Anti Spyware: A Brief Look and the Latest in the Industry

Spyware is a kind of malicious software installed on computers that assembles information about users without letting them know of it. This kind of software, though, is typically meant to monitor the computing of users, its malfunctions can actually go beyond just monitoring and be used to access sensitive data like habits of surfing, user logins, information about credit/ debit cards etc. It can even interfere with the controls of a computer user by installing added software or re-directing web browsers. Spyware often slows down internet speeds, changes browser settings, or certain software settings also. It can create unwarranted CPU activity, disk usage, network traffic. It can overall make a system unstable by freezing applications, boot failures, even crash down systems. Certain lethal spyware can disable the firewalls of the system as well as the anti-virus software, thus making the system vulnerable to further possible infections.

It also happens that sometimes genuine software includes spyware and this could come from some official software vendor. So, as users are becoming more internet savvy by the day, they are potentially exposing themselves and their computers to an assemblage of online security risks. Now since with time the spyware and other malware will only continue to enhance and become bigger, efforts need to be put in order to fight them. Anti-spyware software is a potent tool that strives to protect computers against spyware, and a variety of other malicious software. To combat this quick evolution of spyware, many security companies have sprung up and this is an industry in itself today. The software serves real-time protection by scanning and blocking the incoming network data for the threat and warning they detect for spyware. These programs examine the contents of the Windows registry, files of the operating system, the installed programs, eliminates files and entries that tally with a list of common spyware.

Now, what to look for while one is selecting anti-spyware software?

The anti-spyware should carry out effective scanning, should be able to detect and eliminate malicious software. Also, running them should not significantly slower down the usual running of the computer. The following bullet points could be handy while choosing anti-spyware software:

• Effectiveness of protection: It should be effective and smart enough to detect a wide range of key loggers, root kits, spyware and any other potentially malign software.

• Effectiveness of removal: After a thorough checking and identification of the risks, the spyware should be proficient enough to eliminate and eradicate the malware.

• Usability: Utilization of the disk space, the memory usage, and the specifications of the machine required to successfully run the anti-spyware tool, all these need to be checked.

• Help & Support: A properly documented built-in help & support guide should be an integral part of each of the software that is sold. The option of online/telephonic support should be a part of the application package as well.

An ideal anti-spyware software should be light running, should be able to detect & remove the spyware effectively, thus rendering a tight protection of the PC from spyware and malignant attacks.

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What Is a Computer Virus? A Brief History and Explanation

Getting a "virus" on your computer can be a simple annoyance or a devastating event depending on many factors, not least which bug you caught.

In short, what we call a "virus" is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly, but incorrectly used to refer to other types of programs, which include but are not limited to ad-ware and spy-ware programs that do not have a reproductive ability.

The first scientist to theorize about viruses in computers was John von Neumann in 1944, when he gave a series of lectures in which he contemplated the occurrence of self replicating computer codes.

One of the first viruses was "Creeper", written in 1971 by Cambridge, Mass. based programmer Bob Thomas. It was intentional, written in-house and deployed over a network without malicious intent. The code was able to replicate itself and spread to other computers on the ARPANET, which was a DARPA sponsored predecessor of the Internet. This virus did not cause much damage but it was proof of the theory regarding self replicating code.

The question of which has been the worst virus till now is open to a lot of debate, but certainly few will disagree that the ILOVEYOU bug has been the most damaging.

This is probably the most well-known virus of all time as it infected many home computers. The virus spread by sending an e-mail claiming to be a letter from a secret admirer. Once opened, the worm replicated itself and hid in several files on the computer. It opened an attachment called WIN-BUGSFIX.EXE, which, far from fixing the bug, was actually a password stealing application. The ILOVEYOU bug caused an estimated $10 billion in damages.

According to Eugene Kaspersky of the anti-virus company Kaspersky Labs, in 2011 new viruses and variants were being detected at a rate of 70 000 per day!

The collective term "malware" is often used for all bugs and includes viruses, computer worms, Trojan horses, most root-kits, spy-ware, dishonest ad-ware and other malicious or unwanted software.

Wikipedia defines Malware as; "Malware, short for malicious software, is software used or created by hackers to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. While it is often software, it can also appear in the form of scripts or code.'Malware' is a general term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software."

True viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojan horses, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses or malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious or do nothing to call attention to themselves. Some viruses do nothing beyond reproducing themselves.

Since the term "malware" is also one that causes a lot of debate some security professionals prefer to call them "parasites". This broader description from biology defines a parasite as "an organism that has sustained contact with another organism to the detriment of the host organism." (The Art of Being a Parasite, by Claude Combus, 2005 )

As you can see, there are a variety of malware that can infect your computer, it is best to use a multi-pronged approach which involves using several software programs to find and remove them.

For the full story of the Creeper "virus" you can read "The virus of Bob Thomas"

For more free tips, info and advice that saves you money, and a free guide to clean a virus from your computer, visit GetValue

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How To Create a Strong Password in 2 Steps

Creating a strong password is a must today in order to help you safely protect your online transactions. Without it, you'll be left vulnerable to intrusions, stolen personal information, spam, viruses and more. You don't want to know that reason your friends and family are getting spammed, viruses is because your email account was hacked. Or imagine if this happens to your credit card or your bank account? The ramification can be devastating. So before it reaches this level, you can take some very simple steps to creating a strong password.

The question that most people ask is "How I can remember these long strings of letters, numbers and characters?" Well it is very simple and as you will see in this article, it will take two steps to get it done, really. And it may end up being fun. But before we dig in into how to create a complicated password, we are going to play a memory game.

Let's say we have these five objects to remember in order: car, frame, hammer, spoon and sun. The trick to remembering these words or items right away is to compose a sentence with all of them. It does not have to make sense. The sentence just needs to create actions. It will look like this: "In my car, I framed a picture with my hammer and hanged the spoon right over it under the sun." You have now composed a sentence with all 5 words and created actions out of them. If you picture yourself doing these actions, you will immediately remember all 5 words as soon as they are presented to you.

We will use the same analogy to create complicated password in 2 easy steps.

1. Select your favorite words, date/time (number) and a character.

2. Make a sentence with all of them.

Let's say I like colors, fruits and I have great (or bad) memories that happened at a specific time. Let's use the information below:

Words/Numbers/Characters: Red, banana, &,1975

The password will be: Redbanana&1975

Words/Numbers/Characters: Clown,scared,!,1999

The password will be: Clownscared!1999

Or something more fun:

Words/Numbers/Characters: In, 1975, I, became,*

The password will be: In1975ibecame*

Words/Numbers/Characters: @, 12PM, friday, ihave, $

The password will be: @12PMfridayihave$

Try using the first word in upper case; add some numbers, one simple character and you are done. These are strong passwords and you can make all kind of combinations. This will take about 10 minutes of your time but I can assure you, it will be the best 10 minutes you spent.

Remember to use a password for each one of your major account and try changing them as often as you memory can allow it.

Jacob Ouaknine is Sales Engineer and Account Manager at M6iT Consulting

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How to Protect Your Computer in 5 Easy Steps.

1# Use an Anti-Virus software

If you have a PC or Mac you must have an Anti-Virus and if you don't, get it now. Mac users please don't think you are safe because you have an Apple computer. Although it is technically true that Macs don't have Viruses, Mac treats are related to pirated software, social network scams (Facebook, Twitter), and socially engineered websites that can run malicious code on your Mac and collect your information.

What most Mac users don't know is that a Mac can still transmit and spread Windows viruses. If you have an infected file with Windows malicious code, and share it with your Windows friend, they will get infected. Be smart and protect your computer regardless of the Operating System you are using.

An Anti-Virus can help detect most malicious software before they affect your computer. Obviously having an Anti-Virus does not mean it will catch everything but better be safe than sorry. There are many softwares out there that will help protect your computer. Try to get one that gives you a complete protection. A software that has an Anti-Virus, Spyware, malware and web browsing protection.

For PC users you can use Microsoft Security Essentials. It is free and works just as good as any other Anti-Virus.

http://windows.microsoft.com

For Mac users you can use Sophos. It is free and will do a great job. http://www.sophos.com

Make sure you schedule the Anti-Virus to get updates regularly so you get the latest definitions.

2# Keep your softwares and operating system up to date:

Update your programs, operating system, and browsers regularly. It will help prevent many problems and patch security holes. Always update via Windows updates or Mac updates. While browsing the Internet, if you get a popup asking you to run any updates, it is a scam. See # 3 for more details.

3#Pop-up and email warnings:

Unscrupulous companies use pop-up ads to display false warnings about your computer. This is most common with pop-up warnings that you see while you're surfing the Web.

Do NOT click any button in the pop-up. Such as a "Close", "No" button or the "Close" box that may appear in the upper-right corner of the pop-up. Closing a pop-up that way might actually install a virus or other malicious software on your computer. To close a pop-up ad:

For windows, press Ctrl-W

For Mac, press Command-W.

You may receive an email warning that claims to be from a computer "expert" warning you of a virus. These are usually hoaxes. Do not follow the steps described in any email unless you're sure the threat is real.

4# Be aware of emails:

When you receive an email with an attachment that you are not expecting, do not open it. Simple rule: Don't trust but verify. If your email provider does not scan your emails before they are delivered to your mailbox, scans the attachments with your Anti-Virus.

If the email is not from someone you know and trust: don't open it, scan it (personally I will just delete it, especially if the subject or body is catchy). Do the same with emails that have suspicious links. If the attachment is from someone you know and trust but did not expect: Scan it.

5# Check your Firewall.

Every operating system comes with a built in Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your computer. Make sure it is turned on.

How to turn on a firewall on windows: Start Menu /Control Panel / Windows Firewall

How to turn on a firewall on Mac: Apple Menu / system preferences / security and privacy / Firewall

These 5 little steps will not only protect your computer but will extend its longevity. By protecting your computers, you are also protecting your personal information but know that the rest of the responsibility falls on you. So make sure not to click and open anything without make sure it is a legitimate source.

Jacob Ouaknine is Sales Engineer and Account Manager at M6iT Consulting

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How to Keep Files Safe When Surfing the Net

We are immersed in a technology savvy world where most of our lives are consumed by the internet. Most of the population spends hours a day surfing, banking, paying bills, using social sites or even completing tasks for work or school related projects. There are wireless internet connections in almost every fast food establishment, coffee shop and library you can find. Computers used to just be an additional accessory that was optional but now it is a necessary component of our day no matter where we go. With the rapid growth of internet use come the increased chances that our personal information can be compromised. There are some actions that can be taken to make sure that your files and personal information are safe no matter where you surf the web.

Creating Passwords
One of the most effective ways to protect your personal information can be how you choose passwords. It can be tricky to choose a different password for every single site that you visit, but it is unsafe to use the same password on all the sites that you access. The danger in using one password for all the sites is that if someone obtains access to the password they would then be able to access all of the sites.

It is important to find the right balance when setting up passwords. They need to be easy enough for you to remember but too difficult for others to guess. It is unwise to use birthdays, phone numbers, or pet's names as passwords as others may be able to get this information too easily. There are some very useful programs which can help keep track of your passwords if you have difficulty remembering them. When creating a password it is best to use letters, numbers and at least one symbol. This will make it more difficult for someone to guess.

Password the Computer You Use
Another way to protect your personal information is to put a password on the computer. This will mean that you have to enter your password every time you boot up the system. While this can seem like it complicates the process, it can be a great protective measure. If you leave your computer sitting on a table a third party will not be able to gain access to any your computer or any of your documents if they do not know the password. This is a very important tool for those who use computers in a public place.

Choose the Sites You Access
It is so convenient to use one of the public WI-Fi systems. And more facilities are making it available for free which makes it even more tempting to use more frequently. It is important to refrain from accessing sites which use very sensitive or personal information. Banking should be done on your home computer only. Personal files should not be opened up in public places and especially not when using a publicly used computer such as the library.

Virus Protection
There are several very good virus protection programs available for reasonable costs. This is a very important step to protecting all of your personal files and information. Keep the firewall and anti-virus program that you choose to use up to date. This will protect the computer from damaging viruses but it can also protect against hackers. Most of them will also alert you before you go to a site which could be damaging.

These are a few tips to use to help protect your personal information from hackers or loss. If the security of your information is compromised it can not only be damaging but very time consuming trying to get it gathered back up. Always protect yourself and your information by following these simple tips.

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