How to Prevent Identity Theft

Internet banking is a piece of cake for all those who know how to handle it. Free online bill-payment, the 'next day’ bank to bank funds transfer and much more, are some of its features that make your life so much easier. But, with this bliss you may also invite a serious trouble. One of the worst things that could happen to you is someone using your identity to borrow money from creditors and stealing money from your bank accounts. This is called Identity theft.

One would only need two pieces of your personal information to impersonate you: your date of birth (DOB) and your Social Security Number (SSN). Technically, these are the keys to your bank accounts, credit files, credit cards, health information and everything. No matter how fool proof banking might be these days you are ALWAYS at a risk of being a victim of Identity theft.

More Information at: www.ehow.com

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Spyware The Peeping Toms of the Web

While the internet is a great tool for research, or for just keeping in touch with e-mail or looking for a perfect gift, there is an annoying problem that is becoming increasingly dangerous for your computer. While everyone understands what a computer virus does, many people are still relatively unaware of the problem that is Spyware.

Spyware is another word for Advertising Supported software (Adware). There are several large media companies that place banner ads and pop-ups on certain web pages in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This is the front for the more harmful Spyware that almost always comes along with it behind the scenes. While the banner placement may be a great concept, the downside is that the advertising companies also install tracking software on your system, which is continuously "calling home" and using your Internet connection to report on everything on your computer and everywhere you go, and then reports this information back to the source program. While every site you may visit may have a privacy policy about not sharing information, the fact remains that someone put a program on your PC that is sending non-stop information about you and your surfing habits to someone else.

Although Spyware is something that because of its very nature seems like it should be illegal, it actually is not, though there are obviously major privacy issues. Spyware also has a tendency to open your computer up to receiving more computer viruses, which is another reason why someone should look at removing any Spyware from their computer. Spyware detection and removal software often comes with security software like Norton or MacAfee, but there are also plenty of programs out there that exist for the specific purpose of finding and removing Spyware. Any detailed research will help you find programs that you can download to your computer in order to take care of these problems.

There is also the type of Spyware that can be intentionally downloaded to a computer. This type is most often used by parents or guardians to get a monthly report to find out all the various web sites people in their household have visited over the past month. In some Christian circles, a particular type of Spyware has become popular, where a certain group of friends will receive a monthly list of every web site visited in the past month, as an “accountability” thing. Otherwise, most Spyware is best removed from a computer as soon as it is found.

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Top 10 Virus on January 2009

Here are the top 10 Virus/Trojan on January 2008

1. Windx-Maxtrox

Display your desktop wallpaper after modified by the virus Windx-Maxtrox.Virus created with Visual Basic has a body the size of the original around 77Kb, without in-pack. The virus is suspected to originate from the strong North Sulawesi has an executable file infection capabilities. Precisely, it will infected program in the Program Files directory. Technical infection canny enough to avoid implementing it detection heuristic antivirus engine. Characteristics that can be recognized on the infected computer is changing the image of the desktop wallpaper images into animation.

2. Autoit variants

Most variants use Autoit folder icon in the typical virus impersonation.Ciri this one is made using a scripting automation. That if the compile into a executable file, which is also in-pack using UPX. And nearly 90% of all viruses and their variants autoit that we have, using similar folder icon in impersonation. This virus will also create an autorun.inf file at the time of the disk drive or flash drive.

3. Malingsi

The virus attacks the other virus Malingsi fat.Virus well with the size of 705,312 bytes is created using Visual Basic in the pack-use PECompact. It seems this virus is intended to attack another virus, this is seen from the message in the body. This virus breed and spread using intermediaries Personalization, which acts as a bot.

4. Recycler variants

File viruses hiding behind the false Recycle .Whom become typical of this virus is a technique, how it spread. Of all the variants that we have, how that is done the same, namely masquerade as Recycle Bin. For example the virus attacks the flash disk. In the flash disk of the victim will be the folder with the name of Recycler in which there is a folder using the name of alpha numeric example “S-1-5-21-1482476501-1644491937-682003330-1013″ with the icon is similar to the Recycle Bin icon. If this folder, click on or accessed from the Explorer, the file the virus will not be visible. To view them, you can go to command prompt with the command “dir / a”.

5. Fdshield

The name used by Fdshield time spread.Virus made using Delphi language using this icon that resembles the Internet Explorer. Has a file size of 553,472 bytes, without in-pack. One thing the light of this virus is of the name used when spread, labeled “17 + + & Confidential Sexs Women artists Indonesia (foto2_kamera tersembunyi_liputan). Exe”. For users who do not careful - careful, will take the file is an HTML file. If you see in the directory C: \ Windows \ System32, the mother found a file with the name “rundl32.exe”. Do not be deceived again! That is not part of the Windows files, but it really is a file virus. Note the letter “L” is just one. And now see in the Schedule Task, have a new job with the name “Windows FD Shield” which will execute the virus file at the time that he has set.

6. Purwo variant

Message delivered creator.One more new variants, Purwo.C, still created using Visual Basic, with the body size of about 56KB, without the pure-pack. This virus uses Word document icon similar property MsOffice to deceive potential victims. When he infected create a folder with the name “Purwokerto Under Cover” of the hidden attributes, and contain a file called “KoruptorPurwokerto.exe” on each drive that he find. In the folder C: \ Windows \ System32 \ file system also have windowss.exe, and in the C: \ Windows \ javaa \ service.exe. At the time it will show a black screen that contains the text of the message from the author. And be careful, this virus will also remove some of the files belong to you that he met.

7.Formalin

File properties Formalin.Icon virus that is used by this virus resembles the withdrawal folder, and it is created using Visual Basic. On Formalin.D, the file size of 18,432 bytes, with the condition of the pack using UPX. The virus creates a folder “disguise” with names such as seepage problems UAN and UAS, My Completed Downloads, Picture Wallpaper, Crack Program, don’t opened !,Ensurt Data (dont’ removed), and others. At the infected computer, Internet Explorer in the caption will be changed to “Your computer has been infected Formalin virus.” He also tries to disable “safe-mode” with how to remove some registry related. And in the file properties of the virus, the property description in the version information will have any posts such as “Kasian dch loe”.

8. Raider.vbs variant

Raider habits virus body has up-to-encryption.Virus if this type of VBScript, its file opened with Notepad, not a lot of strings that can be read as in most encryption. This has become a habit in every variant. Typically, the Registry, it will provide a key to making the new HKLM \ Software with the same name as the name on the computer name, with its contents as a string value is the name of the virus, Raider, and the date the first time the computer is infected.

9. Autorunme variant

Virus Autorunme hide the Recycle Bin folder that is not a production dibuatnya.Virus local programmers use this pack PECompact. He does not have the icon, only the icon from the standard Windows applications. infected time, he tried to embed the file on the parent directory C: \ Windows \ System with the name and msvc32s.exe with hidden and system attributes, and create new autorun in registry with the name “Windows msvc Control Centers.” The virus can spread through the data storage media such as flash disks can also be spread through Instant Messaging application. In the flash disk, it will make the Recycle Bin folder imitation that contains files with the name autorunme.exe, and direct autorun.inf file to run the virus. So when a user plug and play their flash disk drive and access is, the virus will be active.

10. Rieysha variant

Sma-Virus Found Rieysha variants of Rieysha again, this time with the name Rieysha-high school. Like previous variants, it is still possible to use Visual Basic. This time around the size of 104KB, with the icon that resembles a file Real Media Player. Menginfeksi time, it will create a duplicate file exe, mp3, doc, and replaced with a 3gp himself. In addition, there are at least 2 pieces of virus files on the root drive, with the name “sma3gp.exe” and “CeritaSeru.vbs”.

Source: bibeh.com

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Safe and Secure Online Payments with SSL Certificates

The seamless world of the Internet has broken open the physical barriers that existed across regions on the Globe. Today, therefore, you could be sitting in Munich and buying goodies from Seoul. Very convenient, and thrilling. But, when you pay for your goodies and swipe you’re Credit Card, are you sure, you are paying only for what you paid for? Chances are your Credit Card Information traverses through alien territory into the wrong pair of hands. The result, the next morning, you will find your Bank account eroded or emptied? Not a situation that most of us can afford or enjoy.

How do we then transact on the Internet and yet safeguard our hard earned monies from those Electronic pirates? The answer is relatively simple. Every time you choose to buy product or services through web-sites, before entering your Credit Card and other personal information look for information on whether the payment gateway is secured. Informed customers would always prefer to transact their business through secure sites and this will automatically bring in more business to Websites secured through SSL certificates from well known providers.


Payment gateways are secured through SSL or Secured Socket Layer. When you enter your personal and or Credit Card information into a secure site, an encrypted public key is created. This is termed as a handshake to authenticate safe transaction. The unique encryption method which gets established in the process will have a unique session key. This process protects theft of valuable data and only the transaction that you intend to complete is processed.

SSL certification has been found to be very reliable across, Internet users and also among the customers. These certificates are issued by a reliable and trusted authority, the Certificate Authority. The web-site through which you are attempting to transact business carries signs of the agency which has issued the SSL certificates. There are other similar agencies too, which offer these SSL certifications. When you click on the sign, the details of the certifying agency are displayed.

When you click on such secured domains, your system generates a SSL handshake which is accessed by the web-site server. The unique encryption method employed then allows a secure transaction to go through.

Why all this bother?

When you are transacting valuable business or even sending across precious data, it is necessary to route them through secure servers which have the seal of security such as an SSL certificate. In the absence of this Security, it would compare with sending a snail mail in a transparent envelope.

For E-Commerce and other Web-site owners, the SSL certification acts as a stamp of credibility and assurance of safety to their valuable customers.

For the Service Providers and other Vendors/Merchants in the Internet world, exhibiting their site security sign – a reputed one at that, not only assures the customer that the information he parts with will be securely handled, but also separates them from the crowd. Informed customers would always prefer to transact their business through secure sites and this will automatically bring in more business to Websites secured through SSL certificates from well known providers.

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The Home Computer User’s Guide to Spyware

As with the computer virus, spyware can be broken down into a number of different categories. Most users are familiar with the term “adware” which refers to software which serves annoying ads. There are however a number of other spyware variants you should be aware of.

To begin with it is important to have a clear definition of spyware. This will also help us understand why the term is commonly used to encompass a number of different variants. Spyware is a program, usually installed without your knowledge, which records what you do on your computer and then shares it with its creator.

The information which the spyware program collects can vary from the websites you visit to log-in and passwords for your online banking site. The sharing of your personal information with a third party is why spyware in its purest form is labelled as a malicious threat and clearly is a major privacy issue.

Adware is the second mostly commonly used term. Adware is designed to display adverts relevant you, commonly based on your surfing habits, to generate Pay-Per-Click advertising revenue or sales through affiliate links. Adware is commonly bundled with free software by developers instead of charging a price.

The malicious nature of adware can vary enormously. At one of the scale, adverts are displayed in a non-intrusive manner in a window within the free program you have downloaded. When the program is not running, ads are not displayed. At the other end of the scale, a user could find their desktop overwhelmed as the adware program spews out multiple pop up ads in a very aggressive manner. Whilst it may be possible to believe the former is not transmitting personal data to a third party, it is difficult to expect the later not to.

The adware issue is further complicated by marketing companies who do not like their software being labelled “spyware.” These marketing companies generate millions of dollars of income often via recognised brand name clients. So to avoid legal issue security companies refer to this software as PUPs (potentially unwanted programs).

Browser hijackers are another aggressive form of spyware. They attack important browser settings like your default homepage which your browser loads when you start the program. Hackers direct you to sites which generate revenue for them like the Russian website “Cool Web Search”. Browser hijackers can also insert sites into your bookmarks. They also can cause your browser to crash and stop working completely and are typically difficult to remove.

Key Loggers capture all your key strokes into a DLL file which the creator retrieves. Software key loggers are often bundled with a Trojan Virus which gives the creator access to your computer.

Here are some tips and strategies to fight the different types of spyware.
- Keep Windows XP and ALL your web browsers (including Internet Explorer and FireFox) up to date with the latest patches.
- Install a reputable anti-spyware program like Webroot Spy Sweeper or PC Tools Spyware Doctor. Run frequent scans and keep the definitions up to date.
- Install a reputable anti-virus program like Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee VirusScan. Run frequent scans and keep the definitions up to date.
- Install a firewall which manages both inbound and outbound connections. Top personal firewall software picks include Zone Labs’s Zone Alarm and Norton Personal Firewall. Alternatively purchase a router with a hardware firewall.
- Avoid downloading free software programs including screensavers and weather toolbars.
- Avoid know high spyware risk area on the internet including illegal music sharing sites, Peer-to-Peer programs, free game download sites and adult sites.

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Identity Theft – Who is phishing for your information?

There’s a new type of internet piracy called phishing (pronounced fishing). Internet thieves are fishing for your personal information. They’re looking for ways to trick you into giving out your Social Security Number, credit card number and other personal information that they can use to their advantage. You could become a victim of identity theft that could take years to clear your financial history and personal reputation. But understanding how these internet thieves work, will help you to protect yourself from becoming a victim.

How do these thieves get your information?
Typically, you might receive an email from a company that you are familiar with that looks real. It has the company logo, they may call you by name, and the tone of the email is that they are looking out for your best interests. This email will warn you of some imminent danger to your account or credit card and that you need to take action immediately or you will suffer dire consequences. There will be a link (underlined writing usually in blue) for you to click on that will take you to their website. And guess what? The website they take you to will look like the real thing with the company logo and all.

Next, you will be asked to verify your account, password, or credit card information. If you ever find yourself here, STOP! Do nothing. Do not fill in any personal information. Immediately exit from this website and delete the phony email that you received.

How to know that this is a phishing email.
If you did not email this company asking for information about your account or for help with a problem, be suspicious. If you are still not sure because it looks so real, call the company yourself and ask. You can find these phone numbers on your monthly statement. If it is after hours and no one is there to take your call, wait until the next day when you can reach someone. Don’t fall for the imminent danger message and feel that you have to take action immediately. Phishers are hoping that you will take immediate action – don’t panic and let them trick you into clicking on their link.

What can you do?
Never give someone your password over the internet or phone when it is an unsolicited request. Your credit card company knows what your password and credit card number is. They don’t need to ask you for it.
Likewise, your bank knows what your account number and social security number, they won’t ask you to repeat it verbally over the phone.

Review all of your monthly statements every month as soon as they arrive. Check for charges that you never made. If your statement is ever late in arriving in the mail, call and ask why. Protect yourself from these would-be thieves. Don’t let them take your identity! Please remember to Bookmark Internet Security Center now! Thanks for visiting.

Brought to you by http://www.PrePaid-Legal-Help-4U.com where you have complete legal protection 24/7 for less than $1 a day!

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Protecting your self against online credit card fraud

Today more and more people are looking to the internet to do their shopping. With online stores popping up all over the internet the urge to spend money on the World Wide Web has never been stronger. The unfortunate thing is that the urge for scam artists to take your money has never been stronger. So how do you protect your self from these thieves? If you follow these simple steps I promise you’ll enjoy shopping on the internet more having taken these precautions.

The first thing you should consider when buying online is if the website you are shopping on is secure? These days most retail websites have secure pages where you enter your personal information but that doesn’t mean that all sites are secure. The first step in making sure that your information is secure is to check the address bar and look for “https” this means that you are on a secure page. If the address begins with “http” the page is not secure and your information should not be given. The second step in determining if the website is safe is to look for the picture of a closed lock or an unbroken key. These pictures can be found in the bottom right corner of your browser window. When the lock is open or the key is broken the page is not secure. The last thing to look for is mention of secure certificates or “SSL”. These logos usually appear near the bottom of the screen. If you are still not sure if the website is secure you can always ask them through e-mail (make sure to save the reply just in case).

Credit card fraud is still relatively common. Even with all the security that some of the larger websites have, these con artists are still able to scam some people. So what do you do if you suspect that you have been scammed? The first thing you should do is determine if the charges on your credit card are really unauthorized. This is why you should save all of your receipts. Sometimes when a company makes a charge to your card it might show up on your statement as a charge from a name that you don’t recognize so it is important to check your receipts and confirmation e-mails (the company will usually tell you what the purchase will be charged as in the confirmation) to make sure that the mystery charges aren’t legitimate. Once you are sure that you have been scammed either by the store or by someone that has somehow stolen your credit card information your next step is to contact the credit card company. Some companies such as VISA and MasterCard offer zero liability for fraudulent charges. If your credit card issuer does not have a zero liability policy then you are only liable for up to $50 according to federal law.

Shopping on the internet is more popular than ever and with the flood of internet shoppers comes a wave of con artists. Protect your self from these crooks. Follow the information I have laid out for you and remember to save your receipts, look for secure pages and if that isn’t enough then only buy from well established websites that you have had good experiences with.

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Your Next PR Nightmare Could Be Only a Click Away

In the age of Enron and failed intelligence, scandals remain the rage of the front page. Companies want to see positive spin and not scandal related material published. Imagine for a moment the educational software site where employees are identified as regular visitors to pornography websites. The effect to such a company’s image could be devastating.

Leaks, Peeks & Sneaks

There are numerous security risks facing companies with internal networks. Primary among their concerns are stifling leaks and backdoors that allow hackers to penetrate their firewalls. But the threat from within the company may prove to be more devastating to a company’s reputation and subsequently their stock value and much more.

Employees face a four-pronged attack from blended threats across the board. Phishing and pharming are two of the more popular attacks that face Internet users everyday. Typically sent via email, phishing attacks depend on the concern of an employee to take care of matters ranging from personal to financial. The uneducated user will click an embedded link and leave the network vulnerable to an attack.

The sophistication of these attacks can penetrate even the most complex of security systems unless user error can be compensated for. The most popular forms of phishing involve instant messaging and emails. Despite the widely known understanding of spoofing, most users do not expect to receive messages from spoofed accounts.

Increasing a systems security perimeter can block instant messaging ports and prevent such external security breaches. Network security devices can also block web requests to URLs presented in instant messages. Better still, URLs or web requests from internal users can be compared to a database of acceptable websites and disallowed or denied if they do not match.

Living on the Fringe

Installing spyware and malware is another by-product of visiting less than secure websites. Internet users are often besieged by offers for free software, free access and freebies. The lure of the freebie is as potent if not more so on the Internet than it is in real life. Downloading such freebies can come with passenger programs designed to record keystrokes and much more.

The least of the problems that spyware can commit is to tie up bandwidth and computer memory. The worst is that it can actually spawn Internet attacks to other sites, download critical data and send it elsewhere. Employees do not have to be lured just by a freebie either. They can simply make a typo in submitting a URL and find themselves in the wrong Internet neighborhood. Clever programmers can generate pop-up windows and disguise a button with a simple label like ‘close’ and the user will click it, thinking they will only close the nuisance window. Some programs on high-speed network access can be downloaded in the blink of an eye, compromising the computer and potentially the network.

One-Click Scandals

Scandals need very little fuel to fire. A user who chooses to go to a website of questionable integrity and intent and a user who is lured there by a bad link or a typo offer the same type of danger to a company. Scandals do not have to make the front page to generate reputation-damaging issues for a company.

Word of mouth is as fast a delivery service for reputation sabotage as press reporting is. A network security company that cannot protect against hacking of their website does not engender trust or confidence. A financial investment firm that is accused of insider trading when emails and instant messages from employees are subpoenaed and found to be questionable will likely lose clients, capital and more.

The Burden of Responsibility

Scandal can be generated by an innocent act as easily as by one of guilty intent. Corporations are responsible for the actions of their employees. Questionable Internet behavior and activity can and will affect a company’s reputation, financial standing and potentially their legal standing as well.

A corporation bears the burden of responsibility for its employees and their actions. By employing network security devices to monitor and restrict Internet activity, a corporation not only relieves a large measure of their burden, but also protects their interests on numerous fronts. Without such protection, a company is courting disaster and inviting scandal.

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Don’t Be Bugged - Get Bug Detectors

You are walking along, sweeping back and forth, area after area, searching. You are continuing searching when suddenly a sound begins to click, faster and faster. Is it a Geiger counter? No, it is your bug detector. That is right. If you suspect that someone is listening in on your private conversations, strategic development meetings, covert operations, or whatever your reason for secrecy might be, you can stop it instantly and for good with bug detectors.

These handy devices promise you peace of mind and are capable of detecting, locating, and verifying hidden transmitters regardless of where they might be. These work not just in your office or home, or only on your telephone, but even in or on your car.

You may be asking yourself what the difference is between detecting and verifying a hidden transmitter. Obviously, if you detect and locate a bug, you are verifying that you are being bugged, right? Well, verifying in this instance means something else entirely. Let us say that you are sweeping for bugs and the bug detectors you are using begin to squeal or vibrate, telling you that a bug is present. There is a possibility that what it is picking up is not a bug but an ordinary television or radio transmission.

You could drive yourself nuts trying to find a non-existent bug you believe is planted somewhere on your television or radio. But since you are also able to verify with your bug detectors, you will then know that it is not a bug but just a regular, non-threatening transmission.

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Avoiding Identity Theft

What's in a name? Possibly thousands of dollars. That's the word from law enforcement agents who say that Americans lose millions to identity theft each year.

The term "identity theft" refers to a crime in which a person steals your Social Security number or other private information. The criminal then uses that information to charge items or services on your credit or simply steal money from your bank account. The thieves often operate online, making it especially important to take precautions when surfing the Web.

A new book called "Geeks On Call Security and Privacy: 5-Minute Fixes" (Wiley, $14.95) could help you protect your identity. It offers expert advice on securing your computer as well as simple, step-by-step explanations of topics ranging from stopping viruses and spyware to backing up your data. The book explains these tips and others in detail:

Encrypt Your Computer Data

If your computer contains financial statements, credit card numbers, business documents, names and addresses of friends and family or other private information, consider using encryption software.

Social Security Numbers

Never use your Social Security number as a login on a Web site and do not give your Social Security number if an unsolicited e-mail requests it.

Avoid Automatic Logins

Some Web sites offer to save your user name and password so you can avoid the hassle of logging in over and over again. However, saving this information can make it easier for a thief to steal your identity.

Always Log Out

Before exiting an Internet account (online banking, bill pay, etc.), be sure to click the "Log Off" or "Log Out" button. This closes your session on the site and prevents someone from breaking into your account by clicking the back button on your Web browser.

Avoid Credit Card "Auto Save"

Most e-commerce Web sites allow you to store credit card numbers on their databases to make future transactions faster. Unfortunately, these databases are often targeted by hackers.

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