g8j4nhZLt5Qkq95OfUWf7IAytD7rrIo: 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Intrusion Detection System to Effectively Manage Network Security

In this day and age, there is no question about it-internet security is an essential facet of making sure that your business are protected from malicious attacks online. For those who don't realize it, once your entire system goes online, you leave it vulnerable to attacks in the virtual world. And the solution is so simple that it's easy to ignore and take it for granted-install a security software such as an effective antivirus and firewall properties.

Intrusion detection system is a type of security management that provides and manages online security for computers and networks.

Similarly, there is intrusion detection system a type of security management, like other protection measures for computers and networks. An ID collects and researches information from various areas within a computer or a network to locate possible security breaches including both intrusions - attacks from outside the organization and misuse. Vulnerability assessment is is termed as scanning and it integrates technology designed to monitor the security of a computer system or network.

Intrusion detection system works to:

1. Review and analyze user and system activities

2. Investigate system configurations and vulnerabilities

3. Assess system and file integrity

4. Detect and prevent network intrusions

5. Adopt role antivirus, anti spyware management

6. Recognize patterns typical of attacks

7. Check abnormal activity patterns

8. Track user policy violations

ID systems have expanded due to the increasing responses, due to number of attacks on major sites and networks, such as Pentagon, the White House, NATO, and the U.S. Defense Department. Sophistication of fraudsters towards the technology has made computer and internet security increasingly difficult. Besides, already tested methods are easily available over the web demanding less technical ability.

Below mentioned are ways in which IDS can be grouped:

Misuse detection and Anomaly detection

In misuse detection, the system reviews the information it gathers and compares it to huge databases of attack signatures. This detection software is cross referenced across a database of attack signatures, which compare packets. In anomaly detection, the administrator of the system creates the baseline, or normal, state of the network, traffic load, breakdown, protocol, and typical packet size. The anomaly detector investigates network segments and also compares the state to the normal baseline and look for anomalies.

Network-based and Host-based systems

In a network-based system, individual packets, which pass through a network are investigated. This system monitors malicious packets, which are fabricated to be overlooked by a firewall. In a host-based system, there is examination of activities of each individual computer or host.

Passive system and Reactive system

In passive intrusion detection system, should there be a potential security breach, it logs of the information and puts on an alert that is backed by network security. In a reactive system, suspicious activity prompts a user to log off by reprogramming the firewall to stop network traffic and avoid potential attack.

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5 Tips To Avoid Fake Internet Telecommute Jobs

There are tons of people who fall prey to fake internet telecommute jobs (a.k.a work from home) and if you're not careful you can be one of the victims. The mode of deception varies but these con artists share one common interest - to rob you of your money. The most difficult part of these kinds of deceptions is that you don't know who you're dealing with. Most of them operate online. You can't even see the person who hires you for the job. How would you be able to determine whether this is a con or the real thing?

This is the reason why before you even attempt to apply online, you need to be cautious whether the company you are sending your resume for is indeed a real company and not a bogus one! At least you will avoid becoming a victim of a con.

Recently, I fell prey to one of the oldest ones in the book. Had I been a bit more alert, I could have avoided this internet robbery. In an effort to help others, I've put together these five quick tips that can help avoid others from getting robbed.

Tip 1: First and foremost, make sure the Company is accredited and a member of the BBB. If this is a real company, they will post their credentials.

Tip 2: Make sure the company that hires you provides contact information, including website, physical address and working phone lines with a person on the other end answering.

Tip 3: Make sure all correspondence has legitimate company contact information that you can check on. If there is a website, click on the link to make sure it is active. If there is a phone number call it and make sure you talk to a person.

Tip 4: Enlist the help of banking professionals. Advise your bank branch of your new found employment. This will alert them immediately if anything comes in for deposit that looks suspicious.

Tip 5: Always wait at least 5 to 7 business days before withdrawing funds from monies received from your new employer to make sure the funds have cleared, in the event bank officials miss a catching a counterfeit note, you are not left covering the tab from your account.

This kind of job opportunity deception is like an art. Those who perfect the art of the con will succeed in ripping people off from their hard earned money. These five tips will help you spot the phonies and avoid getting robbed. Be alert, be wise and be safe!

Remote Desktop Vs VPN Service: Key Differences Finally Explained

Many people on Internet discussion forums and answering sites seem to be having a problem with distinguishing between a remote desktop and VPN services. It is hard to blame them, since these two concepts are definitely alike, and a layperson has every right to be confused. To make it easier for you, below you will find a concise explanation of their key differences.

Let us get the definitions straight first. A remote desktop is not a network tunnel, but merely the ability to "take over" and use a desktop from a remote location, that is, without having to actually sit in front of it. In order to perform this kind of action, special software needs to be installed on the computer to later interpret the remote actions of the user. The type of link here is a basic one-to-one connection with GUI interface.

A virtual private network is a network that cannot be accessed from outside. Imagine you can enter a LAN network from a remote location. This is probably the simplest way of explaining what a VPN server and appropriate VPN software allow for. If you happen to have a friend who says he works from home, this is what he or she most probably utilizes to do that. In comparison to remote desktop connection, VPN is more universal and can connect multiple computers to a server, basically excluding GUI interface.

What are the main differences in installation, maintenance and technicalities?

1. Virtual private networks require special VPN software to be installed. They need professional maintenance. This can be done by company's network administrator, but still tends to be quite costly to purchase and set up. Also, firewalls on the remote LAN have to be reconfigured in order to be able to receive VPN connections. This is not required with remote desktop, since the connection type is generally firewall friendly.

2. VPN connects local computers to remote LANs, but unlike remote desktop, it does not give the user direct access to the remote computer. Also, performance results are rather not very impressive for VPN in terms of resource access over the remote LAN. This proves to be particularly true for file transfer and direct remote files access.

3. Manual configuration is a must for VPN software. This has to be performed by the end user, and typically needs some customized setup options provided by the network administrator.

It is important not to confuse VPN services with remote desktop connections, and furthermore, to stop perceiving them as competition to each other. So, let us have it explained once and for all on the following example. Imagine you work from home. There are two ways you can do this. If you decide to use virtual private network, then a VPN server will work like an adapter that enables outside connections to intranet networks. However, if it were your desire to simply work from the computer that resides on your desk at your workplace, you would first need to log in to the intranet at work via the VPN service, and only then use remote desktop protocol to access the work PC.

Preventing a Network Security Breach

If you're running a business, a secure network is paramount. Without it, you risk sensitive documents being made public, viruses attaching themselves to your network and more. All of this can be very damaging to your productivity and your business as a whole. The best thing to do is to prevent a network security breach before it ever happens - but how can you do that?

Your network security really isn't that difficult to maintain when you use the right tools. The following list can help you choose which programs and services will make the most difference to your business by ensuring your network security is solid and effective.

Virus & Firewall Programs

One of the most basic network security solutions is to install virus and firewall programs on your network. These will block any dangerous programs that could mean to do you harm. A virus can really wreak havoc on your network - causing computers to crash, files to be deleted, etc. Virus and firewall programs practically run themselves so it is a good solution for maintaining a secure network and not adding on a great deal of work for yourself.

Access Controls

Another way to prevent a network security breach to is keep unauthorized users off of your network in the first place. This can become difficult as the world becomes more mobile and your employees want to access your network from their homes or during their commutes. The right network security program will force all visitors to prove their identities before they get on your network, ensuring unauthorized users cannot access it. However, it is also important to balance ease-of-access with security - you certainly don't want your employees struggling to access your network! Luckily, a network security program can give you the security you need and the quick access your employees are looking for.

Information Rights Management

Imagine sending a sensitive document to an employee. Does that employee have the ability to forward that document on - whether intentionally or accidentally? Information rights management gives you the ability to decide who can access what files or documents and what he or she can do with them. So if you want to ensure no one can forward a certain document on your network, it can be done! Your network security is as much defined by what comes in as by what goes out, so protect it by having the ability to set use parameters on sensitive files. Whether you want to control who can email, forward, print, edit or do other tasks to a document, information rights management can help you do so.

The best way to take advantage of all these solutions is to contact a network security company. They can work with you to decide what will make the biggest difference to your business and they will also make sure any programs you implement stay up and running.

Password Protection: Login Security and Password Generator

Password protection is becoming increasingly more important in an age when passwords and logins are not as secure as they once were. A high level of login security is essential due to the threat presented by modern phishing software, and keystroke recorders are able to detect your login details.

While security services such as Norton, MacAfee and BullGuard are able to protect your computer to a certain extent, it is amazing how many people still use birthdays or names of relatives as their passwords. A good password generator can regenerate passwords regularly so that none are lying around long enough to be detected and used.

Most people have their date of birth and names of their family on their Facebook or Friendster profiles, so it isn't difficult to find the type of personal information that many use as their passwords. In any case, keystroke logging systems can easily record your login details even if they are obscure.

Keystroke loggers can be purchased online. Intended to record the keystrokes made by your children, they can be used against you to find your user names and passwords. Believe it or not, this can be done remotely and determined people are able to find your login details fairly rapidly if they have the desire to do so!

What Does Password Protection Offer?

A good password protection system will provide you with modern encrypted storage of your user names and passwords, so it cannot be breached by spyware or hackers. Here are other benefits that such systems offer:

• Storage of login details for each individual site or page.

• Auto-recognition of site and automatic login with a single click.

• Automatic storage of logins details and passwords for new sites.

• Secure password generation using random characters and numbers.

• Auto-completion of forms with your personal details.

• Avoid Keystroke loggers with one-click login.

This saves you a great deal of time in filling in forms, and also makes sure that you will never again have to click that 'Forgot Password' link. Keystroke loggers cannot detect your passwords because the password security software can detect what site you are trying to access, and then fill in the details with one click of a button.

Remote Storage of Login Details

Some packages also offer remote storage of your passwords and logins. They are stored on remote servers so that they cannot be hacked from your own computer. Another possibility is that you can store them on a USB memory drive. The drive also stores the password manager software and password generator, so you can carry the USB drive around with you and access your passwords anywhere in the world and on any computer or mobile device.

You can utilize such systems on your PC, laptop, iPad or other tablet, iPhone, Android device and many others. This type of system offers an extremely high level of security and is used by the US Air Force and government departments. By using the USB option, your login details are not stored on your computer, so offering the highest level of login security.

Password protection is very important in today's age of online business and banking, and it may be of critical importance for you to install such a system on your own computer or mobile device. Phishing and hacking are becoming increasingly more common, but it can be avoided by using effective login security, password protection and by using a random password generator so that your details cannot be guessed.

Is My Site Hacked? Quick Indications and Symptoms Showing Your Website Is Infected

There's no doubt having your website infected is frustrating. But why is it actually so? What is wrong with being infected?

First let's define what is an infection.

When your website is hacked, its contents are usually changed in one way or another. The hacker may change pages to add spam, or add additional pages to the site, usually with the intent of phishing (tricking users into parting with personal and credit card information). Alternatively, they may inject malicious code (malware)-for example, scripts or iFrames that pull content from another website that tries to attack any computer that views the page.

In all the cases generally it is said that a website is infected by malware. The term "malware" covers all sorts of malicious software designed to harm a computer or network. Kinds of malware include (but are not limited to) viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojan horses. Some hackers may even take administrative control over a hacked site.

So, the answer to question what's wrong with being infected is twofold:

First, despite all the generous intentions of your website, it is simply spreading malware. So now your site turns to be on the bad side of internet. This is not only disappointing, but also could make serious impact on your site or business credibility and reputability, not talking about possible legal consequences.

Secondly, by having malware you get immediate direct penalty by losing traffic to your site. Your site will be included in various blacklists (including Google). Visitors will see a warning and will stay away from your site, sysadmins will add preventive measures forbidding to access your site from within companies internal networks and so on and so forth. So you'd better be clean!

According to StopBadware, the most common forms of infections that StopBadware sees on compromised sites are:

Malicious scripts .htaccess redirects Hidden iFrames

Malicious scripts

Malicious scripts are often used to redirect site visitors to a different website and/or load badware from another source. These scripts will often be injected by an attacker into the content of your web pages, or sometimes into other files on your server, such as images and PDFs. Sometimes, instead of injecting the entire script into your web pages, the attacker will only inject a pointer to a.js or other file that the attacker saves in a directory on your web server. To avoid detection and to mislead analytics scripts sometimes are divided into smaller parts. These parts can be spread on multiple files or even multiple websites and are combined upon running.

Many malicious scripts use obfuscation to make them more difficult for anti-virus scanners to detect.

Some malicious scripts use names that look like they're coming from legitimate sites (note the misspelling of "analytics"):

.htaccess redirects

The Apache web server, which is used by many hosting providers, uses a hidden server file called .htaccess to configure certain access settings for directories on the website. Attackers will sometimes modify an existing .htaccess file on your web server or upload new .htaccess files to your web server containing instructions to redirect users to other websites, often ones that lead to badware downloads or fraudulent product sales.

Hidden iFrames

An iFrame is a section of a web page that loads content from another page or site. Attackers will often inject malicious iFrames into a web page or other file on your server. Often, these iFrames will be configured so they don't show up on the web page when someone visits the page, but the malicious content they are loading will still load, hidden from the visitor's view.

How to find out if my site is infected?

The most obvious way is to analyze the source code and look for the forms of infection similar to described above. When you browse your own site keep focus on any unexpected results and analyze the source code of such pages. Look for obfuscated JavaScripts, iFrames, check your .htaccess file.

Also there are some symptoms that indicate about possible infection:

First and most common form of notice includes third party notifications. Your visitors will see a warning when they try to visit a site from the search results pages. Also they could see a warning of their antivirus software upon visiting your site. If you or other people try to visit your website but get automatically taken to some other website instead, it's another symptom of being hacked. Surely you'll soon receive a phone call or email that will tell you about the infection. Another (indirect) symptom of possible infection is a sudden decrease of visits from search engines. Your site appears in search engines using absolutely irrelevant search terms. Your site could become less responsive. It takes longer to load web pages. Your site or some particular web pages have been removed from search engines. You notice strange files at your site that you didn't put there. Last but not least, your AdSense account is blocked.

If you encounter one or more of these symptoms there might be a chance your website is hacked. There are some tools and services that let you check your website for malware or help to monitor your site's status on a periodic basic.

However, even after you clean up your website there's no guarantee it won't be infected again. So the best approach would be to try to eliminate all the possible security holes and vulnerabilities. There are some great open-source and commercial tools available for checking website security.

10 Important Steps a Corporate User Should Follow for Malware Protection

As the name suggests, malware is a malicious software that can hinder your online activities. Since it's being promoted through fake, online malware scanners, it's easy for corporate networks to get their hardware infected with Trojans and enter infected websites.

As a corporate user it is mandatory for you to have malware protection. Since viruses have now become so sophisticated that there is no guarantee whether or not it has actually been effectively removed. And the prevalence of various technological gadgets makes it possible for malware to enter your system through different entry points.

How you can detect malware on your system?

Malware causes unusual behavior on your entire enterprise network system. Like viruses or Trojans it also creates havoc and damage on software and the performance of your entire hardware. Malware, like droppers, introduces other malware to entire network systems and is often packaged in interesting forms such as games, cool animation and often as pornographic images or movies to entice people to click on it. Since it cannot be executed without user intervention it uses any means to attract the victim end user to execute its file on their system. That is why it is always being advised to scan a new file or attachment before opening on your system.

Once executed, the malware can perform its intended malicious function on the system; and the users are unaware of the fact that their system is now being infected. Here are 10 important steps to follow for complete malware protection for a corporate user:

1. Visit windows update- Make sure you have all the critical updates recommended for your OS and IE. 2. Antivirus software-The best antivirus software can act fantabulous jobs for the safety of your system. Install the most compatible one for malware removal and stick with them that can have best commercial tools. 3. Firewalls- a firewall acts as a barrier to protect your computer from hackers and viruses that try to find the unprotected computers connected to the internet. With both hardware and software firewalls you can get the best malware protection. 4. Get a temp files or cookies cleaner- with this application you can get rid of all unwanted malwares and remove them with ease frequently. 5. Antispyware tools- the antispyware tools can provide real time blocking with scanner and removal tool. It can be acquired with free tools and paid tools and the corporate user should prefer the paid tools. 6. Adjust active X security settings that act as anti-malware software. 7. Always install a backup browser in case you run any difficulty with current browser. 8. Make sure you are running the current version of Sun Java. 9. Disable the AutoRuns features used to spread malwares. 10. Use strict password and create restricted user accounts.

Some Basic Internet Security Tips

Internet security is a hot topic of discussion these days. Individuals as well as corporate houses are paying too much attention on internet security. Since internet facilitates the exchange of information, it is prone to data theft or misuse. In today's business scenario, internet plays a highly crucial role and we cannot imagine to work without the internet.

Since the internet dependency has reached to all new heights in last few years, the demand for internet security products has also increased considerably. A fragile internet security may not only damage your operations but also may put a question mark on your credibility. If you do not have a full proof plan in place then your network is exposed to the liability risks, security problems and other distractions. Thus, it is required that you come out with a robust and intrinsic security system. The following are some of the basic internet security tips that will help to protect your data and information.

Firstly, you need to devise a good security plan. You need to learn about the various kinds of malware and the potential damage that they can do to your computers. Secondly, Antivirus software are a must have for any business or individual. Go for quality software that can easily be managed from a single server. You need to ensure that the software is updated frequently. They are extremely helpful in getting rid of worms, Trojans, bugs, malware and other potential society threats. If you are confused about which one to buy, you should never hesitate in asking for recommendations from vendors or experts. With course of time it's not only the internet security that has improved but also hackers have evolved over time and thus you need to ensure that you are having the best of software and applications with you.

In order to increase the credibility as well as the reputation of the web encrypted documents you must make use of the digital signatures. In majority of the countries, a digital signature is a must in order to comply with the local laws. That's not all; you also should change your attitude towards internet security and should take it more seriously. One simple example of this is to avoid clicking on the suspicious links. Another good internet security tip is that as much as possible you should try to use the secured connections. Also, you need to avoid keeping confidential or sensitive data on shared computers.

SSL Certificates, HTTP and Encryption for Your Website

Ecommerce is so popular today that business website owners find it more important than ever to safeguard their customers' financial information by use of SSL encryption. Encryption, or coding, keeps credit card and banking information safe by turning numbers into indecipherable messages so they are safe from the eyes of everyone between the website where the purchase is made to the customer's financial institution or credit card company. SSL certificates are certificates that the website owner must have to safeguard this information. HTTP's or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, signals the browser to add an additional layer of SSL to safeguard a website when personal information is entered.

HTTP certificates are used to safeguard a website owner from computer hackers. Identity theft can cause people many headaches. Money is stolen from bank accounts and credit and debit cards are used to make purchases that otherwise wouldn't be made. HTTP certificates are used but the addition of a SSL certificate, sensitive information is even safer. HTTP certificates are already installed in the computer by a server while a SSL certificate is purchased by the website owner. Purchasing a SSL certificate entails choosing the best one to suit the needs of the company that owns the website. There are many to choose from, each is designed for the specific needs of computer website owners.

SSL certificates or Secure Socket Layer certificates are copied and pasted to the company's server after verification enabling them to keep customers private information safe from computer hackers. The installation process may be a little different with each SSL provider so it can be confusing. The user signs onto the server's site and is asked to enter their key. If they don't have a key there is a process for creating one. It is much the same as creating a CSR. A CSR, or Customer Signing Request is obtained after entering their name, address, domain name and email address, then it is sent to a valid certified authority to be verified. This allows the website owner to purchase an SSL certificate. It is then copied and pasted to the server website. The server automatically verifies the certificate each time someone enters personal information on the website. The SSL encryption code keeps credit and debit card information safe from hackers while it is en-route to the customers' bank.

There are various types of SSL certificates. Each one is different and each is designed to fit the needs of the company's website. An EV or Extended Validation Certificate is very safe. It is registered with a secure company to safeguard banking information. The SGC, or Server Gated Cryptography SSL is also a very powerful way to keep sensitive information safe. A Wild Card SSL is used when more than one computer shares information. The IP Address SSL Certificate safeguards the websites IP address, while the UC/SAN Certificate keeps more than one host name safe. A SSL encryption is automatically activated when any of the above SSL certificates are validated and pasted on the servers' site.

Choose the Thawte SSL 123 Certificate for Quick High Level Encryption

Internet security is the primary concern for anyone dealing with e-commerce transactions. Thawte SSL123 Certificate is one of the best options: as a domain-validation (DV) certificate, it takes less time for issuance to rapidly enable secured connections to your web server. This Certificate offers encryption up to 256-bit for intranets, email servers, and other web-based programs that are not likely targets for phishing or scams (in which case EV would be recommended). An SSL123 certificate comes with immediate domain validation, the Thawte Trust Seal, absolutely free reissues, and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Thawte SSL123 Certificate is an entry level certificate which is capable of providing industry standard encryption, 256-bit or 128-bit (depending on user's browser, operating system, etc.). It's the perfect choice for people who need a high quality SSL in a few minutes with 256-bit encryption, at an affordable price and without any paperwork.

You can get assurance with a Thawte SSL123 certificate that a website is certified and that the enterprise has accepted the purchase of the certificate. With this encryption and seal, the visitors are safe and feel that the private or confidential information they are sharing with your website is highly secured. That in turn helps to build online trust and confidence in visitors and customers.

These Certificates are developed for securing a single domain on intranets and internal servers with domain validation. They are usually available within a day or less, have over 99% browser compatibility, and service for Online Certificate Status Method (OCSP) that browsers use to analyze a certificate's status. With this certificate, 128-bit or 256-bit encryption is offered in most browsers.

Here are some benefits of getting Thawte SSL123 WebServer Certificate:

· It creates a secure, private connection for intranets, mail and FTP machines, and other programs, with issuance in about 10 minutes.

· You can easily get protection for the private details exchanged during online transactions or communications, with a high level of encryption.

· You can save money and time by purchasing the certificates for 2-5 years

· Automated 2-step validation without any paperwork

· The certificate is recognized by 99% of browsers

· It includes a free site seal

It's the right choice for customers who are in need of an SSL certificate issued fast. A cost effective SSL certificate is issued in minutes, including the Thawte seal to promote your security. Also note that SSL123 certificates are now available with Internationalized Domain Names. These certificates require applicants to specify an Authorizing Contact during the enrollment process to confirm the order. The authorizing contact must be available to approve the order to ensure that the certificate is issued in the fastest possible time.

Online Privacy: Software Packages Are Hiding On Your Desktop

Plenty concern themselves with privacy on the internet, nevertheless it might not be something that may be as worrisome as it seems to be. Though there exists continually an issue when bank card numbers are utilized online, and extreme caution should invariably be taken, there are other problems that most likely is not as demanding as one may think. I know that seeing that monitoring software is very popular, people stress about their level of privacy and what people will discover about them from this variety of application.

The majority of the software that is out there for this reason is harmless, and anybody worrying about privacy online should take it easy. I can't speak for the most state-of-the-art tracking software that larger corporations may also use, nonetheless the items that the average online user might have is very harmless. I actually have one on my Facebook page, and it will only tell me where someone came from. It provides the country and also the city, but that is about all. It does not provide names, addresses, or anything else that somebody may very well be anxious about getting out there. The major issue is if you do find that some of your own personal details are on a website and now you want to have it removed, choosing the best way to delete personal information from the Internet can be a very hard task.

Consequently when you check out a site and you realize that they have perhaps tracking software, you are able to relax. If you are living in a sizable city, there would be no way that someone would know that it was you going there. On the other hand, if you are living in a small town, your Internet address or host most likely comes out of a close by large city, thus it won't show your small town listed anyway. No matter which one pertains to you, you can be sure that your privacy online is secure.

When you are worried about privacy online, the most significant worry needs to be spyware. Though generally this will likely simply report the place where you search online for advertising functions, this software can be rather intrusive. Anyone who goes online for anything at all should make sure they've got a spyware remover that they can use at least one time a week to clear out these items. Although it used to be that you had to download these (usually unintentionally) to get them on your PC, it seems like they find a way on no matter what an individual does or does not do. With regards to privacy online, this should actually be without doubt one of a person's first challenges, in conjunction with protecting birth date, social security number, and credit card numbers. Always check connections are secure when dealing with any of those things.

How to Prevent an Internet Virus or Spam

Intrusion Software and Internet Viruses are becoming increasingly and excessively prevalent today. Furthermore, these are the quickest implements used by Internet hackers to effectively destroy or damage computers, as well as illegitimately gain access to vital information and documents, for the purpose of their fraudulent activities. To combat this universal predicament, it is crucial for you to know about the best available methods for avoiding these harmful intrusion programs and viruses. Although, some sort of prevention software is essential, there are many helpful steps which simply require a measure of self awareness concerning the actions you choose to perform.

Install Anti-virus Computer Software

Your computer deserves to have reliable anti-virus programs installed. Ensure that the selected program continuously monitors your computer system for detection and prevention of possible virus as well as intrusion software attacks. Generally, some popular anti-virus software programs are more favored, though you can readily get a dozen more from other reliable sites, many of which are free.

Form a habit of logging off when not using the Internet. This considerably reduces exposure of your computer to web content that you are unable to monitor in this state.

Be wary of unfamiliar email accounts

Never open email messages sent through accounts that are unknown to you. If you have doubts about the sender, they are probably spam, or factual virus attachments. To be more certain, do not make an attempt to open attachments sent by unknown persons. Such attachments often spontaneously infect your PC as soon as you click them. So, download or open documents only from sites known and trusted by you. Using certain services or common file sharing site programs is among the quickest ways of getting infected by an undesired virus or malware. There are a number of reputable free surfing, community based tools that give you an advance warning regarding sites that enjoy poor security or reputations.

Keep your computer system updated

There is no harm in downloading normal system updates for your computer system. Windows routinely informs you whenever a potential update for your system is available. You can accept it without fear. These regular updates enhance your computer security as well as block out all potential threats detected by Microsoft. Several web browsers also offer you frequent updates.

Conclusion

Latest Internet technologies continue to develop ever more sophisticated means of providing faster access to almost any desired information or data. Computer criminals likewise continue to grow equally sophisticated, by making strenuous efforts for keeping up. The outcome is further proliferation of threats to your computer, which includes hijacking connections, outright hacking, malware, and viruses. Computer security system experts have reciprocated through buildup of their own more advanced technologies designed to radically reduce web surfing risks. Efforts are abreast on both fronts; it is now your turn to do your part.

How to Log Denied Packets on Palo Alto Firewall

Palo Alto firewalls have recently featured in Gartner Report as a next generation firewall and they are getting popular at a very rapid pace. The core feature of a Palo Alto Firewall is its ability to detect and recognize applications. This allows administrators to define rules sets and filtering based on applications rather than traditional method of restricting TCP or UDP port numbers as with what Gartner calls first generation firewalls.

Palo Alto Firewall is also a Unified Threat Management gateway device that combines multiple features in a single box. These features include Antivirus, Anti Spyware, Vulnerability Protection, File blocking, Data Protection, Denial of service protection and URL Filtering through Brightcloud.

With all these advanced features it is also important to understand and find out what is being blocked by the firewall. Without this visibility it is difficult to provision, migrate and seamlessly integrate the services through this firewall because the way data is filtered is different from a traditional firewall. By having a realtime knowledge on whats being blocked through the firewall, administrators can make changes on the fly and cut migration times.

The simple way to have visibility on denied packets is to configure a default deny access rule at the end of your rule set under Policies Tab if configuring through graphical user interface of the Palo Alto firewall. If administrators are looking to monitor all traffic passing through the firewall they should put any to any rule and default action as block.

Now with the above action, administrators will also notice that traffic between the same security zone are getting dropped as well due to the above any to any rule. This should ideally be addressed as well, as it will potentially drop locally generated traffic. To resolve this issue, administrators can simply add an explicit allow statement for each security zone. For example if administrators have configured a security zone called "Inside". There needs to be an allow statement for traffic to pass through from source zone as "Inside" and destination zone as "Inside". This rule should be places above the default deny rule kept at the bottom of the rule set. Similar rules needs to be created for every security zone that is dropping traffic between itself.

Although it is not mandatory for administrators to have all explicit allow and default deny statements in their rule base but it definitely make their tasks easier at managing this next generation firewall.

Search Your Name Online: Be Prepared for a Shocking Discovery

Come on, admit it. You've Googled your name. Actually, it's a good idea. You should know what is on the Internet about you.

Usually you'll find such things as what you've written, where you've worked, your Web site, speaking engagements and your blog.

Some say it's just an ego trip.

I disagree. You also want to see if something is inaccurate or downright nasty. If it is on a public site, you might be able to do something about it such as comment.

Nevertheless, there is a lot more about you online than just what you wrote or where you worked

Google is not going to tell you the details of your personal life. Beyond the various free people searches are details you normally wouldn't make public, but they are there for anyone to find.

It's downright scary. Forget about privacy. It's long gone.

I've found people I didn't know except for a first and last name. I had no address, age range, names of relatives, nothing. I performed this questionably ethical process using my home computer and available public free people search engines.

Many think the information is inaccurate. I'm here to tell you most of it is true, current and very, very personal. I know because for this exercise I used myself as the subject.

Below is a list of some popular search engines that you can use for free:

· Ancestry.com: -Need age, gender, year of birth, etc. Very little without these details.

· 411.com: - Mostly accurate information on city only and one "association" with my husband.

· CVgadget: - Will give you a list of a person's social networks

· PeekYou: - Very little information beyond name and city.

· Pipl: - The most comprehensive information for free. Photos, profession, employer, city, state, phone numbers and age.

· Searchbug:- No information available

· Spokeo: - Very limited, but accurate information with a map. Just name and city.

· White Pages: - Name, current and old addresses. Others with similar name and sometimes age. No email or phone number. Will refer user to paid companies.

· Wink People Search: - Very little accurate information beyond name and city.

· Yahoo People: - Mostly a Google search. One address.

· Zaba Search: - Some accurate information on street address, city, state, and age. No email or phone number.

Fee based people search sites:

Several of the free sites will refer to a paid site for more information.

Below are several paid-based sites and what you can find out.

· Intellius.com: Intellius is the largest paid people search engine online. It allows a free search that lists name, city and relatives. Many of the free sites offer more information for a fee. Once you click on the additional information they link to fee level. Intellius offers six different services ranging from $.95 cents to $50.00.

· USA People Search: Starts with free list of names and city. For more information, it offers a limited, time-based option such as a 24-hour, 7-day or 30-day subscription.

· US Search: The free portion gave accurate information on city, state, parents and education. The fee portion offers three different pricing options and services from $.95 cents to $40.00.

I paid the $40.00 to see what kind of information would come back.

- Name, aliases, all previous & current address, current address, phone numbers and my age.

- Relatives, property values, bankruptcy and criminal records.

- All relatives, ages and social network associations.

- Property information including lot size, finished size, house type, tax assessment year, year built, Zillow estimated value, and valuation change from two years ago.

- Available criminal Records. If the records you want are from out of town, you can pay $15 and the site will send a person to retrieve court records and send them either by E-mail or by fax.

There are sites to look up specific criminal records, arrests, sex offender sites, and "skip tracing" for missing people.

Pretty much whatever you are searching for on anyone, it can be found using an online search engine.

Happy hunting.