Cyber Security’s 1st Line of Defense

Your Browser – Cyber Security’s 1st Line of Defense

 Nowadays, some people seem to have forgotten the value (and the inherent dangers) of their computer’s browser. They forgot that the browser, per se, works like a two-way street. It is where cyber security should police the two-way cyber traffic.

 A web browser’s main job is to find and display internet websites. After that, it makes possible the “communication” between your computer and the web server where a site is located.

 Cyber security risks
 But, your browser could be – and this is the dangerous part – the gateway of the cyber world into your computer. And, not all of the things from the Internet going inside your computer are good. Some are downright risky.

 Today’s browser is sophisticated enough, through the years of innovation, to handle the multiple applications needed to surf the Internet. Many of these try to boost up and heighten the surfing experience by enabling your browser’s functionalities.
 But sometimes, these functionalities are not needed and they can leave your computer vulnerable. It is therefore safe to disable them until they are needed.

 In a perfect world, one should set one’s browser security to the highest level possible. But these settings may restrict the functionality of other features and prevents some web pages to load properly. The best compromise solution would be to set your browser to the highest security level (to prevent attacks) but at the same time enabling some features to work when you need them.

 Today’s many browsers are mostly graphical browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, AOL, Opera, Safari for the Macintosh, and Lynx for the visually-impaired users.) These are capable of playing video and audio clips, aside from displaying texts and graphics. Most have user-friendly tabs and options in choosing your preferred security level setting.

 It is essential to know and be familiar with your browser and how it is different from the others. It will come in handy when you evaluate and determine the features and setting most appropriate for your use.

 For instance, to explore the basic security options in Windows’ Internet Explorer, you click Tools on the menu bar, select Internet Options, choose the Security tab, and click the Custom level. In Firefox, you click Tools first, select Options, and then click Content Privacy and Security tabs. The others have their own path systems.

 Choosing your browser

 Security should be paramount in choosing your browser. But, of course, given one’s particular needs in surfing and using the Internet, other considerations are just as important. Sometimes, a browser comes packaged with the operating system. It should not limit, however, your choice.

 Compatibility – does your browser work with the OS (operating system) of your computer?
 Ease – are you comfortable and familiar with the options, menus, system of your browser?
 Function –will it still work if other plug-ins or other devices are installed?
 Appeal – do you like how your browser looks and works?
 Functionalities - Your browser should be able to give you the option of putting web sites into different segments, or zones, and define different security restrictions for each. The best protection should be to set the security to the highest level, or maintain it at a medium level.
 If you know of some sites which can be classified as trusted, you can set your browser setting accordingly. You may require them to implement SSL or Secure Sockets Layer so you can verify if they are what they claim to be. Note, however, that it is good to avoid lowering your security levels with them. If they are attacked, you might be included.
 You may restrict particular sites you are not sure of. Prevention is always the best cure for any disease, real-life or online.

 Be careful about your Java and ActiveX controls. These scripts, used to achieve certain appearances or functionality, can be used in attacking your computer. This is also true about Plug-ins, those additional software that enhances the function of some programs. Make sure that the sites that installing them are trustworthy.

 For safety, it is advisable to disable Cookies and enable them only if the site you trust requires them.

 Cyber Security starts first in your browser. It is best that you start the safeguarding process from there, your computer’s door to the wide, wild realm of cyber space.

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Tips And Tricks

Handy Tips And Tricks For Keeping Your Pc Clean

By Author: Aida Martin

If your Windows computer is functioning sluggishly, then you should try these handy tips and tricks to optimize its speed. If you do not maintain and clean the computer, then its speed and functioning get adversely affected. Even though cleaning up the PC may seem tiresome, but it is definitely a fruitful exercise. Here are a few ways to clean up your PC:


1. Clear out the trash


Now, nobody likes taking out the trash, but it is essential to maintain cleanliness. Recycle Bin and Trash is present so that users can restore the documents that they have accidentally deleted. However, with time the Recycle Bin files up and eats up a lot of space. For this reason, you need to empty the Trash frequently. Before doing so, just quickly review the items present in the Trash or Recycle Bin and restore the ones you want.


If you want, then you can change the size of your Recycle Bin. This way the Recycle Bin will empty itself at a more frequent pace as it will get filled more quickly. Just click right on the Desktop, and choose Properties from the drop-down menu. Now, quickly customize the Custom size.


2. Conduct a hard drive cleanup


One good thing about Windows is that it comes with a preloaded tool for clearing the hard drive of redundant data. Therefore, you must perform a hard disk clean up every couple of months. Open the Computer, and right-click on the hard drive. After that, click on Properties. In the Properties pop-up box, just click on the General tab and select Disk Clean-up.


The operating system will quickly scan the entire drive. After that, a list of all the sorts of files to clear will get displayed. Now, select all or some of the data you wish to remove. You can also view the files before cleaning the hard disk. Click on the OK button and confirm the action when prompted.


3. Run Disk Defragmentation


In order to optimize your computer experience, you need to defragment the files in the hard drive. Doing so will drastically boost the PC performance. Even though disk defragmentation is a process that takes a while, but you must conduct it on a regular basis. Here are the steps for defragmenting a hard drive:Open the PC and click on the Start button.Now, select Control Panel.

Navigate to System and Security.

Allow the Administrative Tools window to launch.

Now, press the Defragment your hard drive option.

Allow the Disk Defragmenter window to pop-up.

Now, you need to hit the Analyze disk option.

After that, check how much drive needs to be defragmented.

Select the Defragment disk option from the lower right corner.

Wait for the process to get over.

Finally, click on the Close button.



4. Remove and uninstall unused programs


Often, people install apps and programs and forget to delete them when they become useless. If your computer has several programs which you have not even opened for a long time, then you may try uninstalling them. Several apps have their own uninstaller and removal tools. Or else, you can remove the redundant apps from Settings. Here’s how:


Open the Settings app.

Now, click on Apps.

Select the app you wish to remove.

Press the Uninstall button.

Follow the prompts that appear on the screen.

Aida Martin is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about cybersecurity. She writes about the latest updates regarding mcafee.com/activate and how it can improve the work experience of users. Her articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs, and websites.


Source:- https://go-mcafee-activate.com/handy-tips-and-tricks-for-keeping-your-pc-clean/



More About the Author

IT expert having deep knowledge about PC antivirus products. Mainly researching and writing blogs.

How to Maintain and Verify the Integrity of Your Windows System Files

By Jacob Bush 

If you are trying to figure out whether all the files on your Windows system partition are correct and unmodified, and there are no hidden files added by viruses, rootkits or malware, you may find it a challenge to complete your task. If you have no ideas on how to do, just check out the methods given below.

1, Using disk imaging software

There are many excellent disk imaging freeware as well as commercial software, such as Acronis True Image and DriveImage XML, they provide you the ability to create an image of the entire system partition, when your system is clean, you can use these utilities to make an entire system backup, you can then revert your system to a former clean state in a few minutes at any time.

2, Using folder monitor program

There tools could monitor files activities on the windows system for you, when a file is created, changed or deleted, you will be notified and the event will be logged.

3, Using MD5 generator

MD5 is a commonly used cryptographic hash function to check the integrity of files and folders. If two files have the same MD5 checksum, they are believed to be identical.

You can create a snapshot of your system by generating and saving the MD5 hash value of all the files on your system partition, when you want to check the integrity of them, just boot up your computer with a live cd like Windows pe cd, then compute the md5 checksum of all files, and compare the result with the one you saved before.

If you are interested in this topic, check out the free md5 checker software for more useful information.


Article Source:

Reasons To Sign On With My PC Backup

4 Reasons To Sign On With My PC Backup Today

By: Robert Palmer


We live in a world today that continues to become more reliant by the second on technology and computers. From music to movies, bank accounts to business folders, people use and store just about everything on their computers these days. But are you protected from a virus or threat that could erase all of your data in an instant?

There is no denying the fact that hackers have become increasingly knowledgeable as well. It is astounding what they are capable of doing and how many people they can affect with one virus. One company that has the answer to this worry that will guarantee your safety is My PCBackup. And while there are similar companies out there, none come close to comparing.

The first reason you too will want to jump on board with My PC Backup is the security that you will receive. Security is everything when it comes to backing up all of your data considering the kinds of information that will be transferred over. All of your files will be encrypted with the same security that banks use.

A feature that appeals to many is the fact that you can sync your data and files to multiple computers. A lot of people have multiple computers or are connected to family members within the home. A unique sync folder from the company gives you the ability to sync files between multiple computers automatically. Never again will you have to wait hours to transfer from one computer to the next.

On a convenience level My PC Backup is 100% automated. Rather than sitting and playing around with thousands of files, you can catch a movie or head out for a nice evening on the town as your files automatically backup. This will save you a great deal of time and frustration when it comes to getting to the finished product.

The final reason My PC Backup is the route for you to take is because of the unlimited storage that is offered. Some people have a minute number of files to transfer while others are running their entire business from the computer. For this reason, it is vital you have a backup program capable of handling a multitude of files. And unlike other providers, there is no limit to the amount of files you can back up.

There are countless reasons why My PC Backup is the safe and smart option to put your trust into. You can count on your files remaining private, the process is 100% automated and there is no limit as to how much you can transfer over.


Author Resource:-> Would you like additional information on My PC Backup and how their Automatic PC Backup can work for you. Bill Lawrence invites you to visit his website for everything you need to connect safely and securely with cutting edge equipment. Great income opportunity as well.

Article From ArticleDude.com Article Directory

How to speed up your computer

By: sunil kumar


In this Article I will show you some steps How To Speed up your computer. As the time passes your computer speed decreases therefore you need to use some windows utility to maintain the performance of your Computer. You don't need to be a technical guy to learn these tricks and tips.

Here are the following Tips to Speed up your Computer 
 Use Free Registry Cleaner to clean your Computer registry : when you use computer regular basis as the time progresses you install or uninstall many softwares. When you install or uninstall  software on your pc there are many files left on your computer's registry which need to be removed in order to run your PC Faster.
You cannot clean your registry manually in order to clean your computer registry you need software. The best free software to clean your registry is called CCleaner. Just search on Google you will find the download link. Download and install the software on your Computer.
Open CCleaner, you will see four tab buttons on left side first tab is cleaner, registry, tools and last is options tab. Click on Registry Tab then you will see "scan for issues" button click on it. it will scan all errors and issues on your registry and ask you to fix selected issues click ok and that's it.

1. Remove Spyware and Viruses : Spyware and viruses are the main causes of computer slowdown because you computer may have several or many spyware, Trojans and viruses are store in a form of cookies while you surfing on net. These spywares, viruses and Trojans are very harmful for your computer therefore you have to protect your computer from spywares and viruses.

You can use Kaspersky, Mcaffee, Norton 360 antivirus software These are the best antivirus software which you can use for your Computer. Today your computer is not safe without antivirus software because there is a lot of spywares, viruses and Trojans spreading all over the internet, therefore no computer is safe without antivirus software.
Keep update and run your antivirus software regularly.

1. Use Windows Disk Clean Up Utility to boost Hard disk performance : Click the Start in bottom left corner, and then click Run, and type "cleanmgr.exe" in the text field. Then a dialog box will open ask you to which drive do you want to disk clean up and select drive and click ok.

Disk clean up will scan your computer and delete the temporary files which stored in your C drive that causes slowness of your computer.


Author Resource:-> Learn the secret tips to Speed up your Computer and Remove Viruses from your Computer. Download my Exclusive Free Report Here www.repairpcproblem.com


Article From ArticleDude.com Article Directory

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Knowing an IP Location

The Importance of Knowing an IP Location

By: Mike Morgan


There are many occasions when it is helpful for Web masters to identify where their visitors are coming from. This is useful for people running e-commerce websites. They need to know where their potential customers are located. If they are in another country then that country’s language can be used for their website. It is not possible for ordinary website owners to know the exact location of a website. But given the IP location they can know the general region that the person is from. Knowing the IP address is also useful for tracking down hackers and spammers.

IP addresses are assigned not based so much on the physical location of the person as much as where he gets his internet connectivity from. The IP address assigned to one home might be very different from that assigned to his neighbor if they use different service providers. If someone wants the exact location of an IP address then it is only the Internet service provider that can give this information. However, most internet service providers have strict privacy policies that prevent them from disclosing this information. But there is some software available online that can provide the location of an IP address.

Every computer has what is known as an IP location. Each computer is assigned a different number that effectively becomes its own unique address. Many users want to know what their IP address is. They can easily find this information by doing an IP lookup. They can simply enter the query in any search engine. The answer will give the user his IP geo-location information. Every IP address has four sets of numbers that are separated by a period. These addresses are used by Internet service providers to find the location of a computer anywhere in the world.

Initially many Internet service providers gave static IP addresses to the computers. But over the years the number of people using computers has kept on increasing. It has now become necessary to assign more dynamic IP addresses to computers. These addresses are issued from a pool and limit the ability of users to host FTP servers, websites and mail servers. This also helps users who want to connect to the Internet through virtual hosting. Dynamic IP addresses allow for multiple addresses to be used at one time. The best example of this method is the wireless Internet in a home, which allows the personal computer, tablet and cell phone to be used at the same time to surf the Internet.

Knowing the IP location is very beneficial for a user. It enables him to access various forums on the Internet. It also helps him with speed checks, e-mail tracing and proxy detection. Having this information also helps the user with greater safety in all his online activities. The IP location is a lot like the mailing address of a home or an office. Just like these unique addresses identify a home or an office anywhere in the real world IP addresses perform the same function in the virtual world.


Author Resource:-> Mike Morgan is the author of this article on my ip location.
Find more information, about ip lookup here

Article From ArticleDude.com Article Directory

Secure PDF Files

Knowing How To Properly Secure PDF Files 

by Achilles Marshal

If you are an avid computer user, or you are a technologically savvy person who enjoys reading and surfing the web, then chances are you either use or come into digital contact with PDF files. While PDF files are incredibly easy to open and use, it can be difficult to know if the PDF files which you are using are secure PDF files, or if they pose a potential risk or threat to your computer's safety and security.
 In order to properly prepare your computer in the event that you accidentally come into contact with a dangerous or hazardous PDF file, it is important to take the proper preventative steps to ensure that a harmful PDF does not do any serious damage to your computer's hard drive. When you use only secured PDF files, you can avoid many computer problems.

 The first step one should take in order to ensure that you have secure PDF files on your computer is to password protect all of your PDF files. This will guarantee that, regardless of how you use those files, any malicious external parties who get their hands on the files will not be able to open them or access them. Password protecting files is the first step which should be taken towards better PC protection and security. It is also important to keep a thorough retainer on all passwords used to protect files – don't accidentally lock yourself out of a file because you forgot the password! If this occurs, you may never be able to open that PDF again.

 The second step one should take in order to ensure that you have secure PDF files is to never open PDF files which are downloaded directly from an unknown or unfamiliar website. PDF files downloaded from malicious websites could directly attack your hard drive and personal files, wreaking irreversible damage on your computer and forcing you to either restore your hard drive or buy a new computer altogether. If you need to download PDF files from the internet, be sure that you are receiving them through a reputable and well-known website which will not provide you with harmful or hazardous files. Also, be sure to run a file scan on PDFs which you download online, regardless of which website you receive them from. Even if you download PDFs through a reputable site, the PDFs themselves may have been compromised prior to being uploaded by the website, or they may have been corrupted while on the website's server.

 Following these simple tips for success will allow you to avoid downloading harmful PDF files and ensure that your PDF files remain as well-protected and secure as possible. Be sure to run system diagnostics and other preventative security measures as frequently as possible in order to minimize the possibility of data loss and corruption. With your secured PDF, you'll be able to feel confident you have the security and privacy you need with your private information.

 For more information about secure PDF files visit the website http://www.locklizard.com/secure-pdf-files.htm 






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Autoruns 11.42

Autoruns shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.

Autoruns' Hide Signed Microsoft Entries option helps you to zoom in on third-party auto-starting images that have been added to your system and it has support for looking at the auto-starting images configured for other accounts configured on a system. Also included in the download package is a command-line equivalent that can output in CSV format, Autorunsc.

This download includes the exe and command line versions of Autoruns.

Download Autoruns from FileHippo.com

Download CCleaner 3.26.1888 - FileHippo.com

CCleaner 3.26.1888

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)   

Cleans the following:

• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• Safari
• Windows - Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files.
• Registry cleaner
• Third-party applications
• 100% Spyware FREE

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Anti Virus Security for Windows

Protect your PC with Microsoft Security Essentials

Free Anti Virus

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Microsoft Security Essentials is a new, free consumer anti-malware solution for your computer. It helps protect against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It's available as a no-cost download for Windows XP SP2 and higher, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

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"I'm from Microsoft and I'm here to help." At least, that's what reader MP thought he heard when he answered the phone. It wasn't.
Con artists all over the world are bilking big bucks out of unsuspecting Microsoft customers — including savvy Windows users.

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4 Smart [and Free] Programs For Your Computer

You can protect your computer's security by installing any one of several freeware programs. Four are covered here.

One of the fun parts of owning a computer is, of course, access to the internet. The worldwide web is chock full of useful information, readily available at your fingertips! It is also home to potentially lethal viruses, many of which can wreak havoc on your system within moments. The following four programs can help you avoid trouble; best of all they are absolutely free.

Firefox – a web browser for the ages. Okay, a web browser that beats Internet Explorer by preventing pop ups and harmful scripts from being downloaded to your computer. Lots of nifty features too, including tabbed browsing, live bookmarks, and tons of add-on features.

Spybot Search and Destroy – gets rid of adware, spyware, and malware. Blocks the installation of spyware before it occurs; works in conjunction with anti-virus software, not as a replacement for one.

AVG Antvirus – offers basic antivirus protection including scanning email attachments for viruses and scanning of all hard drives, removable drives, and external drives on your computer. A paid version does some additional tasks and includes technical support.

Zone Alarm – if you don’t have a firewall installed on your computer, you are opening yourself up to potential catastrophic security breaches. With Stealth Mode enabled you can search the internet in private, away from the intruding eyes of those who might want to steal your important information.

As with many freeware programs, “pro” or professional versions of the software are sometimes available to give computer users a maximum amount of protection, for a price. Still, all four of these programs have something to offer and are worth exploring. Your computer safety and privacy is essential, insure it today by downloading the programs that are right for you.