PCI Council Releases Recommendations For Preventing Card-Skimming Attacks

darkREADING



New best practices are aimed at helping retailers -- especially small merchants -- but security experts say skimming risk runs deeper.


Aug 25, 2009
03:51 PM - By Kelly Jackson Higgins, DarkReading

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) today unveiled best practices for retailers to defend themselves against the growing number of credit- and debit-card skimming scams.

Skimming credit- and debit-card data is becoming a popular way for cybercriminals to steal credit and debit card account numbers and execute financial fraud against grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and other retailers and their customers, who are increasingly falling victim to hijacked card readers and ATM machines. Skimming occurs either by a malicious insider at the retail point-of-sale capturing the customer's card data, or more commonly by someone physically rigging a reader with a sniffer-type device to capture the data, which is then transmitted to the bad guys remotely.

"Skimming is becoming a widespread problem. These are guidelines for what retailers should be looking at" with their reader devices, says Bob Russo, general manager of the PCI SSC. "We discuss different techniques for protecting those point-of-sale devices."

But security experts say the council's skimmer protection guidelines are more a symptom of the already-broken system of credit and debit cards. "The concept of a 'credit card' as it exists today is the problem: If credit cards were cryptographic devices rather than just numbers, then none of these threats would be a problem," says Chris Paget, a security researcher. "The technology exists to implement this today and to completely eliminate credit card fraud, but it seems there's too much money being made from fraud for the card issuers to care."

Paget says the PCI guidelines are missing two key elements of this type of fraud: a malicious merchant stealing the data, and equipment tampered with at the factory. "If the person you give your card to at a restaurant has their own card skimmer, you're just as vulnerable," he says.

Legitimate card-reader equipment is also being compromised at the factory, so when merchants receive their new terminal, it could arrive rigged. "[The guidelines] do not address the case of legitimately purchased equipment that was tampered with at the factory, nor the case of a software-only addition to an ATM or card reader," says Paget, who himself fell victim to an ATM scam in Las Vegas during the Defcon17 conference.

Rob Enderle, principal analyst with The Enderle Group, says the PCI's guidelines illuminate how existing scanner technology can't protect consumers' data. "This document strongly showcases that the technology currently being used by merchants is inadequate for the task of protecting customer or the merchant. There are simply too many ways this can be relatively easily compromised," Enderle says.

Scanners should at least contain intrusion protection technology that disables the hardware if it gets opened, as well as a trusted platform module to encrypt the data and data stream, and a way to sound an alarm if a security event occurs on the devices, he says.

"This coupled with the requirement that the customer, not the service provider, scan the card to protect against illicit portable scanners," he says.

The PCI Council's "Skimming Prevention: Best Practices for Merchants" guidelines, meanwhile, include a risk assessment questionnaire and self-evaluation forms to help retailers gauge their susceptibility to these types of attacks and to determine where they need to shore up their defenses. The guidelines cover how to educate and protect employees who handle the PoS devices from being targeted, as well as ways to prevent and deter compromise of those devices. They also detail how to identify a rigged reader and what to do about it, and how physical location of the devices and stores can raise risk.

The guidelines are geared to be used in conjunction with the PCI's PIN Entry Device Security Requirements, which specifies how to secure PIN devices.

PCI's Russo says the guidelines are for all sizes of retailers, but are especially geared for helping mom-and-pop retailers: "A small merchant that makes pizza isn't going to know much when someone with a terminal shows up with a business card and says he's there to put in a replacement, but is doing something [malicious] with it and leaving it there," PCI's Russo says.

Among some of the information in the guidelines is how to look for signs of physical tampering and how to monitor the device for that. "Write down the serial number on your terminal and look at what the terminal looks like. Does it have seals on it? A label on the back? What color wires go to it?" he says. "Once a quarter, take a look at it and make sure it's intact."

"Most of this stuff is common sense, and that's where most of the fail happens," adds Michael Rothman, senior vice president of strategy at eIQnetworks. "But in reality, skimming defense is really more about process and education. People on the front lines need to know what to look for -- and that is a huge challenge. But it always has [been]."

But skimming is typically more about adding a layer to the existing device that can't be detected, he says, so the guidelines may not be effective in those cases.

Meanwhile, Paget says credit card companies need to wake up. "Credit cards as they exist today are the financial equivalent of a Telnet login session over the Internet. It's about time the dominant payment infrastructure upgraded to SSL [Secure Sockets Layer] and got rid of all of these attacks -- and more -- at once," he says.


http://www.myinvisusdirect.com/Rgrabowski
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?

articleID=219401468&cid=RSSfeed

What is Computer Forensics?

Since you may be considering becoming a computer forensic professional, the first question you want clarified is “what is computer forensics”. It is important to fully understand the computer forensics definition in order to determine if you would enjoy the field and be successful in it.



Computer forensics, also known as ‘digital forensics,’ is a term used to describe a new field that involves the intersection of digital evidence and the law. Computer forensics is the process of identifying, preserving, and analyzing data and technical items for evidence that will be used in court.


Forensic examiners typically analyze data from personal computers, laptops, personal digital assistants, cell phones, servers, tapes, and any other type of media. This process can involve anything from breaking encryption, to executing search warrants with a law enforcement team, to recovering and analyzing files from hard drives that will be critical evidence in the most serious civil and criminal cases.


The forensic examination of computers, and data storage media, is a complicated and highly specialized process. The results of forensic examinations are compiled and included in reports. In many cases, examiners testify to their findings, where their skills and abilities are put to ultimate scrutiny.

Computer Forensics

http://www.computer-forensics-recruiter.com/home/growing_field.html

In today’s world, career-bound individuals are looking for a field that offers job stability as well as a sense of fulfillment. Every day newspapers are filled with stories of company downsizing, layoffs and declining economic trends. While we feel bad for the people it affects, most of us are also thinking “I hope that never happens to me."


While many fields seem to be downsizing and outsourcing, there is one relatively new field – an exciting field that combines the law, technology, and a little “CSI," that continues to grow at a rapid pace. This field is called ‘computer forensics’; the practice of identifying, preserving, and analyzing digital evidence for use in court.

Why is the field of computer forensics growing at a rapid pace?

Computers are Everywhere

There are several reasons for this field’s growth; the most significant being that computers are everywhere. You’d be hard pressed to find a household today without at least one computer. And it is not just computers that computer forensic examiners get involved with. Computer forensic examiners analyze all types of technical devices. Look around you while you walk down the street – people are on their cell phones, using iPods, PDAs, and text messaging. Computer forensic examiners analyze all of these electronic devices!

Most Disputes are Between People Who Know Each Other and Communicate Using Technology

Another reason for the significant growth in the computer forensic field is that most disputes, civil or criminal, are between people who know each other and interact using technology including email, cell phones and text messaging. That leads to a significant amount of potential evidence. Similarly, law enforcement officers are encountering technology at almost every turn and in every type of crime. That is an issue being dealt with on a local, state, and federal level right now.

The Internet is Ubiquitous in Nature

Another reason for the growth is the Internet’s ubiquitous nature. Internet users have vast amounts of information available to them in seconds. It is a tremendous resource, but with all good things there are negatives, and the increase in Internet use and availability has created an increase in criminal activity like hacking, cyber-terrorism, identity theft, theft of intellectual property, fraud, and child exploitation. Significantly, criminals think they are anonymous online and won’t be caught. This only increases the amount of criminal activity.

Large Companies Fear the Loss of Intellectual Property

An additional explanation for the expansion in the field is that large companies, particularly those that are publicly traded or store large amounts of private customer data, fear the large-scale loss of that intellectual property. These companies fear the ramifications from federal oversight/regulatory agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Internal Revenue Service. The fines and potential criminal penalties imposed for violations of various statutes designed to protect individuals and consumers can be huge. The lawsuits can be worse. Thus, companies are going to extreme lengths to protect the integrity of their data, particularly intellectual property, and learn about how to prevent the destruction or theft of that information.

The Computer Forensic Field has Become a Lucrative Business

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the computer forensic field has bloomed into a very lucrative business. Litigation costs for the production of e-discovery can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why, you may ask? What is known as the “CSI Effect," which is that juries and judges want to see tangible evidence before they make a decision about who is responsible in a legal dispute. With advances in technology, computer forensic examiners are often hired to use highly specialized techniques to retrieve and present that evidence in court. Oftentimes, this evidence is powerful when properly preserved and analyzed. Document examiners, lawyers, litigants, forensic examiners, and consultants are all capitalizing on this new business.

computer forensics states



http://www.computer-forensics-recruiter.com/home/growing_field.html

New Ways to Attack Our PC's

PC World

Cyber criminals are finding new ways to steal information, including infecting legitimate Web sites with Trojans and creating rogue software packages that look legitimate but contain malware, cybersecurity experts warned.


Recent months have seen a rise in sophisticated attacks, also including so-called spear phishing, an e-mail scam targeted at a small group of people, a group of cybersecurity professionals said Tuesday at a TechAmerica cybersecurity forum in Washington, D.C. Spear phishing is a form of the common phishing scam, but instead of a fake e-mail that looks like it comes from a bank or e-commerce site, it instead looks like it comes from someone you know, such as an executive at your company.

Cyber criminals are now focusing on compromising trusted sources of information, by installing Trojans on legitimate Web sites or faking e-mail messages from people known to would-be victims, asking them for personal information, said Eric Cole, cybersecurity senior fellow at Lockheed Martin. In early 2007, two Web sites affiliated with the Miami Dolphins football team were compromised with malicious code, and earlier this year a site affiliated with rock star Paul McCartney contained malicious code.

There are tens of thousands of other legitimate Web sites infected with malware, said Uri Rivner, head of new technologies for consumer identity protection at RSA Security, a cybersecurity vendor. RSA is seeing a recent spike in compromises from the password-stealing Torpig or Sinowal Trojan, around since mid-2007, largely due to infected legitimate sites, he said.

The rule "used to be, 'don't go to the bad part of the Internet,'" Cole said. "'Don't go to those evil parts where bad things are happening.' I don't think most of us ... consider Paul McCartney a bad site."

Microsoft has seen a "tremendous rise" in rogue software being downloaded in the past year, said Vinny Gullotto, general manager of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center. In many cases, the rogue software is disguised as antivirus software and tricks people into downloading it by telling them they have viruses on their computers, he said.

Web users should only download cybersecurity software from a trusted source, he said.

Cyber criminals are also turning to the help-wanted ads and e-mails to recruit unsuspecting helpers to launder money, Rivner said. These work-at-home schemes offer people lucrative jobs if they supply a bank account to process payments for a company or charity, he said. In reality, the payment processors are serving as middlemen in money-laundering schemes, with the money coming from compromised bank accounts.

One job offer River received by e-mail said he could work three hours a day for US$3,000 a week. The lesson is, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, Rivner said.

"Lots of people in this bad economy are applying for these types of ads," he said. "A lot of people answer these ads on a daily basis."

Looking For A Simple Easy Way To Work Or Play On Our Computer.

It is important that every individual, family and business have a computer repair service plan in place to protect themselves from these cyber terrorist.


A slow running computer or a computer that crashes frequently may be a sign of Malware (Trojans, viruses, worms, and other malicious code) on your computer. These hacker tools not only can be used to steal sensitive information from your computer they slow your computer down or even cause computer crashes. Unfortunately, traditional over-the-counter computer protection products don’t keep up with this growing problem. If they did would we continue to have these problems?

Over the last three years there’s been a huge shift from curious hackers to professional hackers creating devious methods to steal proprietary information from computers like yours. This evolving threat is costing individuals and businesses tens of billions of dollars every year. V. McNiven, an advisor to the U.S Department of treasury has stated, “The proceeds from cyber are now greater than the sale of illegal drugs.

These evil hackers continue to find more devious ways of stealing financial and proprietary information. It is important that every individual, family and business have a computer repair service plan in place to protect themselves from these cyber terrorist.

You might be surprised to learn that computers that don’t go online are vulnerable through file sharing from infected flash drives, cds and floppies. These devices, when infected, can install scrambling software or logic bomb software that opens up the possibility of extortion to get your proprietary information back

2007 PC Magazine survey of 42,000 PCs worldwide released last September showed the top speed killers. The problems included

Over 52 percent of the PCs surveyed were clogged up with spyware

· Over 60 percent of the PCs surveyed had un-optimized Internet settings slowing the Internet down and even signaling that spyware and other malware have secretly stolen portions of your bandwidth to run on your PC.

· Surveyed computers also contained an average of twelve serious registry problems per unit that may have been caused by spyware and other malware.

Incredible, many of these computers are supposedly protected by the over-the-counter products that aren’t doing what they promise to do. So how can individuals and small businesses protect against identity theft, fraud and extortion? How can they get their computers back to running like new again?

Here are six crucial steps to protecting your computer and making it fun and productive again:

1. Keep your computers patched. Microsoft has automatic patch updates. Make sure are signed up to receive them.

2. Use professional enterprise grade anti-virus and anti-spyware at the email and web gateways. Install a professional grade by-directional firewall to guard against backdoor threats.

3. Use sender-authentication technologies, such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to make phishing far more difficult since – In theory – phishers will only be able to send their spam from “unapproved” domains.

4. Develop and enforce a password policy. This will make passwords difficult to be guessed. Use a different password for each situation. Make sure these passwords are changed frequently. If you use one password for every web site, for example, and a phisher manages to steal it, all of your online activity is at risk. Sophos, an enterprise grade Internet Security Company, recently conducted a business poll and discovered 41 percent of the respondents were using the same password for all web sites.

5. Keep an eye on the advice from organizations promoting safe computing. Many of their web sites will list the latest threats, and give advice on how to protect your home and business against them.

6. Always report suspicious activity.

Just as important, find a computer repair service that offers “Personal Computer Services.” Your personal computer service should include online repair at no additional cost. The end result: hassle-free computing making being on the computer fun and productive again. With the right computer repair service, using computers at home and at work should be hassle-free allowing you to focus more on your home and business activities.

http://www.myinvisusdirect.com/Rgrabowski

How to tell, what to do if computer is infected (AP)

Yahoo! Tech News


Posted on Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:46PM EDT

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:

• You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.

• You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.

• You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.

So what do you do?

• Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.

• Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.

• You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.

How do I know what information has been taken?

• It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.



http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090315/ap_on_hi_te/tec_inside_a_botnet_checklist

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 is presently making its way through Congress. The bill’s co-sponsor, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), has stated:

“America’s vulnerability to massive cybercrime, global cyber-espionage and cyber-attacks has emerged as one of the most urgent national security problems facing our country today.”

Do you mean the U.S. Government is finally getting serious about cybersecurity?? Truthfully, it's our SHARED responsibility of good cyber-hygiene among ALL computer users, not just industry and government.

Folks, the explosion of cybercrime and identity theft has reached a 5-year high, increasing annually at a rate of 22%!! It's escalating rapidly in our difficult economic times. In 2008 alone, 9.9 MILLION Americans were victims of identity theft. In fact, the Wall Street Journal states: "Information breaches to U.S. companies in 2008 reached a per-incident cost of $6.65 MILLION."

Take note of these scary, but very real statistics:

More than 1 person in 10 knew the person who stole their identity.

Identity thieves are working dramatically faster to exploit their victims.

Information stolen and stored for a year or more was up 50%.

Women are 26% more likely to be victims of identity theft than are men.

Latinos are 47% more apt to become victims of identity theft.

Minors are increasingly targets. The thieves know that it can take years before a child's ID

theft is discovered.

Households with higher incomes -- $75,000 or more -- are now at a higher risk.
But …what do these identity theft stats have to do with cybersecurity? Everything. The common denominator here is easy access to individual and business computers in which hackers [read: cyber criminals] are able to penetrate and hijack computers, jeopardizing proprietary and corrupting computers.

The need to turn the Tsunami tide is CRITICALLY urgent, as both our personal AND our national security hinges on ALL computers (home AND businesses) being secured against the ravages and major headaches of cybercrime....all producing hassles, headaches, and serious problems for the end user, along with being an unsuspecting participant in the raging, stealth war of cybercrime and identity fraud. Yes, folks, we’re in an escalating cyber war….it’s already begun!

I am including in this post a link (below) to a blog article from TechRepublic.com called “Cybersecurity: Is the U.S. Government doing enough?”. This explains exactly WHY cybersecurity is EVERYONE'S responsibility. Especially in these challenging days, what is available as "security" software (like Norton, McAfee, TrendMicro, Kaspersky, Panda, etc.) is merely "entry level" and just isn't capable of meeting -- much less staying on top of -- the increasing challenges of sophisticated cybercriminals and other hackers. (If the off-the-shelf, entry-level software did the job, why would the problems be escalating??)

That's exactly why, in my business as a PC Security and Care and Identity Protection Specialist, access to unlimited service and corporate-grade security is provided to computer owners, enabling them to keep cyber criminals from hijacking personal and business PC’s and stealing proprietary data and committing crimes like identity theft and credit fraud. Truthfully, we’re a hacker’s worst nightmare!

Both individuals and small businesses can now finally keep their PC’s and identities secure and truly free from hassles, headaches, and worry….allowing them to literally and finally gain true peace of mind!

Cybersecurity…Yes, it’s our shared responsibility!



http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=2532&tag=nl.e036#comments

Learn How To hunt down those elusive files

I know to some of you this might sound like something that is basic but I assure you there some things you may not be aware of and some new tricks in this lesson.

As time marches on, hard drives are getting cheaper and their capacities keep expanding into mind boggling sizes. When Windows 3.1 was a fledging OS, a gigabyte of storage was considered astronomical! Expanded hard drive capacities means more file storage space. When your file collection grows--mp3s, images, movies, documents etc.--it becomes harder to quickly isolate a specific file from the crowd.
Windows alleviates this problem by allowing its users to create meaningful folder and file names, giving each folder and file identities of their own. But sometimes this isn't enough. With myriad files scattered all haphazardly across your massive hard drive, hunting down a specific file that you created several months ago seems like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Windows XP provides a simple and easy-to-use solution for this common problem: Windows Search.
Windows Search allows you to search your file system for a specific file or a cluster of files based on common criteria. You can commend Windows Search to hunt down all files that contain a certain phrase or word in their filenames, locate all multimedia content and images, or isolate all your documents. You can customize your search query to be very general, to return as many results as possible, or narrow your query down to specifics. Let's get acquainted with XP's search application.

Search Results: Locate my lost File!

To launch XP or Vista's search application, open up an instance of Windows Explorer; you can do this by opening up "My Computer" or using the shortcut key combo: "Windows Key+E". Once you have Windows Explorer opened, right tap on the hard drive you want to search. If you like to keep your PC simple, you may only have one hard drive, and it should be labeled the "C" drive. Right tap on your "C" drive and select "Search".


When you first load Windows Search, you'll be greeted with several text boxes and one of XP's cute little mascot helpers. My Windows Search is accompanied by the "XP dog". The first search text box asks you to type in a file name. If you know the exact file name of the file you are searching for, type that in and let XP locate it for you.


You don't need to know the exact name for a successful search. As long as you know some word or phrase located inside the file's name, XP will usually find it for you. To only search for files that contain a word of phrase, type in your search query into the "A word or phrase in the file" text box. A good tip to observe when creating file names is to be as descriptive as possible, as you may need to perform a Search on said file sometime in the future, and a descriptive file name definitely helps with the search process.


The "Look in" list box allows you to specify what hard drive you want XP to search. The default is usually your "C" drive.


If you just want to search for files that fall into a specific category--such as music, videos, images, spreadsheets and suchlike--XP allows you to select a special option for such purposes. On the main search menu, hit the "Back" button and XP will ask you "What do you want to search for?" Windows Search records several categories and will only search for files that fall into your selected category. This search feature is an easy way file all of your mp3 or image files in one fell swoop.


The Mystery of Hidden Files


Windows XP employs various methods to save you from shooting yourself in the foot. The deletion of a vital system file could destroy the stability of XP. XP sometimes writes out essential files with a special "hidden" attribute. This "hidden" attribute actually hides the file from view when using Windows Explorer. When you can't see certain files, there's less of a chance of your accidentally deleting or overwriting it.

You can actually attribute the "hidden" setting to any file on your file system. You may want to do this for privacy reasons. To do this, right tap on a file and check the "Hidden" attribute on the bottom of the file's property dialog box. Your file will now be hidden from view. XP also contains an option that will allow you to "see" hidden files.


Turning this option on will display all files with the "Hide" attribute semi-transparently; turning this option off will again hide all files with the attribute set. You can set this option by going into "Tools" and "Folder Options" in Windows Explorer; from here, go to the "View" tab and select "Do not show hidden files and folders".

Google Desktop Search

Google, the company that brought you the amazingly fast search engine, also makes excellent desktop software. Since Google specializes in the searching field, it was only proper for them to create an application that searches your PC's hard drive. Google Desktop has more options than the standard Windows Search, and it's extremely easy to use.


The cool thing about Google Desktop is that your search results are presented to you in the exact same way you receive search results from an online search from Google. If you're searching for image files, Google Desktop will display each search result in a browser window with an appropriate thumbnail image right next to it.


It should be noted that Google Desktop needs to index your computer's hard drive when you first run the application. This indexation process is the key to very quick search results. Google Desktop will go through the index process when your PC is idle.


Google Desktop comes with a whole slew of useful settings and features. It's a lot of fun to play around with, and is a lot more powerful than the built-in search facilities XP makes available. Give Google Desktop a try today! You can find it here: http://desktop.google.com/

http://www.myinvisusdirect.com/Rgrabowski



http://www.topsecretfreereport.com/makeadifference-x

Internet Explorer 7

Don't want to waste time with your PC problems? I can save you money from high cost PC repairs. Give me a call for more information on hassle-free computing and making being on the computer fun and productive again. You'll be able to relax with true peace of mind.

When Mozilla unleashed their flagship web browser, Firefox, computer users rejoiced.

There was finally a web browser to rival Microsoft's omnipresent browser, Internet Explorer. For years IE was considered the only usable browser for surfing the web. Most websites were specifically optimized for IE compatibility, and IE came pre-installed on mostly every PC and with every new release of Windows. It may not have been on the top of anyone's favorite's wish list, but it was convenient, it worked most of the time, and most people didn't think they had much of a choice in the matter of web browsing software.


When you're on top of the world, and your competition is paltry, there's really no reason to invest any money on improvement; this was Microsoft's mentality when it came to improvements and maintenance for their ubiquitous Internet Explorer. Without any real competition to galvanize the IE team into improving their browser, Internet Explorer soon degraded into a breeding ground of exploits and a portal for new viruses to crawl through and infect your PC. Users got fed up.


When the first version of Firefox was released, users soon discovered the joys of having a browser that did the same job as IE, but had improved security, a built-in popup blocker, and the widely popular option of "tabbed" browsing. When Microsoft got wind of Firefox taking away a large chunk of Internet Explorer's user base, the IE team got their backsides in gear and cranked out Internet Explorer 7--a huge improvement from IE's predecessors.


A Tour of Internet Explorer 7

Installing IE 7 is a relatively painless process, and you shouldn't run into any problems. One of the first things you'll realize after installing IE 7 is that Microsoft finally introduced the cool feature of "tabbed browsing". Tabbed browsing is a method if viewing multiple web pages inside of a single web browser window. Instead of having multiple web browsers opened to different web pages, overflowing your Windows taskbar with browser buttons, you can have just one browser window opened, but you're not limited to just one web page at a time. This popular web browsing feature was too important for the IE team to leave out of the 7th incarnation of Internet Explorer.


Opening a new browser tab is a cakewalk. Simply go to the "File" menu and select "New Tab", or if you're into hotkey shortcuts, do a "Ctrl+T" to launch a new tab. One annoying thing I noticed after installing IE 7 is that the menu bar is hidden by default; this is probably to save space. To make your menu bar visible, right tap anywhere below the URL text box and select "Classic Menu". Open as many tabs as you want. The freedom is refreshing!


Like Firefox, IE 7 now comes with a Google search bar right out of the box. There's no need to install a 3rd party toolbar to get the search box. Simply type in a search query, and hit enter and IE 7 will send off your query to Google to mull over for several seconds. It's a convenient way of doing a quick search without surfing on over to Google's main home page.


Quick Tabs: Viewing all your Tabs at once


IE 7 comes equipped with a really neat feature called "Quick Tabs". This viewing mode allows you to view all of your tabs at once. IE 7 makes this possible by shrinking down all of your tabs into a kind of thumbnail view and displays them all inside the browser's window. This view mode allows you to get a quick view of all your opened tabs and makes switching to your desired tab quick and easy.


Give "Quick Tabs" a try. Open up a few web pages in several different tabs and go to "View" and select "Quick Tabs". IE 7 will display all your tabs in thumbnail view. It's a really cool browsing feature that alleviates the problem of not knowing what tab points to what web page because of "tab overload".


Internet Explorer 7 comes equipped with enhanced security improvements, the ability to do tabbed browsing, and some other nice features that finally made it into Microsoft's aging web browser. The introduction of Firefox was the impetus that sparked the creation of Internet Explorer 7--the best incarnation of IE to date.


Before you start using Explorer 7 make sure you have all the critical updates on your system before you install IE 7. There are some dlls needed for IE 7 to work correctly and not slow down your system.


If for some reason you do not like IE7 and you want to uninstall it. Just go to the add/remove program in the control panel and uninstall Explorer 7. You will be taken back to Explorer 6 like before.

 http://www.topsecretfreereport.com/makeadifference-x

http://www.myinvisusdirect.com/Rgrabowski

Don't  waste time with your PC problems? Save your money from high cost PC repairs.  Call  me for more information on hassle-free computing and making being on the computer fun and productive again. You'll be able to relax with true peace of mind.

Recent Articles

Is PCI Compliance a Law?

Should it be?

Is PCI compliance a law? The short answer is no. The long answer is that while it is not currently

a federal law, there are state laws that are already in effect (and some that may go into effect) to

force components of the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) into law. In addition, there is a

big push by legislatures and industry trade association to enact a federal law around data

security and breach notification.

Read more...


http://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/

breathe new life into your PC.

Today I would like to share some quick tips on hardware upgrades for your PC

My PC runs like Molasses: How can I speed it up?

Remember when your PC was a few hours old? It booted up like greased lightening and was generally chipper when loading and running your applications; everything just seemed perfect. As time moves on you may notice that your PC isn't running like it used to run; it has a lethargic, snail-like feel when running applications, and the time it takes to boot up into a usable state just keeps increasing. What's going on here?

As you install more and more applications, filling up every corner of your hard drive, subtle and invisible changes may occur inside your XP system. You may not even realize it, but a lot of applications install little hidden services that ride in from disk at boot time, residing in vital memory, hogging essential resources, and increasing the time it takes for XP to boot up. These services--a lot of them being nonessential--can range from services that check for updates for a certain application to obnoxious spyware.

To put the much needed spring back into your PC's step, your computer may be in need of more elbow room--RAM--and a few software tweaks that'll get your PC running like a champ again. There're multitudes of settings you can adjust and software tweaks that you can apply; let's get started with a popular hardware performance boost that's sure to pep up your PC.

Increasing your PC's workspace Real Estate

You wouldn't work on your desktop PC in the backseat of your car, would you? Aside from being terribly uncomfortable, you wouldn't have enough elbow room to work efficiently, performing a cumbersome balancing act between your keyboard and mouse and the rest of your peripherals. For the same reason, the less "workspace" your PC has to manage its data with, the more

inefficient and sluggish it will seem.

Your PC's workspace is its RAM--random access memory. Simply put, the more memory your PC has to work with, the quicker it'll seem to operate. When your PC is taxed for memory space, it must perform a complex juggling act, constantly swapping data back and forth from RAM and the slower hard drive; this is when computing operations begin to lag.

Give your computer more "work space" by increasing its amount of RAM. Before you run out and get more memory, you'll need to check your motherboard's specs to find out what type of RAM it requires. PC32000 DDR SDRAM is a popular type along with the quicker DDR2 variety. PC's of yesteryear may still use the considerably slower PC100 or PC133 memory. If you're running XP and have less than 512 megabytes of memory, an upgrade to 1 gig will certainly improve your system's overall performance.

If you are confused about what type of memory your PC - my favorite is try out the memory scanner by Crucial Technology. Their online test http://www.crucial.com/ will scan your desktop or even your laptop PC and determine what memory you can upgrade too. Plus you can purchase from them direct or the same type of memory elsewhere

Installing memory on your PC is a lot easier than you think - and can be done typically in five minutes or less to give your PC a real boost.

Good Advice From Snopes FYI

Get Good Advice From Snopes FYI

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with www.snopes.com and/or www.truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email

Is just that: true/false, or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites.
This advice from Snopes.Com is excellent and very important!

1) Any time you see an e-mail that says:

"forward this on to '10' (or however-many) of your friends",

"sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck",

"you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever
it almost ALWAYS has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies
and e-mail addresses of those folks you forward to.

The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded
And then is able to get lists of 'active' e-mail addresses to use in

SPAM e-mails, or sell to other Spammers..

Even when you get e-mails that demand you send the email on
if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus .....

that's e-mail tracking and they're playing on our conscience. These
people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as

They get them.

Also, e-mails that talk about a missing child or a child with an
incurable disease - "how would you feel if that was your child".....

E-mail tracking!!! Ignore them and don't participate!

2) Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others
are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business
cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of
Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of e-mail is,
is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and
spammers - - to validate active e-mail accounts for their own profitable
Purposes.

You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending this
information to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and will
be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam e-mailsin the future!

If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of e-mail, you now
Know why you get so much SPAM!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings
regardless of how inviting they might sound or make you feel guilty if you

Don't!... it's all about getting email addresses - nothing more!

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!

Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus
attached! Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make it
Easy for them!

Also: E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to White House, Congress or any other
organization -i.e. Social Security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a
signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition,
So this is a waste of time and you're just helping the e-mail trackers.

Please read the full story here:http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp
Also: when forwarding mail, delete the senders name and e-mail address before
forwarding. You can do this after you click "forward," then just backspace the
names and e-mail addresses of those who sent it to you off of the e-mail that you are forwarding.

Rosemarie Grabowski
PC Security & Identity
Theft Protection
308 687 6085

www.snopes.com

www.truthorfiction.com

Methods To A Better Performing Computer - Breathe New Life In Your Computer

Follow these instructions regularly and you'll breathe new life into your PC.
Now its time to get focus on mastering Windows
Windows Explorer: Basic File System Navigation
Many novices find the Windows file system enigmatic and confusing. What's the deal with the "C" and "A" drive? What's with all those folders inside the main Windows folder? Most beginning PC users don't know the first place to start when learning the ropes.
It's really quite simple, and once you get the hang of it, you'll be creating, deleting and shuttling files to and fro, organizing hierarchies of folders, and navigating XP's file system like a pro. Let's take it step by step.
A Digital File Cabinet
Think of your PC's hard drive as a massive file cabinet that'll store your computer's content: digital images of your last family gathering; all of your precious mp3s; important productivity applications like MS Word and Excel. It stores everything so that you can access, modify, or delete your files when you choose to do so. If you need to access anything digital--software, files, XP--it'll be located on your PC's hard drive.
Windows Explorer: A File System Interface

Now that you know the basic purpose of your hard drive--storage medium--let's discuss XP's powerful built-in navigation application: Windows Explorer. Explorer allows you to peer into your hard drive, organizing your applications, files, and folders into a visual hierarchy. Because of Windows Explorer's method of visually presenting your content, searching and sifting through your files becomes a cakewalk, especially when your PC's content grows, your software and files accumulating as time passes. Let's fire up Windows Explorer and get to know this essential

Windows program.

Check and see if your desktop contains a "My Computer" icon; if so, double tap on it to run Explorer. You can also access "My Computer" from the start menu. If you're like me, you enjoy instant gratification. A convenient shortcut key combo is "Windows Key+E". Most keyboards have a "Windows Key" located in between the "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys; it'll have the little Windows logo on it. This nice little shortcut will instantly fire up Explorer for you without your lifting a finger to manipulate the cursor.

Take a look at the little icons inside the Explorer Window. You'll see various icons labeled with a letter beside them. These lettered icons represent your various hard disk, floppy, CD, and DVD drives. Other drives may be in the mix as well--USB thumb drives and suchlike. It's common for your main hard drive to be labeled as your "C" drive for historical reasons. Your "C" drive is where Windows stores its essential files needed for operation and, inside the "Programs Files" folder, where most of your applications will reside after installation.

Basic Navigation

Basic navigation across each folder is accomplished by double tap on the folder icon itself; this operation will place you inside of said folder. This is a good time to make sure that you have the "Standard Button" toolbar displayed in Explorer. This toolbar contains a "Back" button that, when pressed, will allow you move back into the folder you came from. If you don't see this toolbar, go to the "View" menu on Windows Explorer and slide out the "Toolbars" pop out menu, and make sure that "Standard Buttons" is checked.

Along with your drives, you'll see a folder named after your login username. For example, my username is "liquidbinary", so I see a folder named "liquidbinary's documents". This private folder is a little piece of space that Windows sets aside just for you. You can do anything within this folder. It's your personal cubby hole for all of your documents, and any user with lesser system privileges than you will not be able to navigate to your private folder; it'll be off limits to them. Let's explore the contents of your personal folder right now.

Windows usually creates default folders for different file types. For instance, Windows created a "Music" and "Pictures" folder for me. To better organize your documents directory, you can create as many folders as you desire. Let's suppose you want a special folder used only for your MS Word documents. To create one, go to the "File" menu in Windows Explorer and go to

"New". A slide out menu should pop out; select "Folder". Windows will create a folder aptly named "New Folder". Change the file name to "word docs". Double tap on your new folder's icon. You shouldn't see anything, as you've not stored anything in this folder yet. Now go back into your documents folder by pressing the "Back" button located on the toolbar. You should be back in your "My Documents" directory now.

File Basics manipulation

Windows Explorer not only lets you transverse your folder hierarchy, but it also allows you to modify folders and files. Basic file and folder manipulation operations include moving, copying, and deleting. As an example, let's create a new folder and move the "word docs" folder into this new folder. Create a new folder inside your main "My Documents" folder; name it whatever you like. Now, to move your "word docs" folder inside your new folder, simply drag and drop it on top of its icon. Your "word docs" folder should now reside inside of another folder.

Once you've learned a few navigation fundamentals with Windows Explorer, you'll be able to easily move from folder to folder, create, copy, and delete files, and generally get a broad understanding of the layout of your various hard drives.

Don't want to waste time with your PC problems? I can save you money from high cost PC repairs. Give me a call for more information on hassle-free computing and making being on the computer fun again. You'll be able to relax with true peace of mind.

New Life In Your Computer

Rosemarie Grabowski

308 687 6085

http://www.topsecretfreereport.com/makeadifference-x

Are You Using A ATM Is It safe?

Monitoring all your accounts is important, but these days you want to pay particular attention to what's going on in your checking and savings accounts, because thieves increasingly target bank accounts.

Posted on ZDNet

The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls, the newspaper said, citing current and former U.S. national security officials.

The intruders have not sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure but officials said they could try during a crisis or war, the paper said in a report on its website.

"The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid," a senior intelligence official told the Journal. "So have the Russians."

The espionage appeared pervasive across the United States and does not target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official.

"There are intrusions, and they are growing," the former official told the paper, referring to electrical systems. "There were a lot last year."

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama was not immediately available for comment on the newspaper report.

Authorities investigating the intrusions have found software tools left behind that could be used to destroy infrastructure components, the senior intelligence official said. He added, "If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on."

Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.

Protecting the electrical grid and other infrastructure is a key part of the Obama administration's cybersecurity review, which is to be completed next week.

The sophistication of the U.S. intrusions, which extend beyond electric to other key infrastructure systems, suggests that China and Russia are mainly responsible, according to intelligence officials and cybersecurity specialists.

While terrorist groups could develop the ability to penetrate U.S. infrastructure, they do not appear to have yet mounted attacks, these officials say.

http://www.news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-286465.html?tag=nl.e539

Source code for Skype eavesdropping trojan in the wild

Earlier this week, Swiss programmer Ruben Unteregger who has been reportedly working for a Swiss company ERA IT Solutions responsible for coding government sponsored spyware, has released the source code of a trojan horse that injects code into the Skype process in order to convert the incoming and outgoing voice data into an encrypted MP3 available at the disposal of the attacker.

Here’s how the trojan, currently detected as Trojan.Peskyspy, works:

"When the Trojan is executed, it injects a thread into the Skype process and hooks a number of API calls, allowing it to intercept all PCM audio data going between the Skype process and underlying audio devices.

Note: Since the Trojan listens to the data coming to and from the audio devices, it gathers the audio independently of any application-specific protocols or encryption applied by Skype when it passes voice data at the network level.

Note:
The incoming and outgoing audio data are stored in separate .mp3 files.

• The Trojan also opens a back door on the compromised computer, allowing an attacker to perform the following actions:
• - Send the .mp3 to a predetermined location
• - Download an updated version
• - Delete the Trojan from the compromised computer"

Rosemarie Grabowski
PC Security & Identity
Theft Protection
308 687 6085
topsecretfreereport.com/makeadifference-x

Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now

Follow these instructions regularly and you'll breathe new life into your PC.

Breathe New Life In Your Computer Follow these instructions regularly and you'll breathe new life into your PC.

So, you've increased your system's memory threefold, bumped up performance by installing a bigger, faster hard drive, and performed a CPU transplant to pump up your PC's processing cycles. Now what? This is the fifth of six methods that will result in much better computer performance. Well, hardware upgrades can certainly reinvigorate a feeble computer, but did you know what Windows comes equipped with many software-oriented tools to boost your PC's performance?

Windows Vista introduces a new Control Panel Applet that not only looks pretty but also houses some very useful programs that one can use to tweak and optimize their system. To access the Control Panel Applet, navigate to the start menu, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Performance Information and Tools; the tools you'll need are located on the left side. The Advanced tools link also contains some very useful options that you'll want to experiment with.

It's certainly a shame that most of these performance-boosting tools remain buried deep within Windows, leaving most average PC users clueless as to their existence. Vista's predecessors offered many of these same tools, but, again, were hard to find. Vista makes these tools more accessible, but are still not as obvious as one would hope they would be. Let's take a look at some of these optimizing utilities that can shift your OS into a higher gear, shall we?

Clandestine Optimization Tools

There are a number of settings that you can adjust and configure that can improve your Windows Vista/XP/2000 PC's performance. You can access these settings by right clicking on the Start menu button and selecting "properties"; next, select on the enabled "Customize" button. Under the Advanced tab, make sure that you've enabled the "Display on the All Programs menu" under the System Administrative Tools options.

RAM: Random Access Memory

Your PC uses its RAM as a sort of holding tank for data that it's currently processing or needs to access quickly. If you're experiencing sluggish performance, this could be due to a problem with your computer's memory. This isn't really an issue if you're running Vista, as Vista will usually automatically detect any memory problems, and if it finds any, it will automatically run the Memory Diagnostic tool. For peace of mind, you can run this utility any time you want, as it's located in the Administrative Tools menu.

When you fire up the Memory Diagnostic tool, your PC will reboot itself into an all text screen, a far cry from the fancy windowed GUIs we've all become accustomed to. For an expanded list of options, press the F1 key. When faced with the textual interface, you'll need to select from the Basic, Standard, and Extended tests. Opting for the Basic test, along with the default settings for the Cache and Pass Count, is usually good enough to detect most problems. Hit the F10 key to begin the test.

The duration of the memory test should be around a few minutes. When the test concludes, Vista will reboot itself. If no problems or errors were detected, Vista will display this fact in the system tray. If problems with your RAM were found, replacing your defunct memory modules will usually solve the problem.

Pruning the Service List

Have you ever noticed that when you boot up your PC for the first time Windows boots up at a snappy pace? But after enough time and a few dozen application installs, the time it takes Windows to boot up into a fully usable state seems to take ages. Why is this? Well, the problem is probably the startup services that Windows loads whenever you reboot your PC. The more services Windows needs to load, the longer it'll take Windows to get into a usable state. A lot of these services aren't really essential and can be disabled at your whim. The less services you have running around in memory, the faster your computer will be.

There's one caveat to heed, though: be sure to set a System Restore point and to back up your registry before altering or disabling any of your service settings. You don't want to inadvertently disable an essential system service, realizing that you've effectively rendered your computer useless. You should not disable a service you don't fully understand, and it's a good idea to only disable one service at a time, determining whether your system will remain stable after said service is turned off.

Once again, navigate to the Administrative Tools menu and select the Services item. You should see a dialog box that displays all the services--either running or disabled--on your system. A short description should be visible to the right of each service. Remember do not randomly disable any service you don't understand the purpose of!

Startup Speedups

When using XP or 2000, go to the start menu and choose run; type in "msconfig" without the quotes and hit enter. You'll be presented with the System Configuration dialog window. In Vista, these same settings can be altered in the System Configuration menu.

Inside XP's System Configuration Utility, navigate to the Startup tab; peruse the list, disabling any program that isn't necessary. A lot of the startup items listed here aren't important and should be disabled if you don't need them, effectively expelling them your PC's precious memory. The leaner you can make this Startup list, the better and more efficient your computer will run.

Aside from adding faster and more powerful hardware to your box to improve overall system performance, these are several software tacks that you can take to give your PC a little more pep.

Don't want to waste time with your PC problems? I can save you money from high cost PC repairs. Give me a call for more information on hassle-free computing and making being on the computer fun again. You'll be able to relax with true peace of mind.


Sincerely,
Rosemarie Grabowski
308 687 6085

Breathe New Life In Your Computer

Follow these instructions regularly and you'll breathe new life into your PC.

So, you've increased your system's memory threefold, bumped up performance by installing a bigger, faster hard drive, and performed a CPU transplant to pump up your PC's processing cycles. Now what? This is the fifth of six methods that will result in much better computer performance. Well, hardware upgrades can certainly reinvigorate a feeble computer, but did you know what Windows comes equipped with many software-oriented tools to boost your PC's performance?

Windows Vista introduces a new Control Panel Applet that not only looks pretty but also houses some very useful programs that one can use to tweak and optimize their system. To access the Control Panel Applet, navigate to the start menu, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Performance Information and Tools; the tools you'll need are located on the left side. The Advanced tools link also contains some very useful options that you'll want to experiment with.

It's certainly a shame that most of these performance-boosting tools remain buried deep within Windows, leaving most average PC users clueless as to their existence. Vista's predecessors offered many of these same tools, but, again, were hard to find. Vista makes these tools more accessible, but are still not as obvious as one would hope they would be. Let's take a look at some of these optimizing utilities that can shift your OS into a higher gear, shall we?
Clandestine Optimization Tools

There are a number of settings that you can adjust and configure that can improve your Windows Vista/XP/2000 PC's performance. You can access these settings by right clicking on the Start menu button and selecting "properties"; next, select on the enabled "Customize" button. Under the Advanced tab, make sure that you've enabled the "Display on the All Programs menu" under the System Administrative Tools options.

RAM: Random Access Memory

Your PC uses its RAM as a sort of holding tank for data that it's currently processing or needs to access quickly. If you're experiencing sluggish performance, this could be due to a problem with your computer's memory. This isn't really an issue if you're running Vista, as Vista will usually automatically detect any memory problems, and if it finds any, it will automatically run the Memory Diagnostic tool. For peace of mind, you can run this utility any time you want, as it's located in the Administrative Tools menu.

When you fire up the Memory Diagnostic tool, your PC will reboot itself into an all text screen, a far cry from the fancy windowed GUIs we've all become accustomed to. For an expanded list of options, press the F1 key. When faced with the textual interface, you'll need to select from the Basic, Standard, and Extended tests. Opting for the Basic test, along with the default settings for the Cache and Pass Count, is usually good enough to detect most problems. Hit the F10 key to begin the test.

The duration of the memory test should be around a few minutes. When the test concludes, Vista will reboot itself. If no problems or errors were detected, Vista will display this fact in the system tray. If problems with your RAM were found, replacing your defunct memory modules will usually solve the problem.

Pruning the Service List

Have you ever noticed that when you boot up your PC for the first time Windows boots up at a snappy pace? But after enough time and a few dozen application installs, the time it takes Windows to boot up into a fully usable state seems to take ages. Why is this? Well, the problem is probably the startup services that Windows loads whenever you reboot your PC. The more services Windows needs to load, the longer it'll take Windows to get into a usable state. A lot of these services aren't really essential and can be disabled at your whim. The less services you have running around in memory, the faster your computer will be.

There's one caveat to heed, though: be sure to set a System Restore point and to back up your registry before altering or disabling any of your service settings. You don't want to inadvertently disable an essential system service, realizing that you've effectively rendered your computer useless. You should not disable a service you don't fully understand, and it's a good idea to only disable one service at a time, determining whether your system will remain stable after said service is turned off.

Once again, navigate to the Administrative Tools menu and select the Services item. You should see a dialog box that displays all the services--either running or disabled--on your system. A short description should be visible to the right of each service. Remember do not randomly disable any service you don't understand the purpose of!

Startup SpeedupsWhen using XP or 2000, go to the start menu and choose run; type in "msconfig" without the quotes and hit enter. You'll be presented with the System Configuration dialog window. In Vista, these same settings can be altered in the System Configuration menu.
Inside XP's System Configuration Utility, navigate to the Startup tab; peruse the list, disabling any program that isn't necessary. A lot of the startup items listed here aren't important and should be disabled if you don't need them, effectively expelling them your PC's precious memory. The leaner you can make this Startup list, the better and more efficient your computer will run.

Aside from adding faster and more powerful hardware to your box to improve overall system performance, these are several software tacks that you can take to give your PC a little more pep.

Don't want to waste time with your PC problems? I can save you money from high cost PC repairs. Give me a call for more information on hassle-free computing and making being on the computer fun again. You'll be able to relax with true peace of mind.

Sincerely,
Rosemarie Grabowski

308 687 6085

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.

How to tell, what to do if computer is infected (AP)

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:

• You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.

• You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.

• You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.
So what do you do?

• Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.

• Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.

• You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.
How do I know what information has been taken?

• It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.


http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090315/ap_on_hi_te/tec_inside_a_botnet_checklist

Twitter's Down Look

And It's All Your Fault


Yesterday, I suffered through three hours without access to Twitter. The micro-blogging service, which was hit by a massive denial of service (DDoS) attack, eventually came back—and then it failed again last night. Twitter's working now, but it's acting like it's on life support: slow to respond, listless, and drifting in and out of consciousness.

In other words, there is someone other than you to blame, but good luck finding that person. Wouldn't it be easier for all of us to install security software, pay for the updates, run regular scans, and stop doing risky things online? Yes, it would. And then that one evil person would be writing malware bots that go no further than his own desktop, making future DDoS attacks virtually impossible.

Every day, someone tells me about how their PC is doing something odd, like playing music when a browser isn't open, or launching a browser when they haven't chosen to go online. I've also heard tales of home pages changing to something less pleasant than Google.com. Those are frustrating problems that are usually tied directly to malware. But there's another kind of malware and, ultimately, it's far more dangerous than anything you can see. This bit of code drops onto your PC from any one of the above-named scenarios and then does nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. It does have one task to perform before it truly makes its presence known. It needs to spread. It usually uses your system and, say, your e-mail address book to reach hundreds of other computer users. So the malware (also known as a bot) spreads and, thanks to some clever programming, works to hide itself; there may even be some mutations that allow it to avoid security software sweeps. Just like a viral marketing message, the bot spreads out in ever wider circles (think: they told two friends and then they told two friends and so on and so on). In its wake are, potentially, millions of zombie PCs.

And so what? This has nothing to do with Twitter going down, or my shaking in a corner as I go Twitter cold turkey. Except that it does. The only way Twitter could have been attacked like this—and so successfully—is if millions of infected zombie PCs suddenly attacked the service. Usually, a company doesn't even realize it's under attack until it's too late and the service is offline. Based on the initial messages we saw from Twitter, it didn't know what was happening until Twitter crashed. Again, that's because a DDoS doesn't attack the server as much as the service. It simply floods the system with requests until it chokes. Someone did program the bot to do this and while this person didn't have to do anything yesterday—except pray that there were enough infected PCs out there (thanks to all of you) to make it happen—he certainly knew when it would happen.

Earlier in the week, other major sites, including LiveJournal and The Consumerist, were nearly laid low by a DDoS. Facebook got wobbly, too, yesterday, but somehow held up. The reason Twitter has been up and down is that the bots are continuing to work and may be programmed to switch up the ports they're attacking. So just when Twitter gets ahead of one, it's already mobilizing the attack on another.

All the while, you sit at home with your zombie PC wondering why you can't get to Twitter. I wonder why, too.

Smut Page Ransomware Trojan

What you need to know:

Russian hackers have come up with a new version of ransomeware scams.
It works by displaying an invasive advertisement for online smut sites in users
browsers that victims are extorted to pay to remove.

The Ransompage Trojan will display a persistent ad on every page that a
surfer on an infected Windows machine visits. The ad for a pornographic website
covers parts of the orginal webpage, making it even more annoying.

The ad consists of Russian-language text that instructs victims to send a
premium rate text message to remove the ad-and gain access to an online
smut site in the process.

The idea behind the Ransompage Trojan is to annoy and /or embarrass
the user so much that they give into the pressure to send the text message.

What you need to do:

• If you have the advertisement on your page, Do not call or text the number.
  


• Always keep your invisus software updated and run scans regularly. Your software will detect tools the hacker may use to control your computer.
  


• Don't click on links or visit websites that are sent to you in emails. They may be taking you to a hacked website.
  


• Make sure you are running the latest version of firefox.
  

Other information:

The Ransompage Trojan works with multiple browsers, including
Internet Explorer, some versions of Firefox and Opera. However
the malware is not compatible with the latest version of Firefox,
giving an easy excape route.

The Trojan is either dropped onto already compromised systems
by other strains of malware., or downloaded from malicious web
sites.

Rosemarie Grabowski
PC Security & Identity
Theft Protection
308 687 6085

http://www.amisafeidentitytheft.blogspot.com/

http://www.personalidentitytheft.blogspot.com/

Malware Resists Eradication

Infected PCs are being linked to networks by Criminals--using different pieces of destructive malware that thwart security applications

Millions of PCs strong That's A Botnetweb

Find more evidence of botnetwebs that came from Finjan, a network security equipment company in California. Finjan reported finding a C&C server capable of sending spam, malware, or remote-control commands to a whopping 1.9 million bots.

The C&C server had six administrator accounts, plus a cache of dirty programs. Ophir Shalitin, Finjan marketing director, says Finjan doesn't know which of the programs might have infected which of the PCs--or more important, which malware made the initial infection. The firm traced the (now defunct) C&C server's IP address to Ukraine, and found evidence that the botnet resources were rented out for $100 per 1000 bots per day.

According to Alex Lanstein, a FireEye senior security researcher, a distributed collection of botnets gives bad guys many advantages. If law enforcement or a security firm were to shut down the C&C server for any single botnet, the crook could still make a profit from the surviving botnets.

Creating such botnets typically starts with "dropper" malware, Lanstein says, that uses "plain-Jane, vanilla techniques" and no strange coding or actions that may raise a red flag for antivirus apps. Once a dropper enters a PC (often via a drive-by download or an e-mail attachment), it may pull in a Trojan horse, such as the Hexzone malware being sent by the server Finjan found. That Hexzone variant was initially detected by only 4 out of 39 antivirus engines at Virus total.

How do you make a terrible thing even worse? If you're a crook who operates a botnet--an often-expansive network of malware-infected PCs--you link botnets together to form a gargantuan "botnetweb." And you do it in a way that's hard for an antivirus suite to fight.

Botnetwebs don't just enable crooks to send spam or malware to millions of PCs at once. They also represent a highly resilient infection that uses multiple files. An attempt at disinfection might eliminate some files, but those left behind will often redownload the scrubbed ones.

The culprits "are not a bunch of nerds sitting in some dark room developing these botnets for fun," writes Atif Mushtaq of FireEye, the Milpitas, California, security company that coined the term botnetweb. "These are organized people running this in the form of a sophisticated business."

Rosemarie Grabowski
Identity Protection and PC Securtiy
308 687 6085
http://www.amisafeidentityftheft.blogspot.com

http://www.topsecretfreereport.com/makeadifference-z

Malware Expected to Set Records This Year

Security firm McAfee has identified more than 1.2 million different types of malware in the first half of 2009.

FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=malware"

Taylor McAfee said that this is over double the 500,000 unqiue pieces of malware it identified in the same period in 2008. In total, the security firm identified 1.5 milliion types of malware in 2008, and it expects the 2009 figure to top this.

"In the first half of 2009, we have seen about three times the unique malware discovered in the same period in 2008," said Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications at McAfee.

"This tremendous growth is a signal of daunting times for users, as malware infiltrates more and more of the platforms we trust."

McAfee also revealed that around 40 percent of all password-stealing Trojans can be found on websites connected to gaming and virtual worlds, while 80 percent of all banking e-mail recieved by Web users are phishing scams.

McAfee also said on average victim's of phishing scams lose £520 per scam.

Rosemarie Grabowski
PC Security & Identity
Theft Protection
308 687 6085

http://amisafeidentityftheft.blogspot.com

http://mypcsafefreefromspyware.blogspot.com/