preventing password hackers

Preventing Password Hackers

PC security and safety is always an issue nowadays thanks to the advent of computer technology and the Internet. More computer intruders are boldly coming forward and are looking for ways to attack helpless computer users with valuable information stored in their PCs. Intruders are getting their hands on the latest security measures brought out by various developers and are looking for ways to get through them.

Anti-virus software developers are doing their best to ensure every computer user’s safety and security from potential attacks by always updating their virus definitions and cleaning capabilities, as well as strengthening your firewalls. Sometimes however, it is not enough as intruders can be one or more steps ahead. They use various means of attacking computers so it is sometimes hard to tell what they’re going to do next.

One of the ways is hacking in order to retrieve your password. Think of the many things they can do once they get your passwords – they can access any online accounts you may have, access your email to send and retrieve messages from your address, enter secure networks – the possibilities seem to be limitless. In order to prevent these things from happening, you should have password protection.

The first thing you should do is secure your files and folders by using any password protection software, especially your highly important files and folders which could be potential targets of intruders. If these files are left unprotected, it would be easier for these intruders to get a hold of them and do what they want. Aside from that, other users of your computer (example – your kids) can accidentally move them or even delete them, which can be prevented by password protection.

Hackers and intruders would have an easier time figuring passwords out if they remain the same for a long period of time. It would be better for you if you change passwords regularly, especially for your more important data, for added security. By doing so, the intruders would have to start over again since you have a new password, thus making the possibility of frustrating them greater.

It would also be harder for hackers to figure out your password if you use a number of different characters, especially if it is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols found in your keyboard. Of course, it will be harder for you to remember a combination of these three also, so you have to make sure to memorize the combination, more so if you regularly change passwords.

A useful tip: it is recommended not to use passwords that are codes like your birth date, spouse’s name, or other relevant information because it can make deducing your password quicker and easier. These “coded” passwords are often used by a lot of people, particularly in ATM machines and email passwords. By doing this, you are more susceptible to attacks since the password is easier to figure out.

Aside from following these tips which you can do on your own, it would be to your benefit if you obtain a password encryption software. The meaning of encryption is that it disguises the password written in cleartext format into ciphertext, which is a combination of different symbols. Decryption is what the intruders try to do, which is change the ciphertext into cleartext that they can see and understand.

A password encryption software, which is available in the Internet via online purchasing or in your computer software shop, encrypts your passwords in order to discourage intruders and prevent them from accessing your password protected files. Various software come with various levels of security, some of which contain a higher level of encryption than others. Higher encryption levels would make it more difficult for the intruder to break in.

Your PC safety and security is not limited to anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and firewalls, because the passwords themselves can be targeted by unauthorized people. It would be better for your overall security if you take the necessary precautions and means when it comes to dealing with password protection. Securing your important files and folders with passwords, changing them regularly, using a combination of characters, and encrypting them through a password encryption software, would ensure your safety from password hackers.

my computer is attack

What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked

Prevention is always better than a pound of cure. 

Believe it or not, it is now utterly impossible to survive without a computer. Almost anything and everything could be done on-line nowadays. 

From purchasing to selling to paying bills, one really need not go out as any transaction could actually be made thru the computer thanks to the internet. Unless of course fresh air is also available online. 

However, the computer’s flexibility has also allowed it to be vulnerable to attack from one of the most potentially harmful entities around: the computer virus.

The instance you detect that the computer you own is infected with a virus, the following are helpful tasks that you could do to protect it further and to also avoid other personal computers to be affected as well.

Use disks from trusted sources 

You do not allow your shoes to tread on any mud puddle or any dirty floor, or your shirts to be easily vulnerable to stains or dirt. Therefore, it is always best to treat your computer the same way.

As much as possible, always be careful with what kind of disks as well as files enter your computer. Either the files were downloaded from the internet or the disks borrowed from friends, it is always best to make sure where they come from or to scan them in order to avoid any potentially harmful viruses.

It is also not a good idea to download any files from internet sites that are unsafe or insecure. Also, do not immediately open attachments received via e-mail. 

Take a good look on the subject of the email as well as where the email came from. Be wary even if the email was from your contacts. 

Fortunately, there are now facilities in email services that immediately scan attachments prior to opening them. Email subjects that are vague and from senders that have gibberish email addresses must arouse your suspicion. 

Included in this group are those emails that aggressively claim that you should “Check out this message!” or that you should “See the following pics!”

Acquire a program that fights viruses

Fortunately, there are a lot of anti-virus software programs that scan and eliminate viruses once they are detected. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks, the freedom to download any files from the internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.

When the virus hits 

Fear not. As much as possible, relax. There is a way out of this predicament. All you have to do is to visit the web site of the manufacturer of your anti-virus software. They may have the latest software which, if it will not delete the harmful virus, could identify and detect it.

Search for a vaccine

The world wide web is available at your beck and call so you could search for any information you may need with regards to the particular virus that you want deleted. 

By entering the virus name on the search engine, all information as well as vaccine may present itself. 

Download, download, download

Be free to install as well as download any patches of software or programs that could help in eliminating the computer virus. 

You could also try to religiously follow any of the instructions that you will find in order to manually delete the virus.

Do not rest on your laurels

Do not be easily convinced that once the computer virus has been deleted, the virus is now totally eliminated. 

The best way to determine if the virus is completely destroyed is via running a virus scan. If the scan reports that no virus components have been detected, you can now relax.

Un-attach yourself from attachments

Caution must always be practiced once attachments have been received. The file extensions that one should be careful in opening are those that end in *.exe, *.doc, *.ppt or *.xls. 

However, those that end in the following extensions such as: *.js, *.vbs should – as much as possible – never be opened. 

All in all, every computer is vulnerable to be attacked. What one needs to protect your own PC is caution and preparedness to look towards the future and anticipate any potential attack prior to it happening. This ensures your computer to run as smoothly as it possibly could.

What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked

keep children safe online

Keeping Your Children Safe Online

Children, like adults, are just as susceptible from computer and internet security risks. Thus, it is important to keep children safe and have your data protected. 

The following are simple yet effective steps so that security threats could be reduced dramatically. 

Implement parental pc control

It is always best to implement a kind of parental control when kids are using the computer. Fortunately, there are ISPs available that could be purchased as software that is separate. 

However, keep in mind that a software program is really a poor substitute for authentic supervision provided by a parent. 

Through using the Internet Explorer, it allows anyone to conveniently restrict or simply do not allow particular web sites to be seen. Settings for these could be set through passwords. 

In order to see these options, click on Tools on the menu bar, then choose Internet Options, select the tab named Content, click the button named Enable under the Content Advisor.

It is also best if you purchase software that enables you to watch and monitor any and all sites your kids go to.

Partition it now, partition it good

It is advisable to partition your personal computer into accounts that are separate. Many operating systems (these include the Mac, Windows XP, Linux) provide users the option to create different and various user accounts. 

This works well especially if you have that fear of your kid accessing, modifying or deleting your own files. Giving your child an account that is separate decreases the access amount and the privileges your child has.

Use anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall

Software that provides anti-virus activities protects computers from any viruses that could destroy data, help prevent slow performance of your computer, helps prevent crashes and does not allow any spammers to infiltrate your e-mail. 

Basically, this works through scanning the computer and any e-mails that are incoming. If there are any that contains viruses, these are automatically deleted.

An effective anti-virus program should have constant and routine updates as well as antidotes for any latest bugs that are currently in the internet.

Meanwhile, firewalls have the ability to keep any hackers away from your own computer thereby preventing them from accessing any of your personal info without your express permission. 

Basically, a firewall is a guard that watches any attempts from the outside to access your personal computer system. It also blocks communications to and from sources that does not have your permission. As much as possible, always turn on your firewall and regularly update it. 

Anti-spyware programs meanwhile protect your personal computers from any malicious forms of spyware. What spyware does is monitor all activities you do online. It also collects your personal info while you innocently do your surfing on the web.

Through anti-spyware, it scans in a periodic manner your computer to check if it has any spyware software and programs available. After which, it offers you the opportunity to immediately remove harmful software.

Password protect your pc

Using passwords that are strong or utilizing authentication technology that is strong helps you protect your personal info.

As much as possible, keep all your passwords in a secure and safe place. Do not share your passwords over the internet, phone or e-mail. 

Remember that your ISP should not ask your password.

Hackers have the ability to acquire your password, unless of course you make it difficult for them to guess it through the following efforts: use passwords that contain eight characters including with it symbols and numerals; avoiding words that are common; avoiding using personal info; changing regularly your passwords (at least every three months). 

A good way of creating a password is to come up with a phrase that is memorable and using first letters of every word as the password of your choice. Convert these letters into particular numbers that look like letters.

Do not forget to back up files that are important

The fact of the matter is that there is no such system that is one hundred percent secure. If there are any files that are important and is currently stored in your own computer, always copy them in discs that are removable. 

After which, store them in a place that is secure. 

You could also consider software encryption. It is also best if the start-up disks in the original software you bought is readily available just in case your computer system crashes.

All in all, helping your children safe from online security threats is an effort that is well worth it.

how to avoid by adware and spaware

How To Avoid Being Invaded By Adware And Spyware

We've all heard of computer viruses. Even people who are neophytes to computers have heard tales of computer viruses spreading like wildfire through a network and wreaking havoc. Unfortunately those tales, while mildly exxagerated, are fairly accurate portrayals of how potentially damaging viruses can be.

Aside from regular computer viruses, however, another irritating and potentially destructive type of computer program that can infect your pc through the internet is spyware, and its little cousin, adware.

Adware by itself is generally harmless, albeit irritating. It is a program that basically inserts itself into your system and spams you with tons of unasked for and unsolicited advertising.

Spyware is a much more threatening program. Some types of spyware seem like simple adware on the surface, but aside from flooding you with ads, spyware, as its name suggests, also allows its controller to monitor and access information you have on your computer. Other types of spyware also change your pc's system configuration, leaving you open to further intrusions.

There are several methods available that can help you avoid the hazards of getting invaded by spyware. Among the most effective of these are:

Adjust your computer's security settings - the procedure for adjusting your security settings differs depending on your operating system. By and large, it can be found by looking for the option for controlling system settings or internet options. Look for the heading that refers to system security, and adjust it according to your personal tastes. For home users, setting security levels to Medium is recommended, as High security settings will actually block out some sites you may want to access.

Firewalls - these are security programs that automatically block unidentified programs that try to remotely access your terminal. You can set the parameters of the firewall so that only certain types of programs get filtered, or even limit your accessability so that only specified sources can send you data. The only disadvantage to a firewall is that sometimes it will tend to block information you try to recieve from even harmless sources if they are not specified on your firewall settings.

Anti Spyware Programs - online programs can be downloaded that are actually geared towards spyware security. When looking for such a program, find one that not only detects and intercepts spyware attempts on your system, but one that also has options to actively scan your system periodically for existing spyware that may have already gotten in. Find a provider for your anti spyware program that keeps itself updated with the latest spyware technology so that you can download patches for the program that can deal with the latest types of spyware that hackers are using.

how to protect your computer

How To Protect Your Computer From A Virus

This article will give you the information on how to protect your computer from a virus. A computer virus is a program that is able to make copies of itself over and over to spread throughout the files on your computer and to the files of other computers, whenever information is exchanged. These viruses can do a lot of damage to your computer in a short amount of time. It can destroy all of your files and make your computer virtually useless. The most important thing that you can learn about your computer is how to protect if from a virus. 

The first thing that you should do to protect your computer against viruses is to get a high quality anti virus software installed on your computer. Make sure you update it regularly by visiting the manufacturer's website. Use this software to scan all files, diskettes, programs and software before you use them on your computer.

Always make back up copies of important files or documents and store them on a separate CD or diskette. This will help protect your important information from accidental deletion or other damage. Always scan your disks and files after using them on another computer.

Make sure that the security features on your computer is turned on. If you are using Microsoft Windows it comes with it's own security features. Enable the following, Internet firewall, Antispyware software and Anti virus software. This trio will do the most to protect you from getting a computer virus.

Download information from only sites that you are familiar with and that you trust. Never open email attachments from someone that you don't know. Install software only from authentic CDs. If you are not sure of the source, don't install it.

Know how to recognize the signs of a computer virus and take action right away to fix it. If your computer starts acting strangely, is running slower than normal or starts shutting down by itself frequently, then you may have a virus. Other symptoms may include, strange sounds or music coming from your speakers unexpectedly. Multiple pop up messages or boxes may start appearing on the screen or you may start receiving out of memory messages even though your computer has plenty of memory left. 

If any of these things happen, first visit the website for your anti virus software and download any updates. Then run a complete virus scan on your computer. When the scan is complete, you should be given recommendations on how to remove the virus from your computer. If you are a complete novice to computers and don't feel comfortable with this step, enlist the help of a more knowledgeable person. 

A computer is a big investment and in some cases it is the lifeline of your business. Protecting it from viruses should be your number one priority.

be fair

you may have experienced confusion to choose between friend or girlfriend. Confused, a good word to describe your condition.On one side of a friend who had a very long and very close friends with you, invite you to hang out. But on the other side at the same time, his sweetheart, the one you love is also asking for your time with him. When the interests of friends and lovers collide like this, about which one would you choose? The best thing you can do include: 1. Be fair. Lover or friend, must have had different interests. Because you are the person closest to both parties, it is important that you should not forget is to be fair. Do not let any of them who feel secondary. Although it already has a lover, friend or friend does not mean to be forgotten. Vice versa, even though you and they have since long friendship, it does not mean sanga interests come second or even a forgotten boyfriend. The solution, for your time as possible. Try to keep the affair a girlfriend and a friend are not one-sided so as to make them cranky or angry with you. Anyone who does not want to be considered as the number two, you are too right. 2. Create a priority. The only way to overcome the confusion that often can make your head became dizzy this is to set priorities. Jelly in the catch, where the interest is more urgent and can not be postponed again. For example, if a friend asks you to meet because of a broken heart, while her boyfriend wanted to see just sekdar hang out, eat, eat, you can decide which one is preferred. Tell your lover, your friend is currently in need of your presence. As a lover of good, he will certainly understand. Vice versa, if you ask your lover to have besides for things that are urgent, while your friends ask you to come just to hang out. So, you must place the person you love it.Tell your friend, there will still be another day for you and your friends hang out to air-ria. 3.memberikan sense honestly. All of the above did not work if you are not honest and forthright to all parties. No need much reason or excuse especially mapuh use words such as "my good guns at .." solely for refusing an invitation one of them. Either lover or friend can certainly accept your condition. So, better be honest than you are confused later. Give also to their understanding that you are not do not want to meet his invitation, but only postpone wrote. 4. Gathered together. Let me set the time you are not confused for the road with friends and girlfriend, occasionally take them gathered together. There is no harm to know each other. Cried too right. You can introduce your friend to lover and vice versa. In addition, gathering together like this could be an alternative to understand the character of each.So if one day there was confusion vote, the reason you will make more sense for them. Because they also know who the friend or your lover