they will replace the banner ads on visited web sites.
Spyware that acts like a Browser Helper or web proxy can replace
a site's own advertisements with advertisements that benefit the
spyware author. This can seriously affect the revenue stream of
advertising funded web sites.
There have been instances when a worm or virus has delivered
a cargo of spyware. For example, some attackers used the
W32.Spybot.Worm to set up spyware that caused pornographic ads
to pop up on the screens of an infected system. By re-routing
traffic to commercial sites that are set up to funnel funds to
the spyware creators, they can profit even by such obviously
illegal actions. |
Is There Spyware And Adware On Your Computer??
by: Malcolm Moorhouse
The Shocking Facts are that 85% to 90% of computers that are
connected to the internet today are infected by some type of adware and
spyware!- Source CNN
These malicious software programs Invade your privacy and send
personal and private data to third parties and also take up hard drive
space and slow down your PC.
Spyware tracks your on line internet browsing and surfing habits. It
moniters each location you visit and what you have looked up on that
site. Spyware programs can even track every keystroke you make on your
keyboard and record every bit of data you add to a online form, such as
name, location and credit card data when you make a purchase. This can
lead to identity hijacking and theft of personal and private credit card
information. Your PC surfing habits and personal and private information
is then sold to third parties.
Adware is another kind of spyware. It doesn't work by tracking your
information as spyware does, but what it can do is literally switch your
browser settings without your permission. It can cause pop up ads to
appear on your PC. A toolbar can also be installed on your computer
without your knowledge. Most of us are unaware of the presence of adware
programs installed on our computer untill it starts to slow down, crash,
blue screen or programs stop working properly.
The spyware business is a billion dollar a year industry with people
getting very rich selling the information they steal about you.
Downloading and installing anti-spyware software will remove and
protect your computer from spyware, adware, keyloggers, pop ups, trojans
and worms. |
Computer Security
– It’s Bigger Than Spyware And Viruses
by: D. David Dugan
Computer security, in basic terms
means keeping your computer and the data
that’s in it safe and secure. More of
our personal data is stored in or
accessed from our computer, now more
than ever before. Yet most people lack
even the basic understanding of how to
keep their computers safe and secure. By
following just a few simple rules you
can dramatically improve the overall
security of your computer.
The first thing to understand is what
exactly it means to be connected to the
internet. Your computer connected to the
internet is similar to your house in
many ways. There are many ways into your
house. Windows, doors, etc. The more
windows and doors you have, the more
ways someone has into your house. An
open door doesn’t necessarily mean you
are going to be robbed, but it does
improve the chances. Complicating
matters, the ones that you think are
locked, may not be because the lock is
faulty or even the door itself may have
an as of yet undiscovered flaw that
would allow an intruder easy access to
your home.
Your computer has many windows and
doors, not all of which are locked. New
flaws are being found everyday, often
with the fix not coming until days
after. Just like you wouldn’t leave your
front door unlocked, you shouldn’t leave
your computer wide open either. The
first two things we will discuss to help
with this task are installation of a
quality firewall and regularly updating
your installed software.
Updating your software is becoming
easier these days, especially your
Operating System. We don’t have the time
here to go into detail about the many
ways to update the many software
packages you may have or use, but
generally speaking the software
manufacturer will provide you a way to
do this automatically via the internet.
A good example of this is the Microsoft
Windows Update feature. Be sure to get
the updates for everything installed on
your computer, nothing is too trivial.
There are two basic types of
firewalls and both perform the same
functions. One is hardware the other is
software. A hardware firewall is
probably included in your router if you
are using one, while you may or may not
have a software firewall installed. To
continue our house analogy, a firewall
is like building a wall and gate around
your home and giving the guard at the
gate instructions on who to let in and
out. While this does give a great deal
of protection, it is not all that is
required. Someone may know a way around
or under your wall, or even be able to
coerce the guard into letting them in.
You yourself may unwittingly allow
someone in. This could happen by simply
opening an email or even simply surfing
the net. Spyware, viruses, trojans and
the like are ever more adept in their
methods of fooling you and your guards.
Emails may come from a trusted friend
containing a dangerous virus without
them even knowing it. This is where the
next layer of protection comes in,
anti-virus software.
Anti-virus software is a large
category these days. Often these
packages come as “suites” including a
firewall and Spyware scanner. While most
of these programs are very effective in
their promised tasks, it is not wise to
be lulled into a false sense of security
by them. They are simply one layer in
what should be a multi tiered protection
plan for you and your computer. One last
important note about anti virus software
is to be sure that it updates on a
regular basis. New threats come out
daily so check its updates manually to
be sure they have happened.
Back to our house analogy, we now
have all of our windows, doors and other
entry ways locked and fully updated. We
have a wall around our house with a
guard at the gate and we have software
scanning everything that comes in past
the gate. Sounds pretty good, but
there’s one last security hole we need
to address, you.
A large percentage of infections are
caused by the computer user themselves.
The internet is an ever changing place
that requires it’s users to be educated
about its use. I’m not suggesting that
you need to be a computer expert to
simply read your email. I am however
suggesting that you take some time to
educate yourself on some of the dangers
that pop up everyday, and the
precautions to take in order to avoid
them.
In summary, your computer is a
powerful machine connected to one of the
greatest things ever invented, the
internet. This vast resource can be a
dangerous place if you are not properly
prepared and informed. Regular software
updates, a good firewall, anti virus
software and a little education are the
basics in computer security. Having and
understanding these basics will make
your computer safer, more secure and
more enjoyable. |
Protect Your PC with these
Top Free Software Programs
by: Bill Adler
This is a dangerous world for a computer
user- threats multiply by the hour designed to
swipe your data, cripple your network, steal
your identity and in general- wreck havoc.
Fortunately you can arm yourself to battle these
menaces with several top software programs. And
the best part is that these applications are
free. So strap on your seatbelt and let’s get
started!
The first weapon in your arsenal should be
anti-virus protection. Many of the popular and
expensive programs tend to slow down PC
performance and require an annual paid
subscription. My impression is that they work no
better than their “freeware” cousins. A good
recommendation/alternative is AVG Free Edition
from Grisoft. This program may not feature every
single bell and whistle offered by some of the
more commercially available apps, but it does
provide rock-solid protection with all the tools
needed to keep your system free of viruses,
worms and Trojans.
Next in line: the firewall. A firewall is
essential in preventing others from breaking
into your machine. These hackers will steal your
data, destroy your system or attempt to convert
your computer into a “spam zombie” (remotely
using your computer to send spam email) so using
an effective firewall is a must. Owners of
Windows XP (Home or Professional Edition) may be
familiar with its built in firewall, however
many options abound. While there are numerous
offerings in this category, the Zone Alarm Free
Firewall is a sure bet.
Now that we have anti-virus and firewall
protection, let’s address a topic I hear more
and more frequently: what to do with all of
those pesky passwords? Luckily there is a
stellar new program, CyberScrub KeyChain
designed specifically to address this perplexing
problem. Distributed free, KeyChain stores not
only your user names and passwords, but all of
your addresses and credit card details. All
passwords and sensitive data are stored under a
single master pass phrase, eliminating the need
to recall scores of unique access combinations.
You simply highlight and click a password
protected website from a small browser toolbar
and KeyChain fills in and submits your log in
details. As powerful web-based form filler, the
long and tedious process of typing in your
credit card and address info is a click away,
making shopping a snap. All data is protected
with strong encryption for your safety.
Of course no discussion of computer
protection would be complete without discussing
the scrounge of spyware. Every bit as insidious
as a computer virus, spyware seems to multiply
exponentially with new forms of malware limited
only by the creative schemes of the evil
geniuses that produce them. Spyware can easily
take control of your machine, opening and
closing your CD bay, serving objectionable
browser ads, hijacking your homepage, logging
your keystrokes to steal your passwords and
more. So if you don’t have protection against
this menace, take action now. Lavasoft offers a
very good program, Ad-Aware SE Personal.
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it
will provide the essentials to protect your PC
and data. So don’t delay- your computer needs
you!
About The Author
Copyright 2006 Bill Adler. No restrictions or compensation due for
reproduction. Bill Adler is a free-lance
writer specializing in all areas of
computer security.
billadler.com |
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Securing your Wireless Network
by: Jim Rutherford
When one thinks about home security, they usually
think of taking measures like installing alarms,
deadbolts, and window locking devices. But if you have a
wireless computer network like many American homes, your
personal data (credit card numbers and banking
information) could be open to hackers.
When you first purchase and turn on your wireless
router, the router manufacturer makes it dead simple to
connect your wireless devices. Out of the box, your
wireless router is unsecured. Given that most wireless
routers have a range of around 100 feet, if your
neighbors have wireless devices, they can connect just
as easy as you can. Even worse, hackers can drive past
your house with a $29 wireless network detector and
discover and connect to your unsecured network!
The good news is that you can perform 4 very basic
steps to secure your wireless network and prevent
hackers from gaining access to your data. You will need
to consult the manual for your wireless router to
perform the actual tasks described here.
1. Reset the Router's Password
There are only a handful of wireless router
manufacturers and each one uses a common default
password. Linksys uses '1234' and Netgear uses
'password'. Any hacker will try these passwords first to
gain access to your network. So change the password to
prevent hackers from accessing your data.
2. Turn off SSID Broadcasting
Your wireless network needs to have a unique name to
distinguish it from other wireless networks. The Service
Set IDentifier is always set to broadcast by default.
Once again this is done to make it easy to connect to
your wireless network for the first time. By
broadcasting the SSID, you are making it easy for
hackers to connect to your network. So consult your
users manual and find out how to change your SSID to a
unique name, and turn off the SSID Broadcast feature.
3. Enable WEP Encryption
Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) is a technology
that will encrypt all traffic that goes over your
wireless network. By default, your router will have WEP
turned off, meaning that all of your personal data is
transfered across you wireless network in plain text.
Once again, this is an easy target for even the most
inexperienced hacker. Enabling WEP is very easy, and
should be enabled as soon as you possibly can.
4. Setup a MAC Address Filter
Finally the most advanced tip offered here is to
setup MAC address filtering. Every computer wireless
adapter has a unique id called a MAC Address. You can
tell your router to only allow access to devices with a
particular MAC address. This is probably the most
effective step you can take to secure you wireless
network.
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Organize Your Folders to Optimize
Efficiency
by: Aldene Fredenburg
Files proliferate quickly on personal computers and, without
a bit of planning, users can end up hunting through a long list
of miscellaneous files with names that seemed sensible when they
were created, but now appear very mysterious.
Windows automatically saves new text files in My Documents
and graphics files in My Pictures unless you tell it
differently- great for knowing where your files land, but not so
great when it comes time to find them again. A little planning
will help you create an easy to use organizational system for
all your documents.
Using nested folders is an easy way to organize your
documents. Do you use your computer for both personal and
business projects? Think about creating a separate folder for
"Personal" and "Business" documents. Within these folders,
divide into additional categories.
In the "Personal" folder, you may find a mishmash of letters
to friends and family, letters to the editor of your local
newspaper, complaints to companies about unsatisfactory
products, downloaded recipes and website pages about a variety
of topics, and so on. A "Correspondence" folder could be divided
into more folders labeled "Friends and Family" and "Business
Correspondence"; the "Friends and Family" folder could be
further subdivided into folders for each individual, assuming
you correspond regularly; you could add a "Miscellaneous" folder
for those you correspond with infrequently. If you communicate
via email, you could also copy and paste or download your own
emails and the responses you receive, particularly where the
letters contain valuable information. Your "Friends and Family"
folder may also be a good place to store personal photos.
Take a good look at the website downloads and miscellaneous
files you've gathered. Do you have a lot of recipes, or
information about vintage cars or alternative energy resources?
Create broad categories, and then subdivide; "Alternative Energy
Resources" suggests several subcategories: "Wind", "Solar", "Biodiesel",
etc.
On the business end, you may have correspondence, project
notes, background materials, finished and in-progress writings,
and a variety of financial files. A number of organizational
options present themselves; in terms of financial files, do you
want to group them all together in a single folder and subdivide
as necessary? Or do you want to keep the financial files with
the corresponding project files?
Say you do freelance work for several companies, and have a
variety of files for each company. One method of organizing is
to create a "Freelance" folder, then a folder for each client;
subdivide each of these into "General Information", "Projects",
"Invoices", "Correspondence", and so on. The "Invoices" folder
for each client could be subdivided again by year, and contain
all invoices you've sent the client. "Projects" folders could be
subdivided into "New Projects", "Work in Progress", "Done but
not Sent" (for files you need to submit), and "Sent". This not
only helps you saves finished files, but allows you to organize
your work as you do it.
In the "Freelance" folder, you may also want to provide a
"Financial Summary" folder containing one or several files which
summarize the financial information for all clients.
While you're planning your file organization, also give some
thought to how to name your files. It helps to create a
systematic way of naming files. Invoices, for instance, could
include "Invoice" plus the name of your client, the project, and
the date submitted: "Invoice Harvard Stephen Crane 10-20-2005".
Correspondence about the project could be labeled
"Correspondence Harvard Stephen Crane 10-20-2005". It's easy
enough to rename existing files to fit into your new
organization plan; in Windows, simply right-click on the file's
icon, scroll down to "Rename", left-click, then type in the new
name.
Don't forget to back up your files! Burn a CD to save your
information and free up your hard drive in the process. And
apply the same type of planning with your backup files as you do
on your hard drive. A little organization can make your life on
the computer a whole lot easier.
About The Author
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New
Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics.
She has published numerous articles in local and
regional publications on a wide range of topics,
including business, education, the arts, and local
events. Her feature articles include an interview with
independent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a
feature on prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison
in Concord. She may be reached at
amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
articles@tipsandtopics.com
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This article was posted on November 25, 2005
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5 Google Search Engine Tips To Help You Find
Information Faster
by: Jason Lewis
The most common way most people use Google to search for information;
is to just type in a few words and click on the search button. However,
as I'm sure you know, you are normally confronted with many thousands of
pages to wade through, sometimes millions, so it can often be very hard
to find exactly what you're looking for.
Here are 5 useful tips to help you find stuff faster, when you are
using the Google search engine:
1. Use The 'Exact Phrase' Search Option
When you do a basic search, Google returns results for all web pages
that contain the words you typed in.
For example, you may want find information about a car you want to
buy. You might type in: used Mercedes
Google will return web pages containing both the keywords 'used' and
'Mercedes', somewhere on the page. You might find a web page containing
a story, where the word 'used' is near the top of the page, and the word
'Mercedes' is at the bottom of the story. There might not be any mention
of the exact phrase 'used Mercedes' anywhere on the page.
So, to narrow things down, put the phrase inside quotation marks like
this:
"used Mercedes"
Google will now only display results for web pages containing the
exact phrase of "used Mercedes"
2. Be More Specific With Your Searches
To narrow down your search even further, you should try expanding on
your initial keywords, by adding more specific words and phrases. If you
are looking for a particular car model, try adding that to your search
like this:
"used Mercedes C280"
This will weed out a lot of pages that contain information on used
Mercedes cars, but not necessarily the C280 model you want.
3. Remove Words From The Search Results
When you perform a search for "used Mercedes C280", you might get a
lot of web pages in the search results for sites selling Mercedes car
parts. You could end up trawling through dozens of cart part sites, just
to find the ones with cars for sale.
Here's what you can do…
For any search you perform, you can remove pages from the search
results if they contain certain keywords you specify. To do this, all
you have to do is add the word to the search box, and place a 'minus'
symbol directly before it.
"used Mercedes C280" -parts
Make sure that there is 'no space' between the minus symbol and the
word you want removed from the search results. If you put a space in
between it won't work.
4. Use the 'OR' Command To Expand Your Search
Sometimes web pages will contain the information you want, but it
might not contain the exact phrase you type in. Using our Mercedes
example, some people might just refer to it as just 'C280' without using
the word Mercedes.
By using Google's 'OR' command you can find web pages containing at
least one of the words you choose.
Mercedes OR C280
The above search would return any web page that contains either just
the word 'Mercedes' or the word 'c280', or both of them on the same
page. To make this work, you must type 'OR' in capital letters. This
tells Google that you want to use their advanced search option. If it's
in lower case, Google will just treat it like any other word.
5. Try Using The Synonym Search Option
For many phrases there are often alternative words that can be used
to explain the same thing. Sometimes it's hard to know which particular
word to use to get the best results. Other times you either may not be
aware of the alternative word, or just can't think of it at the time.
For example, instead of using the term 'used', you may have typed in
'secondhand'. A trick you can use is to tell Google to look for synonyms
of the words you specify, in addition to the main keyword. To do this,
enter a tilde '~' just before a word like this:
~secondhand
In this case, Google returned results containing the words:
'secondhand' and 'used'. This can be a useful trick to use if you can't
think of the right words to type in. You can perform a synonym search on
multiple words at he same time. Just add a tilde '~' directly before
each word like this:
~secondhand ~car
As well as 'used', secondhand' and 'car'; this search will now also
return pages containing 'automobile' and 'motor', because they are
synonyms for the word 'car'.
I hope you found this useful, happy searching!
About The Author
Jason Lewis is creator of the 'Find Stuff Quickly' video series. A
step-by-step video guide; showing you how to use the Google
search engine, and it’s many powerful tools. To download the
videos or watch online, visit:
http://www.findstuffquickly.com.
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This article was posted on November 30, 2005
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