This week, Twitter had sensitive papers leaked in a roundabout method that involved a Twitter employee being phished and their Google password used to access sensitive data stored online in Google Apps. TechCruench, the final recepient of these documents, vigorously defended their position on republishing the found Twitter documents citing leaks (in whatever form) have always existed and served as an information source. While true in a journalistic sense, it opens the door to a greater question of data security in a world where all your information is stored online in some fashion. Protecting your personal information on the Internet has been an ongoing struggle. Every time you interact, whether it’s a post to a blog, comment in a forum or just “tweet,” you are growing the hacker target on your back. Take this example:
I am on Twitter and micro-blog regularly to my account. From just my Twitter account, you can get my full name and location. Now, within a few clicks you can probably trace down my e-mail address from some previous post to a forum, newsgroup or even comments on an article in certain instances. At that point, even a semi-dense hacker has enough information to launch a targeted phishing attempt against me. Granted, I triple check any links I get in e-mail to ensure it takes me where I am supposedly going, but I am someone who works in the trenches of the online industry and have been trained from DNA up to be careful of any kind of attacks.
Google’s announcement of Chrome OS, an operating system that is enhanced by Internet connectivity, creates a security conundrum of mammoth proportions for the general population…illustrated by the Twitter security breach. If you are compromised in a world of always-on connectivity and data living in a personal cloud, the ramifications are no longer just limited to someone reading your e-mail. They now have access to anything that you did and can, in fact, lock you out of your own account.
Grant Gross of PC World wrote an article last week citing how the new Google Chrome OS promises a world with no malware, no security updates and no viruses. Sure, Google has shown that it is pretty good with spam guarding your mail accounts, but when it comes to protecting the user against itself it’s not just Google but everyone that has failed. Gross’ article contains a quote from Brian Chess, CSO of Fortify Software that sums up the real issue – “The question is, is the system going to be able to do a reasonable job of defending itself even in the face of a certain amount of user error?”
Every generation that adapts to new technology increases their collective intellect regarding that technology. From the blinking 12:00 on your parents’ VCR to cell phones to computers, each successive age group to adapt to the new technology takes as rote things the previous age group struggled with. However, the Internet provides a mixed bag of every demographic across the globe. Over time, those groups will adapt and understand the underlying nuances of new technology a little more.
However, a vast majority of these people currently look at Windows OS as a black box that presents them a nice UI and relatively secure access to their personal things…so much so that people have no problem keeping their taxes, personal data and even lists of their passwords on their PCs. Even today, spyware and malware, phishing and other attacks cause a boom for businesses that focus on PC security and data recovery. Fast forward to a world where this data is living not only on their computer but also accessible through some password scheme on the Internet and you’ve got a formula for potential disaster.
Yes, Google is aware of this. Possibly no one understands online user behavior better than Google, evidenced by their success both in product development, adoption and their beefy stock price. However, the intellectual gap may prove tougher to solve than any of its technical hurdles. Let’s hope, for the sake of the everyman, that Chrome OS has such great security features that it stops users from inadvertently giving away their data. Maybe the leak at Twitter is a good place to start with beta testers.
source
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Twitter-Leak-Illustrates-Google-Chrome-OS-Security-Hazards-881250/
Showing posts with label get rid of spyware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get rid of spyware. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
What are anti spyware softwares, do I need one if I have anti-virus software?
Spyware is a type of computer software that, as the name suggests, is used to ‘spy’ on you. The term ‘spy’ is an essential one because spyware is installed without your consent. You can contract spyware from a variety of sources such as spam emails, websites and downloads.
Even software that seems totally legitimate may contain spyware as part of the install process, so it’s not always obvious that you’re infected.
Spyware collects your personal information, often to target advertisements at you. For example, if you visit a lot of car websites, spyware might pop up with advertisements for new cars or car services, even if you aren’t already on a webpage.
Some of the more intrusive spyware will go a step further than simply watching you by changing your computer settings around or messing with your internet configuration. If you find your web browser home page has suddenly changed one day, there’s a very good chance you’ve been infected with spyware.
Zonealarm was pretty much the first company to use the term, and it’s been a little abused since. Unlike viruses and worms, spyware doesn’t replicate itself to transfer to other computers, making it slightly easier to control. However, some worms designed for commercial purposes are used to deploy spyware, so it can all get a little confusing.
There’s also another term – adware – which works in a similar way to spyware although with less malicious purposes, the key difference here is that users installing adware are fully aware of what they are doing. This is usually the case when users are installing software supported by advertisements. Similar effects to those used in spyware are likely to occur however, and it is recommended that you try to avoid ad-supported software as much as possible.
Removal of spyware is generally easier than removing viruses, although you still need a spyware removal program. These are available as either free or paid for services and can provide a varying level of quality and support. The best provide real time monitoring of spyware much like antivirus software does for virus infection.
What about anti virus software?
If you already have antivirus software, check with your software provider if the package supports spyware removal. Many don’t, but a few of the higher quality internet security suites incorporate both spyware and virus removal in the same program, saving money and system resources in the process.
Spyware is usually more annoying than it is threatening, but having a lot of it can lead to slowdowns to the point where your computer or internet connection is unusable, so protecting yourself from it is very important in the long term.
Even software that seems totally legitimate may contain spyware as part of the install process, so it’s not always obvious that you’re infected.
Spyware collects your personal information, often to target advertisements at you. For example, if you visit a lot of car websites, spyware might pop up with advertisements for new cars or car services, even if you aren’t already on a webpage.
Some of the more intrusive spyware will go a step further than simply watching you by changing your computer settings around or messing with your internet configuration. If you find your web browser home page has suddenly changed one day, there’s a very good chance you’ve been infected with spyware.
Zonealarm was pretty much the first company to use the term, and it’s been a little abused since. Unlike viruses and worms, spyware doesn’t replicate itself to transfer to other computers, making it slightly easier to control. However, some worms designed for commercial purposes are used to deploy spyware, so it can all get a little confusing.
There’s also another term – adware – which works in a similar way to spyware although with less malicious purposes, the key difference here is that users installing adware are fully aware of what they are doing. This is usually the case when users are installing software supported by advertisements. Similar effects to those used in spyware are likely to occur however, and it is recommended that you try to avoid ad-supported software as much as possible.
Removal of spyware is generally easier than removing viruses, although you still need a spyware removal program. These are available as either free or paid for services and can provide a varying level of quality and support. The best provide real time monitoring of spyware much like antivirus software does for virus infection.
What about anti virus software?
If you already have antivirus software, check with your software provider if the package supports spyware removal. Many don’t, but a few of the higher quality internet security suites incorporate both spyware and virus removal in the same program, saving money and system resources in the process.
Spyware is usually more annoying than it is threatening, but having a lot of it can lead to slowdowns to the point where your computer or internet connection is unusable, so protecting yourself from it is very important in the long term.
See Also
antivirus spyware removal
how to remove cipav spyware
malicious spyware removal
windows firewall security
remote virus scan
Monday, May 11, 2009
Spyware Removal Tips
Depending on situation, anti spyware can either be very successful or it can be a complete waste of time and resources. Here are some procedures for your anti spyware
1) Gather information - if you intend to go about spyware removal the right way, make sure that you have the right information to help you. You need to understand just how spyware works in order to learn how to properly eliminate it. How does gathering information help you?
a) Identifying the problem - by gathering information about the effects of certain spyware, you would be able to pinpoint exactly what is wrong in your system. This would help you go about the spyware removal more quickly.
Many people are confused when they experience problems with spyware in their system. In fact, some people would just choose to tolerate the various problems that they face with their software than take the effort to study the problem. However, by gathering information, you would be able to identify the problem you are facing faster, giving you more time to decide what to do about it.
b) Finding a solution - when you have enough information about the spyware, then you will have a better idea regarding how to eliminate it from your system. This is because gathering information about spyware also involves gathering information about how to properly get rid of it. This means that if you know enough about a certain type of spyware, you will also have the knowledge necessary to get rid of it.
2) Get help - spyware removal is not a task that you should try to undertake on your own. This is especially true if you are not really experienced or trained in troubleshooting computers. Tinkering with your computers under these conditions could only cause more harm than good. When you find yourself confused and you do not know what to do, try to get some help.
A lot of help can be found on the internet. You may choose to try and contact a spyware removal company to help you with your problem. You could also choose to read some materials that could give you some pointers on how to go about spyware removal correctly. There is also the option of going to an online community and asking other people to help you with your spyware problem.
3) Maintain - people who manage to get rid of spyware often tendto feelprettyconfident about themselves. They tend to think that the process of spyware removal stops when the spyware infecting a computer system is removed. However, one should realize the fact that eliminating spyware does not stop at deletion. You must regularly check your system to make sure that no spyware gets in.
4) Read before you download - there are many people out there who think that the more tools you have, the better your internet surfing would be. However, you should realize that many “tools” offered for free download on the internet are actually packaged with spyware. This means that you should definitely be careful in downloading certain utilities like toolbars and the like.
These are just some of the tips you should keep in mind when going about spyware removal. By making sure that you follow these tips, you should be able to remove all types of spyware from your system without too much effort.
See Also
malicious spyware removal
how to remove cipav spyware
optimize your web browser
Will Your Device Work with Windows 7
1) Gather information - if you intend to go about spyware removal the right way, make sure that you have the right information to help you. You need to understand just how spyware works in order to learn how to properly eliminate it. How does gathering information help you?
a) Identifying the problem - by gathering information about the effects of certain spyware, you would be able to pinpoint exactly what is wrong in your system. This would help you go about the spyware removal more quickly.
Many people are confused when they experience problems with spyware in their system. In fact, some people would just choose to tolerate the various problems that they face with their software than take the effort to study the problem. However, by gathering information, you would be able to identify the problem you are facing faster, giving you more time to decide what to do about it.
b) Finding a solution - when you have enough information about the spyware, then you will have a better idea regarding how to eliminate it from your system. This is because gathering information about spyware also involves gathering information about how to properly get rid of it. This means that if you know enough about a certain type of spyware, you will also have the knowledge necessary to get rid of it.
2) Get help - spyware removal is not a task that you should try to undertake on your own. This is especially true if you are not really experienced or trained in troubleshooting computers. Tinkering with your computers under these conditions could only cause more harm than good. When you find yourself confused and you do not know what to do, try to get some help.
A lot of help can be found on the internet. You may choose to try and contact a spyware removal company to help you with your problem. You could also choose to read some materials that could give you some pointers on how to go about spyware removal correctly. There is also the option of going to an online community and asking other people to help you with your spyware problem.
3) Maintain - people who manage to get rid of spyware often tendto feelprettyconfident about themselves. They tend to think that the process of spyware removal stops when the spyware infecting a computer system is removed. However, one should realize the fact that eliminating spyware does not stop at deletion. You must regularly check your system to make sure that no spyware gets in.
4) Read before you download - there are many people out there who think that the more tools you have, the better your internet surfing would be. However, you should realize that many “tools” offered for free download on the internet are actually packaged with spyware. This means that you should definitely be careful in downloading certain utilities like toolbars and the like.
These are just some of the tips you should keep in mind when going about spyware removal. By making sure that you follow these tips, you should be able to remove all types of spyware from your system without too much effort.
See Also
malicious spyware removal
how to remove cipav spyware
optimize your web browser
Will Your Device Work with Windows 7
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