New Technology Reviews!.: Filters

What is EV SSL? EV SSL stands for Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer. EV SSL certificates act exactly the same as your conventional SSL certificates, the only difference is the fact that the identity of each certificate holder will be verified and each one will be subject to a very strict, ongoing screening process. But this is nothing new, was that not the purpose of normal SSL certificates? Yes it was, but SSL issuers have become lazy and are not always adhering to the best security standards when they issue certificates for web sites. The problem does not lie with the initial issuing of the certificate, but with the lack of control and supervision over the web site thereafter. What certificate issuers are trying to achieve by creating a new type of certificate, is not clear to me. It is not going to solve the problem if you cannot improve your own security standards, in fact, why issue a new type of certificate when you only need to improve your standards and supervising methods? It is hard to believe that this is not only about money.Developers of browsers like Opera and Konqueror are supporting the idea, while Mozilla, the makers of the very popular Firefox, is evaluating various solutions and looking for one that will suit everyone, not just high profile corporations. Supporters of the new technology use the ever-increasing threat of phishing scams as a reason to justify the importance of EV SSL. They are concealing their intentions with the smokescreen of "protecting" users against phishing attacks. But once again corporations are looking for ways to make money out of a corrupt system. They are not seeking a cure, but a way of making money by only treating the symptoms of the problem. The correct approach is to treat the root of the problem, namely ignorance. Swindlers will always find a way to circumvent anti-phishing filters and EV SSL protection, but it is hard to bypass common sense once the user has grasped the essence of phishing scams. Companies do not make money out of the common sense of witty users, they actually loose money because of them. The vigilance of informed users empower them to identify phishing scams easier without using advanced software or EV SSL protection.The EV SSL approach is insulting the ethics of the honest small business owner running a decent web site. Law abiding web site owners are treated like criminals and criminals have the chance to break through the new technology to create an opportunity for another set of new SSL certificates, which means more money for certificate issuers. But in the end you are nowhere near the real solution. EV SSL is like having the burglar alarm of your retail shop activated during the day while consumers visit your shop. What is the use of EV SSL when people only browse your site for information? What is the use of encryption if there is no sensitive information to be transferred between the browser and the web site? What is the use of a green address bar if your site never engages in confidential transactions? I do not think software companies will like it when anti-virus companies start to demand that they buy a special signature to sign all their files with, only to have these files classified as safe by the anti-virus scanner. So what is the use of heuristic detection methods if everyone needs a certificate to comply with the safety criteria of an anti-phishing filter? How many people really know how to verify the validity of an SSL certificate?The main reason why people fall victim to phishing scams is because of ignorance, curiosity, greed and lack of common sense. People blindly believe everything the computer tells them to do. You can make users click where you want them to, you can make users respond to e-mails in the way you want them to, you can make them visit web sites without letting them know what type of web site they will be visiting, you can even make them pay for things they do not really need. You see, people are computer slaves, they simply obey and believe without questioning the purpose of their actions. If the address bar does not turn green, users will simply believe that the site is not safe, or even worse, fraudulent, whether it is true or not. On the other hand, they will put their trust in a system that can always be bypassed, maybe not easily but there is always a possibility. Is a site really safe if the address bar turns green? How sure are you that a site with an EV SSL certificate was not maybe hacked? What if a malicious add-on hijacks your browser, making the address bar turn green for dangerous web sites without you even knowing it? You cannot put your trust in software that is constantly a target for hackers and hijackers. You cannot use artificial solutions for today's breed of computer criminals. Internet users need to stand on their own two feet, they need to be able to identify these threats on their own without counting on vulnerable software and security systems. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to identify a fraudulent site, but large corporations want you to believe that only they can tell you which site is safe and which site is not through their "wonderful" software. What happened to your freedom of choice, do you want a computer to make all the decisions for you?Most of your common phishing scams start with an e-mail as the bait. No one will visit a phishing site at random, you need something or someone to take the user to that site. Taking this into account you soon realise that it is not the anti-phishing filter of the browser or an EV SSL certificate that is going to solve this problem. For instance, 419 scams can be done completely through e-mail without having the victim visiting a single web site, so no EV SSL certificate or anti-phishing filter is going to prevent a Nigerian 419 scam from succeeding. Spam is the vehicle of all types of scams on the Internet, but at the same time the least controlled problem in the online world. Authorities are aiming at the wrong target. The main purpose of EV SSL certificates is to reward ethical, trustworthy web sites with a status symbol of being safe and secure. But is it ethical to base your reasons for using this technology on the ignorance of people without combating the true root of the problem?	 	 		 			 				 					 						About the Author Coenraad is webmaster and founder of <a href="http://www.cybertopcops.com" target="_new">Cyber Top Cops</a>, leaders in Internet security, prevention of online fraud and educating users against malicious software.

Why EV SSL And The New Breed Of Anti-phishing Filters Won't Work

What is EV SSL? EV SSL stands for Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer. EV SSL certificates act exactly the same as your conventional ...

A firewall is essentially a network security software that inspects and focuses purely on the network that it has been placed across. The firewall is like a sort of a guard station on your computer's gateway, making sure that you and your computer are protected from some of the more nefarious elements of the digital superhighway. Normally found on internal networks and the internet, the basic task of this element of network security is to regulate the flow of information to and from your computer.It has a double element of service, meaning that not only does it work to prevent these black hat elements like malware and viruses from infiltrating your computer, it also blocks an already infected computer to 'hack' into a net work or even spread its internal viruses to other people within the network. A firewall is usually highly configurable and works on a basic set of rules that you give it. Most firewalls have an extensive options menu which you can use to customise to your needs. This article will discuss spam and how firewalls hold up against them - and also why in the day, you will still need a filter to clear your inbox from junk mail. While firewalls are great in stopping viruses and malware from entering your computer, it is does not specifically specialise in spam and junk mail.The reason why sometimes firewalls are not effective against spam is simply because emails are routed to a server, usually a POP3 server, which sometimes by passes the firewall built into your computer. Even if you have a modem firewall, it might not be totally effective. It scans for bad applications, proxies, shady i.p and even packets of information recognised as hacking attempts by other external sources. The vast disparity between emails and the technological backing behind spam is so great and varied, it is simply impossible to get rid of the spam problem using a firewall alone. This is why you need a specialised device, bespoke for spam and junk mail filtering to support the fire wall and even the anti virus programme that you are running on your PC.Just think of the firewall and the anti-virus as the front 2 line defences against the bad elements of the internet. Most of the time, viruses, malware, adware, worms and Trojans are detected on entry, but spam and junk mails represent the more stealthy 'ninja' like entities that work hard to choke your email server and clog up your inbox with worthless mass marketing efforts. A filter is a specialised piece of software that can route and delete them on detection; as well as a highly customisable and flexible piece of programming that ensures only your important emails get through and the junk mails stay where they belong. Filters can also log bad i.ps, addresses and place black lists on your email servers, ensuring you will be free of them forever.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Don't let spam control your life. Eliminate time wastage with this award winning <a href="http://www.antispam.com.sg" target="_new">Spam Blocker Utility</a> System. <a href="http://www.antispam.com.sg" target="_new">Click here</a> for your free trial today.

When Your Firewall is Just Not Enough - Get Filters For Spam and Clean Your Inbox

A firewall is essentially a network security software that inspects and focuses purely on the network that it has been placed across. The...