Cloud Computing Security Issues

Cloud computing brings many innovations and advances in the information technology fields. Cloud allows businesses to focus on their business. It does not solve all of today's security problems and can cause more security problems that will need to be addressed. The power of cloud computing can be harnessed against other clouds to limit there performance. New attacks on the cloud system will keep security engineers busy to keep your data secure. Cloud computing is a colloquial expression used to describe a variety of different computing concepts that involve a large number of computers that are connected through a real-time communication applications and networks.

High availability and central administration make cloud with fast moving requirements make it appealing to cyber crime related people. What happens when an attacker gains access to your personal information. They can use credit card information to open different accounts. Critical applications housing sensitive data should not be built on a community or shared AMI. The difficulties of detecting malicious code are enormous and hackers know this. Each cloud service provides an interface to manage the system in the cloud which can introduce security risks. If an attacker is able to gain access to the management console directly he can alter the way the application runs.
Armando Fox is an Adjunct Associate Professor at UC Berkeley and a co-founder of the Berkeley AMP Lab. During his previous time at Stanford, he received teaching and mentoring awards from the Associated Students of Stanford University, the Society of Women Engineers, and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. He was named one of the "Scientific American 50" in 2003 and is the recipient of an NSF CAREER award and the Gilbreth Lectureship of the National Academy of Engineering.

With cloud based offerings attacks are not as clear cut when dealing with stand alone systems. The attacker is able to tamper with the virtual machine settings or can modify the application running they will have access to your data on that virtual machine. Once a hacker gains access to a user's session he will have a wealth of personal information. Once the vicious AMI is launched from the account holder it can perform a number of malicious actions and take much personal data. After an attack the victim can see data was removed without their consent.

The hacker can attack the different billing models of the business and collect information on credit cards and personal data.The attacked application can charge the victim for going over their capacity since it can require band with to stop the attack. Today we use computing in very large amounts which make us targets to hackers.

In previous lives he helped design the Intel Pentium Pro microprocessor and founded a successful startup to commercialize his UC Berkeley dissertation research on mobile computing.Cloud computing

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Cyber Security and the Emerging Security Threats

Cyber security has been associated with the ever-growing complexities, threats and even costs which are popping up and growing unprecedentedly each passing day. Devices are getting interconnected and this has brought about the many perils in the cyber world. The interconnectivity has made it easier for hackers and criminals to compromise data both on the large scale and irrespective of where it is found. Security risk management has continued to be headache to many different groups of cyber users who happen to be the businesses as well as individuals. The need to proactively protect web applications, web processes and above all data has to be approached with a lot of seriousness and compliance to eliminate all types of threats both external and internal. Not only are cyber attacks the most feared threat but the sabotage of infrastructure is feared since incidences are growing in number each passing day.

The ever-changing cyber security landscape has people, organizations and businesses on their toes in identifying risks and vulnerabilities in their resources and systems. Threats as earlier mentioned have been on the rise due to the communication networks expanding and being in a position to gather humongous amounts of data. Yet another form of threat has been the rise of digital and cyber weapons which have been designed and deployed to target specific control systems or targeted at data stored in them with the intention of bringing each of these down. It should be remembered that the threats to infrastructure arises from the increase in access points within the network. Other threats have been the theft of data especially from governments, the theft of intellectual data property, the theft of financial information and cyber attacks aimed at the mobile devices.

The cyber security landscape this year has seen the problems and challenges which have been presented by mobile devices and applications. The use of the mobile devices has continued to grow and this growth has been matched in the growth of cyber attacks aimed at these devices. The growth of the mobile app niche has also seen an increase in the threats hidden and associated with many apps now found either free or at a small fee. The apps which are location based will have the risk of threat is when the applications are packaged with malicious code and malware such that they are then sold or availed to unsuspecting users. Other applications have been made in such a way that they will download malware and such programs like keyloggers and others that will record phone calls and the text messages.

The social engineering threat has been also on the rise with the intention being people will click on malicious links through the use of rogue antivirus and other many rogue and fake software like fake backup software mimicking the cloud computing services.

Hactivism has also been on the rise with different people or groups of people registering their displeasure and their non compliance with political decisions and opinions and other social factors through the staging of cyber protests. Their biggest tool has the denial of service attacks that are intended to bring down websites and systems. The DoS attacks will limit or totally disrupt the access of data on various websites and across a network. The other form of attacks has seen the posting of sensitive information such as the email information and credit card information which have been stolen or hacked.

The advanced persistent threat is another form of attack which takes the shape of a longterm hacking which is often targeted through subversive and stealthy means at intellectual property. Espionage is one form and the other is capturing network by working on vulnerable points. A network once captured will be used to store data and information and for other people a relay point. The spear phishing attacks are aimed at businesses and the top echelons of organizations with the aim of obtaining some confidential data or gaining access to networks and the businesses.

With so many threats faced in the cyber world, sound security practices need to be used both by individuals and businesses. The practices and measures taken are those that guard against attacks and cyber challenges and ally the impact of an attack.

Go to GNS store for more information on cyber security threats now! GNS specializes in providing the ultimate cyber security solutions in order to prevent devastating types of attacks to your system and facilitate safe web browsing.

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My Antivirus and Security Software Won't Get Rid of the Redirect Virus

"My Antivirus and Security software won't get rid of the Browser Redirect Virus!"

This is a statement we have all read time and time again in countless comments and on support forums. You have spent good money on software to protect your computer from malware and viruses yet you still fall victim to the redirect virus. What Gives?

It's not your fault!

Unfortunately the redirect virus was designed to evade the very security measures you were probably advised to take. The hijack virus is a very advanced mini application whose attacks are multi-tiered. It is activated with no help from other applications. It then makes its changes to your computers Windows settings and register files and then disguises itself as a file that should be present on your computer. Not only does it disguise itself, it hides where your anti-virus program won't even look. The only way to be 100% sure you have removed the browser redirect virus is to use a program specifically designed to deal with it.

Often times the hijack virus will send you to websites where malware exists. You will then have spyware or other hideous malware installed on your computer. Your antivirus software may detect this malicious code and remove it. Unfortunately the root redirect virus still remains hidden and undetected on your computer. In a matter of time the browser virus will become active again and start the process of redirecting you to unwanted ad sites and malicious code sites all over again. The permanent removal of this virus must be obtained to stop this cycle. This is only obtained through a multi pronged approach.

Fortunately for us there is a program available to remove this menacing virus permanently. This solution was designed by a veteran computer technician whose computer was infected with the browser virus. He has created a program with a multi prong approach to removing the virus. This is the only way to be sure you have permanently removed this browser hijacker. His program not only permanently removes the Google redirect virus, it guarantees it 100%,or your money back. You won't get that guarantee or any guarantee from one of these internet "Gurus" claiming to have all the answers.

Take it from a guy who tried to save money and followed a few of these unqualified "Gurus" down a deadend street. I saved neither time nor money. I ended up right where I stared minus a lot of personal time and a great deal of hair.

For more information about the Browser Redirect Virus and how to remove it permanently, go to my website http://redirectvirus.co/ (A Cautionary tale of how I removed the redirect virus permanently). Please learn from my mistakes and be done with this virus once and for all.

Best of luck, Bill

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Computer Threats and Security Solutions

The privacy of our personal information and authenticity of all data communicated is an important fact today. Antivirus is used to prevent computer viruses, adware, spyware etc. and can identify new viruses or variants of existing viruses. Antivirus software companies offer computer security which has many security suits such as Norton, Comodo, Kaspersky, Avira and AVG etc. Signature based detection and file emulation are the most common methods in virus detection. Many security antivirus provides protection against all existing viruses. Thus it acts as a powerful tool which increases the storage of flash memory devices. It has the defensive property against all existing viruses through its high-speed scanning mechanism. It gives the update of new threats in every hour.

Many free antivirus versions which assures a powerful real-time protection of your system. We have other free antivirus programs which include MoonSecure AV, DriveSentry, Microsoft security essentials etc. CalmWin is a free antivirus program for Microsoft windows 7/Vista/xp etc. We can use free antivirus download options through which it is possible to protect our PC from thousands of potential spyware, key logger and tracking threats etc. Malicious software or malware is described as cyber vandalism and the goal of viruses is to spread as much as possible. To protect our computer from crime ware it is essential to install security patches for operating system and applications.

Today each website has its own privacy policies. Web bugs are typically small images placed within the source code of the web pages of a site. It is used to measure the traffic of users who visit a web page. Similarly cookies are the small amount of information which can identify you as specific user. It allows you to save your personal and technical information just like the pages you have visited. If we do not wish to receive cookies we can configure the browser to get that effect. For system security it is necessary to reject cookies from certain domains.

Generacion 4.0 is a new antisparm version which has special features like collective intelligence engine, motors using signatures and engine heuristicos etc. Engine heuristicos is the automatic defense mechanism which acts against new malicious codes. It identifies viruses, worms and trojans that are not present in the database. A virus signature can copy a portion of the executable code to reproduce the infected host applications. There are pleomorphic viruses which are not detected easily so that the heuristic method is used for this purpose. Collective intelligence engine is also help to detect and disinfect viruses.

To protect your computer from cyber threats it is essential to update your security software regularly. You will get free version of security antivirus for one year.

Welcome to Neo antivirus gratis, here we provide Free antivirus protection for your system. You can enjoy the browsing safely by using our neo security antivirus. Want to know more information about Antivirus Gratis and descarga antivirus gratis feel free to browse our website.

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Are We Really Fusing Information or Acting in a Synchronized Paranoia? A Homeland Security Topic

The other day, I was quite concerned because I learned of some of the things going on behind the scenes of the Internet. What we have is groups of people who are monitoring the Internet to look for certain types of behavior, and language showing up on Internet forums, blogs, comment posts, and even those little Digg and Facebook like buttons with comments attached. These same people who handle issues of the darkest challenges of the web, also relay that data to the fusion centers. Then they can quickly GPS the individual by their ISP, and if they think it is serious, they will actually have someone go and look into it.

They will also run the criminal records of which individual they think it might be making the comments, and they can even tell if it's someone who was making the comments under a false identity often enough. Now then, this might be very interesting, and perhaps a good way to catch terrorists, but how many people are we really catching, and how many false positives are we creating, and are we really fusing all this important Internet information together to protect the American people, or are we acting more like a bunch of paranoid NAZI Gestapo secret soldiers?

Are these special task forces really necessary, and what do they do when they have nothing to do, when there's nothing going on? Are they harassing people who are going about their lives and exercising their free speech online? Are they collecting all this data to use against these individuals later, just in case something comes up? The answer is yes to all of those things, and as an American this should rub us the wrong way because it is a complete violation of personal privacy. In other words, it is unacceptable and is not cohesively jive with the ideals that we stand for in this great nation. Therefore such activity is extremely problematic, nevertheless our government is doing this.

Now then, it's great that they are able to catch terrorists, follow around the bad guys, catch a few drug dealers here and there, that's all well and fine, but at what expense to our freedom and liberties? Are we using this as some sort of intimidation, are we quelling free speech, are we using this to keep everyone in line while online? And what are the fine lines between becoming someone's red flag, and enjoying your free speech and opinion? And whose agenda are they running, those who work on these teams, which political side of the spectrum are they on, and what sort of politically correct filter, religious connotation, or sexual preference are they endorsing?

You see, when you have humans judging other humans online, they are more apt to red flag someone that they don't agree with. That's human nature, we are not going to be able to stop that. Next, if we are hiring people for these data fusion centers, and we have a shortage of qualified individuals who actually understand what the cost is, what a crime is, and what free speech is all about, then chances are we are going to get people who are working in these facilities who have an axe to grind and are going to take their personal preferences and push them onto the Internet.

How many people have they already falsely flagged? I think the American people have the right to know what the government is up to, and if they're up to no good, whether they mean to or not, or whether there are questionable folks running those systems amongst them makes no difference, if unjust activities taking away the guaranteed rights of our citizens are happening in this country, that is pure and simple unacceptable. It must stop.

If we have a secret group of people who are out there doing this, and we do not have a stated set of rules and laws, and if the users on the Internet don't know what is acceptable and what isn't, then we are engaged with a secret set of laws, and a secret police force enforcing those dictates. This should not happen in the United States, but I now fear that it is. Not necessarily for myself, but rather for my fellow man and fellow American.

We have some ideals to hold up in this country, and I expect each and every single individual involved in the enforcement and protection of the American people against terrorism and crime to do their duty to the best of their ability and not cross that line. We know that all too often enforcement personnel, police officers, and others who are in charge of enforcing that law have overstepped their bounds, it's happened in the past in almost every major city, why would it be any different this time, we are still dealing with humans.

They are the weak link, and not only of the criminal side, and don't kid yourself this isn't a perfect world, nor could we make it perfect by taking away the freedoms and liberties that this great nation stands for. It's time to start asking some tough questions, we must do better than this, and we must hold on to what we have.

If we are going to act like other nations then we are no better, in fact we are worse in that case because we are lying to ourselves and our citizens. This is pretty serious stuff, and it's time that we leveled with the American people. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Internet Privacy Issues. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Get Protected With IT Security News

IT security news is one way of helping the public be aware of what is going on over the internet and letting them know how safe they are. A lot of people put some very personal data online without ever realizing it. Sometimes users go on and fill up certain documents such as name and birthday without realizing that the site they are using might not be protected or secure enough to handle the given information. Security notes will let them know of software or happenings online that they should be cautious about.

Spyware Malicious Software

One of the topics on IT security news is Spyware. Spyware is a kind of malware. Malware is the shortened term for malicious software. This software actually takes private information from the owner without his knowledge. This is installed onto the computer and can collect information such as passwords and other data that no one would want to share with others such as bank account information, credit card numbers, and the like.

This malware also has the power to mess up the way the computer is originally programmed or running by putting extra software, messing with the connections, and even making your computer run slower. It is even capable of knowing how the user performs on his computer through adware.

Unfortunately, this is installed to the computer at times when the user actually installs or downloads software that he originally wanted. While the user is installing the software, the spyware will take a free ride along with it and start noting down private information and details. Users must also be cautious about installing free anti-virus or security software because spyware could go disguised as one of these.

Other News

Norton Cybercrime Report shared that a lot of money, $110 billion, was lost to cybercriminals on the web. 39% felt that they were hacked through malware and false information. Even though understand safety rules on the Internet, there are still 40% of users who do not create strong passwords. Still, many do not comprehend what modern technology is doing. There were 40% who did not know how malwares function and that they can do so in secret and another 55% did not know how to tell if their computer was infected or not.

It is best to be updated with IT Security News. Technology and life over the internet is changing rapidly that it is sometimes difficult to comprehend everything; one of the biggest priorities is to practice safety by making sure that no one or anything can get into your personal files and information. Reading through some security notes will empower your decision making over the internet and will keep you keen on what you share.

For more information on how you can protect yourself and your family, visit this link. Getting connected and reading IT Security News here will let you know what precautions you can take which will empower you while you are on the World Wide Web.

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How to Remove United States Cyber Security Virus

United States Cyber Security virus is a ransomware that was programmed to attack computers in USA. This virus can be distinguished from other malwares by a very aggressive behavior towards an infected machine. As soon as it gets inside the system, it blocks computer completely. The only thing the owner of the infected machine can see is a message:

Your PC is blocked due to at least one of the reasons specified below.

You have been violating Copyright and Related Rights Law (Video, Music, Software) and illegally using or distributing copyrighted content, thus infringing Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, also known as the Copyright of the Criminal Code of United States of America.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of two to five hundred minimal wages or a deprivation of liberty for two to eight years.

...

To unblock the computer, you must pay the fine through MoneyPak of $100.

United States Cyber Security virus just like other versions of this ransomware such as FBI virus, Canadian Police virus or Ukash virus gets inside computer using security holes and system vulnerabilities. One might get infected by the virus after downloading a corrupted file or visiting an infected webpage. United States Cyber Security virus is distributed using Trojans downloaded from exploit pages as well as corrupt shareware.

Once the virus is in the system, you will be displayed with a scary message shown on a with "camera" window each time you turn on your computer. This ransomware disables the rest of your programs therefore your PC does not respond to any of your commands. No matter how convincing the message of this virus looks like, do not pay the fine. It will only encourage more of similar viruses to be distributed and definitely will not unblock your system. If you already paid the fine and read this article after your money is spent, contact your credit card company as soon as possible and dispute the charges. Note, none of official governmental institutions accept payments using prepaid payment system. Once you see such a payment option this should be a first sign for you that something is wrong and you are looking at a scam.

To unblock your computer you will need to do some work manually. First of all restart your computer in a safe mode or safe mode with networking. Then run MSConfig. After it is finished, disable all startup entries. You can identify malicious entries easily as they will reference a file from your user folder. Restart your computer one more time. This time it should not be blocked anymore. Do not forget to perform a full system scan of your PC.

Here is a step by step video guide on United States Cyber Security virus removal.

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A Look at the Mobile Devices and Mobile Security

Mobile devices have continued to rise in their popularity, and the adoption rates are extremely high. This arises from the fact that mobile communication has become an everyday affair. For many people, leading a life without a mobile phone would be nearly impossible for many of us to tolerate. Our lives are dependent on the devices for so many things besides the major advantage of providing a means of communication with people. Again the continued rise in the level of adoption of devices has been accompanied by sophistication in the devices and their models and the level of functionality achievable with the devices.

There are now the smartphones and the tablets based on various different platforms dependent on the manufacturer. This has expanded the functionality that can be achieved with the mobile phones to unimaginable levels, and this is continuing with more and more pieces getting added to the devices. The smartphones and the tablets accompany users everywhere and anywhere they go and in everything that they do. The mobiles phones are now accessing the internet at great speeds and with very large capability helping users to access data and even manipulate the data. With such capability the mobile phones and devices are adding a whole different angle to the equation that is IT security. The devices have been a very big risk and this has to do with the fact that people are able to access a whole bulk of resources from their phones. The mobile devices are in themselves a threat to the data that is stored in them and to the networks in which they are a part of.

In a manner similar to the way people take some comprehensive steps to secure their computers, the mobile devices should be secured. This arises from the fact that the information and data accessed and contained in them includes personal and private data, photos and contacts, and even data and security details belonging to financial accounts and other online businesses. The devices, being the lifeline that they have become, require protection to manage and avert the risks and threats out there. A look at the steps to put in place to ensure that mobile security is guaranteed will be helpful for many users of the mobile devices.

The very first step has to be that of finding the devices which has the best or above average security features when compared to other devices in the market. This mitigates the risks out there and security features are different dependent on the manufacturer and the targeted clientele with the specific device. A major threat to the security of the mobile devices are the third party application which may come with attached scripts by cyber criminals whose intention of get control over your device. Therefore, go for the signed third party apps to be sure of their authenticity and also limit the level to which the other people can arbitrarily install these third party apps and inadvertently gain control to your device and further on to the business or corporate network.

For purposes of accessing internet through any of the mobile devices, it is important to guarantee security through the enabling of encryption and authentication. Encryption is possible with the devices that have been manufactured with strong security controls and are there to be used. It is only in this way that any user will be assured of the security of any sensitive information access from the device. Authentication on the other hand will boost security with smartphones and the tablets especially if the device is lost or falls into the wrong hands. This also ensures that information will not fall into the hands of criminals or just any other person. And it is still on this point that the use of the Remote Wipe Capabilities suffices so that in the event that the device is stolen then the users of the device is in a position to remotely access and disable the devices in the occasion that the devices are lost or stolen.

These mentioned are only a few measures which form only the basic steps to undertake towards strengthening the security of the mobile experience.

Fortunately, there are companies out there committed to providing the IT security for computer based interfaces as well as mobile security solutions for mobile devices, like Guardian Network Solutions. GNS is a value added reseller of IT solutions for small businesses and home users. Sometimes, it just takes investment in simple, automated software or hardware solutions to prevent work stoppage, data loss, and fraud attributable to cyber-attacks, and GNS is committed to providing the most affordable options tailored specifically for each aspect of IT security.

Reprint Terms: You're welcome to reprint these articles on your website and in your e-newsletters free of charge, provided that you do not change the article in any way and you include the byline, mobile security solutions.

In doing so you agree to indemnify Guardian Network Solutions and its directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against all losses, claims, damages, and liabilities that arise out of their use.

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Bitdefender Total Security 2013 Review

Bitdefender Total Security 2013 is BitDefender's new top of the line security product that leaves little to be desired in terms of functionality that it provides. It combines all the offerings of the company's Antivirus Plus and Internet Security products with additional features that only it offers.

If you are already a Bitdefender customer you are probably wondering what the company is offering in terms of new features or improvements in their 2013 lineup. We are going to look at that in detail later on in the article. Before that, lets take a look at the installation of the program first.

Installation

You download a small setup program from the Bitdefender website that downloads the remaining data from the web during installation. The installation is straightforward and no problem even for inexperienced users. If you want, you can customize the location on the local drive, enter proxy settings, or disable program modules that you are not interested in. If you are only using webmail, you may for instance want to disable the anti-spam module.

The program runs on autopilot by default which makes life really easier as you are not bombarded with dozens of security prompts and alerts right away. If you want though, you can disable autopilot to manage every issue and prompt manually.

The main program interface displays the four important areas antivirus, antispam, privacy and firewall by default, with Tune-up, Safebox, Update, Safego and File Encryption available either with a click on the right arrow or the slider that is displayed below the listing.

You can rearrange the display with a click on the all modules button in the interface. Here you can modify it so that the four program modules that you are most interested in are displayed without scrolling.

Most modules display an on and off switch on the screen which you can use to either turn them on or off completely, or to turn of some of their automatic functionality. Here it is for instance possible to turn of the automatic scanning of files or the firewall.

Often used features, like scanning or updating, are available directly from that interface as well. Lastly, the settings are also only a click away from the main interface.

At the top, you see the general state of security of the system, events that require your attention, the autopilot switch, and a link to program settings overview

Antivirus

The antivirus module is one of the core components of the program. In terms of functionality, it has lots to offer. The autoscan feature for instance scans the system for threats when performance is not needed elsewhere. It also features realtime protection that scans files when you try to access them, options to run various quick, full or custom scans, and a vulnerability module that checks for Windows and application updates, or weak user account passwords.

Scans are reasonably fast even though that depends largely on the speed of the hard drive, the amount of files and their sizes, and the computer performance in general. A quick scan took less than 2 minutes to complete on a test system, a full system scan about 15 minutes with the time estimate showing 1 minute left for about 5 minutes.

The Vulnerability Scan is especially helpful as missing updates and patches are one of the key reasons why Windows PCs get infected by malware. It checks for critical and optional Windows Updates that have not yet been installed, application updates for important plugins and programs like Skype, Java or web browsers, and finally weak user account passwords. If something is not right, it offers to fix the issue or install updates to resolve it. It could support additional programs though.

As far as accuracy and detection rates go, Bitdefender has received high ratings from AVTest and AV Comparatives for their products.

Firewall

You may want to check the firewall's settings first as some of its features are disabled by default. This includes the intrusion detection system that protects against the installation of malware drivers, Internet Connection Sharing, and the monitoring of Wi-Fi connections (also this may have been disabled because the system had no Wi-Fi adapter).

If you are running on autopilot you really do not have to worry that much about the firewall. You are definitely not annoyed by alerts when another one of your regular applications tries to connect to the Internet. Users who want more control on the other hand can configure everything manually in the settings and with the help of prompts. The paranoid mode may be interesting which alerts you whenever new applications try to establish a connection on the Internet.

As far as application rules go, there is lots that you can configure here. Just take a look at the screenshot below to see what you can configure when you add a new rule for an application to the firewall rule set.

Unless I'm mistaken though there does not seem to be a way to specify certain ports for an application

The new and improved features

Bitdefender Safepay is one of the core new features that Bitdefender integrated into Total Security 2013. It basically aims to make transactions and other critical operations on the Internet more secure by running them in a browser that is separated from the rest of the environment. That's good because it protects from a number of potential threats, e.g. keyloggers, and not so good because it is displayed in a separate environment where you do not have access to desktop apps and programs. If you are using a password manager for instance, you can't make use of it to sign in on websites.

Safepay can be started manually or automatically according to Bitdefender. Manually worked fine during tests, but I could not get the automatic feature to work at all no matter which browser I tried and whether I explicitly added websites to the list of Safepay sites.

The program's parental controls have been upgraded. They do require an account at Bitdefender to make use of them though. You can either create a new account or sign in with Facebook or Google instead. From here you can monitor and configure many features, including the monitoring of Facebook and web browsing in general, and even phone calls if an app is installed on Android phones.

A few things are missing though, like a similar app for iOS devices or support for more instant messengers.

The anti-theft module is another new addition to the Total Security suite. It too requires a Bitdefender account which you can then use to locate and lock a stolen PC or laptop, and to wipe data to make sure the thief can't access it. This obviously only works if you have configured the feature when the device was still in your possession, and if the thief is connecting the PC to the Internet in its current state. If the hard drives are formatted, or a new OS is used, it won't be effective.

Total Security users get access to 2 Gigabyte of free secure online storage, and access to a number of tools that I have not mentioned yet. This includes a file shredder to delete files permanently, encrypted storage to protect files from being access by third parties, or a tune-up module to speed up the PC.

Bitdefender Product comparison

- Antivirus Plus: Antivirus and Antispyware, Bitdefender Autopilot, Bitdefender Safepay, USB Immunizer, Enhanced MyBitdefender dashboard, Search Advisor, Social Network Protection, Personal Data Filter, Antiphishing, Scan Dispatcher - Internet Security: Antispam, Enhanced Parental Control, Two-way firewall, File Shredder - Total Security: Bitdefender Safebox, Anti Theft, File Encryption, Tune-up - Total Security contains all features that Internet Security and Antivirus Plus is offering, while Internet Security contains the Antivirus Plus features as well.

Closing Words

Bitdefender Total Security 2013 is a big suite that combines security products with related products. The program's autopilot mode ensures that it is a good choice for users of all experience levels. Experienced users will find the manual options suitable for most tasks, even though they could be improved in some regards. The application vulnerability scanner for instance could use additional support for popular applications that it is currently not detecting.

All in all though it is a beast of a program. Users who do not need antispam, parental controls, the anti theft module or file encryption can take a look at Internet Security instead.

Hi all, my name is Le Duong Vien Chinh, the part-time blogger since 2012. By profession, I am working as a technical specialist and my interest is in computer, software, and hardware and I love blogging too much, because, it broadens my knowledge and understanding of the computer and the Internet. That's about me.

vienchinh.net is a tech blog that was started on June 2012. It focuses on posts covering latest trends, mobiles, social networking, and personal computing tips. I blog regularly at Vien Chinh Blog

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Internet Security - Some Simple Security Strategies To Safeguard Your System

Internet security can be considered as one of the most battling concerns of the internet users and the online business owners. With the increasing number of incidents like cyber thefts, security breach, data alteration and the like, there is a growing need of protecting the systems from these perils of the web world. Internet security can be seen as the method to protect the vital information and data from any unwanted intruders or unofficial sources. Further in this article, I have discussed about some of the most common strategies that can be adopted in order to secure the information in your system from the internet based threats.

Encryption of the important date plays a key role as far as internet security is concerned. Are you unaware of the term encryption? Well, nothing to worry about. Encryption is like converting the important and private information into inarticulate form so that it cannot be decoded easily in case stolen by the hackers. You can also make your important files and folders password protected in order to prevent any kind of illegal access to the vital data. The set password should be such that it cannot be comprehended easily. In case you wish to have high level security for your system, you can contact online PC security officials.

In order to prevent any kind of suffering caused by loss of data, you should take proper backup on regular basis. Data is one of the most precious things in the current business environment and it should be safeguarded by any means. If you have a proper and up to date back up of all your files and information, you need not worry about hackers attack, sudden system crashes or virus attacks. In order to make the system safe and secure, you must make sure that a proper firewall is installed. Firewall helps in filtering any kind of illegal access in your network.

Antivirus is another effective solution against the problem of internet security. Viruses are also one of the most ongoing threats of the web world and you should install proper antivirus program in order protect the system from virus attacks. Make sure that the program is also capable of dealing with the different kinds of spyware. These spywares collect important information from your system and send the same to the web world. Therefore, you should make sure that the antivirus or antispyware is up to date and provides complete protection.

So, these are some of the most effective internet security strategies that can help in safeguarding the system from any kind of cyber attacks.

I am a professional in the security industry and have been working hard for over 12 years to provide a better security environment. If you want to know more information about security related topics or learn about other products such as a precious metal detector please visit our website.

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Benefits Of Having Penetration Testing Services For Best Mobile Application Security

Any organization that depends on information security protocol will have to make sure that their data and information is not breached and remains safe for client and consumer benefits. Since nowadays, almost every company is having a requirement of information technology software, it is important for them to incorporate high standards of security for their IT infrastructure. This can be done through the penetration testing services which will let the companies know about the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their system. These services can also be applied for mobile application security, which is currently one of the major forms of software development network in the entire world.

Mobile application development is a feature that is perhaps associated with almost all the IT companies, with some of them having high end infrastructure for the purpose. For these companies, the installation of penetration testing services is a big requirement as well as very essential as the testing will be the basic step towards a strong IT solution. When the proper mobile application security is maintained by penetration testing by experts, companies stand to gain a few benefits.

1. The first and foremost benefit that the application development companies get is the identification of the threats that face the organisation's information assets. As a part of the software development life cycle, the identification of the vulnerabilities will be necessary so that the security systems are strengthened at the development process itself. Experts who are dealing with the mobile application security are therefore inducting the penetration testing services for the best results. Although the penetration testing methodology is one of the oldest methods to know about the security threats, it is also the surest means to do so.

2. Reduction in the IT security cost is possible by the methods of penetration testing services. Firstly, checking for threats means there is less chance of future breaches, which means there will be less expenditure on correctional measures. Secondly, when the services are hired, the companies which have specialised in the mobile application security systems will go through all the possible measures to know the possible threats. This means that individual servers or computers are not to be checked again and again for the possible vulnerabilities. When there is reduction in the cost of the security instalments, there will be an automatic increase in the return on investments. This ROI is also increased because the companies providing the penetration testing services go for checking all the parameters and places in the network.

3. Certifications of various standard industrial security checks can be received by involving experts in penetration testing services. Compliance with regulations from standard certification agencies such as HIPAA, ISO 27001, PCI, etc becomes possible if the testing services are implemented properly by the companies. Once these certifications are received, there is an increased sense of trust among the clients who are aiming to do business with the IT companies. Another benefit of receiving the industry certifications is that the company which is having a proper mobile application security becomes recognised among the users and the application providers.

Having mobile application security is one of the important aspects of application developers and they will have to maintain a secure system for their companies by getting the penetration testing services. There are plenty of benefits of doing so and these can be entertained if the companies are aware of and bring into their fold, secure network in their IT infrastructure.

Torrid Networks is a global leader in end-to-end information security management services. Company is a CERT-IN (Computer Emergency Response Team - India) empaneled security auditor under the Ministry of Information Technology of India. To get a free Quote on penetration testing or information security kindly visit- Torrid Networks

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5 Scopes Of Conducting The Information Security Audit Towards Efficient IT Governance

With the growth of IT infrastructure as an indispensable part of the modern day organizations, examination of the controls of the infrastructure is mandatory. It is done to check if the IT controls within the system, practices and operations are in order and whether or not there is any threat of information being breached. Those companies, which are dealing in data and technology using computers and have a network system, will have to check the strength of the security measures.

Information security audit, like any other auditing, has been a necessity to be done in the information technology setting. This is because it provides a control and governance in the IT companies and by business process owners. By doing so, companies get an augmentation in the value attained from their IT infrastructure, allows for alignment of services and simplifies implementation of their IT policies. In order to bring the best out of the information security audit in today's world of information technology, there are 5 areas in which the application security measures can be implemented.

1. Systems and applications - As a means of protecting the application platforms and checking out the efficiency and control of input, processing and output, application security is an important tool. By doing an audit of this security protocol, organisations can make sure that their IT systems are run without hazards of infringement. Since the running of these systems is based on the end user level, it will require a thorough checking of the computers in an organisation's office or central location.

2. Information processing facilities - Processing of applications and related software data is safeguarded against breach by doing the information security audit from time to time. Data centres are the most important places in an organisation dealing with IT infrastructure. To make sure that the data centres are making an accurate processing of application and are safe against any security threats, auditing is necessary.

3. Systems development - During the developmental stage of the systems required for IT infrastructure, it is the responsibility of the companies to ensure that there is adequate protection from the outside forces or any internal malware attack. These systems should meet the objectives of the organisations, which is made sure if the information security audit is done from time to time. Audit also makes sure that the system is being developed within the accepted standard of system development.

4. Management of IT and enterprise architecture - For any organisation dealing with the IT systems, they have to first build up an infrastructure that can run the information technology software and programs. It is a huge task to built such a system and even bigger a responsibility to protect this system from any harm through foreign IT interferences. Safeguarding the architecture of the system is essentially fulfilled by having a safety net for the IT.

5. Protection of the clients' servers and other intranet and extranet communication servers is possibly done by managing the application security and bringing out a strong infrastructure that is based on regular auditing. Companies which provide IT services will have to ensure the protection of their clients also. Information security audit is also aimed at helping the clients also.

A lot of sectors in the field of IT have been managed successfully by the application security processes and auditing. It should be the tryst as well as responsibility of the IT companies to ensure that their security measures are secure and not easily breached. If regular updating of the systems is necessary, then there is also the compulsion of involving the best application security and auditing measures.

Torrid Networks is a global leader in end-to-end information security management services. Company is a CERT-IN (Computer Emergency Response Team - India) empaneled security auditor under the Ministry of Information Technology of India. To get a free Quote on penetration testing or information security kindly visit- Torrid Networks

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Speed Up Windows 8 With Norton Internet Security

Symantec claims that its elite Antivirus software - Norton Internet Security - can outwit Microsoft's native security solution - Windows Defender - and in turn, provide a better, faster and securer computing experience.

Remember the good, old days back in 2008, when running Norton Security would quench your computer's performance? It was only 2009 when Symantec completely rewound the software and came up with a better and refined version of antivirus software. Since then, with every forthcoming version, it has just improved.

However, the irony is that so have its competitors. In recent times, security suites like BitDefender, AVG or Kaspersky have evolved to provide better user experience, faster performance and robust protection.

However, Symantec has been the catalyst in the transformation process, pushing the performance boundaries with every build. It realizes that performance would be a crucial factor not only for antivirus software but also for operating systems.

On the other hand, Microsoft claims that it has played all cards right this time with Windows 8. It won't slow down after few months unlike most Windows versions and promises an intuitive, easy-to-work-with interface as well.

Though the code for Windows 8 has not been out yet, Symantec couldn't resist itself from asserting that Windows 8 affiliated Norton Internet Security would provide the fastest computing experience. Moreover, it also went on to attest that as per their preliminary tests, Windows 8 PCs running with Norton Internet Security performed 52% faster when compared to the ones running with Windows Defender. These reports have been issued by TechRadar and the integrity of these reports thereby cannot be questioned.

Symantec would provide the functionality to update to newer versions without a need to reboot. Besides that, with an autonomous auto-update feature, you would stay up to date and always be protected from malicious attacks.

Though it is very much obvious that the paid versions of the software perform better than the freeware (Windows Defender is available as a FREE download), it would be fascinating to see how the contemporary software companies like Kaspersky, AVG or Kaspersky would respond to this.

There can also be the following implication: "Norton does not make Windows faster, Windows Defender makes it slower."

We would have to wait for the official release of Windows 8 in order to know what exactly the naked truth is. Having test the new Windows 8 platform, I would venture to say that it may not necessarily speed up the system, but it will certainly help keep it protected.

Jason Greenwell invites you to get the latest tech news, tips, and advice from his company My Tech Team - a leading provider of computer support - at http://www.mytechteam.net/blog

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How Has Online Security Developed?

Thankfully, the majority of internet users are now far more clued up when it comes to protecting themselves against virus-spreading techniques such as these. Nowadays the email would be regarded as the most basic of phishing scams and even those who were fooled would probably be warned against opening the attachment by their anti-virus software.

However, it would appear that there is still a lot more that businesses could and should be doing to protect themselves against the actions of cyber-criminals.

The recent hacks of huge firms like Sony, Citibank and MI6 have proved that cyber-criminals are becoming more intelligent.

Malware

The ILOVEYOU email virus was the first high-profile example of a financially-motivated attack on computers.

However, there are now thousands of organised cyber-crime groups across the world hoping to make a profit by infiltrating computer networks and installing malware on vulnerable websites.

For this reason, it has become essential for business websites to protect themselves against the threat of being hacked.

Those who employ the services of specialist web hosting companies should hopefully be offered an array of services with their data centre package to help them do just that.

A lot of high-quality web hosts will offer to complete frequent vulnerability scans of a website to ensure that there is no way for a hacker to access it. Others will manage and monitor a website's firewall to make sure for certain that no malicious activity takes place within their domain.

Using intrusion detection software, a number of web hosting companies will even be able to put an end to any malicious activities which do occur in record time.

Phishing

Phishing scams have only got more complex since ILOVEYOU rocked the world back in 2000 and this has led to web users being a lot more cautious about which websites they give their personal details to.

It is generally recommended to only disclose personal information on websites with secure connections, meaning that it is now crucial for all e-commerce websites to obtain an SSL certificate. This certificate confirms to customers to an online business is genuine and any web host worth its salt should be able to provide its customers with one.

Distributed Denial of Service

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can also create headaches for e-commerce business owners by restricting public access to a website and potentially costing a firm huge amounts in lost revenue.

DDoS attacks have certainly become more prominent since the turn of the century and are often the weapon of choice for the growing amount of politically-motivated hacktivists surfacing on the web.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency, the UK Home Office, and the CIA are amongst the companies that have been foiled by DDoS attacks in recent times but businesses can help protect themselves using the DDoS shield software that some web hosts provide for their customers.

The online world might be better prepared for the threat of cyber-crime, but there are still plenty of businesses could be doing to protect their business from becoming a victim of internet hackers.

Thankfully, many are utilising the security services of high-quality web hosts in order to make the internet a safer place.

PEER 1 Hosting operates 18 state-of-the art data centres in 13 cities across North America and Europe, and 22 network points of presence (PoPs) to suit your needs in Managed Hosting, Colocation and Cloud Hosting. The highly secure, redundant IT infrastructure of our data centres protect your servers and web presence, and ensures you are running online, all of the time.
Check all the information about those secure data centres at http://www.peer1hosting.co.uk/infrastructure/data-centres

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Data Security Requires Network Security

"Data is you're most important asset". I am sure you have heard this dictum. It might even be considered a cliche. Well, something usually becomes a cliche when it is true.

That's why you and your organization have gone to great pains to protect its mission critical data, the data you store about customers, sales, products, production and employees. You log it, back it up, and replicate it. You store backups off site and have redundant systems.

You make sure that users are authenticated and only have appropriate rights and privileges. You create views for applications and classes of users to ensure that they view only the data that is appropriate. You have done everything possible and can sleep at night.

Be careful, you might just have missed the obvious. Here is another cliche to think about "You are only as secure as your network". Obvious? Perhaps. But it is clear that many either miss the obvious or are making bad choices about it.

Each year, Verizon issues the Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). The report is based on data provided by the US Secret Service and security agencies in the Netherlands, England and Australia. For 2011, they identified 855 incidents worldwide compromising 174 million records. In the eight years that they have been producing the report they have identified over 2000 incidents with over 1 billion records at risk.

Keep in mind that these are only the incidents that these agencies have discovered and the actual number incidents are surely exponentially higher.

What is important about the DBIR is what is says about the incidents uncovered. 98% of breaches were from external agents, 81% of incidents involved a form of hacking and 69% incorporated malware. On the other hand, only 5% of incidents were the result of privilege abuse.

While I would not minimize the threat from within, nefarious activities from employees can be serious; clearly there is a huge external menace. Worse, only 8% of incidents are discovered internally. It usually takes a third party for you to learn that you have been compromised. This leads to the suspicion that there are many breaches that occur and are never identified!

Now, here's the part that should give you pause. According to the DBIR 96% of breaches were not highly difficult and 97% were avoidable through simple or intermediate controls. For victims subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), 97% had not achieved compliance. The PCI DSS is intended to protect cardholder data for debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM, and Point of Sale (POS) cards.

Shockingly, only 29% of PCI DSS covered organizations have implemented a firewall to protect their data! I know what you're saying; we must be talking about mom and pop shops. In large part, yes. But the report separates out large organizations and found that only 71% have firewalls. When you consider that the impact of a breach to a large organization can be huge, it is shocking that 29% do not have firewalls to protect the PCI sites.

When it comes to being compliant by having antivirus protection the large organizations are somewhat better at 86% compliant, but for all organizations the compliance is even worse at 23%! Put another way, 14% of large and 77% of all PCI DSS covered organizations do not implement virus scanning.

When you do not protect yourself you endanger everyone you come into contact with. Based on these figures, I'd say there are a lot potential "Typhoid Marys" out there!

Let's consider a few of the common hacking threats that you need protection from:

SQL Injection: This is an attack on a database using a website's input form. An SQL Statement that produces undesired results is appended to a fields input.

For example, a typical login script sets variable values equal to input posted for a user id and a password and then appends them to a select statement. The statement is executed to check if a record with that combination of values exists.

Suppose the value posted for userid is "ui" and the password value is "pw;drop table users"

The statement would execute as follows:

Select * from users where userid="ui" and password= pw;drop table users"

The system would execute 2 separate statements. First the select lookup and then the statement dropping the user table. Ouch!

Guessable Credentials: Large organizations have standard procedures that require changing default user and passwords, but this is one of the top breaches for small organizations.

For example, the default user for MySQL Server is root with no password.

If you do not add a password after installation you will be vulnerable.

Even if you do, make sure that you use a "strong password" with combinations of letters, numbers, case and special characters. Too often, people use a guessable password such as the current month or even the word "password" itself.

Keylogger: There are a variety of malware programs that can record the keystrokes typed by a user at a web site or using their computer. They particular target obtaining user id's and passwords, but they can capture any data being input

Brute Force and Dictionary Attacks: Brute Force is a technique used against encrypted data where you attempt to exhaust all possibilities until you find the correct one. A Dictionary Attack is similar, but you work off of a list of likely prospects. For example a list of common passwords, such as "password", months, years, etc.

Backdoors: A backdoor is a way of bypassing the normal authentication process. Hackers take advantage of the fact that computer makers and application developers often create backdoors during development and neglect to remove them when they go into production. Malware can identify backdoors and even create new ones that can be used later.

Keep in mind that even if you are using a firewall and antivirus you may still be vulnerable. The problem with most antivirus protection is that they only address viruses and exploits that have been identified and added to a "blacklist" of known viruses.

Not bad, except there are approximately 50,000 new viruses and system exploits unleashed EVERY DAY! They will eventually update their blacklist for a specific issue, but you are always playing catch-up.

I prefer protection that uses a "whitelist" concept and sandbox. With this technique, program files are compared to a list of valid files and only allowed to run in your system if they are on the list. If the scanner has any suspicions about a program, it is run in an isolated system area called a sandbox where the scanner can determine if it is OK or should be deleted.

If you operate a web site that handles sensitive information, such as an e-commerce site, it is critical that you use the Secured Socket Layer (SSL) and SSL Certificates. SSL provides a secure, encrypted connection between the web site and the browser. SSL Certificates authenticate your web site for the user, ensuring that your users will have confidence in your site.

There are a variety of SSL Certificates that can be purchased at a low cost.

An "Extended Validation" (EV) SSL Certificate provides the highest level of authentication.A Wildcard SSL can save money for web operators that have sub domains. One wildcard SSL can be purchased that will cover a site and all its sub sites. For example, you can apply one wildcard SSL that covers both judgeco.com and sports.judgeco.comUnified Communications (UC) SSL Certificate can be applied to multiple domains and host names. A single UC SSL certificate can be used for a primary domain and up to 99 alternate names. They are very popular for use with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Live servers.

As the DBIR indicates, the threats to your data are great but there are simple and cost effective solutions. Never go without a firewall and antivirus protection. Make sure your web site is protected with SSL and SSL Certificates.

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The Tricks of the Cunning Live Security Platinum

The devious Live Security Platinum has been active since early June; however, it would be unfair to say that this infection is entirely new to the public. As a matter of fact, such infamous rogue application's clones as Smart Fortress 2012, Smart Protection 2012 and Personal Shield Pro can be traced back to 2011, and some could argue that the entire clan is even older. Indeed, the visual representation of the fictitious security tool resembles that of Total Security 2009, a program which, as the name suggests, was developed back in 2009. According to this, it could be responsible to note that Live Security Platinum is an application that has taken years in development, something that leaves me thinking that this rogue could be one tough nut to crack.

The deceptive security tool certainly has no abilities to discover malware hiding within your operating system, so there is no point pondering about its manual threats' removal capabilities. Despite this, once schemers infiltrate the pest through any of the existing vulnerabilities (fake video codecs, spam email attachments, etc.), Live Security Platinum can declare that such malicious infections as Trojan .Dropper .MSWord .j, Trojan-Downlaoder .VBS .Small .dc, Trojan .Win32 .Agent. ado or Worm .Bagle .CO are rapidly taking over your system. Simultaneously, the rogue may also claim that malware could cause system crashes, permanent data loss and other intimidating and undesirable symptoms. Even though these possible outcomes are scary enough to trick Windows users into trusting the rogue and purchasing its full version (the main program's purpose), cyber criminals will actually take time to disrupt the system's functionality. Probable restrictions to access Registry Editor, Task Manager, Windows Security Center and other system utilities could make you think that supposedly detected threats are already taking a toll on your system, but what these dysfunctions are actually meant to do is make it impossible to remove Live Security Platinum. The same goes with Internet connection and abruptly emerged issues to connect to certain websites or even launch the browser.

Even though various system's disturbances are essential to the success of the scam, Live Security Platinum would be nothing without its deceptive interface and simulated Task Bar notifications. The latent rogue's scanner will keep popping up, reminding about allegedly discovered malware, and bogus pop-ups will keep pushing to activate security, protect the system or delete malware, in other words - to purchase the completely useless Live Security Platinum's licensed version. Those Windows users who will be tricked into trusting cyber criminals' application will be offered to spend $59.95 for a one year software license, $69.95 for a two year software license or the "attractive" $89.95 for the "Lifetime Software License". The deception is clear, and if only you tried to apply the license key (AA39754E-715219CE), quickly enough all of the symptoms would be gone, and you would be forced to realize that no malware but Live Security Platinum has ever entrenched upon your system's security.

Live Security Platinum removal is unavoidable, and even though some will actually be able to remove the infection manually, I believe that there is no other way to deal with the rogue but to have it deleted with automatic malware removal implementations. Not even the most experienced Windows users would be able to protect their operating systems without legal support; therefore, I strongly recommend reconsidering your PC's protection.

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