I have become more active on Tweeter in the past months, mainly due to a self-imposed Facebook hiatus. I just found Facebook to be so tiresome and irritating (not just the platform but the people using it). I have had my Twitter account for many years now but I rarely use it. Now that I have been using it a lot, though, I realized that it is NOT exempt from spam.

What am I talking about?

Direct message spam. This is one of the most common things I get. I receive DMs from people I don’t know.

Retweets. I love how you can retweet messages on Twitter but sometimes, they just clutter up my timelines! What’s even worse is that I am not even interested in what some people retweet.

Tweets from those I follow. Yep, they can inundate my timeline as well.

The bottom line here is to KNOW who you follow and who follows you. Every single day, I get “follow” e-mails and many times, I have no idea who they are. Now I know better than to follow people I don’t really know. Once, I even got a “The Real Carrie Underwood is now following you” e-mail. Guess what? It wasn’t the real Carrie Underwood.

More so, disable the autofollow feature. This doesn’t make sense as you get all sorts of followers trying to fish for their own followers. Again, filter those you follow.

Another thing you can do is go to this link: http://twitter.com/spam. They have some practical and useful tips that can help you address Twitter spam issues.

Tags: social media, spam, Twitter

Categories: Tips

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Viruses and malware issues are far from being a thing of the past. On the contrary, they seem to grow large by numbers as each day passes. Thus the works of security software companies have their work cut out for them. There is not definite date to which such threats and intrusions would wholly be resolved.

For the time being, it would be advisable for people to scan third party storage devices such as diskettes, USB drives and mobile storages to be safe and sound. These wandering viruses can attack at any time and this is a fact anywhere computer related materials are concerned.

Files can go as far as infecting the executable files, hence document, excel and compiled scripts are baits for immediate infection and malicious intrusions. Software applications also have their limits as their development teams cater only to a specific genre for known harmful files. But it is better to lower the risk of intrusion than not having protection at all.

[tags]scan, spyware, virus, infections, spyware, malware, trojans[/tags]

Tags: infections, Malware, scan, Spyware, trojans, virus

Categories: Backups, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Operating Systems, Programming, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Spyware, Storage, Tips, Wireless Security

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If there is one thing that a lot of people do but deny doing so, it is buying fake software. This is actually understandable if you think about it. Licensed software is just so expensive and with the way things are going financially right now, people are always looking for ways to save a dime here and there. And if you buy unlicensed software, you will definitely save more than a dime!

Then again, if you are talking about security software, I do not really think that it is such a good idea to buy fake software. After all, you are talking about staying safe here, and who knows where all that fake software comes from?

Microsoft has actually issued statements regarding fake security software. Naturally, many will be skeptical about the statements – it is from the largest software company in the world. Of course they will tell you to stay away from fake products, right?

But they do have a very valid point, one which we will all benefit from. Canada.com has a report on this:

Fake computer security software, created by cyber criminals as smokescreens for viruses, is the No. 1 threat to computer security in Canada, software giant Microsoft said Wednesday in its latest biannual security report.

And experts blame hackers for playing on people’s fears of infectious malicious software, such as the Conficker worm.

According to Microsoft’s report, rogue security software, also called scareware, was found in 5.9 million computers, a rise of 66 per cent in the last six months.

What should you do? Make sure you are buying 100% legit software.

“If you see a message pop up (from a website) no matter how dire it is don’t click on it because almost 100 per cent of the time that message is a fake message,” said Mohammad Akif.

“Norton, Symatec, Microsoft — none of these companies sell their software this way.”

Sounds like a plan to me!

Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Spyware, Tips

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And the joke will be on whom? It is not a good joke, actually. In fact, if it indeed happens, it will be one of the worst jokes in cyber security. The Conficker worm has been the subject of many discussions and the target of many security experts’ attention; and rightly so. This worm has infected millions and millions of machines worldwide and has proved to be a headache.

Now, the rumor is that on April’s Fools Day of this year, the third version of the worm will be activated. Those behind the worm designed the first two versions to spread like wildfire. According to experts, those two versions are nothing compared to the third one, 32.Downadup.C, which is supposed to “solidify its position.”

The good news is that the first two versions of the Conficker worm have been thoroughly scrutinized and reverse engineered by security experts. These activities have given them an understanding of how the worm works. The bad news is that the creators of the virus know this, and they will definitely work on creating a “better” version this time around.

Experts say that while the first two versions are able to contact 32 web addresses out of 250 per attempt, the third version could probably generate about 500 domains. More so, the activation of the third version will mean that computers that are already infected can connect to each other AND receive updates of the worm. Worse, the third version will probably be able to fight off security bots. This is more than enough reason to be ultra careful come April 1.

Photo from http://nuevayolblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/conficker.png

Categories: Malware, Real-World Issues, Tips

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The average person spends a lot of time and money on making sure that his personal laptop or desktop computer is secure. From firewalls to anti-virus software to spyware removers – all these kinds of software are installed onto computers to make sure that any kind of malware is kept out. But do you pay as much attention to security on your mobile phone?

According to a recent survey conducted in the UK, mobile phone users do not really pay that much attention to security. IT Pro has this story:

Results from a survey of UK mobile phone users has found too many of us are playing fast and loose with sensitive data stored on our mobile phones.

More alarmingly though, it also found that the majority (99 per cent) of those questioned also used their mobiles for business use, creating a potentially weak security link to their employers’ corporate systems.

So what kind of sensitive data is stored in mobile phones? I think that you can answer this yourself but let’s take a look at some of them:

• Bank account details
• PINs
• Passwords
• Social security numbers

More than these things, mobile phone users also admitted to accessing and storing business data on their phones. This includes downloading spreadsheets and other business documents.

The worst part is that despite the fact that this information is stored in mobile phones, the units themselves do not have passwords and other forms of security measures.

The bottom line? At the very least, we have to put passwords on our mobile phones. Even better, enable encryption.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/osde-info/763025492/sizes/s/

Categories: Real-World Issues, Tips, Wireless Security

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Seems everybody is out for cheap deals on just about everything and who wouldn’t be in this recession where cash is hard to come by and jobs are being shed by the thousands. Now, there are truly some honest cell phone deals out there but you have to be sure you’re getting the right stuff. Having the latest phone gadget might be one thing but keeping that new phone secure from hacks is another. Sure you can get it cheap from the internet but how sure are you you’re getting the real stuff.
Criminals are becoming craftier than ever and they have even managed to copy branded products complete with all the security stickers and holographic security seals with them. They can also be pre-loaded with malware for the amount of computing power they pack is enough to emulate an ultraportable, in function that is. Just how dangerous are these hacking attempts, for mobile devices using Windows very dangerous for there is a group bent on exacting damage on the software giant.
ensuring you have the latest updates to your operating system is vital to maintaining your ability to fend off attacks. Having intrusion prevention systems installed is also a good thing for like your PC, they also need protection. Given the power of these gadgets and their ability to connect to the internet, they are not immune to attack. Let’s set this as an example, an unprotected PC connected to the internet for the first time will last an average of 15 minutes before it is hacked and compromised. Now you do the math for your mobile!

Categories: Cryptography, E-mail, General, IM, IT Security Basics, Malware, News, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Spyware, Tips, Web browsers, Wireless Security

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How often do you use your personal e-mail? How about your work e-mail? I am willing to bet a huge sum that you can’t even answer those questions because you know that you spend a HUGE amount of time on e-mails. You spend so much time that you can’t even track it – but that’s how it is with most people today. E-mail has become part of everyone’s lives that it is not even given a second thought.

When it comes to security, however, we should give e-mail more than a second thought. Do you know just how many security pitfalls there are when it comes to e-mails? LOTS.

Here, take a look at some of these tips and you’ll realize that you haven’t really been paying attention to e-mail security.

When sending to a mailing list or to many people, use BCC.
B-what, you may ask. You know the two other fields below the TO field? One is CC (carbon copy) and the other is BCC (blind carbon copy). Using BCC means the recipients in the list will not see the e-mail addresses of the other recipients. This is particularly important in the eyes of the recipients who may not want unknown people finding out their e-mail addresses. Perfect situation to use this: when sending forwarded whatnots through e-mail.

Don’t be trigger happy.
That is, when you receive e-mails with links in them, asking you to immediately click on the link for one reason or another, DON’T. Even if you are worried to death that PayPal might close your account for no reason, DO NOT CLICK ON THAT LINK. The chances are that it’s not PayPal. If you really want to make sure, open another window and type the URL manually. Whatever you do, don’t click that link.

Categories: E-mail, Real-World Issues, Tips

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There are worms and there are worms. This worm, dear friends, seems to be making more noise than usual. In fact, since the Conficker worm was detected in October of 2008, it has affected more than 9 millions computers worldwide. In fact, Christopher Null over at Yahoo Tech says that the situation has gotten so bad that the numbers might have reached 15 to 20 million by now!

So how do you make sure you are protected? Here are some ways by which you can make sure that the Conficker worm will not get into your system.

First, it is important to understand that this worm takes advantage of security holes in Microsoft Windows – so what’s new? What you should make sure of is that your Windows is updated. Go to Microsoft and make sure that you have an updated patch that will resolve this issue.

Another thing that you can do is to disable autorun for CDs and USBs. The Conficker worm is a self-replication program and can spread through a network or removable disks. As such, when plugging in any removable device, you can take on the added protection by NOT having autorun on.

The good news is that home networks are relatively safe from the worm. This is due to the fact that firewalls and similar protection are often set in place. Do not be complacent, however, especially if you use your laptop outside of your home.

Good luck protecting your PC against this worm!

Categories: Malware, Tips

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Blogs are the in-thing today and everybody on the planet wants to have one. Wordpress being one of the most trusted and used platforms has suffered a great deal from the relentless attacks conducted by hackers who use it for spreading malware to the millions of users on the platform. Another weak link in the blogging trends are the millions of hosting companies, who all want to host as many people on earth they can so they earn as much profit as possible. These hosting servers and service providers might smell good on the outside but can be quite rotten on the outside so getting the right information on the hosting service you aim to use is vital for the survival of your blogging efforts. Web hosting review sites have sprung all over the place and are proving to be the best source of information for budding bloggers and SEO marketers. They offer unbiased information regarding the several or so hosting services giving you the tools to determine the best web hosting information around. These analytical tools may spell success or failure for your blog and thus SEO efforts, so don’t go out without them.

Tags: Cost Analysis, Hosting Information, Web Hosting, Web Hosting Reviews

Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Real-World Issues, Tips

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Emails are supposed to make life easier but sometimes, it may be wise to choose who you give out your email to. Today, a lot of mischief can be done and normally this comes in forms of email attacks or email bombs. In such scenarios, don’t be surprised if you find your email downloading hundred to a thousand emails in one sitting. That is not the best part. You would be lucky if this was done only once since others would schedule it daily.

Why do they do it? One is for trials of these foolish software and the other can perhaps be for malicious reason. It is a fact that while many people on the web cannot be harmed physically, they can create headaches for you in the form of discomforts from the privileges you get from the web. One of the main elements an online user would need to use is his email and by doing these email attacks, it burdens the person on how to get important information usually sent through the web.

One cannot avoid such instances. But the best way to prevent it is to choose the people you give it too. For people you meet on the web, it would be wise to use free mail accounts from Gmail or Yahoo over your personal one. Avoid the troubles of such since it will not only be a discomfort, but a forgettable experience as well.

Tags: emal, explosion, security, spam

Categories: IT Security Basics, Malware, Security Policies, Spyware, Tips

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