Instead of spending time frustrated at your computer and its malfunctions follow a few steps towards solving problems and improving computer productivity, which will also minimize your stress and frustration. Start by installing an anti-virus program if you do not already have one.

A computer virus can result in loss of important information and damage to your system. To avoid this install and use an anti-virus tool that will remove malicious viruses and repair damages made. Keep the program updated with automatic updates and run it regularly for optimum security. Without the latest virus information the program cannot fully protect your computer and information.

Next, you should find an effective spyware tool to remove all possible spyware infection from your computer system. Spyware piggybacks its way onto your computer through freeware and shareware downloads. It then monitors and records your usage information along with other private information such as passwords and credit card numbers. The spyware sends the information to advertising companies or sells it to individual intruders. Spyware is an invasion of privacy and it harms computer productivity by taking up memory and running constantly which will slow other computer functions. Once spyware is removed from your computer you will notice faster computer work.

Most new operating systems have an automatic update option you can and should enable. By programming computer updates to take place automatically you are helping prevent malicious occurrences such as worms and viruses.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/, a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_guard.htm as well as spyware scanner, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_scanner.htm

Aluria is a software company that provides millions of consumers internationally with internet security solutions, such as their major distribution of spyware security. The company recently launched anti-spam efforts by incorporating the Mailshell spam filter in their services provided. The partnership between the two will allow Aluria to spread the Mailshell SpamComplier SDK to users across the world. Mailshell executes over one million filter checks on each email in a fraction of a second to check if the message contains spam or not.

Mailshell puts together a fast, compact and flexible decision tree that has an automatically tuning intelligent engine to produce consistently accurate results from each filter. Mailshell’s SpamComplier can recognize a number of foreign language spam as well as phishing and other types of email fraud.

Aluria’s addition of the Mailshell Spam Complier is said to have been a natural addition to the company’s services. Aluria already provided excellent anti-spyware protection that, unlike many spyware tools, catch and blocks from download several spyware threats before they are able to install themselves. The real-time protection, known at Aluria as Active Defend Shield, provides top security for any computer against spyware.

Aluria officials said the Mailshell SpamComplier is another way for the company to reduce the consequences of spam and spyware. Officials at Mailshell said it is important for security purposes to bring together anti-spam and anti-spyware efforts. Mailshell’s SpamComplier is already a leading licensed anti-spam engine used by thousands of enterprises and millions of consumers worldwide. The anti-spam software is capable of handling more than one million message per day and it can be embedded nearly anywhere.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/, a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_guard.htm as well as spyware scanner, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_scanner.htm

Companies have begun to take a stance against spyware by implementing spyware tools across their entire network. In the recent past Infoworks Technology and Unisys developed a partnership when Infoworks announced they would be providing their SpyRemover software for the entire Unisys use enterprise.

The company chose to make a move into spyware prevention because of spyware’s prevalent threats to personal and business internet uses. Employees have become active on the internet, leaving the enterprise’s computer network vulnerable to spyware infection.

For businesses spyware infection can cause negative impacts in several ways, such as slowing computers thus decreasing employee productivity. More serious problems can occur when security codes are breeched and corporate information is exposed. Infoworks’ SpyRemover software is designed to detect and fix problems including spyware, hijackers, adware, keyloggers, Trojans, tracking devices and other hacker tools. The programs has been successfully used on personal and business computers.

With spyware infesting any computer, personal or network, the speed and bandwidth capabilities will continuously degrade until the problems are fixed. Unauthorized ports for information release can be created by spyware. Many spyware applications run silently and cause only gradual computer degradation which leaves you unaware of the infestation. SpyRemover scan and removes spyware infections but it helps prevent some future infections, leaving your computer safer to surf the internet on.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/, a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_guard.htm as well as spyware scanner, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_scanner.htm

What do the following five online activities have in common?
1. I download and swap music files
2. I visit chat rooms
3. I play online games
4. I buy and sell on eBay
5. I’m researching my family tree

They are not only five of the most common activities that people do online they are also potentially the most dangerous as they expose you to the real risks posed by scam artists, stalkers and worse that look for new victims each and every day.

Are you truly aware of the hidden dangers that lurk online waiting to strike at the unwary? I’m prepared to wager that you’re not. It’s far more likely that you’ll be as blissfully unaware as everyone else perhaps with that mix of ignorance and arrogance that “nothing can happen to you” that makes you an ideal victim!

Perhaps you also think that online security is a bit of an urban myth that has been blown out of all proportion by the media and companies selling security software. Unfortunately, there is a world of stalkers, scam artists and even terrorists working to their own agenda and that agenda includes you or your family.

Luckily, there’s something you can do about it right now – but first let’s look at what really lurks behind these seemingly innocent activities.

1. I download and swap music files If you’re caught in the culture of the internet that is a grey area at the best of times and you think that “everything online should be free” and that there’s “nothing wrong with peer-to-peer networks” you face some real dangers and not from record companies looking for royalties!

As soon as you step into such a grey area you put yourself more at risk then normal because the scammers and fraudsters know that you can’t really complain without revealing your own illegal behaviour. The same is true of cons linked to dubious websites as they know you’re vulnerable.

The nature of such networks is equally worrying as they permit anyone to connect to your computer with the aim of swapping a music or video file. If you look at it as the equivalent of leaving your front door open to the person delivering a pirated DVD and you should become more alarmed.

The truth is that many people often get more then they bargained for as viruses and spyware can also be included with that new track.

These can cause you untold problems with the worst being one’s that you only find out about when it’s too late. It’s only when the letters start arriving from the bank that you discover that a trojan or spyware has copied everything you’ve typed, including your user name and passwords to every account you’ve accessed and sent them unseen to the hacker who is busy stealing your identity and running up huge debts in your name.

2. I visit chat rooms You face several dangers when you enter public chat rooms. Not everyone will be who they seem to be and some have extremely distasteful agendas such as recruiting people to their cause, propaganda and stalkers.

Stalkers are not the figment of the imagination of an over zealous media they do exist and target the vulnerable online. They hide behind several identities that they have carefully crafted to select and test their victims. These are not only children that they are grooming for abuse but also adults that are threatened, conned, blackmailed and manipulated into handing over financial information.

If that wasn’t enough there are also representatives from what most would consider to be sick sites in chat rooms and on forums recruiting more to their cause. These include political groups of both extremes, religious groups including fronts for terrorism and well deviants such as “pro-ana” sites that teach young impressionable girls that “being thin is more important that being healthy”!

3. I play online games Playing games online may seem a harmless activity but it’s that impression that can put you at risk as you will be off your guard. Game downloads can contain spyware, especially those to unlock pirate copies and stalkers inhabit gaming chat rooms.

4. I buy and sell on eBay There are the obvious problems of eBay where trust in a buyer or seller can sadly be misplaced including a recent case when a gang stole huge amounts of money from thousands of bidders by demanding payment in cash or electronic cash transfer and then sent nothing in return.

You are also open to many more dangers. You will receive false or “phishing” emails claiming to be both from eBay and Paypal suggesting that if you don’t check your details immediately your account will be frozen. If you fall for this con that is carried out on an industrial scale you could not only give away your account details but also your credit card number as well.

5. I’m researching my family tree Carrying out research in your family tree can make you incredibly open about personal information. Details such as your mother’s maiden name and previous schools are common and invaluable to an identity fraudster looking to open or access an account in your name.

What can you do about it? There are two things that you should do today to protect yourself, your family and your computer.

1) Go to www.911stalkers.com or www.999stalkers.com and take the free test to fully evaluate how clued up or clueless you are about online security. You can either download it as a free ebook and then email it to your friends or you can do a version online via a link at the top of the page. It is vital that you open your eyes and see the true dangers that you face each and every time you are online.

2) Do something about it. Naturally, I’d suggest my ebook Scams, Stalkers and Online Security that uses 14 real life case studies to highlight the problems and then provide step-by-step practical solutions that everyone can follow. If you decide to buy that or find your own solution then please ensure that you and your family are safe online. Doing nothing is not an option.

Tony Hetherington

Tony Hetherington has been a writer and Editor in the computer industry for over 20 years. His ebook, Scams, Stalkers and Online Security is available right now for immediate download as an ebook from a number of sites including http://www.911stalkers.com, http://www.999stalkers.com and http://www.p4books.com and costs just $7.95 (approx £4.44). Isn’t the safety and security of you and your family worth that much?

The Problem:

Are you bombarded with popup ads? Seeing new toolbars in your browser? Does your home page change to unwanted/unknown destinations? Bombarded with irritating spam? Perhaps strange software loads when you first start your computer, or your favorites file may have new entries that you don’t recognize and don’t want. If this is happening to you, your PC (Personal Computer) is most likely infected with adware spyware, spybot spyware, trojan viruses or other harmful internet parasites.

What Is Happening?:

Your privacy is being seriously invaded. These programs have the ability to track your Internet usage habits and even steal such personal information as bank account numbers and passwords. If you are like me, this is scary, isn’t it? But there’s more…spyware even has the power to install even more parasites on your computer without your knowledge and without your consent. Everything you do and everything you type can be recorded without your knowledge and without your consent. Using spyware, companies can find out what your interests are and even track your purchasing habits. Hackers can and sometimes will access your PC and do anything they wish. Unscrupulous individuals can even steal your identity (you’ve heard of identity theft, haven’t you?) and you would never be the wiser, at least until it is too late (this would be when the bill collectors, or even the police, start calling you!).

To Determine If You Are At Risk, Ask Yourself These 3 Questions:

Have I downloaded files, documents or free mp3 music online? Has my computer suddenly started getting annoying ads popping up on the screen? Have I suddenly noticed that my computer is running extremely slow?

What Is The Solution?

There is only one solution to this problem and that is to protect yourself and your privacy with a Spyware protection solution. Spyware protection software helps you to completely clean your computer of invasive threats. As a result, your computer will be clean and its performance will be better. Simply put, it will run a lot faster. Additionally, you will have protected your privacy - personal information, financial data, and your financial security will be protected. In the information age, where having just one piece of your personal information can ruin your life, protecting your personal privacy while online is of the utmost importance.

Joe Borges makes it easy for you to protect your sensitive information while on the Internet. To get free tips, tools and other essential information, visit our Anti Spyware Software website.

Joe Borges is an Internet Marketer and Online Business Owner with experience in web development and implementation. He is also a professional SEO Consultant, helping internet businesses increase their web presence, website traffic and Search Engine Ranking. Get essential tips, tools and strategies that you can use right now to protect your most sensitive information by visiting: http://www.alertcomputer.com

The Internet is a wondrous place, full of fun and adventure. However, for our children it can be a dark dangerous place.

Adults are able to process information and draw conclusions, most children are not able to do this effectively. They tend to believe instead of disbelieve. This makes them easy targets for people who intend to prey upon them.

Consider these facts:

• One in 5 children were solicited for sex in the past year.
• One in 4 children were exposed to photos of people having sex.
• About 1 in 17 children were threatened or harassed on the Internet, including threats of harm to the child, friends or other family members.

With that in mind, here are eight tips to follow to help keep them safe when online. Print them out and post them next to your child’s computer.

• Never give anyone personal information such as your address, telephone number, or where you go to school.
• Let your parent’s know right away if you see any information that makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid.
• Offline meetings can be dangerous! Never agree to get together with someone you "meet" online without first checking with your parents.
• Do not respond to any messages that are bad or make you feel uncomfortable. Tell your parents right away so that they can take care of it.
• Parents and children should set up rules for going online. These rules should determine the time of day that the child can be online, the length of time and appropriate areas to visit.
• Do not give out your Internet password to anyone, other than your parents.
• Always check with your parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt your computer or jeopardize your family’s privacy.
• Do not do anything that hurts other people or is illegal.

I strongly believe that you should only allow your children online when they can be directly supervised. At the very least, place the computer in a heavily trafficked area. This will give you a better chance to monitor their activities.

Children are a great joy, as well as a great responsibility. Accept that responsibility and do everything in your power to keep them safe!

Programs like PC Tattletale can help you monitor your child’s activities online by alerting you to potential dangerous behavior.

Do you really know what your child is doing on the Internet?

With PC Tattletale you will…

SA Secure, a San Antonio Texas company specializing in Desktop Support, Help Desk Services, Project Management and Technical Writing to small businesses. Our goal is to provide an alternative to maintaining an expensive in-house IT staff or relying on many different individual computer repair technicians.

Working for fortune 500 corporations has taught us the value of continuity when it comes to your IT needs. Calling in random repair technicians does not allow for this continuity, the technician has to learn your business every time you change to another company. Our services allow you to obtain an expert level of cost effective technical support without the need to maintain technicians on-site. Why pay for a fulltime position when you only have a part-time workload?

In short everything the big corporate players enjoy we can provide for your business, at a fraction of the costs!

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Microsoft and COMPTIA A+ and Network+ certified!

I recommend the following basic security ‘best practices’…

If you spend any time online, you need a security toolkit consisting of:

. anti-virus software

. anti-spyware AND anti-key-logging software

. spam blocker

. anti-phishing tools

. firewall (preferably a combination of both software and hardware firewall if you’re on a high-speed connection.) Note: some anti-virus software packages include a firewall

Whichever products you use, keep them up to date - not monthly, but at least weekly, and preferably daily.

Use Windows Update to keep your operating system and Internet Explorer patched. On average, six updates to patch security bugs are released for Windows every month.

Keep informed of Security issues - keeping informed dramatically reduces your exposure to risks.

If you receive an email asking you to verify account details, don’t use the link in the email. Visit the site by typing its address in your browser, then check for a link to update your details. If in doubt, contact the site directly by phone.

Avoid dangerous spots: chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks, crackz and warez, porn sites, hacker sites, anything illegal.

Stay alert.  Check your browser’s status bar; don’t click on a pop-up window or dialog box without first reading it; watch for unusual browser behaviour, such as a window that quickly opens and closes, or an atypical response when you type a search string in the address box.

Don’t open email from unknown sources. Keep preview panes switched off in your email client. Never click a link in a spam email.

Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.

Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them.

Keep your browser’s security settings set to high.

Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. Choose an alphanumeric password that is at least seven characters long and uses a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric symbols such as (@#$%^&). This will help prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

Encryption should be used to protect sensitive information from “unauthorised eyes”.

Only conduct Internet transactions that have secured processing.

Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services can become avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.

Do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses.  Simply visiting a compromised Website can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.

If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.

Have your computer system independently reviewed, addressing any security risks.

David Furlong is a qualified and experienced IT specialist and Technical Trainer. His list of credentials includes MCSE, MCSA, Dip IT, and he is one subject away from completing a Masters in Networking and Systems Administration. http://www.avg-antivirus.com.au

Computer viruses normally infect a computer via email. The following are some suggestions to make your computing safer.

1. The safest way to avoid a computer virus is not to open an attached email file - if you do not know what it is, who sent it to you, or you were not expecting it (even if it is from somebody that you know.)  This is especially true if the file has any of the following extensions: .pif, .vbs, .scr, .exe, since thsee files are programs that will run on your computer when opened.
    
2. Don’t use the preview pane in Outlook. Some viruses can infect a computer just from the preview pane.
    
3. When in doubt, contact the sender. Write back to them and ask what is the attachment. If the attachment is valid, they will tell you what it is and what it does.
    
4. Delete a suspected message, by holding down the SHIFT key and hit DELETE.  This will permanently delete the message.  Just hitting the DELETE key (without the SHIFT key) does not remove the message, but simply moves the message to a deleted folder that can be opened.

However, if you just want to skip all the details and stop messing around with preventing computer viruses, just do what I did; download the a trial of anti virus software from a high quality software vendor, run the program and be done with it.

See the download link below for the automatic PC Tools AntiVirus™ software. I personally use this software to skip all the hazzles with computer viruses.

Since 1999, Nils Rognerud and ComputerRecover.com, has helped millions of users with free downloads of software utilities to repair, recover and optimize personal computers. Click here to see his recommendation for the best anti-virus software to remove computer infections. ComputerRecover.com

The Tools Used In Identity Theft

Identity theft is very quickly becoming the crime of choice for thousands of criminals worldwide. With online Internet access to just about any kind of database you want becoming easier and easier to acquire, the crime of Identity Theft is becoming so easy, a child could do it, if they are even mildly adept at using a computer.

So how does identity theft occur? Below are some of the ways you can become a victim

Identity Theft From The Dead:

The goal here is to scour through newspapers obituary columns to find out who has died lately. Then once you get a list of the dearly departed and their addresses, you go over to their homes and grab any mail that is laying around. Some of the items used in identity theft are bank statements, credit card receipts, tax bills, and utility bills. They will even go through the garbage looking for anything that will help the perpetrators with the identity theft

This may take a few days maybe up to a month, but you can be sure that many of the dearly departed’s loved ones are to traumatized & busy with other details to stop credit card bills and invoices from creditors from being sent out.

Another way to exploit those who have left this earth, is to make an appointment with a realtor to view the property of the newly deceased. Once inside, the thieves will go through the house looking for mail, invoices, even ID that may still be in the house, literally anything that will help the crooks with the identity theft of your loved on. Scotland just had over 7000 dead identity theft victims in a recent crime spree perpetrated by Scottish gangs.

Statistics say that around 30 percent of all ID thefts occur by stealing the identity of a dead person.

High Tech Identity Theft:

One of the laziest ways to perpetrate identity theft, is to place a computer recording device on a victims computer. Once this type of spy software is installed, it will capture and record ALL computer activity… everything from passwords, banking information & credit card numbers, to private emails & chat conversations.

The spy software will then relay this information over the Internet directly into the identity theft criminals email account. The nice thing for the crooks who operate this way is, they just let the victims emails pile up in an free untraceable email account, and then maybe once a month use an email parser to scan these emails for the information they need to get your money.This can be a totally automated process.The spy software is easy to buy off the Internet. There are over 500 types of this spy software commercially available to anyone who want to buy it.

Identity Theft Through Mail.

If the crook can get hold of your mail they will easily be able pull off and identity theft on you, and spoof a lending institution into granting a bank account to the scammers. They will simply take a leisurely drive through the country in the guise of delivering handbills to mailboxes. While they are at these country mailboxes they will pilfer your mail, Many of us aren’t waiting for our bills with baited breath, so it can be a couple of months until we realize we haven’t received our bills. By that time the identity theft has occurred and the crooks are long gone.

The other simpler way to get your mail is to put in a change of address to the post office and re route your mail to the identity thieves new post box. This is a common practice, and if you are on vacation you will be none the wiser.

Identity Theft Through Forged ID:

These tools are a bit more high tech an require some computer skill, but nevertheless many identity theft has been perpetrated by generating social security cards, drivers licenses & birth certificates. The software to do this can be acquired online freely if you know your way around. All that’s required for this type of identity theft is a computer a printer and a software to tell the computer how to do what you want.

Identity Theft Through Shopping.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and paid with your credit card? Do you follow the waiter to the cash register and watch him as he runs your card through? It’s very simple to grab your credit card numbers including your expiry date and the 3 or 4 digit security code on the back of your card. Then all the crook has to do to make you a victim of identity theft, is wait a few weeks and then go on an online shopping spree, using your stolen credit card information. It will be very unlikely that you will be able to sort out which retail outlet your card numbers were stolen from. This type of identity theft is extremely easy to pull off.

Elizabeth Ward makes it easy to protect your Internet & computer privacy. Learn the 4 essential steps to spy proofing your computer. To receive your FREE mini-course visit Spy Proof Your Computer Mini Course

"Can someone track a user (name, home address, etc.) simply by having their email or IP address? The reason I ask is my kids play some games online, and these sites sometimes have a chat area, where the players can talk to each other while playing. Can my kids be tracked down in any way?"

Are You Invisible Online?

It’s true that your IP address is no secret. It’s a basic part of internet communication protocols to send your IP address whenever you connect to another site, request a web page, chat, play an online game, etc. Without your IP address, the computer on the other end wouldn’t know where to send the reply.

But that doesn’t mean that Evildoers can find your house if they know your IP address. Each time you go online (if you have dialup) or each time you start your computer (if you have cable or dsl) you will be assigned an IP address, randomly selected from a pool of IP’s assigned to your Internet service provider (ISP). WHOIS Your ISP

So a person MIGHT be able to get a general idea of your geographic location, based on your IP address, by doing a lookup on the WHOIS database, but that will only tell them the physical location of your ISP — not YOUR home address.

And if you use a large regional or nationwide ISP, the IP lookup probably reveals nothing of interest. For example, if you are an AOL subscriber, your IP address lookup will show the location as Dulles, Virginia — regardless of where you live. When The Law Comes A Knockin’

Of course there is an exception to every rule. If Joe or Jane User calls your ISP and wants to know who was using a certain IP address last Tuesday, the ISP will tell them to go away. But if an officer of the law hands your ISP a court order to reveal that information, they must do so. Your ISP’s logs will enable them to determine which customer was using a certain IP address on a certain date & time, and they must reveal that information if a court has found probable cause that a crime was committed by that person.

But for the truly paranoid (or the criminally inclined) there are ways to surf the web anonymously. The Anonymizer service will act as a proxy between you and your ISP, and they claim that your information cannot be subpoenaed because they do not store it. What About Email Addresses?

The same concepts apply to your email address. The part that follows the "@" sign is your ISP’s domain name. And given the domain name, one can determine the ISP’s physical location, but nothing personally identifying about the email user without a court order.

Web-based email accounts are not truly anonymous, either. Even if you don’t provide your real name when signing up, they can capture your IP address and track you through your ISP if necessary. Other Considerations

It’s much more likely that you or your children will reveal your physical location the old fashioned way — by just blurting it out. Kids who chat or play online games should be reminded often that they should never reveal any personal information, including their last name, phone number or home address.

Oh, and if you have any spyware or viruses on your system, all bets are off. These things are designed to violate your privacy. If you need help with scanning your system for spyware, adware and other unwanted pests, see my articles How can I avoid computer viruses? and Spy, Counter-Spy (http://www.askbobrankin.com/spy_counter-spy.html) for details on how to protect yourself from those risks.

BOB RANKIN… is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin’s website for more helpful articles and free tech support.