McGeeks Blog http://www.scbp.net Johnny Doe, meet the McGeeks. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:15:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en What is Phishing? http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/23/what-is-phishing/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/23/what-is-phishing/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:15:48 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=49 We’ve been asked this question quite a few times in the past, so here is a brief explanation that should help some of you.

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What is Phishing?

by Melanie C

There are plenty of cheats and crooks out in cyber space and one of the ways they attempt to get someone’s personal information to use fraudulently is called Phishing. If you get an email from what looks to be a legitimate source telling you to click on a link to verify an account, then be suspicious immediately, even if the source claims to be from a bank or other website business you may deal with.

The fraudulent email may or may not have a letterhead or logo that the real business uses. If it does, don’t be fooled. There are other ways you can identify it as Phishing. It won’t have your full name, but a more generic term of address. It will provide a live link and urge you to click on it. And it will warn you that your account will be closed - or some other dire fate will come upon you - if you don’t click on the link.

Don’t be fooled into clicking on the link just to find out what it’s all about. Clicking on the link will allow the Phishers access to all your private information. Instead, delete the email and then delete it again from your ‘delete’ box. Remember that no legitimate business will ask you to click on anything or provide information through an email. They will use a snail mail message.

In conclusion, don’t be afraid of using internet banking - all you need to do is to follow good security practices for safe online banking.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/23/what-is-phishing/feed/ Kaspersky Internet Security Suite http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/05/kaspersky-internet-security-suite/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/05/kaspersky-internet-security-suite/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:13:37 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=47 Since one of our main focuses here is on helping people enjoy a safe and secure computing experience we’re always on the lookout for thorough product reviews.

The Kaspersky Internet Security Suite is one that we don’t hear much about, and while sometimes that can indicate that a software isn’t well liked, it can also just means that it works and nobody is complaining.

We believe that is the case here, and present this review by Mike Selvon for you.

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Reviewing The Kaspersky Internet Security Suite

by Mike Selvon

Almost daily, the news is filled with reports of new types of threats to computers. It is increasingly important for PC owners to be proactive and make sure that they have software installed and running that can help keep their computers safe. While there are many such programs on the market, the Kaspersky internet security package has gained one of the highest ratings for this category of and is considered one of the best ways to protect a personal computer system.

Technology continues to advance rapidly, especially in terms of how people can access the internet and the types of information and multimedia that is available online. At the same time, because of the way that the internet is evolving so quickly, the internet threats that are posed to computer users by “cyber criminals” and determined hackers is also advancing steadily and it is important to stay on top of the current internet security trends in order to stay ahead of these digital miscreants.

The Kaspersky internet security package is sophisticated software that provides a number of essential features that can significantly reduce the risk of exposure and infection of your computer by internet viruses. This alone helps to improve the internet security protection that you can enjoy, but the Kaspersky software doesn’t stop there.

The fact is that computer viruses are not the only internet threat these days, nor are they the only tool that cyber criminals use to hack into your personal computer and your life. Other common internet threats are found in things such as phishing schemes and spyware, and hackers who are intent on cracking into your system to search for sensitive financial information or information that will allow them to steal your identity.

If your computer is hacked into by one of these internet gangsters, then any sensitive personal information on your computer, including passwords to your bank accounts and other important data, can easily be accessed and used to steal your identity. The statistics clearly show that identity theft is on the rise, right along with computer internet security issues. It is quickly becoming one of the most common crimes in America.

The Kaspersky security suite will automatically scan any website files and all emails for any type of malware. These are malicious programs that pose threats to your internet safety and these programs come in the form of spyware, adware, and various viruses that are constantly being developed in an attempt to get past the protection internet security you might have in place.

With all of these constant internet threats in mind, the Kaspersky internet security software is programmed to check with the publisher’s website every hour for any new updates and security downloads. As long as the computer is on and has access to the internet, these updates will be automatically downloaded, providing the highest level of protection from new viruses and malware of any company that offers internet security software. Getting such frequent updates will keep your computer protected from even the very latest virus attacks.

Mike Selvon has some informative articles for the creative mind. Find out more about kaspersky internet security at his resourceful site. We appreciate your feedback at our internet safety rules blog.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/05/kaspersky-internet-security-suite/feed/ Cleaning the XP Registry and Optimizing Your Hard Drive http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/03/cleaning-the-xp-registry-and-optimizing-your-hard-drive/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/03/cleaning-the-xp-registry-and-optimizing-your-hard-drive/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:01:14 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=45 One of the most common problems we see with people’s PCs is slow or degraded system performance, and the primary causes of this that we encounter are badly fragmented hard drives and bloated, error filled system registry files.

The Windows operating system comes with a handy tool for fixing fragmented hard drives. It’s called Disk Defragmenter and usually found by going to your Start Menue, then All Programs, Accessories and finally System Tools.

Just run the program, select your hard drive and start the defragmenting process.

It can take a little while to run depending on the size of your hard drive and percentage of fragmentation to be cleaned, but it’s worth the wait to let it finish.

For optimal performance we suggest running this utility once per week. If you do that it will run faster each time because you haven’t allowed the hard drive to become overly fragmented since the last run, and you should notice an increased performance on your machine.

Unfortunately, for the registry Windows doesn’t come with an easy clean-up utility for the average user, but there are several good ones on the market. We’ve talked about a few of them here in the past, so here’s an article on one we haven’t mentioned before.

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Does Xp Repair Pro Really Repair Your PC Errors? 

by Harry Wilhelm

A new pc or computer, like a new car is fast when you first bring it home, but after a few miles it slows down and can leave you stranded. Registry Cleaner software is like the best car mechanic; it can diagnose problems, fix broken down components, free up stuck mechanisms and get your computer back to speeding down the Internet highway.You want to scan and optimize your registry, right? But there’s a ton of different products out there. Well relax. The XP Repair Pro is different from the others. It is not just a registry repair too. It has together an advanced registry editor, crash monitor and a startup program manager.

XP Repair Pro is a popular system utility that is designed to allow any computer user to quickly and easily repair common errors that occur in Windows and thousands of other software titles. Whether you are experiencing system errors, system lockups or if your computer just seems to be running slowly, XP Repair Pro’s useful tools will help revive your PC without having to spend hundreds of dollars to a computer tech to do what you can do yourself. With just the click of a button, you can quickly restore your computer back to its like new condition.

XP Repair Pro offeres the Stop-Starting feature that acts as a start-up manager. Another useful feature is the Advanced Registry Editor that allows manual adaptation of registry settings. This though is probably best used with a good deal of knowledge of how a Windows registry works and most people will not even use it.

Another great feature of this Registry Cleaner is that it offers live updates. What this means is that the program will check for updates each time you run it and install the updates, rather than making you have to go to the website and download these updates manually.

The XP Repair Pro has one of the best support structures of any registry cleaner. The internet site linked to the registry repair program is full of information about how to work the program and also other frequently asked questions. Additionally there is a system where support tickets can be completed to ask about technical issues.

For more detailed information about Xp Repair Pro and Registry Cleaner software. please visit Xp Repair Pro Review and Free Download here. It is a wonderful resource for finding comprehensive information about the Latest Software & Tools For Your PC.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/12/03/cleaning-the-xp-registry-and-optimizing-your-hard-drive/feed/ Is Your Mobile Phone At Risk Of Attack? http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/29/is-your-mobile-phone-at-risk/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/29/is-your-mobile-phone-at-risk/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:51:28 +0000 Heather http://www.scbp.net/?p=43 With more and more people surfing the web on mobile devices it’s a fact that some malicious people have devised ways to invade and attack them.

There are dozens of known mobile phone viruses and security threats already, and it’s a safe bet that more will be popping up in the future.

Since we’re all about safe computing, which would include safe mobile computing, here’s some information on effective anti-virus measures for mobile phones.

Several mobile phones

Image via Wikipedia

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The 4 Effective Anti-Viruses For Mobile Phones

by David H. Urmann

There are effective anti-viruses software that can protect your mobile phones from being attacked by malicious programs. These include Zebra Virus Cleaner, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Commander Mobile Anti-Virus and F-Secure Mobile Anti-virus.There are more than forty mobile phone viruses and threats that have been reported. Apparently, these viruses can badly damage your phone and can cause it to be of no use at all. Therefore, getting an anti-virus is vital to keep your mobile running well and efficient.

Zebra Virus Cleaner

One of the most effective anti-viruses that you can implement on your mobile phone is the Zebra Virus Cleaner for Symbian OS Smart Phone. This is a dependable anti-virus software that can protect your mobile from being assaulted by malevolent programs. Zebra Virus Cleaner can identify and clean rootkits, Lasco, Cabir, Skulls, plus nearly a thousand of viruses including Trojans and worms from your smart phone. It also provides security for all your personal files and information. Zebra Virus Cleaner scans quickly and gets rid of viruses completely in real time, easy to adopt and has a friendly feature. The users can set the time to scan and update automatically.

The Kaspersky Anti-Virus

With the growing recognition of smart phones and communicators, your phones may not be safe from malicious programs that were increasing both in numbers and variety. The Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the appropriate and reliable solution that will keep your mobile phones from such programs that affect the mobile platforms. It was developed and combined the latest technology of the Kasperky Lab technologies, experts in the antivirus field. Their solution offers competent armor for your smart phone and personal files.

Commander Mobile Anti-Virus

One of the most effective defends against mobile phones harmful content, unwanted messages and malfunctioning applications is the Commander Mobile Anti-Virus. With this anti-virus, you can scan both the principal memory and memory cards, thus providing an absolute and prompt protection. It can detect viruses such as Cabir and thoroughly remove them from the system. All files are automatically inspected when they are copied, synchronized, modified, saved, or downloaded. This will definitely put off corruption of your mobile phone files.

F-Secure Mobile Anti-virus

F-Secure Mobile Anti-virus is uncomplicated to adopt and does not need excess device resources or pointless user interaction. By design, it examines all files both in the device and on the memory cards. When a corrupted file is found, it is directly isolated to protect all the other data in the system. When the data connection is applied for emails and web browsing, the anti-virus database is updated unnoticeably in the background. F-Secure anti-virus also safeguards mobile computing by bringing together an integrated anti-virus and firewall. This platform makes available a remedy and automated security thru real time. The F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus scans both the incoming and outgoing internet packets to thwart malicious, unsafe, or possibly destructive packets. F-Secure is also uncomplicated to apply.

These mobile software anti-viruses help us to stay composed and prepared for the attacks of malicious programs that can virtually impair the system of our phones. The defenses that they build into the network layer are the most valuable system of protection. In selecting mobile antivirus solution, look for the one that supports your device as well as its operating system. Also, the anti-virus software should be trouble-free to use, has over the air updates and a real time virus scanning and should scan all attachments for viruses. Although anti-viruses may significantly decelerate your mobile phone but it is beyond doubt the best protection.

For more information on send sms to cell phone and Send free sms message worldwide please visit our website.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/29/is-your-mobile-phone-at-risk/feed/ Picking The Best Antivirus For You http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/28/picking-the-best-antivirus-for-you/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/28/picking-the-best-antivirus-for-you/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:26:02 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=41 Some people I’ve talked with say they’ve been a little confused when trying to select protective software to use on their PC’s. One person said it best, “it seems like there’s almost as many different programs for protecting your computer as there are viruses trying to infect it”.

That’s not exactly true, but I’m sure it can seem that way to anyone who wants protection but isn’t sure on which software might be right for them.

So, I found this great article that talks about common needs and features in modern Antivirus applications, and how you can judge them for yourself when picking a program.

I would just emphasize that there’s really no wrong choice you can make other than having nothing to protect your computer and information, and you can always change what you’re using at any time if something doesn’t work with or fit your needs.

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How To Choose Best Antivirus Solutions

by Mike Selvon

These days there are a number of choices that people have when they need to purchase internet security software packages to protect their computers from online threats. People can choose to visit some websites and get trial versions of security downloads before purchasing a full program, or they can simply go into a retail store and buy the software installation disk. Regardless of which method of acquiring the software is preferred, the question still remains for most people, “What is the best antivirus software available and which should they choose?”

In most cases, the antivirus internet security protection software that is published today comes with good warranties, guarantees and a strong level of customer support to help the computer user deal with any serious issues that might arise because of the various internet threats that are posed to their systems. Because of this level of support, many PC owners are most comfortable with an antivirus internet security suite from a highly reputable company.

But, there is a strong contingent of people who are convinced that the best antivirus software packages are the ones that are freely available to computer users. Indeed, there are many different, free internet security systems available that can be found at any of the numerous software download websites or through various software discussion forums. Often, software publishers will have free versions of their software available on the sites as well.

In some cases, the software publishers offer a limited time trial in order to allow the PC user to try out the software. This is a great benefit for computer users who are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of options they have to choose from.

Typically, the company will allow you to use a full version of their software for a limited time, such as two weeks or 30 days. At the end of that period, you must purchase a license in order to continue using their security software.

The biggest advantage to these trials periods is that the user has the opportunity to get a “feel” for the software and to see if they are able to run it easily. They can test the user interface and see if it is intuitive or if it was designed more for computer geeks and engineers than for the average computer user.

In most cases, these companies also offer at least a minimum level of support while the user is testing their software. This is done with the hope that the user will be pleased with both the software and the customer support so that they will decide to make the purchase of the internet safety antivirus package.

Another way that some of the software companies allow people to test out their computer internet security software is to allow them to use a limited or “lite” version. Typically, the limited version will provide some functions that the full software features, but will have many of the advanced features disabled. In most cases, these limited versions have no time limitation on them, but simply do not provide the full level of protection that computer users should have.

Once the PC owner has had the chance to test drive the security suite software in one of these ways, they will be able to determine for themselves which is the best antivirus package for them. While testing the software to see how it handles threats, it is also a good idea to research the software publisher to know if they are reliable and if they have a good track record for providing good customer service.

Mike Selvon has some informative articles for the creative mind. Find out more about the best antivirus solutions at his resourceful site. We appreciate your feedback at our internet safety rules blog.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/28/picking-the-best-antivirus-for-you/feed/ Browsing the Web Safely http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/24/browsing-the-web-safely/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/24/browsing-the-web-safely/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:26:14 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=39 You’re probably aware that malicious people have devised some pretty creative ways to gain access to your sensitive information online.

That includes various methods which are being employed without your knowledge right on web sites you may visit routinely. It all happens “behind the scenes” and often is allowed because of some hole in your browser or Internet security settings.

It’s important to point out that while threats online are very real and serious, which is why Heather and I started this blog, we also don’t want to generate a sense of “the sky is falling” among our readers.

There are threats online, but they aren’t any more dangerous than those you face in the offline world, and statistically don’t appear to be any more prevalent than offline threats either.

In other words, online or offline, being aware of your surroundings and applying common sense to your own actions is always the best advice–and that’s what we’re trying to help you with here.

Part of  your online surroundings when surfing the web is your browser, and while web sites may look the same in different browsers, that doesn’t mean browsers are all created equally. Here is a great article I found which talks about 2 newer web browsers and examines them for safety and security:

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New Better Browsers To surf the Web Safer

by Larry Miller

New Better Browsers To surf the web Safer

We all can use a better browser, to surf the web faster and with better security. There are two new browsers one from Google and one from Microsoft.

Lets check out some features of google’s Chrome first. The features that are very unique I will go over here,the rest I will include a external link because it being a google project It includes videos.

One box for everything- this is cool you type into your address bar and the browser will recommend searches or sites that you have visited.

Importing settings- Just click on the wrench up at the top right of the google chrome window and scroll down to import settings then un check what items you do not want and scroll down to the browser you want to import from.

Crash Control- This is great chrome has a built in task manager just right click an open area up top and it will bring up a menu,to say close a misbehaving tab or more.

Incognito mode- This mode enables the user to surf in a session that is not saved in the browser making it more private.

Safer Browser- Chrome has built in warnings of sites that may contain malware or that are phishing sites. Phishing site is one that Imitates another site or is a copycat site to trick you into giving your info, look for simple miss-spellings on the page.

Internet Explorer 8

In Private- This is a feature that can be turned on in the safety menu or a new tab. what is its ability? it is to surf without storing your session in the browser so its a more private surf.

Caret Browsing- Caret Browsing is new Accessibility feature that allows users to navigate a web page using a movable cursor thats on the screen and the keyboard. Users can select and copy text down to a single character using only the keyboard. Other content types, like table or images, can also be selected and copied.

Web Slices- Web Slices a new feature that allows users to connect to a web site by subscribing to content directly within a web page on that web site. Web Slices behave just like feeds, where users can subscribe to get updates and notifications of changes.

Automatic Crash Recovery- The Automatic Crash Recovery (ACR) feature of Internet Explorer 8 helps prevent the loss of work in the unlikely event of browser failure or nonresponse. ACR takes advantage of the Loosely Coupled feature of Internet Explorer to provide new crash recovery capabilities, including tab recovery, that will minimize interruptions to a browsing session.

Tab Grouping- This new feature of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 allows users to put up related tabs–the tabs that originate from the same web page–into groups. Users can form tab groups in one of a few different ways, such as by opening a link from within a web page in another tab, or by right-clicking a specific tab and clicking New Tab. If, for example, a user chooses to queue up several different search results, the related tabs will not only open next to the original search result page (as opposed to the end of the tab band) but will also be put all in one group represented by a solid color. Different colors for different browsing tasks–for example, a research project, an online shopping spree, or a set of news articles opened from the same newspaper web site–allow users to quickly identify the tabs.

These two new browsers will improve the speed and security of your surfing and possible make it more enjoyable. Both are still in beta but are looking good.

Google has always had a good stable beta I have used gmail in beta and google earth both programs I had no problems.

About the Author

I have been building computers and upgrading them for about 7 years. I have been working at internet marketing for about a year and a half. I enjoy finding ways to help others with their computer problems and new marketing ideas.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/24/browsing-the-web-safely/feed/ Impress the Geek in your life - and save money! http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/23/impress-the-geek-in-your-life-and-save-money/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/23/impress-the-geek-in-your-life-and-save-money/#comments Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:58:58 +0000 Heather http://www.scbp.net/?p=34 With the economic woes facing so many people this holiday season is expected by some to be very poor for retailers.

Their loss can be your gain though, so today we’re going to look at a few “kewl gizmos” you can get at great prices that will knock the socks of the geek(s) in your life.

The LaCie Hard Disk 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

That’s a full TB of disk space for storage and backups for just $119.00 - The included software attempts to format the full external drive as a single partition, but we recommend using some other disk utility software to setup multiple partitions based on your personal needs. It’s the geek thing to do.

HP 2133-KR922UT 8.9-Inch Mini-Note PC

1GHz processor, .5 GB Ram, 4 GB Flash Drive - you can’t go wrong with an HP mini-note for under $300

Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

A great camera with high performance at a low price. Includes Canon’s “Easy Mode” which helps anyone take pictures like a pro, even if they’ve never taken a picture before.

Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World HC

A must read for geeks and those who love them! For those between the ages of 11 and 30 this is your story, and it’s a great guide for Gen-Xer’s to Baby Boomers for understanding the Net Generation who will shape the future.

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

The game “most wished for” by visitors to Amazon.com this holiday season, it includes the Wii Wheel. For ages 5 to 105, everybody loves Mario!

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/23/impress-the-geek-in-your-life-and-save-money/feed/ Are Pop-Ups Still Bothering You? http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/21/are-pop-ups-still-bothering-you/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/21/are-pop-ups-still-bothering-you/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:17:48 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=32 Most of the latest web browsers have some form of pop-up blocking embedded in them which is usually enabled by default, so the annoyance of pop-ups has been largly trimmed over the last year or so.

But still there are a lot of people using older browsers for whatever reasons, and some marketers have found creative ways of skirting around the default blockers in their codes.

So, if you’re one of the folks who can’t seem to stop pop-ups most of the time here’s a quick piece that just might help you.

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Pop-Up Blocking, Honest Advice and Reviews

by Nigel Fryatt

With the development of the internet, new marketing and advertising methods have been used in an attempt to catch internet consumers even when they aren’t browsing. Pop-up’s are not only annoying, they are embarrassing. How are you meant to explain to your partner, or boss, why you’re viewing a ‘one month free trial pornography banner’ Many people who aren’t educated in pop-ups don’t understand them, and will simply assume you really were trying to get that free trial.

Pop-ups mainly occur when you’re browsing the internet online, if not your in serious trouble. You may have a form of Adware, which means your screen gets completely covered in ads. If you’re interested you can view my anti-adware site where I promote and review adware prevention software on behalf of their developers, http://frynig.bezoogle.com/pp/adware/. If you’re not interested, then that’s fine, I’m here mainly to talk about pop-up prevention. You may already use a pop-up blocker then if so, you’ve got no need to read on although I strongly advise you do. Pop-up blockers allow you to stop pop-ups all together. Whilst your trying to watch films, no more little ads popping up in the middle. Whilst you’re in the middle of work, no more ads. Whilst your playing games online or chatting to friends, no more ads. It’s simple, you find a good quality pop-up prevention program and all the bother, annoyance and aggravation disappears.

Are pop-up prevention programs really worth it? Yes, many people have been known to completely destroy their laptops or computers because of pop-ups, they just can’t take the strain of pop-ups whilst trying to do things they want to do. Would you rather pay out for a new laptop/computer or spend very little on a high quality pop-up blocker. I’m not here to sell you these programs however; I just merely think it is an extremely worthwhile investment. I use them on a daily basis and I’ve been able to write this whole article without a single disruption.

I work within the pop-up prevention and adware field so I have great knowledge of the effects of both. I work on behalf of software developers to review their products and I get money for referring people to their websites. This is how I make my living; I’m not going to lie, but I only promote the most high quality programs. If you genuinely want to stop pup-ups then check out my anti pop-up review site http://frynig.bezoogle.com/pp/popup-blocker/. If you’re not interested in buying anything, then merely go to inform yourself.

I believe strongly that the annoyance of pop-ups can be stopped, but only using the best quality software. Take my advice and you won’t be bothered anymore.

I thank you very much for reading my article, and look forward to your visits on my sites.

Honest, Reliable reviews and opinions.

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/21/are-pop-ups-still-bothering-you/feed/ Think Nobody Is Watching You Right Now? http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/20/think-nobody-is-watching-you-right-now/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/20/think-nobody-is-watching-you-right-now/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:25:39 +0000 Sean http://www.scbp.net/?p=30
Anonymous v Co$

Image by irrezolut via Flickr

Guess what? Almost every where you go online somebody, if not multiple sources, is tracking you. Most of the time this tracking is innocent enough (meaning not with malicious or illegal intent) and simply being used by site owners to measure their web site performance or advertisers who desire to better understand surfer’s habits.

Still, it can be disconcerting to suddenly realize that while you thought you were all alone in your home and anonymously browsing the web; the truth is you are not really alone or anonymous at all.

So, with that in mind here is some information on taking control of your privacy online.

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Anonymous Internet Surfing - Keeping your Surfing Private

by Jim Rjindael

Some people think that they are on the web they are relatively anonymous internet surfing. I’m afraid nothing could be further from the truth, when you request a web page all the information is passed to your web browser in clear text, your IP address is left in the web server logs and it would be relatively trivial to find out who and were you lived from that information from your ISP.

I’m afraid there’s more, your employer will have a full and exact list of all websites accessed, how long and when they were accessed. I have sat in security meetings with huge charts displayed on the wall with the exact web sites that employees have accessed during the previous month and I can tell you there are some amazing sites! Do these people know they can be traced I suspect not as they certainly wouldn’t be surfing those sort of sites at work if they did.

Anonymous Internet surfing by default simply doesn’t happen but it is possible. The most basic way of protecting your identity is to use an anonymous proxy to hide your IP address when you are surfing. Your communications can still be intercepted as the majority of that web traffic is in the clear but it’s less likely unless someone is deliberately targeting you, the main benefit is that your IP address is not left in the logs of the web servers and your web browsing will remain more private.

This is where many people make a really big mistake, this is what usually happens;

1. User decides they want keep their surfing anonymous 2. They search the internet for information and discover about anonymous proxies 3. They look for a list of free anonymous proxies and find one near them 4. They add the anonymous proxy settings to their internet browser and feel much more secure and private!

Unfortunately as is often true, anything that is free on the internet often comes with a hidden cost. Our privacy seeking internet surfer is indeed now masking their IP address from web servers they visit, all the logs will store the IP address of the proxy server as that is what is actually visiting the web site. The Proxy server is then passing back all the requests back to the user, all the users web traffic now goes through this proxy server.

Of course many hacking groups realise the value of proxy servers for privacy and it is why you’ll often find these lists prepared by hacking groups themselves then carefully allowed to drift out onto the internet by various means. Our hapless surfer may come across one of the many lists which are riddled by hacked servers which have had proxy servers installed onto them (usually without the owners knowledge). These servers specifically are monitored and data logged - you are in fact sending all your web traffic directly to a bunch of criminals or hackers, not such a great idea.

This really happens and more often than you think so please if you are going to use an anonymous proxy, make sure it is legitimate and the owner can be trusted. Don’t just use a free one you found on an internet list - not only will you have a limited anonymous internet surfing capability, you could very well be sending all data to a bunch of Eastern European Identity Thieves.

Of course there are commercial and secure services that can secure your identity and protect your privacy. I use a service which completely encrypts my who data stream with a US Military grade cipher (AES) and then uses a selection of high speed private proxies to make my browsing completely secure and anonymous and also safe from anyone who tries to eavesdrop.

Resources:

Anonymous Surfing

Anonymous Proxies

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]]> http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/20/think-nobody-is-watching-you-right-now/feed/ All About Protecting Yourself From Online Scams http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/19/all-about-protecting-yourself-from-online-scams/ http://www.scbp.net/2008/11/19/all-about-protecting-yourself-from-online-scams/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:21:46 +0000 Heather http://www.scbp.net/?p=28 We all like to think we’re smart or savvy enough to not get caught up in one of those silly sounding Internet scams we hear about on the news or TV shows all the time. But if we’re all so smart then why are scammers still running these schemes?

Simple, because most of us, while feeling safe and secure in our homes or offices and browsing the web, can get engrossed in the copy we’re reading and let down our guard just enough to get suckered.

I like to think that as sad as that is for us when it happens, it reflects a positive character trait that we’re basically optimistic and wanting to trust in each other.

Hook, Line, Sinker (How I fell for a phishing ...

Image by ToastyKen via Flickr

Still, it would be better if we weren’t being duped to show our good nature, so here are some recent resources for educating yourself on the scams that are going around right now and how to avoid them.

  • Online Scams and Their Prevention : Scams are very common in our daily lives now. Be aware of them, and know as much as you can about it.
  • Phishing and Email Scams on the Internet : While the internet has provided many benefits in the form of information and commerce, it has also produced new types of fraud. Phishing and scams from Nigeria both use email to deliver their message. The Nigerian scams are also known as 419 fraud.
  • Hook, Line and Sinker - 9 Proven Methods You Can Use to Keep From Being Caught in an Email Scam : Phishing can be simply defined as an attempt to obtain personal and sensitive information, generally accomplished with a fraudulent e-mail or website. The scam artists, who we’ll call “phishermen,” falsely present themselves as legitimate persons and organizations via e-mail or a website (the bait) and reel the victim into believing they are communicating with a trusted source.
  • Spotting a Scam Before it Hits You : If you are going to go through life oblivious of the dangers of scams, then more than likely you are going to be a target. Spotting a scam can be the best way to ovoid falling into a nasty financial trap where you are the one snared and have no way of protecting yourself.
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