A combination hardware and software buffer that many companies or organizations have in place between their internal networks and the Internet.  A firewall allows only specific kinds of messages from the Internet to flow in and out of the internal network. This protects the internal network from intruders or hackers who might try to use the Internet to break into those systems.

 

I use Norton Internet Security 2004 and I am very satisfied with it.  It has Personal Firewall, Intrusion Detection, AntiVirus, Privacy Control, Ad Blocking, Antispam, Parental Control (but I don't need this one).  Besides, I also have Norton System Works that helps me deal with all kinds of computer problems.

 

 

 

 

 

Spyware is also known as adware, malware, trackware, scumware, thiefware, snoopware, sneakware.  They get into your computer secretly and record your Internet activities and sensitive information, such as your passwords, etc. and send it to advertisers and/or hackers.

You visit websites or open spam email, automatically installing on your machine without you knowing

You visit any media-supported website and it assigns you a tracking cookie

You share music, files or photos with other users

You install software applications without fully reading license agreements

 

 

 

 

A Keylogger is a program that runs in the background, recording all the keystrokes. Once keystrokes are logged, they are hidden in the machine for later retrieval, or shipped raw to the attacker. The attacker then peruses them carefully in the hopes of either finding passwords, or possibly other useful information that could be used to compromise the system or be used in a social engineering attack. For example, a key logger will reveal the contents of all emails composed by the user.

 

I use Advanced Anti Spy to prevent keyloggers from entering my computer.  It offers a 30 day free trial, then you can decide if you would like to purchase it for about $50.  Every time when a keylogger software tries to enter my computer, it alerts me and prohibits the keylogger at once.

 

Click the following link to download Advanced Anti Spy for free.

 

 

 

A new kind of fraud is called "phishing".  Scam artists send out tens of thousands of forged e-mail messages at a time disguised as a legitimate message from a large, well-known institution.

Usually, the bogus messages purport to come from banks though retailers haven't been immune from it.
The typical phishing message says there is some problem with the recipient's account and they should immediately click on a Web link in the message that redirects their browser to a Web site that looks like the institution's real site.

But the site is a forgery, and when the victim fills in his name and personal information like account numbers and PINs, Social Security numbers or Social Insurance numbers and credit card numbers and hits "submit," the site sends that information to the thieves, who can be as far away as Eastern Europe or Asia. The thieves then sell the information to ID theft rings that steal the victim's identity by applying for credit cards or loans in the victim's name.

 

You should NEVER click on the link in any emails to go to your payment processors or online banks.

 

 

 

 

 

A Trojan ( also known as Trojan horse ) is a software

program in which harmful or malicious code is contained within another seemingly harmless program.  When this program excutes, the Trojan performs a specific set of actions, usually working toward the goal of allowing itself to persist on the target system.  Trojan can allow hackers to open backdoors on your system, giving them access to your files and even network connectivity.

 

I use House Call and Trojan Remover to scan for viruses and Trojans and clean my computer.

 

House Call is free and Trojan Remover is not.  Trojan Remover offers a 30 day free trial and you need to pay for about $30 if you would like to purchase it.

 

You can check how secure your computer is with Shields Up.  The following is the summary report Shields Up gave me after they examined the security level of my computer:

 

Your Internet port 139 does not appear to exist! One or more ports on this system are operating in FULL STEALTH MODE! Standard Internet behavior requires port connection attempts to be answered with a success or refusal response. Therefore, only an attempt to connect to a nonexistent computer results in no response of either kind. But YOUR computer has DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO RESPOND (that's very cool!) which represents advanced computer and port stealthing capabilities. A machine configured in this fashion is well hardened to Internet NetBIOS attack and intrusion.

Unable to connect with NetBIOS to your computer. All attempts to get any information from your computer have FAILED. (This is very uncommon for a Windows networking-based PC.) Relative to vulnerabilities from Windows networking, this computer appears to be VERY SECURE since it is NOT exposing ANY of its internal NetBIOS networking protocol over the Internet

 

Tips:

 

1.  Use a different password for each payment processor. 

 

2.  When choosing a password, use any combination of letters, numbers, and signs like #@)&".  Your password should be extremely difficult for anyone to guess.

 

3.  Don't make up a short password.  A short password is relatively easier for a hacker to try all the combinations.

 

4.  When you use a computer at a library, or at an Internet cafe, don't buy anything or make any payments online.  You have no idea how secure these computers are. 

 

5.  Try to use cut and paste to put in your passwords instead of typing your passwords. 

 

6.  With Intgold, the primary password and the secondary password should not be the same.

 

7.  Don't save the password when your browser asks you to do so.

 

8.  Update your spyware removal programs regularly.