Internet Security News – The web is a good place; many people use it on a regular basis for several purposes. E-mail helps us to keep in touch with family together with friends from any location. Most of the people in general have at the least one email account. The increasing use of digital cameras and camera phones is the reason why we are able to send photos with the click of a mouse.

MP3 players have grown very popular, and even we are able to download music that can be played on them with major ease. All this is great, and the world wide web becomes a major area of our everyday lives.

Unfortunately, there is always a negative aspect of all of this increased use of internet. The increase of viruses spread and various malware. Basically, internet hackers were satisfied by having their attention with government as well as commercial web-sites, and their trojans were designed to attack them. The majority of hackers saw this as a challenge.

Having said that, there is now a growing trend towards home computer users, which are targeted by these attacks. The number of problem, which can be caused by a virus, is varies. However, there are a lot of actions that a person can take in order to boost their internet security.

The first task to keep your laptop or computer free from viruses requires you to have up-to-date antivirus software running on your computer. You have to perform frequent checks to ensure your software is updated, and then to scan your computer for any threats.

There are plenty of less expensive and free antivirus computer software around that offers decent protection. You will get these by searching through your search engine for antivirus software.

The next thing to keep up your internet security is to being totally beware on the kind of files that you will open, or download. The majority of viruses are actually spread by e-mail attachments. Getting any on your hard disk and in your inbox simply is not the danger. The real danger is when you open up the attachment.

It perhaps not be visible that something has occurred the moment you first open the attachment carrying the virus. Quite often, they tend to be blank. The virus that is triggered by open up the attachment is usually causes the real damage. Should you not know, or do not trust the person who has sent you the attachment, then simply delete the email.

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Do you have a buddy that’s always having issues with their computer not working correctly? More likely than not, they’re getting spyware or other bad programs on their computer. Usually the individual has gotten themselves into trouble by either opening an email attachment or going to bad websites.

Most often these infections come from e-mail attachments from folks you dont know or folks that are infected and the virus uses their saved addresses to spread itself to even more PCs. The second way to become infected is by going to a site that is meant to add files or programs to your personal computer to rob your info, damage your computer, or control certain actions online.

Your personal computer is acting strangely, and you believe you could be dealing with a virus. You know this could be damaging for your information, and for the system in total. You desire to act quickly to dispose of the issue, but you are not sure where to begin. Start with a good anti-virus program, keep it to date, and do a scan of your system. Many times this will be enough to clear up the issues with your computer and you can get back to business.

In many cases, a computer users overreaction to a virus can end up in damage that far exceeds what the malware would have done if left to its own devices. Put simply, don’t panic. A virus is – generally speaking – quite straightforward to isolate and remove. It’s typically not required to reformat the whole PC ; a drastic step many are tempted to pursue. It can take lots of time to repair and there’s always the possibility of losing saved files.

Unless you are knowledgeable enough to be able to distinguish viruses from other kinds of hardware or software issues, an anti-virus software scanner should have detected the virus for you. Once it has detected something, be certain to note down the actual name of the program, as different viruses have different removal strategies.

If your scanner detects either a ‘Bloodhound ‘ or ‘Eicar ‘ virus, you can safely remove these, as they are essentially not computer viruses. Instead they are files installed by your antivirus software to ensure it’s functioning correctly. If possible, viruses should be removed on detection – particularly if they’re attached to an executable ( .exe ) file. If the file is one you need and don’t have backed up, it’s possible to disinfect the file, though this doesn’t always work and could adversely influence your PC. You can’t just believe the malware is gone. Instead, it’s necessary to have your anti-virus software rescan your personal computer. Actually it is suggested you have 2 recent antivirus programs run scans on your PC, as they are known on occasions to find viruses the other one does not.

Of course, the best and most trustworthy technique of making certain your computer is rid of viruses is taking preventive measures – most critical of which is always practicing safe computing. Dont open e-mail attachments from folks you dont know, and dont go to risky sites.

Brought to you by cheap notebooks. E-mail has become an essential mode of communication in the modern world. Unfortunately, that means it’s also one of the most common routes for virus infection and fraud. Protecting yourself from these kinds of threats is necessary for everyone.

Viruses

Viruses often arrive in the form of e-mail attachments, so exercise care when opening any attachment – even from a known source. Some viruses infiltrate address books and send infected e-mail to everyone listed, so it’s possible to receive a virus from a friend or colleague. Ideally, you should communicate beforehand to expect an attachment.

The best protection against e-mail viruses is virus protection software that automatically scans each attachment as it arrives at your computer. Every computer connected to the Internet should have antivirus software, to protect your own system and the Internet as a whole. Some viruses start on an individual system but spread to entire networks, engulfing the equipment essential to run the Internet.

Phishing

Frauds are another Security risk posed by e-mail. One type, called ‘phishing’, tries to trick the recipient into disclosing personal financial information or passwords. These e-mails use logos of well-known institutions like banks or online retailers and ask you to update your password or financial information. 

They provide a link which looks legitimate but in reality directs you to a phony web site. Providing personal information leads to becoming the victim of credit card fraud or theft – sometimes called ‘identity theft’.

Tipoffs can be gleaned from the subject line or the content. Rather than using your personal name, they may say ‘Dear valued customer’. But finding some variant of your name isn’t difficult these days. Beware, in either case.

A more subtle tipoff is a link which doesn’t correspond to the text describing it. This can be verified by checking the status bar when you highlight the link. If the text says something like “Microsoft”, but the URL is “www.somebadplace.com” you know the message is not from the folks in Redmond, Washington.

Specialized software can detect phishing, though it hasn’t reached maturity – it often identifies legitimate e-mail as fraud. Always treat requests for passwords or credit card numbers with suspicion. Remember, no legitimate financial institution will ask you to verify your password or sensitive data in an e-mail.

E-mail Backups

Like any other kind of data, e-mail can (and should) be backed up. It’s easy to do with most e-mail programs – simply export the messages to a folder, then backup the folder with a backup program onto a removable disk, writeable CD or DVD or other media.

Specialized backup software can be purchased at modest cost to backup e-mails directly, eliminating the export step.

Backup programs can usually be automated to occur at a convenient time without requiring further intervention. Granted, configuring them is one more thing to do in a busy schedule. But the first time you lose one that’s badly needed, you’ll be much busier trying to replace it if it wasn’t backed up.

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Brought to you by cheap refurbished Dell laptop computers. Most people are familiar with the legend of the Trojan horse. During the siege of Troy, the Greeks left a large wooden horse outside the gates, allegedly as a peace offering. The Trojans brought the horse inside the city walls only to discover it was full of Greek soldiers who quickly sacked the city.

A computer Trojan horse is similar. It looks like a benign or useful program but actually contains hidden code that can destroy data or install spyware.

A Trojan horse is often referred to as a virus, but unlike a true computer virus doesn’t replicate itself. It’s simply designed to gain access to your system and wreak havoc – like the mythical Greek soldiers.

Many Trojan horses (or simply ‘Trojans’) are spyware, used to monitor your computer activity and send information to a third party without your knowledge or consent.

Spyware can be used to deliver unsolicited pop-up ads, or to log private information such as credit card numbers and passwords, or even reroute your browser to a commercial site. The unscrupulous vendor at that site usually paid the spyware creator to do just that.

Another common use for a Trojan is to install a ‘backdoor’ -  an access point to your computer which bypasses the normal login procedure. Hackers use backdoors to gain control of your computer to send spam or to wreak malicious damage. Since the damage appears to originate from your system it can be hard to combat.

Geeks make a distinction between ‘crackers’ who gain access to a system to do harm, and ‘hackers’ who just want to understand the details of how a system works. We’ll stick with the more common, though less accurate, term.

How Trojans Are Distributed

Trojans are hidden in programs which appear useful. You visit a free utility site, download one and run the program. Your system is infected.

They can also be spread by e-mail attachments. If the attachment contains an executable file, that program can also contain a Trojan which will infect your computer as soon as it is run.

Executable files have extensions such as .exe but sometimes the extensions are hidden to make the file look like a harmless text file. An example of this would be a file named ‘look_at_me.txt.exe.  The user may not notice the ‘.exe’ part of the filename (the extension) and think it’s a text file. Some operating systems allow users to hide extensions, so in this case the user would simply see ‘look_at_me.txt’. 

Newer tactics involve embedding them in certain image files. The lesson is: never open a file from someone unknown, or when its arrival is unexpected. Even well-meaning individuals pass on viruses this way.

It’s common for Trojans to be spread through operating system vulnerabilities. An operating system controls the basic functions of the computer. Computers connect to the Internet through ‘ports’, some of which present Security risks. Malware takes advantage of these vulnerabilities.

One well-known Trojan is called Sub7. Some claim it has legitimate uses (such as remotely controlling your own computer), though it’s often used for illegal activities. Computers with Sub7 installed are accessible from a remote location and can be used to steal credit card numbers by logging keystrokes for example.

Fighting Trojans – The modern way

Most antivirus software will detect and remove Trojans. Keep your virus database up to date to provide the best protection. Some antivirus programs require you to manually scan attachments or other incoming files. Get one that does it automatically. The cost difference is negligible.

Always use caution when opening email attachments, even if they come from a known source. If the attachment is unexpected it should be suspected.

Firewalls should also be used to close vulnerabilities when using the Internet.

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Brought to you by inexpensive rebuilt Toshiba Satellite notebooks. E-mail has become an essential mode of communication in the modern world. Unfortunately, that means it’s also one of the most common routes for virus infection and fraud. Protecting yourself from these kinds of threats is necessary for everyone.

Viruses

Viruses often arrive in the form of e-mail attachments, so exercise care when opening any attachment – even from a known source. Some viruses infiltrate address books and send infected e-mail to everyone listed, so it’s possible to receive a virus from a friend or colleague. Ideally, you should communicate beforehand to expect an attachment.

The best protection against e-mail viruses is virus protection software that automatically scans each attachment as it arrives at your computer. Every computer connected to the Internet should have antivirus software, to protect your own system and the Internet as a whole. Some viruses start on an individual system but spread to entire networks, engulfing the equipment essential to run the Internet.

Phishing

Frauds are another Safety risk posed by e-mail. One type, called ‘phishing’, tries to trick the recipient into disclosing personal financial information or passwords. These e-mails use logos of well-known institutions like banks or online retailers and ask you to update your password or financial information. 

They provide a link which looks legitimate but in reality directs you to a phony web site. Providing personal information leads to becoming the victim of credit card fraud or theft – sometimes called ‘identity theft’.

Tipoffs can be gleaned from the subject line or the content. Rather than using your personal name, they may say ‘Dear valued customer’. But finding some variant of your name isn’t difficult these days. Beware, in either case.

A more subtle tipoff is a link which doesn’t correspond to the text describing it. This can be verified by checking the status bar when you highlight the link. If the text says something like “Microsoft”, but the URL is “www.somebadplace.com” you know the message is not from the folks in Redmond, Washington.

Specialized software can detect phishing, though it hasn’t reached maturity – it often identifies legitimate e-mail as fraud. Always treat requests for passwords or credit card numbers with suspicion. Remember, no legitimate financial institution will ask you to verify your password or sensitive data in an e-mail.

E-mail Backups

Like any other kind of data, e-mail can (and should) be backed up. It’s easy to do with most e-mail programs – simply export the messages to a folder, then backup the folder with a backup program onto a removable disk, writeable CD or DVD or other media.

Specialized backup software can be purchased at modest cost to backup e-mails directly, eliminating the export step.

Backup programs can usually be automated to occur at a convenient time without requiring further intervention. Granted, configuring them is one more thing to do in a busy schedule. But the first time you lose one that’s badly needed, you’ll be much busier trying to replace it if it wasn’t backed up.

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Brought to you by cheap refurbished Lenovo laptop computers. Two simple precautions can help keep your computer virus free – install and use software from reliable vendors and avoid opening unexpected e-mail attachments.

Almost all e-mail attachments are potential virus carriers. Some of the most famous viruses were distributed by accessing address books of infected computers and sending e-mail (with attachments) to everyone in the address book.

Even those from known senders should be regarded with suspicion – e-mail addresses can easily be faked to appear to be from someone you know.

The ‘Melissa’ virus that appeared in 1999, originally posted on an Internet newsgroup, was distributed in a Microsoft Word document. When downloaded and opened the virus accessed the user’s address book and sent copies of the document (along with the virus) to the first 50 people in the user’s address book.

Every computer that received the virus sent out an additional 50 copies, creating a worldwide slowdown in Internet networks. The effect took only a few hours.

Another widespread virus distributed by e-mail was the ‘ILOVEYOU’ virus of 2000. When double clicked it sent copies of itself to every e-mail address in the infected computers address book. But far from a problem of the past, viruses are still very much with us.

What to do?

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE 

Antivirus software is available in both commercial and freeware versions with a variety of features and prices, usually from free to less than $50.

Most antivirus software works by examining files as they arrive at the computer and by scanning later at configurable pre-set times. The programs work by examining each e-mail attachment and downloaded file looking for virus ‘signatures’.

If a virus is found the user will be alerted and infected programs and attachments can be cleansed of the virus or, if not possible, infected files can be deleted or placed into ‘quarantine’ where they can’t be run.

UPDATES

Whare are signatures? All programs have instructions in a pattern. Computer viruses – like their biological counterparts – come in known, though evolving, patterns. The fact of evolution is the reason virus-checking files need to be regularly updated. Updated files contain lists and the characteristics of new signatures.

Most antivirus software can be configured to alert you when the virus checking files are out of date, and even to automatically refresh signature files with the latest versions.

USER PARTICIPATION

Users can become complacent after installing antivirus software, thinking they’re totally protected and don’t need to worry about becoming infected.

Apart from the fact that antivirus software is written by humans, who can make errors, vendors can only react to viruses after they’re created. By that time, much damage can already have been done. An e-mail attachment or program may be infected with a new type of virus that your software cannot (yet) detect.

Some antivirus software can – to a limited extent – detect virus activity even without being able to identify a particular virus. This is an extra level of protection against the latest viruses, but still shouldn’t allow users to become overconfident. 

Always use trusted sources for downloading software and treat every e-mail attachment with caution.

OTHER INFECTION ROUTES

Lastly, a special note about CDs and DVDs. While they can’t be written to (those that can are called CD-R’s, DVD-R/W or some variation), they can still contain viruses. Users who burn their own CDs or DVDs – inexpensive and easy these days – can accidentally copy infected programs onto the disc. Since CDs can contain files that automatically act when the disc is inserted, it’s possible – though rare – for viruses to be spread without additional user action.

Once again, the lesson is clear. Only accept material from those you know and trust, and who practice ‘safe file sharing’.

Be safe out there, now.

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