The Evolution and Expansion of Computer Virus Threats

Virus software is unauthorized software which is designed to replicate itself on a computer without the owner's knowledge or approval. From the original virus threats which would erase a hard drive or slow the computer to a crawl, new virus threats have developed over the past decade and more. The major additional new threats have been characterized as spyware and malware.

What are the distinctions made by software security professionals between spyware and malware?

Spyware is designed to quietly run on a computer and gather data. The spyware software silently monitors and records user input and network traffic. Eventually the spyware sends this personal information from the infected computer to another computer where the data may be used for monetary advantage. This advantage does not usually mean the fraudulent use of credit card information. The monetary advantage could mean providing records of sites visited to companies wishing to make targeted sales. Or it could mean providing email address book data to scammers looking to distribute scam email in hopes of obtaining bank account or credit card information.

Malware is a more generic term than spyware. Malware refers to any malicious software which has installed itself in an underhanded or deceptive way. There are five main categories which are often included under the heading of malware: adware programs, spyware programs, hijacking programs, toolbars and dialer programs.

An adware program causes pop-ups which display an ad on your computer screen. These pop-ups may occur when you click on a link in your internet browser or they may occur when you open and run a program. There are legitimate adware pop-ups provided as helpful short cuts on some business web pages. The malicious adware pop-ups mimic the legitimate ones in order to deceive the user.

We have already described spyware programs above.

A hijacking program generally uses Internet Explorer and redirects your web connection to sites which you had not intended to visit.

A malware toolbar emulates Google or Yahoo toolbars and like them it offers additional functionality. But the malware toolbars function in order to gather data or redirect web searches or display pop-ups ads.

The final category is the dialer program which generates an automatic dial out over modem connection to a 1-900 toll charge number.

To meet the evolving threats from spyware and malware, security software has been developed by operating system developers and by anti-virus software companies. The new threats constantly call for new counter-measures in this ongoing battle for user security in the networked computer environment.

Al Bagdonas invites you to protect your computer from unwanted spyware and malware. When your computer is secure, your productivity will not be compromised. Click now for more information at http://fast-computer-service.blogspot.com/

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The Benefits Of Antivirus Software

There is no doubt that the internet has revolutionised our lives, to the extent that it is often difficult to imagine how we would get by, either a social context or in a business environment, without access to the internet. All of which makes it so much more irritating when our access to the web is adversely affected by a virus which disrupts the operation of our computer, either temporarily or on a more long-term basis.

So what can you do to protect yourself from these kinds of malicious attacks? The simplest solution is to ensure that the device on which you access the internet - be it a PC, Mac or tablet - is protected by antivirus software.

When it comes to choosing antivirus software there is no shortage of choices out there. Each has its own pros and cons and the one you opt for will be determined to a certain extent by personal preference.

These programmes all operate in a similar way. The programme scans the files on your PC or other device, searching for any patterns or other identifiable trends which might be suggestive of a viral infection. To an extent what any antivirus programme is looking for is determined by data which has been extrapolated from viruses which have been previously successfully discovered, which means that it is important to ensure that if go to the bother of running an antivirus programme you have it regularly updated, the better to combat any new, previously unseen or updated viral infections.

Antivirus software is capable of running a scan on your computer automatically so that you do not require to intervene in the operation of the programme. You simply pay for the software, download it and it will carry out the necessary checks to ensure (relatively) worry-free operation of your PC or Mac.

In the event the software programme detects a virus which is attempting to attack your computer it should act to block the attack and then report the details to you automatically. Alternatively, some programmes will inform you that it has detected what it considers to be a virus or other malicious attempt to attack your computer and ask you whether you wish to clear this from your device.

So, if you are considering purchasing an antivirus programme to protect your computer which one should you choose? When all is said and done all antivirus programmes operate in basically the same way. If you are not sure which one to go for you can find lots of data and comparisons of different programmes online. Alternatively, you may be influenced by the experience of friends or business associates or indeed by budget. The important thing to bear in mind is that installing any antivirus software will provide you with some degree of protection, so that in itself is a good thing. Be aware, however, that all these programmes have their limitations and the fact that you have installed this type of software on your PC or other device does not mean that you should not continue to be on your guard against any suspicious activity you may come across while browsing.

There are a number of reputable and effective antivirus solutions on the market including Norton 360 antivirus from Norton Internet security

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Phishing for a Nuclear Football

According to the noted National Security expert Bill Gertz in the Washington Free Beacon, White House computers have been compromised by hackers, probably from China, but nothing classified was stolen.

Who says nothing classified was stolen?

Well, an administration official.

Well, that's good then. Government officials always tell the truth.

Exactly what was hacked into? An email system.

Whose email system? It was just the White House Military Office.

Great! Not like they got into the West Wing and were monitoring the Prez's love letters to Michelle or his iPod playlist!

So, what exactly does the White House Military Office do?

They are in charge of the President's Nuclear Football. I know, he is more of a golf and basketball guy.

But this is a very special football. It has the codes that the President could use to launch nuclear missiles and start World War III. And they also arrange the Presidents travel and communication plans!

That may sound serious, but not to worry!

Gertz quotes an administration National Security official says it was just a "Spear Phising Attack". That's where a hacker uses emails disguised as from a trusted source in order to get recipients to reveal classified information or become infected by malware.

Sounds bad, but the Administration official also said such attacks are "not infrequent" and there are unspecified "mitigation measures in place."

I guess they know what they are doing. This is the US Government, after all.

But wait! He said this is "not infrequent"!

That means it happens a lot!

I sure hope they are using the best antivirus and firewall software!

Most malware protection systems are that use a "blacklist" of known threats to screen files. The problem with this approach is that the list has to be constantly updated and they can't protect against threats not yet identified. As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once said, the thing that you keeps you up at night are the thing that you don't know and you don't know that you don't know them!

With 40,000 new malware unleashed every day it is a lot of work maintaining a blacklist.

I prefer antivirus systems that use a "whitelist" approach. That is where the scanner uses a list of known valid programs to allow only safe programs to run in the system. For any other software they allow it to run in a separate, isolate system called a "sandbox." The scanner monitors the program in the sandbox and can identify if it is safe or not.

If the White House has trouble with computer hackers than everyone is at risk.

If the White House has trouble with computer hackers than everyone is at risk. Never open email if you have any suspicions at to the source. Never download anything from a web site unless you see that they are running the Secured Socket Layer (SSL) with certificate protection. Make sure your computers are protected by the best antivirus and firewall software.

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Important Points You Should Know About SSL Certificates

Advantages of SSL Certificate:

In the cyber world, day-by-day crime is increasing, and a demand for security is rising. It is time to secure your E-commerce business. Secure Socket Layer is a security seal that provides authentication to the website. When a visitor visits your site, he will check for the security and legitimacy of your site. It provides encryption for data that flows in the tunnel between website and user's browser. It runs on private key and public key. Encryption should provide by trusted certified authorities. There are many authorities like Symantec, Thwte, RapidSSL, GeoTrust, etc. An SSL certificate has to pass certain document validation, and after the owner can get a certificate by trusted authority. Cheap certificate, EV certificate, Wildcard certificates are different types of the certificate that are available in the market. There are many advantages of SSL, which we will discuss here. Let us discuss them one by one.

Advantages:

· It provides an authentication to the website for his monetary information.

· When Customer provides information remains in the form of coding so others cannot see it.

· Allow security with a padlock in the address bar. When a customer sees padlock, his confident will boost.

· It provides 99% browser compatibility.

· SSL has a featured of unlimited re-issuance and flexibility.

· It provides an Additional guarantee from dollar 10,000 to dollar 1million in case of any fraud or cheating with customers. SSL gives an assurance to the customer whom they are secure on the e-commerce site.

· SSL carries a simple and hassle-free issuance process.

· Phishing is a critical situation of the cyber age, and SSL saves visitors from phishing frauds.

· When users look at https URL, they can easily understand and put trust on the website.

· With the expansion of E-commerce, security becomes a critical issue, and it can help online business in this way.

· Cost-efficient solution so every size of business can adapt and secure their identity.

· It increases more profit for enterprise by providing online security.

Conclusion: SSL is a mark of security that protects us from phishing and other frauds. We referred advantages of SSL. It is very essential for a company to protect its website. It is very useful in boosting customer's confidence. According to a survey, more than 20% sites have not installed SSL certificate. We can see that there are many offences do take place in cyber technology. SSL is a popular medium to show legitimacy of your site. When a customer looks at the green padlock on the site, he feels safe in transact online. Now it is time to enroll for SSL certificate.

Sophie is an experience technology columnist writing for various blogs and website on website security. Sophie's favorite area of interest is to share her knowledge about importance of SSL certificate and their installation.

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Outwitting Evil in The Age of Sophisticated Cyber-Criminality

By late May, 2000 it was common. In the suburbs that circle Manhattan and the villages surrounding Paris. In Tokyo, Toronto and Topeka. And Melbourne, Moscow and Mumbai. In a word, everywhere. All around the globe, hundreds of thousands of bank statements made the same statement: "YOU'VE BEEN ROBBED!" What had happened? I LOVE YOU. Arguably history's most infamous and destructive worm attack had just given the whole world an amorous embrace... And picked its pocket! Millions of unsuspecting computers crashed, or suffered file corruption. Or very costly theft. No one knows how much money was lost.

But that was just the beginning.

On August 12, 2003, the Blaster Worm slithered past weak system services and into Windows computers. Millions went down. Repeatedly. Hundreds of thousands of Windows PCs were never the same.

By January 17, 2007, Storm Worm, a slimy email spamming threat, had begun its reign of terror. Disguised as a current events email featuring bogus news stories, Storm plagued as many as ten million PCs by September. Causing widespread document loss and chronic system failure.

There was Conflicker, Klez and Code Red. Zlob, Zeus and Netsky. Pro Rat, Koobface and Bifrost. And thousands more that wreaked just as much havoc. Fact is, the first decade of the twenty-first century has now been acknowledged by Internet Security Engineers, Sociologists and Law Enforcement Agencies as the beginning of an age of Sophisticated Cyber-Criminality, the likes of which man has never before seen! - Yet now, as we cautiously tip-toe through the second decade of the twenty-first century, it seems the world's brutish army of techno-thugs has just gotten larger and more devious.

By June 2011, they'd unleashed The Morto Worm. And just earlier this month, on January 6th, a Red Tape Chronicles report on msnbc.com proclaimed: "New virus raids your bank account. But you won't notice." 

So, what should we conclude? That the Evil rule the Internet? That we should resign ourselves to their terror attacks? And accept their destruction and plunder? Resign? Accept? Tip-Toe? No! We must... Outwit!

And around 2007, that's exactly what engineers at top Internet Security software providers started to do. By announcing that they had succeeded in "transforming desktop security from a detection-based to a prevention-based" model. - Suddenly, the White List Strategy had replaced the Black List Strategy.

You see, the industries smartest companies had posited that the only way to stop the escalating onslaught of viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and other destructive malware was to make a radical strategic shift. To reject the conventional "detection" philosophy that served only to protect a PC from a list of notoriously unsafe files that were ALREADY known. And instead, initiate a new "prevention" philosophy that only allowed a PC to run the millions of safe files registered on a periodically updated White List, embedded within incorruptible code. The antivirus solutions that have ensued are at the core of the most advanced Internet Security Systems available today. -- Many even feature Auto-Sandbox Technology. An advance that instantaneously spots and isolates any file not found on a White List. It tests such files for safety. Then turns them over to an Antivirus component to be destroyed if they're found to pose any threat. This is why PC users everywhere no longer have to resign themselves to the havoc, destruction and plunder caused by malicious malware and the evil minds that devise it.

Because you can count on this. The I LOVE YOUs, Storm Worms and Mortos of the future will NOT succeed. Will NOT breach the ramparts of your PC. Will NOT corrupt your documents. Will NOT rob your ID or steal your savings. -- As long as your PC ramparts are protected by the most advanced, next generation Internet Security Software available today.

Comodo Internet Security is the free, multi-layered security application that keeps hackers out and personal information in.

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Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - More Protection For You

In using the Internet especially, the law of "unintended consequences" seems to play havoc with even the best computer systems and the law is not something you can plan for it just happens as when your IT specialist installs a new version or patched version of a program that is carrying malware.

Malware isn't software that you can really see, feel or touch, it's just software that sits on your machine day after day, and may be recording your keystrokes, looking at your mailbox contacts, looking at your regular online visit sites, quietly putting together quite a dossier on your computer use.

Then one day, the master computer, located somewhere on the network, goes out and poles all its malware kits for the information they have gathered and suddenly folks who had assumed that their machines, which are located on corporate intranets with only a few VPN tunnels through or located on very tighly monitored and fire-walled systems are receiving information that they never asked for. We won't go into some of the information that is spread because, suffice it to say, it is really outrageous and, in some cases may be untruthful or even hazardous to your health.

This is where Malwarebytes Anti-Malware comes in quite handy as it scans your machine for these hidden programs and when it finds them it resigns them quite quickly to "File 13," also known as the "Round Bucket." They are zapped and our machine is cleaned up so that you can rest easy, knowing that: Your machine is clean; You aren't spreading them.

Oh, that's right, we forgot to tell you that malware tends to go into your contact files and emails and look for any machines out there that are not already loaded with the malware or one of its colleague programs and if it isn't when the malware is finished, it is.

Malwarebytes is constantly updated so your machine has constant protection from the latest in malware programs that may be out there. The key is that you have to constantly ask your system to update itself if you want to stay on top of the problem, but, if you are conscientious or you know how to write small command code subroutines, you will quickly find that you can run these pretty much automatically.

You will find that this relatively simple, yet powerful piece of code note only restores your peace of mind, but it also blocks all sites where malware and spyware software originates while also removing it from your system.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS

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Different Kinds of Computer Attacks

Computer systems are being infected by various virus attacks and to get rid of them, you must at least know how to safeguard your system from all the harmful threats and the various attacks online. Due to these attacks you end up losing your precious data and many other credentials. Your main concern should be figuring out how to protect them and ensuring that your work and network runs smoothly. Cyber-attacks can be categorized into two types-Active and Passive attacks.

Virus

Once the virus enters into the system it starts affecting the other files very quickly, making it a major problem in terms of keeping the infection in check. A virus is likely to go through drives and folders that can cause damage when you run the file.

Trojan

Trojans play a major role in infecting the computer system. The major targets of the Trojan are screen savers, games, and softwares.

Worm

Worms generally interrupt the file and make so many folders of the same name and keep on installing itself without any help.

Root kit

Cyber criminals and hackers take full advantage of the Rootkit and take the hold of the system in order to spoil their activities, and steal the important information in disguise. Victims are being targeted by the hackers every now and then.

Types of Passive attacks

Eavesdropping

Hackers snoop on the victim's in order to steal the confidential message occurring on the internet and access all the information held between the two networks.

Denial of service attacks

This is the hardest job for anybody to get rid of this attack as it completely damages the working of the file and send unnecessary requests to agitate the functioning of the computer. Many good companies have gone through DOS attacks like Amazon, Microsoft, and many more.

Spoofing

IP packets are being sent to steal the valid address of the computer users and once they are accessed, the records and information on the PC can get erased and personalized. This is divided into two types, one is IP spoofing and the other is DNS spoofing.

Password

Passwords are easily accessed by the cyber-criminals to fetch the complete information and data of the users. To prevent this from happening, a user must get computer security to protect one's system for long time. Always endeavor to write passwords with special characters so that it doesn't come in notice of the hacker's eyes. Long length of the password with numbers will also make it difficult for the hackers to crack the passwords.

To stop these attacks from increasing, you must have an antivirus protection installed to safeguard your computer and make it running without these vulnerable attacks mentioned above.

Protect your computer from various malicious programs by installing latest free virus protection software. Always use official websites to buy antivirus software online.

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Securing Your Computer and Personal Accounts From Hacking Attempts

High-profile celebrities, multinational corporations, and military institutions all share one thing in common: They were all compromised before or have their accounts and networks infiltrated by computer hackers. However, never assume that hackers only aim at prominent and valuable targets. Hacking of computers and Internet accounts for personal and financial information is becoming more prevalent and more and more computer users and Web surfers are at risk of falling victim to them. News media has recently reported of increasing attempts by hackers to take control of e-mail accounts and social network webpages such as Twitter and Facebook. More and more computer users have enlisted the help of purchased or free antivirus solutions and professional advice to help them deal with hacking intrusions.

Before we continue on with this article, we will need to define clearly what "hacking" really means and what actions do it constitutes or covers. Hacking is the general term that is used to identify attempts by persons or users to make off with your e-mail records, computer system, network connections, and Internet security settings. Simply put, it is any effort by hackers and other shady individuals to use the Web or local network to intrude in your PC or laptop and steal your important information.

To the accomplished hacker or to any computer expert in general, hacking can be a relatively basic action that can be accomplished with minimum effort. With the right skill set and attitude, basically anyone can get into computer and Internet accounts illegally and pilfer away critical personal information. A computer user can be called a hacker if he or she somehow gets the e-mail account password or Facebook account name of other individuals and uses them to steal personal information. They often take advantage of the fact that many passwords can easily be guessed; many computer and Internet users sadly only use "1234" or the term "password" as their password for important personal computer and online accounts. E-mail accounts and addresses are often targeted by hackers because they are often used as access points to your confidential Internet data. Hackers can also use other more complicated means and tools to gain control of computer files and make off with critical personal data such as Trojan horses, spam, spyware, and phishing; oftentimes, they can bypass the protective screen that is provided by most paid or free antivirus applications.

There are some hacking techniques that are so complicated and difficult to understand that only professional computer users and experts are able to follow them. They are used by skilled hackers to infiltrate and compromise the computerized networks of private corporations and government institutions, despite the high level of security that are provided for them.

So you come to realize the importance of protecting your computer and accounts from hacking attempts; you now ask yourself, "How can I better secure my computer?" You can easily realize this by strengthening your Internet security against hacking attempts and malware intrusions. To do this, you should first devise solid passwords for each of your e-mail and social media accounts. Secure passwords are those that contain lengthy and apparently haphazard sets of numbers, letters and special symbols and characters such as "&" and "@." You can use the free online password checker by Microsoft at "https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx" to determine whether your password is secure enough for you to use.

You can also strengthen your Internet protection by using a capable antispyware tool or utility. You can select the right antispyware program for your PC or laptop from the numerous premium antimalware solutions and free antivirus applications available. There are even those that are bundled in along with your Windows operating system. If you have Security Essentials from Microsoft and you have an earlier version of Windows installed in your computer, you will have to install an up-to-date variant of Windows or get the latest patches and updates.

Having a sensible and careful attitude when surfing the Web can also help you secure your PC or laptop better from hacking attempts and malware incursions. Never access webpages that you suspect may contain malicious programs and software and never provide your personal information to suspicious-looking or bogus Internet sites. Never click on attachments or links found in e-mailed messages that were sent by unknown individuals and entities. If you have a basic spam utility built in your e-mail, have it upgraded to its full version. Modern web browsers and search engines indicate log-in pages that they have secured by showing a padlock symbol on their address bar, alongside the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) line of that website or page. If this padlock symbol does not appear on the address bar for that site, you might do well to skip the site altogether or proceed to view it with care.

If by any chance your e-mail or social media account has been infiltrated and hacked, you should modify your account password right away and call the customer helpline. If you wish to take back control of your account, you will need to follow an account confirmation process that is provided to you by the e-mail service provider or social media website.

If you suspect that your e-mail account or Facebook page has been infiltrated and hacked, you would need to act on it right away. After you take back control of your e-mail and social media accounts, you will need to better protect your computer by using a paid or free antivirus program that can actively protect you from online hacking attempts and malware intrusions.

You can know all about the latest and the best antivirus software by clicking here.

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How to Get Rid of a Virus on Your Smartphone

Virus threats can be a serious concern if your cell phone gets infected by malware, Trojans that inevitably leads to identity theft. It's important to keep track of and control your smartphone and the best way is to do so is by installing the finest virus removal software. Given the fact that cell phone viruses are easily transferable through emails, attachments, text messages and the internet, it's important to keep proper distance from it. Always make sure that you install a reliable antivirus on your phone and ensure utmost privacy and junk mail settings. If you suspect a virus in your system, it's imperative to get rid of it without thinking of buying a new phone.

But what if your smartphone is already infected by destructive a virus? Read on for a more information about various ways to get rid of mobile phone viruses:

Restore your smartphone: An immediate way to help yourself get rid of mobile phone viruses is to restore your phone to factory settings. Before moving your steps further make sure you have removed the SIM card and memory card that contains important personal information in it. It is usual that your SIM will get affected by any cell phone viruses. Restore all the settings that can be stored on your phone. It is certainly a severe way to get rid of all your cell phone viruses since it's an effective way.

Use Effective Anti-virus Program: If you are a smartphone user, its imperative on your part to utilize effective virus threat protection. These softwares work in a similar way as computer virus removal do. It performs malware scans, updates and removal of software for better performance. The only drawback is that it utilizes a lot of memory on your phone.

Confirm the Permission List: Before downloading any particular application, always ensure that you go through permission list. Discuss the number of various things that your app is able to perform to avoid confusions. If in case you find anything confusing or suspicious, make proper research and then install it to your cell phone.

Keep Antivirus Updated: After installing one of the best antivirus programs to your cell phone, it's important to update it on regular basis. Ensure you set your phone every time to keep a check over updates the moment you get connected online.

Detect Viruses Frequently: Once you have located or diagnosed the virus threat, simply utilize the application manager built in your cell phone. Download applications from third party after following the instructions carefully to avoid terminating the number of viruses found.

Get the best free anti-virus protection software download from reliable websites and protect your system from malicious programs. There are many websites available on the Internet that offers antivirus download free services.

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Browser Redirecting - How to Fix This Troublesome Problem

The Browser Redirect, Hijacker or Redirect Virus is a wide spread problem on the internet today. The purpose of this redirecting virus is to channel you to sales sites or websites with malicious code. The virus is designed to hide inconspicuously on your computer making it very difficult to permanently remove.

Browser Redirect Removal - Although it is very difficult to manually remove the Browser Hijacker, it is not impossible. I have suggested two free programs steps you should take to remove this virus manually. If you are not technically savvy, don't feel comfortable digging into your computer register or just don't have a great deal of time to mess with this pesky virus, I will also provide you with an inexpensive guaranteed method.

In order to remove the redirect virus we should first better understand what we are dealing with.

A little known fact: The browser hijacker is a mini application that once installed changes the settings in Windows and how it deals with "redirects". After it has changed your settings it will hide as an essentially file or.exe file in places that anti-virus programs are not designed to look.

Most viruses have a root source from which all the disruption stems. Your Security or Antivirus software scans for these type of files, identifies them and removes them. Once the Browser Hijacker has made its changes to you computer settings it will lay dormant and inactive. This is why antivirus software can't find or remove it. So if you are going to remove the browser hijacker, you will need to use a program specifically designed to find and remove the virus permanently.

Do it Yourself Removal of the Browser Hijacker

To permanently remove the virus, you will need to use a program or tools that is designed just for that purpose. There are two free tools available at this time. Many people have had success with them. The first one is a tool used to remove a "trojan Horse Virus". This program is called Hitman Pro and has a free 30 day trial. This is a free downloadable application that will scan your system for any "Trojan Horse" viruses. The redirect virus often is a "trojan Horse Virus". You can use Hitman Pro to remove the virus in this case, you will need to download the program and follow all the instructions.

The other Free program is TDSS Killer. This program from Kaspersky Security was designed to protect your PC from the "TDSS Rootkit Virus". The "TDSS Rootkit" is one of the main elements of the redirect virus so TDSS Killer should remove it. You will need to download and run both of these programs to see if they can successfully remove the virus.

If it sounds like there is some doubt here, there is. There is no guarantee of success with the free software. Although many people have had success with these two programs, many have failed. There are many different strands of the browser redirect virus. The free software versions don't always find all the elements of the virus and permanently remove them. Yes that means you can get this virus multiple times.

If you would like Peace of Mind and a 100% Guarantee of success, you can purchase a program specifically designed to find and remove the redirect virus quickly and permanently. For more information about this program visit http://redirectvirus.co/. This program works, is modestly priced and has a money back guarantee.

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7 Computer Safety Tips You May Not Know About

We live in a world where there are many threats as soon as you log on to surf the net, check your email or do some simple research. That's why it's more important now than ever to protect yourself with knowledge. So here are 7 tips that will greatly aid you in protecting your identity and your computer.

1. Use A Proxy Hider. These are perfectly legal and it's your every right to use one, because anonymity is becoming a thing of the past now days. Simple Google "proxy hider" and you will find a series that are very good. Voila! You can now surf the internet and remain anonymous.

2. Keep everything up to date. Your browser is usually overlooked, but keeping the plugins up to date will keep your surfing experience a little bit safer.

3. Use an anti-spyware/malware scanner. I like Malewarebytes and SpyBot, which are a good start, but there are many others. The thing is, you need to keep them updated and run them at least once a week.

4. Firefox and javascript don't mix well. If you are going to be visiting a website that has lots of flash, pop ups or ad space, go to options >> content >> uncheck Enable JavaScript (for the time being). This is one of the most devastating ways that people get nasty computer viruses.

5. Use a smart firewall. By smart, I mean one that learns from behavior. I like Kaspersky, because it will ask you whether or not you trust a process, and tell you the percentage of other users who either trust, or distrust it. When you see a big 99% of users trust this, it makes it an easy choice, and Kaspserky' and some other programs are good at learning this way.

6. Read before clicking. If you get an email that contains a virus, you won't know it until it's too late. However, you will have some clues. Do you know the person? is the subject line gibberish? is the context of the subject line hypey sounding?

The same is true for when you are clicking on website links. Roll over the website link and look at the source destination in the bottom left corner of your browser. Does it look legitimate or does it contain lots of strange characters? And just because an ad tells you that your computer is infected, does not mean that it is.

7. Don't use Internet Explorer. It was a great browser as one point and still serves some purposes, but it has way too many loop holes that can be exploited, at least until they do something about it. Go with either Chrome or Firefox.

Computer running slow? bad internet speed? you may need to remove spyware!

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Rootkit Signs - Origin Of The Search Redirect Virus

One of the most evasive threats to your PC in the recent past has been rootkits. You may be wondering "What are rootkits?" Rootkits are defined as malicious software that allows an unauthorized user to maintain access to a computer by concealing programs and processes, files, or data from the operating system per dictionary.com. Many don't realize his/her computer is at risk because it is not evident in the beginning that the threat is present. Here are the most common rootkit signs to watch out for.

1. Computer Slowness. When it runs sooooo slow! You sit there for minutes to perform a function that should only take a few seconds.

2. Poor Performance. Applications and programs will tend to not perform the tasks they were originally designed for. Even if it does some but not all tasks it's supposed to, try detecting rootkits.

3. Search Redirects. When attempting to use search engines, it will often allow you to pull up the search engine and perform the search, but will redirect the results to a host of different web addresses from the one you selected the link for.

4. PC Reboots Itself. It will randomly cut off in the middle of different programs and reboot. This is one of the more telltale signs that the computer rootkit is destroying your PC.

5. Anti Virus Stops Working. It doesn't typically stop it from completely working, but it will keep your anti-virus from blocking the malware threats supported by the rootkit.

6. PC Portrays To Run Out Of Memory. Rootkits will inflate the amount of bytes needed to run applications or programs. In many cases, it is only perceived to be that way.

7. Error Messages. Several of the error messages will be unrelated to the actual problem with your PC.

8. Altered Desktop Settings. Rootkits will often infect the drivers and system files that prevent all settings from remaining saved.

9. Excessive Popups. Popup blocker, in some cases, will be one of several applications that will be infected and have less functionality than normal.

These are a few of the signs that your computer is infected with a rootkit. Several of these signs could also mean something other than a rootkit is the problem with your PC, since many infections yields the same issues. Be sure to use a rootkit detector if you feel that it could be the problem. Also, upgrade your anti-virus software and get it removed as soon as possible.

For more information on how to detect, remove, and prevent rootkits (or search redirecting viruses) click here. Thanks for reading.

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Java Zero Day Exploits: Time to Stop the Madness!

You may have heard about a couple of new "Java Zero Day exploits" that caused a bit of a panic recently. Well, "new" is a relative term since Oracle apparently has known about the problem since April. They planned to address it with their regularly scheduled Java update in October, but their hand was forced when Computerworld reported that the exploits had been added to "Blackhole", a popular hacker's toolkit, and were being served up by hundreds of unique domains. (Computerworld, 8/29/12)

The problem was considered so serious that many experts, including Mozilla's team, recommended users disable the current version of Java. Not very helpful if you need to use sites that require Java in your browser and, by the way, that assumes the user knows how!

Oracle rushed out an unscheduled update for Java to deal with the threat but was embarrassed when issues were immediately discovered with the update. With egg on their corporate face, Oracle had to rush out a second update to deal with the problems. (Computerworld, 8/30/12)

Clearly we need to look for a new approach to protect ourselves from this madness. Haste makes waste, and bad software!

What exactly is the threat?

As with most Java vulnerabilities, this vulnerability is exploited via browser applet. A Java applet is a small application written in the Java programming language that runs within your Web browser. Normally, just within your browser.

If you are unlucky enough to browse to a site that serves you the Java exploit it will trick your system into granting full access to your computer! It then downloads and executes malware that can wreak havoc on your computer and your life.

With full control, the exploit can do whatever it wants. It could delete everything on your hard drive. It could track your activities or enlist you in a botnet.

A botnet is a network of computers, known as zombies, that work together on nefarious activities. This could include sending spam, launching denial of service attacks to bring down web sites and click fraud to inflate advertising revenue. This can be serious stuff and the worst part is you may not even be aware that you are being used, other than your lousy computer performance.

Are you protected? Maybe not!

Most antivirus software only addresses viruses that have been identified and added to a so called "blacklist" of known viruses. They will eventually update their blacklist for this specific issue and when you get their latest update you will be ok, until the next Java exploit or virus is unleashed on the world.

You see, you are always running to stay ahead of the latest villain on the loose! Considering that there are an estimated 50,000 new malware threats unleashed every date that is a lot of running.

I prefer antivirus systems that take a proactive approach, using a "whitelist" approach and sandbox technology. In this technique, the scanner compares programs to a "whitelist" of programs known to be valid. Any untrusted application is automatically sand-boxed and run in an environment where it can do no harm to the user's computer. A sandbox is a restricted virtual operating environment for untrusted programs.

The result is that the malware that is downloaded runs in the sandbox, where it can't harm your computer. The end user is seamlessly protected against the threat AND can continue to use their browser with any interruption.

It is also critical to make sure that any web site where you exchange personal information, such as with e-Commerce sites, are running the Secured Socket Layer (SSL). SSL creates a secured, encrypted connection between the web server and your browser.

In addition, check to make sure that the site is using an SSL Certificate. The certificate authenticates for your browser that the web site can be trusted.

To protect yourself from Java Exploits and other malware, use the best antivirus and firewall software and make sure that you only exchange information with web sites that use SSL Certificates.

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