New Technology Reviews!.: Avoid

Download Free PSP Games - Avoid Getting Scammed

Even though the PSP has only been on the market for a little over two years, it has probably been one of the most important advances in gaming technology in the last decade because it gives people the option to play their PSP games anywhere, anytime, without being confined to their living room couch.As with any gaming console used by younger generation there is a demand for cheaper games and accessories and the question of being able to download free PSP games is one of the most common queries I hear.The question is, is this possible?Well, when you begin to search for free PSP games, you'll find that there are a number of options. In fact, you'll be overloaded with them. Some are good and some are downright dangerous!Download Free PSP Games - Alternative #1If you type in 'download free PSP games' into Google or indeed any of the other search engines, you'll be faced with literally millions of results. One of the first sites you'll come across is probably Ebay.Now the last time I checked, there were over a thousand listings claiming to have free psp game downloads but obviously, as with everything on ebay, there is a price to pay. You can't give stuff away for free; it's against their terms of service and I don't know about you but I would trust this type of listing. I even came across one guy who was claiming to tell you the secret of where to download free PSP games - if you paid him for the privilege. Yeah right!Ok so Ebay is no good. On to the next option:Download Free PSP Games - Alternative #2Obviously there are many suppliers online and reputable ones at that. The thing is these are big multinational companies. They need to make a profit and offering their members the privilege of being able to download free PSP games just isn't going to happen.Many appeared to offer it but there was a catch. What it entailed was paying an on-going monthly fee to get access to as many free PSP downloads as you wanted.In some ways this seemed like quite a good deal, although the cost between $50 and $100 per month seemed a bit steep.In other words you could be paying up to $1000 a year just to download the latest psp games, movies and accessories. In short, there are better options.Download Free PSP Games - Alternative #3Ok, this is where you've got to be extremely cautious. Again, if you do a search for free PSP games, you'll come across an array of sites trying to attract your attention.But here's the thing. If you visit these websites one of two things could happen. Or both!The first is that as soon as you hit the landing page, you'll be faced with one of those vibrating banner ads that'll say in flashing writing 'click here to download free PSP games'. Of course, if you click it, you won't find any PSP games at all; you'll just be directed to another page with more banners and pop-ups and this'll just carry on until you close the website down. (if it lets you of course!)The second thing that could happen is that the website really does allow you to download free psp games but once you are directed to the page that contains the links and you start downloading them, you'll soon find that your anti-virus software is working over time to stop the flood of spy ware and other baddies that are trying to infect your computer. In conclusion, an obvious no no.Download Free PSP Games - Alternative #4The final option is by far the best. As I discovered, there are a number of websites out that are safe and have legally sound licences that allow you to <a href="http://www.bizazi.com/psp" rel="nofollow" target="_new">download free PSP games</a> by the bundle. And these aren't hacked versions either, they're the real thing.As well, you'll also get access to music, movies, videos and other accessories that are all compatible with your PSP device.The price? Well to be honest, it's as good as free. Depending on which service you choose (and as you'll discover, there are only three decent ones) you'll pay around a $37 one time fee which will give you unrestricted access to over 20 million free PSP game downloads. And you'll have unlimited access for as long as you own your console.

Download Free PSP Games - Avoid Getting Scammed

Even though the PSP has only been on the market for a little over two years, it has probably been one of the most important advances in g...

In Depth: Learn from the hackers: how to avoid website exploits

<div align="center"><img src="http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7928/pcp302make8bodyimage320.jpg" /></div>When large data breaches are announced, the media can go overboard with its portrayal of hackers as uber-geeks with flashing fingers and skills that are almost supernatural in origin. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. 
By using basic tools and a logical approach, hackers turn websites into playgrounds full of interesting servers to explore, subvert and destroy. There are databases to plunder; there are pages to deface. 
But just what is their approach, and how can we learn to avoid it? 
Footprints on the web 
Once a hacker finds a website that could be worth exploring, their first task is to create a detailed profile of the target, called a footprint. This identifies the basic building blocks of the site and enables the hacker to draw a map of how everything fits together. 
Unfortunately, the way websites work provides hackers with lots of useful information without them having to do much. If there's a login process, for example, they know there's a database containing usernames and passwords. If the site has an ecommerce element, they know there's a shopping cart product in use, or some handcrafted and potentially vulnerable code to try to subvert. 
Similarly, a catalogue of products indicates another database, which could link to a stock control server and possibly also a re-ordering application containing information about trade accounts. The hacker will also survey links to ad servers that feed content into the site. They will also consult the DNS records for the domain. 
DNS is the only way to keep track of what's on the internet and where it all is. But it also gives information about all the publicly accessible servers owned by a domain, regardless of whether their addresses and names are meant for public consumption. 
When I began working as a network security consultant, I found that it was easy to shock clients by showing them their DNS records, and then drawing a map of how I believed their servers were plumbed together. Some network admins had been naïve enough to think that all their important servers needed public IP addresses, making them easy to profile prior to an attack. 
DNS information 
Windows and Linux have tools capable of interrogating DNS, but they're fiddly command line utilities. Luckily, plenty of websites provide easy access to DNS information, including <a href="http://www.kloth.net/services/dig.php">Kloth.net</a>. Enter the name of a domain you're interested in (such as pcplus.co.uk) and press [Enter]. In the answers section that appears, you'll see lines containing the domain name and associated IP addresses. 
<div align="center"><img alt="Kloth.net" src="http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3756/pcp302make8bodyimage142.jpg" width="420" /></div>To search for a possible web server, add www. to the start of the domain and press [Enter]. This time you'll see the domain's web server. If you change the query type to 'MX' and click 'Look it up', the answers section will contain the name of the computer acting as the local mail server (technically called the mail exchanger). 
This name may be the same as the web server, but if it has a different name, enter it into the 'Domain' input box to see its details. 
Another important part of this process is the use of a port scanner such as nmap to discover what services are running on each internet-facing server. See nmap in action at <a href="http://nmap-online.com/">www.nmap-online.com</a>. The default IP address is your own computer. 
<div align="center"><img alt="Nmap" src="http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3461/pcp302make8bodyimage242.jpg" width="420" /></div>To scan it for open ports, click the 'I agree with terms of service' and then click 'Scan now'. Enter an email address for the site to notify when the scan is complete, along with a password to access the results. 
Nmap sends carefully crafted packets to each potentially open port and analyses the information returned to discover not only what's running, but sometimes even detailed information about the running operating system and its TCP/IP stack. This can aid hackers in profiling a website and formulating a coming attack. 
If a mail server is also running port 80, there's a good chance that connecting to it via a web browser will reveal a web mail interface that may have exploitable bugs. However, if the hacker is met by a default Apache web server installation page, it may be that system administrator installed the web server but has forgotten about it. It's likely that the software has never been patched and is vulnerable to a range of exploits. 
By examining the verbiage returned with the web page, the hacker can determine the exact release of the software and any extra modules installed. Finding a NetBIOS service running (ports 137 and 139) indicates that the server runs Windows. An SQL service (port 1143) indicates that there's a database engine running, and so on. 
<div align="center"><img alt="detailed map" src="http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/8518/pcp302make8diagram24201.jpg" width="420" /></div>It's possible to build a detailed map of a domain's capabilities and vulnerabilities from this process. 
Once the hacker has constructed a detailed footprint of the website's hardware and basic software, their attention turns to the web applications. Computer science says that above a certain level of complexity, no program can ever be free of bugs. Luckily for the hacker, less skilled programmers keep making the same basic assumptions and mistakes in the logic of web applications. 
The first task is to map out how the apps work. The hacker begins with a simple click-through of the site to note the names of the pages and what they contain – which ones need authentication, for example. This tells them a great deal, but they can also delve deeper by mapping out the actual directory structure on the server. 
Directory mapping is a matter of noting down the paths in the URL bar of the browser during the click-through. This reveals a lot of detail about the structure of the site, and can give indications about the skill of the web designer. Some structures reveal the hand of a site-builder program at work, in which case a hacker can consult a list of known exploits for sites made with that program. 
<div align="center"><img alt="Hack this site" src="http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3706/pcp302make8box1image142.jpg" width="420" /></div>The hacker notes the methods pages use to pass data from input boxes to PHP scripts. Do they use the GET or POST methods? Each implies the type of processing used by the site's scripts, and may provide ideas about testing for weaknesses in the way rogue input values are dealt with. 
The web is set up to serve the index file of any URL you enter, so the hacker will try adding likely directory names to the domain name to see what he can find. For example, for www.victimsite.com, they might try 'www.victimsite.com/admin' to see if they can access an administration page. 
Another great source of hidden directories is the 'robots.txt' file. This is a plain text file that sits in the root directory of websites and contains directives to search engines about which directories are OK to index and which aren't. The 'robots.txt' file has to contain a list of all the directories that the hacker shouldn't know about, which highlights the need to avoid putting anything on a site that you wouldn't want to find on Google. Where you can't avoid this, don't give files obvious names. 
So-called helper files are also a useful source of information for the hacker. Cascading style sheets, Java classes and embedded JavaScript all give an indication of the skill level of the person who coded the site. This gives an idea of the kinds of errors to expect. 
One of the biggest mistakes made in trying to secure a site is to have users validate themselves using JavaScript embedded in the login page. To the developer, the ease of use, compatibility across browsers and speed all seem like benefits, but the advantages are all on the side of the hacker. 
The attack begins 
The hacker now has a footprint of your site, a list of hidden directories and a map of how the scripts fit together to make up the site's applications. What now? 
They have many options to choose from. The simplest is to point a password-cracker at the administrator account and leave it to gain entry for the purposes of stealing information that can be sold on, or to simply deface the site. This childish activity is normally associated with 'script kiddies' – teenagers who consider themselves hackers, but just run scripts developed by others. 
Real hackers will begin to explore weaknesses in the services identified as part of the footprint. On discovering an SQL service, for example, they can try connecting a telnet client to the port to gain command line access to the database management system (DBMS). Similarly, FTP and Telnet services are easily attacked using password crackers and by exploiting bugs in their software with buffer overflow attacks that can give command line access to the server. 
A more knowledgeable hacker still will try to break or bypass the validation code applied to an input field on a web page to see what happens. Validation code is supposed to take the values of input fields and sanitise them, rejecting data that's clearly wrong. 
If an input field is supposed to contain a number, for example, its validation should reject input if it contains anything other than the digits 0-9. If the hacker enters letters and doesn't get an error message, he can tell that the validation code is lacking. If the input field is for a part number, it may form the basis of a query to a back-end SQL database. 
That being the case, the hacker will ask what happens if they enter the SQL statement termination symbol (the ' symbol), followed by their own query. If this works, they could then ask the database for a list of tables. If they find ones that store customer details and credit card information, it's game over. 
 
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In Depth: Learn from the hackers: how to avoid website exploits

When large data breaches are announced, the media can go overboard with its portrayal of hackers as uber-geeks with flashing fingers and sk...

Useful Tips of How to Avoid Internet Security Threats

In order to avoid internet security threats, you must have internet security software installed on your computer to defend yourself from any such threats. Since internet is being used for various purposes like online shopping, money transfer, banking, etc. If you do not have proper internet security software installed on your computer, hackers may hack into your banking accounts and misuse itHere are few points you need to keep in mind in order to avoid internet security threats:Spyware Spyware are programs that are primarily meant to spy or steal your personal and banking information. Trojans, keyloggers, adware are some of the types of spyware. A lot of online identity theft has been caused all over the world because of spyware. Spyware enter your computer when you download potentially danger software that appears to be a legitimate one. Spyware can steal your password, modify settings on your computer and considerably malign the performance of your computer. Installing and running an antispyware is a must on your computer. Make sure you update it regularly.Spam and email attachmentsThere are many websites on the internet that ask you to subscribe by typing in your email address on their websites to receive updates and newsletters. There is a high chance of your inbox getting bombarded with all kinds of emails that may carry potential virus in the form of email attachments. Never open or download an email attachment from any unknown source. It may contain virusPhishingPhishing is a process through which hackers steal your highly important information like usernames, password, etc. You will receive an email that will claim to have come from a genuine source and will ask you to open a link that present inside the email; once you click on it you will see a fake login page. The moment you press submit after putting login details, your id will be hacked.It is also important to install a firewall when you are on a network or connected to the internet to avoid internet security. The above mentioned points can surely help you in achieving safe and secure browsing on the internet.	 	 		 			 				 					 						The author of this article, Silki Garg, has written many high rated articles on Online Security and <a href="http://webtoolsandtips.com/pc-security/malware/get-warning-alerts-to-protect-your-website-from-malware-attacks/" target="_new">computer security</a>. She advices on how to avoid <a href="http://thepcsecurity.com/prevent-malware-and-phishing-with-long-url-please-firefox-security-addon/" target="_new">Internet Security Threats</a>, virus, trojans, worms and other malware from your PC.

Useful Tips of How to Avoid Internet Security Threats

In order to avoid internet security threats, you must have internet security software installed on your computer to defend yourself from ...

Why Avoid Depending on a Free Internet Security Software?

In the 21st century most of the information that is shared is online. When you are accessing your file there might be a hacking also happening on the other side. On one side there are so many inventions and researches are happening to standardize the country and on the side the way to destroy is also happening. A virus can harm your computer at point of time while you are online. Most of the time the virus would spread unknowingly when you purchase online or downloading. Hence the necessary data's are destroyed. To avoid this only Internet security software can do.Internet security software is nothing but the antivirus, spy ware, anti-trojan and so on. This internet security involves in the protection of the internet account and the files when there is a hacking happening from the unknown user. Internet security software is created in a way, which can protect the information with the help of the passwords and sometimes even taking a back up of a file. Internet security software is programmed in a way that can detect the virus when it is entering. Some of the common viruses are Trojan horses, worms, malware (classified a s Trojans) and so on.Suitable software to protect your dataWhen you go online to find suitable internet security software, you can find any number of security software available online. Some software has to be purchased and some are free software. When compared to the paid internet security software, the free internet security software doesn't work. Free internet security software would work only for a week or so until it is permitted to work. Usually when it's free it would work only for a less time. For time being free software can be installed and it can be kept as a trial for the software you are about to purchase. It can be a trial to know how an anti virus would work. Antivirus would block the IP address from others using it.There is a debate on the security and reliability of free software than the paid software. The free software can be public domain software i.e. the copyright might be expired or the work was not copyrighted. Since public domain software lacks copyright it can be altered by anyone and it can be altered by anyone. Hence some may use it for debugging the software for their convenience and some may create a spyware in it which would create more complex than before. The other technique is through the Copyleft licenses i.e. the author has the copyright and permits the redistribution and modification by others. The work which is modified is also licensed under the same 'copyleft' license. The major issue on the copy right license is the security through obscurity (the quality). In most cases this method lacks in fixes when there is a security flaws. Some claim that the free software claims more vulnerability as the source code is accessible to every one. Free software provides no warranty and also it does not assign liability to any one. The warranty is made just between the software and its usage. Hence to save your private data chose the one which suit your needs.	 	 		 			 				 					 						The author of this article, Silki Garg, has written many high rated articles on Online Security and <a href="http://webtoolsandtips.com/reviews/spyware-removal-tools-and-utility/" target="_new">Best Internet Security Tools</a>. She also runs a useful site on advices on <a href="http://thepcsecurity.com" target="_new">PC Security</a>.

Why Avoid Depending on a Free Internet Security Software?

In the 21st century most of the information that is shared is online. When you are accessing your file there might be a hacking also happ...

How to Avoid Web Security Attacks

Web security is a wide field that encompasses many aspects. These include, but are not limited to, protection from viruses, spyware, ad-ware, key-loggers, mail or IM spam, social engineering attacks designed to force the user to make irrational decisions, spoofing, fraudulent websites, malicious tracking cookies, phishing attacks and computer hacks. As you can see, the field grows vast if you delve deep into it. This article will briefly describe some of these aspects.The importance of web security cannot be understated. A virus attack may make your office/home PC inoperable. You may even lose important data which can never be recovered. Imagine losing an important office document or some cherished images of friends and family. Spywares, ad-ware, malicious cookie and key-loggers may track your internet usage and steal personal information from your PC which may include credit card details and passwords. Hacking, spoofing and email spam may do the same. To protect from all these attacks, many commercial/free products are available. Given below is a brief overview of what security software is available.The most well known web threats are viruses and thanks to their very nature, they can spread through removable media and local networks too. To put it simply, viruses are pieces of code which harm your computer and/or make it vulnerable to more malicious attacks. Many anti-virus solutions from various vendors exist today in the market. These may be available as complete security suites or as stand-alone products. These products also may detect other malicious programs like spyware and ad-ware.Another important piece of software is a firewall/program checker combination. Basically a firewall checks data that is sent or received by your PC from the Internet or LAN. The program checker component of the firewall checks/authorizes applications that access the internet. This component also monitor's system level changes made by the said applications.Other important types of web security software include:Phishing filters: that checks for fraudulent websites as you surf the internet and warns you when such a site is detected. Anti-Spam filters: these check your emails and detect fraudulent, inappropriate and/or other unwanted content in your mail and block them. Ad-Blockers: Ads may be malicious (or may lead to malicious sites). They also hog bandwidth due to their flash based and/or image based nature. Other tools: These mainly rate sites based on user reviews and provide a statistical average of the overall "trustworthiness" of the site. Mostly available in the form of addons to web browsers.However, the most effective way of safely surfing the web can simply be summed up as follows:Never visit un-trusted websites. Secure websites usually have a certificate to prevent data from being spoofed. Never download software and/or other files from un-trusted sources. Software from reputable companies is also digitally signed. Emails from un-trusted sources should be opened with caution. An email that is most likely spam should never be opened. Install the appropriate software as described above to further increase your PC's security. Always keep the above mentioned software up to date. Unless required, keep your computer offline.However, even after following all these steps, no computer will be 100% secure. There will always be a new virus or an ingenious method that can be used to break into or harm a PC. Backing up your data is the final and the most important step that can be taken.	 	 		 			 				 					 						We recommend App Secure Labs, who are an <a href="http://www.appsecurelabs.com" target="_new">application security consultant</a>

How to Avoid Web Security Attacks

Web security is a wide field that encompasses many aspects. These include, but are not limited to, protection from viruses, spyware, ad-w...

How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft Through E-Bay & Paypal

I decided to write this article after I become a victim of identity theft on November 7, 2006. Before this happened to me , I used to be one of those people that think things like this could and would never happen to me, I do not feel this way anymore. I found out the hard way that if you do not take all the necessary step to protect yourself from identity theft, that sometime in your life you could become a victim.First off, let me tell you what happened to me. On the morning of November 7, 2006 I got on my computer to check my emails and do all my usual activity related to my home businesses that I am involved in.When I opened up my email program I noticed the first 50 or so emails were from eBay saying "You have won such and such" item. I am thinking to myself that these emails must be fake emails as I had not bought anything from E-Bay recently. So I thought the next time I go onto eBay I will check and see if these emails were in my messages in my eBay account.Just then my friend called me to ask me if I could go on E-bay and look for something for her as her computer was down (That was my blessing as it would turn out) I go into my E-bay account and as I am looking for this item for her I notice I had a new feedback score, and I knew I should not have a new score as I did not purchase anything new recently.I click on my feedback to see where this came from, and to my surprise I received feedback from one of the sellers that sold an item that was in those emails I had gotten from E-bay. At this point in time I am starting to freak out here because I am now realizing that the emails I received from E-bay were not fake emails apparently. I tell my friend I will call her back.I click into my PayPal account and I see that I have 50+ transactions through eBay and as I am looking at my computer and reviewing the transactions, I realize that someone (I later found out my computer was hacked into) has purchased items through eBay totaling almost $4000.00. I am sure you can probably imagine my reaction!!I immediately called PayPal (very upset and crying) to explain to them that I did not purchase any of these items and I in no way authorized anyone to do so. The woman I talked to was very nice and understanding and calmed me down enough to walk me through the necessary steps that I needed to go through to dispute the transactions and to stop the payments from going through.She helped me with the forms I needed to file through them and after we did that, she told me to print out these forms and take them to my bank, so I would not incur any fees when these charges come through. She told me that they will further investigate and would take action.She gave me some advice that I already knew, but did not always do (or keep up with) to protect myself. It is my hope that in writing this article, I can help stop people from making the same mistakes I did, so that they do not fall prey to this Identity theft as I have.Below are ways that you can avoid becoming a victim:(1) Never open up any suspicious emails, especially if you do not recognize who they are from.These emails are called Phishing emails.What Are Phishing Emails?Phishing emails are deceptively-legitimate looking email from what appears to be a reputable company. The email asks recipients to update their credit card information or their account will be promptly terminated. Or the message offers a service to protect their credit cards from possible fraud.Often "phishing" email messages will use legitimate 'From:' email addresses, logos, and links to reputable businesses such as AOL, PayPal, Best Buy, Earthlink and eBay in the message. But the message instructs you to click on a web link that sends you to a fake website where you are asked to provide personal information to the scam artists. Such sites will ask for information such as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), and bank or credit card account number. Providing this kind of information can leave consumers at risk for identity theft.I found an article that has some tips that offer some tips and advice.:You can read the article below <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/07/21/phishing.scam/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/07/21/phishing.scam/index.html</a>If you do receive any emails that say they are from E-bay (or any other suspicious ones), do not click on the link (s) inside these emails.If you do receive any emails that say they are from E-bay (or any other suspicious ones), do not click on the link (s) inside these emails. When you click on this link, you will be taken to a page that tells you to put in your username and password. This is more than likely why this happened to me. If the emails are really from eBay you will see it in your eBay account under my messages.(2) Make sure you have a reliable (Not Free) firewall installed on your computerI thought I had a good reliable firewall, but as it turned out I did not. My husband had gotten a free firewall for our computer through his AKO account through The National Guards. I will never use a free firewall on my computer again. I now have Mcafee Firewall installed on my computer. It is reasonably priced and it worth the money and then some. You can download a 30 day free full functioning trial and then pay for the firewall after 30 days. I absolutely love this firewall. This firewall has the option to completely lock down your computer when you are not on it.This is a great feature if your computer is constantly connected to the Internet due to having cable internet or any other internet provider that has broadband.You can get Mcafee below<a href="http://us.mcafee.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://us.mcafee.com/</a>(3) Make sure you have a anti-virus software installed on your computer, and keep it up to date.I had one on my computer but it was out of date and I never got around to getting a newer version. I now use Mcafee's Anti Virus software as well as their other software. I bought their Internet Security Suite. It hasA. Offers 8 in 1 protection for your identity, PC, and online experience.B. Provides online security from Identity Thieves, Spammers, and Predators.C. Protects your PC from viruses, hackers and spyware.D. Backs Up and Restores your photos, music and important files.E. Protects your online experience so you can surf the Web, shop, bank, e-mail and instant message safely and securely.F. Keeps your PC healthy and secure.G. Backs Up photos, music, videos, and other important files automatically.H. Intercepts prohibited Web sites, unwanted activity and offensive pictures to keep your family safeI. Simplifies security with the new and improved McAfee® SecurityCenter.J. Warns you about sites which send spam, install adware, or attempt online scams.K. Shields your PC around the clock: always on, always protecting, always updating. You Can check it out below<a href="http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=272" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=272</a>(3) Never save your passwords in your computer.Especially your Online Banking info, E-bay, PayPal, Etc. I (I should have known better) did indeed save all my passwords for every website I use frequently, including, my Online Banking info, PayPal, and eBay. Doing this leaves you vulnerable (as I have found out) to become a victim of Identity theft.I have since restored my computer (of course I lost everything...but I was taking no more chances) and have changed my usernames and passwords for everything, and did not store them to my computer. I now have each one wrote down in a notebook and kept in my desk.If you do become a victim, there are things you can do dispute these transactions. Here Is what I had to do:(1) Immediately contact PayPal.You can find their number under the help center. Explain to them that there are transactions that you did not authorize, and they will walk you through the steps you need to take to dispute them and to correct them.(2) Go right away to your bank with the forms that PayPal will have you print out.This will stop you from incurring any fees and you can make sure that no money is paid out on these disputed transactions.Finally, let me tell you that for a few days or so (up to 10 days) things will be a mess with your PayPal and Bank accounts, but rest assured things will be corrected for you.I am happy to report that things are starting to clear up for me with my PayPal and Bank accounts. My husband and I with the advice of our Bank closed our bank account and opened up a new one, just to be safe. My situation could have been a lot worse for me had it not been for my friend calling me up to ask me to go to eBay and look for something for her. I would not have caught this right away and it could have been longer before things got cleared up for me.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Tina M Barraclough Is A Wife And A Mother Of Five Beautiful Children. She Has Been A Stay At Home Home Mom Since September Of 2001. She Has Been Involved In Several Successful Home Based Businesses, And Has Been Very Successful With Them. She Is The Webmaster of <a href="http://best-home-based-business-idea.com/" target="_new">Best Home Based Business Idea.Com</a> Visit Her Website Today To Find Some Honest And Legit Work At Home Business Opportunities .

How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft Through E-Bay & Paypal

I decided to write this article after I become a victim of identity theft on November 7, 2006. Before this happened to me , I used to be ...

Avoid Facebook Phishing Schemes

Over the past few months I have noticed a large increase in the number of Facebook accounts getting hacked or hijacked by hackers using Facebook phishing. In order to understand this, let's first take a quick look at why Facebook accounts have become such a target for hackers.Why are Facebook accounts being hacked?...Facebook now has over 500 Million users, and provides such incredible demographic information, that advertisers are now flocking to it for targeted advertising. The very same affiliate marketers that have previously resorted to spam email and blog comment spam to force their message out to the public, have now discovered that by hijacking Facebook accounts, they can deliver their marketing message to the friends and connections of those account holders. These "spammy" messages are more likely to be viewed, read, or even clicked on, because they are seemingly coming from a trusted source (the original account holder).Exactly how are these Facebook accounts being hacked and hijacked?..This is really just a new delivery method for an old phishing scheme. Phishing happens when you enter your login credentials on a fake Facebook login page or download malicious software to your computer. This may result in messages or links being automatically sent to a large number of your friends. These messages or links are often advertisements encouraging your friends to check out videos or products.The hacker sets up a dummy Facebook profile and sends out hundreds of friend requests and waits for the requests to be accepted. Once some are accepted, they send out tricky messages via Facebook chat or by posting to the wall of their new Facebook friends. These messages appear as an enticement such as..."hey, what exactly are you doing in this video (click here).... how embarrassing...""this website has some sort of error and is giving away free iPads. Get there fast before you miss out (click here)..."The above examples would include a link that goes to a page that appears to be a Facebook account login screen. The user assumes that they were logged out for some reason (which occasionally does occur) and re-enteres their Facebook username and password. What they don't realize is that the page did not belong to Facebook and they just gave their username and password to a hacker.Once the hacker has collected the user's Facebook account credentials, they simply log into the account, change the password and begin sending out advertisements for affiliate programs, as well as more invitations to give up your account info. This process continues to spread because people are simply not aware.How to avoid getting your Facebook hacked...It is really quite simple to avoid getting your Facebook account hijacked. Just follow these simple steps:1. Never, ever, ever give out your Facebook username and password to anyone.2. Whenever you are at a Facebook login screen, make sure you are actually logging in on an official Facebook page. If you are ever unexpectedly shown a login screen, simply close your browser and open a new one. Then browse back to Facebook.com and login.3. Share this post with any many people as you can. The more people who become aware of this, the less effective the hackers will be, afterall knowledge is power.What to do if your Facebook account has already been hacked or you suspect you may have been "phished"...1. If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure.2. If you are able to access your Facebook account, change or reset your account password as soon as possible to block any outside access to your account.3. If you have been locked out of your account, or it has been suspended due to phishing or sending unwanted messages, your best bet is to simply start a new profile. I have heard from many that trying to get Facebook to reactivate an account is a lesson in futility.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Let's work together to make Facebook a safe place to socialize and network. Get more <a href="http://jonochs.com/avoid-facebook-phishing-dont-open-the-door-to-facebook-account-hijackers/" target="_new">Facebook marketing tips</a> at Jon Ochs' <a href="http://jonochs.com" target="_new">network marketing success</a> blog.

Avoid Facebook Phishing Schemes

Over the past few months I have noticed a large increase in the number of Facebook accounts getting hacked or hijacked by hackers using F...

Computer Security - A Matter of Concern and Tips to Avoid Trouble

With so much of today's business being transacted online, computer security is a major issue affecting businesses and consumers. For online businesses, there can be problems in the form of stolen credit card information, mailing or personal information. If you are selling information, your content may be hacked into and copied. This affects the business and customer adversely, since the customer is likely to blame the online business. This erodes the image of your business and discourages other customers from trusting you with their information. No one likes their email inbox to be bombarded with viruses and spam. If they feel that your site has something to do with it, your business and reputation will suffer long term damage. To avoid problems with your business's computer security, follow the guidelines listed below.Never allow external storage devices - Do not permit anyone to take data out of your system in any form of external storage device, such as floppy disks, CDs etc. for any reason. Obviously, this compromises your safety and that of your customers.Limit employee access - Restrict employee access to files, folders and areas within the system that they require in their day to day work. Do not allow anyone to gain access to any information that they do not require. Make sure that you install systems that lock out employees who do not have authorization.Third party outsourcing - Outsource your payment system to a third party such as PayPal, so that your liability is reduced in case of any computer security problems. This third party will have the necessary technological support to ensure that the customer and your business are safe. But to be sure of this, you will need to do a thorough check on your selected provider or choose a reputable one.Check on your technology vendor - It is important to ensure that your technology vendor has taken steps to protect the server and the software in your system appropriately with firewalls etc. If it is possible and affordable, look into getting a third party security audit of the system from both ends - the server provider & the software at your end since leaks may be from either end. Pages that contain sensitive data should be appropriately protected with software security locks.Newsletter email lists - If you have a newsletter, make sure that your online business keeps its mailing list secure and that no recipient can tamper with it or gain access to the list. This is essential in protecting the privacy of your customer information.Affiliations with reputable associations - Form affiliations with trusted business and computer security organizations, such as BBBOnline, to ensure that customers feel safe coming to your site. The additional benefit of this is the identification of any flaws in the security through a check up.Educate customers - It is imperative to educate your customers about computer safety. Ensure that they know your online business will not send them emails soliciting information and that if they receive any such mail, they should report it to you at once.Content - Protect your content by ensuring that it is safe behind firewalls and other applications that prohibit unauthorized entry. As for public content, simply provide your visitors with updated and informative content regularly since good quality cannot be copied.	 	 		 			 				 					 						William King is the director of <a href="http://www.wholesalepages.co.uk" target="_new">UK Wholesalers Drop Shippers & Trade Suppliers</a>, <a href="http://www.uk-wholesaler.co.uk" target="_new">Wholesalers Suppliers & Drop Shipping Trade Directory</a>, and <a href="http://www.aidandtrade.com" target="_new">Dropshippers & Wholesale Drop Shipping Products Directory</a>. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

Computer Security - A Matter of Concern and Tips to Avoid Trouble

With so much of today's business being transacted online, computer security is a major issue affecting businesses and consumers. For ...

Download Free PSP Games - Avoid Getting Scammed

Download Free PSP Games - Avoid Getting Scammed

Even though the PSP has only been on the market for a little over two years, it has probably been one of the most important advances in g...