Do I Really Need PC Internet Security?

It is difficult to get away from computers as they are all around us and play a huge role in most people's lives, unless you are living in an underdeveloped country in the third world. Just because you may not actually own a computer does not mean your life is not being affected by computer technology.

This is where the term "cyber-security" or PC internet security comes into play. There is an increasing need for you to protect private and personal information from a new criminal element that thrives on using technology to commit crimes against both individuals and corporations. Rather than physically breaking into your home or bank account, they are using computers and technology, especially the Internet to reach out and attack you.
Not all threats coming from the Internet are created equal, nor do they affect or attack you or indirectly, your computer, in the same way. Sporting names such as "malware", "spyware" "virus" and "worms", these cyber terrorists often consist of no more than strings of binary code that have the potential to erase the contents of your entire computer hard drive or send private and personal information such as bank account and credit card information and security passwords directly to their creator, without your knowledge. One day you wake up to find that you entire bank account has been cleaned out!
So how to these PC Internet security threats gain access to your computer? There are a numerous ways, but some of the most common are when you access a specific website or even opening up an infected e-mail. These malicious codes are hidden away in unsecured areas of some programs and computer applications and once opened or downloaded, begin to take over and infect your computer system, in some case even replicating themselves and then automatically attaching to your outgoing e-mails as a way to reach and infect other people's computer systems. Even more deadly destructive are codes known as viruses and worms that can infect and do more serious damage than simply stealing information.

Often using common sense will help to reduce some of these threats. For example never open an e-mail from someone you do not know, especially ones that have a catchy subject title and then ask you to click on an image or words in the message that will give you some kind of reward. This simple click may in fact activate the download of a computer virus or other threat to your computer. Some reward... NOT!
Another high threat to your PC internet security is represented by people known as "hackers" who do not stop at simply damaging your computer with their dangerous computer codes, but are working hard to take control of your computer for their own personal gain, such as stealing your credit card or bank account access information. In most cases, you will not even be aware that your computer internet security has been breached until it is too late and the damage is done.
These are the kinds of threats and danger you are facing each and every time you sit down to your computer and access the Internet. This make it essential that you recognize the need for PC internet security and what types of dangers you need to be on the lookout for. Most computer systems have an operating system with basic protection, firewalls and anti-virus programs, however many people fail to even check to see if it is turned on and still operational on a regular basis.

Another serious problem is that far too many people forget the need to update their computer security software. New threats are being created each and every day! Your present security software may not even recognize these new dangers if it has not been updated recently, at least on a weekly basis. Never purchase security software that does not have a regular updating feature as part of the price.

Only by purchasing good quality pc internet security and keeping it up to date, will you keep your valuable files and information on your computer safe from unwanted visitors, both binary and human ones. Computer internet security is just as important as having good home security to protect you and your family in this age of computers and the Internet.

There is simply no excuse for you not to have the best PC Internet security that you can afford to buy for your computer! Once you realize this, the next step would be to determine what you need and the kinds of computer security software that is accessible through reading Internet security software reviews and then making an educated purchasing choice.

Time is running out for you! It is not a question of IF, but WHEN will your computer security be at risk. Take action now to discover your best internet security and to learn more about the best computer security software. Let us help you as we have already helped hundreds of others online find the best home computer internet security software currently available today.

Tips on Staying Safe in the Internet

In the past, the main computer security threats were due to viruses and worms that were designed to spread as much as possible and cause extensive damage to files and personal computers. These programs were intended to spread with a high infection rate leading to their fame. However, in the twenty-first century, as the World Wide Web has increasingly become part of our lives, the situation has changed drastically. Thus, the myriad dangers and risks associated with the use of the internet calls for increased vigilance. However, it is sad to note that many computer users are not experts in these matters. They ignorantly use computers for work and entertainment while oblivious of the fact that the threats can have a significant negative impact to their computer system and even their lives. The following discussion gives an overview of the computer threats and outlines some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

1. Crimeware

Currently, crimeware poses the biggest threat to computer users. Taking the form of viruses, worms, Trojans or other malicious program, this malicious program is often designed by cybercriminals with the intention of illicitly making money. Cybercriminals often covertly install them on computers and use them to access the victim's confidential information and use it to his or her disadvantage.

2. Hacking

Just as robbers break into homes, hackers break into computers through exploiting their security vulnerabilities. Through clever means, hackers usually gain access into other people's computers in order to install malicious programs, steal confidential information, or launch their programs automatically on the victims' computers.

3. Phishing

Whereas there may be no fish or rod in view, cybercriminals usually have a 'catch of the day' through tricking internet and e-mail users into giving them their confidential information such as username, password, PIN e.t.c. The cybercriminals often create a fake website that almost exactly resembles their chosen website and then use various techniques to convince internet users to disclose their important personal details.

4. Spam

Spam is another chief annoyance of the internet age that is often used for phishing and spreading malicious code. It refers to anonymous, unsolicited bulk e-mail that is normally sent by people who want to benefit from a small number of receivers who actually show interest in the messages. Notwithstanding the constant efforts that have been done to contain this practice, spammer techniques have always evolved. Thus, this calls for increased vigilance among the internet users to curb this practice.

Tips on staying safe in the internet

- Ensure that your computer is protected through installing an internet security software from a reputable company. In addition, the security software should be update on a regular basis and kept running in the background at all times.

- Stop opening e-mails with attachments, except you know the person who has sent it.

- Install security patches for your computer's operating system and other applications and ensure there are updated on a regular basis.

- Provide a backup for your data regularly so that you can access them back in case of damage or loss.

- Be cautious of any e-mail messages that require your personal details and only provide such information if you are 100% certain of their safety.

- Have at least two different e-mail addresses. Use one for your personal correspondence and the other for general purposes in the internet. And, if spammers discover your personal e-mail, change it as soon as possible.

- Do not respond to spam messages as the more you respond, the more you receive such messages.

- Ensure that you install the latest version of your web browser and download it directly from your trusted provider's registered website.

Ade Makinde
info@randallstowncomputerrepair.com

Internet Security

To survive in today's highly competitive business environment, which is rapidly transmuting into a cyber village, businesses have to participate in the virtual world by using Internet for not only emailing and chatting but also to tap the vast e-commerce market. However, on one hand, Internet offers limitless opportunities for the entrepreneurs. On the other hand, Internet security and risk management pose monumental challenges for the corporate world today. However, countermeasures can be and must be taken in order to address the issue.
Before plunging into the sea of security issues that surround the use of Internet, let us first look into the commonly followed definition of the umbrella term Internet Security.

Defining Internet Security

Internet security as defined "is the practice of protecting and preserving private resources and information on the Internet" (Internet Security). Hence, Internet security is the fundamental to prevent breach of e-commerce clients' trust and the resultant violation of privacy policies in order to avoid defamation of the companies' hard earned corporate image. This leads us to the next section of our research assignment that discusses the scope of the issue under discussion.

Why Discuss Internet Security? Scope of the Problem

Information is exchanged via Internet use in the corporate world where people can communicate with each other and sell and buy products online using credit cards. Even confidential company data and many other secrets are shared via Internet. However, this paves way for security issues, which make the "circuitous route" of the information being exchanged prone to deception, unauthenticated interruption and other security risks. On the same account, Internet security has transformed into a major concern for all Internet users (Definitions of Internet Security on the web). Therefore, Internet security issues and risk management tips need to be discussed and highlighted for the benefit of the readers and the users alike.

Security-related Risks Associated with Internet Use and Management Strategies
Internet doubtless ameliorates corporate communication, "information sharing, market effectiveness and productivity" (Paliouras). Nonetheless, Internet use has often resulted in "security breaches with known or unknown undesirable consequences ranging from a crippled or hacked corporate network to a ruined reputation and costly litigation". Consequently, content of the emails must be filtered to prevent the above mentioned organizational issues. (Paliouras).

Risk Management via Content Filtering

"Klez worm" including other viruses that can seriously damage the computer system, "junk mail", shopping online using Internet and visiting obscene sites at the organizational cost augment security risks (Paliouras). These risks can be reduced by making sure that employees avoid using company Internet services for irrelevant tasks. However, emails are highly important for business communication and "content filtering" is the best solution to manage security risks. "Advanced text analysis is necessary to prevent users from sending sexually explicit text and racial epithets or sensitive information to unauthorized parties. Lexical analysis is one way to cut down leak of confidential information as most of these files include special words or phrases" (Paliouras). Moreover, "keyword searching and inspection" as well as "advanced image analysis" are some of the really effective weapons to reduce security risks associated with Internet use.

This is where the significance of information systems comes into play. With the aid of constructing appropriate systems and using adequate content filtering software, companies can block unnecessary and potentially harmful and insecure attachments from entering and infecting the computers.

A three-step approach inclusive of conceiving, constructing and consolidating been recommended by information systems companies in order to efficiently with security risks associated with the use of Internet (Internet security challenges). However, the extent to which Internet use is secured primarily depends upon the company's "security awareness" (Katos). When electronically operating firms believe in cherishing their clientele's trust and therefore make every attempt to secure their operations via security checks, secured systems and well-planned security policies, security risks tremendously plummet and the firm's reputation improves. Also, with security awareness, firms tend to be better equipped with latest advancements in the field of information systems.

Conclusion

Hence from the above discussion it is evident that Internet security and risk management pose monumental challenges for the corporate world today. However, countermeasures can be and must be taken in order to address the issue. Those computer organizations that take help and make the most out of Information Systems are the ones that benefit the most in the long run. This is because Information systems offer a vast variety of security software, with the aid of which, organizations can reduce the risk of Internet use. Managing Internet security related risks is no long an out-of-this-word task if adequate knowledge and timely application of Information systems is made available. Therefore, to address Internet security issues, the basic knowledge of Information Systems Fundamentals is essential. Moreover, extensive research and progress is demanded in the field of information systems in order to create "new defense mechanisms"

Tim Johnson Junior is a freelance writer, CRWA certified resume writer and career coach. Has written over 2000 articles and essays on the subject of Social Issues. Has worked for Essaymart's custom writing department from 2003 to 2005. Currently, Tim is busy helping professionals and executives optimize their careers at a certified Resume Writing firm, ResumeAid.

Security Risks in the Age of Social Media

Every one is joining in the social media craze, even the public figures of our times. I was recently watching a program on MTV base, where some youth interview some of the influential people of today, and I remember in two of them where president Kagame of Rwanda and Virgin Group's Richard Branson mentioned using Twitter from time to time.

With hundreds of millions of users, from school going teenagers to presidents, to footballers and musicians, from small and medium companies to large corporations, many people use at least one of the various social media, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube among others, to either connect with friends, network and make friends, for promotion and public relations and for marketing purposes, among other benefits.

Social Media has changed the way we interact and communicate; we can now stay in touch through Facebook with friends, fans and clients. We can pass on information quickly in a way we have never done before through Twitter. Through social media we can reunite with lost family members and friends. Some might have heard of the famous story, of father-daughter reunion between Tony McNaughton and Frances Simpson of the United Kingdom, who had not seen each other for nearly 48 years. The father had separated with the mother of the daughter, when she was about 1 year old; they reunited via Facebook. I am a user of social media, mostly Facebook, and I would not like to be a killjoy, but as well am aware of the inherent risks it has. So what are these risks that come with social media and how can we guard against them?

For individual users of Social media, the biggest challenge is that People drop their guard and share personal information and secrets on Facebook, including details they would not easily shout out in the streets, share on national TV or Radio. Within their social networks, they feel safe surrounded by people they know, like and trust, like friends and family. This opens possibilities for identity theft and could be used as an avenue for Social engineering - a practice of gathering information on someone for future criminal use. There is also the threat of Cyber stalking, where a user can be electronically harassed or abused, as well as issues of solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information on an individual in order to harass them later with that information.

There is also a web of trust built between social network users so much that any information posted by "a friend" is taken as gospel truth. Recently a Facebook friend of mine was a victim when his Facebook account was compromised, most probably because he was using a weak password that was easy to guess by the attacker. The perpetrator was able to post some information on his "wall" - claiming how "he" was stranded in a foreign country and how he had lost his luggage and had no money on him. The masquerader even gave details of where and how to send help, needless to say, some people on his Facebook friends list, fell for it and sent some money. This and many other incidents warn us to be a little bit more alert when using social media.

For Enterprises and corporations that have internet access and allow use of social media by employees on the corporate network; the risks could be even bigger. While social networking has become pervasive across organizations, there are very few security restrictions governing its usage. Not only could uncontrolled use of social media lead to misuse of internet resources, but could as well lead to productivity loss, as employees spend more time on social networks, instead of carrying out official work. Social networks could be used to introduce malware like computer viruses, on corporate networks. For example in September 2010, "onMouseOver" the Twitter-based worm pummeled users with pop-ups, spam and pornographic tweets and then re-tweeted them to everyone on their contact list.

Social networks can also be a route for data leakage, where they can be used to leak company trade secrets, and lead to confidential/sensitive data loss or leakage. What's more, there's a disconnect between traditional information security practices and the demands of an increasingly youthful workforce that feels entitled to use personal technology and social networking in the office.
So what can be done to curb the risks of social media usage and enjoy its benefits with fewer worries? To begin with, there is need for social media users, to be vigilant and not share any information they could not easily share with the general public. On top of using stronger password that can't easily be guessed, we should take advantage of the options available within the social media themselves to assist with reducing on the risks. Major social networking sites now support identity management functionality. For example, a security application called mysafeFriend gives Facebook users a way to validate the identity of potential friends.
Parents need to guide their children on safe usage of the internet and appropriate behavior when online. Just like you would not let your children chat with any stranger in the streets, why should you allow them to freely connect with cyber strangers, who could be closer than you think? For Organizations there is need to have an administrative and technical approach to the problem. Companies should come up with internet usage policies at the work place that have a component dedicated to social media usage, for example specifying what time employees can access social network sites, so that employee productivity is not affected. There should be awareness training for staff as well on risks involved. Companies could make use of available technology to assist with web content filtering against malware like viruses and infected links shared through social networks.
As social networks become popular, there is need for individuals and corporations to be aware of the risks, and of the fact that Scammers and cyber-criminals today have their sights trained on users of social networks.

About the Author
Mr. Thomas Bbosa - CISSP, is an Information Systems security Consultant and Managing Partner with BitWork Consult Ltd - ( http://www.bitworktech.com ), an IT security consulting firm based in Kampala, Uganda. He is a certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), with over 10 years Experience in the IT industry. He has been involved in various roles of IT infrastructure management and support, Information systems Security management & solutions deployment.

Protecting Your Company From An Online Data Breach

Why do data thieves attack corporate computer networks? Well, to paraphrase Willie Sutton, it's because that's where the data is. As I said in a previously blog, a data breach is usually done in one of two ways.

A data thief will either employ physical means, such as dumpster diving, social engineering or a simple break-in; or via the internet. No business today can afford to be left behind technologically, meaning that in every corporate environment there are computers, networks and electronically stored information.

Electronic files are highly sought after by would-be data thieves for the wealth of personal information they contain. There are HR files, accounting information, customer and vendor lists; the list goes on and on. All of these kinds of records are full of sensitive information which can be exploited for personal gain by data thieves.

As a business owner, you are already aware of how to protect your company from a break in; however, these electronic attacks are not as well understood or protected against by the majority of companies. The alluring elements for a data thief regarding online data breaches are:

1. The thief need not be anywhere near their victim; they can even be on another continent.

2. Just about any information you would need to commit identity theft can be readily found on the web (We will not tell you what these sites are since we discourage the practice).

3. Most companies keep a large amount of sensitive information on file; much of this data is poorly secured.

4. Computers can be an easy entry point to your data, since thieves only need to find one weak point to get into your system.

Here are some of the more common computer data attack techniques used by data thieves:

1. Phishing emails - These are emails pretending to be form a legitimate company, usually asking the victim to verify personal information.

2. Spear phishing - These are emails which are sent to employees of a company purporting to be from management, asking for passwords or information about projects they may be working on.

3. Zombie computers or networks (zombies) - These are compromised computers and networks which contain software which permits data thieves access to the system. These computers may be linked there together to form what is called a botnet.

4. Botnet - Once linked together, these botnets are used to perform attacks like denial of service, pay per clicks and spam email. In many cases, the owner of the compromised systems may not know that their system is being misused this way.

5. Bogus websites - Websites which pose as legitimate sites and attempt to trick visitors into handing over personal information; this data is then used on the real site by the data thief.

6. Crackers - Programmers and other highly skilled computer experts who use their abilities to break into networks to find weaknesses to exploit.

7. Wireless network snooping - When using unprotected wireless routers, such as are often found in coffee shops, airports and some homes, hackers may be able to pry into your computer.

8. Cookie sniffing - Hackers will use cookie sniffers to examine all of the cookies you have used and will send this information (useful since people generally use the same password for many different sites) to their own systems to use this information.

9. Malicious Software - These are various types of software: hijackers, adware, Trojan horses, etc. which act against specific operating system functions, send your personal information to someone outside your system, direct you to bogus websites or any number of other malicious actions.

10. Web Page Hijackers - A small program which redirects your browser to a site other than the one you wanted to visit. This may be to a bogus website attempting to capture your personal information or an annoyance such as being redirected to a pornographic website.

11. Piggybacking Access - This is the practice of breaking into a poorly secured computer on an external network and using this access to break into another network using a legitimate connection between the two networks.

12. People Research Sites - For a fee (usually $40-$80),you can obtain personal information on nearly anyone.

13. Dictionary attack - One of the easiest ways to guess a password. A dictionary file is loaded and since no language has an unlimited number of words, this can often generate the password with relative ease.

14. Hybrid attack - A more sophisticated variant of the dictionary attack, this takes dictionary words and combines them with numbers and/or symbols in an attempt to crack a password protected system.

15. Brute force attack - A brute force attack is one in which a program systematically works through every possible combination of numbers, letters and symbols. The amount of time need to find the password all depends on the number of characters used in the password.

16. Keyloggers - A type of spyware which records every keystroke made on a computer and sends this information to a remote user. These programs are very difficult to detect with most virus and spyware scanners.

17. Network Sniffers - Applications used to capture network traffic without the knowledge of users on the network. Sniffers are helpful to hackers in finding network weaknesses; which helps them to plan other attacks on a network.

You should be aware of the risk of data breaches, but you needn't be paranoid. There are plenty of steps you can take, such as bringing in outside IT security consultants to work with your IT department to assess your security and work to improve it. You should also make sure that all of your software is kept up to date.

Your sensitive data should be encrypted to better protect it from prying eyes. You can use security tokens in your system, such as smartcards for accessing your network and workstations. You should also make sure that each and every one of your employees is properly trained so they know what to keep an eye out for to prevent data breaches.

Headquartered in Ladera Ranch, California, Access Smart, LLC reduces the cost and burden of network and internet security on employees, IT administrators and business owners. Dedicated to empowering businesses and consumers to securely regain control over their digital information, Access Smart offers low cost, highly secure, integrated hardware and software packages that securely manage important data over wired and wireless networks, computers, Point-of-Sale devices, kiosks, and any other device that can accept and communicate via smartcard technology.

For more information about Access Smart, please visit http://www.Access-Smart.com.

Data Danger: What Does Your Partner Know?

Just imagine for a moment that you died, sorry to be so blunt but this is important, really important. I'm talking here of a sudden unexpected demise, the hit by bus scenario. Can you see the devastated folk that you leave behind, the chaos, the problems? do keep reading I'm not selling life insurance or encouraging you to write a will, I'm assuming that you're sensible enough to have done that, what I am flagging up is something that lots of folk completely forget.

This was starkly brought to my attention a few weeks back when filming the most amazing collection of punk memorabilia, our online music archive. The collection contained many extremely rare items including extraordinary demos, magazines, posters and albums, all of which would have gone straight to the dump, if the proud owner should unfortunately be called to that great punk store in the sky. Apparently his wife had no interest in the collection other than the fact that it took up vast amounts of the house that could be used for other more 'valuable' activities.

What my friend had failed to do was appreciate that what was of value to him and countless others was not necessarily of value to his partner, the consequence could be that the resource could be abandoned because he had never thought to specify how his pride and joy should be dealt with. Of course I offered to be the repository of the items should the worst happen, very fine of me I thought, but I then began to think about all of those things in our life that have a hidden value, that could be lost forever should we die suddenly with or without a will. I'm not really talking about physical goods now, (but if no one realises all those tatty paperbacks are rare first editions they will end up in the bin) no it's all that data tucked away on computers.

Consider for a moment, the importance and indeed value of clients contact details password protected on your laptop or the codes to get into various online accounts, not just at the bank, but investments, clubs, PayPal and the like, indeed even some Facebook accounts can have a substantial value, or something as simple as the password to your computer. These items could be completely frozen or even lost to your heirs or remaining business partners should you die or loose your senses. Scary eh?

There is good news however, as long as we act on it, there are loads of website that provide just the service that is required, whereby you can register all your primary codes, passwords and documents that can be accessed by nominated beneficiaries should something unfortunate happen to you. The idea is that you list all the secret or relevant data and attach the access information to get to that data to your will so that it can be retrieved as necessary. The additional benefit is that you can give instructions for the disposal of precious items, that may not be relevant to record in a will, or indeed have been acquired since the will was made. There are all sorts of clever ways that these websites check that you are actually deceased so that the 'wrong' person can't get to the goodies, so we shouldn't fret about potential loss in that respect.

Of course one could specify that any rock or pop memorabilia be passed straight to Rokpool who will give it a good home, we're kind like that, however if you don't do something (even if it's only telling your nearest and dearest) the recycling centre may be getting that collection you spent years acquiring, whilst your family tear their hair out trying to guess your iTunes password and how sad would that be?

If you love music you just must visit Rokpool, it is an online rock music archive where you can enjoy rare music,see unique photos, read exclusive articles, watch rare videos and footage for free, and find memorabilia from the last sixty years of music history. There are literally thousands of pages to explore, hundreds of artists to enjoy, and many thousands of free videos. http://www.rokpool.com

How to Choose a Cloud Computing Service Provider

With so many cloud computing companies on the market today it means that choosing the right one who understands your business infrastructure is becoming increasingly difficult. It is therefore important that you know what your exact requirements are so that you can do research and evaluate who the best cloud provider is for you. When carrying out your research there will be certain criteria that you should be looking for. Below is a list of the top four fundamental selection requirements for choosing a cloud computing service provider:

1) Reliability and Reputation
To understand a company's reliability and reputation it will be important to understand who the company is and how long they have been in the industry. It will also be important to look into the type of clients that a cloud provider has and what partnerships they have established. To fully understand a provider's reliability and reputation it would be worthwhile talking to some of their clients and partners to see what they have to say about the company. This is often the best way to gauge the reliability and reputation of a company first-hand.

2) Suitability
It will be important to fully understand whether your business has suitability to move into a cloud environment and what cloud computing solution is right for you. To understand suitability of the different types of cloud services you should look to providers who offer no-obligation free trials. This way you can see whether your business is acceptable in a cloud environment and see how the cloud service works before you make a long-term commitment.

3) Support and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Support and SLAs are vital to ensure against any downtime of the cloud. When looking at a cloud provider's support commitment you need to ensure that they will work quickly if any issues or downtime arises and that problems are dealt with in the agreed manner and to the agreed timescales. You should look for companies with dedicated support that have the capacity to deal with problems as and when they arise. When you speak to a cloud computing company or meet them at their offices you should ask to see the support department.

4) Security of the Cloud
Any company that moves into a cloud environment needs to ensure security of the environment and their business systems and processes. It is important to ensure that the selected cloud service provider offers a secure infrastructure at all levels and throughout the cloud services that they offer. The data centres that are provided will also need to be understood to ensure a consistent level of security as well.

The Cloud Computing Centre is a cloud computing service provider that has renowned cloud computing knowledge and expertise. The company delivers robust and cost effective cloud computing services to companies across a variety of different business spectrums and industries. The Cloud Computing Centre has experience in delivering solutions that fit your company and work with you every step of the way through the process to ensure business continuity and efficiencies for your company. Free trials are available to new clients to ensure the most appropriate cloud service for your business.

Search Results Redirected - You Have The Redirect Virus

Search results get redirected all the time anymore do to the outbreak of the redirect virus, which carries many names, but is deeply rooted with the more severe Alureon rootkit trojan virus.

When you have this, the first warning sign is as follows. You type in a key phrase to lookup in a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Your results come back, and click on one. Your search results are redirected to other pages that are not on topic and usually attempt to promote you something that you are not interested in.
This is the very first warning sign of the redirect virus, and as soon as you notice this you should take action immediately.

This threat can come from many different places, so pointing fingers is not necessary, and it affects many people every day, but more importantly is what you should know next.

If your search results are redirected 1 out of 3 times that you attempt to click through to a site, then you probably have the Google redirect virus. If this is the case then this means that you can potentially have the Alureon threat as well.

This particular rootkit is extremely difficult for anti virus software to stop or sometimes even detect. It can cause a sort of open wound in your computer, and allow a criminal to intercept key data through the internet and your machine.

Search results being redirected are the smaller problem, because this Alureon virus creates an almost undetectable doorway for a thief to steal passwords and financial banking information, and possibly your credit card data if it is stored on your hard drive.

To make matters worse, the redirect virus has been designed to make it as difficult as possible to remove. This is accomplished by causing your anti virus and malware protection programs to stop updating as needed, sabotaging the installing of new programs that might help, and eventually corrupting your keyboard or mouse so that you cannot use it.

Another warning sign is noticing the changing of your desktop wallpaper, which not everyone may experience. Search results can be redirected to other harmful sites that have been pre-established to download more potentially threatening malware onto your machine, and so internet criminals can have a feast.

Next, you can remove it manually, but I suggest that you follow this guide to get the steps right. You can learn more about this virus and the guide at this site on the Google redirect virus.

Cost-Effective Firewall Solutions For Small Business

Whenever firewalls and network security come into play, there is a surprising amount of oversight and lack of attention in the small business world. Many shops are running just the regular router they get from their ISP, with NAT being their sole defense against the outside world, and even that, arguably, is not a defense at all. When asked about this setup, they smile sheepishly and say: "We can't afford a good firewall solution! We'll have to make do with this until we can."

This is a cringe-worthy response: I'm a big believer in proactive IT, and security is one of those areas, along with backups, that get neglected because of cost. Because there is no immediate value-add to security (indeed, the effect of good security is invisible), many companies choose to invest that money elsewhere, reasoning that they can't afford an effective firewall appliance like a Sonicwall or an ASA.

Given today's recession, many small businesses have to cut operating costs, and sadly firewalls are an area that may not be as immediately necessary as others. The saddest part, however, is that there are open-source solutions out there that make perfectly serviceable firewalls for nothing but the cost of an outdated PC or virtual machine.

IPCop - Cost Effective Firewall

IPCop, the example we'll use in this article, is an open-source OS based on Linux that is designed to act as a firewall and router. Unlike a vanilla Linux distro running iptables, IPCop goes far beyond simple add and drop rules; it has features one might expect from a more advanced firewall appliance, including intrusion detection, VPN services, and traffic shaping capability. IPCop was designed for this very application (cost-effective firewall solution) and as such it is made for the small business network admin in mind: The entire OS is run through a stylish web interface, allowing easy administration of the IPCop firewall from any web-accessible machine, and the installation is straightforward and full of easy-to-understand directions.

IPCop is one of a number of distros, like Smoothwall, which aim to be full-featured firewalls for small business. Unlike Smoothwall and others, however, IPCop is completely free, thus making the insertion of an IPCop instance in your network both a painless and extremely cost-effective solution, especially where a dedicated hardware firewall appliance is an expense your business simply cannot afford.

IPCop Disadvantages
IPCop does have its disadvantages, of course, especially when compared to a more robust appliance like a Cisco ASA. It lacks the fine granularity of IOS, for example, and some of the more advanced ACLs and command-line magic the IOS performs is beyond the scope of the IPCop instances. That said, however, IPCop comes very close to the performance of an entry-level ASA, and many of the functions an ASA provides are duplicated effectively in IPCop's web interface.

Linux Distro
The title of this article, however, is not "Best firewall appliance". We're here to talk about cost-effective firewall solutions, and in that regard a Linux-based distro is unbeatable. While it does require some spare hardware, the system requirements are quite sparse, and so the implementation cost is minimal at best (and the software is, of course, open-source and free). In fact, even disregarding the price, I am willing to put forth the semi-controversial idea that IPCop may be as good as a dedicated firewall device in a small business setting; many of the functions it provides are more than suitable for a small business network.

That said, no network should be without security; the cost of a firewall appliance, though prohibitive, need not stop a small business from implementing security solutions. With open-source, free solutions like IPCop, a network admin can insert a firewall into his network infrastructure at little to no cost, immediately making his network more secure and giving him the power and functionality of a dedicated firewall appliance at a fraction of the price.

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Shield Your Business from Data Damage with a Smart Backup Tactic

Numerous hosting companies give business packages that tout the use of cutting-edge hardware and software, but the simple fact is that any top-notch hosting supplier should utilize the latest and best technology. Business leaders should expect this as a minimum prerequisite but, a far more important question is: Does my hosting provider implement an intelligent backup process to make certain that my data and information are secure from damage?

Are You Protected?

Consult your hosting company if a business continuity solution is offered with your hosting plan. Amazingly, a lot of companies do not incorporate standard data backup as a normal service. Offering high-quality, guaranteed data loss prevention is usually difficult and pricey for the hosting company, but this is protection you should not afford to go without.

Already Guarded? To What Amount?

If your web hosting service provider offers backup services, do some research to prevent unforeseen hassles and future frustrations. Confirm that you can trust your provider to regularly and accurately backup crucial computer data. Evaluate the following:

How long it will take to restore from backup?

Your existing hosting company may offer backup services, nevertheless, you should understand the technology they utilize to safeguard you. If they use tape backup, it might be hours before you get your data back when you need it. Your business could find itself at the end of a long list of clients expecting restoration of servers, programs, and data if a problem develops. Take the steps to be aware of what you can expect of the hosting supplier if repairing from backup is needed to prevent a disruptive business emergency.

What does the backup plan include?

Look into the kind of data and information that is protected. Don't assume all providers enable you to restore individual files or your entire server. If you need to recover speedily, you want a provider that provides you the choice of restoring individual files or the entire server. Furthermore, find out how far back the backup goes. There is a huge difference between 4 days and 4 weeks.

Is there an additional backup off-site?

Check with your supplier if their business continuity solution comes with an off-site component. True business continuity solutions include replication of all data and virtual servers to a production data center in a form enabling them to be booted up there in the instance of a long term outage.

Application-consistent or Crash-consistent?

If you are hosting virtual servers, this can be the most important question. Make sure your hosting company takes application-consistent snapshots of your server. If they don't, you might get a perfectly unusable restore. Crash-consistent snapshots are a point-in-time backup of your server. All Exchange, SQL, and disk transactions are left incomplete, bringing about impaired databases and files. An application-consistent snapshot quiesces or closes all transactions to disk, enabling you to restore the server with zero corruption.

Quick Checklist for Acceptable Backup Provisions

If you're overwhelmed with questions to ask and not sure of the solutions to look for, you can start using this quick reference checklist of minimum provisions:
• The provider should perform a daily backup of your entire server.
• Data needs to be retained for at least 4 weeks.
• You should have the choice to restore anything from a single file to an entire server.
• Data should be duplicated off-site.
• The provider should take application-consistent snapshots.

Lisa Gecko is a staff writer for Infinitely Virtual.

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