Archive for the ‘Computer Security’


How to Block Pop-up Ads in your PC

Numerous online marketers and companies are aiming to maximize the use of the Internet. Because most consumers are getting online nowadays, various businesses are targeting catching the attention of prospective clients. Thus, as a sign of desperation, those marketers are launching pop-up advertisements.

Pop-up ads are very rampant and common. There are always pop-up ads appearing on your computer screen. Often, those unimportant and insignificant ads are annoying because they are hampering and blocking your computer usage. Here are some measures that will help you prevent or block pop-up ads.

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How to protect yourself from phishing on the Internet

The Internet is regarded as the best place to do everything such as finding entertainment, shopping, or research, there’s still the danger of anonymity. You may find yourself in another persons shoes, literally.

One example of the evils of the Internet is Phishing, which is a criminal method of obtaining your most personal information for the benefit of the evildoers. Some of their methods are stealing your password, credit card details, or even your identity.

It’s easy to avoid being victimized by phishing. Here are some helpful advice on protecting yourself from these criminal activities.

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How to keep your PC healthy by avoiding viruses

The toughest to fight in any computer is a virus that has already gotten into your system, snooped into your files and multiplied to the point that it hogs your hard disk space and slowly eats at your system. Let’s admit it, we’re scared of these viruses and we want to get rid of them. Here are very useful tips for protecting your PC:

Making use of the firewall

Windows operating system has the firewall for a reason. For those who are connected to the Internet 24/7, the firewall is the basic way to protect your PC. Check if your firewall is on by going to the control panel of your Windows PC. Firewalls keeps your computer away from malicious software (malware), worms, and Trojan viruses. Also, it prevents other people from snooping in your files and applications.

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Computer Viruses Are A Hot Topic

No matter who you talk to, everyone has either had a computer virus or knows of someone who has gone through the agony of trying to get rid of the problem. Computer viruses are a hot topic that seem to affect everyone who owns a computer system, whether at work or at home.

The companies that produce software programs that catch and delete these computer viruses are constantly updating their databases for virus types and definitions so that they can better protect your system against all the newest viruses. Creating virus protection programs is a multi-billion dollar business that is growing more and more everyday.

The number of viruses being created and uploaded to the Internet is growing at an astounding rate of a new one every eighteen seconds! This definitely keeps the virus protection companies on their toes with research and development.

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Computer Security

In Today’s Society, Protecting Your Computer Is A Requirement Advances in computer technology is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it affords us quick and easy access to numerous conveniences such as bank statements, favorite shopping centers, school and health records, and more.

On the other hand, it can also grant the same access to those who aren’t supposed to get it. Although it’s a rare occurrence, hacking has become the biggest criminal nuisance in computer history. Make no bones about it. There’s nothing innocent or cute about the hacker.

Today’s hackers aren’t the pimply-faced teen rebels that you might be thinking of. Instead, this generation of hackers are grown individuals who are more than likely earning a living by stealing the identities of innocent, law abiding individuals and then selling those identities to others who want to slip by the system. And the only protection against these seedy people is prevention.

Computer security couldn’t be more important than it is today and that’s why we’ve taken the time to introduce it to you. You can reduce the probability of experiencing identity theft by making your computer as hacker-proof as possible.

All that’s needed is a little software and a lot of common sense.

1. Install an anti-virus/anti-spyware program.

Anti-virus/anti-spyware software will stop malicious code from downloading and installing onto your computer while you peruse the Internet. Known as viruses, worms, or spyware, this malicious code can destroy important files and render your computer good for only one thing: sending sensitive data back to the server of an identity thief.

2. Don’t store sensitive data on your computer in the first place.

Should your computer get infected with a virus, worm, or piece of spyware, you can thwart the individuals responsible by not storing your personal information on your PC so that when and if your computer does send back data - it won’t be anything valuable.

Hackers look for things like full names, social security numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, work-related information, and credit card numbers. If these things aren’t saved onto a computer, there’s nothing critical to worry about other than restoring your computer to a non-virus condition.

3. Don’t open files without scanning them with an anti-virus/anti-spyware program.

In the past, the warning was to avoid opening files from people that you don’t know. Today it’s really not safe to open files from anyone (without scanning the files) because that’s how viruses get spread - through files - even by mistake.

So even though your co-worker may have emailed a funny video, it’s no more safe to open than a video downloaded from a complete stranger. Be safe and scan each and every file you download from the Internet or receive through email regardless of where it came from.

4. Create a barrier between your computer and prying eyes.

Anti-virus/anti-spyware programs are only effective after the effect. But you can prevent identity theft from occurring by installing a firewall. A firewall is software that checks all data entering and exiting a computer and it then blocks that which doesn’t meet specified security criteria (user-defined rules).

5. Don’t click on website links in spam messages.

In an effort to obtain personal information, some spammers will send email that asks you to click on a link. The email messages are often disguised as important messages from well-known online establishments, and they often try to scare their readers into clicking links with threats of closing an account of some sort.

Sometimes the links are harmless and attempt to con the reader into volunteering personal information (credit card number), but other times the links attempt to download harmful software onto a computer. Your best protection against computer crimes is your own knowledge.

Hopefully the suggestions above will prompt you into taking appropriate action and into protecting your computer with the suggested tools. In doing so, you’ll not only protect yourself, you’ll prevent the spread of these malicious activities and protect others at the same time.

1 Source: Copyright (c) 1996-1998 Mecklermedia Corp.

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