Spyware News: Extended warranty may be a good idea for laptops

Q: Are extended warranties for computers really worth the money? - Janice

A: This question is one of the most common that I have fielded over the years, and has two potential answers: yes and no!

Much like any "insurance" policy, you get value from it only if you have to use it. So it's helpful to understand what the exposure risks are for what you are buying before you make your decision.

For instance, most desktop computers (with the exception of the nonstandard all-in-one units or those built by Apple) use common parts that are readily available and very competitively priced from hundreds of sources.

Many of the individual parts in a standard desktop computer can be replaced for less than most desktop computer extended warranties (especially if you are comfortable swapping parts yourself). In most cases, unless you have multiple failures during the warranty period, you may not recoup the cost of the extended warranty.

When it comes to laptop computers, the scenario is quite different. Virtually every laptop made is a proprietary design, so you have only one source for most replacement parts; the original manufacturer.

The laws of supply and demand are in full effect with laptops, which causes most replacement parts for a laptop to be higher than most extended warranties - especially when it comes to the screen or motherboard.

There are several types of warranties that you can buy for a laptop, including some that are called "no fault." That means that even if you drop it (which is very common), you are covered. Once again, you must weigh the cost of the coverage with the potential odds that you will need the coverage.

Road warriors and college students who are constantly lugging their portable computers around have a much higher likelihood of experiencing a "kinetic" event that could render the laptop useless. So coverage may make sense for them.

For those who mainly use their laptop around the house and on the occasional family vacation, your exposure to the additional risks are lessened. Therefore it may be a closer call.

The bottom line is to make sure you understand what is covered and what is not. The exclamation of "but I thought my extended warranty covered that" is all too common because the purchaser did not look at the exclusions before making the decision.

In computers especially, the vast majority of service issues have nothing to do with the hardware, which is generally the only thing that is covered by many extended warranties. Common problems like virus and spyware infections, operating system corruption, miscommunication of devices or inability to get something to function the way you expected it to are expressly not covered by the extended warranty.

Understanding that all "insurance" products must make the supplier a profit or they wouldn't do it, you can bet that the "house" has the advantage when it comes to extended warranties.

If you ever get the chance to chat with an individual whose responsibility is to process extended warranty claims in the computer world, you will likely hear that more claims are denied than approved, mainly because the purchaser of the warranty didn't really understand what they bought.

A final piece of advice: don't take any salesman's word on what is covered and excluded by an extended warranty. Get it in writing, and review it in detail before making a decision. Rarely is the person who is selling you the warranty the same person who is responsible for processing it.

The person selling the extended warranty generally gets a commission or has a quota they must meet and knows that by the time you figure out it wasn't quite what they represented, it's too late for you. So buyer beware!

ALL About Spyware

So what exactly is spyware then. Well lets learn today shall we. SHHHH class in session.

read on....

There are a lot of PC users that know little about “Spyware”, “Mal-ware”, “hijackers”, “Dialers” & many more. This will help you avoid pop-ups, spammers and all those baddies.

What is spy-ware?
Spy-ware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don’t have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.

Known spywares
There are thousands out there, new ones are added to the list everyday. But here are a few:
Alexa, Aureate/Radiate, BargainBuddy, ClickTillUWin, Conducent Timesink, Cydoor, Comet Cursor, eZula/KaZaa Toptext, Flashpoint/Flashtrack, Flyswat, Gator, GoHip, Hotbar, ISTbar, Lions Pride Enterprises/Blazing Logic/Trek Blue, Lop (C2Media), Mattel Brodcast, Morpheus, NewDotNet, Realplayer, Songspy, Xupiter, Web3000, WebHancer, Windows Messenger Service.

How to check if a program has spyware?
The is this Little site that keeps a database of programs that are known to install spyware.

Check Here: http://www.spywareguide.com/product_search.php

If you would like to block pop-ups (IE Pop-ups).
There tons of different types out there, but these are the 2 best, i think.

Try: Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) This program is Free
Try: AdMuncher (http://www.admuncher.com) This program is Shareware

If you want to remove the “spyware” try these.
Try: Lavasoft Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) This program is Free
Info: Ad-aware is a multi spyware removal utility, that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware components and lets you remove them. The included backup-manager lets you reinstall a backup, offers and multi language support.

Try: Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/) This program is Free
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer. Blocks ActiveX downloads, tracking cookies and other threats. Over 10,000 detection files and entries. Provides detailed information about found problems.

Try: BPS Spyware and Adware Remover (http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/spyware-remover.html) This program is Shareware
Info: Adware, spyware, trackware and big brotherware removal utility with multi-language support. It scans your memory, registry and drives for known spyware and lets you remove them. Displays a list and lets you select the items you’d like to remove.

Try: Spy Sweeper v2.2 (http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php) This program is Shareware
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer.
The best scanner out there, and updated all the time.

Try: HijackThis 1.97.7 (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html) This program is Freeware
Info: HijackThis is a tool, that lists all installed browser add-on, buttons, startup items and allows you to inspect them, and optionally remove selected items.

If you would like to prevent “spyware” being install.
Try: SpywareBlaster 2.6.1 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareBlaster doesn`t scan and clean for so-called spyware, but prevents it from being installed in the first place. It achieves this by disabling the CLSIDs of popular spyware ActiveX controls, and also prevents the installation of any of them via a webpage.

Try: SpywareGuard 2.2 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against so-called spyware. It works similar to an anti-virus program, by scanning EXE and CAB files on access and alerting you if known spyware is detected.

Try: XP-AntiSpy (http://www.xp-antispy.org/) This program is Free
Info: XP-AntiSpy is a small utility to quickly disable some built-in update and authentication features in WindowsXP that may rise security or privacy concerns in some people.

Try: SpySites (http://camtech2000.net/Pages/SpySites_Prog…ml#SpySitesFree) This program is Free
Info: SpySites allows you to manage the Internet Explorer Restricted Zone settings and easily add entries from a database of 1500+ sites that are known to use advertising tracking methods or attempt to install third party software.

If you would like more Information about “spyware”.
Check these sites.
http://www.spychecker.com/
http://www.spywareguide.com/
http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm
http://www.theinfomaniac.net/infomaniac/co…rsSpyware.shtml
http://www.thiefware.com/links/
http://simplythebest.net/info/spyware.html

Usefull tools…
Try: Stop Windows Messenger Spam 1.10 (http://www.jester2k.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/j…r2ksoftware.htm) This program is Free
Info: “Stop Windows Messenger Spam” stops this Service from running and halts the spammers ability to send you these messages.

—————————————————————————-
All these softwares will help remove and prevent evil spammers and spywares attacking your PC. I myself recommend getting “spyblaster” “s&d spybot” “spy sweeper” & “admuncher” to protect your PC. A weekly scan is also recommended

Free Virus Scan
Scan for spyware, malware and keyloggers in addition to viruses, worms and trojans. New threats and annoyances are created faster than any individual can keep up with.
http://defender.veloz.com// - 15k

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Having trouble finding what you re looking for on: .? 2020Search will instantly provide you with the result you re looking for by drawing on some of the best search engines the Internet has to offer. Your result is a click away!
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Download the BrowserVillage Toolbar.
Customize your Browser! Eliminate Pop-up ads before they start, Quick and easy access to the Web, and much more. Click Here to Install Now!
http://www.browservillage.com/ - 36k

New virus stalks socialising websites

Back in the days when modems were the only way to get online - this is back in the cyberworld equivalent of the stone age - things were a lot simpler.

Hackers only went after businesses and governments, and viruses were just an annoyance.

Because there were so few threats 20 years ago, few people bought anti-virus programs either. In hindsight, it was kind of silly. If you did buy an A/V program back then, it only worked against the viruses everybody already knew about. If a new virus came out, you had to go buy the update at a store.

Unfortunately, today what most people think they need to be safe online hasn't kept pace with the reality. Neither has most people's understanding of what the dangers are online. Twenty years ago, no one ever had to worry about things like spamming, phishing, malware and botnets.

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A friend the other day asked me about a new virus on Facebook. A new virus? That's odd. New viruses - a replicating programme that usually damages a system - are a rarity these days. I asked if instead it was a new trojan, keylogger or some other type of malware. I think I could have been speaking swahili for the look I got.

The "virus" my friend was asking about was Koobface, which is currently hitting social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and many other. Any confusion over what Koobface "is" has to be excused, since I've several news stories about it that didn't know either. It's been reported as virus, a worm and a trojan. To keep it simple, Koobface is malware (a term used to describe any software that is harmful to your computer). How it works is that you receive an email, which contains a link to what is supposed to be a video, through your social networking account. If you click on the link, you'll soon be prompted to download software that says it will allow you to watch a video. It's bogus. The downloaded software is really a trojan horse, an application that will attempt to steal personal information. The trojan will use your account to send the original email to your friends, who can then get infected themselves.

So what can you do? You can - and probably should - go out and buy anti-virus and internet security software. Today's A/V programs cover bots, keyloggers and most other type of malware you can encounter these days. Most importantly, you should also use your brain. While security problems will stop almost everything from getting through, using a little common sence will stop you from having to put your software to the test. For years secucity companies have been saying "don't open email from people you don't know". That rule still applies and it applies to social networking e-mails just as much as it does to the ones you receive in your Outlook inbox.

The same goes for downloading files. If your computer tells you it needs the latest version of Flash, OK. You will need to update your software occasionally, but pay attention to where you're downloading the file from. If you have to update your Flash player, go to Abode.com and get it from the guys who make it. Don't trust generic websites. The cyberworld is getting worse, and it's getting worse on a daily basis. That doesn't mean you need to avoid going online or know the difference between a worm and a virus. It does mean you need to think before you click that link. This isn't the '80s. It's time start thinking about security.

The "virus" my friend was asking about was Koobface, which is currently hitting social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and many other ... It's been reported as virus, a worm and a trojan.

Security in Recession

With the National Bureau of Economic Research in the United States announcing last week that the U.S. has officially been in recession since Dec. 2007, IT budgets are highly likely to be strictly controlled both in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. I had a conversation with a friend over the weekend, and he asked me if I expect redundancies in the IT Security industry, as companies could no longer afford to have dedicated security personnel on their books.

To be honest, yes I think there will be. However, I also think that the overall IT security industry will continue to grow in 2009 - bad guys are not going away anytime soon, and a lot of their existing scams work really well in this economic climate. Companies who choose to think otherwise may well end up regretting it in the long term, and here are my thoughts on why:

At the end of the day, security boils down to risk management. The three core values every organization needs to protect are often shown in the acronym CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability). Different organizations prioritize on different areas, but I think when it comes to economic downturn, confidentiality, and availability are obviously the most affected.

In terms of confidentiality, we are talking about an organization’s private data being protected. I’m based in Ireland, where 17,000 people had their jobs slashed in November. This is a drop in the ocean compared to other countries, particularly the half a million employees who lost jobs in the U.S. Insider threats have long been one of the largest risks facing organizations, especially in the case of the so-called “disgruntled employee.” With large number of employees made redundant, having their salaries cut, etc., there are a lot of incentives for these same employees to engage in data theft.

When people feel hard done by their employers, they are more likely to relax their morals. In these cases they may no longer consider taking confidential company information outside of the company as stealing. They feel an entitlement to this information, after all, they’ve put years of work into helping the company grow. The very fact that there are so many Data Leak/Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions on the market should give you an idea of just how big this problem is - and I think the risk of Data Theft/Loss is going to increase in the current climate

Which brings us to the other big factor - Availability. Almost every company is currently engaged in examining their costs, and reducing them wherever possible. Whether it is in terms of head count or even simply lowering all of the thermostats in their buildings by five degrees (my hands are going blue typing this), a lot of companies are walking a very fine line trying to keep afloat for the next two to three years - even the smallest misfortune could tip the ship.

This is where malware comes in. The recent WORM_DOWNAD.A attack was quite successful in infecting unpatched Windows machines, with a quite a few companies having thousands of machines infected by the threat. Cleaning a threat like this costs a lot of money - a company may need to pay their IT staff overtime to fix the problem, or they may have to bring in external contractors. That’s not where the real loss is, however. Picture a company of 4000 employees. Now picture all of those employees being unable to use their machines for three hours while the systems are being cleaned, patched and tested. That is 12000 man-hours of work which that company is paying for, and getting nothing in return. To put it another way, that’s about 6.5 employees’ salaries for the year which sums up to around 200-250K. There are very few companies that have that kind of money to burn at the moment.

So, to any organization thinking of cutting their security budgets, think long and hard about weighing the short term savings with the potential losses. I wish I could say that there won’t be companies that would go under because of a malware attack in the next couple of months - but optimism is not exactly in large supply at the moment.

Microsoft: Hole exploit endangers all IE versions

An unpatched security hole in Internet Explorer that is being exploited affects all versions of the browser, making it more serious than originally believed when it was first publicized two days ago, Microsoft says.

Microsoft is investigating reports of attacks against a new vulnerability in IE but said in an update to a security advisory issued late on Thursday that all versions of IE are potentially vulnerable.

The company recommends setting the Internet zone security setting to "high" and using access control lists to disable Ole32db.dll to provide the most effective protection against an attack.

"Our latest information is that there are still limited attacks seeking to load malicious software on vulnerable systems," Christopher Budd writes in the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

Microsoft has seen several hundred detections of exploits from around the globe, though the sites taking advantage of the vulnerability appear to be hosted on Chinese domains, Microsoft said in a Microsoft Malware Protection Center blog.

"The exploit sites we've seen so far drop a wide variety of malware--most commonly password stealers like new variants of game password stealers like Win32/OnLineGames, and Win32/Lolyda; keyloggers like Win32/Lmir; trojan horse applications like Win32/Helpud along with some previously unseen malware which we generically detect as Win32/SystemHijack," the Malware Protection Center blog says. "We fully expect the variety of malware being dropped by this exploit to broaden as the exploit code starts to circulate around the Internet underground."

People visiting trusted sites could be affected as well from sites targeted by SQL injection attacks through which malicious code is injected into sites, Microsoft says.

A Microsoft spokesman said he could not say when a fix would come. The next Patch Tuesday is scheduled for January 13.

Microsoft's updated advisory lists a number of mitigating factors: Protected Mode in IE 7 and IE 8 in Windows Vista limits the impact of the vulnerability; IE on Windows Server 2003 and 2008 runs in a restricted mode known as Enhanced Security Configuration that sets the security level for the Internet to high; the attacker could only gain the same user rights as the local user; known attacks can not exploit the issue automatically through e-mail.

Poor Computer Security Putting Immigrant Data At Risk

About 60% of the computers at multiservice businesses that serve the immigrant community are actively infected with malware, according to a study released on Thursday by Panda Security.

This puts customers at considerable risk of identity theft and money transfer interception.

About 30% of the computers at these businesses had outdated antivirus software.

Panda's findings come following two years of research into the cybersecurity practices at 300 independently owned and operated multiservice businesses in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas metropolitan areas.

The study focused on businesses in predominately Latino neighborhoods. Eighty-five percent were single locations, with the remainder operating from two to eight branches. About 1,500 PCs total were covered by the study.

Multiservice businesses typically offer money transfers, income tax payment, check cashing, bill payment, travel services, auto insurance, notary services, and/or telephone calling card sales. They're commonly used by immigrants to remit funds to Mexico and other countries.

There are some 66,000 comparable businesses in the United States, Panda claims.

"The employees [at these businesses] are frequently minimum wage young adults who spend time chatting, using peer to peer networks and visiting chat sites on the very same computers sending sensitive data," Panda's report explains. "Periodic spyware infections which stop the ability to perform transactions are often viewed as a business expense. Panda Security views this combination of poor maintenance, low security consciousness and end user behavior as a disaster waiting to happen."

A spokesperson for the company said that the study focused on infection rates rather than actual cases of fraud and thus had no examples of actual accounts being compromised. Even so, the gap between risk and compromise isn't large enough that this issue can be ignored. There's no shortage of examples of data and monetary loss arising from credential theft.

The Panda study points out that the presence of a key-logging Trojan on a PC used to initiate a money transfer through an online site could provide an attacker with all the necessary information to intercept and collect the transferred funds.

While one might prefer to believe that banks would prevent anyone but the designated recipient from collecting transferred funds, reality in countries like Mexico is not constrained by such a rosy view of the world.

"The going rate for a false government identification was USD$100, and false birth certificates cost USD$50," the Panda report states. "Due to advanced dye sublimation card printing technologies and corrupt government employees, high quality false documents made with real substrate can be available in mere minutes. In one popular wire transfer service that makes wire pickup available in a large Mexican national bank the beneficiary does not need to pick up the remittance at the designated branch."

In short, money transfers to such countries can be stolen without substantial difficulty if they begin on a compromised computer.

Panda recommends that multiservice businesses beef up their cybersecurity and advises those interested in transferring money to use FDIC-accredited banks or Western Union, which should have higher security standards. Its report can be obtained by sending an e-mail to: CriticalAlert@us.pandasecurity.com.

Merry Malware - Tis the season for postcards

I know I have reported about this before but we the holidays fast approaching I again wanted to highlight this topic. You need to be on you guard against this.

Read on.....

Well it’s that time of year again when your thoughts turn to family and friends and you want to ‘reach out’ to them with a nice greeting card - either Xmas or New Years. If you get or give an electronic version all the better as you save on postage and don’t have to wait for snail mail.

We aren’t the only ones thinking of others at this time of year and by that I mean the malware writers. Every year at the holidays we see an upsurge of ‘postcard ware’ based malware. They look like a e-card from a loved one so you are enticed to open them up and while some do display a pretty picture or a play a nice tune in the background they are infecting your pc.

Some recent sample are posted on the Microsoft Malware blog so you can see the pictures without having to get infected.

http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2008/12/02/merry-malware.aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2008/12/04/o-come-all-ye-malware.aspx

While many of the e-cards sent at this time of the year are legitimate and sent with the best of intentions it is up to you to double check with the supposed sender if they really did send you one and if you don’t recognize the from e-mail address then don’t open it no matter how tempting it looks.

IE zero day bites broader group of users

Researchers are warning that the unpatched security vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer affects more versions of the browser than previously thought, and that steps users must take to prevent exploitation are harder than first published.

According to an updated advisory from Redmond, the bug that's been actively exploited since Tuesday bites versions 5.01, 6, and 8 of the browser, which is by far the most widely used on the web. A previous warning from Microsoft only said that IE 7 was susceptible to the attacks. IE is susceptible when running on all supported versions of the Windows operating systems, Microsoft also says.

What's more, while there is some protection from Vista's User Account Control, the measure doesn't altogether prevent the attack, according to this post on the Spyware Sucks blog. Microsoft and others have suggested that those who must use IE in the next few weeks set the security level to high for the internet security zone or disable active scripting. These are sensible measures, but they don't guarantee you won't be pwned, according to this post from the Secunia blog.

Secunia goes on to revise what it says is the cause of the vulnerability. Contrary to earlier reports that pinned the blame on the way IE handles certain types of data that use the extensible markup language, or XML, format, the true cause is faulty data binding, meaning exploit code need not use XML.

Microsoft has yet to say whether it plans to issue a fix ahead of next month's scheduled release. For the moment, the volume of in-the-wild attacks remains relatively modest and limited mostly to sites based in China. But because attackers are injecting exploits into legitimate sites that have been compromised, we continue to recommend that users steer clear of IE until the hole has been closed.

Plenty of other researchers have weighed in with additional details about the flaw. Links from SANS, Sophos, and Hackademix here, here and here.®

Remove SpyRemover Pro. Description and removal instructions

SpyRemover Pro is rogue anti-spyware application that uses shareware/crack websites as a way to get into the user’s computer. Parasite claims to be respectable software but in reality is scamming program which shows falsified virus infection reports. And all this is doing only to mislead user into purchasing of a license. Spy RemoverPro strongly refuses to be uninstalled, so manual removal could be very difficult. There is no actual information for users about spywares that SpyRemover Pro can detect or remove. Download of this application is absolutely free, but there is paid one license. What about problems that parasite will bring to you? The answer is that your computer will become slower and internet connection limited. How ever if you want to avoid your money loses try to avoid of SpyRemover Pro download and install. Stay away from the websites that promotes this parasite and scan your system with real spyware remover.

SpyRemover Pro properties:
• Changes browser settings
• Shows commercial adverts
• Connects itself to the internet

• Hides from the user
• Stays resident in background

10 Questions To Ask Yourself And Determine If You Are Spyware Savvy

Most of us who use computers

are afraid of spyware and the problems it causes. So, you learn all about spyware and the ways to protect yourself from it. How will you know whether you have complete knowledge? Well what you can do is to surf the World Wide Web for the latest on spyware and computer security.

Most of us who use computers are afraid of spyware and the problems it causes. So, you learn all about spyware and the ways to protect yourself from it. How will you know whether you have complete knowledge? Well what you can do is to surf the World Wide Web for the latest on spyware and computer security.

You can test your knowledge by taking self-tests and quizzes. Companies like Microsoft are very consumer friendly and make an effort to upload tons of information on computers and software for users in search of knowledge.

According to Microsoft you can test your knowledge by answering the following questions:

1. How will you prevent children from accidentally downloading spyware?

The answer must be: You can prevent children from downloading spyware by giving them a limited user account.

2. What are browser cookies?

Ans: These are created by unethical persons to track your browsing preferences for their own use, to spam your pc with advertisements and marketing ploys, to steal personal information like bank account details, credit card numbers and so on, and to cause harm to your computer and business by stealing data/files.

3. How can you use technology to protect your computer?

Ans: Many giants in computer technology are offering software and hardware to prevent spyware attacks. For example Windows Defender Beta 2 is one option.

4. What is Windows Defender?

Ans: It is an anti-spyware software that can detect spyware and warn you immediately, inform you of possible dangers and new spywares, remove spyware. It protects your PC against pop ups, slow functioning, security threats, and infections.

5. What are common signs that show your computer is infected?

Ans: Signs are unwarranted pop ups, strange PC behavior, change in homepage settings, appearance of new tool bars not installed by you, slowing down of computer, loss of files, crashing of computer, and so on.

6. What are the precautions to be taken?
Ans: Precautions are: install a fire wall, update all software, pay attention to security settings, use anti-spyware programs, use the internet safely.

7. Is a firewall useful?

Ans: Yes, it examines all information and acts as a filter anything even faintly suspicious will not be permitted, it will create a protective cloak and prevent undesirable sources from detecting your computer on the net.

8. How does spyware work and what protects your computer?

Ans: A spyware is a thief it can use information on you, steal files, and place undesirable material on your computer. The pc must be protected by use of firewall, anti-spyware hardware as well as software, and careful browsing as well as downloads.

9. Where can you get protection against spyware?

Ans: There are many choices a few are: Platinum Internet security 2005, Microsoft Beta 2, Webroot Spy Sweeper, Sunbelt Counter Spy, and Spybot.

10. Name three security measures?

Ans: One must not open e-mails with attachments from unknown sources; use a spam guard for all e-mail accounts, and avoid using messengers.

These days knowledge is available at the click of a mouse button so update your knowledge base and keep abreast of new developments.

How Do I Remove Viruses, Adware, Malware, etc.?

Background.
How Do I Remove Viruses, Adware, Malware, etc.? The short and snippy answer (for the moment) is 'get a Mac.' ;-)

But assuming you use Windows in one flavor or another as most of us do, read on. All of the software I recommend below is free for home and non-commercial use.

Symptoms? If your PC has recently become much slower than usual, displays unrelated pop-ups, or takes the browser to sites you didn't choose, you may very well be infected.

Avoid Malware
It's of course best to avoid malware (I'll use this term to refer to malware, viruses, adware, etc.) to begin with. To that end I recommend six things.
1. A hardware NAT router, even if you only use 1 computer w/ your broadband connection.
2. Enable the built-in Windows firewall.
3. Run some anti-virus software.
4. Stay up to date with the OS security updates.
5. Be smart.
6. Use a safe browser.

For a router, pretty much any name brand router will do. I've had very good luck with Linksys but other prefer various brands. The Linksys WRT54G is a very common, reliable, and affordable model. [often under $70]

There are several free and payware software firewalls available for Windows. I used to use the free ZoneAlarm for 3+ years but stopped about 2 years ago. It was slowing down my machine and between the built-in Windows firewall and the hardware router I wasn't convinced it was really necessary. It is true that the 3rd-party software firewall will tell you if you have malware 'phoning home,' but if you follow these other instructions that shouldn't really be an issue. Also, when most people are asked by the software whether or not to allow some outbound connection they usually have no idea what they are being asked and just click 'Okay' anyway, defeating the purpose.

I think all versions of Windows since and including XP SP2 have the firewall enabled by default.

There are many choices for anti-virus software. I recommend staying away from the large suites like Norton & McAfee. They are often bloatware and will slow your machine down quite a bit. I use and recommend the free AVG and Avast AV tools. They both update regularly and work well. I've been using them for several years and never had a problem. Note: Only use one or the other on a given PC, not both. [I've heard good things about Clam A/V but never used it myself.]

Make sure you have the automatic updates enabled for Windows.

By 'be smart' I mean be careful what apps you run and what things you click on. Be VERY hesitant to open attachment that come in your email, even from supposedly trusted sources. They could be infected and not realize that they are sending malware. If you go to a web page and a pop-up tells you to click and download something because you're infected, don't. If something tells you it needs to download a new codec for Windows Media Player, don't. There are some exceptions to these rules, but you're better off erring on the side of caution.

Use a safe browser. IE 7 & 8 are much better than previous versions w/ respect to security, but still prefer Firefox and more recently Google's Chrome. If you run Firefox you may also want to run the NoScript extension. It by default disables JavaScript on all web pages/sites, allowing you to selectively enable them for sites you trust. This can be a headache if you're not comfortable with the process.

Assuming all of the above you should be very unlikely to end up w/ malware on your Windows machine. But what if in spite of that you get some anyway, or already have some? ...

Removing Malware
If you think you may be infected there are several free tools you can and should run. I've yet to see one tool that will remove them all, but a combo of 2 or 3 will usually do the trick.

I prefer to run both Spybot and AdAware, one after the other. You may want to run them once a month even if you don't suspect a problem anyway. I've also heard many good things about a new tool called Malwarebytes; I haven't tried it yet but intend to.

So there you have it. Be smart, use a hardware router, and take advantage of the free software. ;-)

Thi is certainly not the absolute final word on the subject, but if you do these things I think you'll avoid the vast majority of malware problems on Windows. And if your machine seem infected with numerous things that the tools simply can not remove properly, the best thing to do is format the drive and reinstall Windows from scratch. Sometimes that's the only sure way to know the system is clean.

Oh, one more thing, if you download stuff from questionable torrent sites and tools like Limewire, you're almost begging to get malware on your machine. Stay away from both.

Malware and Spyware - Are They the Same Thing?

Everyone has heard of Spyware, it is that nasty program that gets into your machine and causes havoc. It redirects you when you are not expecting it, it messes with your browser settings, and most of the time, it comes by way of the unsuspecting users allowing it in. There is another face to this coin however, in the name of Malware. This program runs off similar parameters, and has a chameleon like effect. Considering they are of the same bloodline, is it easy to ascertain that they are the same problematic bug?

Here is a look at the roots of the Malware and then you can judge for yourself. It was back in the year 1949 that the notion of a computer program that could self-reproduce was recognized. This is what is known as the theory of complicated automata. Malware uses encryption that is rudimentary, as it is self-obfuscating. This is the case where detecting a computer virus would become more difficult, as algorithmically challenging the main systems programming. The Malware is indeed quite resistant to reverse engineering. Once it is in, the notion is that it will be a definite chore to remove it. This seemingly passive, yet vary evasive program uses a public key and is known to the computer savvy as a crypto virus. When this virus attacks, it drops plain text data on the machine of the user. This by all means is a hybrid of the regular run of the mill Spyware, by all accounts. Finding the maker of the said Malware is pretty much the only way to get rid of the encryption of the plain text issue that has been installed.

This being said, Malware is indeed a form of virus and would be placed on a person’ computer without their consent. Its sole purpose is to infiltrate and destroy. There is another name for this virus; lawmakers call it as scum-ware. There are no absolute features of this virus, more the intent of the creator of the said pest to harm someone else’s machine. Many times people confuse Malware with a program that may have a bug on it, or the program is defective. Generally malicious software is created to infiltrate and cause harm on the intended machine. Sometimes the intent is not to harm at all, rather just to annoy, yet considering no one really knows what is going on in someone else’s computer leads to the destruction of their files. It was more of a prank than the MS-DOS viruses, and Internet worms where developed, not as was first believed that they were harmful. It is often thought that the young programmers of these bugs are merely playing around, just curious as to what the bug can really do, or how far it will spread throughout the Internet.

This is not to say, that there is not a bug without hostile intent involved. Many times the bug is set in motion to corrupt data, or loose file systems all together. This is where data junk is placed on the hard drive itself. The idea that someone could come into your system and corrupt it or vandalize it for sheer pleasure just goes to show you the lack of maturity, and respect some people have for the rest of the population. Worms are often noting more than a nuisance that leaves graffiti tag, so to speak where ever it goes. Revenge is also a great motivator for these absolutely ridiculous programs, a form of get back for this gone bad between friends or peers. This unfortunately is not uncommon, as people leave forms of backdoors or time bombs, meant to completely mess up a system by reason of resentment. Now the basis of malicious software is primarily profit motivated. It is now the case and point that no, Malware is not like Spyware. The latter of the two, being a pest and follows your movements. Malware is a malicious program, and attacks the file system, and logs on your machine. Pretty much it is only Malware that is a virus, Spyware is more of a tactic to monitor your movements and behaviors. This is for the purpose of marketing and sales pitches.

Warning Spyware Detected on Your Computer - The Fix

If you have started to receive messages stating ” Warning spyware detected on your computer ” then it should be quite obvious that your operating system has become infected with spyware. Spyware infections pose great threats to your computer system in that they can harvest personal data and manipulate system settings with the aim of causing instability and stealing information. So the question at this point is what to do when you get a message saying ” Warning spyware detected on your computer “.

When it comes to spyware removal you will find that the only safe and reliable way of removing these infections is to make use of spyware removal applications. If you attempt to uninstall or delete a particular piece of software which has an infection manually you could end up saving money but you will NEVER get rid of the infection completely. This is because infections like spyware and viruses are designed to spread, duplicate and infect other targeted files and configurations within the windows registry which can only be correctly removed with a spyware removal application. So this is why you should never ignore messages that say ” Warning spyware detected on your computer ” which is a common mistake that most people make thinking that it will go away.

Furthermore, pc security tools like these are capable of detecting infection signatures within the contents on your hard drive and will be able to show you what type of risk levels the infections possess as well as their names. So basically any website that offers information or cures on how to get rid of messages like ” Warning spyware detected on your computer ” will direct you towards some form of infection removal application. It is best to avoid free spyware removal tools as many of them are notorious for containing malicious infections themselves and could end up corrupting your system if you use them.

When it comes to using infection removal applications I can highly recommend Xoftspyse which continues to gain huge popularity and respect as the most effective spyware and virus remover on the web today. If you would like to scan your computer with the latest version you can download it directly at the link below.

Spyware - Eradicate It Now

Spyware removal has become a tedious work. As the spyware threat has worsened, a number of techniques have emerged to counteract it. Among these are

• programs designed to remove or to block spyware
• educating the users in such a way that spyware removal no longer is needed
• user practices which reduce the chance of getting spyware on a system.

Spyware remains a costly problem even with all new technology used to combat them. If a large number of spyware programs have infected a Windows computer, the only way to save the computer may be to back up user data, and fully reinstalling the operating system.

Anti-spyware programs

One of the markets most popular anti-spyware programs, Adwarealert will help you find and ultimately rid your computer of unwanted spyware software.

Many programmers and some commercial firms have released products designed to remove or block spyware. Steve Gibson's OptOut, , practially invented a growing category. Programs such as,

• Adwarealert
• Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE
• Patrick Kolla's Spybot - Search & Destroy

rapidly gained popularity as effective tools to remove, and in some cases intercept, spyware programs.

Recently Microsoft bought the GIANT Anti-Spyware software, renaming it as Windows AntiSpyware beta and releasing it as a free download for Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 2003 users. The renamed software for now exists as a time-limited beta test product that will expire at the end of July 2006. Microsoft is continuously developing and updating this product.

Antispyware protection, removal and antivirus

Major anti-virus firms such as Symantec, McAfee and Sophos have come later to the table, adding anti-spyware features to their existing anti-virus products.

In the beginning, anti-virus firms did not want to add anti-spyware functions, citing lawsuits brought by spyware authors against the authors of web sites and programs which described their products as "spyware".

However, recent versions of these major firm’s home and business anti-virus products do include anti-spyware functions. The spyware is treated differently from viruses though.

Symantec Anti-Virus, for instance, categorizes spyware programs as "extended threats" and now offers real-time protection from them (as it does for viruses). The drawback with these programs is that they are very complex and in many cases produce more hurdles to jump over then you as a user really need.

Like most anti-virus software, anti-spyware software requires a frequently-updated database of threats. As new spyware programs are released, anti-spyware developers discover and evaluate them, making "signatures" or "definitions" which allow the software to detect and remove the spyware.

If a spyware program is not blocked and manages to get itself installed, it may resist attempts to terminate or uninstall it. Some programs work together: when an anti-spyware scanner (or the user) terminates one running process, the other one starts up the killed program again, making it virtually impossible to clean the computer.

Some spyware will detect attempts to remove registry keys during the spyware removal and immediately add them again. Usually, booting the infected computer in safe mode allows an anti-spyware program a better chance of removing persistent spyware.

The most extreme way of cleaning is to move the hard drive to another computer, boot on the normal boot disk that computer has, and then clean the infected disk. You can also mount the infected disk over the local network and scan & clean it to remove as much spyware as possible.

It doesn’t matter what way you choose to clean your computer, but using a good spyware removal program will make your life much easier …

Reading spyware reviews will be helpful when you are looking for anti-spyware

This title will explain already what this post is all about today so it typical style please

read on....

Using some type of anti-spyware program is very important for your computer. While surfing the net, you can pick up a lot of nasty infections. Spyware can function on your computer. For example, many people have had their systems crash from spyware. Or even worse some people have had their personal information stolen. Such a case is not rare. So you must equip your computer with anti-spyware. You can read anti spyware review to help make your decision if you are in the market for a spyware remover. Now there’s a lot of options out there. It’s worth taking some time to read up on which programs have a good reputation. Reading spyware reviews must be helpful when you are looking for anti-spyware programe.

12 Consumer Tips for the Holiday Season

This is an important post as during these times where you may let your guard down those hackers wont.

Read on....

Holiday Tip #1: Gift Cards

Gift cards are available for purchase from nearly every retailer, restaurant or financial institution. While convenient, these cards may come with strings attached.

Some gift cards have expiration dates and fees that can lessen the card’s value. According to state law, a gift card or certificate cannot expire for at least five years, and no fees may be deducted from the face value of the card for the first 12 months after it is issued. However some other types of debit cards may charge fees. These fees may include activation fees, transaction fees, monthly maintenance fees, balance inquiry fees, replacement fees for lost or stolen cards, and inactivity or non-use fees.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Only buy cards from sources you know and trust. If the business closes or becomes insolvent, your gift and money are lost.

· Read the fine print on the card before you buy.

· Ask about expiration dates, purchase exemptions and fees.

· Give the recipient the original receipt to verify the card’s purchase in case it is lost or stolen.

· Treat gift cards like cash. If your card is lost or stolen, report it to the issuer immediately.

Holiday Tip #2: Return Policies

This holiday season, consumers should be certain they know a store’s policy on returns, exchanges and layaways before making a purchase. Many policies have added fees, require returns within a certain number of days, or only allow store credit rather than refunds.

Kansas’ three-day-right-to-cancel law only applies to door-to-door sales. There are no Kansas laws that require a store to follow a particular policy for refunds, store credits or exchanges.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Most layaway, refund and exchange policies are up to individual retailers.

· Make sure you read and understand a store’s policy before you make a purchase.

· Always keep your receipts and invoices. Most stores will not make refunds without them.

· When shopping online, find out whether you will be responsible for shipping costs on returns.

Holiday Tip # 3: Internet Auctions

Internet auction sites provide consumers with a global marketplace to buy and sell everything from houses to baseball cards. Unfortunately, hundreds of Kansans reported losing money last year in an online auction.

Online auction complaints often involve missing or late shipments, items advertised different from the items delivered, bogus online payments and fraudulent dealers who lure consumers from a legitimate auction site with a seemingly better deal.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Items purchased from online auctions may not arrive as quickly as items ordered from a store. Be certain you know when the auction ends and when the item will ship before you order.

· Read the Terms of Use for any auction site before using it.

· Never send cash or wire money. Try to use a credit card so you have a better chance of a refund if something goes wrong.

· Look at the item description closely, including the fine print.

· Save copies of all the emails you send and receive from the auction site or seller.

· Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Holiday Tip #4: Fly by Night Web Merchants

Every year, consumers crowd stores searching for the most popular gifts of the season. These items are in such demand that stores run out of stock, leading desperate shoppers to look anywhere to purchase the item.

Scam artists exploit this situation by setting up fake Web sites or online auctions that offer these products. After collecting the money, scammers shut down their “stores” and disappear. The consumers are left with no gift item, and may even fall victim to further fraud through the use of personal financial information obtained through the fake website.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Only purchase from reputable online sellers who have a physical store that you can contact to verify your order.

· Only enter your personal financial information on secure Web sites, never provide this over the phone or email.

· Never reply to an unsolicited email offer advertising a popular gift item for purchase.

· Never wire money to any online retailer.

· If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Holiday Tip #5: Using Credit Cards

Many consumers rely on credit cards to charge their holiday purchases and pay for them later. While convenient, consumers should never let the busy holiday season make them forget a few basic rules of credit card safety.

To protect good credit, follow the tips below in mind while purchasing gifts this year:

· Before shopping, photocopy or write down your credit card information and store it in a safe place at home in case your card is lost or stolen.

· Watch your personal items while shopping and don’t leave credit cards or receipts lying around.

· Check your statements monthly and contact your credit card company within 60 days to dispute any unauthorized charges.

· Sign cards as soon as they arrive and don’t carry cards you do not need in your wallet.

· Know your spending limits, payment due date and interest rates.

Holiday Tips #6: Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone steals personal information and uses it to commit fraud. This crime is common during the holidays because people are busier, they are shopping more online and they receive numerous email and phone offers.

By following these tips, you can help stop identity theft. If you have become a victim of identity theft, please contact my Consumer Protection Division at (785) 296-3751 or 1-800-432-2310. We may be able to offer information to help recover from ID theft.

· Protect your Social Security Number, driver’s license number, mother’s maiden name and bank account information. Never provide this information to unsolicited emails or phone calls.

· Minimize the personal information you carry with you.

· When shopping online, verify you are on a secure server (https://) before entering your credit card or financial information online.

· Never click on a link provided in an email that requests your personal information. It may be fraudulent. If in doubt, contact the company by phone.

· Check your bank and credit card statements every month for unauthorized charges and report them to your financial institution or bank card.

· Review the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Repair Kit for more information about protecting yourself from identity theft.

Holiday Tip #7: Merchandise Warranties

Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on service contracts and warranties. These agreements offer peace of mind from repair hassles, but can end up costing more than the value of the coverage.

When contemplating whether or not to purchase an extended warranty, take time to read the small print and review the terms and conditions the manufacturer’s warranty already covers.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Most electronics and appliances include a manufacturer’s warranty that covers the parts and service for a year.

· Compare the manufacturer’s coverage to the store service agreement to determine if it is worth the extra expense.

· Find out what repairs are covered and whether this includes “abuse, misuse or wear and tear”; all terms that may be subject to the interpretation of the merchant issuing the service plan.

· Determine standard repair costs. Sometimes, repairs cost the same amount as the service contract.

· Find out where you can receive service and if there are contract charges associated with repairs.

Holiday Tip #8: Interest Free Purchases

Consumers are inundated with “No Interest, No Payment,” or “Six Months, Same as Cash” deals during the holidays. If consumers qualify, these offers are often great ways to save on interest charges. If you are not careful, these offers can trap the consumers in debt. These offers can also carry high fees or interest rates if the requirements of the offer are not met.

To protect good credit, follow the tips below in mind while purchasing gifts this year:

· Read the fine print of any agreement before buying anything. Some "no interest" offers require minimum payments during the interest-free period.

· Be aware that if you do not pay off the full amount before the interest-free period expires, you can be charged interest on the entire purchase amount, dating back to the purchase date.

· Don’t wait until the end of the interest-free period to pay off the balance. It may be difficult to come up with the full payment at once.

· Keep your receipts and copies of your purchase agreement.

· Call the company to find out when your interest-free period ends and plan out your payments before you get your first statement in the mail.

Holiday Tip #9: The Truth about Rebates

Many retailers advertise big rebates on items to encourage you to buy. While these advertised prices are attractive, they are only a good deal if you actually fill out and mail the rebate in on time.

Most rebates are completed through the mail, and may be confusing or require significant time or documentation to complete. Consider the following information before purchasing products based upon the promise of a rebate.

Use the tips below to protect your investment this holiday season:

· Read the fine print. Find out exactly what documents are required, when materials must be mailed and when you will get your rebate.

· Mail your rebate information as soon as possible.

· Only trust rebates from reputable companies.

· Most rebates take several weeks to process. If you charge items to your credit card and don’t pay off the balance, you could pay interest on the full amount.

· Carefully consider the worth of a rebate if it requires you to enter into a long term commitment.

Holiday Tip #10: E-card Scams

During the holiday season, many consumers will receive an email claiming an unidentified “relative,” “neighbor,” or “friend” sent you an e-card. The email will include a link to view the card, but clicking the link can unleash anything from spyware and pop-up ads to viruses and Trojans.

Use the tips below to protect your computer this holiday season:

· When you open an e-card, you may unknowingly install software that harms your computer. Be careful clicking any link to an unfamiliar website.

· Delete e-cards from people you don’t know without opening or reading them.

· Never click on any link in a suspicious email.

· Never click to accept terms from any company without actually reading the fine print.

· Install antivirus and anti-spyware software and keep it up to date.

Holiday Tip #11: Credit Repair Schemes

Loan offers and credit repair schemes are particularly frequent after the holidays, when consumers may be left with more debt than they intended. These unsolicited offers may come by email, phone or through the mail, and most of them contain an upfront fee.

Follow the tips below to avoid becoming victim to these scams.

· Don’t believe lenders who claim they can create a new credit identity; remove bankruptcies, judgments or bad loans from your credit file forever.

· Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost.

· It is a federal crime to lie on a loan or credit application.

· Only time, effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will allow you to improve your credit report and pay off debt.

· If you have become the victim of a credit repair scheme, contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1(800) 432-2310 to file a complaint.

Holiday Tip #12: Resources for Help

This holiday season has been a particularly busy one for Kansas consumers. The sheer number of purchases made in the past few weeks result in higher instances of consumer fraud and may result excessive debt.

For help with consumer issues, use the resources below:

· Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division 1-800-432-2310 or www.ksag.org

File a consumer complaint for any business transaction you believe is fraudulent, or to obtain information on a variety of consumer issues.

· Credit Card Companies

See credit card statement for contact information. Call your company to dispute unauthorized charges or to work out a modified payment plan if you cannot make your payment.

· Credit Reporting Bureaus www.annualcreditreport.com

Report fraud or request a free copy of your credit report.

· Kansas Bank Commissioner 785- 296-2266 or www.osbckansas.org

Obtain a list of approved credit counseling agencies and informational materials.