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Richard Rossbauer's
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.
I'm very
pleased that you're here today,
and that you're concerned about
your
computer security and family Internet Safety. I look forward to
your early
return to the Security Alert Blog.
Using the
 Web Feed or book-marking this page will make it a lot easier
for you to
visit
again.
Thanks, Richard Rossbauer
(Read About Us)
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October-November-December
2009 |
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December 14, 2009
Holiday Issue of the Security Alert NewsReporter
Includes fun gifts for the family and kids, along with
some important updates on current threat activity on the
Internet.
Get you free copy here click>>
Holiday Issue
Just two weeks left
to get your Free eBook on Kids Internet Safety.
Click on Get A Free Copy at the
Family Safety webpage
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Remember Pearl Harbor |
December 7, 2009
Are
you shopping online during work hours?
Something many of
us experience in our workplaces was a headline article
in the December 5th edition of the Tuscaloosa News -
What is it? Surfing the internet for holiday gift deals
during working hours - using the company's computer and
internet connections.
Surveys by the National Retail Federation, CareerBuilder
and Accountemps suggest anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of U.S. office workers will be browsing retail
Web sites this holiday season.
Businesses may not like it, but online shopping is
very common at work, and according to the article,
accounts for a big part of American retailers sales.
Not only must businesses protect their computers from
viruses, spam and other threats associated with online
shopping, but those of us who may be guilty of work hour
shopping must practice extreme care and caution when
visiting retailers websites.
Carelessness can jeopardize our employer's business in
many ways - and even subject them to legal challenges if
hackers and cyber criminals compromise private and
personal information, which could include theft of
customer credit card information, bank account numbers
and worse.
Read the Tuscaloosa News article here for their full
story.
...and be as
careful at work as you are at home
... Richard
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Just a few weeks left to get your Free eBook on Kids
Internet Safety.
Click on Get A Free Copy at the
Family Safety webpage |
December 4, 2009
What are going to do with that old computer?
Thousands
of old computers will be replaced by brand new state of
the art laptop and desk top machines this year.
Christmas, Hanukkah, "holiday" gifts
will bring new excitement and capabilities to families
everywhere.
What do
you plan to do with your old computer if new ones arrive
at your home?
Two major concerns are worthy of consideration - how to
keep your old files and personal information from
getting into the wrong hands - and where to dump those
old machines.
First of all, your
computer is probably loaded with personal information, a
history of your surfing habits and sites you visit,
passwords, financial data, and even more threats to your
identity security
If nothing else, remove the hard drive, and if you don't
intend to use it elsewhere, physically destroy it!
Read more tips on recycling items like computers and old
TVs here
... Richard
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Monday,
Nov 30, 2009
Cyber Monday! Is your
computer prepared for it?
Are You?
Cyber Monday is the
shopping season kickoff on the Internet. Not only will
many thousands of shoppers be searching for deals,
bargains, and hard to
find gifts, there will be thousands of cyber criminals
lying in wait for them.
You can avoid the treats they pose just by exercising
good judgment, like making certain that your firewall,
anti-virus, anti-spyware, and Operating systems are
up-to-date, and you don't allow your excitement and
determination to cause you to drop your guard.
There will be a variety of clever scams and tricks aimed
at trapping you.
The major Security Software providers, LavaSoft,
Symantec, Sunbelt
Software, and others are working hard to help us
stay safe.
For example, Symantec has detected more than 250
distinct rogue
security software programs. During the period from July
1, 2008, to
June 30, 2009, Symantec received reports of 43 million
rogue security software installation attempts from those
250 distinct samples.
TrendMicro reminds us that that spammers will be
rushing to offer
consumers bogus promos and discounts. Their Threat
analysts discovered
messages that purported to come from Media Service. The
email bears the subject, Congratulations, and informs
users that they won a Macbook Air.
It also entices users to open the attached .ZIP file,
which supposedly contains the details. Of course, the
attachment does not hold any details but does contain an
executable Trojan file. Read more at the
TrendMicro Blog
Panda Labs posted a great discussion and diagram
of how Rogue Security
programs work to trap us into spending our money to
remove viruses that
are usually false alerts.
Read about Rogue Software Here
And LavaSoft points out that nearly 90% of all
computers are affected by
spyware - virtually everyone with an Internet
connection. They listed 12
Steps to Online Safety at their Security Center.
►Basic
stuff like being wary of e-mail attachments and links in
both e-mail
and instant messages. Use caution even when the message appears to
come from a safe sender, as identity information in messages can
easily
be spoofed.
►Never
log into your bank or other financial accounts from
public computers
or from wireless networks where login information can be stolen.
You can
check the rest here-
LavaSoft Security Center
All of these experts point out one major thing - being
aware of the threats and practicing common sense and
good judgment will go a long way toward avoiding
trouble.
Makes sense to me - how about you?
... Richard
Tags:
 virus removal, anti spyware,
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November 21, 2009
Your
Flash Drives and their Security
Flash drive, jump drive or thumb drive
are all names for the same kind of storage device. They are portable. You can use them anywhere you
have a computer with a USB port. Your data is always
with you when you need it.
They are durable. You can hang them on a lanyard,
place them in your purse or in your pocket.
They can store massive amounts of data that you can
access from any computer with a USB port. But -
If you connect it to an infected PC and are unprotected,
the risks of a virus or spyware infecting your flash
drive are high. (The Conficker worm is reported to have
spread to thousands of computers through infected USB
flash drives)
There is
something you can do to protect yourself using free,
downloadable security software.
Read more here
... Richard
Tags:
virus removal,anti spyware,
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November 15, 2009
Are
You making Plans for the Holidays? So are we.
Our plans include
participation in the U.S. Marines 9th annual
Toys for
Tots program, and we are proud to be a part of it
again this year.
A SAD FACT: Millions of children in the
United States will not have a single gift to open on
Christmas Day! We aim to change that and make sure every
child has at least one present from Santa under their
tree.
Won't you join us? It's a rewarding experience
and warming thought that we can help a needy child enjoy
the holidays simply by
clicking on a link, or image on a webpage.
Thank you for your support.
Richard Rossbauer
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November 11, 2009
Yesterday was Microsoft's Patch Tuesday.
Did you Update?
It's a good idea, and I suggest it's better insurance to
select and follow the postings and announcement of the
Security Software manufacturers if you want to be aware
of the threat levels of Cyber Space.
For example, Sunbelt Software posted the following
update in their recent
Security newsletter
-
"Today (November 10) is Microsoft patch Tuesday and
we are told there will be six updates, four for Windows
(Win2K, XP, Vista as well as Server '03 and '08) and two
for Office. Important note: Adobe is recommending that
users upgrade their Shockwave Player to version
11.5.2.602 multiple vulnerabilities that can lead to
execution of arbitrary code have been reported ...etc"
Good idea to check that your systems and software have these updated
patches.
Why not do it now?
Richard
Tags:
virus removal,anti spyware,
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November 3, 2009
Fewer
Passwords to remember - It could soon be
possible
Interesting post at the Google blog
regarding passwords - how many we accumulate, have to
remember, and often re-create for many of the sites we
regularly visit.
Thanks to the utilization of new technology, Google
reports seeing large-scale success in eliminating the
need for passwords while increasing the successful
registration rate at websites. The most visible examples
come from Plaxo, Facebook, Yahoo! and Google.
(You may be regular visitors to a few of them)
Google's report explains how it's happening - and
how this can lead to the reduction in the number of
passwords we must remember (and often forget)
We'll still have to practice proper security precautions in
protecting our passwords, but there might just be fewer
to defend.
... Richard
Tags:
Good Passwords
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October 31, 2009
Limited time availability of FREE Kid's Safety eBook
For a limited time only, I'm
offering my ebook on child safety - "Keep Your kids
Safe Online" as a FREE gift for visitors to my
Family Safety website.
You can get your copy (plus a second bonus report) by
going to the Family Safety page of Firewalls and Virus
Protection
When you get there, find and click on the "Click Here to
Get a FREE Copy" link above the image of the book.
Here's the link to the Family Safety webpage -
www.firewalls-and-virus-protection.com/Family-Safety.html
Hurry on over and get your eBook now before I close the
offer on Dec 31st.
If you do it now, it won't
slip your mind, and you'll be able to download, and even
print it for sharing with your children and other family
members.
Richard
Tag: Internet Safety Rules,
kids
Internet safety ,
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October 16, 2009
Are
you backing up your computer data - regularly?
Nearly everyone
knows of or has heard about someone whose computer
crashed. It's a frightening and frustrating
experience. The loss is usually very
personal - family pictures, financial files, email
records, dozens of programs,
and more.
That person probably thought that it couldn't or
wouldn't happen to them
until it did.
Computer crashes for businesses can be even more
devastating. Many times smaller businesses rely on just
a few computers, each possibly dedicated to specific
tasks. Crashes could involve losses of customer lists,
sales records, inventory data, product data bases, even
personal records of employees.
Recovery from losses such as these can be
accomplished if backup policies
are established and followed. Technology today makes
backup relatively
easy. Sometimes so easy that there's little or no
excuse for not being
proactive.
It is not hard to put a backup system in place. When you
(read more)
... Richard Rossbauer
Tag:
Disaster Recovery,
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October 3, 2009
What's Your ID Score?
- are you a Prime target for
Identity theives?
The October 3rd issue of the Security Alert News
Reporter now available with some mighty interesting
and valuable insight into the sneaky stuff still
spreading through cyber space - and protection tools -
some FREE.
Like the New FREE anti-virus and anti-spyware from the
Microsoft
Company named "Microsoft Security
Essentials"
Other Free anti-crimeware software
The
latest attacks against Facebook and Twitter, and what to
watch out for
Calculating
your ID Score (and why it's such an important part of
your
plans to avoid Identity Theft
How and where to get free updated personal Credit
Reports
Another IRS fraud threat! This one is big and growing
and more Links to free courses on "Avoiding Current
Security Threats",
"Avoiding Identity Theft", and "Protecting
Your Home, Your self, and
your whole family"
Download and read the
Security Alert NewsReporter in your browser HERE
... Richard
Tag:
virus removal,anti spyware,
 spyware
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October 1, 2009 October is
National Cyber Security Awareness
Month -Are Your Prepared?
Why just October?
Shouldn't every month be devoted to Cyber Security - or
every week, maybe every day - how about every minute
spent online?
But human nature is what it is, and with so many
distractions from anything we may try to focus on, or
do, highlighting the urgency of Cyber Security with
banners proclaiming it as a special event can help
develop an awareness, and a habit for exercising
sufficient precaution.
That's the goal of the National Cyber Security
Alliance(*) and they promote it with sites like StaySafeOnine.org.
Content on this Website is
developed in cooperation with many partners including
government, industry, non-profit, and education partners.
Since the goal is increased education about and adoption
of cyber security practices, all of the content found at
StaySafeOnline.org may reproduced, if provided
for free, to educate the public on good cyber security
and safety practices.
I encourage everyone, young or older, to visit and
benefit from the wealth of information, tools,
guidelines, and just plain common sense presented there.
One of the best ways to minimize the threats associated
with the Internet is to be aware of them, know how to avoid
them, and how to recover from accidental entrapment by
cyber criminals.
Are you ready to help spread the word? By participating
in my Security Awareness campaign, you'll be helping
others stay safe, and in turn, help yourself.
Visit Stay Safe Online here
... Richard
Tag: (*) National Cyber Security Alliance
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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' |
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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Evergreen
Free report -
"Avoiding Current Security Threats"
There are still some unresolved issues with the
Conficker worm.
As of this writing,(July 11, 2009)the worm, which started spreading to
millions of
computers last year, appears to be turning its infected
hosts into servers for e-mail spam, and some Denial
of Service attacks, security experts
recently reported.
Apparently, the payload has been made more of a threat
by adding a a version of My Doom, and a second virus, called Waledac which
adds infected computers to botnets which send out e-mail
spam.
And yet a third virus carried by Conficker prompts
infected PC owners to purchase a fake (rogue software)
anti-virus program called
Spyware Protect 2009 for $49.95. (Don't
fall for it!)
But you can take steps to avoid these security threats,
and I have outlined them in a new report you can have
for
Free.
This report is an update and a bit of an overview of the
information published in my newsletters, blog and
websites.
It covers the basics of what to look for and
how to prepare your computer to avoid the next high risk
threat. It's a quick download (PDF file) which you
can obtain by going to the registration page and leaving
your email address so that the download instructions can
be sent to your email inbox.
Get Free Report here and share this web address with
your friends so the emails you get from them are clean
and free of malware.
http://www.richardpresents.com/avoid-threat-registration.html
...Richard
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Evergreen
Please accept our
INVITATION
to Help Parents
Teach Their Kids to be Safe Surfers
an Invitation to Help other Parents, Grandparents and Guardian by Sharing Your
Experiences of
Teaching Your Children To Be Safe When
They Were learning to Surf the Internet.
Please
Tell Us
About It HERE |
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Evergreen
Update your Emergency Virus Protection program
 If
you don't have your Virus Protection program yet, here's an
Emergency Step you should take,
Right Now!
McAfee offers a FREE Virus Scanning program named
STINGER.
It has grown in size a little over the past few years and no longer fits on a single floppy Disk.
But so many of the newer PCs, including lap tops don't have a "A" floppy
drive anyway, you should burn it to a CD or memory stick for an offline back up tool.
You can use it as we do, to check
any of your PC computers for viruses, without being on line.
It is an 'After the Fact' application, which means that it does not scan
incoming email files, attachments or downloads, but it does scan whatever
you have already received online.
It currently checks, and repairs over 200 recent viruses. It's FREE
to download from
McAfee
STINGER
Stinger
- Click
for Latest Version
... Richard
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More Tags:Internet Safety Rules,
kids
Internet safety , parenting teenagers,
cyberbullying,
 spam,
Firewalls,
Keyloggers,
Disaster Recovery,
 botnet,
 identity theft,
phishing,
 teen age bloggers,
Trojans,
virus removal,anti spyware,
spyware
Conficker,
virus removal,
anti spyware, Rogue
software
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