Computer and software manufacturers' work is aligned by the standards set by authorities like IEEE. However still there are areas that lack standards. It is crucial and critical to measure performance and other factors for comparing products of same category from different manufacturers. Unfortunately still there is no standardized method for comparing thus you can reliable on individual tests and reviews. Finest Cheap Asus laptops and Bitdfender antivirus are two products that I tested recently. And I went through other users' contribution of reviews. My observed results were almost identical with the pros of Asus laptops and protective Bitdefender internet security mentioned in others' reviews. The pros of the two according to my findings are as follows: Asus laptops: Secure Bitdefender Antivirus: If you already have a laptop make sure you install antivirus software to protect your computer form different types of security threats and data loss occurred by the numerous kinds of malware. ASUSTel Computer Inc is a Taiwanese multinational company that was recognized as the world's fifth-largest PC vendor in 2011. Furthermore it acts the suppliers of computer hardware and other electronics for separate laptop manufacturers. Asus has won several awards for the performance of their products and the sleek designs they always put out in the market. The Bitdefender products are known for the user friendliness and fast scanning. Its manufacturer is Softwin which starting from 2001 has released eleven version of antivirus software. Their product range includes antivirus, antispyware and firewalls. The Bitdefender range has been the favourite of online users because it protects their computers from intruders and malware coming through different sources. Another reason is that it does not decrease the processing speed of the computer while scanning for malware. Asus and Softwin has been on the lead in technology evolution and the also provide the latest technological benefits for a relatively small price. Hence the duo is worth your consideration. If you want to stay ahead in the fast moving world you need the support of the latest technical innovations.
Category: malware
Phishing Attacks And The Way To Combat Them
It has been noted that most Phishing attacks occur on compromised and corrupt web servers, where the phishers and third party intruders can place their phishing web pages unknown to the site operators. This method helps the phishers to gain free hosting and complicates the take-down initiatives, as a suspending domain name or a hosting account can also disable the resolution of the original user's site. That is not all. It has also been discovered that approximately 24 percent of Phishing attacks ( according to the Anti-Phishing Work Group) can result in an avalanche. The Phishing site that is located at the domains of these hackers often targets individual users, employees, on-line services, financial institutions where malware and other forms of Phishing attacks are disseminated through social engineering. These phishing attacks comprise of domain names that are already registered by the phishers and set up on the name servers that are managed by the phishers and are hosted on a quick-flux network of an apparently corrupted consumer-level machines. This quick-flux hosting results in making mitigation initiatives even more complicated, calling the Internet Service Provider to offer a site. Else an IP blocked is not effective until the domain name is suspended at the registry level. Innovative Anti-Phishing Solutions The modern anti Phishing tool software that is provided by top notch service providers gives detailed statistics on the end - user behavior, analyzes security awareness present amongst the employees and identifies all the possible data leakage and assesses Data Loss Prevention. They further scrutinize the incident response program and post this examination they come up with a customized email that is sent to every employee, updating him/her about the responses they gave. Simultaneously, the advanced phishing protection solutions also offer an e-learning module that assists in educating the employees about the security awareness. Few other benefits of these solutions are as follows:- Therefore, an appropriate phishing protection can detect security threats for that are present in a business. Phishing is a by-product of social engineering and is looked up on a criminal strategy that implements technical deception to rob individuals of their personal data, financial data and other identity details. With an advanced anti-phishing solution you can alleviate the same efficiently.
Get Rid of Computer Viruses
Why should I care about a computer virus? It is very important to address a virus issue as soon as you are alerted with one. If not for your own, it would be nice to think about the next PC you are infecting, if you neglect yours. A virus filled System is infections and is a weapon to attack other PC. This is normally referred to as a Zombie. It may not seem like much to have one troubled system, but similar to a domino effect, one system would lead to hundreds and even thousands of computers taking instructions from a hacker and doing the same thing, ultimately bringing down even some of the largest systems in the world. Why is a virus created? The main purpose is financial gain. A hacker can install a Keylogger program and keep a track of every keystroke that you type on your keyboard. This includes credit card numbers, passwords and other personal information. A hacker can produce an application to send out emails from the infected PC to people on your contact list. Some of the more common types of viruses are malware, adware, spyware, computer worms, trojans and rootkits. This makes the process of virus removal even more vital. What happens when a computer is infected? An infected PC's performance is like a battery that slowly dies out. Unlike a battery, however, it should not prompt you to purchase a new PC right away, because a virus infected system can be fixed. With remote technology today, you don't have to ponder ways on how to get it running again, or travel from store to store to find a proper solution. Virus removal is easy as dialing a phone number. The first most important aspect to remember about a virus is the location of the virus. It is important to completely expel the virus before it spreads all over your system. The quicker the virus is removed, the lesser damage your computer suffers. Typical symptoms of a virus infected system is its deteriorating performance, slow start ups, freezes, crashes and automatic emails or messages sent from your PC to your contacts. Most online virus removal service experts provide immediate and effective solutions to the cause. Remote online services are available 24x7 and look after the following set of services:
Malware Prevention And Removal- Useful Tips
Bought a new computer for your home or office? Then you must be taking good care of it. But are you protecting it from virus and malware attacks?Malwares are small programs designed to steal private information from other computers. These programs can also destroy important files when present in the user's computer. Therefore, it's very much essential to get rid of them. So read this write-up to know about different ways to remove malwares from your computers. For virus troubleshooting you can also get help from an online computer repair company.People generally install antivirus software in their computers to protect it from viruses and spywares. Many people often use trial versions of antivirus software to save their PCs from malware attacks for the time being. But the features of such software remain active only for 30-60 days. After that it returns to reduced functionality mode leaving your computer susceptible to viruses, malwares and spywares that are always there to cause potential damage to your precious files and data.Users often complain that despite using these trial version antivirus softwares installed in their PCs, malwares and viruses infect their system. This is because these programs remain hidden inside your computer and are somewhat different from viruses that make it difficult for common antivirus software to detect them. Sometimes running a thorough scan with powerful antivirus software may help in detecting and removing these malwares.Buy original full-version antivirus solutions. These softwares are equipped with malware detection and removal technology. All you need is to install it and leave the rest on it. It will automatically detect malware as soon as they are found active in your system and will remove it or put it in the virus vault, thus preventing it from spreading inside your system further.However, it is often seen that even original antivirus solutions are unable to ward off potentially dangerous malware from a PC. Despite of repeated detection and removal, these malwares keep on entering your system through the internet, pen drives, CDs etc.In such a case you need to use certain online malware removal tools. Various websites in the internet offers you to use their malware detection tools online for free. These websites have powerful tools that scan your computer online and detects whether malwares are present inside your computer or not. If malwares are found, you can then use their anti-malware tools to clean your PC. Well of course, if you choose to use their malware removal tools you need to pay a small fee for that service.You can also purchase malware removal software and install them in your PC in addition to installing antivirus software. Malware removal applications generally take less space in your PC and don't slow your computer. Regularly scan your PC with it to ensure a malware-free working experience on your computer.To prevent malwares from entering your PC through the internet, use updated versions of web browsers. Today all the latest internet browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera etc. come with malware detection technology. If any website reports a possible malware threat, the browser will inform you in advance before you try to enter that website.Follow these steps to keep your computer malware-free!
Disk Organizer Virus- Remove This Malicious Virus
In most situations when your computers stability or performance begins to fade the problem is often times easily solved with software that you can easily get online. These programs can do several different things from optimizing your computer, cleaning and organizing you hard drive and even scanning your computer for viruses and other malware that may access private data or even give total control of your computer to someone else entirely.As beneficial as these types of software are, there are those individuals who turn these tools against us by developing their own versions of beneficial software that actually cause problems instead of fixing them. A program called the disk organizer virus has recently been seen popping up on people computers around the globe causing several different types of problems and you need to get rid of the disk organizer virus from your computer quickly.Spread through the use of compromised web sites and deceptive pop up messages this malware usually makes its first appearance as a pop up message that tells you that there are problems with the stability and performance of your hard drive that you need to address before they become worse. But just clicking on one of these alert messages, even just to close it will automatically download and install thisr malware.Once on your PC this begins to use several different methods to get you to believe that not only is your computer in danger of being permanently damaged, but that the only solution is to purchase and activate your copy. These methods include:1. Moving files or folders around on your computer so the programs no longer run and it looks as if there has been hard drive damage.2. Making files "invisible" so that it looks as if there has been hard drive damage.3. Programs or files will only be accessible after several attempts or may even shut down randomly followed by a pop up message saying the hard drive has become unreadable.Any time this happens you will be prompted with a message telling you that this malware can help to fix the issue, but your hard drive has to be scanned first. Once the scan is completed you will be informed the only way to fix the issues is to purchase and activate your version of the this malware when you really need to get rid of the disk organizer virus fast.You will then begin receiving a large number of pop up error messages giving you all sorts of warning. At this point it almost looks like your computer is on the road to a total meltdown.The reality is that all of these issues are caused by this malware, but unless you realize this early on, you will likely be taken for the money that you pay to purchase the program. All of this could easily be avoided if you simply download a system and registry scanner before this happens to you.If you already have this malware on your computer it is a three step process to get rid of the disk organizer virus quickly.1. start your computer up and go into safe mode. To do this press the F8 key before windows starts. You will then see a menu appear and you need to scroll down to safe mode with networking and press return. The purpose of this is to stop the malware running.2. Download a system scanner while you are in safe mode.3. Run a full system and registry scan. This will check your computer for errors and spyware and help you to get rid of disk organizer quickly and keep your computer secure and safe. If your computer is infected or running slow scan it right now. and get rid of the disk organizer virus.
Malware Removal Guide
Adware, Rootkits, Spyware, Trojans, Viruses and Worms, in short all these words are called Malware. Malware refers to any software or program code that has been designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without informing the owner of the computer. In this article we will show you how to remove malware and protect your system from future infections.Before we start discussing about the solution, let's have a look at the types of Malware and how they function. Computer virus is a program that copies and duplicates itself onto other computers without consent of the user. On the other hand, Spyware is a program that tracks everything that you do on your PC and the web. Sometimes they even steal your personal information and send it to its author. Adware are small program that bombard your desktop with advertisements. On the other hand, Rootkit hides things that are installed on your computer.Wondering why computers get infected by malware? Well, there are plenty of reasons. In fact, you can very easily get infected. If you just visit an infected website, you could land hoards of malicious critters onto your computer. While downloading programs by using LimeWire or any other Peer to Peer illegal downloading your computer is likely to get infected by malware. If there is no antivirus on your computer or if the antivirus is outdated then to your computer can get infected by malware. You can also get infected by visiting porn sites.Removing malware and protecting your computer is not tough. By consulting a remote computer repair company you can get malware removal support. You can also try some simple and important things on your own. First, you should install a powerful antivirus program on your computer. If you already have antivirus program installed on your computer, update its virus definition.You can also employ an online scanner to scan your system. There are many such tools that report any malware that it finds on your computer. Panda Nanoscan is one of the quickest among those available in the market. However, the main problem with these Online Scanners is that they can detect but can not delete malware. You need to delete them manually. It is recommended not to use your computer while performing these online scans.You can install SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition for removing malware on your system. The program is very easy to install and it takes just 30 minutes to fully scan the computer. After completing the scan, it also can remove all the malicious objects. There are also different other malware removal tools available in the market. You can also install them to protect your computer against malware.
The Malware Holy Grail
Virus writers are evolving the use of encryption and other techniques to hide malicious code from detection software. They have direct access to the operating system documentation (for Windows, Mac, etc.); the same documentation used by developers. They have traditionally made sure they're malicious code evades detection by signature based antivirus detection. This fact and economics means the number of crackers and malicious attacks will continue to increase.In spite of this, researchers have been baffled as to how the Flame Malware has been devised to avoid detection for two years (not matching the available antivirus signatures) with the ability to infect fully patched Windows 7 machines… Security Researchers have identified 'Windows Update' as the mechanism Flame uses to infiltrate and compromise networks.Network InfectionCrackers exploited a flaw in the Microsoft Terminal Services licensing certificate authority, which allowed them to generate a new certificate that was "signed" by Microsoft. This particular kind of certificate (valid from February 2010 and February 2012) gave crackers a clear avenue into most computers running Windows.This sophistication in malware creation has never been seen before. Many security experts are just amazed, calling it "the Holy Grail of malware writers" and "the nightmare scenario". Antivirus Researchers (such as) Symantec and Kaspersky said that Flame didn't actually compromise anything in 'Windows Update' and it did not compromise the service or servers.Computer to Computer InfectionFlame conducted an imitative deception operation of Windows Update (a military grade attack). Using this process it was able to make all other computers on the network believe, that it's the Windows Update server. It Then collected the NetBIOS information (which identifies each computer) and used that info to send Windows Update requests through Internet Explorer. Flame makes itself a Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD), and sends configuration files to all of the requesting PC's.Configuration files sent from computer to computer through the WPAD directs the compromised machine to redirect all traffic through the infected machine. When Flame detects a URL request matching the Windows Update URL, it transmits a new downloader (disguised as an update from Microsoft) to infiltrate the machine disguised as a '.cab' file. Once the update is executed, it downloads a copy of Flame from the infected machine to the clean machine.Microsoft (upon detection) has blocked three certificates that were used by attackers, preventing additional spoofing of Windows Update (as long as there are no more rogue certificates in the wild). They have also implemented prevention procedures to stop others from creating new code signing certificates.Attack Vectors and InstructionsFlamer spreads from computer to computer, however; It doesn't do that automatically, instead it waits for the attacker to send instructions. Here are the additional methods that Flamer uses to spread:- It uses captured credentials from administrators - spreads through network shares.- It uses (CVE-2010-2729), spreading through a Microsoft Windows Print Spooler Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, which was previously used by Stuxnet.- It uses removable media - spreading through a specially crafted autorun file.- It uses removable drives - spreading through a special directory that hides the files. It can execute automatically while viewing the USB drive, if combined with the (CVE-2010-2568), the Microsoft Windows Shortcut 'LNK/PIF' Files Automatic File Execution VulnerabilityThe Last vector has not been seen before (using junction points exclusively). A junction point is actually an alias to a directory, which has some special attributes. The interesting thing is that Flamer uses junction points, and makes them hide its files and enable auto-execution.Flamer creates a directory and places three files there -' ', '' and '' the configuration file in the '' file causing this directory to work as a junction point. However, Flamer uses a special trick, to make the junction point lead to a file instead of a directory. So this directory leads to a file named ''. That means that this folder won't be accessible by the user, and the files inside will be hidden.Flamer uses (CVE-2010-2568) Microsoft Windows Shortcut 'LNK/PIF' Files Automatic File Execution Vulnerability to be executed. Then the '' file will be used and automatically parsed, and by using the "shortcut" vulnerability, it will execute the Flamer (). Additionally, Flamer might change it's names to , , , or probably any other name.In ConclusionFlamer uses new techniques to get executed and hide itself. Moreover, it exploits the old techniques too. It is incredibly large, and it will probably show us some more techniques as new versions continue to morph. BitDefender, Kaspersky, Norton and some of the other antivirus companies have released a free tool which removes the scariest cyber espionage tool ever. Please use one of the automatic removal tools listed below to eradicate this weapon.
W32 Trats
W32 Trats is a type of virus. People who want to do harm to a computer or steal information from your computer usually construct most viruses. However, some viruses are made by accident. Nevertheless, all viruses are dangerous if not annoying. The W32 Trats virus is a low-level threat and there are two cures for it. Seek the help of an IT professional any time you think you may be infected because some virus cures require manual removal, which can be harmful to your operating system.Symantec, a well-known manufacturer of anti-virus software, discovered the W32 Trats virus December 6 2007. Sophos and McAfee, other manufacturers of anti-virus programs, detected the virus on December 6 and 10 respectively. They all released their first defense against the virus the same day they discovered them.The newest revisions of the virus definitions took place in January 2009, meaning they no longer update for this virus. The last version update is sufficient at preventing or disinfecting W32 Trats if they find the infection again, but it has essentially been declared as mostly eradicated or so low risk that it would not harm any computer with the most up to date antivirus or antimalware software on it.The W32 Trats infection infects .exe files, which is any program that runs and must be installed, such as Microsoft Word, or other software program that must be double clicked in order to install and run it. Because it only infects executable files, most text files and word documents are safe, until you attempt to open them on an infected computer.This infection also attempts to contact a remote host computer meaning that the virus tries sending information to the computer from which it originated - its host IP address is 85.17.173.196, as revealed by Symantec, and if you notice any network traffic going to this destination, then you are confirmed infected with Trats.This article is for informational purposes and is the opinion of the author which may not be the opinion of the site that this article links to.If you are in need of grants management systems and grant management systems, you can go online to get information and learn more about how these work.
Benefits Of Making Phishing Awareness A Necessity
The main objective of phishing attacks and phishing emails are to deceive or trick an individual user by making him/her think that the source of the mail is authentic. Phishing attacks are meant to steal people of their private and confidential data. There have been numerous instances, where individuals and employees of leading enterprises have reported that phishing mails appear sanguine at first glance. Furthermore, most of them have a compelling content, that urges the reader to part with their personal data or click on the links provided that leads to fictitious websites. These mails generally ask the readers to reply immediately via mail, reply to a phone request or visit an unknown URL.However, if analysed carefully every phishing mail offers clear clues that can let a user know that the link and message is not authentic. Any URL links to web portals that are sent via phishing mails generally opens a web page that though appears like an original brand name, but has certain aesthetic or syntax errors that clearly prove its fraudulence. Ebay, leading banks, Alibaba and other online e-cash and e-commerce sites are common targets and have suffered largely owing to phishing attacks. All these negative impacts needs to be dealt effectively and needs efficient phishing awareness programs.Features of a Phishing MailToday innovative phishing awareness solutions help in educating a layman and employees know more about the features of a Phishing mail. Such emails most often make use of emotional triggers and force users to respond on impulse. Research has revealed that the possible indicators of phishing e-mails comprise of the following:* Improper grammar* Spelling errors* The email address not matching with the enterprise name* Using the name of a real company but providing an incorrect email - address* Forced attempts to prove its authenticity, by making use of words such as "Official"* Has unsolicited request for personal informationIn the recent past, though there has been several standard solutions for phishing protection, most of them have been only addressing the "people risk" aspect of a phishing attack. Furthermore, one of the recent trends that gained prominence is the "incident based reactive approach" that analysis the risk and impacts of phishing based on a particular incident. Esteemed solution providers today provide high-end anti phishing software that helps in updating individuals and employees about the negative impacts of social engineering attacks. Features of this software include the following:* Enables an enterprise in analysing the potential phishing attacks* Provides flexible reporting and includes them back into an organization's chief performance-indicator framework* Provides a detailed "road map" solution focusing on the security awareness and training within an enterprise* Assists in identifying weakness within people, method and technology links* Helps in prioritizing remediation attempts through useful benchmarking and maturity analysis* Helps in increasing employee awareness and expertise to safeguard crucial informationData and network security are two crucial elements that every organization needs to focus on for smooth day-to-day functioning. Advanced phishing protection solution helps an enterprise to attain the same seamlessly and helps in the efficient transfer of data.
What Are The Different Kinds of Malware?
Most of the users going online today are very casual about the internet security and they know minimum about online threats. Whenever, they face issues with their PC they consider it any minor and temporary PC problem and simply ignore them. It happens because users don't really understand that the problem is actually caused by a malware that may be a virus, Trojan or others. Those who can understand the symptoms and types of malware don't really wait till the system crashes down rather they seek the right kind of support and repairs so the threats could be prevented within time. The users who know about malware and other online threats can take recourse to updated antivirus programs in a bid to prevent such threats. What is malware? Malware is in fact a malicious software that is programmed to hack your PC and steal or destroy important data and information. The malware is a broader term that refers to every type of malicious software which is designed and created with the intention of damaging PCs and stealing important data and information. It targets the PCs connected to the internet and sometimes make the users suffer financially as well. Some of the categories of malware include viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware and rootkits. This article lets you know about various types malware that can infect your PC. In this article you will know about the mode of infection and features of these online threats. Viruses Viruses are the most frequent type of malware that we know. Some viruses that have made huge impact in the past include ILOVEYOU bug, the Melissa, and the Chernobyl virus. Due to these viruses, companies have suffered huge losses amounting in millions of dollars. While active during their peak, these viruses impacted thousands of PCs and crippled the entire email server of many companies. At one point of time, the companies like Intel and Microsoft had to shut down their emailing servers because of the fast increasing impact of these viruses. The viruses that have appeared in the past had a feature of stealing the contacts from the address book of the infected PC and sending them to many PCs either via the MS Outlook or other email accounts. The virus sends the email with an attachment containing an alluring note to befool users. It is very difficult to remove malware from the system as it gets glued to almost every removable hardware component that is attached to the infected PC or device. The features and mode of infiltration of these computer viruses are very similar to computer worms as both infect the files on the system and gradually make the system slow to an extent that it becomes unusable. To fix the PC you first need to remove these files as they get infected with the virus. Worms Computer worms can be termed as the self-replicating malware. It is widespread and available everywhere on the web. If you are thinking that they are not a major threat to the PC and you can easily get rid of computer worms then you are totally mistaken as worms are stubborn and it is not easy to remove them. One remarkable thing about the worms is their ability to go undetected even after staying for months in your PC. Gradually they begin deleting your files, slowing down your programs and creating ways for other malware to get into the system. Certain worms can also create backdoors for hackers. Worms often attach themselves with files and attachments and infect PCs through mass mailing. So be cautious about these highly dangerous computer worms and always keep your PC protected with an updated antivirus program. Trojan Horses This is one of the most dangerous types of malware. Trojan plays trick to befool the users. They exist in the PC in the guise of some genuine program or file that makes it very difficult for the users to detect the infection. Trojan mostly exists as a document, genuine photo or application to avoid detection. The moment you click on either of it, the malware gets executed and starts harming your PC and programs. Although, it doesn't replicate itself but is capable of inserting many worms and viruses that make irreparable damage to the PC. Some other types of malware include spyware and rootkits. Spyware infects the target PC via ads, message pop ups and browser redirection. They divert you to a malicious web page or website and thus insert the infection into your PC. The best way of preventing these threats is to install an updated antivirus program on your PC. Moreover, be always alert and cautious while you are clicking on an email or attachment coming from a strange source.