security

Being sick has its advantages – ones I never knew about! I have had some sort of crazy virus for several days now. I admit to spending one entire day sleeping it off as best I could. I stayed out of my office for the most part, and knocked myself out with the medicines the doctor gave me. Since that day, I’ve spent as much time as possible doing nothing other than sitting in my office. Since that happens to be where I work… I’ve actually accomplished quite a lot! I haven’t felt like going anywhere really, or “doing” anything much.

Read more on What Drives Your Productivity?…

The truth of malware today is that it is a cat-and-mouse game between the criminals/hackers and the security people. The hackers are ready to take advantage of every opportunity. Recently, former beauty contestant Carrie Prejean was in the news. It was just hours later that there were malware and spyware sites using the “Carrie Prejean” search to infect computers.

Read more on A Final Line on Malware Protection…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

The folks at PC PitStop have been a tremendous help to our community during the time we’ve been doing live streaming. We contribute videos to their newsletters as often as possible, and they contribute to all of you via excellent and exclusive deals on their software!

Read more on Keep Your Computer in Tip-Top Shape…

There used to be the belief that if one stays away from “bad” Web sites, then malware is not a problem. That is not true, as a recent example with the New York Times illustrated. The popular news Web site was compromised, and the trusted site was serving up malicious ads:

Read more on Vipre Protects Your Computer From Malware…

I noticed around the web that we have three community members celebrating birthdays today! Traci Toguchi, Frank Eliason and Drew Olanoff will all be blowing out candles today. Now, normally I’d say a simple “Happy Birthday!” and be done with it. However, realizing today is Drew’s birthday gave me pause, and made me think…

Read more on When is Your Birthday?…

You’ve seen us repeatedly say to back up your files. When someone has computer problems, one of the first questions that we ask is whether there is a backup of the important files. You would be surprised at how many people do not have a backup. And there is no reason for that lapse in security.

Read more on Backup Security and Synchronizing (even for Macs!)…

Earlier on Geeks, I read a thread someone had started asking what basic technology that we use today will not even be around in the future. The author lists such things as the keyboard and mouse, a land-line telephone, public Wi-Fi, and even operating systems! Wait, what? You don’t think operating systems will be around in the future? Well, you could be right, actually. With more and more computing being done in the Cloud, that’s something we may yet see in our lifetimes.

Read more on What Technology of Today Will be Obsolete Tomorrow?…

It is not good enough simply to say that you have a firewall. Not all firewalls are the same. Qualities – and functions – differ.

In very simple terms, you want a firewall that protects your computer in two directions. You want to stop unwanted traffic from reaching your computer. In addition, you want to stop some traffic leaving your computer if your security has been breached. And a security breach may happen. All it takes is an errant click. Further, there is no security program on the market that gives you a hundred percent protection. It is a cat-and-mouse game with criminals/hackers. Sometimes, the hackers are a step ahead of the security people.

Read more on Free Firewall (or a Bargain) from Sunbelt…

There are items in the news every day about identity theft. The obvious consequence is an unexpected financial disaster. However, it can be worse. There can be crimes committed under a stolen identity and warrants issued for the person who has had his/her identity used. And yet, it can be worse.

Read more on Identity Theft Protection…

I had to chuckle a little while ago when someone in our live chat room stated that Google’s new operating system will be 100% invulnerable to malware attacks. That’s an awful hefty claim for Google to make, if they in fact did. The truth is that nothing is impossible in this day and age of malware. Criminals, hackers and malware writers will indeed figure out a way to get inside of whatever Google comes up with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It’s rumors like these that make people who don’t know any better think that they don’t need any type of security software.

Read more on Don’t Believe Everything You Read…

It always makes me cringe when someone in my live chat room boasts that they are smart enough to not need any protection software on their computer. I shudder when they claim they couldn’t possibly get infected because they watch what they download. Seriously, folks… in this day and age, do you honestly think that’s all there is to it? Have you not listened to anything we’ve been trying to tell you?!

Read more on Windows Security Software…

I read an article on TechCrunch earlier today, discussing how Twitter will soon dominate the Internet, replacing even Google as the king. This made me stop and think for a bit. I mean, come on… Google is, well… Google! Do we honestly believe that anything could topple it from its undeniable reign at the top of the Internet ladder? The answer is a resounding YES.

Read more on Who Will Dominate the Internet?…

The World is buzzing with talk of the release of Windows 7 at long last. Heck, even I spent my evening talking to the community about their thoughts on the new OS, including a nice long convo about the security of 7 with my assistant, Kat. Everywhere you look online, people are talking about Windows 7. It’s all over Twitter. It’s on blogs. It’s on both Lockergnome and Geeks. It’s even in the news. So, what are people saying?

Read more on Windows 7 – Thumbs Up or Down?…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

I took several live calls earlier tonight to talk to people in the community about Windows 7. I wanted to get their honest reactions – find out what they love and hate. One of the calls was with my assistant, Kat. She’s been a Microsoft MVP in the area of Windows Security for over four years now, and has been considered an Expert in the malware removal community for about seven years. We talked a bit about the security side of Windows 7, and her take on the new operating system in general.

Read more on Windows 7 Security…

Identity theft has been tagged as being the fastest growing crime in America. Your private information is a commodity that some criminals harvest and resell. It is a whole subculture. The people stealing the personal information may not bother with committing the actual identity theft, but there are buyers for your personal information.

Read more on Safeguard Your Security and Privacy…