Protecting Your Computers With A Personal Firewall
A firewall protects your network from unauthorized trespassers. Many routers have firewall functions built in to check traffic leaving or entering the network, but you also should run a personal firewall on each client computer on your WLAN . Personal firewall software usually costs around $40 and it is often bundled with antivirus software. A personal firewall is an application that runs on your computer and protects it against unauthorized access. Like a hardware firewall, it’s configurable to allow or disallow different types of traffic to enter and leave your PC. Personal firewalls monitor ports, which are numbered software addresses that your computer uses for different networking tasks. For example, a Web server communicates through port 80, an e-mail server through port 25. Many of these ports aren’t needed by your PC, and a good personal firewall closes or blocks unused or unneeded ports to prevent an intruder from accessing your computer through one of them. A personal firewall also can monitor activity on your PC and alert you when an application attempts to reach the Internet or your WLAN. This is important because some worms and Trojan horse software attempt to use your computer to infect other computers, or to “phone home” to a cracker so that he can get into your computer. Personal firewalls are an effective way to protect individual computers on your WLAN. Read more on Firewalls . Read more here: Protecting Your Computers With A Personal Firewall
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Protecting Your Computers With A Personal Firewall
How Can I Help My Elderly Friends And Relatives Protect Themselves On The Internet?
For many of us, we have grown up in an age of computers and electronic devices all around us. So when the era of the internet came to pass, there was a leap of knowledge that was needed to adjust but the divide was not that great. For the elderly among us, they can remember a time before the digital age and some of the new technology can seem enticing but yet strange and alien at the same time. Most scams run on the internet today are perpetrated against the elderly. Hopefully I can give you some tips to protect your loved ones. Protecting Your Loved Ones Some people will make a joke and say if you want to protect people from the dangers of the Internet then get a Mac or Linux box and tell them not to use Windows. This is funny but not true especially these days. Macs are becoming more and more popular and everyday new exploits are being found that can be used against them. Exploits are becoming more common and big business on all systems so security is a top priority for all of them. The fact is that most people use a Windows version operating system so you will have to show them how to protect themselves on such machines. Email Security The first thing that you will want to tell them is to be skeptical when it comes to email. People believe that it takes a highly technical genius to scam people on the internet. This is simply not true. Most attacks on people, especially the elderly, are low tech email scams. They will either involve sending a link to a person to get their information through phishing or just a straight out direct scam to get the person to send them money. A lot of the elderly believe everything that they read in their emails and have to be told the many, many different ways that people can be scammed through them. Malicious Programs Another thing that they must be instructed on, is not to open any programs that are sent to them outside of their family or friends. Scammers will send friendly looking e-cards and other digital goodies through an email attachment. Most people would not think that an e-card with hearts and flowers on it would hold a digital ticking time bomb. Looks can be deceiving though. The elderly, just like everyone else, must be taught that attachments, no matter what they look like, can be dangerous. Safe Communications A new attack but one that is growing everyday is the use of the software program Skype to send links to a phishing site. There are a lot of elderly people that use Skype as a cheap and easy way to talk to and see videos of their loved ones. Their relatives might set it up for them so they can be confused as to who is sending a link to them. Skype has a lot of spammers now and the elderly must be warned that it has become just like their emails so they must remain vigilant. Hopefully I have gone over several ways that you can help protect the elderly in your life when they use a computer. It is a new world that they are in so maybe you can help them navigate it. See the original post here: How Can I Help My Elderly Friends And Relatives Protect Themselves On The Internet?
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How Can I Help My Elderly Friends And Relatives Protect Themselves On The Internet?
Out of a job – Now what? Part – 3
The third part of a three part series. How to Lead With Honor after you’ve lost a job. How to stay motivated during your search for employment Read the rest here: Out of a job – Now what? Part – 3
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Out of a job – Now what? Part – 3
Out of a job – Now what? Part – 2
The second part of a three part series. How to Lead With Honor after you’ve lost a job. How to stay motivated during your search for employment More: Out of a job – Now what? Part – 2
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Out of a job – Now what? Part – 2
Profile of Unemployed
Two individuals, Jon Pelc and Cheryl Brown, have recently lost their full-time jobs and discuss their experiences looking for work at various job fairs and career websites. See original here: Profile of Unemployed
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Profile of Unemployed
How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door
Securing your network The following security measures are relatively easy to implement, provided you read the manuals that came with your wireless devices. “The manual?” you ask. Yes, the manual. You know, it’s the thing propping up the short leg on your computer desk. Take it out for now; you’ll only have to deal with the wobble until we’re done. None of the measures described here are particularly dramatic, and there are ways to get around them. But, doing so requires some skill and understanding of networking. In this case, they serve as a sort of “intellectual firewall ” that prevents script kiddies from cracking your network. These steps include the following: 1. Change the default SSID. 2. Disable SSID broadcast. 3. Change the default IP subnet. 4. Consider disabling DHCP. 5. Enable MAC address filtering. 6. Change default administrative passwords. 7. Change default user names. 8. Enable WEP or WPA encryption. 9. Adjust broadcast power. 10. Set minimum connection speeds. 11. Set access times. Change the default SSID The first step toward making a WLAN reasonably secure is changing the default SSID. This is important because anyone using a wireless sniffer can determine what sort of access point you use by looking at the default SSID. Knowing your access point model allows the cracker to guess the rest of the default settings and attack your WLAN that much easier. Don’t change the name to something obvious like your street address (I have actually seen this done) or your name. Consider using random numbers or even changing it to something tike “NOTPUBLIC” or “NOTRESSPASSING” just to make a point. Disable SSID broadcast Wireless access points are set to broadcast the SSID by default. Turn this feature off to make it harder for casual wardrivers to discover your network’s name. It won’t stop a determined cracker from discovering it, though, because wireless NICs always broadcast the SSB3 when communicating with the access point. The procedure for disabling SSID broadcast is different for each manufacturer, so consult your access point’s manual. Once you turn off SSID broadcast, you have to configure each NIC manually and input the new SSID. Change the default IP subnet The next thing you should consider doing is changing the default subnet IP addresses. Each manufacturer has a default IP subnet, and this can make it easy for an attacker to discover the IP address of your access point. Consider also disabling DHCP and assigning static IP addresses. Consider disabling DHCP Most access points support built-in DHCP service. This allows the access point to assign IP addresses dynamically to new computers as they connect to the network and to computers that are reconnecting after a shutdown or reboot. This also allows an intruder to connect to the WLAN and have the access point assign him an IP address, which makes the intruder’s computer a legitimate member of the WLAN. By disabling DHCP, you make this far more difficult. You have to assign permanent (static) IP addresses to each computer on your WLAN and manually configure them. Once again, this is an extra step, but it is well worth the effort. Insider insight : Without DHCP enabled, an intruder has to monitor and analyze network traffic in an attempt to determine the IP subnet and addresses in use He can then assign himself an IP address and attempt to establish a connection. This makes it difficult for casual sniffers and neophyte intruders to access your WLAN. Enable MAC address filtering Another step that you can, and should, take is to enable MAC address filtering. Remember that each network device has a unique MAC address assigned by the manufacturer. Many access points have an option that allows you to restrict access to specific MAC addresses. This should block any MAC addresses that are not on the “allow” list from connecting to the network. This is effective, but it is not perfect. An intruder can monitor network traffic and discover the MAC addresses of legitimate computers on the WLAN. He can then change the MAC address of his NIC, which allows him to masquerade as a member of the network and connect even when filtering is turned on. Change default administrative passwords Change the default administrative passwords on all access points. Once again, these are public knowledge, and, if a cracker knows what type of access point you use, he’ll know the default password. This will aid him in attacking your access point. Caution : Write down the new settings and passwords, and store the list in a secure place. This will be helpful if you forget this information and need it at a later date. Change default user names Likewise, the tips above apply to your username too as these are also common knowledge. Enable WEP or WPA encryption As I mentioned earlier, even though WEP encryption is flawed and vulnerable, you should use it. Enable 128-bit WEP on your WLAN, and use it. With the relatively low traffic on a WLAN in a home, it could take a cracker several hours to collect enough packets to crack your WEP key. Again, each step you perform just adds another piece to the intellectual firewall you’re building. As a whole, these measures with discourage most script kiddies and casual wardrivers. Adjust broadcast power On some access points, you can adjust the broadcast power of the unit. I recommend that you experiment and turn this down as low as you can while still maintaining decent connection speeds between computers on your WLAN. The idea is to keep the signal within the confines of your house rather than having it reach across the street. This makes the signal more difficult to receive for outsiders. Wardrivers can use directional antennas to pick up weak signals at a greater distance, but doing this will at least make it harder for them. Set minimum connection speeds On many access points, you can set a minimum access connection speed. The further away from an access point an intruder is, the weaker the signal will be (both ways). Therefore, if you set the minimum connection speed higher, computers will have to be closer to the access point to connect and stay connected. Once again, this makes it harder for an intruder to access your WLAN because he will have to be closer to connect. Anyone standing on your lawn with a wireless laptop is probably up to no good unless he’s the water meter reader. Set access times Lastly, some access points allow you to configure the times of day to allow access. If it supports this, consider using it. If no-one is home during the day, consider configuring it to block all access between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. See original here: How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door
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How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door
The Perfect Illustration Of What Koobface Can Do To Your Computer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15708236@N07/2846915408/ If you wake up one morning to find your computer smiling back at you with a face like the one above then you’re well and truly screwed – you’ve been infected by the mischievous Koobface Virus ! Read more: The Perfect Illustration Of What Koobface Can Do To Your Computer
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The Perfect Illustration Of What Koobface Can Do To Your Computer
Fighting Back Against Spam
Spam wastes your time, and when you’re using your mobile device, it wastes your money. Of course I’m not talking about Hawaii’s favorite canned meat. I’m talking about unsolicited commercial e-mail, junk e-mail in fact. Once your e-mail finds its way onto a spammer’s list, your inbox is inundated with spam advertising from personal enhancement ads to car loan notices and everything in between. Spam Filters Many e-mail service providers provide some sort of anti-spam service that filters out spam messages with varying degrees of success. If you have access to one of these services I suggest that you use it, but monitor it to make sure that it doesn’t mistake your legitimate e-mail for spam. Spam filters usually move suspected spam to a junk folder where you can view it at your convenience, just to make sure that no real mail gets deleted by mistake. Spam Prevention The best way to reduce spam is to prevent your e-mail address from getting on a spammer’s e-mail list in the first place. When one spammer has it, they will all get it sooner or later. Also, once you’re on a list there’s no way to get off of all of them; you’re going to get spam forever. There are a few ways that you can avoid getting on spam lists though – Don’t ever give out your real e-mail address when filling out online forms, especially when you’re entering contests or claiming “free” prizes. Don’t post your e-mail address to Web sites or discussion and news groups. Don’t post to discussion or news groups from your real e-mail account. Consider setting up a throwaway or junk e-mail account that you can use as the address you give out when you sign up for stuff online. This way once the address starts finding its way onto spammer lists, the spam doesn’t wind up in your real inbox. Periodically, you can log in and check the spam account to delete piled up messages and make sure that no important mail is waiting there among the spam. Also, if you use a free e-mail service you’ll have to log in periodically to keep the account active. If you participate in Usenet or other discussion groups, don’t post from your real e-mail account. Spammers use automated software that scans groups and compiles lists of e-mail addresses. Post from your throwaway account, and keep your inbox spam-free. The automated software that spammers use also can detect and copy e-mail addresses from Web pages and the bodies of news postings. If you post from your junk account but list your real e-mail address in the message body you’ll end up on the junk e-mail lists. If you must post your real e-mail address, obfuscate it so that the spammers scanning software won’t recognize it as an address. For example, if your e-mail address is you@yourisp.com, you could post it as “you at yourisp dot com” or “youNOSPAM@yourNOSPAMisp.com.” Either one would be decipherable by a reasonably intelligent human being, but not by a spam-bot. Reporting Spam Besides filtering, another step that you should take is to report spam. Rather than ducking and hiding we should start hitting back. Many spammers use (abuse) someone else’s mail server, often without their knowledge. If you take the time to report the spam, mail administrators can take action and stop spammers from abusing their servers. Web sites that use spam to advertise may be in violation of their service agreements and reporting the spam can get them shut down. The best reporting tool I have found is Spamcop.net . Once you register, you can report spam through an online form or by forwarding spam to an e-mail address that they assign you. You also can get a spamcop.net e-mail address, which spamcop.net monitors to filter out spam. See the rest here: Fighting Back Against Spam
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Fighting Back Against Spam