Winclear :Clear Dogpil Search History

Omitting the technical details, each desktop computer nowadays should be protected by 3 crucial components making the core of integrated threat prevention. These components are: antivirus, antispyware, and firewall. Your anti-spyware options are far too numerous to list here and we should stick to the ones where it is run and monitored by one person and that person alone.

The list I just gave you earlier is getting longer and longer and longer. As the spyware fighters get better, the hackers try harder and harder. Making new software to attack different parts of any system made on earth. Just when we thought that XP was locked down, they restarted their attack on Win2k. And they haven’t exactly given up on the other versions of Windows that older computers are using still today. Now no computer is safe any more as people got lulled into thinking that older computers were forgotten. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. If your account was compromised while AccSent was enabled there is a high probability that you either have a security hole in your computer which allowed hackers to take control of your computer or you have a Trojan virus spyware or keylogger software installed on your computer because someone not only had access to your e-gold passphrase they also had access to your email address password. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.

Protect With Winclear :Clear Search Results History
Although computer users are becoming much more adept at protecting themselves from online identity theft threats such as viruses, the public is only just now starting to take notice of the huge increase in crimes enabled by the use of spyware. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. To feel more at ease and safer with them on your computer you should set your browser to delete cookies on a more regular basis. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.

Winclear:
Basically every owner of a PC or laptop wants its data safe and don’t want uncontrolled activity inside the box like adware pop-ups. That is the reason why you need Winclear installed onto your computer. PC security is essential to everybody and that is why prices for antivirus and firewall software tend to go high. Protect your computer security by using Winclear! More about Winclear here: Winclear Review.

Winclear :Clear Dogpile Search History

PC security is essential to everybody, and that is why prices for antivirus and firewall software tend to go high. But while enterprises have no other choice but to pay for data protection, regular home users can save off quite some money going with free PC security software. If you ever see unexpected pop-ups on desktop (when no browser is launched) or suspicious Windows messages rest assured your PC is heavily infected by spyware.

Spyware loosely defined is unwanted, obtrusive (read system intensive - memory hogging) and always potentially dangerous software unintentionally installed on a pc. Most anti-spyware software makers lump adware (that stuff which gets installed because it’s free or cheap), BHOs (browser helper objects - stuff that suddenly appears on your browser), distributed attack tools, keystroke loggers, pcp software, tracking cookies, and unauthorized remote admin tools in the same global spyware box. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. Your email account has also been compromised so it is important that you change the password for your account after your computer is cleaned. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.

Protect With Winclear :Property History Search
Every time we are required to supply a password we need to use a new and different password. For example, suppose you need a password for a bank account, an email account, an internet forum you visit, and maybe you use a password to log on to your own computer (you should). These should be four different passwords. Otherwise a hacker or identity thief only needs to discover one password and then try it out on some bank accounts, email accounts, web forums or anything else associated with your name. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. Spyware is a constant and annoying problem. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.

Winclear:
I have Mcafee on the front door and Netdetector for spyware. That is the reason why you need Winclear installed onto your computer. Thus your partner will not know that you are watching his every keystroke enabling you to easily find out if he or she is in an illicit relationship. Protect your computer security by using Winclear! More about Winclear here: http://www.winclear.info.

Computer Security Attacks - How to Defend Yourself Against Computer Security Attacks

I recommend the following basic security ‘best practices’…

If you spend any time online, you need a security toolkit consisting of:

. anti-virus software

. anti-spyware AND anti-key-logging software

. spam blocker

. anti-phishing tools

. firewall (preferably a combination of both software and hardware firewall if you’re on a high-speed connection.) Note: some anti-virus software packages include a firewall

Whichever products you use, keep them up to date - not monthly, but at least weekly, and preferably daily.

Use Windows Update to keep your operating system and Internet Explorer patched. On average, six updates to patch security bugs are released for Windows every month.

Keep informed of Security issues - keeping informed dramatically reduces your exposure to risks.

If you receive an email asking you to verify account details, don’t use the link in the email. Visit the site by typing its address in your browser, then check for a link to update your details. If in doubt, contact the site directly by phone.

Avoid dangerous spots: chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks, crackz and warez, porn sites, hacker sites, anything illegal.

Stay alert. Check your browser’s status bar; don’t click on a pop-up window or dialog box without first reading it; watch for unusual browser behaviour, such as a window that quickly opens and closes, or an atypical response when you type a search string in the address box.

Don’t open email from unknown sources. Keep preview panes switched off in your email client. Never click a link in a spam email.

Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.

Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them.

Keep your browser’s security settings set to high.

Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. Choose an alphanumeric password that is at least seven characters long and uses a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric symbols such as (@#$%^&). This will help prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

Encryption should be used to protect sensitive information from “unauthorised eyes”.

Only conduct Internet transactions that have secured processing.

Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services can become avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.

Do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Website can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.

If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.

Have your computer system independently reviewed, addressing any security risks.

David Furlong is a qualified and experienced IT specialist and Technical Trainer. His list of credentials includes MCSE, MCSA, Dip IT, and he is one subject away from completing a Masters in Networking and Systems Administration.
http://www.avg-antivirus.com.au

Home Security System - A Step Beyond the Traditional Alarm System

Most people when considering their home or business security automatically think “Alarm System”.

In reality though the alarm system, as sophisticated as it may be, is what the burglars are trained to deal with. It is part of their bag of skills to be able to neutralize most of the alarm systems commonly installed on residential and commercial properties.

Furthermore a high level of education doesn’t guarantee that the individual will not use that knowledge illegally. Unfortunately there are burglars who have engineering degrees in electronic. Some of them are the very ones who design the alarm systems we use.

OK, they are a small percentage of the big bulk of the thief category, but they are out there and the more value is on your property, the higher the probability that a very skillful thief will notice you.

A better security approach is what I call the “war camp security”.

Hopefully you never had to experience in first person how to secure an overnight camp in a war zone, but you have certainly watched a few war movies where this type of situation is more or less accurately described.

The crucial points are the following:

1. Create a perimeter which would alert you of the incoming intruders.

Possibly without alerting the intruders of the fact that you are aware of their “visit”. On your property this can be accomplished with motion detectors and “hidden” peripheral security cameras with online remote monitoring, which by the way, nowadays have become quite affordable.

When activated the motion detector will trigger a telephone call to your cell-phone. You don’t want the system to alert the authorities, not yet.

The trespasser may not be a burglar, it could be the mailman, your gardner, or it could simply be someone you know who is not aware of your absence and is coming for a surprise visit.As you receive the warning call you can grab your laptop or get online with any computer, go to the security company website, usually the same company which installed your remote monitoring security system, enter your username and password and “see” what is happening on your property.

If it looks like a burglar you can call the police. You will have the video recording to prove the suspect was behaving as a burglar. Additionally the images recorded may help identify the person.

By the way, none of your flood lights should be facing your hidden cameras. They should “look” , more or less, in the same direction. If the lights shine into the cameras the subject in the image will result having the dark side exposed to the camera, possibly compromising any attempt of identification.

2. Establish a first line of defense.

In war times this would be a various number of lethal traps but of course it is not legal during peace times. In our case the first line of defense is a passive one and it is comprised of very robust doors and windows. Don’t forget to place the alarm company stickers on your doors and windows. You should also have a security camera in plain site right outside your front door. Many unsophisticated thieves would simply turn around and go look for an easier loot.

All your doors and windows, even the upstairs ones, need to be locked and connected to the alarm system. At this point, when the burglar has broken into your house, or business, it is time to alert the authorities, but not the intruder. Having the alarm activate a siren at this time is a very common mistake.

When the siren goes off the burglar knows that he has a few minutes before the police arrive. He may know where your precious things are. He might have been on your property before. If it is your house he could have been someone doing some work at the house. If it is your business it’s even easier to snoop around just pretending to be a customer and survey the ground before hand.

The experienced burglar will know if he has enough time to get the loot and get away before the police arrives.

3. Establish your second line of defense.

Your remote monitoring security cameras are in every room but here is a trick. Use sets of two cameras at every observation point, one as it would be normally installed and the second one as a hidden camera. Nowadays wireless cameras can be very small and easy to conceal exactly because of the absence of wires.

4. ATTACK !!!

If your finances allow you to install some Home Automation you can actually engage the intruder with some psychological warfare.

Through your web interface you can turn on and off various appliances, lights, a tape recorder with a prerecorded message. You can let your imagination run wild and have fun inventing ways to surprise the intruder.

Here is something to remember though; you can not try to trap the intruder in your house and you can not cause any injury, not even put him to sleep releasing sleeping gas. There have been similar cases where the burglar has sued the property owner for putting his life in danger, and won the case.

A simple, and definitely way to to distract the thief is by calling your home phone and when the answering machine picks up try to initiate a conversation, let the burglar know that you are watching and intend to propose a deal. The point of course is not to get to know him, and not even to scare him away, but simply to distract him and make him slow down so to give more time to the police, or the alarm company security guards, to reach the site.

You can also play with his intention to steal something of value and leave a misleading message.

Here is pretty good diversion; call pretending to be a friend of yours who has borrowed your Jaguar and leave a message saying that you are ten minutes away from the house, on your way to returning the car. Then ad that if you don’t find anybody home you will leave the car keys under the door mat. What thief wouldn’t be tempted to wait a few minutes and add a luxury car to his loot?

On the market there are several different type of devices with wireless transmitter which may be strategically placed so that when a certain item is moved the alarm will emit a very loud sound, so loud to impair the cognitive functioning of the offender brain. His first reaction will probably be to try to destroy the device, but if you have been careful to place it somehow out of reach, the intruder may be forced to abandon the room.

This type of devices can be connected to closet or cabinets doors, drawers or even directly to items like precious art pieces, jewellery boxes, big screen TV, safes. By the way, having a safe not secured to the wall or the floor is quite pointless. Unless the safe weights a ton the thief will simply carry it away and open it in the comfort of his own “workshop”.

In conclusion, the traditional alarm system that sounds a siren when the burglar brakes in does not save you from being burglarized.

Think about it, how many times after hearing a home alarm going off in the neighborhood you have actually gone to check if the house was being burglarized? You might have looked out the window, or you might have stepped outside and looked down the street, but let’s be honest, very few of us would actually go to the house and knock at the door.

The professional burglar knows that, and counts on it.

From the technological point of view that type of security system is a thing of the past. Nowadays with very little additional investment you can have motion detectors triggering several telephone calls and security cameras with online remote monitoring to check your property any time you want and record any unusual event.

This is the least security you need to have if you are serious about protecting your home or business.

On a less pressing note security cameras with online remote monitoring gives you the opportunity to make sure everything is all right any time you whish to do so, giving you peace of mind if you have kids, pets, cleaning service, baby sitter, gardner… you name it. It really is an investment which increase exponentially the eventuality of a much safer future for you and your family, and that is much more precious than any material possession.

The author owns four websites covering all aspects of Home Security. To find resources and information about companies specialized in security consulting and alarm systems installation visit AlarmSystemHome.info.

Computer Security - Preventing Social Engineering Attacks

Social Engineering in its basic form is hacker talk for manipulating computer users out of their username and password. Social engineering really goes beyond just usernames and passwords. A well planned social engineering attack can destroy companies. All of the most devastating information thefts have used some sort of social engineering attack. Social engineering is so effective because computer admins and security experts spend all their time patching systems and not training employees about information security. Information security goes beyond patching computers, it is a combination of physical security, computer/network policy and employee training.

This article will describe many of the common security flaws that information thieves take advantage off and how you can prevent them.

1. Web sites Information - Company web sites are the best place to start when gathering information. Often a company will post all their employees names, email addresses, positions and phone numbers for everyone to see. You want to limit the number of employees and phone numbers listed on a web site. Also, live active links to employee email addresses should be avoided. A common mistake is a company’s email user name will be the same as their network logon, example: email address of jsmith@nocompany.com has a user name of jsmith for the network with the same password for email and the network.

2. Phone Scams - Scamming someone on a phone is very simple. Company employees need to be trained to be courteous but cautious when giving callers information over the phone. One hacking scam is a hacker will call a company posing as computer salesmen. The salesmen will ask the secretary what type of computers they have, do they have a wireless network and what type of operating systems they run. Hackers can use this information to plan their attack on the network. Train your employees to refer any IT related questions to Tech Support.

3. Outside Contractors - Outside contractors should have a security liaison to monitor their activities. Security liaisons should be briefed on what work the contractor is hired to perform, area of operation, identity of contractor and if the contractor will be removing items from the work site.

4. Dumpster Diving - The easiest way to get information about anyone is to go through their trash. Shredders should be used in all cases or shredding services should be hired. Also, the Dumpster should be in a secure location and under surveillance.

5. Secretaries - They are your first line of defense, train them to not let anyone into your building unless they are for certain whom they are. Security cameras should be place in the main entrance way and also on the outside of the building. A thief who is probing your network will test to see if he is challenged upon entering the building, cameras can help identify patterns and suspicious people.

6. NO PASSWORDS - Make it company policy that the tech department will never call you or email you asking for your username or password. If somebody does call and ask for a password or username red flags will go up every where.

7. LOG OFF - Social Engineering attacks get the hacker into the building and they will usually find many workstations where the user hasn’t logged off. Make it company policy that all users must log off their workstations every time they leave it. If the policy is not followed then the employee should be written up or docked pay. Don’t make a hacker’s job any easier than it already is.

8. Training - Information security training is a must for any size company. Information security is a layered approach that starts with the physical structure of the building down to how each work station is configured. The more layers your security plan has the harder it is for an information thief to accomplish his mission.

Sign up for the most popular wireless networking news letter on the internet. Simple and Secure http://www.wirelessninja.com

Don’t Fall Victim to Internet Fraud - 10 Tips for Safer Surfing

The Internet offers a global marketplace for consumers and businesses. However, criminals also recognize the potential of cyberspace. The same scams that have reached us by telephone and in our mailbox can now be found on the World Wide Web and in email. Organizations such as the National Fraud Information Center have emerged to help people recognize shady schemes in order to prevent further victims.

According to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center and the FBI, the number of fraud victims is in the hundreds of thousands and total dollars lost are in the hundreds of millions, and rising at an exponential rate. A search on Google for “internet fraud” results in over 115,000,000 listings at the time of this writing (updated)!

It is difficult sometimes to tell the difference between reputable online sellers and criminals who use the Internet to separate people from their money. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognize the danger signs of fraud. If you are a victim of Internet fraud, it is important to file a complaint with the IFCC at http://www.ifccfbi.gov quickly so that law enforcement agencies can quickly shut down the fraudulent operations.

• Know whom you’re dealing with. If the seller or charity is unfamiliar, check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org. Search the Federal Trade Commission website at http://www.ftc.gov for the company or organization that you are considering doing business with. Some Web sites have feedback forums, which can provide useful information about other people’s experiences with particular sellers. Get the physical address and phone number (and actually make a call before you give them money-to make sure that the phone number is correct) in case there is a problem later.

• Guard your personal information. Make sure that any website that requires sensitive information is encrypted. An encrypted website usually has a yellow padlock symbol somewhere on the page, typically at the bottom. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

• Pay the safest way. Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never receive your order, or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

• Look for information about how complaints are handled. It can be difficult to resolve complaints, especially if the seller or charity is located in another country. Look on their website for information about programs that require standards for reliability and assistance in handling disputes with which the company or organization participates.

• Be aware that an organization without complaints is not a guarantee. Fraudulent operators set up shop and close down quickly, so the fact that nobody has made a complaint doesn’t mean the seller or charity is legitimate. You still need to look for other danger signs of fraud.

• Understand the offer. A legitimate seller will give you all the details about the products or services, the total price, the refund and cancellation policies, the terms of any warranty, and the delivery time.

• Think twice before entering contests operated by unfamiliar companies. Fraudulent marketers sometimes use contest entry forms to identify potential victims.

• Be cautious about unsolicited emails. They are often fraudulent. Recent legislation requires all marketing emails to include a working link that enables the recipient to be excluded from future mailings.

• Beware of imposters. Someone might send you an email pretending to be connected with a business or charity. Others may create a website that looks just like that of a well-known company or charitable organization. If you’re not sure that you’re dealing with the real thing, find another way to contact the legitimate business or charity.

• Beware of “dangerous downloads.” In downloading programs to see pictures, hear music, play games, etc., you could download a virus that wipes out your computer files or connects your modem to a foreign telephone number, resulting in expensive phone charges. Only download programs from websites you know and trust. Read all user agreements carefully.

Eric Buck is an established ezine publisher and direct marketer who specializes in helping ordinary people make extraordinary money working from home on the Internet. Put money in your pocket fast-sign up for FREE to the Home Business Tips Newsletter. Learn insider strategies and information from invaluable articles. You can even get your own complete money-making website setup FREE! Just go to: http://www.HomeCashIncome.com

Phishing

Recently I have received email from my bank/credit Card Company, eBay & pay pal saying that my account has possibly been compromised and I need to confirm my details and password in order to get continued access.

Spam email now has a new and more frightening variant, it’s called phishing and it has been made by criminals and hackers who aim at getting unwitting consumers to reveal account numbers and passwords.

Usually after getting an email like the ones mentioned above from reputable companies, most of us would race to respond as quickly as possible. However, in most cases you will find that you won’t be helping anyone other then the criminal who wrote that email and who has nothing to do with the actual organizations.

What is Phishing?

It is when someone creates false email that pretends to be from a bank or other authority, but which is actually designed to collect sensitive information such as passwords. This process of stealing information used for fraudulent purposes is the latest problem to plague Internet users. It is a phenomenon know as phishing i.e. emails ‘fishing’ for important information.

Just like Spam, phishing mails are sent to the widest possible audience so it’s not unusual to receive a message asking you to confirm account details from an organization you do not actually deal with. You may be asked to fix up your eBay account when you haven’t even got one!

In addition to collecting sensitive information many phishing messages try to install spy ware, Trojans etc. allowing hackers to gain backdoor entry into computers.

Types of Phishing Emails:

Some phishing emails ask for a response by email.

Some emails include a form for collecting details that you are told to fill out.

Some even include a link to a web site that resembles the actual site you expect to visit, but is actually a clone of the original site.

Number of active phishing sites reported in March, 2005: 2870

Number of brands hijacked by phishing campaigns: 78

Contains some form of target name in URL: 31%

Country hosting the most number of phishing sites: United States of America

Source: http://www.antiphishing.org

Phishing attacks can be really sophisticated. Some time ago a flaw in Internet Explorer allowed hackers to display a false address while redirecting the user to an entirely different site making it almost impossible to distinguish a phishing attack from a legitimate email.

Possible solutions:

New technologies can provide a better means of countering phishers. One option being explored by a lot of banks is the use of a secure token, a small electronic gadget that generates a unique password to be entered each time a user logs onto the web site. This would make a phishing attack useless because without the physical possession of a token it is impossible to access the account. This approach is somewhat similar to what is used at Automated Teller Machines around the world where you need to have both the card and the Pin number in order to use the machine.

One option is to use a technology popularly knows as PassMarks that effectively acts as a second password. After entering the user name a unique image pre selected by the user is displayed before s/he is asked for the password. If the proper image is not displayed the user will come to know that s/he is not on the authentic site. Another option that a lot of organizations are exploring is using text messages instead of email messages. Text messages cost money to send, so Spammers are less likely to partake in the process making it easier to distinguish between legitimate messages and fakes.

Ashish Jain
M6.Net Web Helpers

http://www.m6.net

Filling in the Data Leaks (Protecting your Personal Stuff)

Living Digitized
The electronic flow of data permeates the fibers of every business. Try to make a transaction without accessing the binary realm - bets are that even the cash register used to ring your favorite morning beverage is accessing electronic data. Today, business survival and success depends on immediate connectivity and data communication.

Living in a digitized world has altered modes of business communication as well. Shooting a quick email off with a pricing quote or sending an answer to a email query are just as commonplace as a client call. Email has evolved into the standard mass communications tool, whether it be message communications or as a document courier. According to Pew Internet Research a mere decade ago, just 15% of adults in the US went online, today that number has jumped to 63%(1).

“On a typical day at the end of 2004, some 70 million American adults logged onto the internet to use email, get news, access government information, check out health and medical information, participate in auctions, book travel reservations, research their genealogy, gamble, seek out romantic partners and engage in countless other activities. That represents a 37% increase from the 52 million adults who were online on an average day in 2000″.(2)

The statistics show that the internet and email flood our very existence. A business enterprise can’t be effective or successful without accommodating its wired clientele. Email is now such an integral part of the work world that a USA Today survey found that given a choice between giving up morning coffee or the ability to use the internet at work, 52% chose coffee(3).

Your Unintentional Data Flow
It’s inevitable that some of yours and/or your company’s data will be transmitted outside the network or personal system. Sharing unprotected electronic documents will ultimately cost you and your business By putting your intellectual property at risk. Think of all the man-hours of work that go into making your enterprise a success: proprietary designs, financial statements, competitive research, and other sensitive documents are all at risk when sent out as an unprotected email attachment.

Leakage of confidential intellectual property can seriously threaten the viability of an incubating contract lead. Unfortunately, email and documents meant for a select group can easily and quickly enter the public sphere. Once released over email, the transmitting flood of data which was once between company and client can fall into the hands of competitors, sometimes even forwarded by potential clients to competitors. Do you want to give your competitors shortcuts to your clientele? Each unsupervised electronic transmittal will poke hole upon hole in a company’s financial fortification.

Who’s Looking at your “Personal Stuff?”
Who’s protecting your small business enterprise’s best interests against these in unintentional information leaks? Certainly not the government, when US President, George W. Bush voiced his bias against email in his address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, saying “I don’t email, however. And there’s a reason. I don’t want you reading my personal stuff.”(4) Nor does Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the rest of number 10 Downing Street trust the mass communication tool, instead opting to use sticky notes(5).

These are the drastic, archaic steps backwards those zealously phobic of the digital communications era have adopted. Do you see your business forgoing email for sticky notes? The likely answer is no, as your customers won’t be transitioning to the sticky note 2.0 platform.

A small business enterprise shouldn’t have to succumb to the paranoia of the few and uneducated. A business is most profitable when its channels of communication to its clients are open and accessible. Yet having these channels accessible also opens the flood gates of a small business’ proprietary information. Domestically, intellectual property theft was, according to the FBI, on the increase. In 2005, unauthorized distribution of digital information cost the average company $355,552, a two-fold increase from the 2004 rate of $168,529(6) With the growth of intellectual property theft, the government has allocated some resources to this issue.

In 2004 there were “with the support of Congress, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section [(CCIPS)] has grown from 22 attorneys to more than 35 attorneys over the past two years. Created in 1991, CCIPS attorneys prosecute intellectual property cases…[they also] develop relationships with international law enforcement agencies and foreign prosecutors to strengthen the global response to intellectual property theft. (7)” A total of 35 dedicated attorneys in the CCIPS in Washington, D.C. are defending U.S. intellectual property rights. Are these resources enough ample resources for the 17.6 million sole proprietorships in the United States(8)? When looking at the growth of dollars lost through intellectual property loss accelerating every year, using government as the sole solution does not seem to be the answer.

Preventing those leaks
Each time a small business entity shares confidential information such as price lists, legal documents, plans and proposals - its reputation and competitive advantage is at stake. The impact associated with a private email or attachment being accidentally or intentionally forwarded can be colossal.

From sole proprietorships to ventures of a hundred employees, the small business enterprise must be able to access the same resources of large scale enterprises. The power to share work without relinquishing creative and innovative control is an invaluable tool. Taking preventative steps by using security software allows small business enterprises to protect their right to profit from their own intellectual property. Securing files is the best means to plugging information leaks

Protection of intellectual property is imperative for success in business. Individuals and small companies need to protect their email and digital assets with the same confidence shared by their larger enterprise business counterparts. Becoming actively aware of your digital assets and its whereabouts allows the individual and small business enterprise to managing the flow of your digital data in a more productive manner than President Bush or Prime Minister Blair’s sticky note solution for their “personal stuff.”

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End Notes:

1.) Lee Rainie, John Horrigan p.59 Report: Internet Evolution, Chapter 4 “Internet: The Mainstreaming of Online Life.” Pew Internet Rearch 25 January 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org

2.) Ibid, 58.

3.) USA TODAY. McLean, Va.: Jul 14, 2005. B1.

4.) Bush, President George W., “Address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors Convention,” 14 April 2005. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050414-4.html

5.) 26 January 2004, http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/8651.html

6.) Gordon, Lawrence A., Martin P. Loeb, William Lucyshyn and Robert Richardson, “CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey” July 2005, http://www.cpppe.umd.edu, 15.

7.) Israelite, David M., Daniel J. Bryant, Brian D. Boyle, et.al, “Report Of The Department of Justice’s Task Force on Intelllectual Property,” U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Legal Policy, October 2004, http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/ip_task_force_report.pdf. 21.

8.) Buscher, Patricia, “Number of Small Businesses Continues to Grow (2002),” U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov

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The article “Filling in the Data Leaks (Protecting your Personal Stuff)” was a collaboration between Ms. Veniegas and Mr. Zachary Price of Essential Security Software, Inc. ESS is a SBRM solution for Small And Medium Businesses. The Company’s newest too; Essential Taceo was released in 2005.

Spyware and Viruses

Many years ago with the advent of microcomputers we a had no idea of the fact that tiny little processes called VIRUSES, working in the background of our PC operating systems and in most cases controlling the effects of the operating system would dominate the way programming code is written and designed for ever. With this threat to your personal files and hard work being destroyed, a solution was needed to combat and defend against virus infections spreading to every PC in every corner of the globe. If this were to happen it would cause networks of all shapes and sizes to come to a grinding halt. Your obvious answer here would be Antivirus software.

Antivirus software is the perfect solution with only one problem. It needs to be updated quite regularly due to the ever changing and adapting of virus strains. Many people believe that you buy a PC which has pre-installed anti virus software on it. You then go on the NET and don’t have to worry about a thing, that’s where your wrong and that’s when your PC is going to suffer.

Your anti-virus software is working at its best when it has its drive engine and index definitions up to date. Think about it, what good is your anti virus software to you when it is scanning and monitoring viruses that where designed six months ago? Your software can only compare to what is in its database and if that is out of date, every virus that has been developed prior to its last update (lets stay on six months)will be simply ignored and not picked up.

I have a Network+ and A+ Certification and I have seen all sorts of problems arising from not updating your software.
However, there is a new killer in town which acts differently than other viruses, its called SPYWARE and ADWARE.
You must have seen these types of symptoms before, well at least one.

1 PC running slower than usual.
2 Pop-ups.
3 Overall degraded performance.
4 Rerouting your internet browser to undesired web sits.
5 Advertising slogans and software that has been installed on your pc without your permission.

These are all signs of SPYWARE and Adware. This type of software gets into your system and takes up your computers resources. Not only does it effect the overall performance ,it can send back very personal detailed information about your history on the NET and bank details. Do I need to say anymore?

Having the proper software to counteract this type of threat is equally important and people fail to believe this.

Do yourself and your PC a favour and get your hands on the products below. I use these all the time and they work.

AD-AWARE Personnel it is free.
Spybot this is also free.
MacAfee anti virus this product retails at a reasonable price.

My name is Neil Ryan and i have a keen interest in computer technology, aviation and music. You can also check out my following websites.
http://www.eyesonmyworld.com

http://www.salesforyou.net

http://pcscandle.blogspot.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.