malware

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…

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…

One of the absurdities that is circulating the Internet is that even hackers are suffering in this economy. With the tough economic situation, supposedly hackers are having more competition. This is just one of the theories to explain why there is a steady increase in malware and criminal activity such as phishing and identity theft.

Read more on Are Hackers Suffering in This Economy?…

The number of malware sites are increasing. IBM has reported an increased sophistication with attempts to infect computers. The frightening thing is that some malware is being pushed unknowingly by legitimate sites.

Read more on Know When Something is Being Installed on Your Machine…

Some days, it seems as though there is a never-ending barrage of new malware out there in the cyber-world. Hackers and criminals are increasingly creative in trying to get you to click the links, thus delivering you their malicious code. People using services like Twitter also have to be concerned about malware – just ask our friend Guy Kawasaki. The trend this week is to use Swine Flu updates, and the lure of a possibly exposed ESPN sports reporter to spread malware. There are just too many schemes to list. In short – they’ll try anything, and stop at nothing.

Read more on Save Your Computer from Malware – and Naked Journalists!…

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford wrote what he considered to be private email correspondences to a “dear friend”. Unfortunately, the recipient of his email communications had her email account hacked. This unauthorized access meant that Governor Sanford’s private, intimate email correspondences were media fodder for the national and international press. The breach of email security was one of the reasons that Governor Sanford has much unwanted attention and public embarrassment.

Read more on One Step for Privacy and Security…

People ask me all of the time if registry cleaning software is safe to use, and which one I would recommend. The truth of the matter is – I don’t recommend using any of them! I did a video about this last year, with the help of some very knowledgeable people.

Read more on Are Registry Cleaners Safe to Use?…

There is a myth about computer security that survives. It goes something like this: ‘you can stay out of trouble if you don’t visit bad sites.’ This is not true. First of all, what defines a ‘bad’ site? And, with the expertise and sophistication of today’s criminals, any site can be compromised and turned into a site that delivers malware. For example, it may be an exploit of an existing flaw that has not been patched. So you could be exposed to malware by going a site that has been a regular Internet visit for years. Just recently, on June 1, 2009, Ryan Naraine reported that 20,000 sites were “hit with drive-by attack code.” Some security people are estimating that it is 40,000 sites.

Read more on A Watchdog for Your Computer Installations…

Most people now have more than one computer. Some may have a main desktop machine and a laptop for out-of-the-house work. It is baffling why each and every computer that a person owns does not have the same level of protection against malware and spyware. The analogy that comes to mind is that the front door of the house has the best dead-bolt lock on the market while the back door is secured by a hook and eye mechanism.

Read more on Protect All of Your Computers at Once…

Some people who spend many hours online fighting malware requested that this top-rated firewall be brought back, as an offer for our readers. It was formerly known as the Kerio Personal Firewall. Now, it is called the Sunbelt Personal Firewall.

Read more on Top-Rated Firewall Back by Request…

There are times when internet predictions are simply too easy. Last Monday, on these pages, there was an indication that there would be an increase in malware because of the news of the swine flu problem. Regrettably, this has come true. There has been an increase in spam, phishing, malware and other nefarious online activity.

Read more on Malware – Hate to be Correct…

Every major news service on the planet is carrying stories about the tragedies and possible escalation of problems concerning the swine flu outbreak. It is a serious problem with the possibility of becoming significantly worse. One of the first responders to this global concern is the hacking / malware community. Hackers and criminals are viewing this swine flu problem as an opportunity. Slick malware may be on its way, if it is not propagating at this very moment. It is only a matter of time. These hackers may be seen as first responders of the very worse kind.

Read more on More Malware on its Way – Protect Yourself…

Did you do your taxes on your laptop or your desktop? Were you diligent enough to save a copy of all the work – just in case there were any problems? If you did, there is enough information on your computer to make you a victim of identity theft. There are essentially two things that a half-way efficient identity thief needs… your name and your social security number. Your date of birth would make it that much easier to turn you into an identity theft victim, but it isn’t really an essential. All that is needed is that social security number tied to your name.

Read more on Huge Savings to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft!…

USA Today has called WinPatrol “very powerful protection”. Yesterday, the founder of WinPatrol, Bill Pytlovany, was gracious and answered a few questions for us.

WinPatrol protects your computer by keeping it under constant surveillance. There are stealth methods whereby malware and spyware can infect your computer, without you knowing. Even when you are super cautious, it may be a hurried click or an errant keystroke of the “Enter” key to cause a whole load of problems. Worse yet, the changes may happen without you having to doing anything.

This is where WinPatrol become critical to having a secure computer. Like a trusty watchdog, WinPatrol gives out a warning when there are any changes attempted on your machine. Then you decide whether to allow the change. The icon for WinPatrol is appropriately a little “scotty” dog. This program runs in the background and takes up little of your computer resources. You will notice WinPatrol when it spots a potential problem. You will be warned.

WinPatrol is on many “must have” lists. This is a program that has an excellent history – and countless recommendations over the years. WinPatrol has been available for over ten years, thanks to the work of Bill Pytlovany. The improvement functions packed into this program will surprise you. Here is a list from Bill: included functions of WinPatrol.

Briefly, here is what WinPatrol will not do:

Read more on Geek Savings on WinPatrol…