The Firewalls-and-Virus-Protection.com
   Security Alert News Reporter   

        December 2005               LANGHORNE, PENNSYLVANIA, USA   Volume 2, Issue7 (No 19)    
Help! I think we have a Virus.
A Security guide for the everyday, non-technical internet user who just wants to be safe doing basic stuff

         Here's your "Security Alert News Reporter" for Dcember, 2005
    The "NewsReporter" is published to keep you up-to-date on the latest information we gather for avoiding and surviving the hectic hacker attacks on your computer security and personal identity that take place constantly on the internet. Many of our comments are based on personal experiences. Protecting your safety, security, sanity, and privacy is not a simple task. We're trying to make it a bit easier for you to accomplish.
    This Newsletter is sent out periodically to everyone who has registered for the Security Alert and Report Alert Services from one or more of the websites published and maintained by www.RichardPresents.com.
   
If you are no longer interested in up-to-date Security Alerts or Safe Surfing Suggestions - please use the  link at  the end of this letter to un-register. 
                                                                                  

Thanks for being a
 Loyal Subscriber

Some Highlights from TODAY'S TOPICS

. Latest Virus and Worm Threats
. The Panda Report - New Trojan
  Cyber Crime Trends
. Revised ALERT -Stinger Updated
. Privacy Theft - Important Updates
 Install Free Anti-virus software
●  Enjoy a Healthy, Happy and secure
    Holiday Season

. Family Security - three new Family and
      Kid Friendly Sites

. Recommended - Predator Guard to Protect
   
your Children
. Publications for your Family and Friends/
    FREE Identity Theft Guide /
5 New Article
    Announcements/ Many Others
. Resources - Many FREE! / (What is i-cop?)
. Bill Hely's ebook -My Security Bible    
. Reviews of the News- really fresh news and
      encouraging reports to keep you abreast of
      latest Scam and Spam busting activities
. Be a Cyber Secure Citizen
  Free Download / Errornuker Registry Cleaner
 
         CLICK ON ANY TOPIC YOU'RE INTERESTED IN - OR READ THIS NEWSLETTER FROM TOP TO BOTTOM


The holiday Season is fast upon us. However you celebrate it, gift giving is usually an important part of the festivities, especially for Children.

Please Take a moment
and Consider this message about the millions of children in the United States who will NOT have a single gift to open on Christmas Day!

Please Join us in Helping these unfortunate children
  
be a partner with the official U.S. Marines "Toys for Tots" program in The 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive.
                                                         ... thanks ever so much, Richard

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Latest Virus Threats  reported thru Dec 4, 2005 by McAfee ,
US-CERT, Panda
™ and other advisory services. (US-CERT is the operational arm
of the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) at the Department of Homeland Security)

 
   Full descriptions including virus characteristics, symptoms, aliases and removal instructions are available by clicking on the links. This virus alert is in addition to those posted in previous month's
News Reporter issues. You can review previous Virus Alerts in the Archive files.
 

      CLICK on Red Virus Name for descriptions and Removal Advice
 
 
McAfee Advisory
  •  W32/Sober@MM!M681 is a Medium Risk virus.

  •     symantec Advisory

     W32.Feldor.A discovered Dec 3, 2005, Low Level Threat
     SymbOS.Hidmenu.A  Trojan Horse low threat level
    ●  Spyware.Sesui  spyware program that gathers sensitive information and registers a pornographic service without notification.
     

    From the US-CERT, November 30, 2005 TREND report
     
  • US-CERT has received reports of a phishing email scam that attempts to convince the recipient that it is from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by using a spoofed "From" address of
     "tax-refunds@irs.gov".

    If the person receiving this email clicks on the link provided, they are taken to a fraudulent site that looks like a legitimate U.S. government site. They are then asked to provide personal information, such as their social security, credit card and bank pin numbers.

    The obvious advice is
        1. Do not follow unsolicited web links received in email messages.
        2. Contact your financial institution immediately if you believe your
           account/and or financial information has been compromised.
     
  • TrendMicro Reports no Medium or High Risk Malware or Spyware at this time.
     
    However, a visit to  the TrendMicro Security Information Site will provide more detailed information on these and other pests currently circulating through the Cyber world.
            
    TrendMicro's Top Viruses and Worms as of Dec 4 2005
           WORM_SOBER.AG                   SPYW_DASHBAR.300
    .      WORM_NETSKY.P                   SPYW_GATOR.F

         .  
    WORM_NETSKY.B
    .
    Panda  Information Items from the Panda Report for Dec 2, 2005 
     
    BodyOnLoad is a program developed to download any type of file (with the obvious danger that this entails when such files are malware) hosted on certain websites with adult content. The infection process begins when users visit one of these pages, which redirect to a second page containing BodyOnLoad.

    BodyOnLoad has already been used to download and run a copy of a Trojan designed to reduce the security level of the browser; act as an entry point for other malware and install several files belonging to PicsPlace, a program that continually opens pages with adult content.

    Another threat is AVKiller.V, which like other Trojans cannot spread by itself and therefore depends on others to distribute it manually (by email, Internet downloads, FTP file transfers, or other means). The action that this Trojan takes on the computers it infects includes:
     
       ● Deleting Windows registry entries corresponding to security programs, to prevent them from running when Windows starts up.
       ● Deleting from the "Program files" folder, all files in the MICROSOFT ANTISPYWARE sub-folder.
       ● Generating a Windows registry entry to ensure it runs whenever the system starts up.

    Samony.B is a worm with backdoor characteristics that spreads via email in a message with the subject: "Account # 394875948JNO Wed, 28". After it installs on a computer, Samony.B takes a series of actions including:
        ● receive remote control orders (download, run, copy and delete files, list directories, etc.), which allow the infected computer to be  controlled remotely by unknown persons.
       ● obtains passwords stored on the computer, for example in Protected Storage, where the Outlook, Internet Explorer, etc. passwords are kept.
       ● Logging keystrokes.
       ● It sends a copy of itself to all contacts in the Windows Address Book and the addresses it finds in files with HTML extensions.

    Up-to-date Firewalls, Anti-virus and anti-spyware software will usually stop these pests before they cause you any grief
                                      

                                                           
     To Top

    Cyber Crime Trends


    Identity Theft, phishing, pharming, and similar buzz words appearing in daily TV, newspaper and radio
     presentations highlight the current major trend in security awareness.

    According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, located in San Diego, more than 51 million personal identifying numbers have been compromised by criminals since February, 2005. The biggest breach was from Atlanta-area data broker ChoicePoint, which reported that ID thieves made off with the personal information of 145,000 people.
     
  • A Breach in your personal privacy protection could easily lead to online and offline Hackers and thieves stealing your identity.

    To help you avoid such a catastrophe, I've prepared a quick reading 5 page guide covering the more important issues of Identity Theft avoidance.
     It's FREE
    and can be downloaded from the Regular Features Supplement to this month's newsletter. (A bit more about the Guide HERE)

    Be aware that we are all targets. Caution and Diligence should be the watch words of the day.
                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  •                                   
                                                            
     To Top
                                     
      Updating my recent alert about Stinger

    IMPORTANT ALERT you can get the Free updated virus checking and removal STINGER tool at the   Firewalls and Virus Protection site.

    STINGER
    ,
     (compliments of McAfee's Anti-virus and Vulnerability Emergency Response Team -
    AVERT) was updated on November 22, 2005 to detect and remove more than 50 current viruses including Sober.
     

    It's a great little program that still fits neatly on a floppy disc - a perfect way to clean up your computer if a worm or other 'rogueware' has disabled your ability to get back on the Internet to update your security ware.
     
    Whenever updated versions become available,
    I'll post a notice here, on the Firewalls and Virus
    Protection website and in the Security Alert Blog. 

     
     

                                                             To Top

          

      Privacy Theft  - Be on the alert for the latest spyware and Scams, sources of malware and Zombie (hijacking) programs that often lead to stolen personal and financial information and Identity Theft.
     

    Usually, it's very difficult to repair the damage they cause, however, there are some really fine and very effective Programs available to Home and Small Business computer users to improve online security and minimize adware, Trojan horse/Zombie and general malware threats. You'll need at least two or three.
     
    Among the many reputable online security resources that I monitor, the "Spyware Warrior" website is one that does an outstanding job of not only reviewing and recommending the best and latest anti-spyware software, but advises how best to use it.
     
    It has my Highest Recommendation.                    ... Richard

    http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-features.htm   (Spyware Warrior website is owned, operated and © Copyright 2005 by Eric L. Howes)

    The following recommended anti-spyware programs appeared most often during November, on the top rated research and anti-spyware reporting websites , including Spyware Warrior:

      Microsoft AntiSpyware*,  Webroot Spy Sweeper (
    CLICK for Free trial), -
     Spyware Doctor -   Spybot Search and Destroy Adaware XoftSpy -
     
    and - Pest Patrol
     
    * Microsoft AntiSpyware  is currently available as a FREE Download, but you can't use it
     with Windows 95 or 98. I use it on my windows 2000 and Windows XP PC's, have it set for automatic updates and daily scans. Like
    SpywareBlaster (Download) it's designed to  monitor in Real Time.

    Keep in mind that you must also have up-to-date anti-virus software(*) and a
    strong firewall, plus the latest updates for your browser (Internet Explorer,
    Firefox, Netscape, Opera... whichever one you use).

     

    (*) Here's the best link to Grisoft's AVG  Free anti virus software, in case you missed it in recent issues of the News Reporter.   
     
    When you arrive at the Grisoft webpage, scroll to the bottom and click on the link in the table under the FILE heading. It'll look something like this:
    avg70free344a618.exe  -- Select Save in the Download dialog box that opens.

    Saving it to your desktop will make it easier to find the Install icon placed there as part of the installation process. Click on the icon and follow the instructions to complete your installation. Spend a few minutes becoming familiar with the AVG Anti-Virus Control Center.
     
    Be sure to check for updates, get them and then do a complete virus scan.
     
    I set my AVG program for automatic updates once every day... makes me feel more secure, and I also use two anti-virus programs on each of my computers.
    However, I use only one firewall software program on each computer... Richard

      
             
                                                            
     To Top 

     

      Enjoy a Healthy, Happy and Secure Holiday Season

    During the exciting and busy days of the Holiday Season, we might be inclined to overlook, or forget the importance of keeping the security features and protective software up to date on our computers.

    Many hackers and criminals are counting on this so that they can ply their nefarious trade of infiltrating our computers with dangerous stuff.

    After the gifts are exchanged and your brand new computers are set-up and ready to explore the Internet, these same criminals know that the security software that comes with nearly all of today's new computers may not be updated first. They'll be waiting .

    Most new home computers will arrive with some security software. They'll probably have a version of Windows XP, which includes a software firewall.

     BUT, it has to be activated by the user first, before going on line!

    Then, the included anti-virus and anti-spyware programs must also be updated. This is extremely important. Review the instruction for updating and connect to the websites of the safeware providers to download their latest information before you do your fun surfing.

    I wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and a Healthy and Rewarding New Year. Thank you for being a subscriber.

                                                                                   Richard Rossbauer

                                                                            

                                                                                    
                                                    To Top
     

    Family Security and Caring
     
    I posted three new items for this important topic last month. There are so many wonderfully safe resources available for Kids, their parents and grandparents that it would be nearly impossible to post them all.

    At the top of the list of results at a Google search was "
    FirstGov for Kids", the U.S. government interagency Kids' Portal. It's a great site.

    And the KidsGrid directory of safe sites for kids contained hundreds of links to resources the whole family can use safely.

    The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has many great publications
    . I put a download link for their "Personal Safety for Children -
    A guide for Parents
    " in the Features Supplement.

    Check them out in the new Features Supplement by CLICKING HERE
     

    We post these Kid Safe Sites, because like you, we care about the safety and security of our children and grandchildren....and to help parents, grandparents and guardians guide today's young internet surfers to safe sites. There are many other website creators who feel the same concerns and responsibility. These are just a few of their sites that we have personally reviewed and tested as safe for our Grandchildren. Check them out and share them with the young people you care about. 



    Predator Guard protects our children


    More Help for Parents and Grandparents.  Keep the Children and Grandchildren safe when they're using your computer

    Predator Guard
    provides real-time protection for children in chat rooms, instant messaging, and e-mail exchanges.
     
    The Home Edition Features:
    • Real-time protection in Instant Messaging, Chat Rooms, E-mail and Attachments
    • E-mail notification to parents
    • Reviews both outgoing and incoming data
    • User defined library to prevent distribution of personal information
    • Detects, captures, logs and reports violations
    • Works as a stand-alone application or with existing site blocking programs (AOL Parental Controls, Cyber Patrol, Net Nanny, and more.)
     Predator Guard  provides real-time protection for children in chat rooms, instant messaging, e-mail and attachments from online predators and pedophiles. In addition, Predator Guard can prevent all outgoing personal information, such as a child's home address, phone number and school information, or other information that is essential for a predator to make contact with a child. Purchase this Inexpensive Protection Now
                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
                                                     
      To Top
     

                    THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUBMITTED SUGGESTIONS
                

    ► Suggestions were in response to this question:

     
         "Would splitting the newsletter into two separate sections, and issuing 
           them two weeks apart make it easier for you to keep up with all of the
           news, tips, and useful content?"   

    Some suggestions were to present important current security alerts and advice in each issue of the News Reporter and  make the regular features available as a Supplement that could be accessed by clicking a link,

       ... and that's what we did again for this issue. How did you like it?

    Your opinions will be very helpful. Please  CLICK HERE to open a contact form where you can tell me what you think.

                                                                    thanks,   Richard  

                                                                To Top

     

    Publications - Use these Reports to help your family and friends:
     

       
    . For those of you who have visited our Firewalls website and Security Alert Blog, you know that the information there is directed toward keeping you safe from hacker and cracker attacks. Additions to our bookshelf are selected with the same purpose - and we encourage you to share our reports freely. Don't miss the NEWest Free report

    Copy or Download these reports from the Publications Page in the new
    Features Supplement.
    CLICK HERE

    eBooklet "23 CRITICAL ALERTS You Should Consider when Maintaining
    Your Computer Security and Protecting  Your Personal Safety"
    eReport Protect Yourself and Family from Dangerous Chat Rooms and
     Instant Messages.
    eBooklet Online Security while Traveling in the United States and Abroad.
    eBook "Travel Cheap - Travel Well!"- Confessions of A Traveling Pauper
    eReport Don't get trapped by Rogue Anti-Spyware software
    eBooklet Is Your Firewalls and Virus Protection Safe Enough?
    eBooklet Is a Keystroke Logger Being Used To Spy On You?
    eReport How Much Money would it cost you to regain the use of your computer
     after a serious virus infection?
    eReport Internet Glossary - alphabetical list of terms used in many of the articles and news reports that relate to the Internet
    Copy or Download these full reports from the Publications Page in the new  Features Supplement. CLICK HERE
                    
     
    Free Identity Theft Guide
          NEW!   
                                           
    A Breach in your personal privacy protection could easily lead to online and offline Hackers and thieves stealing your identity.

    The contents of this Free Report include

      Protection Strategies
      Safe Credit Card Practices
      Why reveal your Social Security number?
      Document Destruction
      Common Sense Things to avoid
      What you must do if the Worst Happens
        
    with the telephone numbers to call and the
                                        organizations to contact.

    It's a five page report you can download, print and freely share with your family and friends. Download the Identity Theft Guide from this month's Regular Features Supplement HERE.

     
    Save the file to your Desktop - it'll be easier to find.      
                                  
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     
     
                                                             To Top
     
     There are a lot more Articles and Reports at the Firewalls and Virus Protection website. Look them over for the helpful 'keeping safe' info they contain. Our most recent library additions include

                  
      Practice email security - Is your incoming email Safe?
                  
      Safeguarding you Correspondence
                  
      What if Your Hard Drive Crashed?
                  
      Understanding and Avoiding Phishing
                  
      Practice email Safety - Is your incoming email safe?

                  
      and visit the
    Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website with its many publications relating to protecting the security of your family, both on the internet and off. They are FREE. You can go to their pages covering
     
                     Consumer (family) Protection HERE. or take a look at
     "Take Charge - Fighting Back Against Identity Theft" Free report HERE.
     

                                             To Top
     
     

     Resources - many Free.  It's easy to install the latest Firewall, anti-virus(*), spam blocking, and spyware removal software on your computers. Download all of these programs, and more, mostly for FREE, from our Firewalls-and-Virus-Protection website pages.
     
       
    Check them out. If you need to block Spam, find the links on the 'Spam and Spyware' page. Same thing for Cookie Crumbling tools, Spyware protection, etc. Most of them have a purchasable Upgrade option, and by trying the free versions, you can upgrade the ones that work best for you. 
     
     
     Browser Hijacking
    is still a major problem. One of the outstanding sources for information about browser hijackers and tools to remove these predators is still available on the SpywareInfo.com website.
     
          It's loaded with powerful information and helpful advice that zeros in on the hijacking problem. If you are experiencing any similar problems, be sure to follow the link to their forum. There are literally thousands of postings from which you will learn and possibly find the advice that will help you resolve your own issues.
     
         You can download HijackThis from the Software link on the SpywareInfo website. Be sure to read and follow their instructions to the letter if you want good results.

                   
    We learned about this program from the extraordinary website and forums built and maintained by James Healan, webmaster of SpywareInfo.com.
     

    DOWNLOAD latest cws shredder  which is now a part of Trend Micro
    http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder.html
     It'll find and remove those nasty Cool Web Search trojan horses.

     
                                             
    To Top

     Here's a powerful, inexpensive, and helpful resource to help you maintain your Internet Security and Personal Identity

    Did you know that popular, everyday gadget items like MP3 music players (Apple iPod for example) and digital cameras can "walk" your precious data and records off your premises, right under your unsuspecting nose?


    In The Hacker's Nightmare™ the danger is fully explained and an inexpensive, easily-implemented solution offered. You'll learn the dangers and the means of prevention.

    ...and Did you know that your home garbage bin and your office dumpster are gold mines of information to the hacker and the identity thief?


    In The Hacker's Nightmare™ a retired FBI Special Agent will tell you exactly what he — or anyone else who knows the tricks — can do with your refuse.
     

    Hackers, virus and spyware writers and other unethical persons
    are becoming more and more sophisticated every day. Their attacks and the undesirable and often dangerous stuff they sneak into our computers slow them down, and threaten our personal lives with increasing severity.
     
    Ever since I found the eBook, "The Hacker's Nightmare" that tells how to really Keep Hackers, Worms and Germs out of my PCs, it has received my highest recommendation to family and friends.
    It's my Computer Security Bible.
      
     
     
    Bill Hely, 20 plus year veteran of internet security consulting. has loaded it with valuable information and  plain common sense. We could fill this and future issues of our News Reporter for the next few months just talking about them.

    I've included some of Bill's outstanding, informative, and helpful articles in the Articles and Reports pages of the Firewalls and Virus Protection website. Please visit and check them out.
        
     Bill has designed a webpage that describes many of the security tricks and tools that will help keep that nasty stuff out of your computer. Review The Hacker's Nightmare Story HERE. Some sample (Free) chapters are available to early visitors.
     
    Among the testimonials Bill received recently-- 
    Just one chapter solved a severe problem for this reader:
     
    "... loved it, it's the first computer related thing I've read that makes sense to me as an IT illiterate — can't wait to read the whole book!"

                                                              Lucy Fisher - Exec. Director
                                                              Private Hospitals' Assoc. (Qld)
                                                              Brisbane, Australia
    And here's another --:

    "Bill I can't tell you how much time and money I've wasted trying to clean up and protect my computer. Most solutions people sell have been a complete waste.
     
    "Your course, your assistance, YOU Bill, have been the complete opposite. You offer a solution that's simple to understand, enlightening to know, and unbelievably effective.
     
    "If everyone with a computer had The Hackers Nightmare, those dead-beats would have to find a new job! Thanks for everything."
        

    - Alan Saltz - President
    - YellowPagesProfit.com
    - New York City NY USA


      and here's My Favorite Resource

     

                      i-Cop is a resource I'm proud to be a part of.
     
    You have probably noticed the various references to it throughout this newsletter, the Firewalls and Virus Protection website and my Blog.

     
    It's the International Council of Online Professionals, i-Cop for short. I believe anyone actively using the internet to provide information, services or sell products will benefit by subscribing to i-Cop's publication - The Internet Marketing Trade Journal. It truly sets the standard for Honesty and Integrity Online. I'm proud to be a member.
     
    This FREE ezine is vitally important to online business owners and anyone even considering making money online! We keep folks
    informed about all online issues and programs to participate
    in, or avoid. Subscribe to
    The Internet Marketing Trade Journal here:: http://www.i-Cop.org/trade-journal.htm                  ...Richard
    i-Cop members are helping the survivors of the Katrina Tragedy here.
    Will you join us? However you do it, please open your hearts and help.
    http://www.katrina-long-term-relief.com/        
    thank you, Richard

                                         To Top

    Reviews of the News (more encouraging news about controlling
         SPAM,  SCAMS, pornography, and protecting Personal Consumer 
         Information)

     

    Spam suppression efforts and results

     Headline
    Best Buy 'hacker-Extortionist'  loses appeal before his peers in Federal Court

    In a story from CNET News, Thomas Eli Ray was reported to have lost his appeal in the 8th Circuit Appeals Court.

    You may have heard about Mr.Thomas Eli Ray. A federal jury convicted him of two counts of extortion in October 2004. The Charge was for attempting to extort $2.5 million from BestBuy by threatening to take advantage of a breach in its computer security system and shut them down.

    The BestBuy company called the FBI.

    FBI agents traced the extortion e-mail messages to three different email accounts, one belonging to Ray.

    The U.S. Department of Justice indicted Ray in December 2003, after obtaining a bunch of search warrants. A federal jury convicted him of two counts of extortion in October 2004.

    He appealed the conviction in November, 2005. Ray claimed that someone had broken into his computer and used it to send the extortion messages. During the trial, he tried to put the finger on two people who he said were the likely culprits.

    The jurors didn't buy that story. A government witness testified that there was no evidence of anyone else getting into Ray's computer.

    On Nov. 22.2005, a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his arguments and upheld an 18-month prison sentence and restitution to BestBuy of $87,398. Ray is also sentenced to a three-year supervised release, during which he's not allowed to possess any "electronic device with access to any online computer service" without explicit permission.

    Congratulations to BestBuy management, the Jury, the FBI agents and the three Judges on the Appeals Court bench. Hopefully, this is a strong signal to other would-be extortionists with grandiose ideas.

                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                    
    New Laws Will Help Protect Against Identity Theft

    There are approximately 15 anti-Identity Theft bills currently before the U.S. Congress
    .

    It appears that ID theft, and other security issues, will continue to lead to increased government legislation. During the past year, many states enacted security breach notification laws similar to the California law, (as reported in the November issue of our
    Security Alert News Reporter), in order to protect their residents from identify theft. There have been federal proposals as well, which would most likely preempt state security laws.

    Legislators will no doubt continue to dictate the types of security measures that must be taken in order to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive personal information,"

    These efforts seem to bode well for all of us and reflect the growing concern of the public-at-large over the increasing threats. It's being addressed by our legislators, as well it should.                                  (Editorial)

                                   
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                                             
    We're going to consolidate all of these 'Good Guys' check marks into one Big One for November        
    'Good Guy Check Marks' to date 
      √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √  √ √
    (See Archives)
         
                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
                 
                                                            
    To Top
     

    "User Education" is the focus of our Firewalls and Virus Protection website and the "Security Alert News Reporter".  
     
    Do your IM and Chat Room Buddies know  How to Find the Best Anti-spyware Software? In case they missed this FREE report on the Firewalls-and-Virus-Protection website, you can read it here and print the report to share with your family, friends and Buddies.
            
    As a P.S. to the above comment, encourage your friends to check out our  "Security Alert Blog". Recent Blog entries for November include these helpful and timely posts:

    How's your Internet Etiquette? On a web site I found recently, the webmaster highlighted some guidelines for being polite and proper when using the Internet. It's a nice gesture toward keeping the Fun in many of the things we do online. Check out the Internet Etiquette site HERE
    If this is the answer to paying more for safeware,  I feel as if  I'm being set-up.

     
    Federal Trade Commission shuts down massive Blogspot         spyware operation
       Online Predators! The national news services are creating     an awareness of the increasing dangers to our children
       Identity Theft -There's hardly a newspaper, Radio or TV show that isn't talking about it today 
       Add our information blog to your list of Must Read spyware
    avoidance resources.
    The more useful information you have about
    the scourge of malicious spyware, the better chance you'll have of
    avoiding the grief and frustration it can bring.
      Our blog is RSS friendly

                   There are dozens more posts available in the Blog Archives.
               Read our Blog Posts HERE. I urge you to Comment, Challenge and
               add your own opinions to ours.

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
         
                      
      
                                                
    To Top  
     

    Are you campaigning with us?
       
    Have you participated in the Computer Virus Awareness Campaign?

    It appears as if some positive progress is being made in alerting your friends and family of spyware dangers. Many of the Spyware monitoring organizations and individuals have noted the changes in Hacker and Spammer tactics. Because so many internet users have built up their defenses against malicious spyware, these cyber criminals have had to develop increasingly more devious and sophisticated attack schemes, challenging the anti-spyware software developers. We're caught in the middle of this battle. We cannot drop our guard now.

    Now you can do even more.
              Heed the CALL TO ACTION: BE A CYBER SECURE CITIZEN
     

    Securing your personal computer plays a crucial role in protecting our nation's Internet infrastructure. The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is a public-private partnership focused on promoting cyber security and safe behavior online. It drives awareness and response to pressing cyber security issues; providing tools and resources to empower home users to stay safe online.
         
                                             
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Please help us help your family, friends, and associates enjoy a safer and less frustrating internet experience. We encourage you to share this information with them or suggest they subscribe to this newsletter. 

                         
     I like to say that Sharing is Caring    ......Richard

     

         All of us, too, need to

    act, by educating ourselves and by making sure we obtain the necessary programs to protect our computers.
     
    Those programs include a firewall; installing and updating anti-virus software; using anti-spyware software that can identify and delete programs that have migrated to our computers; using spam filters to protect e-mail; and downloading patches that update software and web browsers.
    _____________
    It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
    ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
    _____________

    Keep in mind that
    these programs are only as good as their latest updates!
    I hope your machines aren't infected with any viruses that send out spam.
     
    How can you be sure? Do some 'house-cleaning' on your system. Scan for spyware and viruses and while you're at it, install a diagnostic program so that you can discover any viral ills on your PC.
     
    Have you checked the health of your computer's Registry? I have, with
    errornuker.  It's a powerful diagnostic utility that scans the Windows Registry to identify errors and provide ways to optimize it's performance.
     
    Every day when I boot up my computers, I run a registry check with Error Nuker. In just a few minutes, it finds broken links to shortcuts, ActiveX entries that shouldn't be there, unwanted Browser Helper Objects, and a lot more problems. With a simple CLICK, they're fixed!
     
    The StartUp manager lets me disable those programs that automatically load on StartUp and use Resources that slow down. the computer. I can easily select the programs that I want to keep running in the background.

                                               Personal testimonial from        ... Richard

    Your Registry could need a clean up, too, if you have these Registry Problem Symptoms

    • PC keeps crashing at critical times
    • PC needs frequent rebooting
    • unable to remove a program using add/remove dialog
    • 'unable to load ***.DLL' errors
    • 'cannot find ***.exe' errors
    • PC runs noticeably slower than when you first bought it
       

      Download errornuker now, absolutely FREE
       
      After running errornuker the first time, and seeing how many registry listings needed to be fixed on my computer, and how effectively they were fixed, as I noted above, it's now a part of my booting routine every time I restart.                                ... Richard

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      If your friends are hesitant or uncertain about the benefits of visiting with us,
    suggest that they review the help that's readily available at our one page summary of the Online Security Consideration and Protective Tactics that are designed to keep them safe on the Internet. They Can Check out these Considerations HERE.

    Please don't forget the survivors of the Wilma, Katrina and Rita hurricane disasters who need help - our help - and they'll need it for a long, long time. Open your hearts and help them in the best way you know how. We're doing it through i-Cop.

     
    And finally for this issue,
    we hope you can take our one minute mini- survey (We'll give you a nifty and entertaining Free eBook on Coping With Your Stresses for your time) and visit our Blog Pages, read our postings and contact us with your comments and opinions.

    YOUR Feedback is valued!
    Since I want the 'Security Alert News Reporter' to bring you all the information
    you look for and help you need to solve problems you  encounter, may I ask you to send me your ideas and tips to make our newsletter even more valuable.


    Everything you have to offer will help us do a better job of helping you.
     Thank you. ...Richard

    Did you Check out the new Regular Features Supplement   to Issue 19 ?
                                
                              
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    As promised in our first issue, we aren't going to stuff your mail box with un-ending mailings every day, week, or whenever. When there's important news about the topics we've noted, we'll let you know, usually monthly. 
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    Richard Rossbauer, webmaster and newsletter publisher

     

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    Happy Holidays   
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