Firefox: Is It More Secure?
For those of you who have not yet tried out the Firefox Web browser, here’s another reason why you might want to give it some thought!
Recently, a study was done on Web browser usage on the Internet. Several companies, including Google and IBM, analyzed how many people were using outdated and non-secure browsers on the Web. The study looked at which browser and what… Continue reading
For the longest time, I’ve been looking for a free program that would allow me to safely encrypt certain files on my computer. I have tried many different freeware options, but none were as secure or as easy to use as the program I’m going to show you today. It’s called AxCrypt and it’s bursting with magnificent features. Let’s check it out, shall we?!
1.) If you want to begin… Continue reading
Control That Virus
A computer virus is a lot like a human virus. It’s contagious, disgusting and something you’d like to stay away from as much as possible. Just like a cold virus, it can be passed on very quickly and it’s difficult to recover from.
So, how does one catch a computer virus? Well, the most common way of transferring and contracting viruses is by copying infected material onto… Continue reading
Vista Privacy and Security
What do you say we take a look at some of the privacy and security options in Windows Vista? Here we go!
Privacy
As a convenience, by default, Windows Vista saves and displays a list of recently opened files and programs on your Start menu. It’s supposed to make it easier to find a file or program, but in reality, many users would prefer that information… Continue reading
New Gmail Security
Here are some new features for those of you using the Gmail e-mail program! It looks like Google has been working very hard lately and they have built in a couple of new features for Gmail that give you more control over your e-mail account. The new features allow you to see a log of when your e-mail was last accessed and there’s even one that allows… Continue reading
Trojans Still Dominate
Early last week (on July 7, 2008 to be exact), the Panda Security company released their report on malware for the second quarter of 2008. As you may recall, for the first part of 2008, Trojans made the top of the list and it looks like they have dominated once again. The Panda report showed that Trojans made up 63 percent of all new malicious… Continue reading
Q:
Is there a fix yet for the ZoneAlarm problem you talked about in Friday’s newsletter? If so, please tell us what we can do. Thanks for all your help!
A:
I knew this question would be popping up all over the place throughout the weekend and I was right! My e-mail Inbox is just filled with queries about the ZoneAlarm issue. First, just to get everyone up… Continue reading
Q:
I installed the Windows Updates for July yesterday like you told us to and now I’m having trouble getting connected to the Internet. It seems as if the Updates changed something on my computer and I can’t get it to work right. Do you know anything about this? If you do, please help!
A:
I was going to talk about this today anyway, so I’m glad you… Continue reading
Today, I have a free download and an amazing security tool all in one! The program is called Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) and it does something I’ve been seeking for a long time.
Do you ever wonder if all of the programs on your system are up to date? I know I have! Everyone has so many programs on their computer and… Continue reading
New Security Fixes
Today, instead of telling you about a new scary threat to your system, I have some good news! As promised, I’m keeping you up to date on security issues we have covered before. I have two fixes for some pretty big bugs still looming around the Web. Let’s see what we’ve got!
First, let’s talk about Safari. If you remember, a couple weeks ago, I wrote about… Continue reading
Security Warning: Exiting Explorer
Unfortunately, there are some ignorant people in the world today and most of them are on the Internet. Recently, a cruel Internet prank surfaced that preys on just about anyone. But if you know what the prank is, you won’t fall for it, so please keep reading to learn how you can keep yourself protected!
The prank involves a “cool trick” that can be done by… Continue reading
Firefox 3 Hits Record: A Continuation
I know we talked a little about this last week, but I have some more to tell you regarding the Firefox 3 record breaking, so please listen up!
I’m sure most of you know that the newest version of Firefox just came out last week. Firefox 3.0 is the newest Web browser online today and it has a ton of new features that everyone… Continue reading
New Ransomware on the Loose
I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but I have some bad news on the security front today. Do you remember a few months ago when I wrote about ransomware? Ransomware is basically a virus that takes over your computer and demands you to pay the creator of the virus for a code that will bring your data back. Most of… Continue reading
Alternative Virus Removal
So, tell me, has your computer ever been infected with a virus that completely took over your whole system? I mean, was it so bad that you couldn’t even get your antivirus program to open? Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty bad! So, what did you do about it? How are you supposed to fix your computer if you can’t even scan your system to see what’s wrong?… Continue reading
Critical Security Warning: Safari for Windows
If you’ve been reading WorldStart’s newsletters for the last few months, you probably already know about the newest Web browser for Windows called Safari. Safari is a browser made by Apple that has been used on Mac computers for several years and it is now available for Windows as well. Personally, I really like Safari and I have used it from time to time… Continue reading
I always say you shouldn’t go to Web sites you don’t trust, but what if you’re not sure if you can trust a certain site or not? What do you do then? This type of problem is pretty common and in the past, it has left me wondering what to do. Well, today, I have a very easy answer to that question!
Outlook Express Security
Outlook Express is one of the most widely used e-mail applications in the world. It’s a great program for what it does. It provides a simple way to get your e-mail on your computer with very minimal hassle. While OE is a great program, it does have some security loopholes that could leave your computer exposed if you’re sending an e-mail with a virus in it. Here… Continue reading
Q:
A lot of the Web sites I visit have advertisements that randomly pop up and while they’re rather annoying, they also always seem to know where I’m located. It’s like they’re targeting me personally. How can that be? Please explain!
A:
Oooh, that’s a really good question! It’s true that a lot of Web sites these days include advertisements for other products and incentives. They’re always trying… Continue reading
May 2008 Updates
As you all probably know, the Windows Updates for May 2008 came out this past Tuesday (May 13, 2008). I’m sure most of you have already installed them (at least you should have!), but you might still be a little curious about what was actually updated on your computer. It’s always hard to decipher that information, especially when you’re in a hurry to just get… Continue reading
XP SP3 Support
I’m sure every single one of you know about the Windows XP Service Pack 3 update, right? We here at WorldStart have gotten a lot of phone calls and e-mails about the release in the last week or so. Your comments range from how smoothly the install went to how the Service Pack completely crashed your computer and so on.
Now, I don’t want to scare you… Continue reading
XP SP3 Nightmare: Endless Reboot Loops
As you probably remember, we here at WorldStart told you all about the new Windows XP Service Pack 3 being released last week. Well, as it turns out, the new and improved SP3 is still causing some problems, especially if you own an HP computer with an AMD processor. (Now, even if you don’t, please continue reading, because it’s not just HP computers; several… Continue reading
Do you even think twice before you download a picture, music file or video clip that comes attached in an e-mail from a trusted family member or friend? I’m guessing you don’t, but I’m sure you’ll start after you hear what I have to say next. Brace yourself! Malicious software can easily hide itself in documents and media files and if you happen to open one of those on your computer, it could become infected as well. Continue reading
AVG 8
When it comes to free antivirus software that is also powerful, there’s really only one option. It’s called AVG Free Edition and it works great for basic antivirus protection on a home PC. I know there are several of you out there who use AVG, so I decided to give you a heads up on some big changes you should be aware of. For quite some time now… Continue reading
I have mentioned before that having a good firewall is essential to computer security. I know some of you out there use the Windows firewall that comes along with your computer, but that may not always be the best choice. The Windows firewall does provide the minimum security needed to protect your files and system from unwanted access, but it also lacks many of the advanced features that are included… Continue reading
Q:
I always use Google to search and lately, I’ve been noticing a new warning that pops up under some of my search results. It says something about phishing, but I’m not quite sure what it is. Do you have any ideas?
A:
Yes, I do believe I know what you’re talking about! I actually just heard about this the other day, so I’m glad you asked. An… Continue reading
Kraken Botnet
Over the past year, we here at WorldStart have written many times about the Storm Worm. This worm has become well known worldwide because of its ability to infect computers and remotely execute commands, without any detection by normal antivirus software. Well, until recently, the Storm Worm has been the “big one” to look out for, but now, there’s a new botnet on the loose that’s causing… Continue reading
Recently, I found an awesome Web site that helps you stay up to date on security threats around the globe. The SRI International Malware Threat Center is a monitoring site that can tell you loads of information about the newest threats, where they’re coming from and who’s fighting against them.
If you have any interest in knowing what is going on with malware threats and growth, you… Continue reading
