Ms Mindy Matter's Profile
Ms Mindy Matter's articles
Keyloggers are one of the fastest-growing and most concerning threats on the Internet today. Keyloggers are a bit worrisome because they were first written as legitimate programs, designed to monitor and catalog the use of the keyboard, and they continue to masquerade as harmless programs. Because of this, many antivirus or anti-spyware programs only report them as “potentially” dangerous or do not recognize them at all. The true danger also lies in their ability to not only catalog information, but to relay it to other machines without your knowledge.
Posted: 2009-03-09
Category: Software
A firewall is one of the most common means to protect your PC against dangerous malware and other risks to your system. It is essentially a barrier between your PC and the Internet, a guardian or gatekeeper against invasive or malicious programs. A firewall is a system (or a network of systems) that can be thought of like a doorman operating a swinging door. The door swings one way and information is allowed in. It swings the other way and information is allowed out. A firewall is set by its owner or system administrator to obey certain rules regarding what is allowed to transmit in either direction. It is the doorman, both operating and guarding the system.
Posted: 2009-03-06
Category: Software
Software exists for almost everything under the sun. There is an application or tool for just about any intent or purpose a computer user has. Programs are continually being written, developed and released to the public. Most are useful and safe to purchase or download but some aren’t quite so safe. The word “virus” is most often used to describe these programs but not all dangerous software is truly a virus. Some fall into another category called “malware”.
Posted: 2009-03-01
Category: Software
Spyware continually tops the headlines for most computer users, but unfortunately, that’s not the only thing people have to worry about these days. The situation is increasingly more complex than a spyware or adware application, because a different class of programs is more concerning – rogue security software. Designed to look and act like actual security software, rogue programs uses aggressive advertising methods and other tactics to convince users they need to purchase the full version of the program. Antivirus 360 is just one of the many rogue antispyware programs online today, and if it’s installed on your machine, removing it is your best bet.
Posted: 2009-02-16
Category: Software
Microsoft just put a quarter of a million dollars out as a bounty for the individuals who created Conficker. The entire French Navy spent days offline as a result of Conficker. The New York Times and other sources have reported that 9 million computers worldwide have fallen victim to Conficker, so it’s likely you’ve heard about it at some point. Also called Downup, Conficker can interrupt your typical Windows processes, including Windows Update, so until this worm is put to rest, it’s likely to be a news story in the weeks to come.
Posted: 2009-02-13
Category: Software
The most important thing to remember when dealing with malware is to know the enemy. You have to learn what the threats are, how they work and how to remove them. While it is necessary to group these programs into categories, each one is unique and you must know which enemy you’re fighting to track down the proper cure.
Posted: 2009-02-06
Category: Software
The temptation to buy XP Antivirus can be very high when you are fearful of a spyware infection. Don’t give in so quickly though! Make sure that you know what you are getting into, or rather what you are getting your computer into, before you purchase XP Antivirus as the bubble at the bottom of your screen is prompting you to do.
Posted: 2009-01-30
Category: Software
Just a few weeks ago, Internet Explorer 7 users experienced the newest zero day exploit, and this one was far more serious than many seen in the past. Microsoft was good enough to release a patch for this concerning exploit a week after it was discovered, but it leaves many different kinds of computer users quite worried about the weaknesses in their own security systems. Even with the IE 7 zero day exploit, users were left with options, but before you explore exactly what those options were, it’s important to get a good grasp on zero day exploits as a whole.
Posted: 2009-01-22
Category: Software
Rogue antispyware is a fairly common problem these days, and new programs are continually introduced. Unfortunately, they’re a frightening matter for virtually all computer users. Antivirus 2009 is just the most recent in a set of rogue programs that are concerning for anyone who owns a computer.
Posted: 2009-01-11
Category: Software
