computer first aid
My aim is to provide information and links on this site is to help you protect your computer from the many and varied security threats and other issues you will encounter on the Internet.

Beware of Internet Scams

Most Internet scams occur without the victim even noticing until their credit card statement or phone bill arrives.. There are simple but effective ways to protect yourself from internet scams. Many scams originate overseas or take place over the internet, making them very difficult to track down and prosecute. If you lose money to a scam, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your loss.

Some common types of scams include online auction and shopping, spam (junk mail) offers, domain name renewal scams and banking scams.

If you are in doubt about the authenticity of anything site or email you receive, check the Australian Government Scam Watch Website at this link:

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au

Have you been a victim of Scareware?

Scareware is a form of malware that is designed to scare you into taking some action that further damages or infects your computer or costs you money.

Most common forms of scareware display a list of infections supposedly on your computer and inform you that you need to purchase the "full version" to remove them. In fact, the infections are completely fake and are listed only to intimidate you into handing over money. Whether or not the software that you purchase actually does anything at all is debatable, but it's usual for this program to then contain even more malware.

I recommend Malware Bytes (free version) as the first line of defence if you suspect you have been duped into installing Scareware. It's best to have it already installed & updated on your computer before you need it.

Webcamloggers

"Webcamloggers surreptitiously activate teenage webcams and let one or more third parties watch and record everything ... LIVE!"

Hardly a day goes by without a new horror story about compromised financial information or identity theft appearing in the media, and articles about weak online information security and stolen savings.

Some people are not just satisfied with stealing your money but are now targeting individuals and specifically teenagers and capturing images / videos illegally by accessing installed PC web cams. By simply planting a sophisticated malware on a computer, these individuals can now obtain unknowingly images / videos of anyone in clear view. This information is then used to extort these individuals and we have included some real life stories of such cases:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/21/mijangos_not_guilty_plea/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/19/german_webcam_perv_arrest/

Most new laptops / computers will have some form of Antivirus protection pre-installed however this protection is limited depending on the software provided and may not be adequately protect you or your child against "Webcamloggers".

Clearly this is something parents need to be aware of and consider the steps they can take necessary to prevent what could be a very traumatic and humiliating experience. Stealth webcam activation is on the increase and Zemana Antilogger offers the perfect solution for the prevention of such activities.

Contact me if you would like to more information about how the Zemana Antilogger can protect you & your family.

Educate your children

Everyone knows educating children is vital to keep them safe on the Internet. Do you know what your children are looking at online?  Do you know who they are chatting to on MSN Messenger?  They are the very things parents need to be aware of.  Talk to your children about these issues.

Parents and children need to make time to sit together and talk about the best way to use the Internet that will protect the child and give peace of mind for the parent.  Children require guidelines and some simple rules for everyday use of the Internet. Source: Australian Government Netalert

Family Safety from Windows Live OneCare

Help protect your children online with Family Safety. You can specify the people your children can communicate with, the websites they can view, and the search results they are shown.

The Internet is a great place for children to learn and have fun. As a parent, you want to ensure that your children's online experiences are safer, more secure and done with your guidance.

Click here to go to the site: https://fss.live.com/

In the end it comes down to YOU -- no matter what security programs you have installed YOU still hold the largest chance of keeping malicious code like viruses and worms off your computer by simply following this guideline -- your intuition is your best first and best line of defence.
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