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  May 24, 2007          Reminder - Apple and PC Security Updates

If you haven't uploaded the most recent Security updates for your Apple Mac, here's the latest, as of May 24, 2007-

 
Mac OS X 10.3.9, Mac OS X 10.4.9
 
24 May 2007

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.

                                                                   ... Richard
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  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

It's free.
                                                                                             ... Richard
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  May 11. 2007  Netscape 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.
 
                                                                      ... Richard

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  May 7, 2007   Manage 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.

   I just posted a helpful article on Managing Your Cookies at my
Firewalls-and Virus-Protection website.

   It explains how you can remove the "bad" cookies and recover any "good" ones you might have removed by accident while cleaning up your Cookie Folder.

   There's also a link to a Free download of a popular, and highly recommended Cookie Management software.


   I encourage you to check it out.
                                                                    ... Richard

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  May 4, 2007     Reminder - Apple Security Updates

If you haven't uploaded the most recent Security Updates for your
Apple Mac, here are the links to the May 1, 2007 releases

 
Mac OS X 10.3.9,
Mac OS X 10.4.9
 
01 May 2007
Mac OS X 10.3.9,
Mac OS X 10.4.9,
 
01 May 2007


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
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  April 28, 2007     Botnets - 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 botnets—which 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 data—are 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 won’t 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 we’ve 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
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  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

Finding the best full time anti-spyware programs isn't too difficult if you use Google, Yahoo, and other popular search engines to help. Read How to select your real time Spyware Blocker program HERE.

Installing a top rated Real time Spyware Blocker is a good investment and really cheap insurance.
                                                                                        ... Richard
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April 7, 2007       About Apple Security Updates

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
 
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  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
 
http://www.RichardPresents.com/securitytipsebook/
 
Refer your friends to your very own sales page for "How to Protect Your Privacy and Security Online"
 
Thanks for helping to make the internet a safer and more fun experience
for everyone.
 
                                                                        ... Richard
  

 

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  CLICK HERE for your FREE  Guide to Stopping Spam - Once and For All . Get the Guide plus a Free Subscription to the Security Alert News Reporter and the 23 Vital Security Tips that will help you protect your Computer Security and Online safety against Cyber crooks 

I hope you encourage your family and friends to get this free guide - it could keep them from innocently sending infected email messages to you.
                                                                                        
                                               ...Richard

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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

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  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.




CLICK HERE
to request your FREE Directory

You can download your Free copy to your Desktop. Simply clicking on the desktop icon will then take you right to an always up-to-date Directory. You'll never ever have to upload updates and it will always be current.

CLICK to request your FREE Directory, compliments of RichardPresents.com

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  Have you ever thought about writing your own Blog? It's actually a lot easier than having your own website, and it's a lot of fun, too.

  I thoroughly enjoy writing about my major interest, "Internet Safety for everyday Internet users and web surfers".

  Everybody has a main interest, and many would probably like to write about it, but may not know how to get started.  How about you?
 

  Blogging Help
Blog for Fun and Profit
Blogging's easier and more fun than building your own website
RichardPresents.com
Cloak PayPal Source Code
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                               Get Free Adsense Blog Templates Now... Click here!
                           Comprehensive Blog Info Guide Completely FREE!

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  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
   



                                                         ..... Richard Rossbauer

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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.

          ... Richard Rossbauer
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