Internet Guardian

Posts Tagged ‘Security’

In the game of online casino, it is very necessary to know the basic things of security and safety. Following instructions assure you that casino site provides better quality game, safety, and very protective security information. That is very urgent for person who plays online casino game. Many casinos website display certain advertising tags of the below things and other detailed description in their FAQ section. So, it is very important to check the safety and security criteria of online casino website before joining the site.

You must be clearly read the terms and condition of the site before signing up the site because if the known site is not under the control of a jurisdiction then you will be in danger situation. The behavioral control of law is been determined by the governing body of the jurisdiction, to which the online casinos are working. They must be promptly adhering. 

When you are playing or signing up or paying the amount, all information travel on internet. If the information you given can be leaked if you are data is not encrypted form. That’s why you should check for site using SSL or Encryption technology to protect the private data.  If the site using this technology then you are data is safe. Otherwise the data can be using by other person for illegal intension. So be careful and read terms of the online casino site.

The results of the many online casino sites are determined by the RNG. It is Random Number Generator.  The casino result should come thoroughly be verified by independent auditors in a site.

There are many accountancy firms that are regularly audit the casino. The auditor checked the RNG and percentage payout of individual in the casino game. The casino as a whole. There must be always availability of these things on the site or also get through made request from the service center.  The fair play of the site is ensured with aid of auditing reports.

The software you download for playing virtual casino online. It is determined the quality of the games in the site and this security measures of the site and the utilization of anti fraud technology are made to be undertaken solely by the software provider. The quality of the game and quality of service are basically ensured by the reputed software provider.

Before joining the online casino site you must be verified that the casino site has a seal of approval or not.  It is a one of the standard regulators and a seal of approval is issued accordingly. You can find best online casino games, better payouts, and best playing environment when you check all above stated things.

Many companies have been using Internet loggers for many years. The main purpose is to keep track of all various kinds of Internet exploration. The reason behind companies opting for this is to monitor their employee?s usage of the Internet.

Internet loggers are a valuable tool used to ensure overall company productivity doesn?t suffer as a result of employees using work time to surf the internet for purposes other than relating to business. Usually the systems administrator will be in charge of monitoring internet loggers and will report suspicious internet activity to upper management. A lot of people in the workforce have complained that the use of internet loggers is an invasion of privacy and feel that companies shouldn?t have the right to spy on their employees in such a way. On the other side of the argument, companies say that they are just trying to protect themselves from employee that abuse their internet privileges and can cause the company to lose money as a result of employees not using their time productively.

Email recorders can be a great tool to keep your children safe and away from the dangerous people that like to prey on young children. Different email recorders have different levels of detection, but they all will record emails and store them for you review. This can be a great way to keep track of what your kids are doing. Email recorders will let you know if your children are engaging in conversations with people that they shouldn?t be or are involved in activities that you wouldn?t approve of such as gang affiliation or drug use. Not all email recorders work as well as others. Some do not have the capability to monitor emails from certain programs, so when you decide to purchase one make sure that it can record from all the popular email clients and services that you and your children use.

Many schools, organizations and houses have been using chat loggers for sometime. These loggers monitor all the chatting activities that are carried out through many online chatting options available. Chat loggers can monitor and store every typed letter in order to allow concerned persons any future review if needed. Many new chat loggers have the ability to monitor and store all the email data to make it available for further review.

Chat loggers have become essential nowadays in homes with young children. On the negative side of the Internet, it has brought in potential threat from many online predators. In these conditions, chat loggers give parents a security regarding their children?s chatting activity b enabling them monitor those activities time to time. Parents can have a chance to find out potential threats to their children?s safety using these loggers. If they detect something suspicious and harmful, they can stop children from proceeding further in that way. These loggers can even help police sections working on cyber crimes to detect potential criminals from performing dangerous and harmful activities. It has gained overwhelming response these days as there are lot of offenses conducted through chat and due to this many of the younger generation are lead to the wrong way. A close watch is always necessary to ensure better safety!

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Another security hole found as Netscape distributes fix amid doubts of Internet safety. : An article from: Software Industry Report

Today, the Internet is fully engaged with the talk of viruses, worms, spyware, cyber crime, malware, spam etc. This is because, as much as the physical world in which we live, the types of people who exist on the internet are also diverse, from scientists to business professionals to children to criminals. Similarly, as with the physical world, the places we visit on the web can vary from wild and wacky to academic to detestable. Therefore, caution has to be taken while we deal with people and visit places on the internet. It is essential that we do not trust people whom we don’t know on the internet. Similarly, we should exercise caution when visiting unfamiliar websites or sites with which we have no prior relationship. The threat landscape has become more dynamic with thousands of malware being created everyday. You can forget all these fears by installing a licensed internet security suite.

 A computer system without an internet security is like a house without a house guard, where anyone can walk in and walk out anytime with all your valuables. An Internet security suite works as a filter and does not allow any of the data whether confidential or not to be stolen from your system.

Today, most of the systems have ordinary antivirus software installed in it but the users are not aware that these softwares cannot provide the adequate protection and they happily go on the internet. The kind of complete protection that networks require today, can only be provided by an internet security suite.

An Internet security suite ensures that the PC is not mistaken for a playground for viruses and worms. It is a combined suite of antivirus software and a firewall system that can handle spam, filer Ads and other suspicious contents and sometimes there are even other additional features which make it easy to differentiate between the suites. A typical suite should have features such as antivirus, anti-spam, anti phishing, anti-spyware, a personal firewall, parental control, privacy control or protection, identity theft protection, anti-rootkits, e-mail safety, data theft prevention, data backup and transfer, pop up filters and automatic updates.

Importance of antivirus suite protection

Almost all companies depend on computers and internet for business transactions. But all this requires security, as hackers have innovative techniques to break into the company’s computer network. Another issue is while sending emails, i.e., all information send over the internet passes through intermediary computers before reaching the destination. This is out of our control as any malicious computer savvy individual operating an intermediary computer has the ability to tamper with the information and there are many ways to deceive the sender. For example, an intermediary computer could exchange information with the intended destination and thus inducing to reveal private data such as passwords, contact details of partners, credit card details etc. Even a firm using intranet is under the threat if one system in it is connected to the internet. All these issues can be handled using an internet security suite. And, therefore the need for an antivirus suite protection is endless and the following are some of the reasons to have an internet security suite:-

Protects confidential information Prevents hacker access Reinforced protection against theft of important data Virus and spyware free Blocks spam Protects children on internet Prevents the loss of important files Keeps the computer running at maximum efficiency Allows periodic exhaustive scanning

Internet security suite providers

Today, there are more than 15 internet security suite providers with different packages and software to suit the specific needs of a company. All suites have antivirus and firewall components, and there are other additional features which builds the difference between the suites. Some of the famous internet security suites are Kaspersky, GDATA, Norton 360, McAfee, AVG, eScan, FSecure, Panda, ESET etc. It is important to know the major features other than antivirus and firewall provided by these suites.

Norton 360

It provides a free downloadable parental control addon that gives control to every user account and over the kind of content allowed. It delays the startup of suspicious applications during bootup. Data backup features which lets users move data to a different drive, network share and even to an online service so that it ensures no data is lost if the PC gets infected or even during a system crash

It recommends the installation to be downloaded from internet. The suite scans the system before the installation to make sure that the system is not already infected. It has the ability to delete files to prevent recovery. This feature is similar to the file shredder of GDATA. Also supports data backup feature as in Norton 360.

GDATA

It has a free downloadable parental control addon that gives control to every user account and over the kind of content allowed. Also includes a file shredder to delete files and make them unrecoverable.

McAfee’s internet security’s installer

It recommends the installation to be downloaded from internet. The suite scans the system before the installation to make sure that the system is not already infected. It has the ability to delete files to prevent recovery. This feature is similar to the file shredder of GDATA. Also supports data backup feature as in Norton 360.

FSecure Internet Security 2009

Focuses on parental control and the access to the main control panel is denied unless authorized.

AVG

Ability to allow access of games to the internet through the firewall without any hassels. It also allows updating of downloaded virus definition by importing them from a folder.

eScan internet security

This is one of the best antivirus suites. The major implementation of Kaspersky is an onscreen keyboard which allows users to type in passwords on online banking and shopping sites without having the password logged.

It scans the system regularly for vulnerabilities asking to patch bugs.

Here the alerts are also displayed in a single window.

Kaspersky

This is one of the best antivirus suites. The major implementation of Kaspersky is an onscreen keyboard which allows users to type in passwords on online banking and shopping sites without having the password logged.It also scans the system regularly for vulnerabilities asking to patch bugs. The alerts are also displayed in a single window.

ESET Smart security

It supports all the basic features but detailed customizations and controls are available.

Panda Internet security 2009

Major advantage is that it monitors wireless networks. When a new PC appears on the network, it gives an alert asking whether it has to be granted access. This is the only internet security which supports the feature truprevent completely. It allows the creation of rescue disks and uploads suspicious files to their database for inspection.

From all the above to summarize, the best Internet Security suites should have the following features:

Anti-virus Detects and removes viruses and threats from emails, instant messaging, downloads etc. Anti-spam Prevents spam emails from reaching the inbox. Anti-phishing Filters phishing emails and protects from accessing websites run by phishers. Gives warning on suspicious emails and unsafe sites Anti-spyware Blocks and removes spyware, adware Protects against keyloggers, browser hijackers and other threats Anti-rootkits Searches underneath the operating system for a program that takes control of the computer without authorization. Firewall Blocks unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. Provides protection from intrusions and data leaks Parental control Provides real time content filtering from inappropriate websites and emails. Identity theft protection Secures personal data while buying, banking and browsing online Alerts when details are about to move out of your PC and helps to stop it if desired Data theft protection Protects personal and private information from being captured Pop-up filter Blocks pop-up ads Truprevent Rapidly blocks attack caused by unknown viruses and intruders, even before the antivirus has been updated to combat them. Additional protection against network viruses Total Scan Permits periodic in-depth scanning to detect and eliminate threats missed by antivirus programs installed on systems. Data back-up and transfer Allows to run scheduled or on-demand backups of the PC to protect it from unforeseen incidents Auto updates Ensures that the system is protected against latest threats.

The antivirus suites Kaspersky and McAfee are known to be the best antivirus suites and below are their feature summarization:

Feature                                    Kaspersky                                 McAfee

Anti-virus                                Exists                                         Exists

Anti-spam                               Exists                                         Exists

Anti-phishing                          Exists                                         Exists

Anti-spyware                         Exists                                         Exists

Anti-rootkits                          Exists                                          Exists

Firewall                                 Exists                                          Exists

Parental control                    Exists                                          Exists

Identify threft protection     Exists                                          Exists

Data threft protection          Exists                                          Exists

Pop-up filter                         Exists                        Exists but poor performance

Truprevent                      Does not exist                Exists but poor performance

Total scan                            Exists                                          Exists

Data back-up and transfer  Exists                                         Exists

Auto updates                        Exists                                         Exists

The latest version of McAfee also supports additional features such as remote monitoring, printer sharing tasks, configuration of other personal computers and gives frequent alerts for intruders on the system.

The last version of Kaspersky includes features like isolation of infected workstations, avoids the unwanted rescanning of files in the system and launches multiple copies of the antivirus engine.

Therefore, through an efficient internet security suite one can ensure that business continues without any disruption and need not fear of any cyber miscreants. But, just buying and installing it is not sufficient, it has to be regularly updated and the system must be scanned regularly. 

References:

Network security by James Joshi

ISP survival guide by Geoff Huston

Internet-The Complete reference by Margaret Levine Young

Publication: Digit- Volume-9

Seated comfortably in your office chair with your cup of coffee in the one hand and your mouse in the other – it’s amazing how convenient the click of a button can be for Internet banking and grocery shopping.

But many of us still ask how secure are my online transactions? Are my personal details protected? Is it safe to use my credit card on this site?

There is no reason why you should be afraid of transacting online. However, you should be vigilant and make security a priority. In doing so, you will eliminate the threats of cyber crime and enjoy a safe online environment.

So let’s examine some of these criminal online motivated threats to ensure you can correctly identify potential cyber attacks and be vigilant to these. Possessing knowledge of these threats coupled with a trusted security software protection on your PC and of course visiting trusted and secure Web sites (particularly when purchasing goods) will ensure that you do not become a victim of cyber crime.

Some of the most common cyber threats include identity theft, fraud, hacking and viruses. There are certain actions to help you maintain your online security and recognise, avoid and report criminal online activity, which include:

The Dos:

1.Do use a secure browser to help guard the security of your information as it is transmitted to a Web site.

2. Do choose complicated passwords and not the normal birthdays or pet names. Change your passwords regularly.

3. Do verify the site’s privacy policy before providing any personal and/or financial information.

4. Do have a look at disclosures around the Web site’s refund and shipping policies before purchasing items.

5. Do contact the company when you’re not sure about their terms and conditions.

6. Do install an effective anti-virus software program.

7. Do update your software regularly.

8. Do activate a firewall and make sure it is active at all times when transacting.

9. Do keep record of all your online transactions.

10. Do review your monthly credit card and bank statements to spot errors or unauthorised purchases.

11. Do trust your common sense and rather be safe than sorry.

12. Do report problems immediately to the company on whose site you are transacting on!

And now for the Don’ts:

1. Don’t select the option on Web browsers for saving or remembering user names and passwords.

2. Don’t do transactions like banking on a computer you’re not familiar with (such as computers at Internet café). Strangers use those computers and may download software that can be harmful to the next user.

3. Don’t disclose personal information, which includes: telephone number, bank details and physical address, unless you know who is collecting the information, why they are collecting it and how they will use it

4.Don’t give payment information to businesses you don’t know or trust. Only provide such information when appropriate – like an order form for instance

5. Don’t give you password or payment information to anyone online – not even your Internet Service Provider.

6. Don’t download files sent to you by strangers or open hyperlink from people you do not know. Opening such a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program that could hijack your modem

7. Don’t open junk mail (usually described as any e-mail received where you are not sure of the source/origin) or unsubscribe to it. Rather delete it immediately. On this point it is very important to note that cyber criminals use many ploys with junk mail intended to lure you (or children) to open the mail so it might have ‘too good to be true’ promotions etc – just delete these mails!

These may seem like many things to remember, but being vigilant could save you from having your personal details stolen and used to open fake clothing accounts or for even money laundering. When you look at it that way, taking heed of and implementing security steps is really not that much of a mission at all.

It amazes me that for whatever reason people tend to overlook this problem time and time again. With the expansion of the Internet comes more threats. There are people in this world that want to cause harm to your computer, just because they can. You may not know when or where these attacks will occur, but it can happen to you at a moments notice.

When you are online you are sharing a vast network with millions of other users from all over the planet. Some of these user like to abuse the Internet by sending you spam emails or even worst, these people can be hackers and those who create viruses meant to harm your system.

You may have received an email from an unknown sender with an attach link or file with the sole propose to cause havoc to recipient. This file could be an Trojan, keylogger, adware, spyware or a number of the thousands of harmful viruses that can damage your computer, and the time and hard work you spend to customize your system can be wipe clean.

Some of the more well known viruses have been the:

Anna Kournikova virus

This arrives as an email attachment. Opening this attachment infects your machine. Once infected, the virus mails itself to all recipients found in the Windows Address Book.

Lovsan Worm virus also known as “Blaster” or “MSBlaster”

Has quickly infected computers throughout the Internet. The worm takes advantage of a flaw in Windows operating systems to drop a malicious program on your computer. Unlike typical computer viruses, which usually arrive as email attachments, Internet worms attack communication ports on vulnerable computers, often without the user’s knowledge. By taking advantage of a vulnerability in Windows, the worm is able to spread without requiring any action on the part of the user.

Nimda

Infects web servers and local files. Its main goal is simply to spread over the Internet and Intranet, infecting as many users as possible and creating so much traffic that networks are virtually unusable.

The “I Love You” Virus

This virus is pernicious, using Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express to send itself to everyone on a Contact List from these programs, and destructively replacing files. The subject line of the infectious email reads “ILOVEYOU”, and the message of the email reads “Kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me.”

The attachment, which has the destructive Visual Basic script, is named “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs” If you receive this email attachment, DON”T OPEN IT!!! Your computer will not become infected unless you open the attachment on purpose. Reading the email won’t infect your computer.

You should also be careful when using File sharing, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) software. This platform is great place for people to spread viruses to other people by simply creating or modifying an virus and renamed this program to a popular file name. Then once the file have completed downloading, the unsuspected user opens the file, and the destruction begins.

It can be a simply problem that hoping your anti virus will detect and alert you of a potential danger, or the virus may just completely wipe you hard drive in seconds. For those of you can use popular p2p programs like kazaa, limewire, shareaza, emule and others, please do not download any file that may look suspicious with a weird a file extension. This file may look like “britney spears.jpg.exe” or “norton antivirus.exe” with a smaller file size then usually.

If you have an antivirus software, you can simply, “right click” a file on your system and scan for viruses, before your open the file itself. This method can help you, but is not foolproof.

Don’t be the next victim. Take these steps to help keep the odds in your favor of being protected:

Antivirus Software

An premium antivirus software like Panda Platinum Internet Security (which includes an antivirus, firewall, spam blocker, and anti-spyware), BitDefender, or The Shield Pro is the most critical element of your Internet safety. If you don’t have up-to-date antivirus software on your PC you’re asking for trouble. A good antivirus software will find viruses that haven’t yet infected your computer and remove the ones that have.

Firewall Software

Windows XP comes built-in with a firewall, and if you are running Service Pack 2, it is turned on by default. Although Windows XP’s firewall is certainly better than nothing, you should strongly consider acquiring another firewall to work on top of, or replace (recommended!) the firewall that comes with Windows XP.

Firewall software watches these ports to make sure that only safe communication is happening between your computer and other computers online. If it sees something dangerous happening it blocks that port on your computer to make sure your computer stays safe from the person who is trying to hack into your system.

Some of the better firewalls are Zone Alarm Pro, Norton Personal Firewall, Panda Platinum Internet Security, and The Shield Pro.

Spyware Removal

There is a good chance that if you are actively online with your computer system that in some way spyware will get installed. All it takes is just clicking on the wrong site or by signing up for some web programs. Another issue with spyware is the danger of invasion of privacy. Remember that these programs can collect all types of data from you computer system and then send back to its creator. Spyware usually collects information that can be used for advertising, marketing to see what websites you visit on a frequent bases.

There are several spyware tools available, but many provide insufficient protection. Some of the better spyware removers are; Webroot Spy Sweeper, XoftSpySE, and AdwareAlert.

Once upon a time there was a time when our children could roam the streets freely playing merrily with their prams and tricycles while under no threat from evil doers. Alas, a different type of environment filled with pedophiles and murderers has changed all that. Parents are now enforcing protection campaigns not only on the street for the kids but in the home too. Children don’t have a childhood any more, living their life looking over their shoulder has them turn to the internet for comfort where danger lurks from one click of a mouse.

A recent news bulletin said our Government has given full backing to a report recommending video games be forced to carry cinema-style age classifications. This will be seen as a positive action from our government; however parliament gets no medals for this decision because it is a decision of necessity

At present only video games showing sex or deadly violence needs an age rating from the British Board of Film Classification and less than 2% carry an 18 certificate? A lawful-binding system would guarantee that every video game is rated in the same way as movies – which are classed U (universal), PG (parental guidance), 12, 15 or 18 – with the age regulation printed out clearly for parents who are not computer-literate. Kids today can outsmart the best of the best with their computer skills and can easily dupe mom and dad so be careful.

The government consulted with psychologist Tanya Byron and gave the thumbs up for her to look into this issue. It was Tanya who suggested that parents should be given computer lessons and guidance to help them avoid being outwitted by their off springs that have grown up with latest technology. She said an education promotion to alert parents and teachers of the risks of games and the web in general is vital. If this suggestion were made compulsory then children may well be safe from internet perverts and games of mind destruction. It does not end here, she also said a new code of practice aimed at regulating social networking sites, such as Bebo and Facebook, should be developed which would include introducing principals on privacy and harmful content. Additionally, there should be new laws banning web-assisted suicide and rightly so.

Sadly, even though concerned parents know of the risks involved they do not want to deprive the kids of their computer pleasures and fail to take action (Not all parents). One point that Dr Byron brings to light in her statement is that “The digital world risks are comparable to real world risks but can be improved by the anonymity and ubiquity that the online space brings.” Keeping children safe must be the top priority and responsibility of us all – so it is important for this decision by our government to be sanctioned asp. The internet is here to stay so we have to accept this and deal with it.

This important issue remains a priority for Government and the United Kingdom Council on Child Internet Safety, established by and reporting to the Prime Minister will lead on a national strategy for improving child internet safety.” There are a vast variety of options for parents to choose from to keep their child safe while surfing the net.

1 It is in your child’s best interest to have the computer local in the house and not in the bedroom.

2 Point out to the little ones on what is appropriate and what is not.

3 If by accident your child stumbles across an inappropriate website and comes to you with a question, then it is important to praise them for coming to you.

4 If there are times and there will be, that you can not be present while your child studies or plays games then you have the option of initiating parental control over the sites you approve of.

5 In your absence you can alter the computer settings so that you are in control of site surfing.

A simple configuration of Microsoft Internet Explorer will allow this, however not a good option if you have older children doing research for school or college.

Kids love chat rooms, however if left unsupervised in a gossip forum then it can create problems.

Chat rooms are generally anonymous which is quite scary. If your child is adamant on joining a chat room then give them some advice on how to keep safe.

6 Your child should use a nickname and never reveal his or her real name.

7 Not under any circumstances should they reveal where they live

8 Never tell anyone what school they go to or where they work.

9 Do not give out your home or their mobile phone number.

10 Never agree to meet someone without a parent or friend present

Now to give the government a kick up the back side to get the ball rolling so our children can enjoy the internet for the reason it was created, i.e. safe socializing, fun and entertainment and most importantly to learn.

Internet safety and security are the two major problems facing computer users today. In this world of the internet, almost every person is accustomed to the online world. All computer users need to understand the dangers of the internet and how to stay safe online.

One of the biggest concerns computer users in today’s world face is the existence of virus. Viruses are programs designed by hackers to install on computers without the user knowing and crash the computer. A virus gets into the registry destroying it and eventually the computer crashes. When this occurs it can cost hundreds of dollars to get fixed and no guarantee the data can be saved. Internet safety starts with installing anti-virus software to protect against these threats.

Anti-virus software comes in two different forms, internet security suites and anti-virus software. Internet security software is designed to provide the maximum internet safety. The security suites comes with a anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware software. It also comes with a firewall and spam protection. Spam is the leading way in which viruses get installed on computes. You get an email the contains an attachment that holds the virus. Once the email has been clicked on the virus is launched and the computer is infected.

Internet security suites also provide greater value for money. A security suites comes with a 3 Pc license designed to protect all household computer. The average household today has more than one computer so you need protection for every computer.

The second form of safety software is just anti-virus plus anti-spyware. This software is only designed to protect computers from just these two threats. It doesn’t have all the extra safety features included in internet security suites. Anti-virus software doesn’t protect computers form identity theft and phishing attakcs. This software only comes with a single Pc license and costs almost as much.

When it comes to internet safety failure to install security software is just asking to trouble. The internet is full of viruses, spyware, and malware and if your computer isn’t protected than assume the computer is infected. These threats are crashing computers, stealing private information, and the main cause identity theft. Failure to protect yourself now will cost more money and time in the long run.

Pandora’s box has been opened and the explosion of information both personal and non-personal seems to be limitless and increases exponentially. And according to the National Opinion Poll taken in January of 2007 half the UK harbors a “deep mistrust” due to security concerns. Not only is there a deep public mistrust but, the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology are inquiring into the need for personal Internet Security because of the growing use of home computers, expansion of broadband, internet banking and commerce (Brent MacLean “A new look at Internet Security” Monday September 10, 2007).

Every one is talking extensively ( ISP Associations, Richard Clayton of the Cambridge Security Lab, John Carr of the Children’s Charities Coalition on Internet Safety, as well as Johnathan Zittrain of the Oxford Internet Institute and many others), gathering evidence of information and compiling it all for what? Sadly, most businesses and citizens still do not take the threat posed by cyber-insecurity seriously.

You would think with dependency of economies relying on certain infrastructures involving the Internet and information exchange between key service providers, that a disruption would certainly result in loss of lives, loss of property, and the collapse of public confidence globablly. Today simple domestic hacking is not the issue that will bring on devastating destruction like those designed by terrorist activities directed at nuclear plants, banking systems, hospitals, air traffic control as well as domain name servers, the possibilities are limitless. However, it is imperative to remove these personal and public computers from the arsenal of cyber terrorists as well as cybercriminals. With 225 million Internet users in North America (Nielson-Netratings), the personal computer dominates the Internet and at the same time is the most vulnerable. Millions of PCs are under the control of “zombie masters”. Red Herring, the technical business journal, estimated that in 2005 a 172,000 computers were hijacked and taken over each day and became “zombies” and under the control of a hacker. By 2007, Secure Computing, which tracks the Internet landscape, identified more than 500,000 new zombies per day that were hijacked and under the control of “bot” herders. Triple the level only two years earlier. The FBI says that because of their wideley distributed capabilities, botnets are a growing threat to national security, the national information infrastructure, and the economy.

The total number of compromised computers on the Internet is not known; however, Vince Cerf, Father of the Internet, estimates that about 150 million PCs currently connected to the Internet and are part of botnets. Based on FBI reports and other independent researchers the aforementioned number may be significantly higher. The typical home computer is attached to “always on” broadband facilities, severely compromised with malware (viruses, spyware, Trojans, keyloggers, etc.), usually without degradation of their ordinary capabilities and doing the bidding of their “zombie master”. Hacking, virus dissemination, denial od service (DoS), theft of personal data, ID fraud, keyloggers, spamming, distribution of pornography, spying through webcams, click fraud and many other cyber exploits are all now almost wholly orchestrated via zombie networks.

Computers weren’t designed for security; they were designed to perform complex work. As complex as computers are, each computer has 65,000 open ports (doorways) to the Internet; a simple element that leaves them vulnerable. You might wonder why an individual would want control of a herd of zombies, there are several reasons. For exploits whether it’s a denial of service, to bring down the servers of banks, major corporations, or a competitor. Inherently, whenever a computer says “hello” to another computer, that computer must respond with a “hello” back. A “bot herder” with tens of thousands of computers under their control has all of them say hello at the same time to your computer or a network of computers, what do think happens. Most likely the responding PC or server is overwhelmed and crashes, it simply can’t respond to that many hellos. A botnet can be purchased on the black market to carry out attacks. Zombie-making virus kits can be purchased on the net, requiring little or no technical knowledge and which provides the breeding ground for future international cybercriminals and the training ground for cybergangs (terrorists).

What are we to do? Implementing new laws when it’s already difficult to pursue and in some cases unenforceable and with cross-border criminal investigations not to mention the resources needed are vast and costly with little results.

How do we secure the Internet now? One idea is to improve administrative, regulatory, and technical solutions to produce a safer Net and then apply resources to fortify banks, airports, power plants from the insecure internet we have allowed to develop. It begins with securing the end-user and creating an awareness that we are all responsible for the safety of the Internet and we all need to “Become Responsible Cybercitizens”.

We the people have to make an effort to make sure our machines run clean and free of malware (viruses, spyware, trojans, etc.). That involves current patches, updates, upgrades, and professional software technologies. It also obligates everyone of us to make sure that we have not been compromised by having our computers serviced by a security technician and assured that there is no malware present. There is a service, the Invisus PC security service, that will provide a fully managed computer security service including unlimited security technical support plus several additional benefits that will earn you the title of a “Responsible Cybercitizen”.

Requiring ISPs to scan data traffic going to and from computers attached to their networks for unusual patterns of traffic and then deny them Internet access until it has been determined they are not zombies. We can also ask the ISP to provide remote patches, updates and software updates. However, the ISPs will bulk at the cost, liability, autonomy, support, and delivery. Or have our ISPs provide a value-added service similar to subscription-based services offered by the Invisus PC security service which not only provides for a hassle-free computing experience but, is a total security package locking down the end-users computer for a minimum monthly fee.

In order to succeed we must meld security and convenience. The consumer doesn’t want to be responsible for their security. All they want to know is how to turn their computer on and off. Unfortunately, we can’t have our cake and eat it too. The time has come to learn how to maintain a safe and healthy computer (saving the consumer both time and money) void of infections that keep spreading and infecting other computers. It’s not necessary to be technically savvy to operate a computer, like your automobile there’s no need to be a technically savvy mechanic but, it is important to make sure your car is in good operating condition not only for its performance but, for the safety of others. We have laws to assure us the security of cars and their owners are safe. Those who are ignorant of how to maintain the safety of an automobile are required to perform certain responsibilities to insure the safety of their vehicle for others as well as the owner of the car. To insure the safety of others we require a certain level of education and knowledge of the rules of the road. You can’t drive without insurance or a drivers license, which means that you have undertaken and understand some level of instructions.

You may disagree but, unfortunately as impossible as it may be practically, politically, and ethically, to require every consumer… including the ignorant, the poor, and even the wealthy, to be legally responsible for keeping their computer in a state of reasonable security, the fact is you are guilty until proven innocent. So, the next best approach might be to offer to try and educate them but we probably cannot impose a “computer-driving license”. Again, we may be able to offer an alternative by requiring the consumer to take necessary steps to assure that their computers are serviced and up-to-date with professional security software and that they are checked and given a clean bill of health; free of malware.

If you want to stay protected from the deadly spywares and keep your privacy secured, get spyware protection with anti spyware programs.

Technology always had two aspects and internet is no exception to this. This widely used technology also has it demerits and malwares are just one of them. There are different types of malwares and spyware is just one of them. Spywares are programs that are created to spy on the user of the infected computer and transfer the data to the authors or the distributors of the spyware. So, when you are having a spyware in your PC, you are always being monitored by others whenever you are online. There is only one sure-fire way to get spyware protection and that is anti spyware software.

As the spywares are different in construction and nature from the computer viruses they are not detected by most of the anti virus softwares. Therefore, even if you are having anti virus software installed in your computer you are note protected from the threats of spyware. To ensure optimum spyware protection, you need to install spyware detector software. It will scan all the programs that you will install to your PC. If there is trace of spyware in the program the software will either block the program to be installed or remove the spyware from program.

Spywares are mostly created to collect users’ internet browsing data to carry out targeted online advertising campaigns. Spywares monitor the website visits, page views, file downloads and online purchases. Spywares store the data and send them to the authors who use these data to analyze the interests of the user and then send him or her advertisements that will attract them. Spywares are also used to steal email addresses that are used to send spam. Spywares can even steal bank account numbers, credit card numbers and passwords by logging the keystrokes when you are entering them in the online forms. These confidential data are then used by the hackers and crackers for cyber crimes that can take a toll to you. To get rid of all these you need to ensure spyware protection and there are so many free spyware removal tools available to do that.

To get optimum spyware protection all you need to do is install anti spyware program in your PC. The anti spyware tool scans your computer and whenever finds a trace of spyware, it removes that and keeps your computer clean from spyware installation. These anti spyware tools also provide online protection against spywares.

Spyware Detector Software is an online resource, providing in-depth information about Spyware killer software, which is an essential tool to keep your system free of dangerous spywares, protecting your privacy and your PC. Here you will get vast technical information about anti spyware software to get spyware protection.