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July 3, 2009 23:03 - Adopting Good Security Habits

There are a few simple habits you can adopt which can dramatically reduce the access other people have to your computer information or the loss of it due to corruption...
Although it may be pretty easy to identify people who could gain physical access to your computer, such as family, roommates and co-workers, identifying the people who could gain access to your computer remotely is a lot more difficult.
This is the case when you are connected to a network -- you are particularly vulnerable to someone or something else accessing or corrupting your information. So, what can you do to minimize the risks?

Lock Your Computer
Even if you only step away from your computer for a few minutes, it's enough time for someone else to destroy or corrupt your information. Locking your computer prevents another person from being able to simply sit down at your computer and access all your information.

Internet Connections
Technologies such as DSL and cable modems have made it possible for users to be online all the time, but this convenience comes with risks. The likelihood that attackers or viruses scanning the network for available computers will target your computer becomes much higher if your computer is always connected. So, when not using your computer, always disconnect from the Internet by disabling your wireless connection, turning off your computer or modem, or disconnecting cables. And don't forget... when you are connected, always use an enabled firewall.

Security Settings
It is important to examine the security settings of your software, such as browsers and email programs. Enabling certain features to increase convenience or functionality, may leave you more vulnerable to being attacked. Select options that meet your needs without putting you at increased risk.

Sometimes the threats to your information aren't from other people but from natural or technological causes. Although there is no way to control or prevent these problems, you can prepare for them and try to minimize the damage...

Power Surges
Protect your computer against power surges and brief outages by using power strips which offer an uninterruptible power supply when there are power surges or outages. When there is lightning in your area, shut down your computer and unplug from the power socket.

Back Up Data
Ever experienced losing one or more files due to an accident, a virus or worm, a natural event, or a problem with your equipment? Regularly backing up your data on a CD or network reduces the stress and consequences that result from losing important information.
Determining how often to back up your data is a personal decision. If you are constantly adding or changing data, you may find weekly backups to be the best alternative; if your content rarely changes, you may decide that your backups do not need to be as frequent

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May 25, 2008 10:44 - Government Proposes An Orwellian UK

The UK government is seriously considering new telecommunications legislation that will create a massive database with details of every telephone call, text message, email and web visit made by everyone in Britain. The government says the legislation is essential for counter-terrorism purposes.
It is proposed that information would be held for 12 months and could be accessed by police and security services in possession of a court order.
Of course, criticism has been quick to follow...

Assistant Information Commissioner Jonathan Bamford said, "We have warned before that we are sleepwalking into a surveillance society."

Jamie Cowper, director of European marketing at PGP said, "You've got to admire the government's gall in attempting to bring in yet another 'super-database' with public confidence still in tatters over recent lapses in data protection."

Over 50 billion text messages a year and three billion emails a day are sent in the UK. According to Ross Anderson, chair at the Foundation for Information Policy Research - a think tank for Internet policy in Britain - to make such a database a reality would mean a re-engineering of networks in Britain, with the result that many service providers would simply move abroad.

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May 13, 2008 22:49 - Fake MP3s Running Rampant On P2P Networks

McAfee Avert Labs has recently reported the most significant malware outbreak in three years.
Detection of a trojan named Downloader-UA.h was added to the McAfee DAT files several days ago. This trojan downloads fake music and video files associated with fastmp3player.com.
Avert Labs reported that the malicious MP3 music or MPEG video files have appeared on popular file-sharing services such as Limewire and eDonkey and, so far, there have been more than 500,000 detections.
McAfee has rated �Downloader-UA.h� as a �medium� risk threat. It is the first malware to receive that risk rating since 2005. It is the most dangerous threat to mask itself as a multimedia file ever recorded.
When a user attempts to load one of these MP3 and MPG files, they don�t get the music/video they were hoping for. Instead they are directed to download a file named PLAY_MP3.exe. In fact, the MP3/MPG file they downloaded was completely fake, playing no media clip whatsoever.
Some of the malicious titles are... preview-t-3545425-adult.mpg preview-t-3545425-changing times earth wind .mp3 preview-t-3545425-girls aloud st trinnians.mp3 preview-t-3545425-heartbroken fast t2 ft jodie.mp3 preview-t-3545425-jij bent zo jeroen van den.mp3 preview-t-3545425-meet bambi in kings harem.mp3 preview-t-3545425-middle eastern chick.mpg However, many other file names are pervading P2P networks.

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