Keep up to date on Internet Security with the Firewalls and Virus Protection Security Alert Blog |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
POSTS
for
|
|
.Get Cyber Alerts |
Security Alert We respect your email privacy |
Some of my
favorite Blogs
--------------
▪
Blogged By RichardPresents
▪Sunbelt Blog
▪"Kenneth
A. McArthur Marketing Thoughts"
▪Technorati Favorites
●Basic
Computer Skills Blog
What's
your No.1 Use of the Internet? |
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. 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 to visit again. Thanks, Richard Rossbauer ( Save This Page ) |
|
|||||||||
January 27,
2007 Thinking
about upgrading to Vista? So am I. Older computers seem to accumulate like old shoes. You hate to toss them out, even though they may be showing their age. I have two older systems and two newer up-to-date systems that could possibly be updated to Vista. I know the workhorse Windows 98SE computer isn't a candidate, nor is the MS2000 "Game Machine". I was curious about what would be involved in upgrading the Laptop (Win XPpro) and my newest XPpro machine (Pentium 4 CPU 2.81 GHz and 2.00 GB of RAM). So if you're considering updating your computers, some of the things I did may help you. There are at least six versions of Vista. Fortunately, C|net published a rather easy to follow table listing the features of the four major editions HERE. It really helped remove any confusion about how MicroSoft is marketing this operating system. My next step was to learn what's required to run Windows Vista. It appears that If you purchased a PC in the last two years, chances are good that you can run Windows Vista. To install and run the core functionality of Windows Vista, you need at least: * An 800 MHz processor * 512 MB of RAM * A 20 GB hard drive with 15 GB of free space ...but I expect that performance would be minimal. Advanced features, like the new user experience Windows Aero, require advanced or additional hardware. Microsoft publishes a very helpful webpage with lots of answers and information to help us get ready for Vista. You can visit their Get Ready page HERE. Following the links, I found
the
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor RC program
and followed the instructions to download
it. It runs a complete system analysis to
determine if your PC is ready for the
edition of Windows Vista that you might
choose to install.
My newest desktop machine looked pretty good, except that it needs to be able to run DVD's, which it doesn't. However, MS advises that the Vista Operating System will be available on CD's if you ask for them. I didn't see any comments about an extra charge for the CD's. What's left? The cost, of course. Thankfully, I don't need the super-duper full package Vista Ultimate product, at $399.00 USD. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $259.00 USD). It appears that the Home Premium package at $239.00 USD is the most economical choice for me. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $159.00 USD). The Windows Vista Home Basic edition appears to be designed for users with the most basic computing needs. Suggested retail price for full package product, $199.00 USD. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $99.95 USD) I decided that the Laptop will remain an XPpro machine. Not sure yet about the newer Desktop. One licensed version of Vista is really all I want to purchase until after a lot more people have a chance to work out any possible bugs. Of course, if you are about to buy a brand new computer, you don't need to worry about upgrades. No doubt, you'll be getting one of the Vista Versions, and with it, the improved safety and security features, and maybe a lot of other stuff your never knew you needed. ...Richard Tags:
Vista
upgrade,
Vista
operating systems
|
||||||||||
Don't hesitate to express your views and opinions on my Security Alert Blog 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 |
||||||||||
January 27, 2007
Thinking about
upgrading to Vista? So am I. Older computers seem to accumulate like old shoes. You hate to toss them out, even though they may be showing their age. I have two older systems and two newer up-to-date systems that could possibly be updated to Vista. I know the workhorse Windows 98SE computer isn't a candidate, nor is the MS2000 "Game Machine". I was curious about what would be involved in upgrading the Laptop (Win XPpro) and my newest XPpro machine (Pentium 4 CPU 2.81 GHz and 2.00 GB of RAM). So if you're considering updating your computers, some of the things I did may help you. There are at least six versions of Vista. Fortunately, C|net published a rather easy to follow table listing the features of the four major editions HERE. It really helped remove any confusion about how MicroSoft is marketing this operating system. My next step was to learn what's required to run Windows Vista. It appears that If you purchased a PC in the last two years, chances are good that you can run Windows Vista. To install and run the core functionality of Windows Vista, you need at least: * An 800 MHz processor * 512 MB of RAM * A 20 GB hard drive with 15 GB of free space ...but I expect that performance would be minimal. Advanced features, like the new user experience Windows Aero, require advanced or additional hardware. Microsoft publishes a very helpful webpage with lots of answers and information to help us get ready for Vista. You can visit their Get Ready page HERE. Following the links, I found
the
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor RC program
and followed the instructions to download
it. It runs a complete system analysis to
determine if your PC is ready for the
edition of Windows Vista that you might
choose to install.
My newest desktop machine looked pretty good, except that it needs to be able to run DVD's, which it doesn't. However, MS advises that the Vista Operating System will be available on CD's if you ask for them. I didn't see any comments about an extra charge for the CD's. What's left? The cost, of course. Thankfully, I don't need the super-duper full package Vista Ultimate product, at $399.00 USD. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $259.00 USD). It appears that the Home Premium package at $239.00 USD is the most economical choice for me. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $159.00 USD). The Windows Vista Home Basic edition appears to be designed for users with the most basic computing needs. Suggested retail price for full package product, $199.00 USD. (Suggested upgrade retail price, $99.95 USD) I decided that the Laptop will remain an XPpro machine. Not sure yet about the newer Desktop. One licensed version of Vista is really all I want to purchase until after a lot more people have a chance to work out any possible bugs. Of course, if you are about to buy a brand new computer, you don't need to worry about upgrades. No doubt, you'll be getting one of the Vista Versions, and with it, the improved safety and security features, and maybe a lot of other stuff your never knew you needed. ...Richard Tags:
Vista upgrade,
Vista
operating systems |
||||||||||
January
20,2007
Be alert to the "Storm Worm"
Trojan Major Trojan Horse attack is using current weather situation in Europe to trick people into opening an email attachment that could unknowingly put their computers into a botnet. The subject line of the malicious email is "230 dead as storm batters Europe." Zdnet has more of the story here By way of review - Botnets are networks of computers that hackers have infected and grouped together under their control to spread viruses, send illegal spam, operate spyware, and carry out attacks that cause web sites to crash. We discussed them in detail in the September, 2006 blog posting ... Richard Tags: secure PC, trojans botnets |
||||||||||
January 7, 2007
Getting Back to
Normal? Don't overlook your PC Security
If you're like many of my friends and me, your email inbox accumulated piles of messages that we just didn't have time to read and handle during the holiday season. There could be some real problems lurking in some of those messages. Now's a good time to take the initiative in protecting our computer's security. It's a bit foolish to think "it can't happen to me." There are still many who feel that way. Our computers can, and will become infected if we don't take precautions. So, here's a quick Review of a brief checklist for some important reminders... Use a firewall to protect your computer from intruders. A router (used to create a computer network in a home or office) can act as a physical firewall, since it can hide your IP address from prying eyes. Learn how to turn this firewall on. If you use a wireless router, you'll need added security since any computer with a wireless connection in a nearby house could access your network, visit your computer, and steal vital information. At the very least, your wireless network should require a password to log in. Use reputable virus scanner and trojan hunter applications and keep them up to date. A trojan is a small bit of code placed inside an application or file that is downloaded to a computer's hard drive. Once the file is opened, the malicious code embeds itself in the computer system, usually in the operating system (OS). Since virus scanners don't usually check the OS, they can miss a trojan located there. A trojan hunter will find it. Set up your virus scanner to scan all your downloads and e-mails, especially those with attachments. Also run a virus scan on any floppy disk or USB memory stick that someone gives you. Never open attachments from people you don't know. As an added precaution, don't open ones from people you do know until you check with them that they did indeed send you an attachment. Then virus scan it before you open it. Use passwords that are at least 8 upper case and lower case letters, numbers and special character long and consider changing your password regularly.
More
on Secure PC's in my eBook that will help you learn how to
secure your PCs and keep them that way. |
||||||||||
January 1, 2007!
Happy New Year 2007- Heck, Happy any
Year! Hard to believe that today is my 80th New Year's Day. I'm really pleased to be here and I'm happy that you're here, too. The stuff happening in our world today, in this era, is truly awesome and even mind boggling. Sitting in front of my computer, posting to my blog, with my thoughts and rants that hundreds of people read just as easily and quickly as I write them, provokes a lot of memorable comparisons. But I'm not going to be morbid or boringly mundane, although I am going to mention the incredible progress in communication - from my very first radio which, believe it or not, was a cat whisker crystal set - to the incredibly powerful computer on my desk. Isn't technology wonderful? How great it is to communicate with friends, family and peers through the World Wide Web. How sad it is that there are so many hundreds (even thousands) of people who want to deprive us of our Internet pleasures, steal our identities and money, and try to load our computers with malicious software that they'll use to attack other people and businesses. That's why I write my Security Alert Blog, newsletter, and manage my website. I feel very fortunate to be able to do these things, and to provide information to help other ordinary everyday Internet users understand what's happening out there in cyber space, and maybe avoid some of the agony of malware infections in their computers. I've just released an eBook that will help my readers learn how to secure their PCs and keep them that way. More on Secure PC's HERE . So my major wish for all of you is to have a happy, healthy, safe, and secure New Year of surfing pleasure. Thank you for supporting my efforts. Richard Rossbauer Tags: secure PC, malware | |
||||||||||
January 1, 2007
More help for People who purchase
form online businesses
and the business who sell to them
Tags:
iCop directory,
shopping mall |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
February 1, 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.
Nearly everyone is aware that Identity
Theft is a serious crime and that people whose identities have
been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money
- cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and
credit record.
This is a Free course for followers of my Security Alert Blog,
newsletter and website and you will not get any commercial
announcements after registering for it. |
||||||||||
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 | _________________________________________________________________ |
||||||||||
CLICK to Visit our
Internet Security Website |
||||||||||
Get your
Subscription to the Security Alert News Reporter A Newsletter with periodic updates on the latest events and issues affecting your personal security We Value Your Privacy Click Button to Read a recent issue and subscribe |