Have you let a spy into your computer?
Yes, it's true. You may have inadvertently invited a spy into your computer. This spy is known as "spyware, adware, or trojans", and once it is in your computer it starts taking statistical information as you travel the Internet. In some cases, it may send you pop-up ads and slow down your computer. A wired.com article, mentions it "could even collect your credit card information".
How did you invite the spy?
Maybe you visited a website you knew and enjoyed only to find that it was recently purchased by a pornography site. The new company has imbedded "spyware" into the home page and now, in many cases without your knowledge, it is on your computer.
Maybe you downloaded a free or paid program and as part of the package you were provided with an added secret bonus a spyware program. Spyware may also be placed on CDs you purchase, too.
Maybe you agreed to it! You could have downloaded a program and checked the box to allow the program to take statistics from you "for their own use".
Maybe someone sent you spam, especially porn spam, and that spam created the spy. Spys can easily be placed, without your knowledge, in pictures or HTML email.
What you can do?
Purchase a firewall program and it should let you know if a program is about to download from the website you are at. Note the word "should".
Or you can learn all about spyware, download an anti-spyware program, and schedule time in your weekly calendar to run an anti-spyware program. The first time I conducted a clean up, on my 18-month old computer, I found 2 porn and 42 other spyware programs. Then a week later, I had 4 new spyware files appear.
To further reduce the amount of spyware that ends up in your e-mail Inbox, create a "rule" or "filter that will move any e-mail containing "certain adult words of your choosing directly to your delete or spam folder.
Norton and MacAfee the virus protection specialists, have added anti-spy programs to the list of maintenance programs they sell. However, according to information Ive seen on email lists, theyre not as anywhere as good as the Ad-aware program from Lavasoft.
Just a note: If a few people use your computer and each has their own log in password, when you run LavaSoft program, you need to run it under each password. Example: Lets say Katie and Molly have passwords on your computer. Log in as Katie and run Lava Soft. Then log out of Katie, and log in as Molly and run the program again. Im sure, youll find additional spys under each log in name just like I did last weekend when I cleaned and updated a friends computer.
Use the resources below to help you learn more about Spys:
Learn about protecting your computer from spam and spyware
http://www.unwantedlinks.com/
http://grc.com/optout.htm
http://www.spyware.co.uk/
Check for spyware on new software before you download it.
http://www.spychecker.com/
Free anti-spyware program. Use it at least monthly and dont delete the items you really want! http://www.lavasoft.de/
Opt out of double click ads
http://www.doubleclick.com/us/corporate/privacy/privacy/ad-cookie/default.asp
Removing your e-mail, address and telephone numbers from lists.
http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html#mail
Anti-Spam Tools
http://www.webattack.com/freeware/comm/fwspam.shtml
BONUS: Opt-out of credit card marketing mail
The three big credit-reporting companies provide your information to resellers or vendors. To curtail this abuse, call toll free 888-567-8688. Listen to all the options before hitting a key. #3 is the best option to remove you "forever" (well till you change your phone number). Remember to get your cell phone number removed, too. Once you call them they will mail you a confirmation letter for you to mail back to them.
© 2004 Maria Marsala, Business Growth Strategist. Bringing women-owned service businesses our Wall Street expertise. Your bottom line is NO accident. If your income has been hovering or flat lining the past year or so, if you are working more than 35 hours per week and have no passive income stream, we need to talk. http://www.coachmaria.com You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!
About The Author
Elevating Your Business. Since 1998, Maria Marsala, a former Wall Street Trader, has worked more than 1000 women (and men) who own service business to increase their profits, save time, and live rich, fulfilling lives. Visit www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com to request your 2 business reports and join our business building newsletter or forum.Sending SMS in Foreign Languages For Example Arabic, Greek, Hebrew etc.Marinda Stuiver
Mobile phone penetration is increasing globally. With the increase in handsets, being able to communicate with the handset owners in their own language is something that is becoming increasingly important.
The first question that comes to mind is how it works when foreign languages are sent to mobiles from a web site. Based on the fact that computers fundamentally just deal with numbers, letters and characters are stored using a unique number for each and in the past these unique numbers had to be assigned through the use of encoding systems. As a result hundreds of different encoding systems existed, none compatible with each other and none of them containing enough characters to deal with all languages. All this changed with the invention of Unicode. With Unicode one number for each letter has been assigned (a standard has been set) and it is network, platform and language independent. The emergence of Unicode standards and tools allowed web platform owners and developers to develop additional tools which enables end users to send sms in their own language.
These applications are especially important in the Middle East (Arabic), Far East (Chinese, Taiwanese, Hindi etc.) and European countries where normal English characters cannot be used to communicate in data format for example Greece, Finland, Norway - just to name a few.
Prior to development of a user-friendly Java based application, users had to be familiar with Hex and the conversion of Unicode characters into Hex in order for the binary data to be sent to recipients via mobile phones from web sites.
This now all changed for end users. The java based application used for sending Unicode, available on www.smswarehouse.com, allows users to send sms from the web site in the language their keyboard is set to. Once logged in, users have the opportunity to choose whether they want to send their text message in Unicode or in English. After selecting Unicode, the user is presented with the opportunity to send their message in Hex or based on their keyboard settings (Keyboard input).
The process is extremely simple and user friendly - if your keyboard is set (for example) to Greek, you simply type the message in and click on "send" - the text will be delivered to the recipient in Greek. Unicode is still limited to 70 Characters, which is a GSM restriction, but the use of 160 characters is currently under development.
Visit http://www.smswarehouse.com for more details and a free test account.
About The Author
Marinda Stuiver has been working in the marketing industry since 1996. She worked as International sales and marketing consultant for Station Africa Telecoms where one of her responsibilities was media liaison during sponsored events such as the Camel Trophy 4X4 events, Kathy ODowds firs ascent of Mt Everest, the 1999 BT sponsored Vasco da Gama Yacht race and many more. She started her own online consultancy in 2000 (E-SPECTATIONS.COM) and launched a new division in January 2005 called SMSwarehouse. Her major area of interest is convergence of technologies and she works as a consultant in this specific arena. PR forms a big part of her daily duties and services to clients but she also enjoys writing about her outdoor experiences and adventures.
Why Build Your Own Gaming Computer?
The best way to get the gaming computer that you want, that will provide optimum performance is to build your own computer. If you think you do not have the technical knowledge or are not capable of building a computer you are wrong. I'm pretty certain that I could teach my mother (who has a hard time working a VCR) how to build a computer. If you can plug a sweeper into a wall outlet and use a screw driver, you too can build a computer.
What The Computer Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know!
Manufacturers don't want you to know how easy it is to build a computer because they make their living selling complete computers. The truth is that manufacturers focus on selling a computer with an overall low price tag to entice people to buy. They use the processor and software as the primary selling point. In most cases other than the processor and maybe the graphics card you have no idea what components they actually use. Alienware is one of the rare exceptions. They tell you for the most, part what components they are using. However, this doesn't mean that these are the best components on the market. Every manufacturer gets regular visits from sales people convincing them that they should use their products. Just because a company gives them the best deal on a power supply that allows them to increase their profit margin on the computers they sell doesn't make it the best power supply. This often leads to the use of inferior products for the sake of profit.
The Advantages To Building Your Own Computer
By building your own computer you are assured of getting the highest quality because you have painstakingly researched every component. If you've ever wondered why your store bought gaming computer with the top of the line graphics card and ultra fast CPU is still having trouble running newer games, it is likely because they stuck you with an inferior power supply, cheap motherboard, inadequate RAM, and the list goes on. In my mind it makes sense to build your own computer.
Warranties and Technical Support
If you are worried about warranties, you need not be. In most cases you can get a manufacturers warranty on every component you buy. As for technical support, I've had much better luck with getting questions answered through friendly helpful forums on the internet than I ever have from technical support lines. Not to mention you don't have to pay to sit on hold.
Upgrades Are Painless And Fast
When you build your own computer upgrades are a snap. You've already put it together so switching a hard drive or changing the graphics card is extremely easy. For instance I just upgraded my graphics card. It took me longer to unplug everything from the back of my tower than it did to swap the graphics card. All in all I was up and running with the new drivers installed in about 10 minutes. If you are impatient like I am taking your machine to a store to have it upgraded just isn't worth the wait.
How To Build Your Own Computer
I hope I've convinced you to build your own computer. It is a very rewarding experience. As I've said it isn't very difficult. I do however recommend that you do your research. There are several good books published on the topic such as "Build Your Own PC", by Morris Rosenthal. You can also find a great deal of information regarding building computers and computer hardware at my website Gaming-Computers.net. Good luck with your computer, and remember, if you ever run into problems building it there are thousands of people on the Net that are more than willing to help, and they won't charge you a technician's service fee.
About The Author
Nathan Holsing is the editor of Gaming-Computers.net, a website that provides information on computer hardware, buying guides, and tutorial on how to build computers.
questions@gaming-computers.netANTI-S*P^A#M: Protecting Your Web Site's Email Address(es)Maria Marsala
Did you know that there are software programs that view web sites and steal email addresses? It's called "harvesting" because they're harvesting your email address from your site. This may be one of the reasons your web site email address is receiving more s*p^a#m than wanted email.
When I first started teaching web design classes, I strongly suggested that students place their email address on each page - it makes your site a bit more "trustable." But it turns out this is just leaving you wide open to harvesting.
So now, what I suggest are links on each page directed to a single contact information page, where your email address is encrypted. If the s*p^a#mmers end up figuring out the encryption, it's still easier for you to change one page worth of information vs. many pages of information.
Encrypting your email address makes the gathering process a little more difficult while it provides that legitimate email get through to you.
If you find that one encryption program has stopped working, see if the provider updated the code you were using (many provide regular updates) or change to another service.
Do you have PayPal payment or shopping cart links on your site? Up until about a month ago, the old PayPal coding included your email address. If you haven't upgraded recently, update your PayPal links to include the encrypted code they provide, too. Changing that code stopped quite a bit of unwanted email from reaching me.
Here are some helpful encryption program resources:
http://automaticlabs.com/products/enkoderform/
http://www.robertgraham.com/tools/mailtoencoder.html
http://natata.hn3.net/antispam_encoder.htm
http://www.tucows.com/preview/266685.html
http://innerpeace.org/escrambler.shtml
http://www.wbwip.com/wbw/emailencoder.html
http://w2.syronex.com/jmr/safemailto/
Encryption programs - A VERY good thing to use on your web site to reduce unwanted email.
About The Author
Elevating Your Business. Since 1998, Maria Marsala, a former Wall Street Trader, has worked more than 1000 women (and men) who own service business to increase their profits, save time, and live rich, fulfilling lives. Visit www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com to request your 2 business reports and join our business building newsletter or forum.
Computer Security - What Exactly Is It?
Although the term 'computer security' is used a lot, the content of a computer is actually vulnerable to only a few risks unless the computer is connected to others on a network. As the use of computer networks (especially the Internet) has increased dramatically during the past few years, the term computer security is now used to describe issues referring to the networked use of computers and their resources.
The major technical areas of computer security are confidentiality, integrity and authentication/availability.
- Confidentiality, also known as secrecy or privacy, means that the information you own cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. Breaches of confidentiality range from the embarrassing to the disastrous.
- Integrity means that your information is protected against unauthorized changes that are undetectable to authorized users. The integrity of databases and other resources are usually compromised through hacking.
- Authentication means that an user is who he claims to be.
- Availability means that the resources are accessible by authorized parties. Examples of availability attacks are the 'denial of service' attacks.
Other important things that the computer security professionals are concerned about are access control and nonrepudiation. Access control refer not only to the fact that users can only access the resources and services they are entitled to, but also to the fact that they can't be denied to access the resources they legitimately expect. Nonrepudiation means that a person who sends a message cannot deny he sent it and vice versa.
In addition to these technical aspects, the concept of computer security is very large. Computer security's roots are drawn from disciplines like ethics and risk analysis and the major topics that are concerning it are computer crime (tries to prevent, detect and remedy attacks) and identity/anonymity in cyberspace.
Although confidentiality, integrity and authenticity are the most important things when it comes to computer security in general, for everyday internet users, privacy is the most important one, because many people think that they have nothing to hide or the information they give doesn't seem sensitive when they register with an internet service/site.
But remember that, on the internet, information is very easily shared among companies and small pieces of related information from different sources can be linked together to form something alot more complex about a person. Because of this, nowadays, the ability to maintain control over what information is collected about them, who may use it and how it can be used is extremely important.
About The Author
Ciontescu Molie
For information and resources on network, computer security, hackers, vulnerabilities, patches, advisories, and more visit http://www.itfreaks.com
6 tips for Keeping Aurora Away from your computer... and 1 tip to Fix it if Aurora has Gotten You
1. Stay away from non-standard search engines... trust google.com and yahoo.com, all else - be wary!
2. Do not download unknown files to your computer - whether sent via an email stranger or a pop-up asking permission to download... "Just Say NO"
3. If you borrow someone's floppy disk or CD with word documents or web pages and .EXE files... SCAN it with a virus scanner before opening anything on the disk.
5. Run an antivirus scanner weekly.. and preferably have one running 24-7 on your computer in the background
6. Install microsoft Anti-Spy... it alrets you to any attempt to download and install software that is being done behind the scenes
Final Tip:
Now - If Aurora already has infested your computer, You are getting popups and all kinds of problems... you want to go to: http://www.reikihealingstories.com/Aurora_no_more.htm
And You'll see the 3-minute fix that finally worked for me.
About The Author
Zach Keyer
Brought To You By: http://www.reikihealingstories.com/Aurora_no_more.htm
Hater of Aurora and other Computer Viruses
zkeyer@yahoo.com
The Weather Forecast on Your Computer
The Weather Forecast on Your Computer
By David Leonhardt
I use the Internet to find just about every type of information. Even the weather.
Sure, I could just stick my head out the window and call out, "Hello. What's the weather forecast today?" But if the response is "hurricanes, hail and meteor storms", I don't want my head to be on the wrong side of the window when the answer comes down.
Plus, that won't help me fine-tune my last minute travel plans.
So I turn to the Internet. There are three really easy ways to get a good weather forecast over the Internet:
Weather forecast websites:
There are some good weather forecast websites. The one I use most often, because I am in Canada, is The Weather Network http://www.theweathernetwork.com ), and I also like CNN ( http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/ ).
CNN gives current conditions and a five day forecast. The Weather Network provides more detail, with a short term forecast ( this evening, tonight, tomorrow morning, etc.) and a longer term forecast over the next six days. The Weather Network provides the most detail of all the options, but it takes longer to download than the progress of climate change (so don't do it on a 26K modem!) Both offer forecasts for cities worldwide.
Weather forecast software:
A second way, which does not even require going to a website, is to get current conditions right on your desktop. There are free weather forecast software downloads, such as http://www.weather4you.info that display key data right on your desktop, and even provide a text summary one click away.
Weather forecasts on the desktop are probably the fastest way to get local weather information, and the data is updated every five minutes. The display can be set up for local weather, but a couple clicks allows for a quick check of conditions form almost every weather monitoring station in the world ideal for making last minute travel plans
Weather forecasts by Google:
A third way to access the weather forecast is through Google. Yes, the find-everything search engine has added weather to its repertoire. For instance, search Google for "weather Orlando", without the quotation marks, and see what you get.
At the time of writing, this service is available only to cities in the USA (I presume Americans get more weather than other people.). However, it will hopefully be available everywhere by the time you read this article.
Google's is the least precise weather forecast of the options, but fairly quick and simple to reach if you are looking for information on a city in the USA.
All three options are worthwhile, whether preparing for the daily commute or making travel and vacation plans. So pull in your head, close that window and log on. Why stick your neck out when there is weather on your computer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Leonhardt is a website marketing consultant:
http://www.seo-writer.net
And an SEO consultant
http://www.seo-writer.net/freelance/seo-consultant.html
He is building a travel directory at:
http://www.wv-travel-directory.com
Copyright David Leonhardt - http://www.seo-writer.net
Computer-Virus Writer's: A Few Bats In The Belfry?
"Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of creating chaos worldwide."
The above description is the profile of the average computer-virus writer, according to Jan Hruska, the chief executive of British-based Sophos PLC, the world's fourth-largest anti-virus solutions provider.
"They have a chronic lack of girlfriends, are usually socially inadequate and are drawn compulsively to write self- replicating codes. It's a form of digital graffiti to them," Hruska added.
To create and spread cyber infections, virus writers explore known bugs in existing software, or look for vulnerabilities in new versions.
With more and more new OS (operating system) versions, there will be more new forms of viruses, as every single software or OS will carry new features, and new executables that can be carriers of the infection.
Executables are files that launch applications in a computer's operating system, and feature more prominently in new platforms like Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows XP than they did in the older DOS or Windows 3.1.
Virus writers also share information to create variants of the same infection, such as the Klez worm, which has been among the world's most prolific viruses.
The Klez, a mass-mailing worm that originated in November 2001, propagates via e-mail using a wide variety of messages and destroys files on local and network drives.
But the news gets worse. Recent events have uncovered what may be a new trend: spammers paying virus writers to create worms that plant an open proxy, which the spammer then can use to forward spam automatically. Many suspect this occurred with the SoBig virus.
The Sobig worms, began spreading in the early part of 2003. The unusual thing about them was they contained an expiration date and were given a short life cycle to see how features worked in the wild.
Having an expiration date also makes the virus more dangerous, because most people would have been alerted to the new worm within a few weeks and anti-virus definitions would have been updated.
A variant of Sobig, Sobig-F was so efficient that just a few infected machines could send thousands of messages. Sobig-F created a denial-of-service effect on some networks, as e- mail servers became clogged with copies of the worm.
According to Mikko Hypponen, manager of anti-virus research for Finland-based F-Secure Corp, Sobig-F sent an estimated 300 million copies of itself.
Computer Economics, Inc. states, "Nearly 63,000 viruses have rolled through the Internet, causing an estimated $65 billion in damage." However criminal prosecutions have been few, penalties light and just a handful of people have gone to prison for spreading the destructive bugs.
Why is so little being done? Antiquated laws and, for many years, as crazy as it sounds, a "wink, wink" or even admiring attitude toward virus creators.
One person has been sent to prison in the United States and just two in Britain, authorities say. But the low numbers are "not reflective of how seriously we take these cases, but more reflective of the fact that these are very hard cases to prosecute," said Chris Painter, the deputy chief of computer crimes at the U.S. Department of Justice.
So what can you do to protect yourself against computer viruses?
Well, first and foremost, make sure you have proven anti-virus protection like like Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee's ViruScan.
In addition, If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend installing Microsoft's Service Pack 2. SP2 tightens your PC's security with a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, the newly minted Security Center gives you one easy-to-use interface for keeping tabs on your PC's security apps.
"Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of creating chaos worldwide."
Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but to me, the above description sounds more like someone with a few "bats in the belfry!"
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Spyware Is Hiding In Your Computer?
Believe it or not, your computer might be infested with spyware, a hidden program (application) that can reveal important information about your computer & internet activities to other individuals and companies. Most of them use the information to understand your online buying behaviour, but no one guarantees that your info can't be stolen or seen by other unauthorized people.
Your privacy is important and should be protected, so pay attention to what programs you download online and what terms you accept. Others are spying your activities and you might not even know.
The BEST way to defend your computer by spyware IS to download and run an Internet anti spyware application that identifies and removes those kind of programs from your hard disk.
NOTE: some spyware elements deny uninstallation unless the adware applications (programs containing banner advertising that contain spyware) are available on your computer.
The solution is to remove the application entirely, unless you really want to keep it for future use.
Here are 3 applications that contain spyware:
1. Alexa / ZBubble (usually is installed from www.alexa.com and www.microsoft.com)
RISK: medium to high
Information collected: web navigation, buying behaviour, passwords, credit cards information.
2. Gator / GAIN (usually is installed by products like Grokster and Morpheus).
RISK: medium
Information collected: web navigation behaviour.
3. Web3000 (NetSonic)
RISK: medium
Information collected: demographical data, cookies.
Below I'm going to present 2 *freeware* applications that you can use to remove such Spyware programs from your computer.
#1 - SpyBot Search & Destroy
PRICE: *free*
LINK: http://spybot.safer-networking.de
SpyBot Search & Destroy can detect adware applications, spyware applications, key loggs, troyan horses, broken links.
#2 - Ad-aware
PRICE: *free* (the basic version)
LINK: http://www.lavasoftusa.com
Ad-aware can detect adware applications and spyware applications.
REMEMBER: most of these tools are not perfect, your computer might still be infected with spyware that can't be detected, however, at least you can be sure that a part of them are eliminated.
---
Steven Pronger reveals you how to protect your privacy and computer from bad viruses & spyware applications. Read his reviews at the page below: http://www.stevepronger.com/security_review.htm
Copyright Steven Pronger - http://www.stevepronger.com
Help Keep The Computers On Earth Clean And Healthy: Protect Your Techno-Friends From Viruses And Sickness
Help keep the computers on Earth clean and healthy: Protect your techno-friends from viruses and sickness.
Aaaaaahhhhhh! Ive been invaded by a virus! Getting a virus means getting sick and no one in their right mind wants to be ill. Well, now that computers have become our close friends, its a shock to learn that foreign bodies too can invade them with malicious intent. No, your computer doesnt get a runny nose or diarrhea. This is a sickness that stops your friend from functioning properly, sick in bed, incapacitated.
Well in Nature viruses occur from a power outside of our control. But, with computers its different, humans, mean or ignorant humans are creating these viruses. Why? Usually these are disgruntled people who want to wreak some havoc on others or companies that they feel have done wrong to them. In any case we have to be in the know and prepared to deal with these debilitating scourges.
There are many ways to approach the protection of your computer. First of all theres the step of awareness. Be aware of how viruses are transmitted. You can catch them from a disc but in most cases it is through your email system. Check your email carefully. Be very wary of anything that has an attachment. Check whom its from and look at the title of the mail, is it something you were expecting? Even if its from someone you know, be careful as their computer could be infected and the virus being transmitted without their knowledge.
Next, read the cover message, you cant catch the disease without actually opening the message. Look at the name of the attachment; remember viruses are written to entice you. Beware of free offers and generally anything from people you dont know, as well as messages that sound irrelevant to your contacts usual style. Delete them straight away. Delete, delete, delete. This will ensure you of a lower risk of infection. You can even send the message back to the sender without opening it to make sure it is valid.
Now for the heavy protection: Virus scanning and virus protection software, and rescue discs are all readily available and easily utilized. Some are free, and others are obtained for a very small charge. Most software manufacturers offer subscriptions for updating services, which automatically download protection to the latest viruses.
There are two main types of virus scanning software: one searches through your entire computer files looking for recognizable viral signatures, the other scans your incoming and outgoing emails. Alerts will show you when a file needs to be erased or repaired. If you do receive a virus that none of the software can repair you can send a copy of it to a company like Symantec who will be happy to develop a cure for it.
The main message here is not to get too worried about your good friend Mrs. PC getting ill or sick. The humans are on top of the case and they seem much better adapted at fixing their technology than they are at beating the viruses that attack our physical bodies. If only we could cure human virus and illness as easily as we solve the problem of computer sickness.
By Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net - http://www.m6.net
Computer-Virus Writer's: A Few Bats In The Belfry?
"Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of creating chaos worldwide."
The above description is the profile of the average computer-virus writer, according to Jan Hruska, the chief executive of British-based Sophos PLC, the world's fourth-largest anti-virus solutions provider.
"They have a chronic lack of girlfriends, are usually socially inadequate and are drawn compulsively to write self- replicating codes. It's a form of digital graffiti to them," Hruska added.
To create and spread cyber infections, virus writers explore known bugs in existing software, or look for vulnerabilities in new versions.
With more and more new OS (operating system) versions, there will be more new forms of viruses, as every single software or OS will carry new features, and new executables that can be carriers of the infection.
Executables are files that launch applications in a computer's operating system, and feature more prominently in new platforms like Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows XP than they did in the older DOS or Windows 3.1.
Virus writers also share information to create variants of the same infection, such as the Klez worm, which has been among the world's most prolific viruses.
The Klez, a mass-mailing worm that originated in November 2001, propagates via e-mail using a wide variety of messages and destroys files on local and network drives.
But the news gets worse. Recent events have uncovered what may be a new trend: spammers paying virus writers to create worms that plant an open proxy, which the spammer then can use to forward spam automatically. Many suspect this occurred with the SoBig virus.
The Sobig worms, began spreading in the early part of 2003. The unusual thing about them was they contained an expiration date and were given a short life cycle to see how features worked in the wild.
Having an expiration date also makes the virus more dangerous, because most people would have been alerted to the new worm within a few weeks and anti-virus definitions would have been updated.
A variant of Sobig, Sobig-F was so efficient that just a few infected machines could send thousands of messages. Sobig-F created a denial-of-service effect on some networks, as e- mail servers became clogged with copies of the worm.
According to Mikko Hypponen, manager of anti-virus research for Finland-based F-Secure Corp, Sobig-F sent an estimated 300 million copies of itself.
Computer Economics, Inc. states, "Nearly 63,000 viruses have rolled through the Internet, causing an estimated $65 billion in damage." However criminal prosecutions have been few, penalties light and just a handful of people have gone to prison for spreading the destructive bugs.
Why is so little being done? Antiquated laws and, for many years, as crazy as it sounds, a "wink, wink" or even admiring attitude toward virus creators.
One person has been sent to prison in the United States and just two in Britain, authorities say. But the low numbers are "not reflective of how seriously we take these cases, but more reflective of the fact that these are very hard cases to prosecute," said Chris Painter, the deputy chief of computer crimes at the U.S. Department of Justice.
So what can you do to protect yourself against computer viruses?
Well, first and foremost, make sure you have proven anti-virus protection like like Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee's ViruScan.
In addition, If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend installing Microsoft's Service Pack 2. SP2 tightens your PC's security with a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, the newly minted Security Center gives you one easy-to-use interface for keeping tabs on your PC's security apps.
"Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of creating chaos worldwide."
Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but to me, the above description sounds more like someone with a few "bats in the belfry!"
Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
If youre like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods everyone knows what theyre supposed to do but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, its always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless youre prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your companys payroll, its really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.
So heres a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that Ive put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isnt a priority until something goes wrong. By then its too late. Like the article title says, Test Now or Cry Later!
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if youre purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, its more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, its easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist
In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, youll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, its now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.
However, dont think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when youre out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, Test Now or Cry Later. The choice is yours.
About the Author
Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshuas money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com
Copyright MMI-MMV, PCSupportTips.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Copyright Joshua Feinberg - http://www.PCSupportTips.com
To Go: Music From Your Computer to Your Car
The digital audio revolution is in full swing as music lovers worldwide are using their computers as high-tech jukeboxes.
But you're not just limited to listening to songs on your PC while you check your e-mail. It's easier than ever to manage your collection and listen to it in your car, whatever your destination.
"It's great to hit the road and hear hours of the songs you want, when you want them. You're no longer confined to hearing only the radio, or swapping CDs on the front seat," said Dan Hodgson, senior vice president of Merchandising at Crutchfield Corporation, the leading Internet and catalog retailer of consumer electronics.
Several innovative and easy-to-use products help you move music from your PC to your car's sound system. Here are some quick pointers for getting your "tunes to go."
First, get the music you want to your PC. You can download files from the Internet, most commonly in the MP3 format, or copy tracks from your current CDs, using widely-available music management software.
Once you've got your music library, it's time to make it portable. Popular options include using a CD recorder in your computer to "burn" a disc of MP3-encoded songs, or storing your files on memory card devices that link to your computer through a docking station.
- Replacing your car stereo receiver with one that plays MP3-encoded CDs is a popular way to listen to your PC music on the go. Since an MP3-encoded CD holds about 10 hours of music, you won't have to be flipping through endless CD cases in your car.
Many receivers, especially older ones, don't understand the MP3 code. But almost every manufacturer now makes one or more receivers for MP3 CD playback. With these, you can record a CD at home and simply slip it into your car receiver. Most receivers will even flash the titles for you.
- If you have a portable MP3 player (or an MP3-compatible CD player), you don't need a special in-dash receiver. Just look for one that has an "aux in" -- an auxiliary input where you can plug your player directly into the head unit using a mini-jack. You'll hear your music played from your player through your car's sound system, though most systems aren't set up to scroll through song titles.
- For users who prefer even more songs and higher-tech equipment, Sony and Pioneer offer mobile hard drive devices. These products store massive amounts of music on their hard drives, like a computer. To move files from computer to car, they use a cartridge or other removable memory devices.
Another option is to use "mini-computers" that link to your receiver and your PC. For example, the Kenwood Music Keg (KHD-CX910) has a 10 gigabyte storage cartridge that can store and play back roughly 2,500 MP3-encoded songs through Kenwood car receivers. Blaupunkt has a compact MP3 drive (MDP01) that will hold about 18 hours of music. You'll be able to drive halfway across the country and never hear the same tune twice.
Consumers can find complete information on mobile audio at www.crutchfield.com/infolib.
About The Author
Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information, contact Alan Rimm-Kaufman, (804) 817-1000, ext. 2301.
Founded in 1974, Crutchfield Corporation is the nation's largest direct integrated marketer (catalog, call center, and Internet) of consumer electronics products. It offers a convenient, full-service shopping destination to buyers of car and home audio/video products. Providing a superior level of customer service, Crutchfield is noted for its high integrity, product expertise, and technical support. Mailed to approximately 8.5 million households, Crutchfield's catalogs include comprehensive explanations of product and technology intended to help consumers make informed buying decisions. Crutchfield was the first vendor-authorized audio/video retailer on the Internet, launching its Web site (www.crutchfield.com) in the summer of 1995.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Download: Logon Loader
Let's' put it this way: if you have incorporated all the Windows alterations that I have showcased in the past couple of weeks, trying to totally change every aspect of your Windows environment, then you have to have Logon Loader. Otherwise this bromidic logon screen is going to stick out like a sore thumb. So I figured that the subject of customizing just wouldn't be complete without this one last program. I also threw in links to some of our other articles at the end. One for an alternative sidebar (like Longhorn's) download, and the other is an article David did on how to change your logon image.
Logon Loader is a light-weight little program that allows you to download and change your logon screen. I'm sure you know my thoughts on this as I have stated them on several occasions, but just to clarify for you just joining us. My thought is: Windows should have way more flexibility over its appearance, but it doesn't, so we have to go out and download, or even pay for, third-party programs to perform what Windows cannot.
OK, I'm done ranting, let's get on with the program description.
With Logon Loader you can go out to one of several sites and download from a staggering wealth of customized logon screens. These images must be loaded into the program in order to be available in the logon screen list. You choose what image you want to use, Apply, and you're good to go.
With Logon Loader you're not confined to the same image either. You can configure it to choose a new randomized logon image for you every time you log on.
The program is tiny and shouldn't take any time to download or install for that matter. There's not a ton of help out there for it, but it's really easy to use. I hope you enjoy the logon changer and if you missed out on the last two download articles I did then you may want to check them out—they cover other programs similar to this one that change visual aspects of the XP Operating System. All of these programs are a bunch of fun to use and they really personalize your Windows environment .
Download it here...
http://logonloader.danielmilner.com/
Performance Options
Click on Start, Control Panel and get into the Performance area. XP users need to click on Performance and Maintenance to get to this section. Once in there, look for the link that says "Adjust visual effects." Click on that and a box will pop up with the title of Performance Options.
Here you can select the settings you want to use for the appearance and performance of Windows. You can do everything from animate windows when minimizing and maximizing to show shadows under your menus to smooth the edges of the screen fonts. You can also choose to use a background image for each folder type you have and use visual styles on windows and buttons.
The options are endless, so go ahead and mix it up a little. You better get started on making your computer perform and look the way that pleases you the most and remember, have fun with it!
Welcome Screen
If you want to change the way your computer logs you in each time, you can either disable or enable the welcome screen any time you feel like it. The welcome screen is attached to another XP feature called fast user switching. This is great for anyone who has multiple users of the same PC. The fast user switch method allows one user to leave all of their programs up and running while another person uses the computer. So, then once the second user is done, the first one can go right back to where they left off.
Basically what happens is that when the first user is done, they leave everything the way it is and then they log off for that session. Then they switch the user back to the welcome screen, so it's like a fresh start for the second user.
Now, keep in mind that if this pertains to you, you're going to want to keep the welcome screen feature active. If you happen to have the welcome screen inactive and would like to turn it back on, just go to Start, Control Panel and click on the User Accounts link twice. Choose "Change the way users log on or off" and make sure both the Welcome Screen and Fast User Switching boxes are checked. Then click Apply Options and that part is done.
Now, what if you're just a single user? You may want to disable the welcome screen, because you just may not really need it. The directions for this are almost identical to the ones mentioned above. To disable, make sure you're logged in as the administrator and then go to Start, Control Panel and click on the User Accounts link twice. Choose "Change the way users log on or off" and just uncheck the Welcome Screen box. This will automatically uncheck the Fast User Switching box as well. Then click on Apply Options and exit out of everything else.
Then you're all set. The next time you start up your computer, the traditional method of logging on that was mentioned above will be used, so if you're going to use this method, make sure you're certain you know your username and password.
Now, there's one more option for you. If you don't want the welcome screen or the traditional option, you can disable both of those. To login automatically to a user account and bypass the rest of the prompts, click on Run, type in control userpasswords2 and click OK.
Highlight the account you want to change and then uncheck the box that says "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer."
Once you have done all of that, the next time you reboot your computer, you won't have to worry about the welcome screen or the traditional prompt. You will just be logged in automatically and you'll be set to go.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Create Your Own Icon
Note: This tip will only work in Windows XP.
Just follow the steps given below to create your own icon!
1.) Open the Paint program by going to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Paint.
2.) Select Attributes from the Image Menu.
3.) The Attributes dialogue box will then open.
4.) Change both the Width and the Height to 32.
5.) From Units, select Pixel.
6.) Click OK.
You'll notice that the height and the width of the screen reduced to 32 pixels. That is going to be the size of your icon.
Now, go ahead and draw whatever you'd like your icon to be in the Paint program. When you're finished, save the file by going to File, Save As. Go ahead and give your file a name, but make sure it's formatted with the .ico extension (.ico is for an icon file). For example, save it as face.ico.
Now, set the Save as Type to be a 24-bit bitmap (*.bmp; *.dib) and then store it in your My Pictures folder.
There you have it! You have created our own icon. Now, let's see how you can replace this icon with the a default icon that Windows XP provides (just in case you ever feel like going back to them).
To do this:
1.) Right click anywhere on your Desktop.
2.) Select New and then from the submenu, select Folder.
3.) A folder named New Folder will be created on your desktop. (You can change this name if you want. Just right click on it and choose Rename).
4.) Next, right click on the new folder and select Properties.
5.) Click on the Customize tab.
6.) Click the command button of Change Icon under the Folder icons menu.
7.) On the next screen, click on Browse and select the face.ico file from your My Pictures folder. Then click OK for the changes to take effect.
Now you can see the icon you created. It will automatically replace the default Windows XP "New Folder" icon. It's not only for your folders; you can also use it for any files, shortcuts, etc. Now, you can go and create any number of icons and replace all of your files and folders, if you so choose.
Go ahead and give it a try and see how it works, but most importantly, have fun with it!
Move the Taskbar
A utility called UltraMon specializes in dual monitor settings and they have come up with a way that allows you to place your taskbar on whichever monitor you choose. To do this, make sure your taskbar is unlocked. If you're not sure if it is or not, right click on the taskbar (where the clock, etc. sits) and make sure the option of "Lock the Taskbar" is unchecked. After that, grab an open area of the taskbar and just drag it over to the other monitor. Then just place it where you'd like it to be docked. It can sit on the bottom of your desktop, on the side, at the top, etc. It's up to you.
If you ever want to move it around, just grab an open area of it and drag it to its new position. I kind of like to have mine docked on the side of my monitor. To me, it's more convenient and it spices up the desktop area too! You have to admit this is pretty cool. Give it a shot!
Lost Icons
Now, there are a couple different ways you may have lost the icons. They could have disappeared when you installed a certain program or even when you upgraded to a new operating system. Either way, you need them, so let's find them again! To enable those icons and more, right click on your desktop and choose Properties. Click on the Desktop tab and hit the Customize Desktop button. Next, under the General tab, check any of the icons you want to appear on your desktop.
Once you do that, they will all be returned to your desktop in full view. You can choose from the icons of My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places and Internet Explorer. Now, on the other hand, you may want to take some of these icons off your desktop. If that's the case, just uncheck them and they will then be out of your way. Easy enough, don't you think?!
Can't Connect to Internet With Internet Explorer
it may be due to corrupted Winsock registry entries.
First find out if you can connect to the Internet. Just trying to use a web browser is not the best test.
Try pinging a site by both IP and Name
If pinging by IP works, then you have a connection to the Internet and the Winsock registry entries are probably ok.
If pinging by IP works but by Name doesn't, then likely you have DNS problem.
If you can't ping by either one, then you may have corrupted Winsock registry entires.
The basic steps are to:
1.Delete the corrupted Winsock registry entries
2.Import clean ones
3.Reboot the computer
For All Operating Systems - Remove the old registry entries - Download Registry Entry
Import the clean registry file for your particular operating system
For Win98 - Download Registry Entry
For ME - Download Registry Entry
For WindowsXP - Download Reg file
For Windows2000 - Download Reg file
After importing the appropriate registry key, reboot the computer
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Windows XP Error Reports
Windows Error Reporting (WER), introduced with Windows XP, lets users send detailed reports when programs crash and lets vendors inform users of fixes and workarounds for reported errors. The error reports are stored in a password-protected database.
Programs must be specially written to use WER. Microsoft uses WER in all recent programs and strongly encourages other companies to do the same. There is no charge for using the system. The list of participating vendors is long, and the feedback has been positive. Representatives at Zone Labs say that WER has quickly alerted them to incompatibilities with new operating systems and patches.
