Your office is equipped with the latest in security technology — firewall, antivirus, spyware blocker, etc. Even with all these protections, there’s one thing that can’t be solved by new hard- or software: your own actions. PC Magazine says that you are the weakest link, and if you don’t learn how to protect yourself,
Security
What you can do to stop hijacking
By Tom Mighell on
Browser hijacking, that is. When you’re surfing the Internet willy-nilly, it can sometimes be easy to pick up some unwanted guests that take over your web browser, changing your home page, throwing pop-ups at you left and right, and exposing you to unwanted pr0n. As I have mentioned before, use one of the spyware…
Virus protection tips from Microsoft
By Tom Mighell on
Posted in Security
Originally intended for Microsoft Office System users, this list of best practices for protection from viruses contains some good advice we can all use.
NetSky on the loose, Part D
By Tom Mighell on
Posted in Security
The latest variant of the NetSky virus, NetSky.D, is rapidly spreading across the Internet, as usual through e-mail. It’s spreading so fast, in fact, that its sibling NetSky.E was first discovered the same day. Keep your PCs safe out there, folks.
ID Theft — yes, you should worry
By Tom Mighell on
Many people don’t realize how easy it is for others to steal your personal information and bleed your bank account dry in no time at all. InIdentity Theft: What, Me Worry?, PC Magazine tells the story of several people who had their identities stolen; one of them didn’t even happen online. The article…
Remember long passwords — or throw them away entirely?
By Tom Mighell on
When we talk about choosing the right password, some standard rules apply — it should be at least 8 characters in length, should include both letters and numbers, and the letters should be both lower and upper case (there are other rules, but these are the basics). The problem is, how do you remember such…
MyDoom just keeps rollin’ along…
By Tom Mighell on
Posted in Security
The latest variant of the MyDoom virus, MyDoom.F, has a new twist: it actively deletes documents from your computer, including .jpg (image), .doc (Microsoft Word), and .xls (Microsoft Excel) files.
NetSky on the loose
By Tom Mighell on
Posted in Security
Watch out for the new NetSky.B e-mail worm. It uses its own e-mail engine to send copies of itself to addresses it finds on infected computers. Make sure your virus definitions have been updated.
The FTC and identity theft
By Tom Mighell on
Learn to protect yourself against identity theft and get other helpful information on the subject at the FTC’s new site, ID Theft.
Stop spyware in its tracks
By Tom Mighell on
PC Magazine’s most recent issue reviews several anti-spyware programs in Spy Stoppers. Their Editor’s Choice is Spy Sweeper, a program I’m currently testing on my PC. I have long been a big fan of SpyBot Search & Destroy, which comes in 2nd place in the PC Magazine article (one thing that makes…