Q:
Often times when I’m installing a new piece of software, it tells me to turn my antivirus program off while I do so. Why does it do that? And when is it safe to turn it back on? Please explain!
A:
Ooooh, what a great question! I’m sure all of you have been in this situation before. You know, you order a new piece of software and… Continue reading
April 2008 Windows Updates
Let me see a show of hands. How many of you have already installed the Windows Updates for April 2008? I hope most of you are raising your hand, because this month’s updates are as important as ever. As you may know, a total of eight updates came through, with five of those being categorized as “critical” and the other three as “important.” A… Continue reading
Viruses: The Good and Bad
Today, I have some information about viruses, spyware and other malware. Listen up!
Did you know that the number of malware programs on the Web today is predicted to increase to one million this year? Yikes! The number of bad programs continues to grow at an alarming rate, but that’s actually some good news! That’s right, I said one million viruses is good news. Here’s… Continue reading
A Little More About Router Safety
It seems like everyday, I get at least one e-mail with a question about routers. The questions range from “Which router is the most secure?” to “What does wireless B, G, N mean?” and so on.
Well, it’s pretty obvious to me that a lot of you out there would like some clarification on routers. I will do my best to answer as many… Continue reading
Preventing AutoRun Attacks From Malicious CDs
How many times have you innocently inserted a CD or flash drive into your computer, only to find out it has infected your PC with a virus? How did that happen? Why did that happen? Well, one of the causes could be the AutoRun feature in Windows. If you have your computer set up to run the AutoRun, it can launch installers and other… Continue reading
Q:
My family and I are going on vacation in a few weeks and we’ll be staying in a hotel the whole time. I’d like to take my laptop with me, but I’m not sure if I’ll have access to the Internet at the hotel or not. How can I find out? Or, what do I need to do to be able to connect while I’m in my room?
I have written several articles in the past about ways you can protect your computer, but what if you’re not using your own computer? What if you’re using a public computer instead (at a library or hotel, for example?) Those computers may not be as secure as your home system, and you need to take the proper steps to ensure your personal data stays safe. Here
Parental Control Bar
Today, I have a security tip and a free download all packed in to one! I’m sure there are many of you parents and grandparents out there who are concerned about the possibility of your children and grandchildren accessing Web sites that are not intended for them. Well, lucky for all of you, I have a solution! I was able to find a program called Parental Control
DVD Parental Controls
Most of you probably know that setting parental controls for the Internet limits your children and grandchildren to certain Web sites. But I’m willing to bet that you’ve never heard of setting parental controls for DVDs that are watched using Windows Media Player, am I right? Well, it’s true! You can activate Windows Media Player’s parental control feature to restrict your children from viewing any DVD movies… Continue reading
Windows Updates for March 2008
It’s that time of the month again! Yep, the Windows Updates for March 2008 were released on Tuesday, March 11 and if you haven’t installed them yet, you need to get busy! Just like every month, these updates are very important for the safety of your computer. If you don’t get them soon, you’re really going to be missing out on some heavy… Continue reading
New Browser Security
Over the last few weeks, Erin has written about both Microsoft and Mozilla releasing the newest versions of their Web browsers for testing. Internet Explorer 8 Beta and Firefox 3 Beta are now in their testing phases and they both offer a bundle of new features that will help keep you more secure. I thought I would run through a few of those features today, just to… Continue reading
Trojans: Still on Top
Do you often wonder where different types of malware stand in comparison to each other? For instance, are Trojans more dangerous than spyware or is it the other way around? I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time thinking about which one is the worst when it comes to the damage it could do to my computer. Well, today, I’ve… Continue reading
MonaRonaDona – Another Security Tip
I have received a number of e-mails and calls about a new threat called MonaRonaDona, so instead of a download today, here’s another security tip for you! The MonaRonaDona is a virus that will stop certain programs from running correctly and it will put a message on your Internet Explorer screen that says “MonaRonaDona.” If you search on the Internet for a fix to this… Continue reading
More on IRS Phishing Attacks
I’m sure you all know it’s tax time again, right? As we all battle the hassles of doing our taxes, some phishers have decided to take advantage of this time of year. As you know, phishing is the act of sending e-mail or other communications with the intent of trying to get personal information from an individual. Since it’s tax time, it’s the perfect opportunity… Continue reading
Q:
I use AIM quite a bit to talk to my family and friends, but lately, I’ve been worrying more and more about my privacy. Are my instant message conversations kept private or am I putting myself at risk? Please explain!
A:
Oh, I’m so glad you asked! I know a lot of WorldStart’s readers use AIM (AOL’s instant messaging program) and some of you may even use… Continue reading
I’m sure all of you have heard of worms, Trojans, adware, spyware and viruses, right? Those nasty little bugs are the reason for troublesome computer problems throughout the world. Well, today, I have a new type of attack to add to the list. This type of bug is called ransomware. Ransomware has been around for awhile in the computer world, but it hasn’t really taken off until recently.
So, what… Continue reading
Q:
In yesterday’s newsletter, you had an article about Grouply, which struck me as odd. I heard that Grouply is a phishing site and that I shouldn’t use it. Can you please explain that to me?
A:
Wow, I’ve gotten so many questions just like this one in the last 24 hours, I think I’ve lost count! It seems like most of you sent me an e-mail as… Continue reading
I have received a number of questions lately about e-mail spoofing, so today, I will discuss the topic and let you know what you can do to fight against this type of e-mail identity theft. Let’s get started!
For those of you who have never heard of this, here is a little information about e-mail spoofing.
Email spoofing is a common e-mail trick used… Continue reading
Q:
I saw something online the other day about a rebate scam. Do you know anything about that? If so, please share the details. Thanks!
A:
Excellent question! This is something that has been plastered all over the Web since about the last week in January (2008) and it’s something every computer user should be aware of. So, what do you say we stop wasting time and get… Continue reading
February 2008 Windows Updates
With it now being three days after the release of the February 2008 Windows Updates, I figured most of you have already updated your computers and we can talk a little bit about what has changed. I also wanted to take this time to clear up any confusion you may have about some of this month’s updates. I’ve been getting a lot of questions… Continue reading
Beware of the Silent Banker
Yesterday, Steve sent me an e-mail about a nasty little Trojan virus that steals information from your computer when you attempt to log in to your banking Web site. So, if you do any kind of online banking, you should keep an eye out for this one. The Trojan has been named SilentBanker and seeing how it works, that is a very good name for… Continue reading
Q:
I haven’t heard you talk about the Storm Worm lately. Is there anything new going on with it?
A:
Oooh, great question! And your timing is perfect, because I actually just received word the other day that a new issue has developed concerning the Storm Worm attack. Now, before I go any further, I want to refresh everyone’s memory on what the Storm Worm is. Basically, it’s… Continue reading
What’s Your Password?
Steve came across a very interesting article the other day and lucky for all of you, he shared it with me! How does that make you lucky, you ask? Well, the article is titled “10 Most Common Passwords” and it included some mind blowing information that, in my opinion, all of you should know about too. Below is a list of the 10 most commonly… Continue reading
An ActiveX Heads Up
Here’s a heads up to everyone out there who uses Internet Explorer, MySpace or Facebook. Listen up!
It seems there has been a major flaw discovered in six different ActiveX controls for Internet Explorer that could cause some major problems for your computer. The flaws are not from some little, no-name Web sites either. We are talking about MySpace.com and Facebook.com.
For those of you who… Continue reading
Cutting Down on IM Spam
As you have probably figured out, living in an electronic age has its downsides, with one of them being swamped by unwanted e-mail in our Inboxes. Those who indulge in such an act are called spammers and they are growing by the minute, making our lives much more difficult. There are several different kinds of spam going around the Internet these days, but one of… Continue reading
Open ID
Another reader asks: As an extension to your Secure Passwords article, would you discuss the Open ID concept? Some examples would really be helpful. (In order to see how they work, I have gone to several Open ID enabled Web sites and navigated through their sign up processes. I didn’t see anything special, but then again, I also backed out before I actually created an account).
NoScript
If you’re big into using the Firefox Web browser, you probably already know about NoScript, but just in case you’re new to Firefox or if you haven’t started using it yet, here’s a brief description for you. We here at WorldStart have actually mentioned NoScript in a couple other tips before, but we’ve never really focused in on it as much as we should have. And I… Continue reading
