Home PC Protection - How to Make Sure You Are Safe

What we do not understand, we cannot protect

The biggest problem is that people often tell me that they know nothing about computers and rely on others to protect or fix their home computer when it has problems.

This is no longer acceptable in the world of technology today, to say that you don't understand how your computer is exposed to risks.

Don't give access to your computer to untrusted people

Simple but effective. If you do not let people use or access your computer when you are not present, it will protect your pc the most. For example, you hand over your computer to the repair guy in the store without asking or checking their reputation.

Did you know that some computer technicians;

Search all your hard drives and read personal informationThey look for your photographs and make copies of images that could be very personal to youYour banking and passwords are easy for them to find and some get paid to pass details to others for criminal activitiesCause trouble for you by hiding pornographic material on your hard drive and then report you to the authorities

We are too trusting when we hand over our computers containing all your personal information.

Never allow anyone to fix your computer remotely

Never, ever accept someone telling you that they can fix your computer from the internet if you give them access or change firewall settings.

If you didn't call for help, don't believe anything they say about the problems they will fix for you.

By giving them access, it only takes a few minutes to completely copy your hard drive information or find your banking details. Within minutes they use this to commit fraud before you have the chance to cancel any cards or change passwords.

Use different passwords and change often

For your password to be effective it needs to contain at least 6-8 characters mixed with letters and special characters that do not make up real words.

If your password is a real world, it can be broken within seconds by the average computer user that wants to bypass your security.

Watch out for keyloggers

Don't let people install computer programs or software on your computer without your knowledge. A small program known as a key logger will track all your typing and send this information to other people without you knowing.

All in all, ensure you have the latest antivirus software installed and keep updating to prevent old viruses getting through weak defences.

Then make sure you do not download or open any files that you do not know or understand.

Information supplied by Paul Baker

Over twenty years of business development & change management strategies successfully used in National organisations across Australia. The focus is on continuous improvement of business systems to stimulate growth through our principles of Initiate, Inspire, Innovate.

Customer-centric focus using our extensive experience in consumer behaviour and business process operations to find ways to help business owners manage their organisations.

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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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Why Should You Install Antivirus in Your Computer?

Nobody can live without the internet these days. It has become a very important part of our daily lives for many reasons such as social networking, researching for studies, fun and games. We cannot let go of these reasons easily and therefore it is very important to keep your personal computer healthy and clean. What corrupts your computer? Yes the answer is computer viruses. The internet, these days is becoming the home for so many viruses that can ruin your computer completely which is followed by the whole drama of formatting, rebooting, etc. Having an antivirus installed in your computer is the best and perhaps the most effective solution to keep your PC virus free.

Now, there are a lot of antiviruses that you can buy or get for free these days. But the trick lies in getting the latest ones because the viruses keep updating and therefore you need the latest antivirus to combat with these viruses. You have a very serious decision to make as many companies are advertising and marketing their product with such intensity that you might get confused.

An antivirus is a program that works with the basic principle of scanning all the files in your computer for viruses and other malware and then removing the viruses. The software that works within any antivirus are programmed in a specific way. Firstly it uses a Virus dictionary that checks all the files in your computer for any possible viruses. Secondly it detects any fishy malware or anything dubious in your computer that might be sporting some virus.

Another really good reason to have a great antivirus for your computer is to defend your account from hackers. Hackers are those computer savvy guys who have the ability to infiltrate personal information like credit card info, banking accounts etc from your personal computer. They can use this information to further create problems for you by making illegal transactions and using your account for other illegal things. Getting someone's financial information to steal or crack might not be the only reason for hacking. They might just be having a little fun. An antivirus program helps your computer by protecting against these hackers taking over your accounts.

Some antiviruses can be really expensive but there is also a wide range of antivirus programs that you can just download for free. Select the best antivirus that can keep your computer healthy and virus free.

Click here to know more about IT support services.

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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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The Google Redirect Virus

Redirect viruses are not only annoying, but they can also be dangerous to your bank account.

This virus is in fact twofold; it is a Rootkit and Trojan. The rootkit was originally a legitimate program which started out on Linux systems. The program, which ran with administrative privileges, was used to remotely fix issues on Linux systems.

That soon became a main tool for hackers, who used this technology, not for repairing issues on remote systems, but instead, causing issues on remote systems.

The rootkit, apart from hiding the Trojan activity, also allows the attacker to come back into your system whenever they want.

The Trojan is part of a family of Trojans known as Backdoor.Tidserv; this includes the TDSS Trojan, Alureon, TDL3 and the TDL4.

Dangers that can come from these Trojans include keyloggers, which record all keystroke activity on your PC, then send that information to the attacker. This could be passwords or documents that could then be subsequently altered by the hacker.

This virus is spread normally from downloading software from pirate sites; it can come from music files, video, even screensavers. So the advice is, do not download from pirate sites. It may well be free and relatively easy to do, but apart from the legalities of pirate sites, it can also lead to these types of virus.

The problem with explaining exactly what a Trojan can do is difficult, as it can do so much. It depends on what it has been programmed to do.

Redirection is one of the first things that users notice; being sent to fake or random sites adding malware, to an already vulnerable system.

Within the configuration of the virus is a setting which is known as disallowed; this can stop any program such as anti-virus, from starting. With no error messages displayed, it can become extremely frustrating, for the unfortunate user.

The removal of this virus can be tricky; there are various checks that can be done such as Local area network settings (LAN) Domain Named Server (DNS) settings and host files. It can show up in device manager under hidden devices.

There are set procedures that can help in all of the above checks; if luck is on your side you will get rid of the virus, but in some circumstances a complete reinstallation of system may be required.

To avoid this virus here are three precautions that you can take:-

1: User Accounts.

We all know and understand the importance of antivirus software, but tend to overlook the importance of windows user accounts.

User Account Control (UAC) is used to help stop any unauthorized changes to your system. This works by asking the user for permission or password when carrying out any action that could affect PC operation; such as setting changes.

2: Be wary of pirate sites.

3: Anti-virus.

Use a good anti-virus and keep it updated. If you have the CD that came with it, then occasionally run it to make sure that the version on your system has not become corrupted.

Hopefully you will never come across this virus, but with more business being done online, it has become more prevalent. Data theft is on the increase. Don't become a victim.

Luke Clayhill is a writer who specializes in redirect viruses. You can check out his latest website at googleredirectvirus where he provides information on rootkit viruses including the history and also how to remove a redirect virus.

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