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SECURITY ALERT BLOG Vital
Internet Security Alerts and
Information
for the everyday
Non-technical Computer user,
Internet
User and Web Surfer
who just wants
to be safe doing
basic stuff
without the hassle
of viruses, spyware, or worse.
Your Bookmark list should include the
Apple Security Updates website. Our Mac machines are being
targeted more and more by the Cyber World crooks. Don't be one of
the few remaining Mac users who think they're immune to these
attacks.
PC users running Windows XP can
download Windows Defender. It's a free
program that helps you stay productive by protecting your computer
against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by
spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
May 19, 2007
Add
Opera 9.2 to your list of 'Cool' Browsers
Following up on my last post - have
you taken a look at the Opera v9.2 Web Browser?
I spent a good many hours trying
to find out why I might not like it.
I couldn't find any reason to dislike it - instead, there are dozens
of reasons to consider making it the default browser.
It's fast, doesn't take up much storage capacity, loaded with
security and user features, it's intuitive, easy as pie to navigate,
tabbed browsing, and the browser window is
really clean and uncluttered.
It rendered all of my own websites and every other site I visited
quickly and without any distortion. (something that Firefox isn't
able to do on my system - Win XPPro running Pentium 4 at 2.81 Ghz
and 2 GB RAM)
There are a bunch of "Wizards" to play with and add to enhance your
browsing preferences.
I particularly like the "Speed Dial
" feature. You can select
up to 9 of your favorite or most visited sites and display them on
one page as jumbo thumbnail images.
I did have a bit of trouble finding the tool to re-open the Speed
Dial webpage the first time I returned to the Opera browser from a
cold start-up. But, it was right there on the tool bar under the
"New Tab" icon.
Select and Click on any image and the super speedy Opera browser
opens it in a flash.
The Opera setup program is a quick and easy download at only 6.3 MBytes. Installation is just as quick.
You can check out all of its features at the download page -
http://www.opera.com
May 11. 2007Netscape 8.1.3 Looks Like
a Pretty Darn Good
Browser
If you're still a bit uneasy about using Internet
Explorer on your PC, uncertain about Mozilla Firefox, or not happy with
the many popup boxes that appear each time you log on to AOL, take a
look at the latest version of Netscape's Browser - 8.1.3.
I just updated my Netscape Browser and am impressed with the latest
version. And with the up-to-date security features at least equal
to those of Firefox, Internet Explorer IE7, and AOL 9.0, it's difficult to
pick a favorite.
I like tabbed browsing, popup blocking, built-in search
functionality. and built-in RSS readers. The IE7, Firefox, and
Netscape 8.1.3 browsers all provide these, and many more user
friendly and security features.
For me, it all boils down to which one renders web pages the best.
Because I publish and maintain a few websites, I want them to render
properly in a variety of browsers, so they're tested in the browsers
mentioned above on my own PC.
Much to my disappointment, Firefox does not do a consistently
satisfactory job of displaying websites. Both IE7 and now Netscape
8.1.3 outperform it. Even AOL 9.0 is more consistent.
There are other browsers available for your PC. If you're the
experimental type, Opera is definitely worth a try in place of the
more established browsers. It does
not not have a large following, but it is offers many of the
features of the the more popular browsers plus some innovative
ones, as well.
All of the current browsers have many useful features and plug-ins
and can easily be personalized to your individual preferences. If
you're still using an older version of Internet Explorer or
Netscape, it's a good idea to update to a more secure browser.
May 7, 2007Manage or remove Internet
Explorer and Firefox Browser cookies with Cookie manager software
Do your favorite
websites keep forgetting your name and password? Do you forever have
to reset your preferences? Here's why -
A website leaves "cookies" on your hard drive to "remember you".
In spite of setting your browser internet preferences to filter or
control cookies dropped on your computer from the websites you
visit, some of those cookies are bound to be undesirable.
But
if you delete your cookies, websites no longer recognize
your computer and they "forget" your preferences and
options. There are ways you can manage these
cookies for smoother, more convenient surfing.
Each website you visit deposits a tiny identifying file (a cookie)
onto your hard drive. Some sites place another cookie
each time
you visit them. Websites use these cookies to remember
you.
When you log onto a website, it looks up your cookies, sets up your
preferences, perhaps even logs you in. Your chosen
options are ready to use as soon as you connect and your
web page always looks the same - unchanged from
your last visit.
Although we hear warnings to delete all cookies regularly, that's
not necessarily the very best advice. When you remove ALL cookies,
you lose the good cookies along with the bad ones.
Your Bookmark list should include the
Apple Security Updates website. Our Mac machines are being
targeted more and more by the Cyber World crooks. Don't be one of
the few remaining Mac users who think they're immune to these
attacks.
... Richard
Tags:Apple-Security,Apple QuickTime
April 28, 2007Botnets
- They're Getting Harder to Track,
Monitor and Disable UPDATE -
In early April, researchers who gathered in the first Usenix event
devoted to Zombie like infected computers warned that botnetswhich
can contain tens or even hundreds of thousands of zombie PCs that
have been taken over for use in spamming and thievery of financial
and identity-related dataare on the brink of a technological leap
to more resilient structure and more sophisticated encryption that
will make it that much harder to track, monitor and disable them.
Botnets have traditionally been organized with one central
command-and-control location. This centralization was a big help
to researchers because it gave them a single target point to
disable.
The bot
herders and creators have begun to decentralize and are
re-structuring their bot farms into smaller networks of
interconnected groups of zombie PCs. Even if an Individual group
is detected and disabled, this gap in the interconnected network
wont affect the overall botnet's operation or the attacker's
control.
The revised organizational structures are referred to as
Peer-to-Peer networks and are a lot more difficult to disable.
A recent
example of a P2P botnet was the Storm worm, also called the
Peacomm Trojan. The Storm worm initially created damage via spam
e-mail in January, and then in February, it released a variant that
used instant messaging (IM) to spread.
During
the week of April 9, researchers noted the return of the Storm worm
more than 2 million spam e-mails arrived carrying the
latest variant. The initial wave of spam used recent real or
fake news headlines to convince users to click on malicious files,
this recent Storm surge used e-mail subject lines claiming
"Trojan Detected!" or "Worm Activity Detected!" - certainly
frightening to the average web surfer.
A major
problem in fighting botnets is that many less experienced computer
users can be unaware of the need to update their anti-virus
programs.
There are steps you can, and should take to build your
defenses against becoming a pawn in a Botnet Zombie army, and weve
covered these many times in our Security Alerts. Here they are
again:
- Install a firewall between your computers and the Internet
- Shut off your wireless connection and computer when not in use
- Install and regularly update antivirus and anti-spyware
software
- Keep your computer operating systems patched with the latest
security patches
- Do not open e-mail attachments unless you have specifically
requested them and
then only after scanning them with an antivirus
scanner
- Beware of disks, CDs, USB storage devices, etc. that belong to
another person
- Monitor security warnings for the software you use and update
that software when you become aware of a security
problem
- Never
install copyrighted material on your computer that has been traded
in violation
of copyright law (known as Warez)
While no system is ever 100% completely safe, these basic steps will
go a long way toward keeping your computer from joining a bot farm
of zombies.
.... Richard Tags: botnet
instant message AND Instant Messaging
April 13, 2007
Is
your Spyware Protection working only Part time?
To keep spyware out of your computer, you need a spyware blocker
with a real time protection feature to detect a threat as soon as it
attempts to attack your computer - and stops it right in its tracks
Scanning your computer system to remove
any spyware invaders that may be present is a good first step to
protecting yourself from potential threats on the Internet; however,
it simply is not enough.
All too often, spyware pests return easily after they are removed.
To provide future protection for your computer system you need a
thorough spyware blocker - one that recognizes and blocks their
re-entry.
Spyware blocker programs work by storing a list of
restricted and dangerous sites. They match incoming information
against this list and prohibit entry of the dangerous stuff.
Obviously, you'll need a spyware blocker program that updates the
list automatically, or one that reminds you when updates are
available for you to download.
One of the top tricks many spyware and adware pests employ is to
hijack your home page.
Read about Hijacking HERE
Most Apple users are aware that they are not completely immune
form cyber attacks and this alert is not necessarily being posted
for them.
Some of my friends recently bragged that they don't need to worry
about viruses and trojans because they have a Mac.
That really upset me and rather than argue the point, I suggested
they take a look at one of the recent Cyber Security Alerts posted
on the US-CERT website.
Posted just a few weeks ago, US-CERT's Alert SA07-072A listed the
Apple Mac
operating systems that are currently vulnerable and provided a link
to
Apple Security Update 2007-003.
I assured my friends that this US-CERT Alert was posted in
non-technical language and the instructions for downloading the
Security Update would be as simple as clicking on the provided link.
I hope they took heed.
If you're reading this posting on your Apple Mac, you can check to
be sure you already have installed Update 2007-003, and if not, it's
available from
Apple download here
and you can review the
US-CERT* report SA07-072A HERE
*US-CERT is the Official United States Computer Emergency Readiness
Team
...Richard
Tags:Apple-Security,US-CERT
April, 2007
Checkout My eBook "How to
Protect Your Privacy
and Security
Online"
It's loaded with Vital Security Tools and Tips to Secure Your
Computers and Guard Against Internet Fraud and Identity Theft.
To make it easily affordable to the lesser experienced Beginners and
Senior Internet Users, and to provide a greater opportunity
for them to strengthen their own security defenses at a price that
nearly everyone can afford -
I slashed the list price by 61 percent from $17.95 to only $7.00!
And to make it available to even more of the internet users who can
really benefit from its wealth of security information, I have
included free resale rights that will give you 100 percent of the
profits for each and every copy you sell.
Your profits will go directly and immediately into your own PayPal
account.
Even better, the $7.00 price includes the free bonus eBook - "PC
Security", my Info Guide to Beefing Up Your Personal Computer's
Safety from Malicious Threats, with dozens of easy to apply ideas
and strategies to strengthen your Security Fortress.
It's really important that everyone be aware that Clever Internet
Thieves from all around the world are using very highly
sophisticated and stealthy infiltration schemes to plant trojans,
worms, viruses and other malware in their computers, and could even
be secretly adding any one of us to their botnets.
Even if you are reasonably comfortable when going online, your
family members and friends may not be as experienced as you.
Give them the gift that can save their families and friends
from
potential hours of grief, plus potential loss of money and identity
to these Internet thieves.
Here's the link to the Security Tips ebook, bonus PC Security ebook
and
Free Resale Rights
Don't
hesitate to express
your views and opinions on my Security Alert Blog and Cyber
Security Alert postings (easily done by clicking on
the highlighted 'COMMENT' |
'TRACKBACK' at each post. Watch for postings on fraud alerts,
virus alerts, worm alerts, Internet Security alerts, security scams,
parental controls, online predators, net security, and more. Be sure to visit our
Firewalls-and-Virus Protection website for even more help
April, 2007
More Free help for People who purchase
from online businesses
and the business who sell to them
The FREE iCop Member and Shopping Mall Desktop Directory
is a listing by business category of all of the hundreds
of i-Cop members who have pledged to meet the rigid
requirements imposed by the Council to maintain the
highest levels of honesty, integrity and respect for
you, the consumer.
You can use it as a guide to resources and assistance
with the full confidence that each member is a
professional in their field.
iCop is the organization for home based and other
businesses that sets the industry standard of business
ethics that every online business should follow!
Please note the iCop member seal on this blog and on my
websites. I'm proud to be a member and I've pledged to
meet the rigid requirements to maintain my good
standing.
You can download your
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desktop icon will then take you right to an always
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updates and it will always be current.
CLICK
to request your FREE Directory, compliments of
RichardPresents.com
May, 2007 (Repeated, because it's so Important)
A breach in your personal privacy
protection could easily lead to
hackers, online, and offline thieves stealing your identity.
Identity Theft is the
fastest growing crime in America, affecting
approximately 900,000 new victims each year!
More than ever, the information explosion, aided by an
era of easy credit, has led to the expansion of a crime
that feeds on the inability of consumers to control who
has access to sensitive information and how it is
safeguarded.
Can we fight back? Yes! One of the best ways is to be
informed of the tricks and ploys used by Identity Theft criminals
and to understand how they attack.
Forewarned is Forearmed and There's a lot to know,
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 "Identity Theft Guide" by CLICKING HERE.
Save the file to your Desktop - it'll be easier
to find
I'd like to hear from you.
Your comments are really appreciated. Try to avoid anything inappropriate (hateful, abusive,
explicit, pornography, etc.), they'll be deleted before posting.
Please stick to the theme of "Security Awareness and Safety on the
Internet'. Your email address will never be displayed and will not
be shared with third parties.
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