Tech Really! The net's technology troubleshooting, tutorials, and review authority.

TechReally! Repair special!

2010-10-12T20:58:00.003-04:00

From October 13-22 TechReally will be running a repair special for all local customers.50$ an hour computer repair. All laptop and PC models, free estimate. iPod and iPhones repaired as well. Contact kenddixon@gmail.com for information be sure to include the title of this post in your subject line.

Top Three Ways Hackers Get Your Password: Guessing, Dictionary and Brutal attacks

2010-10-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

Our entire lives are kept on computers. In a typical household, personal information, tax records, banking and credit information, personal letters and journals, private photos, job information; in fact, virtually all of the information about everything in our lives is kept on computer files and on web sites protected by passwords of our own making and encryption provided by a computer program.

Hackers have a number of methods to get through these passwords and encryptions.

Guessing seems like an inefficient way of finding a password until you consider this; most passwords chosen by users fall into a very narrow group of word, making guessing a lot easier for would be hackers. The most commonly used passwords are a person's name or the name of their wife, children or pets. Their birthday, license plate number, street address or the name of a favorite celebrity are also used. More disturbing are the number of people that leave their password blank or use the factory default.

A dictionary attack relies on the above information and the knowledge that most passwords are a single simple word found in any dictionary. It uses a program that runs through all the words in a dictionary until it finds a hit. Other types of dictionary attacks search through all accounts looking for hits on blank or default passwords.

A more aggressive attack, called a brute force attack, requires unlimited time but will always work. If the parameters of the password are known, say, it's known that a certain site requires a password between 6-18 characters and must include both letters and numbers, a brute force attack will try every possible combination until it comes up with the right password. Given enough time it will always find the password, but the more possible combinations that are available, the longer it will take.

Fortunately, Logaway.com an online password
manager that can help by ensuring you keeps all of your passwords in one secure location. That allows you to choose some of the most secure password manager
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William Peter - About the Author:

William Peter writes reviews on various Online password manager websites. In this piece of write up, the author highlights on various various process to use a secure password manager to keep your password safe.

Choosing the Right Laptop Battery

2010-10-11T11:27:00.000-04:00

There are many laptop battery in the electronic market, a large number of substandard products into the market, including many original batteries counterfeit, take many potential to consumers. For non-professional consumers, we suggest the customer select the notebook battery following to the next tips:

1. Check packaging
Battery packaging should be sealed anti-static bags, anti-static foam lining, which is to protect the basic configuration of the Compaq presario cq60 battery.
Battery packaging should have a bar code serial code. Bar code is provided by the factory management of commodity standards to identify the authority logo.

2.check the appearance
Batteries should not be scratched or the appearance of the old sense, or readily available second-hand goods renovation as OEM Compaq presario cq70 battery.
Battery case should be clear parameters, performance, application of model identification.
Joints up and down the Dell inspiron 1440 battery cover should have no marks have been opened.

3. Check the official commitment to the protection of that and after-sale

Formal professional laptop battery grade qualified products cylindrical Dell inspiron 1545 battery , since the date of the factory, there are bonds for one year warranty. If you can not have this commitment, then the use of batteries and other materials may not be the quality of very qualified sub-grade batteries but batteries. At present the market with large number of obsolete Japan, South Korea and the poor Dell vostro 1510 battery conversion, this product may seem cheap products are actually huge profits, as well as the normal use of notebook computers much damage, the explosion will be serious personal injury caused to consumers.

Anti-Viruses and Firewalls Explained

2010-09-29T08:46:00.000-04:00

We've all heard the term Anti-Virus. Most of us have heard the term firewall. What do they mean? Perhaps you think that an anti-virus will do what a firewall will or vice-versa. This statement is true in the sense of software bundles but the two program types are completely different.

An anti-virus scans files real-time and scheduled. The files are checked for specific code that relates them to viruses. Anti-viruses keep a database of know virus code that it uses to check files against. This is what you are downloading when you download "Virus Definitions", without the definitions your anti-virus would be useless. Anti-viruses scan, clean, quarantine and delete the files you download/install. Firewalls are completely different.

Firewalls monitor the traffic in and out of your computer. Your computer is constantly talking to servers and receiving data back. Programs update all the time, reports are sent out if you are part of programs plans etc. this generates data going between your computer and the internet. Firewalls protect you by monitoring the traffic and making sure that it is approved. When you first set up your firewall you will be asked if different traffic is legitimate. Usually you know that the windows updater and iTunes updater are good traffic and should be allowed. When the firewall detects that you are sending out information that doesn't normally go out, it issues an alert to the user and asks for confirmation. The firewall can then block the traffic and stop the data. The firewall also monitors incoming traffic, if it detects data coming back that was not requested by the user then it will issue a warning.

In literal terms its pretty simple. The firewall is like a bouncer at a club, he checks IDs to make sure you're on the "list" and will stop you from getting in. If you upset the club owner the bouncer may also keep you in. In the same sense an anti-virus can be applied in the same way through a different person. An anti-virus is your bartender, they give you your drinks or in this case data. They know its clean they poured it, they also monitor your drinks for you while some more effectively than others they notice when someone has slipped you something. They may pour out your drink and warn you of the danger. The bartender also watches you and makes sure you don't get too drunk, you are at their will as to whether you are ejected from the the club or not. For both of these situations the person is data, bouncer a firewall, bartender the anti-virus. Without both of these the club does not function correctly, it may work for a little while but eventually there will be a problem.

This has been a TechReally technology post.

Obtaining Your IP Address

2010-09-28T09:58:00.000-04:00

Working in the IT field, technicians will always try to fix a problem remotely first. The one question that is asked 9 times out of 10 is usually "What is your IP address?". Internet Protocol Address, or IP for short, can tell the technician alot of things. An IP address is comprised of 4 numbers ranging from 0-255 and seperated by a period. EX: "192.168.1.254" This number can tell technicians how or if you are connected to the internet, in work situations it may allow the technician to connect to your machine. After about 15 minutes with some users you might be able to get an IP address from them. It's not because the users are illiterate or stupid its more about the gap that exsists between the technician who asks that question 30 times a day and the end-user who actually looks up their IP only when the PC is down. In this Techreally! we'll show you the simplest most easy way to obtain your ip address and some other key information.

Obtaining IP address in Windows XP:

Step 1: click Start

Step 2: click Run

Step 3: In the Run dialog box type "CMD" with no quotation marks and click "OK". This will open a black window.

Step 4: At the prompt(it usually says something like "c:\>") type "IPCONFIG" with no quotations, it does not have to be capital but there are no spaces. Press "Enter"

Voila! Your IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are all there.

Obtaining IP address in Windows 7/Vista:

Step 1: click Start/Windows Logo

Step 2: in the search box type "CMD" and press "Enter". This will open the black command prompt window.

Step 3: At the prompt(it usually says something like "c:\>") type "IPCONFIG" with no quotations, it does not have to be capital but there are no spaces. Press "Enter"

Voila! Your IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are all there.

Another thing you can do is type "IPCONFIG /all" for all of the information about your adapter and internet connections.

This has been a TechReally technology post.

One PC Two Anti-Viruses Might As Well Be Infected...If Its Not Already.

2010-09-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

The old school saying "Two is better than one" is not so prevalent in the security realm when it comes to anti-viruses. Real time scanning or on access scanning finds viruses when they are opened. This means that the files are scanned when you open them. This usually happens so fast you don't notice. As for having two real time scanners enabled at the same time, they both try to jump on the file and can cause loops, which cause system slowdowns. Anti-virus programs traditionally use a lot of system resources when scanning or updating. Your computer may be running slow due to the fact that you have 2 or more Anti-Viruses running. Your risk of infection sky rockets when you put two Anti-Viruses on your PC. Think of it like condoms, you don't double-up on condoms because you have a higher risk of tearing them both. Yeah I know I just compared babies to a computer virus, forgive me.

This has been a TechReally technology post.

Get Great Deals on Computers

2010-09-24T09:41:00.000-04:00

I was asked last night about cheap computers. So hell why not do a write up on some of the best deals around. well i've got a couple of sources for you. Honestly you'll hate you paid what you paid for your PC now once you see the prices.

FYI: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid in anyway by these two companies.

First off lets start with CedarPC.com, this site was brought to my attention by a young computer guru about 3 months ago. I personally have not ordered anything from this site. This kid is sharp as any seasoned IT pro out there and I trust his opinion. Now most of these PCs are refurbished by CedarPC and arent "Cutting Technology". If you want a decent machine that isnt gonna break the bank and works great then this is the site for you. They have complete descriptions of the PCs so make sure you read what you are getting. Read the defects and make a conscienceous decison. Alot of the operating systems are Ubuntu, which is a flavor of Linux. Ubuntu is a fun OS just not what you are used to seeing when you have a Windows machine. When visiting their online store, i've been told to use the Chantilly store. Lets take a look at the prices and you'll see for yourself. You can scoop up a Dell optiplex Slim Form Factor PC with Windows Vista, a gig of ram, and a 3.4GHz processor for 152.00! Now there is no keyboard, mouse or Monitor. You can pick up a keyboard from them for 15$(which is a little high, there are cheaper ones though), a mouse for 6$, and an LCD Monitor for 99$(Cheapest). So you just spent 272$ for a complete computer system with no shipping charge, you can factor that in for yourself depending on your location. Thats pretty good especially if youre on a budget. The site also has all kinds of other electronics and if you're savvy enough to build your own PC, the parts are the cheapest around. Newegg.com is a great site for computer parts...but this site makes Newegg prices look like they are meant for the rich.

The second site is more of a commercial and if you like dealing with manufactures rather than outlets this one is for you. Dell's outlet store, which is accessible from this link Dell Outlet. These are scratch and dent PCs, refurbished PCs, and PCs people ordered but canceled. They are marked down 100s below regular price. They also have electronics, monitors, printers and servers. Free shipping is included as well. As far as pricing goes you can get a nice Inspiron 15R laptop(15 inch screen is what that means) with 3 gigs of ram, a 2.1 dual-core processor, and Windows 7 for 399.00. This comes with support and warranty and all the other bells and whistles. For desktops, get a Inspiron 537 mini-tower with 2 gives of ram a 2.20GHz processor with Windows 7 Home Premium for 279.00, this has key board, mouse, support and warranty. Monitors for these systems do have to be purchased separately. You can grab a 18.5 inch Dell HD wide-screen monitor for 99$...that's a great deal.

Now I know what you're saying...Dells suck. To this I say no Dells are great computers and their support rocks, I've never had a single problem. Yeah Dell is a big name company but so is Apple and everyone loves their iPod. CedarPC sells all kinds of computers not just dells. In the end its up to you, take a Dell for an incredible price or shell out more for a different name.

I hope this helps save you a little cash in this strapped market.

This has been a TechReally technology post.

Smart Phones: Please Stop Making Me Feel So Dumb. Part 2

2010-09-23T13:32:00.000-04:00

So we have the very popular, easy to use, not so consumer friendly iPhone. Now im going to post a little about the Android. I personally love the Android platform, when used right it can be amazing. People ask “do you have an Android do you have a Droid?” I reply “no I have a phone that runs the Android Operating System”. The Android OS is pretty awesome, with so many customizable widgets, screens etc. Generally there are two manufactures of Android devices they are HTC and Motorola. The Android is easy to use, customizable; there are many FREE apps (Most of the apps are free). It’s made by Google so of course it works great with Gmail, has free navigation through Google maps, and the rest of Google’s toys. Androids are available through every wireless carrier and have many different specs. If you would like to buy one of these devices I suggest you check out the specs. A friend asked me “Get the Droid 2 or the HTC Incredible”. So for this post ill use this as a good example. After looking over the two I said get the incredible the only differences were the manufacturer and the Incredible has an 8.0 megapixel camera. Of course the Droid 2 has a slide out keyboard…but let’s face it, this is a touch screen world and keyboards are going the way of the 3.5 floppy. Both have 512MB RAM and 1GHz processors. The rooting/hacking community is geared toward the HTC phones to be honest with you. The phones both have 8 gig internal memory with microSD slots to expand the memory up to 32 gigs. Android devices also let you remove the battery to replace it with an extended life battery or even just replace a defective one. Okay, yeah I know lots of pros you want to know the cons. The battery life of many Android devices leaves something to wanted. I constantly charge my own device. Then again if you can put this thing down and stop playing with it then the battery might last a while. You can also install task killers to save battery life. It won’t sync with your ITunes but you can still put a hell of a lot of music on it. I’m trying not to be biased here but hell what can I say? The Androids are just as good if not better than the iPhone. You can’t get the same apps on the Android devices as you can get for your iPhone…but most developers are programming games that are compatible with both platforms. Bottom line, if you don’t want ATT’s service but you still want a phone capable of doing everything an iPhone does without the iTunes, but with Google integration and more customization Androids are for you.

So Androids and iPhones are covered what about Blackberries? Blackberries have been around before either the iPhone or Android. They are the staple of businesses and geek gurus and people who want email anywhere. RIM, the maker of Blackberries, has just released its OS6 platform its more iPhone/Android like. It’s pretty cool and would be amazing if it were released a year or two ago. Everyone that gets these devices loves the capability of the BlackBerry Messenger that’s cool but I can do the same thing with free programs…or hell who doesn’t have unlimited texting anymore? Blackberries are nice, they are slightly customizable and you can get a few good apps. They have a removable battery; have lots of different models for you to choose from and are reliable. Typically these phones are slower than the iPhone or an Android device and not all phones run the new OS. The saying “a little too late” comes to mind here. Personally, I see RIM going the way of Palm and have no doubt its only a matter of time until they are selling to someone. The last Blackberry I had was the Storm it was great when it first came out but just couldn’t hang with iPhones and other devices. Bottom line, a Blackberry is reliable, slightly customizable, a lot of businesses still use them, and it will play music, takes pictures and great with email. Though they are lacking in development are everything but cutting edge and in my opinion the company will be going out of business soon.

So there you have iPhones, Androids, and Blackberry, all smart phones that can make you feel dumb. I hope this post has given you a little clarity on the subject. When you get your next phone take this stuff into consideration techie, Trekie, or straight smart phones are here to stay so you might as well embrace them.

For more information, questions, comments, concerns, hate mail, bashing, etc email me at TechReally@gmail.com

This has been a TechReally technology post. I hope this review has been helpful and informative.

Smart Phones: Please Stop Making Me Feel So Dumb. Part 1

2010-09-23T09:52:00.001-04:00

Smart phones, the term can actually make you feel pretty dumb when you get one of these bad boys in your hands. The new rage or standard even are smart phones, whether it’s a iPhone, Android, Windows, blackberry or Symbian device. These are all great phones each one has its own unique best quality and they all share the fact that they are fun to use.
Let’s get some confusion out of the way real quick, this information is meant for those of you who aren’t familiar with smart phones. We all are aware of what an iPhone is, its Apples flagship piece of technology that saved the company from what was certainly an impending doom. Androids are any phones that run the Google Smart Phone Operating System(OS), called Android. I always get asked the question “What is the difference between a Droid and an Android”. The answer to this question is simple…there are no differences with operating system whatsoever, a Droid is an Android. Droid happens to be Motorola’s name for their new devices going to Verizon, Droid is also a copyrighted name owned by Lucas Arts. Who would have guessed huh….”These are not the droids you are looking for...” That’s a Star Wars quote for any of you who aren’t a little geeky. Windows Mobile is of course Microsoft’s smart phone mobile OS. If you don’t know what Microsoft or Windows is well then you might be the only person left. Blackberry devices, these are Research In Motion’s (RIM) smart phones. Undoubtedly one of the first best smart phones on the market, RIM has since seen a downfall in sales and popularity…ill touch on that in a few. Symbian devices, this is the one where I confused you all I saw you scratching your heads when I said this earlier. Symbian devices are simply Nokia smartphones pretty simple description for a simple device.
I’m going to cover what seems to be the three favored categories out of these which are the iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries.
Let’s start with iPhones, everyone loves iPhones. For those of you that know me you know I love my Android but I have owned all three of these types of phones. I’ll try and be as non-opinionated as best and I’ll let you decide. iPhones are awesome and everyone wants the newest, fastest, and baddest one. iPhones are manufactured by a little known company that goes by the name of Apple. The iPhone 3Gs runs a 600 megahertz (MHz) processor and has 256 mega bytes (MB) of RAM. The Apple iPhone 4 runs a 1 giga hertz(GHz) processor and 512MB of RAM. What does this mean to you? Well we base the speed of most computers and smart devices on the amount of RAM and processing power they have. You can’t have a lot of processing power and a little bit of RAM or a lot of RAM and little processing speed or else you won’t see a speed increase. After going over the specs of the 3Gs and 4G its safe to say that the 4G is almost twice the phone of the 3Gs. iPhones are incredibly easy to understand, this is their market. You have your choice of the space size you want and the choice of black or white. There is really no difference other than one can hold more and one is white or one is black. I had a 3Gs and the services wasn’t that great and the phone just wasn’t geeky enough for me, but this post isn’t geared toward geeks it’s towards the basic consumer with little technical knowledge. The iPhone has a few drawbacks that make it not so great. Apple approves all of the programs that go into the Apple store, thus making it difficult to get in the store or even beta test. ATT is the only carrier that has the iPhone at the moment. ATT on the east coast is so shoddy I get better reception with tin cups and strings. A real life example of this is …at this very moment I am sitting in a server room in downtown Columbia and have a single bar on my ATT Blackberry. When I had my iPhone in the same place if I held it just right in the most uncomfortable position I got two bars. Now ATT sells a cell booster…but who really wants to pay for that or have to even use it…its 2010 and this isn’t a third world country. Hope is in the future though; Verizon will be offering the iPhone come January. Hate them of love them Verizon has undoubtedly the best network around. I can hear the question now though as I am typing this “Well why can’t I just hook my iPhone up to Verizon now?” ATT and Verizon use two very different wireless technologies, ATT uses GSM and Verizon uses CDMA they are incompatible (Comment and request if you would like to know more about CDMA and GSM Networks). The iPhone does not allow for expansion either, meaning you can’t use that MicroSD card to get more memory. The iPhone also has a sealed battery making it impossible for the typical consumer to get an expanded battery without voiding the warranty. Speaking of warranties another drawback of the iPhone is lack of carrier support, if your phone breaks you have to send it back to Apple or take it to an Apple store(Which are few and far between) to have it serviced. Bottom line, if you want a decent phone that is going to work pretty well, has thousands of apps and a 3 year old can use the iPhone is a great choice.

Stay Tuned for the second part of “Smart Phones: Don’t make me Feel So Dumb”

Thanks for reading another TechReally! technology post.

CCleaner Tutorial

2010-09-22T15:40:00.000-04:00

CCleaner, Crap Cleaner, is a great tool. Its free and downloadable from PiriForm. The tool lets you clear all of your temporary files and also has a registry repairer. It is available for just about all Windows operating systems. This tool when used the right way can speed up your computer. I am going to show you how to use this great little piece of technology.

Running the Cleaner:

Step 1: Download CCleaner.exe from Piriform's website

Step 2: Install the program using the default settings...basically just keep clicking next.

Step 3: When CCleaner first opens you will be presented with the cleaner menu. Click Analyze to allow CCleaner to find all of your temp files.

Step 4: Once the analysis is complete click "Run Cleaner", this will delete all of your temp files and ultimately speed your machine up a bit.

Running the Registry Cleaner:

Step 1: Download CCleaner.exe from Piriform's website

Step 2: Install the program using the default settings...basically just keep clicking next.

Step 3: When CCleaner first opens you will be presented with the cleaner menu. Click the registry tab to go to the registry cleaner menu.

Step 4: Click "Scan for issues". The cleaner goes over the registry and finds all of the errors and missing information.

Step 5: Once the scan is complete click "Fix Selected Issues"

Step 6: Youll be asked if you want to back up the registry, it is always a good idea to back it up at least once. Click "Yes" then "Save"

Step 7: At the next pop-up menu click "Fix all selected issues" then click "Ok" to confirm. The cleaner runs and you can click "close"

Note: Run the scan a few times, usually 3 is the magic number. You want to run it until CCleaner does not find any other errors

---------------------

CCleaner has many other features such as uninstaller, start-up and system restore cleaner. These are pretty useful tools but I wouldn't recommend them for the average users with the exclusion of the uninstaller.

Thanks for reading another TechReally! technology post. I hope this tutorial helps!

Using The Sophos Command Line Tool

2010-09-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

In my previous post I made the remark that Sophos only supports enterprise and small businesses. While this is true it doesnt mean that they dont have a tool you can use to make sure you are virus free. This little command line tool works wonders its simple and easy to use. I am going to give you a tutorial on the process. Follow along with the video if you need any help.

Step 1: Download the sav32cli.exe file and IDEs from Sophos they can be obtained here.

Step 2: Using the self extrator, extract the files to "c:\sav32cli". For the IDE files you will want to download the zip file and extract them manually to the "c:\sav32cli" folder

Step 3: Goto Start>Run or Windows logo>search programs and files and type "CMD" with no quotes in the box that appears.

Step 4: Once youre black command line box has appeared type the following command with no quotations "c:\sav32cli\sav32cli.exe -f -di". The -f command is for a full scan and -di is for disinfect.

Step 5: If prompted to disinfect hit "A" and wait for the scan to complete.

Thats it, you're all done! You have just utilized some of the best AV software in command-line form around.

If it seems too easy check out the video below, please watch in HD quality to be able to see the writing. Also the video does not show the end of the scan to save time.

Happy Virus hunting!

Thanks for reading another TechReally! technology post. I hope this tutorial helps!

Sophos Anti-Virus

2010-09-21T23:25:00.003-04:00

For those of you who don’t know I am an avid supporter of Sophos Anti-Virus. I came across this company about a year ago looking to replace Trend Micro Officescan. This company has turned back flips for me and my company. Our sales rep Brenton Newell has been incredible and always makes sure we have what we need. I did a pretty large survey of anti-virus software in order to make sure that my workplace was secured by the best product, I mean isn’t that what a Security Manager is supposed to do? This piece of software is one of the best I have ever used. Instead of traditional anti-virus heuristics they use what they call Genotype® Protection. I have got to tell you that what Trend wouldn’t clean, what Symantec wouldn’t detect and what no other AV can do Sophos can. The district I work for was hit with a major virut/scribble outbreak almost a year and a half to two years ago now and trend fumbled with it resulting in a lot of money going towards contractors to come in and help us reimage most of the PCs. This is not something that should happen in this day and age. In our enterprise environment of 15-20K PCs this virus should have been stopped dead in its tracks. Yeah yeah yeah I know what you are saying virut is a polymorphic virus…it’s basically a living entity. When I was surveying vendors the CA tech engineer told me that it’s not a virus its fake AV….I know fake AVs and this isn’t one. Let’s not even bring up the point that the Sophos command line rescue tool will clean Virut/I-Frame with no problem.

Point of this rant is that I called other users of the Sophos product and they had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if they got hit with the outbreak. The other districts I called who were using different products knew exactly what was going on. Sophos works and it works well. Calling other customers gave me even a better feeling about this program. Security managers and managers raved over how well it worked and how little administration there is.

Sophos only deals with small businesses and enterprise customers there is no home market for them. This says a lot about the company…too often do we see vendors going to the home and not paying as much attention to their enterprise customers. I realize that this article may be geared more towards the techies out there but I know a manager somewhere is reading this. Sophos supports our environment of Windows servers, Novell servers, Macs, Windows XP and 7 machines. They have great support and haven’t let me down yet.

Okay that’s all good but where’s the catch? Where is the bad part? I will have to say for all the good there are only a few downfalls to the program. When speaking with other companies their main gripe was having to go in and manually clear out
virus alerts. Personally I say that’s your job and it’s a great way to let people know where the problems are. The second downfall that I have experienced is their warnings, if a legitimate program changes the system files Sophos usually issues a warning. But there is ways to turn this warning off you just have to know how to do it. Basically the only problems with this program are that you have to do a little configuration. Are you kidding me? That’s not a problem it’s what we are paid to do, I don’t expect Sophos for a minute to be able to tailor their program to my environment without being in the place.

If your company is looking for a great piece of anti-virus software Sophos is the way to go, there is no question in my mind. If you would like to know more just shoot me an email and ill be glad to share.

Companies that trust Sophos to protect them include:

Toshiba, Marks & Spencer, Cisco, Lockheed Martin, Under Armour, Heinz and GE just to name a few of the big ones.

Thanks for reading another TechReally! technology post.

Windows 7 ISO Burning How-To Video

2010-09-21T11:31:00.005-04:00

This video shows you how to burn an ISO to disk using Windows 7 disk image burning utility.

This has been a technology how-to by TechReally! For questions please comment or email TechReally!.

Scanning a computer using a rescue disk

2010-09-21T10:37:00.009-04:00

From time to time computers get so messed up that they will not even boot. It’s a frustrating and daunting task for typical users. Fear not my techno amigos TechReally is here to help!

Your problem is a virus you got through Facebook or music downloading or wherever, we’re not here to judge just help you out. When you power on your computer it goes through all of the regular loading screen and then boom you hit a blue screen, or as we in the industry like to call it the “Blue Screen of Death” or BSOD for short. It’s really easily identifiable its blue, has a lot of confusing white numbers and letters, and most importantly you can’t do anything. The other case is that Windows loads and there are a multitude of fake virus warnings making it pretty much impossible for you to do any work what so ever. Then my friends you need a rescue CD, sounds complicated right? Nope, its free, easy to use, and I’m going to show you exactly how to use it. We are going to be using Kaspersky rescue CD for the purpose of this tutorial.

The rescue disks are downloadable in ISO format. ISOs are image files, they allow you to boot from a disk thus running a system from a CD or Thumb Drive and never booting to the hard drive. Just about every rescue disk you find runs off a Linux operating system, this is why the ISOs are so small and easily burnt to CD. When they boot the “mount” your hard drive to scan. Mounting means making it accessible by giving you access and a drive letter.

**DISCLAIMER: Rescue CDs can sometimes get rid of critical system files making your computer incapable of booting. (But it won’t boot in the first place so don’t worry. You’ve got to approach it with the mindset of “Its already broke so obviously I can’t break it anymore”)

Step 1: Obtain the software needed to make your disk. A .ISO file is available for download here Kaspersky Rescue Disk Download.
Step 2: Using Roxio or a Windows 7 machine burn the ISO to a CD. In Win7 just right click on the ISO file and click “Burn ISO to Disk”, if you need help shoot me a comment and ill do a write up on Burning ISOs.
Step 3: Prepare your computer; when you first hit the power button on your computer you see a logo or letters and numbers running on the screen depending on the system. For this tutorial we will use a Dell computer as an example. Pressing F2 will take you into the BIOS settings (It’s important that you only change what I’m about to outline). Look for the “Boot Sequence” Menu; it is usually under the “System” Menu or right there on the front page. Select “Onboard or USB CD-ROM” and press “U” until “Onboard or USB CD-ROM” reaches the top of the menu. Press “Enter”, then press “ESC” and click yes to save changes when prompted. **System Will Restart**
Step 4: open your CD tray and insert your CD that you burnt your ISO to and power off the PC.
Step 5: Once the PC is completely shutdown with the CD in, turn the computer on. You’ll see a screen like that in Figure 1. Press any key to boot from CD. At the next screen select your language using the up/down arrow keys and press enter to confirm your choice. The next screen is one of the most important. You will want to check “Kaspersky Rescue Disk – Graphic Mode”.
Step 6: The Kaspersky disk will start to load and give you an End User License Agreement (EULA) press “C” to confirm. Once you have confirmed the CD will finish loading.
Step 7: Select all of the drives listed and click “Start Scan”
Step 8: The scan will take some time; it’s a deep scan and will find a lot of viruses. At times you will see a pop-up that says “Item found What would you like to do”, Select “Disinfect”. Sometimes after that you may get a screen that says “Disinfect Failed” what would you like to do select “Delete”. This happens when Kaspersky finds files that are mostly virus code.
Step 9: When the scan is done remove the disk and reboot the computer, your computer should now boot up. This works more times than not in these situations.

For the support manual please see:
Kaspersky Rescue CD 10

For detailed instructions on how to setup a USB thumb drive also see:
USB Drive boot

If you have any questions, need any help, or would like to see a tutorial with your specific BIOS manufacturer please comment or email TechReally!

Thanks for reading another TechReally! technology post. I hope this tutorial helps!

Figure 1:

Trend Micro’s Problems

2010-09-20T11:14:00.001-04:00

When I first took my job as Security Manager we had this horrid AV software called Trend Micro Officescan. The console seeems ancient and its just not what is needed in an enterprise environment. The downfall of Trend Micro is its inability to keep our network Virus free. Our main problem virus is known as Virut, it goes by scribble/Virux/iFrame as well. Trend can detect the virus but cannot clean the virus in most cases. In most cases when Virut infects a computer, its objective is to infect, spread then kill the computer. Virut also is capable of receiving instructions from IRC based chat channels which allows a remote user to take control of the infected machine. Virut is a polymorphic virus, meaning it has the ability to change its code and behaviors. This same virus brought down the Texas judicial system when it came out in early 2009. Virut works by infecting .exe (regular program files, the icons you click on usually are .exe files) and .scr (screen saver files). The way the program seems to propagate is through the HTML_iFrame vulnerability. This is when the code is placed on html files on the system, then spreads to a Virut infection. This means any websites saved on the PC, including help files associated with programs are infected and in turn infect the machine. Currently when Trend detects the threat on a machine it will try and disinfect the file which fails 95% of the time, Trend then tries to quarantine the file. Once the cleaning and quarantine fails Trend then just deletes the file. The problem with this is that Trend deletes certain essential system files that are needed to keep the system running. Trend also has a console which allows for management of the system but is limited, so there are essentially four consoles and no central management console. Trend definitions also seem to be a problem, the server is either not passing them out to each and every device or the devices are not allowing the program to update. This is causing infections and network attenuation. Device control is also not available through Trend Micro Officescan. Device control is when you plug in a device or thumb drive and the software automatically scans the device(s) for threats. This is one of the main ways viruses get onto systems.

Speaking with Trend Micro, I have learned they have a new product out that is meant for larger environments. I have not tried this out but the company also said we could get down to one server then went back to say as many as 4 servers would be needed.

The moral of this long drawn out story? Don't do business with Trend Micro, itll be worth a few extra dollars or a little bit of worry with a free tool than to subscribe to these guys. Their support is horrible, I have yet to get a return call back from almost a year ago...still waiting on that one Trend.

Top 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Your Computer Up And Running

2010-09-16T16:13:00.001-04:00

This post is about one thing getting it fixed simply, ill start off with 10 being the worst and 1 being the most effective. Please be aware these are strategies for the lowest levels of users and not for advanced users.

10. Call support - This works most of the time, support can fix it remotely or on the phone. If the problem is a huge ordeal, then maybe support is your best answer. The old saying "Don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill" works great here. Think about it if your computer is broke...its broke any more damage you do to it is going to cost you the same amount as if it were simple and they fixed it. As an IT tech I charge by the hour and I've walked into jobs and the computer "would not power on", well it works when its plugged in. Thank you that will be 75$ for my minute of work. I do however go as far to do a virus scan sometimes but most techs are not going to do this.

9. Click and hit random buttons - This problem pretty much solves nothing and causes more problems rather than helping...but its still better than just calling tech support. Sometimes banging a keyboard will help, say for example a stuck key is preventing a boot or causing the system to lock up. Its not the best approach but its also not the worst option.

8. Re-seat the memory - If you're a little tech savvy you know what memory looks like, those long green circuit boards you can replace. Most mother boards are labeled as to where the memory is, even laptops have a little door on the bottom of them that is easily accessible with a small screwdriver. Some times taking this memory out **WITH THE POWER OFF** can fix your situation.

7. Forums/Search - The answer to most problems can be found online. Today it is common to have more than one PC or at least have a PC and a smartphone. Just type your error or problem along with computer model/OS/Software and the answer to your computer problem is usually right there.

6. Try a different piece of hardware - Sometimes if your monitor isn't displaying, its not the computer its the monitor same goes for all other peripherals. If you happen to have another one connected to another computer or an extra, give that a shot.

5. System Restore - This one is aimed at Windows users, just do a system restore to a couple of days before the problem. All of your files will be there but installed updates and programs will be gone. Its like time travel for your computer. This fixes tons of problems.

4. Reinstall - That pesky program just wont work, reinstall it! Some times a refresh of all the settings and files are just what you need. This is a simple, easy thing to do. If you have the software install still.

3. Free Tools - With another computer or a smartphone download malwarebytes or CCleaner and run these free tools. They are powerful and will usually do the trick. Malwarebytes will get rid of programs that hinder your use and CCleaner can repair your registry safely (always back up the registry before editing).

2. Check the power - I'm always amazed at how many times a computer isn't plugged in or the power strip is turned off. Give the power cord a check and make sure its plugged in. On laptops unplug the power inverter, remove the battery and hold down the power button for 10-seconds. This discharges the machine and will get a dead laptop back up and running in no time.

1. DUN DUN DUN the number one thing you can do to fix a computer with problems, is RESTART. Restarting a computer that is slow or not functioning correctly is the best thing you can do. Sometimes people are so afraid it wont come back on, but just restart it, if it doesn't come back on you've got bigger problems.

I hope this helps you at least a little, sometimes those high support bills and long wait times can be fixed with these simple troubleshooting steps.

There is No Erasing Online Data

2010-09-16T11:53:00.002-04:00

For all of its freedom and openness, the internet also includes a large aspect of Big Brother. Nearly everything that you do online is traceable and permanent, depending on who is tracking you. This does not just refer to shady figures and hackers who are attempting to steal your identity. Even reputatble companies like Google are tracking the majority of your online data movements. It is a mostly harmless tactic that is used to improve the performance of their search engine algorithm, ultimately leading to a benefit for consumers. However, it can be noted that the potential for future abuse does exist. The size of the net offers some protection. With over a billion users and a total data size that is ever increasing at an exponential rate, there is more information than any group of individuals could read if given half an eternity. Even supercomputers using advanced algorithms have trouble catching all of the data available on the internet. There is some level of anonimity amongst the masses. But you cannot count on that protecting you from prying eyes. If someone puts you into their crosshairs or you stumble onto the wrong site, your information can be made available to anybody who wants to know. Heck, just pick a friend at random and do an internet search for their name. Odds are that you will not have to search too long or hard to see something that is personal to them come up in the search results. Others can do the same for you. It is important for people to understand that any data they put out there on the net is accessible. Just because you have your social media pages "locked" so that only friends can see them does not mean that your information is safe. It does not take a super-hacker to scrape that information and post it elsewhere. Social media can still be a lot of fun, but save your most important personal information for your "real" friends. It is also important for people to understand that just because they delete something does not mean that it is gone. There are professionals who specialize in data recovery that routinely bring back deleted files. Do an internet search and you will find a host of results for companies that can bring back accidentally deleted files. Do you really think that intentionally deleted files make deletion any more permanent? Anything you put on the internet, plan for it existing in perpetuity. None of this is to say that one should not spend large amounts of time on the internet or be heavily involved in social media. It is only suggested that people take care when they do engage in online activity. You do not need to surf the web from an underground bunker with 64 bit encryption code preventing anybody from determining what your user name is for your online sports forum account. Simply be aware of the risks involved with putting information out there and understand that what you put out there is available and is not simply wiped away by hitting the delete button. If someone wants to find out personal data about you, they can use a myriad of methods that are not technology related to do so. There is just no reason to make it easy for them.

Use BlackBerry: Have Fun while You Do Business

2010-09-16T10:06:00.002-04:00

For the Smartphone users the experience is a kind of addiction. Be it a BlackBerry or iPhone – the users are many a time just addicted to it. Definitely they have different reasons to become addicted to their favorite devices, but the addiction keeps live. And frankly speaking the addiction for your favorite Smartphone is no less than the drug addiction.
We will try to analyze both of the devices in general to understand the reason for it. At the same time after reading this article, you can also decide which device to get addicted in.
iPhone:
iPhone is the so called simple gen next touch screen Smart phone that has attarcted the eyes of millions of users around the world in just 3 years of time. The phone is an unique product of Apple. It is designed and marketed by Apple, one of the global leader in the field of technologies. Apple has launched the iPhone to saturate a touch iPod into an excellent mobile phone and to be frank Apple has done it very well till date. And the most amazing part is that Apple has won the world just with three basic models: iPhone, iPhone 3G and the iPhone 4G.

BlackBerry:
BlackBerry has been proved to be one of the most successful smart phones in the world for years now. In fact it's an amazing communication device which has re-engineered the topology of the communication world. The majority of the users are business men who prefer to use a BlackBerry because of its usefulness and the data security. There is a number of models of BlackBerry available now a days and the latest is the BlackBerry Torch with OS 6.0. The new age sets of BlackBerry are not just a business equipment, but also a pool of media and entertainment apps.
Now after a quick review of both of these phones, you can yourself decide which of them is more dangerous to cause you an addiction. If you like apps, media & entertainment based usage it may be iPhone. But if you are looking for a business solution which is damn secure, I bet it would be BlackBerry. Now the BlackBerry app developers have developed so many nice apps using the media related features that, it is no more just a business tool. You can mix pleasure into business comfortably.

Search Instant WIth Google Instant

2010-09-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

With the official launch of Google instant on Wednesday Google has now made it much easier to search. Google engineers have made it possible by developing a new mode of browsing on internet. It’s a one more step of Google to provide more comprehensive and best results for the query typed.

You can now see various results for each alphabet you type in Google. The page will update results dynamically for the last letter that you have just typed. The results are in front of you before pressing the search button. If sometimes you don’t want instant results than you can turn it off by going on Preference Page.

This will surely help in the process of search engine optimization as now your site will appear in the search results and this will increase the number of impression on your site. So we can assume that Google will now visit the websites more often and the visitors too.

Earlier Google counts the number of impressions only when a user types a full query but with Google Instant this will not be the case. Google will also measure the impression that will appear while typing a query. The impression would be counted in the user stays on the result page for minimum 3 seconds after typing. You can checkout webmaster tools for the number of impression that your site is getting through Google Instant search results.

Before Google Instant it took more than 9 seconds to enter a search term. You can save 2 to 5 sec per search term. Google says “If everyone uses Google Instant globally, we estimate this will save more than 3.5 billion seconds a day. That’s 11 hours saved every second.”

As Google says “If it is faster and easier, people will do more searches”. Google Instant will give you the results that are Relevant, Useful and faster than before. Google Instant will not affect the ranking position in search results.

Shilly Van a native of the United Kingdom and has the experience of more than 5 years in the field of internet marketing
and seo. She ia a famous writer and has written many articles on video production services, video seo,social media, optimization and many other related topics.

How To Program Your Direct TV Remote

2010-09-15T13:06:00.003-04:00

Contemporary remote controls have become quite complex. In the old days, it used to be that a remote control was a simple electronic device- one power button, a volume up and down button, channel selections and perhaps a mute control. Remote controls today have become more universal, programming the userâ€™s television, satellite receiver, VCR, DVD player, stereo and any other part of the user's home entertainment system.

The problem arises when the viewer is not able to understand the options on the remote control and it becomes useless. DirecTv's remote control can be simply understood if these directions are followed. DirecTV incorporates specific features and special options. A four-position slide switch for easy component selection , code library for popular video and stereo components, code search to help program control of older or discontinued components and memory protection to ensure that the user will not have to reprogram the remote when the batteries are replaced.1. The user chooses the Device

The first thing the user is required to do is choose which device is desired for programming. Most remotes have separate buttons that correspond to the various devices:

SAT - controls the satellite receiver

TV - controls the television set

VCR - controls the VCR

AUX - controls one of several additional units, such as a home stereo

The user presses the button of the device to program until the corresponding light on the remote control begins to flash.

2. The user finds the Code

Once the device desired for programming is chosen, the appropriate code for the particular unit is needed.

Codes for most manufacturers and brands can be found in the back of the remote control user manual. Satellite subscribers can also typically go online
to their provider's website and if all else fails, contact the manufacturer of your remote to get the necessary codes.

3. Program the Device

Using the keypad on the remote control, enter the number that's listed first for the device. When this is finished, enter the appropriate key to indicate completion of input. For some remotes, this might be the asterisk (*) while other remotes might use the pound key (#). The mode light on the remote control will flash again and, if the code was correct, the device can now be controlled with the remote control. The user should test the results by turning the power on and off. Does it work? If so, the device is now programmed.

There is no cause for alarm if the code doesnâ€™t work the first time.

Remotes come with several codes for the various device brands. If the first code doesn't work, start over using the next code and the next and the next until the right one is discovered and the device is programmed.

What if the device isn't listed at all? Look through the list for "general" codes. If those codes are not found, then try scanning for the device. The user manual should have specific advice for devices without a listed code.

Top Three Antivirus Software of 2010

2010-09-15T12:14:00.006-04:00

Every year, new breeds of computer threats are created. This is why every year new versions of antivirus firewall software solutions are developed to counter any possible virus that may come up.

A simple scan and virus detection is usually not enough for most people anymore. We want to make sure that every time we use the computer or enter a website, it is safe to do so. Many antivirus firewall software applications today have a complete package and provide features that are not only limited to preventing viral infection to your computer. Out of the many antivirus applications out there in the market, here are three of the best there is for the year 2010.

Shield Deluxe-Antivirus Protection provides updates every hour and totally protects your computer from spyware and viruses. The program will scan all of your email and instant messages immediately without any delay. It monitors your computer traffic so it will detect any activity in your computer. You don't have to worry every time you enter a site or if your email contains a threat. This software will immediately hinder any unnecessary window pop-outs, unsafe websites, and suspicious email. Another good thing with this program is that it provides free-of-charge technical support in case you are having trouble with the program. It is compatible with Windows Vista and requires only minimal system resources. You can get this for about 20 dollars.
Bitdefender Antivirus 2010 is a user-friendly antivirus solution. It has a three-level interface: novice, intermediate, and expert. It has a superb real-time protection and does not need a large usage of system resources. It also has an antispyware protection, so your personal data are safe from being hacked. Just like the Shield Deluxe-Antivirus Protection, it has a technical support service running 24/7. The price of this antivirus is about 25 dollars.

Norton Antivirus has been improved with 3-15 minute updates. It has a two-wall firewall and protects the computer from rootkits, which the program can detect immediately. This blocks any virus-infected sites and any suspicious and unauthorized changes in your computerapplications. Even of your computer is in idle mode, Norton Antivirus 2010 will automatically scan and download updates. Another best thing about this is that it has personal information and logging in storage and security. It also provides a phone and chat technical support with no charge whatsoever. This is also helpful for those who have wireless network for it provides maps for your network. The price of this program is around 40 dollars.

It is good to say that the security programs of today have now become even better. They are more user-friendly and require minimal system requirements, which is also good for those who don't have the latest computers. Identity theft and hacking can now be avoided more efficiently due to the advanced technologies of new and improved antivirus firewall software.

Staying informed and is the best way keep safe in this technology era. Stay tuned and subscribe to this blog for information and help.

Stuxnet

2010-09-14T14:51:00.003-04:00

Stuxnet is a new piece of malware that is spreading widely through the use of USB flash drives. It is starting to be quite a danger, especially in industrial plants, and many in the security business are getting very nervous. What follows is an FAQ about the Stuxnet malware.

How does Stuxnet spread?

Stuxnet spreads through USB devices. A recently discovered Microsoft Windows vulnerability has been found to allow a program to run just by browsing to a folder that contains a shortcut to it, or a ".lnk" file. Once the worm runs it scans to see if the computer is running software created by a company known as Siemens, which is very popular in certain industries. If this is the case, the worm is able to install itself on the victim computer. It will infect all future removable media that is connected to the computer and installs a rootkit, a very sophisticated type of software that deletes all record of the worm existing on the computer. After that the computer continues to steal as much data as possible from the computer and transmit it back to a remote location.

What does Stuxnet do?

Stuxnet is considered by many people to be the first-ever "control system" malware. What this means is that it has the capability of infecting control systems for large companies and factories that use software created by Siemens. Unfortunately, this software is very widely used, especially in large industrial manufacturing organizations, small and large utilities, and even defense systems. In one case it was found that this software could infect nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

How widespread is Stuxnet and where is it most common?

At the moment Stuxnet is not that widespread. It is most common in India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States, and Malaysia, in that order. However, it has the potential to spread very rapidly. It only affects computers running Siemens software, but computers without that software can still act as "carriers," infecting other removable media that is inserted into them. Other countries have seen infections, but mostly they have been localized and have not caused any damage so far.

How dangerous is Stuxnet?

This is always the big question with a large virus outbreak. Right now Stuxnet is not that dangerous. Unfortunately, it is targeted at "Control Systems." Siemens is most known for making software for sophisticated systems used in such areas as the military, large industrial plants, and utility plants. If any of these were to be infected the damage could be irreparable. The infection is clearly tailored to steal confidential information and possibly shut down "smart grids." Therefore, while it is not a danger to consumers, any large corporation or plant must be very careful to avoid this infection.

File Sharing Controversy

2010-09-14T14:41:00.003-04:00

File sharing, the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as software, multi-media and documents. File sharing can be implemented through a variety of techniques, common methods include sharing removable media, purposely built distribution networks such as Apples 'iTunes' and the more popular method, peer-to-peer (P2P) networking. Peer-to-peer networks allow users to digitally distribute anything and everything, sounds simple, right?

Whilst in practice it is extremely straight forward and completely harmless, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing (aided by P2P networks) engineered a vast illegal network which is currently thriving. The increasing popularity of the mp3 music format in the late 1990's led to the release and growth of Napster. Napster is still highly regarded as the godfather of P2P file sharing, essentially paving the way for decentralized and semi-decentralised peer-to-peer file sharing networks such as Gnutella, Gnutella2, eDonkey2000 and the Kazaa network. Today, users are more familiar with the term "torrent downloads". Torrents are specialized files utilized in P2P network environments allowing users to download files at a faster rate. Whilst currently not considered illegal, torrents are extremely controversial largely due to the fact they are mainly used to distribute pirated data such as the latest films, music and computer games.

I can see what you're thinking, why not just close down the "networks"? To put it simply, it's impossible. To understand this claim, you have to understand how torrents actually work. Torrents use a toolkit called a "tracker", it's the trackers job to coordinate the P2P transfer of files among users, tracker applications typically run on websites. When initiating the download of a torrent, a user clicks on a link pointing to a torrent meta-data file. These meta-data files are not stored on the torrent trackers server, but are distributed among a number of torrent file servers. Each torrent file points to a tracker, which keeps a global registry of all the downloaders and seeds of the file in question. The tracker then responds to a download request with a list of peers who have (or a part of) the requested file, the user can then establish a direct connection and basically asks for chunks of the download.

To put it simply you are downloading from other users who possess the requested file, also known as peers. The "network" is essentially the entire world, how is one supposed to moderate what the planet is sharing? Putting an end to illegal file sharing and preventing piracy would take something exceptionally groundbreaking and somewhat drastic.

Todays news is littered with short films produced by the media designed to belittle illegal downloaders and "educate" joe public on the damage being caused by such actions. Bold claims are often outlined, "up to 800,000 jobs in the creative industries out of 1.8 million in total are threatened...", "billions has been lost due to piracy...", "record companies forced into liquidation...". More recently the media has been focusing on fines directed towards illegal downloaders, fines ranging anywhere from $1000 to $250,00000, all abit over the top isn't it? Well, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) it's only the beginning.

In 2003 the RIAA began legal proceedings againts Jammie Thomas-Rasset for infringing the copyrights of two dozen major-label songs on the popular P2P network Kazaa. The punishment? A cringeworthy fine of $80,000, per song. For the lables themselves, that's roughly equivalent to selling 114,000 songs at Apple's iTunes Store. Thomas-Rasset's was the first trial in the campaign against individual file-sharers that the RIAA began in 2003 and ended late last year. As such, it was one of the few tests of the legal underpinnings of that campaign, including the argument that making tracks available to others online (by keeping them in a folder that was available for sharing) was a form of infringement. Is Jammie's excessive penalty enough to deter you from downloading pirated data?

So, legal action is been presented and taken againts illegal downloaders, but is it enough? Various procedures have been put into place to help combat piracy. Internet service providers (ISPs) for example have been forced to crack down on repeat offenders who insist on constantly downloading pirated data by implementing a "three strikes and your gone" type system. Not exactly $80,000 is it? Whilst we could spend a lifetime discussing possible solutions to preventing piracy, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing in it's most basic terms is here to stay for some time to come.

The economic turmoil throughout our world is financially damaging and hitting familys hard, the solution to this is to spend as little money as possible. Think of it this way, you have had a tough month, scrimped and scraped to pay the bills, you're working six days a week but for what? Survival? To top it off this years most anticipated game has just been released and you can't afford it, but wait, it's available for FREE online, you could be playing it within the hour! We've all been there, whether it's a game, a film, maybe some software.. it's convenient for us to sit on our backsides and wait for said download to reach 100%.

It's all very well ISPs threatening to cut their customers off from the world wide web and large record labels taking legal action, the world in it's entirety is to blame, filesharing is an extremely lucrative market and it's here to stay.

Scams, Spam and Facebook?

2010-03-01T10:55:00.003-05:00

In this blog, I want to warn you of the dangers of spam and scams.

"Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."

Spam fills your inbox with offers of cheap meds, cheap sex, cheap travel and all kinds of other stuff. I have to be honest. If I responded to every one of the spam emails I got, I'd be broke. I would have my identity stolen. I would probably have a stock pile of sugar pills and vacation after vacation in the ghettos of Mexico and other places.

What I really want to make you aware of is the scam aspect of spam. Emails with subject titles like "I've got a message for you" or "Is this you?" are just ways to get you to open the mail and read the ad that is inside. This is where the scam aspect of spamming comes in. They hook you with bleeding heart messages like "help Haiti" or "Help Chile." Once you have clicked on the link, your computer is infected with viruses and trojans. They use the information you use to "Donate" and keep your money. The best guideline for spam - dont open email if you don't know who it is from. The "from" part of your mailbox is like the peephole on your front door, if you don't know the person knocking...you simply do not let them in.

Here is where I get to talk a little about the new Facebook scams going on. The newest spam/scam is made to look like it comes from your friends. You get a nice little invite in your message folder from what looks like your friends. The message says "Click here to RSVP." Well, clicking this link takes you to another website that infects your computer. Again the best way to prevent this is to not click on "it." Nine times out of ten, a person will tell you about an event before it hits Facebook. If you don't know about it...don't click on it.

Below are a few guidelines to follow from http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/pdf/572.pdf

How can you have fun online while protecting yourself?

-Do not post information that will identify you, including:

● Your full name.

● Your home address or phone number.

● Your Social Security number.

● Passwords.

● Credit card or bank account numbers.

● Names of family members or friends.

● Your workplace or favorite hangout.

● Names of clubs or organizations to which you belong.

● Historical information that could identify your past residences.

● Do not use a nickname that can be used to identify you (for example, “CharlestonLawyer,” “CindyFromTulsa” or “KyWildcatMom”).

● Never share your account password.

-Protect Your Computer System

● Consider using encryption to protect your personal information.

● Shut down your computer when it is not in use — especially in public places, such as Internet cafes, coffeehouses or airports.

● Keep your antivirus and antispyware programs, other software and operating systems updated to protect against new attacks.

● Consider using a firewall on your system to protect against hackers accessing your system remotely.

● Think about how your e-mail message will be read by others. Do not say anything online that is cruel or may damage someone’s reputation. Doing so puts you at risk of being accused of slander or defamation, or may cause a dangerous escalation of hostilities.

● Do not give out personal information about someone else.

● Do not forward another individual’s e-mail without their permission.

● Never allow anyone to photograph you in an embarrassing or compromising situation.

● Never post anything that would cause you embarrassment or shame. The Internet is the most public of forums — once you have posted a comment, a photo or a video, it cannot be erased or taken back. You cannot control its duplication and it may be used against you.

● Do not send photos of yourself or family members to Internet acquaintances. Photos can be altered and sent to others, and elements in photos — a landmark or a street name, for example — can be used to identify your location.

● Remember that, once posted, the information can be seen by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection: family and friends, employers or potential employers, admissions officers at schools you might like to attend — even police and other law-enforcement authorities.

Following these guidelines and taking to heart the information I have written about are just small steps that will have a huge effect on keeping you, your computer and your family safe from Scams, Spam, and Facebook.

You Tube Download

2010-02-12T09:58:00.001-05:00

I created a tutorial using the new windows Problem Solving Recorder. This video shows you how to use the YouTubeVideo Downloader program to download video from youtube.com to your computer. Check it out, Download the zip from here http://www.mediafire.com/?j1mtzgw2nym