Anti-Virus Protection - Yes, No, Maybe So?

<P> </P><br /><P>As one reads this title, you may be wondering: What is Anti-virus protection? How do I get it? Why is it important? Is it important?</P><br /><P> </P><br /><P>In today's world, if you own a computer, the mention of anti-virus software has been brought to your attention. Although anti-virus software was not always essential to maintaining a computer, the advances in technology have secured anti-virus software as a necessary part of operating a computer. After reading this factual statement, the one question that should come to mind is: WHY?</P><br /><P> </P><br /><P>As you read this, I would like you to think of your own computer. How many important documents do you have saved to your computer hard drive? How many wonderful family photos and memories do you have stored in your picture albums? Can I really live without going on my Facebook page everyday?</P><br /><P> </P><br /><P>If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, you must answer yes to the need of installing anti-virus software onto your computer. Every day that you log on to your computer and download images, surf the web, research information, order clothes, and just about any other thing imaginable, your computer is subliminally welcoming in viruses. These viruses can go undetected, slow down your computer, and could even cause a complete crash of your entire system; without your knowledge that anything is even occurring.</P><br /><P> </P><br /><P>Installing anti-virus software protects your computer to any pre-exposed viruses that may be lurking behind the single click of your mouse. The software essentially scans your files and eliminates any suspicious software, located unidentifiable viruses, and any abnormal behavior within your systems and computer. Performing daily, weekly, or even monthly scans will keep your computer free of viruses and running at lightening speeds.</P>

Anti-Virus Protection - Yes, No, Maybe So?

  As one reads this title, you may be wondering: What is Anti-virus protection? How do I get it? Why is it important? Is it important?   In ...

Continue Reading>>

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

<br /> <p>Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug trade. Identity theft intrusions can come from a variety of sources and places where you hang out on the internet. Even some of our favorite sites like Face Book and My Space are not scam proof and you can very easily lose your personal information on the internet in a variety of ways.</p><p>The dangers of identity theft are accentuated with rapid growth of wireless communications such as the Wi-Fi. What once appeared to be a harmless and time efficient activity, browsing the net or checking your email in your favorite book store, library, coffee shop or in hotels while on travel has turned out to be extremely dangerous because you can very easily lose your personal information. There are countless identity thieves with wireless snifters around these places trying to get your credit card number, social security number, any identifying information and even the IP address of your computer.</p><p>However, due to extensive coverage in the media most people are now getting serious about preventing Identity Theft. Most, computers come with one of the many Internet Security Software available in the market place today. What started as software to protect computers from viruses has grown into very elaborate and complex suite of security features. These days top Internet security software come with features that stop viruses, spy ware and computer hacking attempts; set parental controls and even alert you of phishing attempts. They come with parental controls, advanced firewall options and even network monitoring for wireless networks. Some of them even have tools to clean up accumulated unwanted files and clutter and cookies from the internet, erase traces of personal information and surfing history. Some of the latest features introduced in top internet security software now include some form of Identity Theft Protection measures such as password protection and authentication of trusted sites.</p><p>Are these measures enough and fool proof? Certainly not. It is a long way from a total secure environment. There are two things that come in the way. Browser security and router security. It is important to keep your computer updated with latest updates and security patches of its operating system (mostly Windows) and browser (Internet explorer and others). Both of these concerns are being addressed better than in the past but still pose a great deal of vulnerability. Hackers have the ability to find vulnerabilities and can beat firewalls. So it is far from a secure system.</p><p>The second point of vulnerability is the router security in a networked computer. But it is also one of the most overlooked and perhaps the best methods of protecting your computer from intrusion and your self against identity theft on the internet.</p><p>It is the router which assigns an IP address to the computer linked to the net. IP address is a unique identifying numerical tag for each computer device linked to a network or the internet. It is this address that gets logged on and identified whenever you are connected to the internet. Your browsing history at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can trace all your internet activity. You can use the router to change your IP and you can make the connection secure by built in encryption capabilities of the router.</p><p>However, topping all these security measures is the introduction of IP Changer software that rapidly change IP by using a number of proxy servers at many different locations. By routing your internet connection through these anonymous proxies, the sites you visit will get one of many IP addresses other than your own, thus hiding your real IP address from potential hackers and identity thieves. These software and anonymous proxies have become very efficient and send your data in encrypted form without noticeable drop in internet connection performance. Thus Rapid IP change with the help of the new IP changer software allow you anonymous surfing that in combination with data encryption and most advanced Internet Security Software suites provide the most comprehensive shield against Identity Theft as of now.</p><p>It is remarkable how a simple idea to Change IP and well established encryption technology can bring us a safer and more secure internet connectivity and protect us against Identity Theft more comprehensively than the best Internet Security software alone.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug tra...

Continue Reading>>

Computer Hacking Protection - A How-To

<br /> <p>With the IT era booming, you could hardly find a home without a desktop or laptop. Every moment there has been a revolutionary change in the way we think of leading our life in the era of computer. The advent of the wireless network system has changed the way of life. With the advancement of technology life's becoming more and more exciting indeed! Wireless network systems are pretty appreciated, as it is quite a lot useful, as long as you know how to use it properly. For newbie it can turn out to be a scary nightmare!</p><p>Have you ever spared a thought over the security issue? The network security is of high importance; vulnerable security will allow strangers to connect to it and use it in many ways they wish to! Cyber crime involves a lot of unlawful acts such as tracking private and confidential information, spam sending, incorporating hacking code into your website(s) and other illegal acts that might even block of your internet connectivity.</p><p>First off... set up a good password - not the just the nick name of your girlfriend or boyfriend, suffixed with a few digits is enough. Set up a password that is not only alfa-numeric but also includes some special characters at a random order. Understand the value of the password, which is a secret key to your network, which should be known to only you and the other people of your network. This will ask people who would try to connect to your network, thereby filter out the people that you don't want to be within your network and from having a free access to internet. This way you can steer clear of unwanted intruders and keep your network safe.</p><p>Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption is potent than Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) can be easily broken and cannot provide 100% security to IEEE 802.11 wireless networks and therefore is a strongly non-recommended algorithm to secure wireless networks. Evidences are there that WEP has been exposed to key attacks many times. It is highly recommended to consider enable Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption, as it effectively prevents unwanted and unrecognized intrusions. For the security purpose the Wi-Fi Protected Access support is built into the latest Service Packs for Windows XP.</p><p>I would want you to disable the remote administration which can be seen in most of the WLAN routers. With the remote administration enabled you are exposed to the risk of being victimized by cyber crimes, as anybody can track your network and will be able to get an access to it. I would always suggest you to de-activate the remote administration if you do not require it at all.</p><p>Last but not the least, you cannot deny the importance a potent anti-virus. It is not only important to install the anti-virus to your computer, but also equally important to get it installed on all the computers of your network! In order to prevent virus transfer or transfer of Trojen Horses, worms and spy bots or any other similar programs I would recommend certain names, the worth mentioning of which are Kaspersky, Norton, Nod 32, AVG, Avast etc.</p><p>One very important thing that is quite relevant to the current topic is the risk of loading the Share Point List items from an SP lists. If you need to do so you can offload your headache to programs like Blind Share Point List Loader - a really effective program that you can bank upon.</p><p>At every single step you might face danger across the web; you cannot stop it! Just use your common sense and be careful.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Computer Hacking Protection - A How-To

With the IT era booming, you could hardly find a home without a desktop or laptop. Every moment there has been a revolutionary change in ...

Continue Reading>>

Think a Virus Scanner is Enough? Learn Why You Also Need Spyware Protection

<br /> <p>Most people do not want viruses, so they get a virus scanner to catch, protect, and solve those problems. While this is a good practice, it's only half protecting your system. There is something else called spyware that you as a user needs to deal with.</p><p>Just like you need a virus scanner, you also need to have a spyware scanner. Many of these are free although there are paid ones that do work better at times. Sometimes these are called adware protection and malware scanners as well.</p><p>What can spyware do to your system?</p><p>If you have spyware on your system, just as the name implies, it can spy on you. One type of spyware that is the most common is called a keylogger. This will log your keystrokes on your keyboard. This means that when you have logins and passwords that you want to remain safe, a keylogger will steal this information meaning your accounts could be hacked. For some accounts this doesn't matter as much, but if it's your banking account or PayPal, spyware could end up costing you money.</p><p>Other types of spyware violate your privacy. These programs watch what you do on your computer. Everything that you are doing, opening, visiting online, and other tasks are being logged. If you want to keep your privacy, you need to get rid of these spyware programs.</p><p>Just like viruses, new spyware is created every week. It's very important to keep the software protection updated at least once a week to have protection from the latest types of spyware.</p><p>The first time you run this scan do a full system scan as there is probably quite a bit of spyware that you already have. If there is a safe mode option, use that one as it will get more off your system than in a normal boot into Windows.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Think a Virus Scanner is Enough? Learn Why You Also Need Spyware Protection

Most people do not want viruses, so they get a virus scanner to catch, protect, and solve those problems. While this is a good practice, ...

Continue Reading>>

Username-Passwords - Secure Protection is Necessary

<P>Your time is necessary to re-evaluate how your important information is being distributed over the internet. Planning out your day or your work load and making sure you accomplish the important things requires a structured schedule. This is also true in keeping important personal data off of your computer yet accessible when it is needed. </P><br /><P><SPAN class=long_text lang=en id=result_box><SPAN title="">Something simple as a username, MasterCard passwords top or on the position of the number the bosom of the simple access the hard drive but that which is on your system hack, this great identifiers of who the person as if made we are naked to the.<BR><BR></SPAN><SPAN title="">Technology is advancing more quickly to the places of each and every online shop to meet him, they act Juridicial the benefits of information or run a thing. </SPAN><SPAN title="">Of these actions requires passwords, username, procession of a number code and identification etc.<BR><BR></SPAN><SPAN title="">Computers and many of us hold our private information. </SPAN><SPAN title="">How has the nature of, in the place to protect? </SPAN><SPAN title="">Is it down the information from Paul has put on paper, which you carry with a pass to the? </SPAN><SPAN title="">You lay it up on an external hard drive or flash drive?</SPAN></SPAN></P><br /><P><B>How safe are these safeguards?</B></P><br /><P>What would be the consequences of your lap top being stolen? Your home broken into? Or simply left your computer someplace in the open? Would the individual have sudden access to your most private information? Or you left your flash drive in the coffee shop, car repair shop or library by mistake?</P><br /><P>These are things that can occur and have for millions. Even in an office environment where co-workers can obtained information from other computers by copying the information from "friends". With the economy the way it currently is, there are many looking for an easy way out. A way to get by regardless of whom is affected.</P><br /><P><B>Do You Want This Headache?</B></P><br /><P>In 2004, there were 9.3 million Americans who were the victims of identity theft. This has been steadily rising since and now it really is not a question of who is the next victim, but when. Are you prepared to combat these lazy thieves?</P><br /><P>Every program from email accounts to banking accounts require usernames and passwords to begin. There are many people that have theirs on yellow stickys placed under a keyboard, top drawer or even stuck on the computer screen.</P><br /><P><B>Are we begging to become the next victim?</B></P><br /><P>Protecting ourselves takes discipline and if instituted early, that habit remains. However many of us are in a hurry. Where we need to get things accomplished now or what, the next crisis occurs?</P><br /><P>Looking for ways to protect our identity requires diligence in their efforts. Trying to come up with fancy usernames and long passwords, and remembering where we placed them is not enough. Storing this data in a place that can be accessed by password hacks, online geeks whose sole purpose is to find ways of obtaining unsuspecting consumer information and get some thing for free is a growing problem.</P><br /><P>The Greek words, 'bios' and 'metric' mean 'life measurement' and when combined, "biometric" is technology that is up and coming. Being able to isolate individuals eye scans, body movements and tendencies, and fingerprints are available to those knowing the value of keeping a close watch on their individuality and secure information.</P><br /><P>It can not be overstated that times are tough and many want a free ride now. If your important information were stored on a flash drive protected by biometrics technology, your fingerprint would protect you allowing exclusive access. Even if it were lost, your fingerprint code embedded securing you as the sole accessor and protects you.</P><br /><P><B>Protection that Saves You Time</B></P><br /><P><SPAN class=long_text lang=en id=result_box><SPAN title="">Researching biometrics technology makes sense today. With increasing online use, network security and identification protection is necessary. Can you afford to take the time and money necessary to restore your name? It is always a best practice to be prepared, so protect yourself today. You will be glad you did. </SPAN></SPAN></P>

Username-Passwords - Secure Protection is Necessary

Your time is necessary to re-evaluate how your important information is being distributed over the internet. Planning out your day or your w...

Continue Reading>>

Identity Theft Protection For Computer Savvy Individuals - Part IV

<P>Technology, particularly computer and internet, has changed a lot in a very short span of time. Before, internet was only used by elite corporations and huge firms but nowadays, they can be accessed at home. Networking was a concept that was exclusively for the use of IT professionals but with the latest improvements in computer interface, these functionalities can now be easily set up at home by individual users.</P><br /><P>Most homes nowadays have multiple computers. The most practical way of having all your computers connected to the internet is through a router and a wireless home network. This fourth article in the series will share how you can secure your wireless home networks thereby shielding you and your family against the dangers of identity theft.</P><br /><P>Secure your wireless home networks.</P><br /><P>There are various ways on how you can secure your wireless networks. Here's how:</P><br /><P>1. Set up WEP/WPA Encryption. Most routers that are being shipped nowadays come with default configuration page that allows its users to easily make changes with their wireless computer networks. The first step in securing your wireless home networks against identity theft is to set up a WEP/WPA encryption. In layman's terms, this encryption is a password which you need to key in before you can connect to your wireless network. Tip: do not use passwords that are easily guessed and whenever possible, use a combination of both letters and numbers.</P><br /><P>2. Change default user name and password. Router manufacturers have a universal user name and password (across all brands) that you can use to open the configuration page of the router and make changes. Immediately when you set up your wireless home network, you need to change this default user name and password so that you can be sure that even if someone hacks into your wireless network, they will not be able to make any changes. This way you not only protect your computers and network, you are also protecting your identity against identity theft.</P><br /><P>3. Disable SSID broadcast. SSID is your network name. Often, the default SSID of your router is the manufacturer's name. On default also, this network name is broadcasted meaning when you open your laptop's wireless function, it will automatically pick up the signal that it detects from your wireless home network as it is broadcasted. "Sniffers" are people who detect wireless signals and they work closely together with computer hackers. Disabling SSID broadcast can protect your network from sniffers and you can sleep well knowing that no one knows that you do have a wireless network at home.</P><br /><P>4. Enable MAC filtering. Each computer that you connect to your network has its own MAC number. With MAC filtering, you are simply registering each MAC number of your computers to your router so that it will only give internet access to those computers whose MAC numbers it recognizes. This is another form of security encryption that can significantly help you fight computer hacking and identity theft.</P>

Identity Theft Protection For Computer Savvy Individuals - Part IV

Technology, particularly computer and internet, has changed a lot in a very short span of time. Before, internet was only used by elite corp...

Continue Reading>>

Microsoft bring 'tracking protection' to IE9

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/internet-and-broadband/images/ie9logo-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>Microsoft has introduced 'tracking prevention' to internet explorer 9, offering consumers more protection against websites that try to track what they do and where they go online. </P><br /><P>It's hardly a secret that some websites tap into your internet browsing history, with the whole topic of how companies collect, use and store this information a controversial topic. </P><br /><P>But Microsoft is hoping that tracking protection – which will still require users to opt in to use it – will 'identify and block many forms of undesired tracking'. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Combination</STRONG></P><br /><P>"We believe that the combination of consumer opt-in, an open platform for publishing of Tracking Protection Lists (TPLs), and the underlying technology mechanism for Tracking Protection offer new options and a good balance between empowering consumers and online industry needs," <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2010/12/07/ie9-and-privacy-introducing-tracking-protection-v8.aspx">stated </A>Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Internet Explorer. </P><br /><P>"They further empower consumers and complement many of the other ideas under discussion." </P><br /><P>Hachamovitch points out that being able to access user information is "inherent in the design of the web and simply how the web works" but Microsoft is keen to allow people to control the information that they are sharing. </P><br /><P>Of course, being an opt-in process may mean that the very users who are unaware of how much information they share will remain oblivious to the problem, but it's at the very least a handy option. </P>

Microsoft bring 'tracking protection' to IE9

Microsoft has introduced 'tracking prevention' to internet explorer 9, offering consumers more protection against websites that try ...

Continue Reading>>

Fake Antivirus Protection With Rogue Software

<br /> <p>The "Antivirus" Scam</p><p>In Homer's epic poem "The Iliad", the state of Troy represented a place of wealth, power, and all things bountiful to its known world. Such is the power of the Internet in today's world: a place of plenty where people can exchange goods and information. Originally, the Internet had every intention of providing a safe environment for its users. As with Troy, it was only a matter of time before this Internet utopia was hacked into as well.</p><p>Just as the Trojan horse the Greek's method of getting the "lambs to invite the lions to dinner", Internet hackers and identity thefts have masked themselves with the promise of Anti-virus Protection. With a seemingly flawless approach, rogue "anti-virus" software may pop up on your screen: panicked that it has detected thousands of viruses! These scam artists have really crafted these products well and the innocent Internet user will believe it is a legitimate program trying to help them; scaring the potential victim into believing their computer may crash. The victim then rushes to the credit card and blindly forfeits valuable information to the enemy. Hence: the fall of the Internet, or a safe Internet at least.</p><p>Some users may keep on using the program because the software will install a virus into the computer to make it seem the program is functional. Computer owners will notice their computer running slower or quicker depending on the status of the software and believe they have made the right choice in their purchase. However, when strange charges start appearing on the user's credit card weeks later, the jig is up and the computer owner now has a bigger problem. Chances are the computer in question may not have even been infected by a virus at the time of purchasing the software. On the other hand, the computer may have actually been infected but the purchased program had no intention of erasing the current virus, just make new ones and obtain your personal information.</p><p>Sound familiar? Do not feel foolish if this has happened to you as these scammers pride themselves in a high success rate. Practice safe Internet use to protect yourself from becoming a casualty. Though any Internet user has the risk of becoming a target, use your awareness of this matter to avoid anti-virus rogue software. If the damage has been done, quickly cancel the credit card with which you purchased the fraud. Next you can uninstall the useless software and install a legitimate one to undo any damage as well as prevent more scams. Recommended actual anti-virus software are AVG Anti-Virus Version 8 or Spyware Doctor with Anti-Virus. If you are uncomfortable downloading more onto your computer, you can always have a consultant clean it up for you, but at a price (about one hundred dollars).</p><p>The false anti virus software scam is the quickest and easiest way for identity thefts to sneak into your skin. Also beware of similar structures in the Internet such as pop ups offering you incredible deals (like a one thousand dollar gift card) where all you have to do is offer your phone number, address, and social security number to claim your prize.</p><p>Don't be fooled by tempting offers or scared by non existing viruses. The Internet is an amazing tool which most can't imagine living without. Remember to stay aware of fraud and keep the Internet a safe and enjoyable place for the future.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>By Mindy Matter for <a href="http://www.removeadware.com.au" target="_new">http://www.removeadware.com.au</a> - Here you'll learn more about rogueware <a href="http://www.removeadware.com.au/articles/rogue-anti-spyware/" target="_new">http://www.removeadware.com.au/articles/rogue-anti-spyware/</a></p> <br />

Fake Antivirus Protection With Rogue Software

The "Antivirus" Scam In Homer's epic poem "The Iliad", the state of Troy represented a place of wealth, power, an...

Continue Reading>>

Protect Your Computer With An Efficient Protection Software

<br /> <p>Data security is a serious issue these days with the increasing number of computer hackers and viruses causing a threat to confidential and important data. We all know about antivirus software and how it protects data from the different types of viruses. However, with the advancement in technology these viruses are also improving causing more threat to the companies and offices. We all know that big companies and corporations have important and confidential data stored in their systems. They cannot afford to lose any data or even a small part of their data as it can affect their business plans to a great extent. Thus, they need an efficient data security system for their computers so that unethical hacking and data loss does not take place.</p><p>You can find two types of antivirus software in the market. One is the general software that heals the system and files on the computer and one is the antivirus firewall software. They both seem to be similar but they do have a basic difference. Antivirus software deletes the viruses that are affecting the computer system. All you need to do is scan the system with the help of this software and you can heal the affected files and programs. However, sometimes this software might fail to work and you might end up losing some files or your entire system may crash down. In this case it is better to go for antivirus firewall software as it completely disallows any suspicious programs or viruses to enter the computer system. Thus, this is the basic difference between both the software. Nowadays you also get special programs with the combination of both the software which gives you greater protection and ensures data integrity. Many companies and offices are opting for them as they claim to give you a better protection.</p><p>You can either buy the software from the market or purchase it online. However, it is good to conduct a research before buying it so that you become well versed with the features and technology. If you are not keen to pay anything for the software then you can always download it for free. There are many companies who promote their new products by allowing free download of the trial version. This trial version can work from 30-60 days depending upon the policy and offer of the company. You can download other basic programs also but, they might not prove to be very effective for your computer system. However, you always have the option of upgrading the software by paying some additional price. In this way you get better software with some advanced features which are not available in the free version.</p><p>There are certain free versions that are really effective and work efficiently. ZoneAlarm is one of them. it is a very efficient and popular antivirus software that can be downloaded free. It has a user friendly interface and the programs available in it are very flexible. Thus, this was some essential information about best antivirus software and the difference between the different versions available in the market.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>McAfee antivirus firewall software offers top of the line protection for your computer from viruses, malware and hackers. It is a highly rated and trusted antivirus firewall software program but, is the McAfee antivirus firewall software worth its price? McAfee antivirus firewall software is more expensive than most of its competitors. But, it is one of the <a href="http://www.bestantivirusfirewallsoftwarereview.com/" target="_new">Best Antivirus</a> software.</p> <br />

Protect Your Computer With An Efficient Protection Software

Data security is a serious issue these days with the increasing number of computer hackers and viruses causing a threat to confidential a...

Continue Reading>>

Think a Virus Scanner is Enough? Learn Why You Also Need Spyware Protection

<br /> <p>Most people do not want viruses, so they get a virus scanner to catch, protect, and solve those problems. While this is a good practice, it's only half protecting your system. There is something else called spyware that you as a user needs to deal with.</p><p>Just like you need a virus scanner, you also need to have a spyware scanner. Many of these are free although there are paid ones that do work better at times. Sometimes these are called adware protection and malware scanners as well.</p><p>What can spyware do to your system?</p><p>If you have spyware on your system, just as the name implies, it can spy on you. One type of spyware that is the most common is called a keylogger. This will log your keystrokes on your keyboard. This means that when you have logins and passwords that you want to remain safe, a keylogger will steal this information meaning your accounts could be hacked. For some accounts this doesn't matter as much, but if it's your banking account or PayPal, spyware could end up costing you money.</p><p>Other types of spyware violate your privacy. These programs watch what you do on your computer. Everything that you are doing, opening, visiting online, and other tasks are being logged. If you want to keep your privacy, you need to get rid of these spyware programs.</p><p>Just like viruses, new spyware is created every week. It's very important to keep the software protection updated at least once a week to have protection from the latest types of spyware.</p><p>The first time you run this scan do a full system scan as there is probably quite a bit of spyware that you already have. If there is a safe mode option, use that one as it will get more off your system than in a normal boot into Windows.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>In his free time the author enjoys hunting game using his <a href="http://nikonriflescope.net/prostaff-rifle-scope" target="_new">prostaff rifle scope</a>. Take a look at his website for a comprehensive guide to many rifle scopes including the <a href="http://nikonriflescope.net" target="_new">nikon rifle scope</a>.</p> <br />

Think a Virus Scanner is Enough? Learn Why You Also Need Spyware Protection

Most people do not want viruses, so they get a virus scanner to catch, protect, and solve those problems. While this is a good practice, ...

Continue Reading>>

How to Evaluate Website Password Protection Software

<P>Choose a software that integrates well with your existing content creation software or shopping cart. Some companies provide password protection software that integrates specifically for content sites like WordPress or Joomla. This makes it easier to install the software on your website.</P><P>Select a password protection software that encrypts the values in the database. Encryption "jumbles" the password, so a hacker cannot steal passwords after gaining access to the database. The hacker must get the encryption key to decipher the passwords.</P><P>Choose software that locks out users after too many attempts. This stops a hacker from simply trying variations of password values. A hacker can automate hack attempts. If software shuts out an account and sends a warning, this protects from "guessing" the password.</P><P>Allow users to choose their own password and generate temporary passwords when the user first signs up. A temporary password is created when the user first signs up, and it is sent to the email address. This verifies the email address is correct. The user can then change the password to his own value.</P><P>Supply the user with a "Remember Me" text box. This allows users to set a cookie, so they can quickly come back to their account page without logging in again. Password protection software should offer this option for each user who wants to stay logged in even after leaving the page.</P>

How to Evaluate Website Password Protection Software

Choose a software that integrates well with your existing content creation software or shopping cart. Some companies provide password prote...

Continue Reading>>

Identity Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

<br /> <p>The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country's top problems. The bad guys are finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.</p><p>The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity theft.</p><p>Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The Flu!</p><p>First, let's understand just how bad identity theft has become in this country:</p><p>· The Federal Trade Commission says that there is an underground market for credit card numbers, social security numbers and ID documents - organized gangs or web mobs use and sell these documents for as little as $10 each. Some of these groups contain thousands of members. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity exceeded 52-billion dollars in 2004.</p><p>· US Department of Justice states identity theft is affecting millions of households in the U.S. each year. The cost is estimated to be six-point-four billion per year. According to the FTC, an estimated 10 million adults become victims of identity theft each year.</p><p>· The Department of Justice goes on to say that the most common misuse of identity was through credit cards, accounting for 50 percent of all identity theft. Next in line were banking and other types of accounts at 25 percent, personal information was 15 percent, and a combination of several types of identity theft was at 12 percent. The average loss for each identity theft was $1,290.00. Two-thirds of those surveyed said the theft cost them money despite credit card coverage.</p><p>· A recent State of the Net survey by Consumer Reports which covered more than 2000 households with Internet Access projects that American consumers lost more than eight-billion dollars over the last two years to viruses, spyware and various scams. The report also shows consumers face a one-in-three chance of becoming a "cyber victim" about the same as last year. It goes on to say that consumers lost $630 million over the past two years to e-mail scams.</p><p>· The average person today suffers through two or more "incidents" with their computer each year - the computer slows to a crawl, crashes altogether, viruses or spyware take over systems and more. It's getting worse as computers become more complex and as we do more with them.</p><p>So, Who Is At Risk For Identity Theft?</p><p>According to the Department of Justice there are three groups that are most at risk for identity theft: young adults 18 to 24, adults who earn $75,000 per year or more and households in urban and suburban area. Interesting to note that about five percent of adults who earn $75,000 or more a year are hit with identity theft.</p><p>The continued growth of online fraud and identity theft are putting an enormous strain on the existing infrastructure for the Internet as well as our social structure. For example, the banking community has been complacent about security upgrades required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. They report that every bank in the country has not complied with their guidelines set for now. In an article titled, "U.S. Banks Complacent Toward Identity Theft Solution," by PR Web, the single largest national security threat is a terrorist attack on our banking system. An attack aimed simultaneously at millions of user names and passwords within banks would shut down our banking system. This would instantly shut down banks worldwide. Credit/debit cards, checks, calls to the bank, would not work for at least a matter of days causing tremendous hardship and a ripple effect from no gas to "I simply have to take this baby food."</p><p>Consider for a moment some of the potential social effects from this identity theft problem. What if citizens developed a lack of confidence in our credit card and monetary system causing economic upheaval similar to what we saw in the "Great Depression?" I know this sounds radical, but what if you couldn't trust your identity to anyone anymore? What if you feared that your money, your identity was going to be stolen? It's not unthinkable that you would store your money under your mattress at home or in a safe in the closet rather than possibly losing it to identity theft. If millions of people lost faith in our monetary system and the ability to keep their identity safe and then took all of their money home where they believe it would be safe, what would happen then?</p><p>We generally can't control what happens outside of our personal environment, what happens at a bank, corporation or the government seems so far out of reach. There are, however, steps that we can take that will give us a better chance of protecting our personal information. The first step is identifying the threats and then taking steps to protect ourselves.</p><p>Below, I have identified nine identity theft threats and nine steps to protect our identity in today's society.</p><p>Nine Threats To Your Identity</p><p>Here are nine of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your identity. Some of these are personally preventable and others are out of our control:</p><p>1. Stolen Company Data. Your personal information is stored on computers at stores where you shop, at your insurance company, your accountant, and more. It almost seems like a common occurrence where a company is hacked into and their customer's information is stolen. This happens so often now that the crimes are rarely reported and don't make the front page anymore.</p><p>2. Social Engineering. Identity Thieves are very clever. They will invent any way possible to fool you into giving your identity out. It's called social engineering because the thief uses common social situations to get the information they want. Like a seemingly innocent phone call supposedly from your credit card company asking for your personal information.</p><p>3. Dumpster Diving. Identity thieves get a lot of their victims' information out of garbage cans and recycle bins from old credit card statements and other personal documents thrown out carelessly.</p><p>4. Mail Theft. Your mail can contain valuable information: bills, banking information, credit cards, investments and more. Personal mail can often be stolen right from a mailbox.</p><p>5. Financial Account Hijacking. Once a thief has your personal information they can take over your personal accounts. You might not know about their activity for months.</p><p>6. Credit Card Magnetic Strip Theft. These clever crooks have tools to steal information off the magnetic strips on your credit card.</p><p>7. Discarded Computers. Your old computer really can tell stories. Even though you erased your hard drive crooks have tools to reclaim your personal information and use it against you.</p><p>8. Spyware and Viruses on Computers. You may not be familiar with the term 'malware.' It's a term that covers all of the hacker tools that can cause harm on your computer. These tools include spyware, keylogger tools, Trojan horses and more.</p><p>9. E-mail and Internet Scams. Cyber thieves are getting more and more creative using scams like Phishing, Pharming and fancy come-ons to entice you to give them your personal information.</p><p>There Are Four Ways You Can Approach Protecting Your Identity...</p><p>One way is to do nothing and hope that identity thieves don't harm you.</p><p>Second, you can be reactive. Reactive simply means that you are responding to all the material that comes your way. You are checking your credit card and bank statements to make sure nothing peculiar is on them. And if you do find something strange you contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Reactive also means that you are checking your credit report when you apply for credit or a loan.</p><p>Third, you can be proactive. A proactive approach is a more aggressive way of protecting yourself against the bad guys. You are constantly looking ahead and evaluating before giving out valuable information.</p><p>And fourth, combine reactive and proactive approaches. This is the best way to ensure you identity protection.</p><p>Nine Critical Steps To Proactively Protecting Your Identity...</p><p>Here are your 'Nine Proactive Steps To Identity Protection:"</p><p>1. Begin to operate on an "I have to know everything" approach when you give out your personal information. Only give out your personal information to people you know and trust.</p><p>2. Protect your Social Security Number, credit card and other financial information. Do not give this information out over the phone unless you initiated the call or as we stated above are talking to a trusted individual from a trusted company.</p><p>3. Cancel all of your unused accounts including banking, credit card, licenses and permits.</p><p>4. At least once a year, if not more often, update and check your credit report and Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement to make sure everything appears as it should.</p><p>5. Protect your mail. Make sure you have a secure locked mailbox to receive all of your mail. Always mail your payments and checks from a secure Post Office Box or from the Post Office. And, if you have a Post Office Box at the Post Office never discard your mail in a garbage can. Always bring your entire mail home.</p><p>6. Always crosscut shred all bank statements, credit card applications or information and important documents before discarding to recycle or the garbage. It is best to stir up the shredded documents to make it even harder for identity thieves to steal your information.</p><p>7. Purchase identity theft insurance. This will cover any losses incurred while recovering your lost identity once a crook has stolen it.</p><p>8. Invest in professional grade protection for your computer. The best protection available today comes from Managed Internet Security Service providers. The best security services include best-of-breed corporate grade security software for your computer, as well as unlimited service and support from trained security pros. Make sure it is the same kind of service that is used by major corporations around the world. Frankly, the over-the-counter and free security software programs available don't keep up with today's professional cyber thief. If those popular programs worked, why do we see the cyber-crime problem growing at a progressively faster pace?</p><p>A managed professional Internet security program should have the following technologies installed: A bi-directional or dual Firewall that prevents information from coming in or going out of your computer without your permission, anti-virus protection that is updated daily, and malware protection that is updated daily. Malware consists of spyware, adware, Trojan horses, keyloggers and more. It constantly changes so you will need a technology that keeps up with the professional hackers who want your identity. Your best bet is to find a professional security service that affordably manages all this for you.</p><p>9. Beware of e-mail scams like Phishing and Pharming. Phishing is an e-mail that looks like it came from a bank or business claiming you need to take care of a problem or your account will be closed down. It takes you to a page to fill out your personal information. Meanwhile, Pharming is redirecting your computer from a legitimate to a fake web site. For example, you may think that you are going to your banking site, but instead are redirected to a site that looks like your banks web site, but is hosted by an identity thief.</p><p>Identity theft continues to grow at a torrid pace. Millions of people in the United States will lose their identity to thieves in the coming year. Many of them will suffer for years trying to clean up the mess that was left behind.</p><p>The bad news is we can't control all of the identity threats we face each day. The good news is there are reactive and proactive steps we can take to protect ourselves against personal tragedy.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Warren is engaged in the cause of educating and protecting people who use the Internet about the threats they face and the inadequacy of the solutions they trust, and over a two-year period has become an expert on PC Security and a passionate advocate of Internet safety. Find out more his campaign for personal and Internet security go to his web site at <a href="http://www.completeinternetprotection.com" target="_new">http://www.completeinternetprotection.com</a>.</p> <br />

Identity Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country's top problems. The bad guys are fin...

Continue Reading>>

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

<br /> <p>Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug trade. Identity theft intrusions can come from a variety of sources and places where you hang out on the internet. Even some of our favorite sites like Face Book and My Space are not scam proof and you can very easily lose your personal information on the internet in a variety of ways.</p><p>The dangers of identity theft are accentuated with rapid growth of wireless communications such as the Wi-Fi. What once appeared to be a harmless and time efficient activity, browsing the net or checking your email in your favorite book store, library, coffee shop or in hotels while on travel has turned out to be extremely dangerous because you can very easily lose your personal information. There are countless identity thieves with wireless snifters around these places trying to get your credit card number, social security number, any identifying information and even the IP address of your computer.</p><p>However, due to extensive coverage in the media most people are now getting serious about preventing Identity Theft. Most, computers come with one of the many Internet Security Software available in the market place today. What started as software to protect computers from viruses has grown into very elaborate and complex suite of security features. These days top Internet security software come with features that stop viruses, spy ware and computer hacking attempts; set parental controls and even alert you of phishing attempts. They come with parental controls, advanced firewall options and even network monitoring for wireless networks. Some of them even have tools to clean up accumulated unwanted files and clutter and cookies from the internet, erase traces of personal information and surfing history. Some of the latest features introduced in top internet security software now include some form of Identity Theft Protection measures such as password protection and authentication of trusted sites.</p><p>Are these measures enough and fool proof? Certainly not. It is a long way from a total secure environment. There are two things that come in the way. Browser security and router security. It is important to keep your computer updated with latest updates and security patches of its operating system (mostly Windows) and browser (Internet explorer and others). Both of these concerns are being addressed better than in the past but still pose a great deal of vulnerability. Hackers have the ability to find vulnerabilities and can beat firewalls. So it is far from a secure system.</p><p>The second point of vulnerability is the router security in a networked computer. But it is also one of the most overlooked and perhaps the best methods of protecting your computer from intrusion and your self against identity theft on the internet.</p><p>It is the router which assigns an IP address to the computer linked to the net. IP address is a unique identifying numerical tag for each computer device linked to a network or the internet. It is this address that gets logged on and identified whenever you are connected to the internet. Your browsing history at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can trace all your internet activity. You can use the router to change your IP and you can make the connection secure by built in encryption capabilities of the router.</p><p>However, topping all these security measures is the introduction of IP Changer software that rapidly change IP by using a number of proxy servers at many different locations. By routing your internet connection through these anonymous proxies, the sites you visit will get one of many IP addresses other than your own, thus hiding your real IP address from potential hackers and identity thieves. These software and anonymous proxies have become very efficient and send your data in encrypted form without noticeable drop in internet connection performance. Thus Rapid IP change with the help of the new IP changer software allow you anonymous surfing that in combination with data encryption and most advanced Internet Security Software suites provide the most comprehensive shield against Identity Theft as of now.</p><p>It is remarkable how a simple idea to Change IP and well established encryption technology can bring us a safer and more secure internet connectivity and protect us against Identity Theft more comprehensively than the best Internet Security software alone.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Having this empowering information on how to protect your self from devastating effects of Identity Theft on the internet please go to <a href="http://www.change-ip-proxy.com" target="_new">http://www.change-ip-proxy.com</a> for more elaborate information how to rapidly <a href="http://www.change-ip-proxy.com/" target="_new">Change IP</a> to surf anonymously and protect your identity. You can also try this IP changer software for free.</p> <br />

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug tra...

Continue Reading>>

Computer Hacking Protection - A How-To

<br /> <p>With the IT era booming, you could hardly find a home without a desktop or laptop. Every moment there has been a revolutionary change in the way we think of leading our life in the era of computer. The advent of the wireless network system has changed the way of life. With the advancement of technology life's becoming more and more exciting indeed! Wireless network systems are pretty appreciated, as it is quite a lot useful, as long as you know how to use it properly. For newbie it can turn out to be a scary nightmare!</p><p>Have you ever spared a thought over the security issue? The network security is of high importance; vulnerable security will allow strangers to connect to it and use it in many ways they wish to! Cyber crime involves a lot of unlawful acts such as tracking private and confidential information, spam sending, incorporating hacking code into your website(s) and other illegal acts that might even block of your internet connectivity.</p><p>First off... set up a good password - not the just the nick name of your girlfriend or boyfriend, suffixed with a few digits is enough. Set up a password that is not only alfa-numeric but also includes some special characters at a random order. Understand the value of the password, which is a secret key to your network, which should be known to only you and the other people of your network. This will ask people who would try to connect to your network, thereby filter out the people that you don't want to be within your network and from having a free access to internet. This way you can steer clear of unwanted intruders and keep your network safe.</p><p>Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption is potent than Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) can be easily broken and cannot provide 100% security to IEEE 802.11 wireless networks and therefore is a strongly non-recommended algorithm to secure wireless networks. Evidences are there that WEP has been exposed to key attacks many times. It is highly recommended to consider enable Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption, as it effectively prevents unwanted and unrecognized intrusions. For the security purpose the Wi-Fi Protected Access support is built into the latest Service Packs for Windows XP.</p><p>I would want you to disable the remote administration which can be seen in most of the WLAN routers. With the remote administration enabled you are exposed to the risk of being victimized by cyber crimes, as anybody can track your network and will be able to get an access to it. I would always suggest you to de-activate the remote administration if you do not require it at all.</p><p>Last but not the least, you cannot deny the importance a potent anti-virus. It is not only important to install the anti-virus to your computer, but also equally important to get it installed on all the computers of your network! In order to prevent virus transfer or transfer of Trojen Horses, worms and spy bots or any other similar programs I would recommend certain names, the worth mentioning of which are Kaspersky, Norton, Nod 32, AVG, Avast etc.</p><p>One very important thing that is quite relevant to the current topic is the risk of loading the Share Point List items from an SP lists. If you need to do so you can offload your headache to programs like Blind Share Point List Loader - a really effective program that you can bank upon.</p><p>At every single step you might face danger across the web; you cannot stop it! Just use your common sense and be careful.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>I am a freelance Network professional who work for a few companies here in India and for some of my clients. I recently worked for a service provider of <a href="http://www.websys.co.in" target="_new">web development India</a> who has also created their niche as a provider of services on a <a href="http://www.websys.co.in" target="_new">web design Kolkata</a> and gathered some experiences working on their systems.</p> <br />

Computer Hacking Protection - A How-To

With the IT era booming, you could hardly find a home without a desktop or laptop. Every moment there has been a revolutionary change in ...

Continue Reading>>

Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 - Protection From Viruses And Other Internet Threats

<br /> <p>The number of Internet security threats is constantly increasing, and to protect your data and the integrity of your system you need an anti-virus solution, such as Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0. Due to holes in security created by a rapidly evolving Internet, the threat posed by cyber criminals and hackers is becoming increasingly severe. Kaspersky's sophisticated software package offers many features that are essential to reducing your threat of virus exposure and infection.</p><p>Viruses are not the only criminal activity on the Internet today, and threats such as spyware, phishers, and hackers pose tremendous risk to your network security. A growing problem, identity theft has likely already affected you or someone else that you know. If your system is hacked, or your laptop is lost or stolen, your sensitive personal and financial information can become compromised. Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 scans web files and email for malware and other threats, allowing you to browse the Internet without worry.</p><p>As new viruses and other threats continue to surface, the technology used to create them is becoming more complex and difficult to detect. Virus programmers are always looking for ways to layer on encryption to conceal their code deep within your system where many anti-virus programs cannot find it. Anti-virus programming must constantly evolve to keep up with these always-changing threats.</p><p>Many anti-virus programs offer only periodic updates, and your system can be attacked before your software even recognizes the threat. Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 provides automatic hourly updates, and is able to respond to malware threats within two hours of detection. The unparalleled number of updates each month prevents new viruses from entering your system undetected.</p><p>Malware moves quickly, and some viruses are capable of destroying files within seconds. Therefore, it is vital to use anti-virus software that is able to minimize attacks before they happen. Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 utilizes intelligent proactive heuristics, which allows for the automatic isolation of files without a match to those contained in the signature database. This way, code is checked in a safe place, reducing the risk of harm to your computer. To prevent possible viral infection, Kaspersky monitors your system with real-time behavior analysis. The anti-virus software will alert you to any potential problems immediately, roll back malicious changes to your system, and restore files that have been encrypted with ransomware.</p><p>Ranked first in both independent tests and reviews, Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 is the leading anti-virus software. It finds and neutralizes more threats more quickly to keep your computer and private information safe. Kaspersky even varies its scans based on the user's activity for a customized approach. Based on its variety of sophisticated features and impressive rate of updates, it is easy to understand why Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 is the anti-virus software preferred by so many people.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Get <a href="http://internetsecurity.getkasperskyantivirus.com" target="_new">Kaspersky Internet Security Free</a></p><p>Christopher is an Information Security Consultant for <a href="http://www.lexansystems.com" target="_new">Lexan Systems L.L.C</a>.. You are welcome to reproduce this article on your Computer Security related web site, as long as you reproduce the article in full, including this resource box and link to our website.</p> <br />

Kaspersky AntiVirus 7.0 - Protection From Viruses And Other Internet Threats

The number of Internet security threats is constantly increasing, and to protect your data and the integrity of your system you need an a...

Continue Reading>>

Viruses and Worms, Protection from Disaster

<br /> <p>Virus damage estimated at $55 billion in 2003. "SINGAPORE - Trend Micro Inc, the world's third-largest anti-virus software maker, said Friday that computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003, a sum that would rise this year. Companies lost roughly $20 billion to $30 billion in 2002 from the virus attacks, up from about $13 billion in 2001, according to various industry estimates." This was the story across thousands of news agencies desk January 2004. Out of $55 billion, how much did it cost your company? How much did it cost someone you know?</p><p>I. The Why</p><p>There is an average of 10-20 viruses released every day. Very few of these viruses actually make ?Wild? stage. Viruses are designed to take advantage of security flaws in software or operating systems. These flaws can be as blatant as Microsoft Windows NetBIOS shares to exploits using buffer overflows. Buffer overflows happen when an attacker sends responses to a program longer then what is expected. If the victim software is not designed well, then the attacker can overwrite the memory allocated to the software and execute malicious code.</p><p>People make viruses for various reasons. These reasons range from political to financial to notoriety to hacking tools to plain malicious intent.</p><p>Political: Mydoom is a good example of a virus that was spread with a political agenda. The two targets of this virus were Microsoft and The SCO Group. The SCO Group claims that they own a large portion of the Linux source code threatened to sue everyone using Linux operating systems (with "stolen" programming source). The virus was very effective knocking down SCO's website. However, Microsoft had enough time to prepare for the second attack and efficiently sidestepped disaster.</p><p>Financial: Some virus writers are hired by other parties to either leach financial data from a competitor or make the competitor look bad in the public eye. Industrial espionage is a high risk/high payout field that can land a person in prison for life.</p><p>Notoriety: There are some that write viruses for the sole purpose of getting their name out. This is great when the virus writers are script kiddies because this helps the authorities track them down. There are several famous viruses that have the author's email in the source code or open script</p><p>Hacking Hackers sometimes write controlled viruses to assist in the access of a remote computer. They will add a payload to the virus such as a Trojan horse to allow easy access into the victims system.</p><p>Malious: These are the people that are the most dangerous. These are the blackhat hackers that code viruses for the sole intention of destroying networks and systems without prejudice. They get high on seeing the utter destruction of their creation, and are very rarely script kiddies.</p><p>Many of the viruses that are written and released are viruses altered by script kiddies. These viruses are known as generations of the original virus and are very rarely altered enough to be noticeable from the original. This stems back to the fact that script kiddies do not understand what the original code does and only alters what they recognize (file extension or victim's website). This lack of knowledge makes script kiddies very dangerous.</p><p>II. The How</p><p>Malicious code has been plaguing computer systems since before computers became a common household appliance. Viruses and worms are examples of malicious code designed to spread and cause a system to perform a function that it was not originally designed to do.</p><p>Viruses are programs that need to be activated or run before they are dangerous or spread. The computer system only becomes infected once the program is run and the payload has bee deployed. This is why Hackers and Crackers try to crash or restart a computer system once they copy a virus onto it.</p><p>There are four ways a virus can spread:<br /><br>1.) Email<br /><br>2.) Network<br /><br>3.) Downloading or installing software<br /><br>4.) Inserting infected media</p><p>Spreading through Email</p><p>Many emails spread when a user receives an infected email. When the user opens this email or previews it, the virus is now active and starts to immediately spread.</p><p>Spreading through Network</p><p>Many viruses are network aware. This means that they look for unsecured systems on the network and copy themselves to that system. This behavior destroys network performance and causes viruses to spread across your system like wildfire. Hackers and Crackers also use Internet and network connections to infect systems. They not only scan for unprotected systems, but they also target systems that have known software vulnerabilities. This is why keeping systems up to date is so important.</p><p>Spreading through manual installation</p><p>Installing software from downloads or disks increase the risk of infection. Only install trusted and scanned software that is known to be safe. Stay away from freeware and shareware products. These programs are known to contain Spyware, Adware, and viruses. It is also good policy to deny all Internet software that attempts to install itself unless explicitly needed.</p><p>Spreading through boot sectors</p><p>Some viruses corrupt the boot sector of disks. This means that if another disks scans the infected disk, the infection spreads. Boot sector viruses are automatically run immediately after the disk is inserted or hard drive connected.</p><p>III. Minimizing the effect of viruses and worms</p><p>We have all heard stories about the virus that destroyed mission critical company data, which cost companies months to recover and thousands of dollars and man-hours restoring the information. In the end, there are still many hours, costs, and would be profits that remain unaccounted. Some companies never recover fully from a devastating attack. Taking simple precautions can save your business</p><p>Anti-virus Software</p><p>Another step is to run an antivirus program on the local computer. Many antivirus programs offer live update software and automatically download the newest virus definitions minutes after they are released (Very important that you verify these updates weekly if not daily). Be careful of which antivirus program you chose. Installing a PC antivirus on a network can be more destructive on performance than a virus at work. Norton makes an effective corporate edition specifically designed for Windows NT Server and network environments. When using antivirus software on a network, configure it to ignore network drives and partitions. Only scan the local system and turn off the auto protection feature. The auto-protect constantly scans your network traffic and causes detrimental network issues. Corporate editions usually have this disabled by default. PC editions do not.</p><p>Email Clients<br /><br>Do not open emails from unknown sources. If you have a website for e-commerce transactions or to act as a virtual business card, make sure that the emails come up with a preset subject. If the emails are being sent through server side design instead of the users email client, specify whom it is coming from so you know what emails to trust. Use common sense when looking at your email. If you see a strange email with an attachment, do not open it until you verify whom it came from. This is how most MM worms spread.</p><p>Disable preview panes in email clients. Email clients such as Outlook and Outlook Express have a feature that will allow you to preview the message when the email is highlighted. This is a Major security flaw and will instantly unleash a virus if the email is infected.</p><p>It is also a good idea to turn off the feature that enables the client to view HTML formatted emails. Most of these viruses and worms pass by using the html function "" and run the attached file within the email header.</p><p>We will take a quick look at an email with the subject header of "You're now infected" that will open a file called readme.exe.</p><p>"Subject: You're now infected <br /><br>MIME-Version: 1.0<br /><br>Content-Type: multipart/related;</p><p>type="multipart/alternative";</p><p>boundary="====_ABC1234567890DEF_===="<br /><br>X-Priority: 3<br /><br>X-MSMail-Priority: Normal<br /><br>X-Unsent: 1<br /><br>To: undisclosed-recipients:;</p><p>--====_ABC1234567890DEF_====<br /><br>Content-Type: multipart/alternative;</p><p>boundary="====_ABC0987654321DEF_====" *** (This calls the iframe)</p><p>--====_ABC0987654321DEF_====<br /><br>Content-Type: text/html;</p><p>charset="iso-8859-1"<br /><br>Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable</p><p>*** (This calls readme.exe)</p><p>--====_ABC0987654321DEF_====--</p><p>--====_ABC1234567890DEF_====<br /><br>Content-Type: audio/x-wav;</p><p>name="readme.exe" *** (This is the virus/worm)<br /><br>Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64<br /><br>Content-ID: *** (Notice the )</p><p>PCFET0NUWVBFIEhUTUwgUFVCTElDICItLy9XM0MvL0RURCBIVE1MIDQuMCBUcmFuc2l0aW9u<br /><br>YWwvL0VOIj4NIDxodG1sPg08aGVhZD4NPHRpdGxlPldobydzIHRoZSBiZXN0LS0tLS0tPyAt<br /><br>IHd3dy5lemJvYXJkLmNvbTwvdGl0bGU+DQ0NDTxzY3JpcHQgbGFuZ3VhZ2U9amF2YXNjcmlw<br /><br>dCBzcmM9aHR0cDovL3d3dzEuZXpib2FyZC5jb20vc3BjaC5qcz9jdXN0b21lcmlkPTExNDc0<br /><br>NTgwODI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+DTxzY3JpcHQgbGFuZ3VhZ2U9ImphdmFzY3JpcHQiPg08IS0tDWZ1<br /><br>bmN0aW9uIE1NX29wZW5CcldpbmRvdyh0aGVVUkwsd2luTmFtZSxmZWF0dXJlcykgeyAvL3Yy</p><p>*** Broken to protect the innocent. (Worm is encoded in Base64)</p><p>aHJlZj1odHRwOi8vY2l0YWRlbDMuZXpib2FyZC5jb20vZmNhbGhpc3BvcnRzZnJtMT5Gb290<br /><br>YmFsbDwvYT4NIA08Zm9udCBjb2xvcj0jRkYwMDAwPiAtIDwvZm9udD4NDTxicj48YnI+PGJy<br /><br>Pjxicj5Qb3dlcmVkIEJ5IDxhIGhyZWY9aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lemJvYXJkLmNvbS8+ZXpib2Fy<br /><br>ZK48L2E+IFZlci4gNi43LjE8YnI+Q29weXJpZ2h0IKkxOTk5LTIwMDEgZXpib2FyZCwgSW5j<br /><br>Lg08L2NlbnRlcj4NPC9ib2R5Pg08L2h0bWw+DQ0NDQoNCj==</p><p>--====_ABC1234567890DEF_====--"</p><p>Email Servers<br /><br>The first step to minimizing the effect of viruses is to use an email server that filters incoming emails using antivirus software. If the server is kept up to date, it will catch the majority of Mass Mailer (MM) worms. Ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if they offer antivirus protection and spam filtering on their email servers. This service is invaluable and should always be included as the first line of defense.</p><p>Many companies house an internal email server that downloads all of the email from several external email accounts and then runs an internal virus filter. Combining an internal email server with the ISP protection is a perfect for a company with an IT staff. This option adds an extra layer of control, but also adds more administration time.<br /><br>Sample specs for an internal email server are:</p><p>Setup #1</p><p>* Linux: OS</p><p>* Sendmail: mail server</p><p>* Fetchmail: Grabs email from external email addresses</p><p>* F-prot: Antivirus</p><p>* SpamAssassin: Spam Filter</p><p>Setup #2</p><p>* Win 2003 Server: OS</p><p>* Exchange: Email server</p><p>* Symantec antivirus: Antivirus</p><p>* Exchange Intelligent Message Filter: Spam Filter</p><p>Software Updates<br /><br>Keep you software up to date. Some worms and viruses replicate through vulnerabilities in services and software on the target system. Code red is a classic example. In august 2001, the worm used a known buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft's IIS 4.0 and 5.0 contained in the Idq.dll file. This would allow an attacker to run any program they wanted to on the affected system. Another famous worm called Slammer targeted Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE) 2000.</p><p>When updating your software, make sure to disable features and services that are not needed. Some versions of WinNT had a web server called IIS installed by default. If you do not need the service, make sure it is turned off (Code red is a perfect example). By only enabling services you need, you decrease the risk of attack.</p><p>Telecommunications Security<br /><br>Install a firewall on the network. A firewall is a device or software that blocks unwanted traffic from going to or from the internal network. This gives you control of the traffic coming in and going out of your network. At minimum, block ports 135,137,139,445. This stops most network aware viruses and worms from spreading from the Internet. However, it is good practice to block all traffic unless specifically needed.</p><p>Security Policies<br /><br>Implementing security policies that cover items such as acceptable use, email retention, and remote access can go a long way to protecting your information infrastructure. With the addition of annual training, employees will be informed enough to help keep the data reliable instead of hinder it. Every individual that has access to your network or data needs to follow these rules. It only takes one incident to compromise the system. Only install proven and scanned software on the system. The most damaging viruses come from installing or even inserting a contaminated disk. Boot sector viruses can be some of the hardest malware to defeat. Simply inserting a floppy disk with a boot sector virus can immediately transfer the virus to the hard drive.</p><p>When surfing the Internet, do not download untrusted files. Many websites will install Spyware, Adware, Parasites, or Trojans in the name of "Marketing" on unsuspecting victims computers. Many prey on users that do not read popup windows or download freeware or shareware software. Some sites even use code to take advantage of vulnerability in Internet explorer to automatically download and run unauthorized software without giving you a choice.</p><p>Do not install or use P2P programs like Kazaa, Morpheus, or Limewire. These programs install server software on your system; essentially back dooring your system. There are also thousands of infected files floating on those networks that will activate when downloaded.</p><p>Backups & Disaster Recovery Planning<br /><br>Keep daily backups offsite. These can be in the form of tape, CD-R, DVD-R, removable hard drives, or even secure file transfers. If data becomes damaged, you would be able to restore from the last known good backup. The most important step while following a backup procedure is to verify that the backup was a success. Too many people just assume that the backup is working only to find out that the drive or media was bad six<br /><br>months earlier when they were infected by a virus or lost a hard drive. If the data that you are trying to archive is less then five gig, DVD-R drives are a great solution. Both the drives and disks have come down in price and are now a viable option. This is also one of the fastest backup methods to process and verify. For larger backups, tape drives and removable hard drives are the best option. If you choose this method, you will need to rotate the backup with five or seven different media (tapes, CD/DVD, removable drives) to get the most out of the process. It is also suggested to take a "master" backup out of the rotation on a scheduled basis and archive offsite in a fireproof safe. This protects the data from fire, flood, and theft.</p><p>In the Internet age, understanding that you have to maintain these processes will help you become successful when preventing damage and minimizes the time, costs, and liabilities involved during the disaster recovery phase if you are affected.</p><p>Resources</p><p>Virus Resources<br /><br>F-PROT: <a href="http://www.f-prot.com/virusinfo/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.f-prot.com/virusinfo/</a><br /><br>McAfee : <a href="http://vil.nai.com/vil/default.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://vil.nai.com/vil/default.asp</a><br /><br>Symantec Norton: <a href="http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/</a><br /><br>Trend Micro: <a href="http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/</a><br /><br>NIST GOV: <a href="http://csrc.nist.gov/virus/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://csrc.nist.gov/virus/</a></p><p>Free software<br /><br>AVG Anti-Virus - <a href="http://free.grisoft.com" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://free.grisoft.com</a> Free<br /><br>F-Prot - <a href="http://www.f-prot.com" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.f-prot.com</a> Free for home users</p><p>Free online Virus scan<br /><br>BitDefender - <a href="http://www.bitdefender.com/scan" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.bitdefender.com/scan</a><br /><br>HouseCall - <a href="http://housecall.trendmicro.com" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://housecall.trendmicro.com</a><br /><br>McAffe - <a href="http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs</a><br /><br>Panda ActiveScan - <a href="http://www.pandasoftware.es/activescan/activescan-com.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.pandasoftware.es/activescan/activescan-com.asp</a><br /><br>RAV Antivirus - [http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan]</p><p>Free online Trojan scan<br /><br>TrojanScan - <a href="http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/</a></p><p>Free online Security scan<br /><br>Symanted Security Check - <a href="http://security.symantec.com/sscv6" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://security.symantec.com/sscv6</a><br /><br>Test my Firewall - <a href="http://www.testmyfirewall.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.testmyfirewall.com/</a></p><p>More Security Resources<br /><br>Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams: <a href="http://www.first.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.first.org/</a><br /><br>Microsoft: <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/current.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/current.aspx</a><br /><br>SANS Institute: <a href="http://www.sans.org/resources/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.sans.org/resources/</a><br /><br>Webopedia: <a href="http://www.pcwebopedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.pcwebopedia.com/</a><br /><br>Definitions</p><p>Adware: *A form of spyware that collects information about the user in order to display advertisements in the Web browser based on the information it collects from the user's browsing patterns.</p><p>Software that is given to the user with advertisements already embedded in the application</p><p>Malware: *Short for malicious software, software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse.</p><p>Script Kiddie: *A person, normally someone who is not technologically sophisticated, who randomly seeks out a specific weakness over the Internet in order to gain root access to a system without really understanding what it is s/he is exploiting because the weakness was discovered by someone else. A script kiddie is not looking to target specific information or a specific company but rather uses knowledge of a vulnerability to scan the entire Internet for a victim that possesses that vulnerability.</p><p>Spyware: *Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.</p><p>Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today.</p><p>Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer's memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware's home base via the user's Internet connection. Because spyware is using memory and system resources, the applications running in the background can lead to system crashes or general system instability.</p><p>Because spyware exists as independent executable programs, they have the ability to monitor keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop other applications, such as chat programs or word processors, install other spyware programs, read cookies, change the default home page on the Web browser, consistently relaying this information back to the spyware author who will either use it for advertising/marketing purposes or sell the information to another party.<br /><br>Licensing agreements that accompany software downloads sometimes warn the user that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested software, but the licensing agreements may not always be read completely because the notice of a spyware installation is often couched in obtuse, hard-to-read legal disclaimers.</p><p>Trojan: *A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer.</p><p>The term comes from a story in Homer's Iliad, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.</p><p>Virus: *A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.</p><p>Since 1987, when a virus infected ARPANET, a large network used by the Defense Department and many universities, many antivirus programs have become available. These programs periodically check your computer system for the best-known types of viruses.</p><p>Some people distinguish between general viruses and worms. A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs.</p><p>Worm: *A program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down.</p><p>* Definitions provided by Webopedia</p><p>A special thanks goes out to the CISSP community, various Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)s, and to those in the Risk assessment specialty of Information Systems Security for their help in proof reading and suggestions.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Jeremy Martin CISSP,CHS-III,CEH</p><p><a href="http://www.infosecwriter.com" target="_new">http://www.infosecwriter.com</a></p> <br />

Viruses and Worms, Protection from Disaster

Virus damage estimated at $55 billion in 2003. "SINGAPORE - Trend Micro Inc, the world's third-largest anti-virus software maker...

Continue Reading>>

Credit Protection Tips While Surfing the Internet

<br /> <p>A person's credit information is vital. If it reaches malicious hands, the identity of this person can be stolen and be used in ways that will eventually destroy that person's credit and credibility. A person who does not protect his credit information can be easily victimized by identity theft.</p><p>In the good old days, credit protection is easy. There is only one thing to remember: do not provide financial information to a stranger unless that stranger is someone that can be trusted. Thus, it is safe to give the social security number when applying for a driver's license but it is dangerous to give that same number to someone who claims to be selling insurance policies through the phone.</p><p>Today, credit protection becomes complicated with the popularity of the internet. Thousands of internet surfers are careless in giving away information about their life. And the new internet users are simply trigger happy in clicking all kinds of links. They don't realize how dangerous it can be when a person goes online.</p><p>However, there are simple and effective ways of dealing with cyber criminals who are out to steal identity. Every person must be familiar with these ways before they even begin to surf. Here are some examples of these credit protection tips.</p><p>o Physical Location - Any company that is selling an item and asking for credit card information must display the address of its physical location in its website. If it is the person's first time to encounter such company, it is wise to first check if such physical location actually exists. If it cannot be found, then that company should be regarded suspiciously and credit card information should be withheld.</p><p>o Credit Reporting Agency - One important aspect of credit protection is credit monitoring. A credit reporting agency (CRA) can quickly identify, usually within a month's activity, if a person's credit information is being illegally utilized by another. In the United States, the three major credit reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is also a good idea to have one of these CRAs create a security watch so that the people who are obtaining credit information will be limited.</p><p>o Firewall Protection - As technology advances, the thief's tricks of his trade also advances. The cyber-thieves have learned how to hack into a computer and steal information. The best way to ensure credit protection is to install a security system inside the computer. This security system must be constantly updated so that it will have the capacity to block off new strategies in hacking into a computer. If the computer's security system is neither robust nor effective, it is recommended that a personal firewall is created. To be a hundred percent sure, a person should never store any personal credit information in his computer.</p><p>The internet is not the culprit when identity theft happens. The internet is just a tool, albeit a high-technology one. The real culprit is the thief which uses the internet. With the credit</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>If you enjoy reading this, you may enjoy to read more about <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock Reviews</a> or get <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock Promotion Code</a> and save 17.5%. Read more about <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock</a> here</p> <br />

Credit Protection Tips While Surfing the Internet

A person's credit information is vital. If it reaches malicious hands, the identity of this person can be stolen and be used in ways ...

Continue Reading>>

Credit Protection Tips While Surfing the Internet

<br /> <p>A person's credit information is vital. If it reaches malicious hands, the identity of this person can be stolen and be used in ways that will eventually destroy that person's credit and credibility. A person who does not protect his credit information can be easily victimized by identity theft.</p><p>In the good old days, credit protection is easy. There is only one thing to remember: do not provide financial information to a stranger unless that stranger is someone that can be trusted. Thus, it is safe to give the social security number when applying for a driver's license but it is dangerous to give that same number to someone who claims to be selling insurance policies through the phone.</p><p>Today, credit protection becomes complicated with the popularity of the internet. Thousands of internet surfers are careless in giving away information about their life. And the new internet users are simply trigger happy in clicking all kinds of links. They don't realize how dangerous it can be when a person goes online.</p><p>However, there are simple and effective ways of dealing with cyber criminals who are out to steal identity. Every person must be familiar with these ways before they even begin to surf. Here are some examples of these credit protection tips.</p><p>o Physical Location - Any company that is selling an item and asking for credit card information must display the address of its physical location in its website. If it is the person's first time to encounter such company, it is wise to first check if such physical location actually exists. If it cannot be found, then that company should be regarded suspiciously and credit card information should be withheld.</p><p>o Credit Reporting Agency - One important aspect of credit protection is credit monitoring. A credit reporting agency (CRA) can quickly identify, usually within a month's activity, if a person's credit information is being illegally utilized by another. In the United States, the three major credit reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is also a good idea to have one of these CRAs create a security watch so that the people who are obtaining credit information will be limited.</p><p>o Firewall Protection - As technology advances, the thief's tricks of his trade also advances. The cyber-thieves have learned how to hack into a computer and steal information. The best way to ensure credit protection is to install a security system inside the computer. This security system must be constantly updated so that it will have the capacity to block off new strategies in hacking into a computer. If the computer's security system is neither robust nor effective, it is recommended that a personal firewall is created. To be a hundred percent sure, a person should never store any personal credit information in his computer.</p><p>The internet is not the culprit when identity theft happens. The internet is just a tool, albeit a high-technology one. The real culprit is the thief which uses the internet. With the credit</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>If you enjoy reading this, you may enjoy to read more about <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock Reviews</a> or get <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock Promotion Code</a> and save 17.5%. Read more about <a href="http://www.reviewsonlifelock.com" target="_new">Lifelock</a> here</p> <br />

Credit Protection Tips While Surfing the Internet

A person's credit information is vital. If it reaches malicious hands, the identity of this person can be stolen and be used in ways ...

Continue Reading>>

Patent Protection For Software In India

<br /> <p>PATENT PROTECTION FOR SOFTWARE IN INDIA</p><p>INTRODUCTION</p><p>Patentability of the software- related inventions are very controversial in these days. In early 1960s and 1970s uniform response was that software was not patentable subject matter. But in subsequent years United States and Japan expanded the scope of patent protection. But several countries including Europe and India are reluctant to grant patents for computer program for the fear that technological progress in this volatile industry will be impeded. Proponents for the software patenting argue that patent protection will encourage, and would have encouraged, more innovation in the software industry. Opponents maintain that software patenting will stifle innovation, because the characteristics of software are basically different from those of the innovations of old Industrial, e.g. mechanical and civil engineering.</p><p>PROTECTION FOR SOFTWARE -RELATED INNOVATIONS</p><p>WIPO defined the term computer program as: "A set of instructions capable, when incorporated in a machine readable medium, of causing a machine having information processing capabilities to indicate, perform or achieve a particular function, task or result". Software can be protected either by copyright or patent or both. Patent protection for software has advantages and disadvantages in comparison with copyright protection. There have been many debates concerning patent protection for software as information technology has developed and more software has been developed. This caused mainly due to the characteristics of software, which is intangible and also has a great value. It needs huge amount of resources to develop new and useful programs, but they are easily copied and easily transmitted through the internet all over the world. Also due to the development of e-commerce, there is urge for patenting of business methods.</p><p>Computer programs remain intangible even after they have actually come into use. This intangibility causes difficulties in understanding how a computer program can be a patentable subject-matter. The questions of whether and what extent computer programs are patentable remain unresolved.</p><p>More than half of the 176 countries in the world that grant patents permit the patenting of software-related inventions, at least to some degree. There is a worldwide trend in favor of adopting patent protection for software-related inventions. This trend accelerated following the adoption in 1994 of the TRIPS Agreement, which mandates member countries to provide patent protection for inventions in all fields of technology, but which stops short of mandatory patent protection for software per se. Developing countries that did not provide such protection when the TRIPS agreement came into force (January 1, 1995) have until January 1, 2005, to amend their laws, if necessary, to meet this requirement.</p><p>EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION</p><p>The European Patent Convention is the treaty that established the European Patent Organization (EPO). The EPO grants patents that are valid in those member countries designated in the EPO application and subsequently perfected in those countries. Enforcement of the EPO patent is obtained through the national courts of the various countries.</p><p>The software has been protected by copyright and excluded from patent protection in Europe. According to Article 52(1) of the European Patent Convention (EPC), European Patents shall be granted for any inventions which are susceptible of industrial application, which are new and which involve an inventive step. Article 52(2) excludes schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programming computers from patentability. Article 52(3) says that prohibition relates only to software 'as such'.</p><p>For Some years following implementation of the EPC, software in isolation was not patentable. To be patentable the invention in such a combination had to lie in the hardware. Then came a test case, EPO T26/86, a question of patentability of a hardware-software combination where hardware itself was not novel. It concerned patent for a computer control X-ray machine programmed to optimize the machine's operating characteristics for X-ray procedures of different types. The patent office refused to patent the invention. Technical Board of Appeal (TBoA) disagreed and upheld the patent, saying that a patent invention could consist of technical and non-technical features ( i.e. hardware and software). It was not necessary to apply relative weights to these different types of feature.</p><p>RECENT CASES</p><p>1.VICOM CASE</p><p>The VICOM case has authority on what does mean "computer Program as such" and what constitutes a "mathematical method". The patent application related to a method and apparatus for digital image processing which involved a mathematical calculation on numbers representing points of an image. Algorithms were used for smoothing or sharpening the contrast between neighboring data elements in the array. The Board of Appeal held that a computer utilizing a program to carry out a technical process is not claim to a computer program as such.</p><p>2. IBM cases</p><p>Subsequent major development occurred in 1999, when cases T935/97 and T1173/97 were decided on appeal to TBOA. In these cases the TBOA decided that software was not "software as such" if it had a technical effect, and that claims to software per se could be acceptable if these criterion was met. A technical effect can arise from an improvement in computer performance or properties or use of facilities such as a computer system with limited memories access stimulating better access by virtue of the computer programming. Decisions T935/97 and T1173/97 were followed elsewhere in Europe.</p><p>The European Technical Board of Appeals of the EPO rendered two important decisions on the patentability of Business Methods Inventions (BMIs). Business Methods Inventions can be defined as inventions which are concerned with methods or system of doing business which are using computers or internets.</p><p>3. The Queuing System/Petterson case</p><p>In this case a system for determining the queue sequence for serving customers at plural service points was held to be patentable. The Technical Board held that the problem to be solved was the means of interaction of the components of the system, and that this was a technical problem, its solution was patentable.</p><p>SOHEI CASE</p><p>The Sohei case opened a way for a business method to be patentable. The patent was a computer system for plural types of independent management including financial and inventory management, and a method for operating the said system. The court said it was patentable because "technical considerations were applied" and "technical problems were solved". Thus, the Technical Board considered the invention to be patentable; it was dealing with a method of doing business.</p><p>The most widely followed doctrine governing the scope of patent protection for software-related inventions is the "technical effects" doctrine that was first promulgated by the European Patent Office (EPO). This doctrine generally holds that software is patentable if the application of the software has a "technical effect". The EPO law regarding patentability of software tends to be somewhat more liberal than the individual laws of some of the EPO member countries. Thus, one desiring to patent a software-related invention in Europe should generally file an EPO application.</p><p>INDIAN PATENT ACT</p><p>Like in Europe, in India also the doctrine of "technical effects" governs the scope of patent protection for software-related inventions. The patent Act of 1970, as amended by the Act of 38 of 2002, excludes patentability of software per se. Section 3(k) of the Patent Act states "a mathematical or business method or a computer program per se or algorithm" is not patentable invention. The computer program products claimed as "A computer program product in computer readable medium", "A computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon", etc are not held patentable for the claims are treated as relating to software per se, irrespective of the medium of its storage .On the other hand "a contents display method for displaying contents on a screen", "a method for controlling an information processing apparatus, for communicating via the Internet with an external apparatus", "a method for transmitting data across an open communication channel on a wireless device that selectively opens and closes a communication channel to a wireless network, and each wireless device including a computer platform and including a plurality of device resources that selectively utilizes a communication channel to communicate with other devices across the network" are held patentable though all above methods utilize computer programs for its operation. But computer program solely intellectual in context are not patentable.</p><p>CONCLUSION</p><p>In India software per se is not patentable. The inventions relating to the application of the computer program or software is held patentable under the Indian Patent Act, 1970 when claimed in combination of hardware and software components of a computer which provides a "technical advancement" over the prior art. It is necessary for the applicant to describe the "technical contribution" to the prior art when the invention involves software. The technical problem, which needs to be solved by the invention, should be sufficiently described as to how the hardware is controlled by the software to overcome the previously described problem. The "technical character" of the invention should be brought out clearly in the claims.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>V.R.GOPU M.A, LL.M (U.S), Attorney at Law of PMG ASSOCIATES, Patent and Trademark Attorneys, India of <a href="http://www.pmgip.com" target="_new">http://www.pmgip.com</a></p> <br />

Patent Protection For Software In India

PATENT PROTECTION FOR SOFTWARE IN INDIA INTRODUCTION Patentability of the software- related inventions are very controversial in these da...

Continue Reading>>