Tag Archives: search
Unemployed Constituents Have a Message for Scott Brown
January 24th, 2012. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
After waiting for 6 hours in Scott Brown’s DC office last week for a meeting with their Senator (only to be turned away), unemployed constituents continued their search for Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Yet again, they were turned away, so we decided to record messages for Scott Brown.
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Unemployed Constituents Have a Message for Scott Brown
4 Things You Should Never Say When You’re Unemployed
January 14th, 2012. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
When people are between jobs, many people will ask about their job search and many unemployed unknowingly say things that cost them the job.
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4 Things You Should Never Say When You’re Unemployed
Putting a Face on Unemployed Workers
October 6th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Henry Lipput, unemployed for 10 months, describes how in his search for new work, he has found nearly no jobs available.
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Putting a Face on Unemployed Workers
Job listings say the unemployed need not apply
September 4th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
news.yahoo.com
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Job listings say the unemployed need not apply
[Career School] Job Search Paralysis
August 13th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Find out if you have Job Search Paralysis. Learn what you can do to get back on track. A must-view for those who have been unemployed for 3+ months!
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[Career School] Job Search Paralysis
I Am Unemployed…Now What Do I Do?
July 28th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Author Wayne Anderson talks about his new book “I Am Unemployed…Now What Do I Do?”. He discusses strategies for getting re-employed with a particular emphasis on helping those who haven’t had to look for a job in years organize their job search, utilize networks to discover the “hidden” job market, and develop effective job interview skills.
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I Am Unemployed…Now What Do I Do?
No One Cares You’re Unemployed!
May 25th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
A harsh reality in today’s job market is that no one, besides family and friends, care that you’re unemployed. Not one company owes you anything! You have to get into this mindset and go out there and fight to get yours. To order the full presentation or have Matthew Warzel speak at your event, please contact him directly @ (216)246-9900 or warzel@mjwcareers.com
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No One Cares You’re Unemployed!
Letter of Encouragement to Anyone Unemployed – from Dr. Susan Bernstein
November 10th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
If you’re unemployed and searching for work, that can be a daunting task. You may feel uneasy about all the uncertainties of when and how you’ll get a job. This video is meant to help uplift and inspire you, so you keep hope in your heart. It’s based on an email sent by career renewal & reinvention coach, Dr. Susan Bernstein of Work from Within (www.WorkFromWIthin.com), to a friend who had been laid off in early 2010. May it inspire and uplift you as you look for your next job.
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Letter of Encouragement to Anyone Unemployed – from Dr. Susan Bernstein
A dose of inspiration for job seekers (dare I say, people who are currently unemployed)
October 31st, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
If you’re unemployed and searching for work, that can be a daunting task. You may feel uneasy about all the uncertainties of when and how you’ll get a job. This video is meant to help uplift and inspire you, so you keep hope in your heart. It’s based on an email sent by career renewal & reinvention coach, Dr. Susan Bernstein of Work from Within (www.WorkFromWIthin.com), to a friend who had been laid off in early 2010. May it inspire and uplift you as you look for your next job.
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A dose of inspiration for job seekers (dare I say, people who are currently unemployed)
Unemployment is Temporary!
October 29th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
goto.webinarlivehosting.com Join Peggy McKee ( Career Coach/ Medical Sales Recruiter ) As she discusses how to deal with the stigma of being unemployed. goto.webinarlivehosting.com
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Unemployment is Temporary!
Watch Out Kids Debt Buyers Are Hot On Collecting Defaulted Student Loans
October 11th, 2010. Published under Scams. No Comments.
It seems that the next hot collection industry target is going to be defaulted student loans. So kids get ready for debt collectors to begin harassing, and possibly abusing you verbally and mentally while they attempt to collect on your old student loan. There are many collectors out there that will say (or do) anything to get you to cough up the money, including filing lawsuits against you. Once a student loan, Federal or otherwise, is sold by the original creditor to a third party such as a debt buyer or junk debt collector the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protection comes into full force. Another words it becomes a debt just like any other consumer debt (credit card, bank load, payday loan, etc.). It’s my opinion that the debt buyers / junk debt collection companies see younger adults as easy targets, and assume you will run to mom and dad and ask them to bail you out. Be aware most that most collector threats are nothing more than that, just empty threats. Debt collection harassment and abuse is illegal and you need to know that. While I do advocate paying debts, the ballgame changes completely when collectors use illegal and abusive collection tactics to scare you into pay them. What debt collectors cannot do: Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not: Use threats of violence or harm; Publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies); Use obscene or profane language Repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone. False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not: falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives; falsely claim that you have committed a crime; falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company; misrepresent the amount you owe; indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren’t; or indicate that papers they send to you aren’t legal forms if they are. Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that: you will be arrested if you don’t pay your debt; they’ll seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless they are permitted by law to take the action and intend to do so; or legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don’t intend to take the action. Debt collectors may not: give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company; send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn’t; or use a false company name. Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not: try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt – or your state law – allows the charge; deposit a post-dated check early; take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or contact you by postcard. In addition, a debt collector cannot represent that they are attorneys if they are not, or imply that communications are from an attorney. 15 U.S.C. 1692e(3). If a debt collector does anything outlined above (or similar) it is your obligation to hold them accountable and sue them. Who knows the collector may end up cutting you a check for the abuse or harassment. While the Federal Trade Commission has been tasked with enforcing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act they rarely take any enforcement action against illegal debt collection. Consumers *must* take action. You can file FDCPA civil complaints yourself in any recognized court of find a consumer protection attorney to help you go after bad collectors. Most good consumer protection attorneys do not require upfront fees to help you sue collectors as they get a small percentage of any monetary award or settlement that they obtain on your behalf. A good place to begin searching for a consumer protection attorney is Martindale ( www.martindale.com ). If you have been harassed or abused by a collector I encourage you to find and retain an attorney. The only way to put a stop to illegal collections is for consumers to fight back using the court system.
CNN Article: Unemployed Job Search Strategies
October 9th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
job-search-success-secrets.com Peggy McKee ( Career Coach/Medical Sales Recruiter) was recently featured in a CNN Article discussing Job Search Strategies for the unemployed and how difficult it is now vs prior years. linkedin-for-jobseekers.com
Radio Interview With the Author of Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors on KSVY Sonoma
September 28th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
I’ve been meaning to post the radio interview regarding my book Stick it to Sue Happy Debt Collectors. KSVY Sonoma California, interviewed me regarding consumers defending themselves against debt collectors in court. Jamie Waterman is the host and I think you will get a lot from the interview Listen to Allen’s radio interview regarding debt collectors on KSVY Sonoma California with host Jamie Waterman, Click here to listen to the broadcast . (under 5mb, MP3). Allen is the author of the book “ Stick it to Sue Happy Debt Collectors ”, that has saved many a consumer from the clutches of abusive debt collectors and shady debt collection law firms. Allen has a new book nearly ready for publishing titled, “ Suing Abusive Debt Collectors, Don’t Get Mad Get Even ”, that shows consumers how easy it is to sue debt collectors for illegal debt collection tactics and violations of consumer rights. Allen Harkleroad is a veteran when it comes to beating bad debt collections, whether it defending himself in court or suing collectors for violating the law. Allen is an avid and judicious consumer advocate who enjoys helping others. In addition to consumer advocacy he enjoys writing and blogging on various technology and business subjects. Follow Allen on Twitter Contact Allen via email Other books by Allen Harkleroad Stick it to Sue Happy Debt Collectors In this book, I cover original creditor lawsuits and junk debt buyer lawsuits (3rd party collectors), and the similar ways that you will deal with them. I will also cover strategies to keep debt collectors off your back before any lawsuits are filed and how and when to sue a debt collector for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The Care and Feeding of a Sucks.com “The author, Allen Harkleroad, has gone toe-to-toe with many multi-billion dollar companies on the planet for publicly criticizing their products and services on the Internet. Many times these companies used legal intimidation or threats to force him to shut down his sucks.com websites. The scare tactics didn’t work as Allen understands his first amendment legal rights, and copyright / trademark law. He shares his knowledge and expertise with you.” Confidential SEO Secrets “I’ve been building websites since early 1994. To get visitors to my websites I solely rely on search engine referrals for the bulk of my traffic. I don’t buy advertising or market my websites in any other way than search engine optimization. I eat, sleep and breathe search engine optimization. My websites consistently rank in the top 5 results for the keywords I target. My books shows you how to do the same.”
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Radio Interview With the Author of Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors on KSVY Sonoma
Announcing a New (Upcoming) Consumer Book – Suing Abusive Debt Collectors – Don’t Get Mad Get Even by Allen Harkleroad
September 26th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.
Learn How to Sue Debt Collectors that break the law and stop the debt collectors cold. Don’t get mad, get even! Allen Harkleroad’s upcoming consumer book will be in an easy to understand step-by-step guide with real life examples, stuffed full of tips and tricks on stopping debt collectors cold and profiting from their abuse. The books covers fair debt collection practices act (FDCPA), fair credit reporting act (FCRA), telephone consumer protection act (TCPA) and truth in lending act (TILA) violations that debt collectors frequently use to abuse consumers. The official website for “Suing Abusive Debt Collectors is located at www.suingdebtcollectors.com (be sure to visit and bookmark it). ISBN: 0-9789997-7-0 ISBN-13 978-0-9789997-7-3
Unemployed: Calling Classifieds
September 25th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Matt is unemployed and now this is his life. Follow him as he looks for his next job…or wastes his time doing stupid things! Please Subscribe to follow the journey.
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Unemployed: Calling Classifieds
Google’s Instant Search: What Does it Mean for SEO?
September 25th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
It’s a change that feels so subtle, many people don’t even notice it’s happening – Google’s search results now update with instant results as you type in your search te
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Google’s Instant Search: What Does it Mean for SEO?
Data Broker US Search Inc Settles Charges Privacy Pledges Were Deceptive
September 22nd, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
An online data broker that charged consumers $10 based on the promise that it could “lock their records”so others could not see or buy them, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its claims were deceptive and violated federal law. The settlement requires that the operation refund the fees it charged to nearly 5,000 consumers and bars misrepresentations about the effectiveness of any service that purports to remove information about consumers from the broker’s website. This is the latest in a series of FTC cases challenging companies’ failure to honor their privacy pledges. US Search, Inc., is an online data broker that compiles public records and sells data about consumers to the public. The records may contain not only names, addresses and phone numbers, but also information such as aliases, marriages and divorces, bankruptcies, neighbors, associates, criminal records, and home values. US Search offered customers a variety of search services, including “People Search,” “Background Check,” Real Estate Reports,” and “Criminal Records/Court Records Searches.” It also offered a “Reverse Lookup” service that can return the name of an individual associated with a particular phone number or property address. Since June 2009, US Search sold consumers its “PrivacyLock” Service, which it claimed would allow them to “lock their records” and prevent their names and other information from appearing on the company’s website, its search results, or advertisements for a year. According to the FTC complaint, the claims were false. The agency alleged the PrivacyLock Service: did not block consumers’ names from showing up as an associate of someone else in a search for the other person’s name; did not block consumers’ information from appearing in a “reverse search” of their phone number or address, or in a search of their address in real estate records; did not work if the consumer changed addresses, thereby generating new records that would not be subject to the PrivacyLock; and did not work if the consumer had multiple records – for example “John Smith” and “John T. Smith.” The settlement bars US Search, Inc. and US Search, LLC from misrepresenting the effectiveness of their PrivacyLock Service or any other service they offer that will allow consumers to remove information about themselves from search results, websites, and advertisements. The settlement order also requires that they disclose any limitations on such services and provide refunds to consumers who paid for the service. The FTC wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the World Privacy Forum in this area. The Commission vote to approve the complaint and accept the proposed consent agreement was 5-0. The FTC will publish an announcement regarding the agreement in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through October 22, 2010. after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. To file a public comment electronically, please click on the following hyperlink and follow the instructions: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/ussearch . Written comments should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions. NOTE: Consent agreements are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics .
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Data Broker US Search Inc Settles Charges Privacy Pledges Were Deceptive
Tips on selecting the best online jewelry wholesalers from www.bjbead.
September 2nd, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
When talking about the finding the jewelry wholesaler online, the first thing comes into your mind may be the search engine. Of course, you can get thousands of wholesale jewelry results from the sear
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Tips on selecting the best online jewelry wholesalers from www.bjbead.
Bertrand Russell
July 16th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, fleece jackets and unbearable pity for the suf
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Bertrand Russell
CyberDefender Corp, MyCleanPC, DoubleMySpeed and Catanese and Wells Never Heard of the 1st Amendment
March 29th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.
A week or two ago I (Allen Harkleroad) expressed my personal opinion of MyCleanPC and DoubleMySpeed, which by the way are owned by the CyberDefender Corporation. While in the past legal threats and legal intimidation may have served CyberDefender well in regards to stifling consumers and individuals public opinions. However, such threats do not work on me as everyone involved will soon find out. I will speak and/or publish my opinions of businesses as I see fit without fear of prosecution or persecution. CyberDefender Corporation and the law firm that represents them (Catanese & Wells of Westlake Village, California) must have never heard of a US Citizens 1st Amendment freedom of speech rights. I intend to educate all of the involved parties as to what the first amendment is and what it covers. First of all, feel free to read my opinion pieces by following the links below (hint they are the same article posted on various websites I and my company owns). Which by the way, are read by an estimated 450,000 unique visitors each month. I included the article as well at the end of this item. Beware of MyCleanPC.com and DoubleMySpeed.com – Same Scam, Same Company Statesboro.biz Beware of MyCleanPC.com and DoubleMySpeed.com – Same Scam, Same Company DesignerToday.com NOT FUNNY PSA: Beware of MyCleanPC.com and DoubleMySpeed.com – Same Scam, Same Company Smarterotti NOT FUNNY PSA: Beware of MyCleanPC.com and DoubleMySpeed.com – Same Scam, Same Company
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Schneider: Search for roommate attracts money order scam – Lansing State Journal
December 23rd, 2009. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.
Schneider: Search for roommate attracts money order scam Lansing State Journal EAST LANSING – One more reminder that it's important – now, more than ever – to be wary of strangers bearing money orders. Gina Polaskey, a newly minted …
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Schneider: Search for roommate attracts money order scam – Lansing State Journal
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How To Get A Job In Any Economy
December 17th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
This is a video sample of a DVD called, “How To Get A Job In Any Economy.” With nearly 20% of the US population looking for work, the tips on this DVD are invaluable and will help you get the job you are looking for: getajobnow.yolasite.com
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How To Get A Job In Any Economy
AARP Foundation WorkSearch Overview
December 9th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Welcome to the AARP Foundation WorkSearch. Whether you’re looking to re-enter the workforce or upgrade from your current job, you’ve come to the right place! The AARP Foundation has a broad array of services to help older workers find employment and much more… … unemployment Employment Job Search Older Worker AARP Foundation WorkSearch Work Tips 40 years old 55 unemployed underemployed skills assessment online training
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AARP Foundation WorkSearch Overview
Need A Job? (832) 343-5425 Local Jobs, Offshore, Cruise Ship, Government Jobs
December 3rd, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Need A Job? Local, Offshore, Cruise Ship, Government Jobs (832) 343-5425. Unemployment, Jobs, Work, Unemployed, Search, Service www.jobsearchservice.info
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Need A Job? (832) 343-5425 Local Jobs, Offshore, Cruise Ship, Government Jobs
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Understanding Encryption
November 29th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
Encryption takes data in its original (plaintext.) form and uses a mathematical algorithm (cipher) and an encryption key to transform it into an unreadable form (ciphertext). Decryption takes ciphertext and transforms it back into plaintext, which once again uses the cipher in conjunction with a key. What do you think of when you hear the word encryption ? Is it spies sending their superiors information in secret code? Perhaps you visualize windowless rooms in some secret government facility where pale, bespectacled code-breakers pour over ss of secret messages and try to decipher them? This might happen in the movies, but the code-breaker today is just as likely to be a 14-year-old script kiddy , and the secret facility his bedroom. He enjoys a slice of pizza and listens to his pirated music collection while he uses tools written by a real hacker to crack the encryption on your network. Encryption is an incredibly useful security tool. It can prevent crackers from sniffing information on your WLAN, it secures authentication of computers and users, and it can protect data on hard drives. However, not all encryption is created equal. Some methods are stronger than others, and even strong encryption can be undermined by poor implementation or improper use.
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Understanding Encryption
Protecting Your Computers With A Personal Firewall
November 28th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
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 .
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Protecting Your Computers With A Personal Firewall
Bruce’s Thought of the Day – A Jobby Job
November 27th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
www.brucebriggs.com
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Bruce’s Thought of the Day – A Jobby Job
The Tell-Tale Signs That Your Computer May Have Become Infected With A Virus
November 27th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
These days most people use their computers on a fairly regular basis. I would even go as so far to say that most people may be on their computers for at least up to an hour a day. That figure would be people that are using the computer strictly for recreational purposes only. We would have to add to that figure if we included people who are using their computer for work and play. It has become the center of our entertainment and work place universe, so most people get to know their machines very intimately. When you use any kind of tool on a regular basis you start to get a feel when something is wrong with it. You may not be able to tell what is exactly wrong but you may have a gut feeling that things are not right. Viral Infection When it comes to using your computer there are signs that it may be infected by a virus without running a virus scanner. Lets go over a couple of those signs. Keep in mind that this is not a surefire list that will reveal a virus on your system. Some viruses are sneaky and do their best to make sure that you do not know that they are on your system. They want to be able to collect data or use your computer resources without you knowing about it. That is why it is still a good ideal to run an antivirus scanner on a regular basis, with or without signs of foul play. Others times some of these signs that I am about to mention may show up but there is no infection on the computer. There may be a program running that you do not know about or a problem with the hardware. Signs Of An Infection Either way the signs that we are going to discuss are just that, signs. They in no way mean that you definitely have a virus. It means that you should do a quick scan with an antivirus program because there is a possibility that you may have a bug in your system. The first sign that you may have a virus or other infection in your system is that you might have a lot of activity going on in your Internet connection. Your computer connects to the Internet and your home network a lot in the process of everyday computing. Most of the time it is connecting for things that you do not know about but they are of a legit purpose. It may connect to the ISP to update its status or it may be even talking to your router to pull information from it. So just because you are not actively browsing the web and you see the light become active does not mean something is automatically wrong. The time to be worried that something is wrong is if the Internet light that you have on your router is going crazy all day long. If there is a constant sending of data packets out your computer and your browser is not open, now it may be time to be concerned. Slow Responses Another sign that you may have an infection on your system is when at certain times your computer may slow to a crawl while you are using it. This is especially noticeable after you start up the computer and only have certain programs open and you are not actively using them. If there is nothing running on your computer, and yet it is still moving very slowly, then there may be a good chance that there is an infection somewhere on your computer. You can click cntrl-alt-del and call up the task manager to see if you can pinpoint the problem. If there is a task taking up a lot of the CPU time and you or Google do not recognize the name then it is definitely time to run an antivirus check. Pop Up Plague Another sign that is not so discreet is the emergence of pop ups on your system when you are not connected to the Internet. This is most likely the sign of malware that has been planted on your computer and not necessarily a virus. You will still want to run an antivirus check to make sure that there is no infection. After the antivirus scan, make sure that you run a spyware analysis program on your computer as well. I have shown you several signs that may indicate that you have a virus or other infection on your computer. If you are a frequent computer user then keeping a look out on any kind of abnormal computer behavior can be the first step in not becoming a victim of the bad guys.
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The Tell-Tale Signs That Your Computer May Have Become Infected With A Virus
The Threat Of Cloud Computing To Your Company’s Infrastructure
November 26th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
The ideal of Cloud computing has been around for several decades. Only recently has the technology allowed for it to become a reality for practical use. Everyday more and more companies are bringing their sensitive data onto the cloud. This has proven to be a good strategy for corporations to use because of the flexibility that it provides. The ability to be able to quickly update their web resources while at the same time having automated back up capabilities is just the thing that the doctor ordered. But there is a flaw in this type of web hosting that researchers are just now discovering. Cloud Computing Management The first flaw that occurs is more of a management flaw and less of a technical one. If you are business that has their operation hosted on the cloud your hardware will not be hosted in house or in a facility that you control. It will be in the hands of another company that is in a remote location. This leaves you as the customer still responsible for what happens to your data. You must keep a sharp eye out on your cloud provider to make sure that they are keeping your company’s data safe and secure. If you have customers of your own and their data is compromised, blaming your provider will only go so far in their eyes. Technical Flaws There are also several technical flaws that can happen when you host your data on the cloud. Researchers have recently discovered a serious bug that could prove to be a big problem. The problem is that when you have cloud computers on a multi cored server running virtual machines the lack of privacy through the cache on the system is great. When you have a multi cored system the data is transacted back and forth between the cores. This is how the computer processes the data simultaneously so that it can do multiple task at the same time. This is why it is so hard for programmers to adapt to parallel computing. You have to be able to create software without the program running into what is known as a dead lock. When the computer is running the process the data is stored in temporary memory, also known as a cache. Attackers and researchers have figured out ways that they can use this information to able to poison a virtual machine running on the same physical server. Since all of the cores share data that is coming through the cache, poisoned data can be sent to another virtual machine this way. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video You can also spy on another company’s virtual machine in this same manner. If this knowledge is made into a workable tool, the possibility for abuse is endless. Even though Cloud computing is becoming more and more popular the technology behind it still has some flaws that it needs to address. When it comes to cloud computing privacy was not the first thing on the mind of the people who implemented it. There are tools that are being released to help alleviate this problem but as of right now the possibility of a serious security breach still exist.
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The Threat Of Cloud Computing To Your Company’s Infrastructure
How To Stay Safe On Facebook
November 25th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Social networking websites have become must visit sites for a great many Internet users. If you are such a person then you probably find that you check your social networking accounts more than your e-mail accounts! In fact, social networking has become a daily activity for millions of Internet users. People have loved Facebook since the day it was launched and that is the reason why, within a span of few years, millions of people have registered to the Facebook network. It is a cool place for people that allows them to get in touch with their friends, share photographs, share videos and much, much more. Security Risks But because of its huge popularity, Facebook has become a huge target for all the spammers, hackers, identity thieves, cyber criminals and every other bad element that exists on Internet. And then you have other threats, such as Koobface , which is a cyber infection that was specially designed to steal the private information of Facebook users. Facebook Security Measures The first step you should take is to mark the privacy settings of your Facebook account. Make sure that you keep you profile private so that strangers cannot peep into it. To do that, simply log into your Facebook account and click on the link named as Settings which can be located at the right side of the page and then click on the option labeled as Privacy. Then click on the option Only Friends which allows you to keep your profile locked from strangers. Whenever you so accept any friend requests ensure that the person is actually your friend because adding strangers could lead to unneccesary risks. Also avoid publishing confidential details, such as your phone number, account number or social security number on your wall as this information could, potentially, be used for identity theft . Facebook Security For Children As per the rules in the Facebook Safety Policy, all users need to be a minimum of 13 years old. If you are a parent, then you need to be aware of your kids’ Facebook activities. You should educate your children about all the benefits, as well as the risk factors, involved in social networking. It would be wonderful if you teach your children to come to you whenever they find a disturbing subject on the Internet as you could then work together to ensure your kid’s safety. Remember that, since you are not seeing the person behind the keyboard, there is a chance that they may not be who they say they are. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you never agree to meet anyone for real. If you do, make sure you have a black belt in karate! (I do, but still wouldn’t choose to meet random strangers from social networking sites!) Once you sign up with Facebook, it automatically becomes your responsibility to report any kind of inappropriate content to the administrators of the Facebook service. Be cautious and have fun in the wonderful world of Facebook. Happy Social Networking!
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How To Stay Safe On Facebook
How Can I Help My Elderly Friends And Relatives Protect Themselves On The Internet?
November 24th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
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.
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How Can I Help My Elderly Friends And Relatives Protect Themselves On The Internet?
Being Proactive About WLAN Security
November 21st, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Perhaps the most important defense is to be proactive in securing your WLAN . Don’t wait for threats to emerge before taking action. Now that you know the threats to your WLAN and some ways to deal with them, you can take what you know and put it to work. Each vendor maintains patches and updates on its Web site. You could go to every Web site and search for all the vulnerabilities that affect your devices. You may even find most of what you’re looking for after quite a while. The best place to start is the Security Focus Web site. Security Focus maintains an exhaustive list of vulnerabilities for hardware and software from every vendor. If it’s vulnerable, it’s listed on their site. Often vulnerabilities are listed on Security Focus even before the developers of an application or device know about the problem. In those rare cases when a company refuses to acknowledge an issue, this Web site may be the only place where you’ll find it listed. Make it a habit to check the site regularly for new threats. Many vendors will send you an email warning you of vulnerabilities if you took the time to register your product (and lets face it, most of us don’t). For the 90 percent of users that use a Microsoft operating system, the Windows Update feature will help you keep the operating system patched and save you from becoming a casualty when the next worm surfaces. Most cracker tools exploit holes that have not been patched. If you don’t maintain your systems, you are remaining vulnerable when you should be safe. Taking the time to patch software and update the firmware on devices will minimize your risk and reduce your headaches.
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Being Proactive About WLAN Security
Using Software To Recover Your Data
November 20th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
Data recovery can be a really hard process if you don’t understand or know what it is that you are doing. When a person is having to perform data recovery that means that either their folder or file has become encrypted. After your file or folders are encrypted, it can cause damage to your computer and you must take certain steps to get the data back that was lost. There are lots of ways that you can recover data from your computer. Some people download freeware that walks them step by step on how to recover their data while others do it straight from their computer. If you decide to do it yourself you will find that the method of data recovery will vary depending on what kind of computer that you’re using. Mac, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are all a bit different when it comes to this process. That’s another reason why people decide to use a free program to recover their data. For beginners, the best way to go about getting your data back is using the free software program. Most of the programs require you to download the software. Before you begin, they usually ask for your email address. Once you provide them with your email address you can review the directions that they give. When you have problems, you can contact customer service and they will be there to help. That is another reason why downloading and using software to recover data is a really good thing when you are new. If you decide to do this by yourself, you won’t be able to have any help. In order to make sure that you have a really good program, do some research on it first before you decide to download the software and see what people are saying about it. After you have downloaded and finished the data recovery, make sure that you back things up. You can back them up with buying a flash drive or floppy disk. If you haven’t backed up your files and pictures, you should do it soon. Mistakes can happen at anytime and they are called mistakes because we didn’t plan on them happening. Another word of advice is to make sure that your computer is password protected and that you have your firewall on plus virus protection turned on too.
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Using Software To Recover Your Data
How Do I Configure Windows 7’s Firewall?
November 17th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Since the addition of a Firewall in Windows XP, Microsoft has been working to improve it with each new version of their operating systems. Windows 7 is expected to the best operating system designed by Microsoft so far. Windows 7 comes with a robust firewall included and this can be tweaked by the user according to their needs and computer resources.. Firewall plays a huge role in protecting your computer from external malicious programs. So until and unless you grant permission, external programs will not be able to use the resources of your computer. Like Windows Vista, the fundamental (basic) settings of the Windows 7 firewall can be configured from Control Panel. But unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 allows you to tweak the advanced settings of it’s firewall directly from your Control Panel, instead of accessing empty MMC. Manually Configure Your Windows 7 Firewall Below is the procedure to manually configure the firewall Settings of Windows 7 – Step 1: Click on the START button and then click on the CONTROL PANEL option. Step 2: Now, in the Control Panel window, locate System and Security and then click on it. Step 3: Once you open the System and Security window from the Control Panel, you can see a direct link to Windows Firewall. Click on it. Step 4: Now, you will be able to access the Windows Firewall window. There, you can see number of options like Turn Windows Firewall on or off, Change notification settings, Restore defaults and Advanced settings on the left side of the panel. And on the right side of the panel you can alter the type of network associated with the firewall settings of your computer which are Home or Work (Private) networks and Public networks. And the Firewall will be ON / ACTIVE for both the networks, which is a default setting. Step 5: Now, you can see the Change Notification settings link on the left side of the panel. Click on it. You can use this option to Turn OFF the firewall settings of your operating system by simply clicking on Turn off Windows Firewall button. Step 6: If you are unhappy with any settings you have selected you can retrieve the default settings by clicking on the option labeled as Use recommended settings which can be located on the right side of the panel or by clicking on the Restore Default link on the left panel. You need to confirm your choice once you click on the Restore Default button. Step 7: You can also alter the Advanced Setting of the Local Computers by clicking on the Advanced Settings button visible on the left panel. Step 8: If you want to tweak the inbound rules, you can click on the link labeled as Inbound Rules on the left side of the panel. If you click on Disable Rule, it will disable the selected rule and if you click on Enable Rule, you can choose the actions you want from the list displayed in Actions Pane. Step 9: You can even keep an eye on the things like Logging settings, General Settings, Firewall State, Active Networks by clicking on the Monitoring option on the left side of the panel. I hope this guide has given you a basic idea of how to set up your firewall in Windows 7.
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How Do I Configure Windows 7’s Firewall?
What Is Disability Fraud?
November 15th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Its a sad thing to say but it seems that earning money illegally is becoming easy these days. One such method I’ve noticed, and it really upsets me, is disability fraud. Personally I think it is right that we, as a society, look after those who are unfortunate to be disabled. However, there are many individuals who feel that it is ok to play the system and claim benefits for disabilities they do not have . In both legal and medical terms disability does not mean that a person is physically handicapped. Just because a person is able to do all the things that a normal man can do it does not really imply that the person is not disabled. There are a number of medical conditions which are not physically visible but they are still termed as disabilities. Invisible Disabilities Such disabilities are known as “invisible disabilities”. This is the area in which criminals are taking advantage of the system and literally cashing in. Below are some of the common types of invisible disabilities – Chronic Dizziness: This kind of disability is related to an improper functioning of the inner ear. Such a problem would cause problems to a person whilst performing some of the basic tasks like walking, sleeping or working. Chronic Fatigue: If a person does not feel like working and always feels totally tired, then he might be suffering from Chronic Fatigue. This can have a very negative impact on the person’s daily life routine. Mental Illness: Some forms of this disability can make a person mentally so vulnerable that they find basic and common daily tasks very had to perform. Disabilities like agoraphobia, depression, lack of concentration and schizophrenia are categorized under mental illness. Chronic Pain: Some bone or physical injuries and back problems can lead to chronic pain. This kind of pain or disability might not be visible to everybody but people linked with the medical fraternity will easily detect such disability. Of course there are a great many people with invisible disabilities such as those above who are perfectly genuine and who are suffering. Unfortunately, however, there are also many people who fake such conditions for financial gain. Types Of Disability Fraud Below are some of most common types of disability fraud – Doing legitimate work despite claiming to be suffering from disability: It has been found that people suffering from various invisible disabilities are working in jobs they claim they cannot do while enjoying the benefits offered for the disabled. Pretending to be suffering from any kind of Injury: People do pretend to be suffering from some kinds of illness and even doctors can’t prove that wrong. So they intentionally pretend to be disabled, in order to enjoy the benefits offered to them by various agencies. Continuing to claim benefits even after recovering from disability: Not all disabilities are permanent and people are cured every day. Some, however, continue to claim benefits for many years afterwards regardless though. Tackling Disability Fraud Disability fraud is extremely hard to prove and prosecute. Many governments have already initiated various methods to tackle disability fraud but cynics, such as myself, wonder if they are doing enough, especially when recategorising such people as being merely unemployed could prove detrimental to their boasts of keeping jobless figures to a minimum. Doctors cannot always detect whether a claim of disability is genuine or not and the politically correct society we live in now means you really ought to be very careful about questioning whether benefits claimants are legitimate or not. Having said that, here in the UK we are encouraged to grass on our neighbours (another ploy designed to destroy society no doubt) but could you tell whether the disabled person living next door to you was faking it? Probably not. I don’t know what the answer is but I do know that we need to cut out disability fraud. I’m of the opinion that far too many people claim benefits for fake disabilities in order to avoid working and we really ought to get them off their lazy backsides and into work so that they can contribute to society, allowing us to divert the money saved to those who really need it.
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What Is Disability Fraud?
What Should I Do If My Website Has Been Hacked?
November 13th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
If you paid attention to yesterday’s post about website security then you should have already minimised the chances of having your own site hacked . But what if it has already happened? How Would I Know That My Site Has Been Hacked? You may have had your web site hacked if one or more of the following is true – The search engines now says you run an attack site You’ve noticed spam email being sent from your account When you search for your own site (yes, we all do it!) your antivirus program suggests it may be being used for phishing You now have some political statement or graffiti all over your pages Of course there may be other signs but the above are the main ones that I can think of. What now? Change Them There Passwords Do it. Do it now. Assuming you still have any kind of access to your website then you need to change all of your passwords – cPanel, email, admin passwords, etc. Remove Old Scripts Next, go through your hosting space and remove every old script installation that you find. Also, update or remove old plugins too because they are also at risk of being hacked. Check Your Error Logs By checking the Error Logs in cPanel you may be able to discover suspicious requests. Typically, a hacker will give themselves access to your website by adding code or files so look for such within your public_html folder. If you find any code or files then take a note of the details, such as date and time that the file was uploaded, the file name, folder it was in, etc and then inform your web host as they may then be able to offer some assistance. Of course it goes without saying that you should then also delete said codes or files. Minimising Risk Web sites are hacked all the time and all you can do is ensure that you have made it as hard a task as possible and then hope that the hacker moves on to an easier target. By keeping your files up-to-date and secure you will have increased the workload for a potential hacker . You then just need to cross your fingers and hope that encourages them to pass you by.
I’m Worried My Web Site Might Get Hacked – What Can I Do?
November 12th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
If you run your own web site then security is something you really ought to be paying attention to. Hackers are targeting websites on a daily basis and for many different reasons. It used to be the case that hackers would merely look to plaster graffiti on your home page to bring attention to themselves (or some cause) but nowadays they also have far more sinister motives. Criminal hackers are now part of large and well organised cyber gangs who see the internet as a huge source of potential profits and they may see your website as a tool that can help them make money, either by stealing your personal information or that of your visitors. Often this can be through the use of Trojans and other types of malware. Here, then, are some tips on securing your website against such attacks – Always Remove Or Update Old Scripts You need to be aware that that old installations are vulnerable. If you run a blog on WordPress then you will know that the platform is regularly updated and that one of the main reasons for that is to patch security holes as and when they are discovered. So, if you have an old installation then you should either update it now or remove it completely if you aren’t using it. Otherwise, a competent hacker could be into your blog in a matter of seconds. Ensure Strong Password Security You should never use easy to guess passwords , or the same password more than once, anywhere on the internet. Think about it – if a hacker finds a password of yours then they may well try to use it everywhere in order to gain access not only to your web site but also to other sensitive areas such as your online banking account. In terms of website security, how would you feel if someone else had access to your cPanel or email account? Cloak Your Folders Another good tip is to keep a blank index.html file in all of the folders inside your public_html folder. This will make sure that the contents cannot easily be viewed on the internet. CPanel offers such a function – check out ‘Index Manager’. It is always a good idea to keep your files and folders as secret as possible. Password Protect Your Admin Folder You should always password protect the admin folder of any scripts you are using as this provides an extra layer of security. Such action is highly recommended and you can do this in cPanel by clicking the ‘Directory Protection’ link.
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I’m Worried My Web Site Might Get Hacked – What Can I Do?
Job Search 042309
November 11th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
Just another day…
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Job Search 042309
Protecting Data With Encryption Or Lockout Software
November 11th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Most people have introduced encryption as a way to secure communications on your WLAN. You can also use encryption to secure at-rest data or data that is located on a hard drive or similar storage medium (CD, DVD, and tape). There are several software solutions available to encrypt your data, whether you choose to encrypt the entire contents of your hard drive or just specific folders. Note: An easy-to-use’ effective utility for encrypting your files and folders is File Warden , available for download from the utilities section of the PC Magazine Web site: www.pcmag.com One thing to consider before using encryption is that it takes a lot of CPU horsepower. If you encrypt your entire hard drive you may notice significant slowing when you use your computer. You might consider only encrypting the contents of a couple of folders and storing all sensitive files in those. Smaller devices like PDAs and smart phones lack the horsepower to use significant encryption. There is effective security software for locking a PDA after it’s turned off or after it spends a certain amount of time idle. This software locks all unauthorized persons out of the device and prevents wireless connections, synchronizing, or beaming of information. Whichever device you use, install either encryption or security software to lock down your data if your computer ever falls into the wrong hands. Always set up your device so that it asks for a password and use a security screen saver with a strong password to make it harder for criminals to get to your data.
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Protecting Data With Encryption Or Lockout Software
The Top Reasons For Hardware Failure And Data Loss
November 9th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
Aside from impact damage and electrical spikes, there are sources of hardware failure that can arise from lack of maintenance or through improper maintenance. Different sources rank these threats differently, at some point touting each of them as the number-one threat or cause of hardware failure. I haven’t ranked them in any particular order, preferring that you consider each and protect yourself from all of them. Electrostatic discharge Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can destroy components within your computer. A common way for ESD damage to occur is when you open your computer case to install new hardware (drives, RAM, and so on). If you don’t properly ground yourself, any electrical charge that your body carries will jump from your fingers to conductors in the computer, such as chips. The same thing happens when you rub your feet on a carpet, generating an electrostatic charge. When you reach out to touch another person or a metal object, sparks fly. Unfortunately, when the sparks fly from your fingers to a computer component, you may destroy the component. You may not think there’s enough power to do any damage, but there is. A static discharge from your hand can be quite powerful at times – maybe even in the kilowatt range! The best way to prevent ESD from occurring is to use a grounding wrist strap or stand on a grounding mat if you have to open the computer’s case. You can also make sure that you are at “zero potential” by constantly touching a bare metal surface. Damage from ESD only occurs if you are working inside a computer or handling a component like a RAM chip or video board, not when you are touching the case. Dust Accumulation of dust can damage some components and cause your computer to overheat. It doesn’t take a thick layer; even a thin layer that you can barely see can raise the temperature in your computer a few percent. That small raise in temperature is enough to shorten the life of your components. Heavy dust buildup can also short out components and damage hard drives. Heat Overheating damages many computers. Excessive heat increases resistance in semiconductor materials, which in turn produces more heat. This heat buildup and increase in resistance causes logic circuits to behave erratically and ultimately fail to function. Heat can also destroy data on hard drives by causing the metallic layer to expand, potentially putting data tracks out of alignment. Repeated heating and cooling can compound the problem until the drive fails completely. It doesn’t take a lot of heat to do this, either. The CPU of your computer is especially susceptible to heat damage. Because of the number of circuits on the CPU, it generates a lot of heat. CPUs have a heat sink that helps radiate heat away from the CPU, and most computers have one or more fans that cool the CPU and other components. Bad Hard Disk Sectors Occasionally, sectors on a hard disk fail due to physical problems on the disk. These problems can result from dust infiltration, heat, or degradation over time. Your computer cannot write or read data from a sector that has failed, and any data already written to that sector is lost. Through proper maintenance, however, you can prevent hard disk damage and detect failing sectors before they fail completely.
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The Top Reasons For Hardware Failure And Data Loss
I’m Scared Of Getting A Virus – What Sort Of Sites Should I Be Wary Of?
November 8th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Most people, when they get on the Internet, do the same thing that everyone else does on it, and that is surf. People may have a couple of sites that they go to on a regular basis but for the most part they surf around the net. This, of course, is the best part about the Internet – the ability to travel around the different web sites and see places and things that you may have never known before. There is a dark side to all of this wonderful discovery that you can do on the Internet though. The dark side is that when going to sites that you don’t know you can always pick up a virus or some other type of malware. Of course this can happen on any type of website but is more likely on some types than others. Whilst many of the following can be perfectly safe, the risk of picking up a virus may be higher from these types of sites – Beware Of Adult Sites The first type of site that can cause you damage whilst you are surfing the Internet are adult sites . Maybe 99% of adult sites are safe but there are a minority that can cause your computer to have serious troubles. Adult sites are known to attract very high amounts of traffic so they are a favorite of Hackers trying to target innocent victims. Another attack vector that has been used lately is planting viruses in the adult tube sites that have popped up in increasing amounts lately. The technology that runs the site and shows the video is known as Flash. This technology is known to have serious exploit problems if the right safeguards are not in place. Make sure that you are extra vigilante when surfing adult sites. Beware Of Warez Sites The second type of site that is known to cause a lot of trouble to a person’s computer are sites that are known as warez sites. Warez sites are web sites that people go to to get pirated software, serial numbers, etc. These types of sites are breeding grounds for malicious hackers trying to inject very nasty software into your computer. When you are visiting a warez site you are generally asking for trouble, not only in terms of copyright violations, but from malware too. Not only can the site itself pose a security risk but any software you download may well do so too. Beware Of Credit Card Offer Sites The third type of site that can be a potential problem for your computer when you visit are credit card offer sites. These sites set up a sweet attractive low interest offer and then in the background can download a Trojan onto your computer. A relatively new attack phenomenon, these sites are increasingly becoming more dangerous. These sites are being used more and more by Hackers for phishing schemes and planting Trojans onto your computer. These types of site attacks are increasing all over the Internet. This is a fairly new attack vector but with credit cards now a little bit harder to get people are falling for these traps more readily. Stay Safe I’ve showed you several different types of sites that you must be aware of when surfing the Internet. For the most part these types of site are safe to visit. But… When a Hacker decides to strike, these types of site are usually on the top of the list.
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I’m Scared Of Getting A Virus – What Sort Of Sites Should I Be Wary Of?
Out of a job – Now what? Part – 3
November 5th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
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
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Out of a job – Now what? Part – 3
Cyber Security For Families
November 5th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Hopefully you strive to keep your family safe and protected in every possible way. Sometimes there are risks on the Internet that are greater than those you may come across in the real world. For that reason you need to be vigilant and cautious at all times and that means becoming wise in the ways of cyber security. Cyber security not only allows your family to protect itself from the dangers involved on the Internet but also ensures that your computer is safe from your family. Just by altering the ways in which you use your computer you will enable yourself to stay safe and secure from online dangers. Kids are usually inquisitive and curious about all the things that they find new and interesting. So, as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your kids are able to learn about new technology but at the same time you also need to take care of their safety. You need to balance things out for them by trying to keep your kids away from the things that you think might be misused whilst not blocking them from the Internet or computer completely. Your kids could be using the Internet to work on their homework or project or for playing online games which are all valuable pursuits in their own ways. However their lack of knowledge, or other peoples’ devious ways, could cause them to find themselves on malicious sites that could install malware on your computer, or porn sites which you simply wouldn’t want your children to view. Of course if that were to happen then your children might not tell you about the incident, fearing punishment and so you would have a hard job ensuring that it didn’t happen again. Malware and porn aren’t the only threats though – the Internet has become a huge platform for people who look to cheat and swindle others. There is a certain level of anonymity on the Internet still and this fact encourages cyber criminals to deceive people on the Internet in order to take as much money as possible from them. Even well educated adults fall prey to such online predators. Below are some of the ways which will help you to protect your family from cyber dangers – Stay With Your Kids While They Spend Time On The Internet Make sure that you stay with your children while they are using Internet. It might not be possible for all parents to get involved with their kids while they are on Internet because we all have busy lifestyles nowadays but you can certainly keep a casual eye on what they are doing at the very least. You can view their browsing history to check the web sites they have visited. You can also ensure that your kids do not get involved in activities such as sending emails to, and chatting with, strangers. Educate Your Children About Online Dangers It is necessary to educate your kids about all the risks and dangers involved with the Internet. Once they get to know such facts, they will be more vigilant and careful. Make them clear of the sites they should visit and the types of sites which are not meant for them. Do not frighten them but set limits to their Internet usage so that you can keep things under control. Create Separate User Accounts To Keep Your Data Safe Recent operating systems, such as Windows 7, allow you to create individual accounts for all the users of the computer onto which they are installed. You can opt to create separate accounts for your kids. This is one of the ways to keep your files and data protected from the mischievous activities of your children! If you do not prefer to create separate accounts then it is advisable not to use add-ons which are meant to remember passwords and other important information (which can be accidentally used) leading to serious loss. There is a wise saying that “Prevention is always better than cure.” So make sure that you use updated antivirus programs featuring utilities such as firewalls to ensure the safety of the data stored in your computer. You can use kid browsers which ensure the safety of your files while your kids are accessing Internet or you can edit the options of your default browser to ban the web sites which you feel would be harmful to your child. Here is how – Tools> Internet Options> Content> Click on ENABLE under Content Advisor. The powers that be have understood the need for cyber security and so they have come forward to offer their services to ensure your kids’ protection whilst they are using the Internet by blocking the sites that are not meant or suited for them. Open Communication Is Key If possible, set up your computer in a place where you can easily keep an eye on who is using it and what they are doing with it. This will surely make your children think before they do anything wrong on the computer. Having a flexible relationship with your family members is beneficial in all aspects of life – such a relationship will make your children come to you and tell about the things they have seen and done on the Internet. This kind of relationship not only enhances the cyber security of your family but also develops a strong bond amongst yourselves, helping you grow and stay safe and happy as a family.
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Cyber Security For Families
What Is A Trojan Horse And Why Should You Worry About It?
November 4th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
The Internet in many ways is still like the wild wild west. Overall it is safe but there are bad guys lurking around every corner that will try to infect your computer and steal your information. Luckily most attacks can be easily thwarted by the right technology and common sense. To use common sense though, it helps to know the different ways that your computer can be attacked. One of these ways is through a technique known as a Trojan. I will explain what it is and how to avoid getting your computer infected by one – If you know your Greek mythology then you would know that the Greeks used a giant wooden horse to enter the gates of Troy to finally conquer them. Trojan Infection A Trojan infection on your computer uses a similar methodology. A Trojan on your computer masquerades around as a simple little innocent program that will not hurt a flea. It may look like the latest coldplay mp3 or might look like a word document that someone has sent to you. Trojans have also known to pretended to be real upgrades to different programs on your system, such as a Microsoft upgrade. That is why it pays to go directly to the vendors site and download the upgrades from there. The Trojan will look innocent until you double click it to try to run the program. It will then make its intentions know on your system. After the Trojan is run on your system, most of the time you will not even know that it is running. It will hum along in the background, very quietly, performing a function that you will not know anything about. Password Stealing Some of these functions maybe stealing your passwords , becoming a botnet that someone else is using, viewing your screen as you are working, and all kind of other nefarious stuff that you do not want to think about. Trojans are very bad news on your system, so you must be prepared to stop them from getting on your system. There are several ways that you can avoid getting a Trojan on your system. Most of the ways that you can avoid such a fate involves common sense on the user part. Also a little technology to go along with that common sense will go a long way to helping to achieve these goals. The first that you will want to do, as we discussed before, is to avoid downloading software updates from any web site other than the vendors own web site. Also when you download software make sure that it is from a trusted web site. If you have never been to the web site before do not download software from it or at the very least keep your guard up. Another step is to avoid accepting email attachments from unknown senders. This is one of the most prevalent ways of spreading Trojans to people. Always Back up! After you have used your common sense to avoid getting a Trojan on your system it will help to have a little back up. Back up usually includes having a good antivirus program running on your system. A good anti virus program will detect contamination as soon as it introduced onto your system. There are numerous different vendors that are out there for you to choose from so read up a little about them to see which one suits your needs. The prices and the packages will vary. Also once you have picked a good antivirus be sure to confirm that it is updated daily. An anti virus is no good if the person doe not keep it regularly updated. As you can see, a Trojan can be a very nasty to thing to have unleashed on your computer. Prevention through common sense and anti virus is the best way to avoid any trouble from them.
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What Is A Trojan Horse And Why Should You Worry About It?
How Do I Restore A File That I Accidentally Deleted?
November 4th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
Recovering a file that you deleted from your flash drive can be really difficult if you don’t know how to do it nor have it saved anywhere else. This is another reason why it’s vital for you to back up all of your information and you should do it on a regular basis. There is a simple way that you can track your deleted files that a lot of people don’t know about. There are a lot of free programs that can restore any file on your computer. These programs don’t take up much space either. A recommended program is called REST2514. Its very easy to install on your computer. This program is designed to recover any file that was deleted on your computer. It guides you step by step on how to find that file and even lets you pick the drive that you want to search. This program allows you to restore any of the files by simply clicking on one and highlighting it when it comes up. You can find it on any search engine or you can look up restoration freeware programs. Whilst it’s very easy getting a file restored on your computer, it’s still recommended that you backup your information on a USB flash drive. You should update your flash drive once a week if you do a lot of work on your computer but if you forget, you now know how to restore a file so you won’t need to panic if it happens.
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How Do I Restore A File That I Accidentally Deleted?
The Security Risks Of Facebook Applications
November 3rd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
I think we all know by now what the most popular social networking site on the Internet is. Twitter is quickly making it’s way to the top of the heap but for now Facebook is still king of the mountain. One of the more popular features that Facebook has added in the past couple of years is the ability to create an application for the people logged into Facebook to use. There have been many companies that made a lot of money off of this feature. Unfortunately there has also been a lot of nefarious characters that have exploited this feature as well. They too are making lots of money from it. I will go over some of the risks of Facebook applications and how to keep yourself safe – Keep Private Information Private One thing that Facebook pulls out of people is their private information. On any other site people would never give the amount of information that they seem give on the Facebook platform. Through most people’s profiles you can find out their first, last and maiden names. You can also find out where they live, where they went to school, and even worse most people will offer up the information of where they lived in the past. A lot of these answers are the answers to questions that you will fill out any kind of credit check online. This is perfect for anybody looking to exploit your credit history or steal your identity. Facebook applications, if you allow them, have access to this information as well. Once you give them permission they can get all of the information that is about you from your Facebook profile. If a person that has evil intentions makes a Facebook app, they can now target all of the people who have allowed the application in their Facebook ecosystem and target them for identity theft . Make sure that before you give an application access to all of your information that you check on the company who has made the app. It is best to Google them to see if they are legitimate or not. Facebook Hackers Facebook applications, for the most part, run in a sandbox that is provided by Facebook themselves. A sandbox is when you have the ability to use a language but certain features of the language that might cause security problems are stripped away. The sandbox that Facebook gives developers to make applications is pretty secure but there have been holes found. So not only can the hackers use an application that was built for malicious use intentionally, they can also find holes in preexisting applications and exploit them too. If you install an application and it is doing anything weird be very suspicious and uninstall it. In the world of the Internet being paranoid is a good thing! So I have gone over a couple of ways that Facebook applications can be used to exploit the average user. I do not want you to get the wrong idea, Facebook applications for the most part are safe. Just like anything else on the internet they can be exploited so it pays to be careful.
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The Security Risks Of Facebook Applications
Just How Secure Are PDF Files?
November 2nd, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
One of the great things about computers and the Internet is how easy it is to create document files and then share them between machines and users. There are several formats that you can use to create files, the two most popular being word documents and PDF files. Hacker Manipulation Over the past couple of years, however, hackers have found that they can manipulate these types of files. They are now able to hide exploits within these files that can compromise your computer. They also use the knowledge that since these files are so popular, they can disguise a harmful .exe file as a pdf file and people will not question whether it is safe or not. We will hopefully show you that for the most part PDF’s are safe but you still need to be careful with them. These types of files have turned into another attack vector for hackers. In the last 12 months Adobe has released patch after patch trying to protect new vulnerabilities found in pdf files. Buffer Overflow There was the vulnerability that was found that let hackers send an attack to your computer through the use of a buffer overflow created when the PDF file was opened. There was also an attack found a month after that that if you were looking at a PDF file in windows explorer, that was all that was needed for it to attack your computer. You didn’t even have to click on it to activate the attack. This is why you have to be careful with opening all types of files on your computer. Most people, even tech savvy people, have never heard that a PDF can be exploited. So people will download them from strange sites and never ever bother to run an antivirus check on them to see if they are secured. Hackers are using your trustful nature against you in this case. Exploited .exe Files Since people are more trustful with opening a strange PDF file more than .exe file there is an older attack that will exploit the trust factor that I talked about above. This is an old trick of hiding your exploited .exe files as PDF files. They shape the name of the file so that it shows up with an PDF icon on the file. This is an easy attack to spot if you have “show file extensions” turned on in your operating system. Just go into your control panel and then go into the file manager. You will then see the option to turn this feature on. Also you can avoid being trapped by this attack by running a virus scan on the file. Any file that you get over the Internet you should run an antivirus scan on anyway, just to be on the safe side. So I have gone over how a PDF file can be dangerous to your system. Now that you know that there is a risk, hopefully you will not take any file lightly.
Protecting Your Computer With Backups And Antivirus Programs Is Essential
October 30th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Backing up data is really important and not enough people do it. It’s really easy to back up your data. If you don’t back up your data, you could get into major trouble later. The reason why you must back things up is because it will help protect your data, including those pictures you love and all those mp3s you play. Backing Up Data Should Be A Habit Many people make the mistake of only backing up their data once. After they back it up, they think that they won’t need to do it ever again. You should at least back up your data once a week or more. Whenever you save a lot of pictures or files, back it up right away. It’s not very expensive to back up your data. All that is required is for you to get a USB drive, floppy disk, CD or DVD. After you have one of those items, put it in your computer and then you can drag and drop the files you wish to keep onto the media you have inserted. Saving your files on the computer is not the only way that you can back up data and protect it. There are a few other things that you can do in order to protect it so hopefully nothing won’t happen. Protect Your Data By Having An Antivirus Program Installed One thing that is very important is that you must have antivirus virus protection on your computer. If you don’t have money for a virus protection you will find that there are many who offer a free edition, such as the ones in my list of the best free antivirus solutions . If your antivirus program detects a virus it will show you how to remove it from your system. If you see that you are having problems and a virus scan does not help, try doing a SpyWare and MalWare scan. There are free programs for these too that work great and you should do a scan at least every other day. The other way you can protect your data is by having your files and documents password protected. If you have more then one person on your computer then it’s vital that you do this if you want to save your documents. Make sure that you choose an effective password that you can remember. Writing passwords down in a private notebook is one way to help you remember them. When you are having problems with your computer, don’t put off fixing it. Some people think that the problems might go away in time only to then find out the next day that their computer is ruined.
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Protecting Your Computer With Backups And Antivirus Programs Is Essential
Protect Your Kids With PikLuk
October 29th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
More and more people are connecting to the worldwide web every day. The internet provides us with many opportunities including education, entertainment, jobs, banking, shopping, paying bills and much, much more. Unfortunately, however, the internet also has it’s fair share of problems too. There are many unsafe, unauthorized and adult websites and predators, too, who are looking to connect with your children. Therefore, every parent needs to be wary and look out for their kids’ safety. One way in which you can do this is through using or installing a special web browser that has been designed with kids in mind . One such browser, the one I am looking at today, is PikLuk which allows your kids to learn, laugh and grow. How do I get started with PikLuk?? There are three simple steps to be followed – 1. Sign up for a PikLuk account: Here you can directly log on to the PikLuk website and sign up for free. The Dashboard is very user friendly and it enables you to configure your children’s online experience. 2. Add children to your account: You can add your kids to your account using the dashboard and configure their web sites and email contacts. 3. Download and install the PikLuk Browser: Now download the PikLuk browser from the website and then install it. This PikLuk browser will allow your kids to access the website and email contacts that you added in your dashboard. Features of PikLuk: • Safe web browsing for your kids: Parents can choose and list safe and healthy websites on the dashboard. Your children then only have access to those particular websites and all others are blocked. • Safe email; no unwanted messages: Do you want your child to be able to email you and your family but not strangers? If so, PikLuk will provide you with such a feature that allows your kid to email only those people whom you have chosen to add through the dashboard. • Keep your computer safe: PikLuk will provide you with an additional feature which prevents your child from accessing the other files and folders of your computer while they are using the browser. This allows you to keep your computer system safe whilst your kid learns. • Provides an excellent user interface: PikLuk provides an excellent and colourful graphical interface for your child to use. Your son or daughter will be able to use it very easily as it also has an inbuilt audio command. When your kid rolls the cursor over anything the browser will tell them what it is. In some respects Pikluk is much like a cartoon channel. • Drawing: PikLuk provides a drawing tool for your kids, where your kids can bring out their creativity. This tool is very simple to use and your kid can draw anything and can save their pictures onto the computer. • PikLuk Multimedia: PikLuk will allow your kid to access Games, Movies, Music, Ask Earl, Sports, Ecards , Horoscopes, Study Zone, etc. All these things are comprehensively designed for kids and are 100 % safe. This package will feed your child with all his or her entertainment needs besides learning. When your children are using PiKLuk you can sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that they are laughing, learning and growing in a safe, healthy environment.
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Protect Your Kids With PikLuk
Recession Job Search |Leila’s House of Corrections
October 28th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.
With unemployment at its highest in twenty years, it is one of the hardest times to be looking for a job. Leila suggests tuning out negativity, using your network carefully, and doing your research to raise your chances of success.
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Recession Job Search |Leila’s House of Corrections