Sunday, April 27, 2008

How to Prevent Spyware

What to do to make sure spyware doesn't infect your computer-How to be cautious when downloading files
The easiest way to prevent spyware is to make sure it never gets into your system in the first place! Of course, this can be easier said than done.
To help you out, we have conducted tests, and have found that XoftSpySE is one of the best ways to protect your computer. This anti-spyware program is adept at preventing known ActiveX controls, as well as hijackers and dialers from being installed on the hard drive of your computer.
There are a number of other ways to protect your PC from the harmful affects of spyware. Here are some of them:
***Only download programs from Web sites you know and trust. When trying to access possible harmful sites, your computer will give you a warning. Be sure to heed that important warning!
***Be sure to examine all security warnings, license agreements and privacy statements associated with any type of download. Sometimes, notices about spyware are buried in the fine print. A sneaky way to try to invade your computer, indeed!
***Make sure to never click "agree" or "OK" when you go to close a window. The better option is to click the red "x" in the corner of the window. Another option is to press the Alt + F4 buttons on your keyboard to close a window.
***Be cautious about using "free" file-sharing programs, such as those that offer access to music, television shows, movies, and video games. and be sure you clearly understand all of the software packaged with those programs. Source: from ArticlesFactory.com

What is Spyware?

What spyware is-How it damages your computer-How to get rid of it
Many times, spyware is installed when you obtain software from a third party like a peer-to-peer provider, but you don't even know it's on your computer. This harmful software then obtains information about the browsing habits of the user and can sometimes monitor and track other personal information. Spyware is the term used these days for any software that operates without permission of the user, and benefits a 3rd party.
Some of the direct effects of spyware intruders are:
* The addition of affiliate links
* Spying on internet activity
* Installation of other 3rd party applications
* The addition of new home pages
* ID Theft
* A PC that runs in a sluggish manner
* A registry that is corrupt
Many users don't even know their personal computer is infected, but when they finally discover what the problem is, it's very difficult to remove the spyware without some type of assistance. Often, those who distribute spyware will say the user agreement allowed for this monitoring when a certain application was downloaded.
Primary targets for spyware are Windows and Internet Explorer, because most computer users utilize these products. A different type of product might reduce your risk, but there's really no way you can know for sure.
If unwanted ads are appearing while you are using your PC, your computer is probably infected with spyware. The best way to get rid of it and keep it off your computer is to use a product that reviews spyware. We have found XoftSpySE to work the best in both getting rid of spyware and preventing it in the future
Source: from ArticlesFactory.com

Can I Guess Your Password?

An easy way for you to protect your sensitive data and email is to change your passwords on a monthly basis, or even more often depending on how frequently you use computers away from home. Just as important as changing your password is choosing a good one. Let’s talk about what makes a good password and what makes a bad one.
I’ve been on the Internet a long time. In that time, I’ve visited about a zillion websites that required a username and password. OK, maybe it just seems like a zillion. Let’s just say a lot. And I’ll bet you have at least a couple of dozen passwords too. Think about it – you have one (or more) for email, your ISP (Internet Service Provider), credit cards, banks, forums, chatrooms. . .you get the gist of it. Now consider that the average human brain can only hold five to nine “random bits of information” in its short-term memory. That’s why people choose easy-to-remember passwords, which are usually the most dangerous. For instance, did you know the most common password is simply “password”? And it doesn’t help matters any that it is usually the default password for many software programs and websites. Most people don’t change it as recommended, and will even use “password” for all of their other passwords. So if you are using “password” as your password, change it today. And don’t create the same user name and password everywhere – that is almost equally dangerous. Think about it. . . if a hacker figures out your email account login and password, it will be pretty easy for them to figure out where else you have accounts and use that same login information. You might as well hang a “welcome” sign out in front of your credit card and bank account! Here are some very general rules for passwords: • Use different passwords for different accounts • Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess (family and pet names, phone numbers, months, birthdates, etc.) • Also avoid common words – such as “password”! “God” is also an especially common one. Write your passwords down on paper and keep them in a safe place. You can also keep them in your computer (such as in Excel), but print them whenever you make significant changes. You never know when your hard drive is going to crash. Be cautious if using a password software program – some of them come with spyware, so do your research. Once you come up with a new password, run it through a free password evaluator to determine its strength against hacking. Just type “password evaluator” into your Google search bar and you should have some good choices.
Source: from ArticlesFactory.com

gos www.thinkgos.com

gOS www.thinkgos.com
Linux Ubuntu-based and powered by
Google’s apps (just don’t call it Google OS),
gOS comes with the $200 PCs from Wal-
Mart, but you can download it for any PC.

Glide www.glidedigital.com

Glide www.glidedigital.com
Web Flash Sleek style sets this Web OS
apart, as does the ability (using a separate
utility) to sync fi les, bookmarks, and
e-mail from your real OS.

Free spire 2.0

Free spire 2.0 www.freespire.com
Linux This community-driven OS is based
on Linspire (formerly Lindows)—a Linux
distro that looks like Windows, with an
emphasis on compatibility with other
platforms.

eye OS eyeos.info

eye OS eyeos.info
Web This Web OS has ultra-simplifi ed
applications, including an RSS reader,
a browser—yes, for browsing the Web
while on the Web.

ajax Windows

ajax Windows www.ajaxwindows.com
Web A virtual operating system (aka
Web OS), it uses Asynchronous Java-
Script and XML (AJAX) programming
to mimic the look and feel of a Windows
desktop in Firefox or IE. It stores fi les
(using Gmail) and runs its own applications,
plus Web apps like Meebo and
Google Maps. If you can launch a Web
browser, you can get work done through
ajaxWindows.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

uTorrent

uTorrent www.utorrent.com
Windows The tiniest BitTorrent client
around (only 214K) comes with all the
torrent download features you crave.

Universal Extractor

Universal Extractor http://www.legroom.net
Windows See what’s inside any archive
file — ZIP, RAR, even EXE.

BitLet . org

http://BitLet.org
Web Who needs a BitTorrent client? Just
fi nd the torrent metafi le link on a tracker
site, plug it in at BitLet.org, and let it retrieve
the fi le as if you were downloading
it from a regular Web site.

Uniblue Process Scanner

Uniblue Process Scanner
http://www.processlibrary.com
Windows Web You can do the Ctrl-Alt-
Delete salute in Windows to see what’s
bogging down your PC, but can you understand
the results? ProcessScanner,
coupled with the online Process Library,
provides extra information on each process
(like whether it autostarts or not,
and who makes the software in question),
and even lists the security risk to
your system for running it.

Tinker Tool

TinkerTool http://www.bresink.com
MacOS Get access to additional preference
settings in Mac OS X to turn on
hidden features.

Task Killer

Task Killer http://www.rsdsoft.com
Windows Stop any Windows process
dead; this is handy for clearing frozen
applications.

Secure ZIP

SecureZIP http://www.securezip.com
Windows Compress and decompress fi les
on the fl y, even in e-mail through Outlook
integration, and encrypt archives as
desired.

SandBoxie www.sandboxie.com

SandBoxie http://www.sandboxie.com
Web Place a layer of “transient storage”
—a sandbox—between your applications
and your hard disk to stay safe.

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield http://www.anchorfree.com
Windows Create an instant virtual private
network (VPN) tunnel between your
laptop and the router at any Wi-Fi hot
spot to protect your data from snoops on
the public airwaves, even if you’re using

EULAlyzer www.javacoolsoftware.com

EULAlyzer http://www.javacoolsoftware.com
Windows Wonder what you’re agreeing
to when you click “I Accept”? Don’t
worry; just drag EULAlyzer’s target icon
onto the EULA for a quick report on any
troublesome language.

Zone Alarm Free

ZoneAlarm Free http://www.zonealarm.com
Windows The free edition remains a useful
protector against hack attacks and
against programs that abuse your Internet
connection.

SmoothWall Express

SmoothWall Express
http://www.smoothwall.org
Linux Got a spare PC running a Pentium
200 MHz or higher with 128MB of RAM?
Turn it into a dedicated network fi rewall
with this open-source download.

Shields UP

ShieldsUP! http://www.grc.com
Windows Web Be sure your fire walls are
keeping your always-on Internet connection
hidden from attackers. Shields UP!
provides a quick confi rmation

Comodo Firewall Pro


Comodo Firewall Pro
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com
Windows This protective dragon for XP
and Vista keeps hackers out of your system,
controls which programs can access
the Net (its whitelist of about one million
means you get fewer pop-ups), and
blocks tricky “leak test” techniques. It’s
both tough and good-looking.

gOS www.thinkgos.com

gOS http://www.thinkgos.com
Linux Ubuntu-based and powered by
Google’s apps (just don’t call it Google OS),
gOS comes with the $200 PCs from Wal-
Mart, but you can download it for any PC.

Glide www.glidedigital.com

Glide http://www.glidedigital.com
Web Flash Sleek style sets this Web OS
apart, as does the ability (using a separate
utility) to sync fi les, bookmarks, and
e-mail from your real OS.

Freespire 2.0

Freespire 2.0 http://www.freespire.com
Linux This community-driven OS is based
on Linspire (formerly Lindows)—a Linux
distro that looks like Windows, with an
emphasis on compatibility with other
platforms.

eyeOS eyeos.info

eyeOS http://eyeos.info
Web This Web OS has ultra-simplifi ed
applications, including an RSS reader,
a browser—yes, for browsing the Web
while on the Web.

ajax Windows

ajaxWindows www.ajaxwindows.com
Web A virtual operating system (aka
Web OS), it uses Asynchronous Java-
Script and XML (AJAX) programming
to mimic the look and feel of a Windows
desktop in Firefox or IE. It stores fi les
(using Gmail) and runs its own applications,
plus Web apps like Meebo and
Google Maps. If you can launch a Web
browser, you can get work done through
ajaxWindows.

Friday, April 25, 2008

WinAmp www.winamp.com

WinAmp http:// www.winamp.com
Windows After a decade of playing music,
the “skinnable” WinAmp has several
versions, including one with full CD ripping
and burning.

Ubuntu www.ubuntu.com

Ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com
Linux This Linux-based OS comes with
many of these Hall of Fame products
(Firefox, OpenOffi ce.org) preinstalled.
(See “OS Wars,” page 87.)

Thunderbird

Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows MacOS Linux Mozilla’s no-cost
e-mail alternative is extensible, fast,
and easy to master. And a wealth of free
add-ons means there’s not much this
program won’t do, from calendars to
encryption.

www.skype.com

Skype http://www.skype.com
Windows MacOS Linux You’ll pay to
call regular phones, but if you sign up
all your friends, Skype provides easy
(and even international) calls and videoconferencing
for nothing.

OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org
Windows MacOS Linux You can spend a
lot for Microsoft Offi ce or nothing for
this suite with full-function word processor,
spreadsheet, database, presentations,
even an equations editor.

iTunes

iTunes http://www.apple.com/itunes
Windows MacOS When you’re attached to
the top media player in the land (iPod),
success is a given. iTunes con tinues to
build sales and refi ne its organization
of songs, video, games, podcasts, and
more.

GIMP www.gimp.org

GIMP http://www.gimp.org
Windows MacOS Linux The GNU Image
Manipulation Program (GIMP) does
most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop
project (plasticbugs.com) even
makes it look like Photoshop.

Firefox

Firefox http://www.mozilla.com
Windows MacOS Linux This PC Mag Editors’
Choice Web browser has been on
top of the heap since version 1.5 came
out in late 2005.

Audacity

Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows MacOS Linux Whether you’re
recording or editing, Audacity is all
about audio in practically any format.

AIM

AIM http://www.aim.com
Windows MacOS Linux Web One of the
most widely used pieces of free software
ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton
of capabilities.

Adobe Reader

Adobe Reader http://www.adobe.com
Windows MacOS Linux Mobile This simplest
of Adobe’s PDF programs lets you
do just about anything PDF-related (besides
create new ones), including online
collaboration. It includes a host of features
to aid users with disabilities.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

19 secrets of XP

1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type ' gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).
3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.
4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.
5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.
6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.
7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.
8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.
9. XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to Code:www.whatismyip.com-- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.
This one will create a way to hacking too, if he do mischief
12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.
13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.
15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.
16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.
18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.
19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Trend Micro House Call


HTTP://housecall.trendmicro.com
Windows Web Use the venerable House-
Call online scanner to get a second opinion,
or use the app for cleanup when
malware prevents installation of a local
antivirus utility.

ThreatFire AntiVirus


http://www.threatfire.com
Windows ThreatFire detects the bad guys
by their behavior, not by outdated virus
signatures. It’s surprisingly accurate and
a good companion to standard antivirus
apps.

Nano Scan

http://www.nanoscan.com
Windows Web In less than a minute, NanoScan
can analyze all processes running
on your computer and identify viruses,
Trojan horses, spyware, or other
malicious programs.

Avira AntiVir Personal Edition

Avira AntiVir Personal Edition

Classic HTTP://www.free-av.com
Windows AntiVir scans fi les on demand,
upon access, and on a schedule; it
doesn’t scan e-mail attachments until
they’re saved, but it does go to work
on rootkits. It’s especially good at coexisting
with other security software.
Like most good AV software, it has the
Virus Bulletin’s VB100% award and certifi
cation for virus detection from ICSA
Labs.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Best Free Soft ware

Antivirus/Anti-Malware

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
http://free.grisoft.com
Windows Its control center is awkward,
but AVG scans fi les on demand, upon
access, on a schedule, and in e-mail. Its
rescue disks will help you recover from
disaster.

Download here

or

Best Free Soft ware

Antivirus/Anti-Malware
avast! 4 Home Edition
http://www.avast.com/
Windows Spiffy-looking avast! notifi es
you by e-mail or IM if it catches a virus.
You can’t schedule scans, but its recovery
database can help if a virus damages
your fi les.