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Archive for December, 2006

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Spyware Remover

The Perfect Password Practice
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Saturday, December 23rd, 2006

By Coenraad De Beer

With all the accounts we own and all of the places where we need to use user names and passwords, it becomes a full-time job keeping it all together. The easiest way for most people is to use the same user name and password for all their accounts when possible. Most of the times it is only the user name that differs, but the password often stays the same for every new account they open or device they use. This is extremely dangerous and I will explain why.

There are several ways of leaking out your password. You may just, accidentally, say the password out loud while entering it. If someone was standing nearby, he/she could have easily picked it up and may use it later to gain access to the restricted area protected by the password. Key-loggers installed on your computer can log your password and send it to their owners and spyware programs can extract saved passwords from your cookies or from the saved password list stored in your browser settings. People sometimes write their passwords on a piece of paper and do not keep it in a safe place. What is the use of a key if you leave it in the door? The same principle applies to passwords. A password is the key to a restricted area, you should not let that key lie around for anyone to use. Sending passwords via e-mail is not so wise either and it is 99% of times a sign of a fraudulent activity. You should be careful when people request your password to be sent over the Internet via e-mail. Companies often sent your login details via e-mail. You should print out the details, store the printed copy in a safe place and delete the e-mail. E-mail worms and viruses can easily scan your e-mails for passwords. The different ways of loosing your passwords are endless.

Now what happens when someone steals your password? Chances are good that the perpetrator will break into the account guarded by the password, cause damage and maybe change the password so that you cannot gain access to the account in the future. If you use the same password for all your !

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accounts
, you should regard all your other accounts as compromised. The only missing piece of the puzzle for the password theft is to obtain the user name of your other accounts and the chances are good that most of them will also accept the same user name as the breached one. The only comforting thing is to know that the theft has to figure out what other accounts you own. One cannot break into something one does not know the existence of. It is not always possible to change your user name, but it is always possible to change your password. When a widely used password is compromised, you should change the passwords of all your other accounts as quickly as possible to avoid further security breaches. You should also try to regain control of your breached account as soon as possible, by contacting the service provider of the account and explaining the situation to them. This is most important for bank and online shopping accounts.

How should I prevent my password from being stolen?

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Spyware Remover

You Can Safely Shop Online
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Friday, December 22nd, 2006

By Martin Lukac

When it comes to shopping online, there are still people who have safety concerns. They are afraid of sending their information “out there,” not really knowing where it is going. However, with a few precautions, online shopping can often be safer than using your credit card in person.

Take a few steps to recognize the warning signs of fraud and take steps to avoid being a victim. One of the best ways to protect yourself is by being informed. Just as you are aware of your surroundings when you use an ATM machine, you should be cautious with your online dealings.

Never give out your credit card information in response to an email. If you don’t know why you are being asked for your credit card, don’t give your information. Unless you are sure who is asking for your information, why they are asking for it and how it will be used, don’t type a word or number.

Make sure that you have downloaded the most recent version of your browser in order to take advantage of advances in encryption capabilities. These capabilities protect your personal information as it is transmitted online.

When on any secure site, you will notice two things that tell you that the page is safe:

  1. There will be a padlock icon on the status bar at the bottom of your browser window.
  2. The page address will begin with an “https.” This indicates that the server is secure.

Before you submit your personal information to a site, make sure you read the privacy policy to see how your information will be used. The privacy policy will tell you if your information will be sold or shared with other businesses. If you are uneasy with what you read in the policy, don’t submit your information.

When shopping online, use your credit card for purchases. Debit cards do not give you the same protections as credit cards when it comes to liability and fraudulent usage. You are safer using your credit card.

Make sure that your computer has software that detects spyware. Install a firewall or a !
security
program that will ensure that spyware isn’t installed on your computer. Keep your computer in healthy working order. This will make it easier to protect your information.

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When shopping online, you have to use your common sense, just like when shopping in person. Don’t give out information to anyone you don’t know and make sure that site is secure. If you are uneasy about giving out your information online, you can always call a company’s customer service to conduct the final transactions over the telephone.

Shopping online is a great way to find a virtually anything you are looking for. It is quick, easy and great for those unable to spend a lot of time browsing the mall in person. By becoming aware of Internet security issues, you will be able to take advantage of online shopping safely.

Martin Lukac href="http://www.MartinLukac.com">http://www.MartinLukac.com, represents href="http://www.RateEmpire.com">http://www.RateEmpire.com, an Internet
consumer banking marketplace. RateEmpire.com is a destination site of personal
finance, investing, taxes and mortgage rates. RateEmpire.com provides mortgage
guides and financial rates and information. RateEmpire.com also operates a
financial portal #1 American Financial, found at href="http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com">http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com

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Spyware Remover

Is Your PC Part of a Zombie Army Unit Without You Knowing It?
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Friday, December 22nd, 2006

By Maurice Clarke

Virus authors are choosing not to create global epidemics–infections of the type caused by Melissa or Blaster–because that distracts them from their core business of creating and selling zombie networks, according to antivirus experts.

Speaking at the AusCERT conference in Australia’s Gold Coast, Eugene Kaspersky, founder of Kaspersky Labs, said that the influence of organized crime on “Do I need a million computers to send spam? No. To do a DDoS attack, 5,000 or 10,000 PCs is more than enough. That is why virus writers and hackers have changed their tactics of infection–they don’t need a global epidemic,” said Kaspersky.

Zombie networks are groups of computers that have been infected by malware that allows the author to control the infected PC and use it to send spam or launch DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks. the malicious software industry has led to a change of tactics. Instead of trying to create viruses and worms that infect as many computers as possible, authors of malicious software are instead trying to infect 5,000 or 10,000 computers at a time to create personalized zombie armies.

According to Kaspersky, organized criminals are advertising zombie computers for rent on underground newsgroups and Web pages. When they receive an order for a certain-size army, they set about trying to infect computers using infected e-mail attachments or socially engineered spam with links to malicious Web pages. As soon as they infect enough computers to fulfill the order, they stop using that particular piece of malicious software.

“Say the virus author needs 5,000 infected computers. They put the Trojan on a Web page and wait for 5,000 machines to be infected, then they remove the Trojan because that is enough,” Kaspersky explained. “When they get a new request for another zombie network, they release a new Trojan. They are able to control the number of infected computers.”

Adam Biviano, senior systems engineer at antivirus company Trend Micro, agrees. He said tha!
t by inf
ecting a relatively small number of computers, the malicious software has a better chance of flying “under the radar” and not being spotted by antivirus companies.

“It makes sense to have a discreet number of PCs under your control and be able to sell that on,” said Biviano, adding, “With 5,000 PCs under your control–none of which are being destroyed or showing actual qualifiable damage as a result–you will fit under the radar, probably make some money and you probably won’t get arrested.”

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Kaspersky said that to fight this new tactic, antivirus companies have to be more thorough, scouring Web pages and e-mail attachments for new and obscure pieces of malicious software to ensure as few Trojans as possible escape.

“Before releasing the new infected code, (virus writers) test it using antivirus scanners and they don’t release the new Trojan or worm if it is detected. I believe that if only 1,000 machines are infected, antivirus companies will never receive the infected file. That is why antivirus companies have to collect data reactively and get samples as quickly as possible,” said Kaspersky.

Vincent Gullotto, vice president of McAfee AVERT (Anti-virus Emergency Response Team), said that antivirus companies are responding to the new threat by proactively seeking out new forms of malicious software.

“It is standard for us, Kaspersky, Symantec and some of the other prominent antivirus companies to scour the Web in many different ways. We go out looking for (malicious software) with a very aggressive search and we do passive searches, where we have machines that are just sitting around waiting to get attacked. When we see a machine getting attacked, we grab a sample rather quickly so we can add it to our database,” said Gullotto.

For more information on virus protection search using keywords “virus protection” in your web browser.

Maurice Clarke is founding owner of Spam So!
lution <
a target="_new" href="http://www.spam-solution.net">http://www.spam-solution.net dedicated to expand its fight against spammers. Offering a wide range of guides on email control and spam issues have led us to become a major force in the fight against spam. If you found this article useful please tell a friend about it and us.

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For additional Spyware Remover information
and resources visit Spyware Remover.
(http://www.spyware-remover-free.net)
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Spyware Remover

Phishing is an Increasingly Common Type of Spam
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Friday, December 22nd, 2006

By Maurice Clarke

Phishing is an increasingly common type of spam that can lead to theft of your personal details such as credit card numbers or online banking passwords. Find out how you can reduce your chances of being a victim of a phishing attack.

Simple steps to avoid being phished

Phishing attacks work by the scam artist sending “spoofed” emails that appear to come from a legitimate website that you have online dealings with such as a bank, credit card company or ISP - any site which requires users to have a personal identity or account. The email may ask you to reply with your account details in order to “update security” or for some other reason.

The phishing email may also direct you to a spoofed website or pop-up window which looks exactly like the real site, but has been set up for the sole purpose of stealing personal information. Unsuspecting people are then often fooled into handing over credit card numbers, passwords or other details.

According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, phishers are able to convince up to five per cent of recipients to respond.

How to protect yourself:

Never respond to emails that request personal financial information

Banks or e-commerce companies generally personalise emails, while phishers do not. Phishers often include false but sensational messages (”urgent - your account details may have been stolen”) in order to get an immediate reaction. Reputable companies don’t ask their customers for passwords or account details in an email. Even if you think the email may be legitimate, don’t respond - contact the company by phone or by visiting their website. Be cautious about opening attachments and downloading files from emails, no matter who they are from.

Visit banks’ websites by typing the URL into the address bar

Phishers often use links within emails to direct their victims to a spoofed site, usually to a similar address such as mybankonline.com instead of mybank.com. When clicked on, the URL shown in the address bar may !
look gen
uine, but there are several ways it can be faked, taking you to the spoofed site. If you suspect an email from your bank or online company is false, do not follow any links embedded within it.

Keep a regular check on your accounts

Regularly log into your online accounts, and check your statements. If you see any suspicious transactions report them to your bank or credit card provider.

Check the website you are visiting is secure

Before submitting your bank details or other sensitive information there are a couple of checks you can do to help ensure the site uses encryption to protect your personal data:

Check the web address in the address bar. If the website you are visiting is on a secure server it should start with “https://” (”s” for security) rather than the usual “http://”.

Also look for a lock icon on the browser’s status bar. You can check the level of encryption, expressed in bits, by hovering over the icon with your cursor.

Note that the fact that the website is using encryption doesn’t necessarily mean that the website is legitimate. It only tells you that data is being sent in encrypted form.

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Be cautious with emails and personal data

Most banks have a security page on their website with information on carrying out safe transactions, as well as the usual advice relating to personal data: never let anyone know your PINS or passwords, do not write them down, and do not use the same password for all your online accounts. Avoid opening or replying to spam emails as this will give the sender confirmation they have reached a live address. Use common sense when reading emails. If something seems implausible or too good to be true, then it probably is.

Keep your computer secure

Some phishing emails or other spam may contain software that can record information on your internet activities (spyware) or open a ‘backdoor’ to allow hackers access to your computer (Trojans). Installing anti-virus software and keeping it up to date will help d!
etect an
d disable malicious software, while using anti-spam software will stop phishing emails from reaching you. It is also important, particularly for users with a broadband connection, to install a firewall. This will help keep the information on your computer secure while blocking communication from unwanted sources. Make sure you keep up to date and download the latest security patches for your browser. If you don’t have any patches installed, visit your browser’s website, for example users of Internet Explorer should go to the Microsoft website.

Always report suspicious activity

If you receive an email you suspect isn’t genuine, forward it to the spoofed organisation (many companies have a dedicated email address for reporting such abuse).

Further reading

For more information about how consumers and businesses can protect themselves against online fraud read the information published by the British banking industry.

Maurice Clarke is founding owner of Spam Solution http://www.spam-solution.net dedicated to expand its fight against spammers. Offering a wide range of guides on email control and spam issues have led us to become a major force in the fight against spam. If you found this article useful please tell a friend about it and us.
Maurice Clarke - EzineArticles Expert Author

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Spyware Remover

Safe Online Shopping Tips For Late Christmas Shoppers
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Wednesday, December 20th, 2006

By Coenraad De Beer

Because you are desperate for a gift you will not mind paying a little extra, but the price can be an expensive one to pay if you are not cautious when shopping online. Swindlers always bargain on the mistakes of their victims when they are under pressure. They want to strike when you are not paying attention to the finer details you normally pay attention too when you are not under pressure. The false sense of urgency in phishing attacks and advance fee fraud are examples of swindlers trying to force a victim to make a mistake while he/she is under pressure. With online shopping they bargain that you will not realise that their online shop is a fraud, that their products are fake or that they do not even possess these items. There are a couple of things to look out for when you do your shopping online, not only during the festive seasons, but each time when you transact online.

The very first thing you should do is to verify the legitimacy of the online shop. Make sure that their telephone number, physical address and postal address is valid. Make a phone call to the company and ask about their products. If you are shopping from a local online shop get into your car and visit their premises if possible, or ask a trustworthy person to verify their physical address for you. Write them a letter and request a product brochure. If the telephone number is valid, if you confirmed the physical address of their offices and if they reply to your letter, you will know how to get into touch with them should you have any queries after you made the purchase. If their web site does not supply a valid telephone number, postal and physical address, do not buy from them. If they want to sell products online they should make it easy for consumers to get in touch with them.

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Make sure you read their privacy policy and terms of agreement. Read all the instructions and fine print carefully before clicking on the order and pay buttons. You want to make sure that you are familiar with all the procedures of the on!
line sho
p before you bind yourself legally to a purchase contract. Make sure that you understand the way they calculate shipping and delivery costs, or any extra fees. If in doubt, request a quotation from their sales department. You do not want to get a surprise after you finalised the purchase. Find out if they have a refund policy. If they mess up your order or if you are not satisfied with their products, you want to be certain that you can get your money back.

Before you enter any personal and sensitive information, make sure that you enter this information on a secure web page with a valid SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. You can verify this by looking for a little yellow padlock at the bottom of your browser window. If you double click on this padlock, you can see who issued the certificate and you can verify if the certificate is still valid. Ensure that the address in the address bar start with the letters

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