best way to completely wipe your Android device

The best way

to completely wipe

 your Android device

 

Best way to completely wipe your Android device

A study from security software vendor Avast has suggested that the factory reset option built into the Android operating system isn't effective in eradicating your personal data from old devices. The firm purchased 20 used Android smartphones on eBay and was able to recover more than 40,000 photos, 750 emails and text messages, and 250 contacts, along with the identities of four of the previous device owners, and even a completed loan application. To make matters worse, Avast employees were using readily available data recovery software to get the job done.
While Avast and other companies like it offer data deletion tools, there are other steps you can take to securing your personal data when performing a factory reset.

Step 1: Encrypting

I recommend encrypting your device before you are getting ready to wipe it. The encryption process will scramble the data on your device and, even if the wipe doesn't fully delete the data, a special key will be required to unscramble it.
To encrypt your device on stock Android, enter settings, click on Security, and select Encrypt phone. The feature may be located under different options on other devices.

The best way to completely wipe your Android device

Step 2: Perform a factory reset

The next thing you will want to do is perform a factory reset. This can be done on stock Android by selecting Factory data reset in the Backup & reset option in the settings menu. You should be aware that this will erase all of the data on your phone and that you should backup anything you don't want to lose.

The best way to completely wipe your Android device

Step 3: Load dummy data

Following step one and two should be enough for most people, but there's an extra step you can take to add another layer of protection when erasing your personal data. Try loading fake photos and contacts on your device. Why you ask? We will address that in the next step.

Step 4: Perform another factory reset

You should now perform another factory reset, thus erasing the dummy content you loaded onto the device. This will make it even harder for someone to locate your data because it will be buried below the dummy content.
Still feeling a little paranoid? Repeat steps three and four as many times as you like. As I mentioned above, though, for most people simply following steps one and two should be enough. Without the encryption pin, which is overwritten in the initial factory reset, it will be almost impossible to unscramble your data.
Then again, you could always take a hammer to your phone or toss it in the toilet. You know, if you aren't interested in selling it.

Tags: Android Update, Security, Phones, Android

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Step 1: WPA2
I think it's common networking knowledge that there really is no excuse to not use any encryption method other than WPA2. In all but the oldest wireless devices, just about all modern wireless clients support it.

Step 2: Change Default Passwords

You never want to set up a new router and leave the default password of either the SSIDs (if the router came preconfigured) or to the admin account, which gives access to the router's management software. In fact, I like to change even the Guest Account default settings, if I enabled Guest Account and the router has guest credentials set up.

Changing the admin password, is usually found in the "System" or "Administration" areas of the interface. Changing the SSID's passphrase is typically under "Wireless Settings." By the way, you see the password I have set in the image below? Don't use that one. That's just a router for testing, my home router has a much stronger password. For some good advice on creating passwords, give Password Protection: How to Create Strong Passwords", a read.

Step 3: Change the Default SSID name

I can't tell you how many times, I'll look at wireless networks in range and see SSIDs such as "NETGEAR095," essentially, SSIDs that are preconfigured and easily give away the make of the router. When I see this, I also think perhaps the person who set up the router left the default admin credentials to the router's software. Someone with strong intent could access an unsecured network, and with a quick web search, discover the default password to the admin account just by knowing the type of router. Give your network a name that does not reveal the make or model of your router.

Step 4: Device Lists

Most routers have a device list that shows the wired and wireless clients currently connected. It pays to periodically take a look and familiarize yourself with your router's device listing. Years ago, you would only see a list showing a connected client's IP address, MAC address, and maybe the hostname.

Newer router interfaces are getting fancier. The most recent interface on the Cisco Linksys routers shows all of this information plus an icon of the type of client that's connected ( a picture of a bridge, a NAS, a computer…and so on). I've met with vendors who are also releasing cloud and mobile apps that let you remotely see what or who is connected to your network and alert you when a device connects. If this is an important feature for you, you can expect to see a lot innovation in intrusion detection and home networks soon.

Step 5: Turn off Guest Networking

I've never tested a router out-of-the box that had guest networking on by default. If I did—that router would not get a very high review rating. Guest networking allows others to access your routers, and by default it's usually unsecure access (although you can typically add security). That said, if you inherited your router from someone else, it pays to make sure guest networking is turned off (or at least secured) when you set the router up for your use. Doing so, requires usually nothing more than ticking off a checkbox in the router's interface.

Step 6: Enable MAC Address Filtering

Creating a filter by MAC address allows you to grant or deny access to your wireless network based on the specific device being connected. A common scenario for good security is to only grant access to the MAC addresses of only your own devices. You have to enter the MAC address manually for each client in just about any router I've tested, so you'll need to gather that information first. Of course, you can also get the MAC addresses from the device list as mentioned earlier, if they are connected.

Step 7: Use WPS With Caution

Personally, I don't use WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on my home network. I find it does not work consistently across wireless devices. Add to the fact that a security issue was discovered with the PIN method of connecting via WPS, and it makes me want to stay far from the feature (for more on the security issue check out "Wi-Fi's Protected Setup Woes". To their credit, router manufacturers have been doing a good job of securing WPS on their equipment; however, I would still use it sparingly. Some wireless extenders I've tested can really only connect to a router via WPS, but for other devices; connect them manually.

Step 8: Keep Your Firmware Up to Date

I think a lot of users can forget about this one. Periodically, router vendors will create and post new firmware for their products to their sites. Sometimes, this firmware can patch security holes. Routers keep getting easier and easier to update; newer ones will notify you when new firmware is available and some will allow you to do the entire firmware update without leaving the router's interface—a feature that always gets a favorable rating from me. Don't forget to keep client wireless adapters patched for the same reason, as well.

Step 9: Use Firewall Settings

Most routers have some sort of firewall or WAN protection to guard the device from Internet threats. Higher-end dual-band routers tend to have more advanced firewall and security features (though you can throw a third-party, open-source software tool like Tomato on an old cheap router, which can add advanced functionality, too.) For example, the Cisco Linksys AC1750 has settings that allow you to enable firewall protection for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, as well as filter potential threats such as anonymous Internet requests.

One caution though, if you use port forwarding to set up remote access back into your home LAN, enabling some WAN filtering, may cause problems with the remote access—as I discovered once. Still, that should not discourage most users to use the SPI firewall capabilities and WAN threat security features found in most wireless routers. Many of these security features can be enabled with a click. Advanced users can even use a feature found in lots of routers—setting up firewall rules to block specific types of services such as IDENT or Telnet from coming through your router.

Step 10: Hide the SSID 

Hiding the name of your wireless network (the SSID) is also referred to as preventing the SSID from broadcasting. Now, hiding the SSID is not in and of itself, a security measure. Snoopers still have ways to detect wireless signals in a given area. However for most other would-be leeches, not having your Wi-Fi network's name broadcasted, is a good way to prevent anyone from jumping on. The downside, is you will have to manually type in the name when you want to connect a device—especially tedious for friends who drop by and want to connect to your Wi-Fi.

With these settings, you really don't need to be well-versed in networking. You just need to get familiar with the features and interface in your router to create a more secure network.

How to Secure Your Wireless Network

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How to Report Spam,

Spam is as annoying as it is dangerous and costly. Significantly more spam is sent than any other type of email. Luckily, most people are not bothered extensively by spam. In fact, unless you open your spam folder the number of spam emails which reach your inbox id probably pretty low. This can be attributed to the powerful spam filters that are in common usage. Of course the obvious problem with this is that some spam will doubtless get through and some legitimate emails will be blocked. It’s a tradeoff, but not necessarily a required one. security

It’s possible to drastically reduce the amount of spam you get without putting in much work at all. In fact, you can even have the spam filters help you with this task. It’s possible to configure your email client to automatically forward anything marked as spam to the services discussed below. Thus you’ll be doing your part to stop spam without having to deal with it any more than you already do. Note that you will experience best results if you submit your spam to as many services as possible.

1. Why Does Spam Continue To Exist

It may seem odd, at least when you stop to think about it, that spam email still exists. After all, with the amount of spam filtered out by gateway filters, and spam filters built into email services, barely any spam reaches users at all. Thus, why would spammers keep sending it if most of their effort is wasted? The answer is actually quite simple.

It's all a question of cost effectiveness. Right now the negative repercussions that spammers face by sending spam to millions of people are almost none. They can send these messages at almost no cost and therefore, as long as nothing bad happens to them in response, if any of them are actually opened they will profit from this. Thus one of the tricks to defeating spam is to raise the cost that the spammers have to face in order to send it. In general, spam is sent in an attempt to separate you from your money. Whether this is done through malware, phishing, or merely directing you to a site they are promoting, all of these methods are directed towards making money. However, if the cost of trying to do this becomes high enough much of the spam will stop. It's all a question of whether the business of spam is monetarily lucrative. The next section will explain exactly how the methods suggested in this article attack the problem of spam.

2. Why These Methods Work

The methods described below rely on services that will attack the problem of spam from multiple angles. If you send your spam to all of the services below many different things will happen. For one, a complaint will be sent to the internet service provider from which the spam originated. A complaint will also be sent to the registrar of any sites that were promoted in the spam. In addition to this, the website referenced will also be sent for analysis and possibly added to a blacklist. What this means is that the site referenced in the spam may even be blocked from many others even visiting it. Of course, much more often what happens is that the registrar shuts down the site, but it's good to know that regardless of what happens you are helping to take money away from the spammers. The shorter their sites are left online the less money they will make.

The spam is also used for less direct, but arguably more potent, uses. Both the spam itself, and any sites promoted in it, will be sent to the US Federal Trade Commission. From here the spam may be used as evidence in cases that may eventually be used to shut the spammers down. The sites referenced in the spam, along with information about whether the registrars shut them down or not, will also be used to target rogue registrars. These are registrars that go out of their way to allow spam domains to exist on their servers. Thus, submitting your spam will also help to attack the corrupt system that allows spam to exist in the first place.

3. How To Avoid Spam
However, if you don't alter your browsing habits in order to avoid spam, it will not be possible to entirely stop the spammers from targeting you. Even if you’re already receiving a lot, following the advice in my article about How to Avoid Spam can help stop the problem from getting any worse. Regardless of whether you've had a problem in the past or not, I would recommend that you peruse the article to make sure you are following safe online practices.

4. What To Do If You Receive Spam That Appears To Be From Your Own Email Address

If you are receiving spam that appears to be from your own email address, or a friend is receiving spam which appears to originate from you, the first thing you should do is make sure that your computer is not infected. To do this please follow the advice I give in my article about How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. It's possible that it could be malware which is causing the emails to be sent. If you find that your computer is clean the first thing you should do is change the password on your email account. If the spam continues even after doing this then what is happening is that your email address is being spoofed. For an explanation of what this is

If this is the case then you should make sure you contact your email service about this issue and follow whatever advice they give in order to help address the problem. Also, in addition to this I would advise that you report these emails by following the advice given below. These services should be able to tell where the spam actually originated and thus help stop the problem as well. However, make sure that you create a free account with Knujon so that your actual email address will be whitelisted. Also, make sure to  follow the advice for spamcop to make sure your email address is added to the trusted mailhosts. Instructions on how to do this are explained below.

5. Recommendations For Reporting Any Spam

It is somewhat confusing when using Yahoo to forward an email as an attachment, but it can be done. To forward an email as an attachment you need to have all emails closed, but be on the screen for the inbox or spam folder. Then click the box for the spam email so there is a checkmark next to it. Then hold down alt-shift-F all at the same time. This will create a new email with the checked email as an attachment. You can use this to report spam as an attachment through Yahoo.

You should be aware that a lot of messages which are spam will also have an unsubscribe link attached to them, just as do legitimate emails. Thus, you may wonder whether attempting to unsubscribe will solve the problem. The truth is that if a message really is spam, unsubscribing will only cause the spammers to send you even more. Therefore, if you believe there is a good chance the the email really is spam I would strongly recommend that you do not click on any links and just submit it by following the advice below.

However, if you think the email could possibly be due to something you signed up for, and subsequently forgot about, then there are ways you can investigate the email to find out if unsubscribing is safe. You can do this by investigating the website the unsubscribe button links to. To do this copy the link by right-clicking on the unsubscribe button and choose the option to copy it.  Do not actually visit the site. Then investigate the URL by following advice in How to Tell If A Website Is Dangerous. In order to consider the site to be safe enough to unsubscribe from it should come up as safe by all methods described in that article. In addition the Web Of Trust verdict for it should be green. If it is unknown I would not trust it enough to unsubscribe from. Also, make sure you read through the Web Of Trust comments others have left, if any have been left, to find out if they believe that the site is trustworthy. Only if it passes all of those tests, and you are convinced that the site is safe, would I recommend that you try using the unsubscribe link.

A) Report Spam To Knujon

Knujon is working with ICANN to shut down the spammers for good. They target the sites that are paying the spammers to send you the spam. Knujon also tracks whether the Registrar’s responsible for the site actually take it down. Knujon gathers statistics about how often these Registrars allow sites like this to be created and how long until they take action against these sites. In fact it’s largely because of corrupt Registrars that spam has become such a booming business. Thus I believe that Knujon's approach has the largest chance of shutting down the spammers for good. In addition, this approach is also very effective at reducing your immediate volume of spam as well. It’s a win-win.

You can forward any spam you receive to them via knujon@coldrain.net. Note that all spam should be forwarded to Knujon as an attachment. Also, although it isn’t required, you can create a free account with Knujon. Doing this will speed up the processing of your spam and allow them to try and safely opt-out your email address. This will likely lead to faster action against the spammers and a quicker decline in the amount of spam you receive. I would strongly advise that you create an account.

B) Report Spam To SpamCop

Yet another service I would advise you report your spam to is SpamCop. However, note that in order to use this service you do need to register. I would highly suggest doing this. Any spam reported here will result in a complaint being automatically generated and sent to both the Internet Service Provider (ISP), from which the spam originated, and any websites that were promoted by the spam. Thus it attacks the problem of spam from multiple directions. After registering on the site you will be provided with an email address to which you can forward your spam. Note that all spam should be forwarded as an attachment.

After registering you should go to the Preferences tab on the SpamCop page. Then go to the Mailhosts tab. Under here make sure you add any email addresses which you will be submitting spam from and follow any instructions given by SpamCop in order to make sure they are fully whitelisted. This will make sure that you do not inadvertently send complaints about your own email addresses. After all mailhosts have been added by SpamCop go to the tab for "Report Handling Options". Here, in addition to any other changes you make, you should make sure the option to "Enable quick data reports" is selected. This will help you to more easily submit the spam, as discussed below.

C) Report Spam To US Federal Trade Commission

Another very effective service to submit your spam to is OnGuard Online, which is part of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). However, note that if you have already forwarded the spam to Knujon they will have automatically forwarded it to the FTC as well.

However, if you have not forwarded the spam to Knujon you can submit your spam to spam@uce.gov. Note that all spam should be forwarded as an attachment. By reporting it here you are ensuring that the spammers email address, and any implicated sites, will be monitored for investigation. In the long run this will be very effective in shutting down the spammers. By sending your spam here you are potentially helping to speed up any legal action against these spammers and the framework that supports them.

D) Easy Ways To Report Spam To All Services

In order to most easily submit the spam you are receiving you can set up filters in your email service to automatically send any spam to the services mentioned above. This should be relatively simple for most services, although I have found that it cannot be done with Gmail.


Another option, at least for users who are using Thunderbird, is to install an add-on called HabuL. After installing this add-on go to the options for it. For most users I would advise leaving most of the default settings intact. However, under the SpamCop tab you should select enable SpamCop reporting and enter in the ID you were provided when you registered. Also, if you successfully added all of your mailhosts in SpamCop you can select the option to "Enable Quick SpamCop". This will allow SpamCop to automatically send messages for you instead of requiring you to go to the site and do it yourself.

 If you are located in Australia you should go to the AU Reporting tab and enable that. Under the Knujon tab you should "Enable Knujon.com Reporting" and enter in your ID, assuming you registered for a free account.

After doing this you are ready to report spam. To do this you just make sure any spam is flagged as spam and then click on the Report button, which must initially be added to the mail toolbar from the "Customize Toolbars" option in Thunderbird. This will automatically report all spam email to all of the services mentioned above.

6. Report Specific Types Of Spam To These Services

A. Additionally Report Phishing Scams To These Services

If you feel that spam is attempting to acquire passwords, credit card information, or other sensitive information you should also report it as a phishing spam. Phishing has become such an epidemic that in addition to reporting it to the general services mentioned above I also advise that you report all phishing emails to the following services. This will lead to faster action being taken against the criminals and hopefully also lead to a quicker decrease in the number of phishing emails which make it to your spam folder.

Please forward any phishing emails as an attachment to phishing-report@us-cert.gov. This is a division of the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).
Also, submit the phishing email as an attachment to reportphishing@apwg.org. APWG is an anti-phishing group.
If the phishing email links to a webpage you should submit the phishing email to PhishTank. Submitting it here will add it to a blacklist and help to hurt the spammers and protect other people. However, you will need to make a free account in order to submit spam to PhishTank. After setting up your account you can just forward the phishing email, as an attachment, to phish@phishtank.com.
You should also forward all phishing emails to millersmiles.co.uk, which is yet another anti-phishing organization. For them do not forward the phishing email as an attachment. Just forward the phishing email normally to spoof@millersmiles.co.uk.

B. How To Telemarketing or Internet Fraud

Telemarketing or Internet Fraud can be reported on this page.

7. Manually Report Spam For Maximum Effect

Yet another option is to manually create a report and send it to the spammers ISP. However, this is significantly more difficult, although it is also the most effective option. The difference is that an email sent directly from a person is less likely to be discarded (as for example SpamCop complaints sometimes are) and also more likely to be given greater weight. If you do choose to send these I would advise that you create a separate email account for submitting these complaints. The reason for this is that it's possible that the ISP administrator is working with the spammers and will simply give your email address to the spammers.

For those of you who do believe you are capable of taking this reporting approach an explanation of how to identify, and submit, complaints to the spammers ISP are provided on this page. However, be very careful that you are sure about the actual origin of the spam message. Many spammers try to hide this. Instructions on how to identify the actual origin are given on that page, so be sure to follow them carefully.

 

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Ebook Fundamentals of Network Security

Ebook Fundamentals of Network Security

Summary

This book network security is not a hacker's guide, nor is it in tended for the experien ced computer security professional. I don't claim to be a computer security "expert." Then again, I don't believe that many who claim that distinction are as expert as they maintain. This book is intended for those who are just beginning their journey of discovery in the area of computer and network security. It is a starting point from whic h one can build a foun dation of knowledge. This book, which focuses on security from a mana gement perspective, addresses principles and methods in a real-world context. Specifi c topics covered include company security reviews; policy development; risk analysis; threats, vulnera bilities, and countermeasures; electronic commerce (e-commer ce); encryption; and ciphers

                             Download ebook now 




Source:  free-ebooks2013

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How to Manually Remove a Virus

Our computers have a threat from different types of computer viruses. In this write-up, we will know how to make our computers free of viruses.

Computers have become an integral part of our life. Along with computers, Internet has also become an indispensable part. However, there is a negative side to the Internet technology, which is the rampant spread of computer viruses. Therefore, computer security becomes a matter of major concern for every one. Although it is recommended that we should have an antivirus software installed on our machines, there are times that we may not have it installed and that is exactly when the computer may be infested by a software. This brings up the question, what are the steps to manually remove a virus so that the machine is not infested with the threatening virus.

Steps to Remove a Virus

You will need some computer programming skills to get rid of the computer virus. You will just need the knowledge of basic syntax. The first step you should take before you start with the computer viruses removal process is to take system back up. It is essential so that in case you delete a wrong file in the process, you will not lose important data. In some cases, the file may be necessary to run the computer system. The data should ideally be backed up in an external device. Once the data has been backed up, you can format the system to get rid of the virus totally. However, it is not recommended that you use the system restore option to get rid of the virus, as this often leads to virus multiplication as opposed to removal.

The other process is a lengthy one which will need technical expertise. In this process, the first step is to identify the virus as there are many different types of computer viruses. To identify the virus you can seek help from various antivirus websites. From these websites you will be able to see the way the particular virus makes files. Now you will have to look for the behavioral pattern of the virus. Once that has been identified, the next step is to go to task manager. From the task manager stop the virus processes so that there is no chance that the virus replicates itself. The next step is to go to the file registry and delete the virus files, taking help from the information you have found from the different websites pertaining to the virus.

Steps to Manually Remove a Trojan Virus

If you do not want to use the options available online for the removal of the Trojan, you will have to undertake the process of removing the virus manually. To remove Trojan virus, you will have to first identify the system files which are infected by the virus. The next step is to erase the files so that normal functioning of the system is possible. You can seek help from online forums or antivirus software websites.

I would recommend that although there are steps one can take to remove the virus manually, it is best to invest in a reputed antivirus to avoid attacks to your system where your data is at risk.

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Types of Computer Security Threats

With the wide scale use of internet, there are different types of computer threats, that the computer networks are susceptible to. Each of these threats can cause potential damage and cause a lot of harm, if the data is lost. It is important to know the different types of threats, so that the data can be safeguarded.

Computer network as well as stand alone systems are susceptible to a number of computer threats. The damage caused by the threats can cause very high loss to the company. The danger increases, when the computer network is connected to the internet. Although there are different types of threats to computer systems, they have a common bond. They are designed to trick the user and gain access to the network or the stand alone systems or destroy the data. Some of the threats are known to replicate itself, while others destroy the files on the system or some infect the files itself.

Types of Computer Security Threats

The classification of the types of information security threats is made on the way the information in the system is compromised upon. There are the passive threats and the active threats. The passive threats are very difficult to detect and equally difficult to prevent as well. Then there are the active threats. Since these threats continue to make changes to the system, they are easy to find out and fix as well.

Virus: The most common of the types of cyber threats are the viruses. They infect different files on the computer network or on the stand alone systems. Most people fall prey to the viruses, as they trick the person into taking some action, like clicking on a malicious link, downloading a malicious file, etc. It is from these links and files, that the virus is transmitted to the computer. There are also cases of the viruses been a part of an email attachment, which may be downloaded from the internet. In some cases, the viruses can also spread through infected portable data storage as well. Hence, it is important to have an antivirus on the system, which can not only detect the virus, but be able to get rid of them as well.

Worms: The other common types of internet security threats are the worms. They are actually malicious programs, which take advantage of the weaknesses in the operating system. Like the worms in real life crawl to move from one place to another, similarly the worms in the cyber world also spread from one computer to another and from one network to another. The most prominent feature of the worms is that they are able to spread at very high rates, which can lead the system being at risk of crashing. There is a type of worm, called net worm. These worms replicates itself by sending complete and independent copes of itself over a network, thereby infecting almost all the systems on the said network.

Trojan: This is a different type of computer virus, which is disguised under the garbs of a friend. The Trojans derive their name from the legend. They make their way into the software, which may not be noticed. It is often seen, that the Trojans are a part of the different attachments in emails or download links. In some cases making a visit to certain web pages also puts the computer system at risk.

Spyware: Spyware as the name suggests spy on the network and the computer system. They may be downloaded unintentionally from different websites, email messages or instant messages. In some cases, they may also make their way through different direct file sharing connection. In some cases, clicking on 'Accept User License Agreement', can also put the computer at risk.

Rootkits: The job of the rootkits is to give cover to the hackers. The best or the worst part about rootkits is that they are able to hide themselves from the antivirus software as well, due to which the user is not aware that a rootkit is present on the system. This helps the hacker and he is able to spread malware on the system. Therefore, it is important that one opts for antivirus, which also has a rootkit scanner, which will be able to detect the invasion.

Riskware: They are dangerous applications, who often become a part of software applications. They are often seen as a part of development environment for malicious programs and spread to the software applications. In some cases, these applications can also be used by hackers as additional components to gain access in the network.

Adware: The recent addition to the list of computer threats are the adware. They are actually advertising supported software. It is not uncommon to see different advertisements or pop ups coming up on the computer, when certain applications are being used. They may not pose a lot of threat, but often lower the speed of the computers. There are chances that the computer system may become unstable because of these adware.

Cookies: When we visit a website, there are files due to which the website is able to remember the details of the computer. They are more of a threat to confidentiality as opposed to the data on the computer. In most cases, cookies may be stored on the computer without the consent of the user and data may be stored on them, which is passed back to the website server the next time, one visits the website. The data gathered may be sold to third parties and depending on the interests, which may lead to different advertisements flashing on the screen.

Phishing: Often people appear to get emails from trustworthy organizations, like banks. In some cases, the emails may come from bogus sites, which may resemble the original site or it may superimposes a bogus pop up, due to which confidential data is gathered. They are often a part of different scamming activities and often poses to the financial threats.

These were the main types of computer threats. It is important to be on the look always to ensure that the network and/or standalone systems are protected from the threats. As soon as any of the threats are detected, measures will have to be taken to get rid of them at the earliest, so that the data is protected.

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Bluetooth Security

These days, all communication technology faces the issue of privacy and identity theft, with Bluetooth
being no exception.  Almost everyone knows that email services and networks require security.  What users of Bluetooth need to realize is that Bluetooth also requires security measures as well.

The good news for Bluetooth users is that the security scares, like most scares, are normally over
dramatized and blown entirely out of proportion.  The truth being told, these issues are easy to manage, with various measures already in place to provide security for Bluetooth technology.

It's true that there has been some Bluetooth phones that have been hacked into.  Most devices that are
hacked into are normally those that don't have any type of security at all.

According to Bluetooth specialists, in order to hack into a Bluetooth device, the hacker must:

    1.  Force two paired devices to break their connection.
    2.  Steal the packets that are used to resend the pin.
    3.  Decode the pin.

Of course, the hacker must also be within range of the device, and using very expensive developer type equipment.  Most specialists recommend that you  have a longer pin, with 8 digits being recommended.

Fundamentals of security The "pairing process" is one of the most basic levels of security for Bluetooth devices.  Pairing, is two or more Bluetooth devices that recognize each other by the profiles they share - in most cases they both must enter the same pin.

The core specifications for Bluetooth use an  encryption algorithm, which is completely and entirely
secure.  Once the devices pair with each other, they too become entirely secure.

Until they have successfully paired, the Bluetooth devices won't communicate with each other.  Due to
this pairing process and the fact that it is short range - Bluetooth technology is considered to be
secure.

As the news has indicated, experienced hackers have developed ways to get around this level of
basic security.  There are ways to get around this threat, as you can install software to prevent
hackers from getting in.

With Bluetooth becoming more and more popular, it's really no wonder that security is always in
question.  As Bluetooth gets bigger and better, security will always be something that no one
really takes lightly.

If you've been concerned about Bluetooth security in the past, rest assured that newer devices will
offer bigger and better security.  Preventing  hackers from getting in is something every owner is concerned about - and the manufacturer's are very aware.

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How to Clean An Infected Computer

The truth is that it's a lot easier to keep a computer malware free than it is to clean one that is already infected. However, with the advice given in this article you should be able to remove any type of malware from your computer and get it back to working order. The main problem with most malware removal guides is that you have no way of knowing if all of the infections were removed. However, with my approach you can easily tell if even just running a single scanner was able to entirely clean the infection. Thus, this can save you the hassle of having to run many different scanners and the uncertainty of whether your computer is really malware free.

Make sure you follow this article in order so as to clean the infections with as little work as possible. The idea is that most people won't have to go any further than the first approach in order to clean their computers of active malware. Thus, effectively this article is actually much shorter than it appears to be.

However, before attempting to remove any infected files you should first back up all important files. These may include documents, pictures, videos, etc... This way if anything goes wrong with the cleaning process, which is a very real possibility, your important documents will still be intact. However, do not include any program files as it is possible that these may be infected. Please note that if your computer cannot boot you should follow the advice on this page in order to back up all important files. Also, while cleaning the computer it's important to remember that all scanners can sometimes be guilty of false positive detections. Therefore, before removing any files which you believe could possibly be safe, you should check them using the methods I discuss in How to Tell if a File is Malicious.

Index

1. Make Sure Computer Is Actually Infected
2. How To Clean Your Computer And Make Sure It's Actually Clean
    ​A) Clean Computer With CCE and TDSSKiller
    B) If Still Not Clean Then Scan With HitmanPro, Malwarebytes, And Emsisoft Anti-Malware
    C) If Needed Try These More Time Consuming Methods
    D) If Necessary Make A Bootable Disk
3. What To Do If The Above Methods Are Unable To Clean Your Computer
4. What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed

1. Make Sure Computer Is Actually Infected

Before attempting to clean any infections from your computer it's important to make sure that the computer is actually infected. To do this please follow the advice I give in How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. If the results of this do in fact show that your computer is infected then continue to follow the steps in the next section. Make sure that you follow them in order.

2. How To Clean Your Computer And Make Sure It's Actually Clean

Please note that advanced users may just want to skip to the last part about how to Make A Bootable Disk and clean the computer that way. This approach is the one which is most powerful, but it is also one of the more time consuming approaches. That said, if you wish you can jump directly to that section and then come back to the beginning again if the infection is not entirely removed.

A) Clean Computer With CCE and TDSSKiller

Download Comodo Cleaning Essentials (CCE). Make sure to select the correct version for your operating system. If you're not sure if your computer is running a 32 or 64 bit operating system then please see this FAQ. Also, download Kaspersky TDSSKiller . Note that if neither will not download correctly, or your internet connection is not working, you should download them on another computer and transfer them to the infected one via a flash drive. Make sure there were no other files on the flash drive. Be careful with the flash drive as the malware may actually infect it when you plug it into the computer. Thus, don't plug it into any other computers after transferring these programs. Also, I would like to point out that both programs are portable. This means that once you're done using them no uninstall is required. Just delete their folders and they will be gone.

After downloading CCE unzip the file, open the folder for CCE, and double click on the file called CCE. This will open the main program for Comodo Cleaning Essentials. If it refuses to open then hold down the shift key and, while still holding it down, double click on the file called CCE. After CCE has successfully opened you can let go of the shift key. However, do not let go of it until the program has fully loaded. If you let go of it even during the UAC popup it may not be able to forcefully open correctly. Holding down shift should allow it to open, even on heavily infected computers. It does this by killing most of the unnecessary processes that could be interfering with its launch. If it still will not launch then download and run a program called RKill. This program will terminate known malicious processes. Thus, after running it CCE should be able to open fine.


Once it's opened perform a "Smart Scan" with CCE and quarantine anything it finds. This program also scans for system changes which may have been caused by malware. These will be shown with the results. I would advise letting it fix these as well. Restart your computer when prompted. After the computer restarts run Kaspersky TDSSKiller, perform a "Smart Scan", and quarantine anything it finds. If anything was quarantined restart your computer once more.

Also, if your internet connection was previously not working please check again to see if it is now working. If not then you should go to this section of my guide about How to Fix a Malware Infected Computer and follow the advice given to fix your internet connection. A working internet connection is required for the remaining steps of this section.

Once you have verified that your internet connection is working, again open CCE. Hopefully it will open up normally this time, but if not then open it while holding down shift. Then open up KillSwitch from the tools menu in CCE. In KillSwitch, select the option to "Hide Safe Processes" from the "View" menu. Then right click on all processes which are flagged as suspicious or dangerous and select the option to delete them. You should also right click on any unknown processes that remain and select the option to "Kill Process". Do not delete processes flagged as FLS.Unknown. Next, open up Comodo Autoruns from the tools menu in CCE, and select the option to "Hide Safe Entries" from the "View" menu. Then disable any entries belonging to files which are flagged as suspicious or dangerous. You can do this by making sure the check box next to the entries is unchecked. You should also disable any entries flagged as FLS.Unknown, but which you believe likely belong to malware. Do not delete any entries. 

Now restart your computer. After it reboots, again check your computer using the advice I give in How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. If all is well then you can skip to the section about What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed. Remember that a disabled registry entry is not a risk. Also, note that even if your computer is found to be clean of active infections there could still be pieces of malware on your computer. These are not dangerous, but don't be surprised if running another scanning program still detects malware on your computer. These are the inactive remnants of what you have just removed. If you are not comfortable having these remnants on your computer then you can remove the vast majority of them by scanning with the programs in the next section.

However, if your computer is not yet clean of active infections, but at least one of the programs was able to run, then go through the steps outlined in this section once more and see if that is able to remove the infections. However, if neither program was able to run please continue to the next section. In addition, if even following the advice in this section a second time is not enough to clean your computer you should continue to the next section.

B) If Still Not Clean Then Scan With HitmanPro, Malwarebytes, And Emsisoft Anti-Malware

If the above steps failed to fully remove the infections then you should download HitmanPro  Install the program and run a "Default Scan". Note that if it will not install please continue to the next paragraph and install Malwarebytes. During the installation of HitmanPro, when asked I would recommend you choose the option to only perform a one-time check of the computer. This should be suitable for most users. Also, if malware prevents it from loading correctly then open the program while holding down the CTRL key until the program is loaded. Quarantine any infections it finds. Please note that this program will only be able to remove infections for 30 days after it is installed. During removal you will be asked to activate the trial license.

Once all detected infections are removed by HitmanPro, or if Hitman Pro refused to install, you should download the free version of Malwarebytes  Note that it has chameleon technology which should allow it to even install on computers which are heavily infected. During installation I would advise that you uncheck the box to "Enable free trial of Malwarebytes Anti-malware Pro". Make sure that it is fully updated and then run a quick scan. Quarantine any infections that it finds. If asked by either program to restart your computer, make sure that you restart it.


Next download Emsisoft Emergency Kit . Once it's finished downloading, extract the contents from the zip file. Then double click on the file called "start" and open the "Emergency Kit Scanner". When prompted allow it to update the database. Once it's updated select the option to go "Back To Security Status". Then go to "Scan now" and select the option to perform a "Smart Scan". Once the scan is complete quarantine all detected items. Restart whenever required.

After scanning your computer with these programs you should restart your computer. Then once again check your computer using the advice I give in How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. If all is well then you can skip to the section about What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed. Remember that a disabled registry entry is not a risk. However, if your computer is not yet clean then go through the steps outlined in this section once more and see if that is able to remove the infections. If the programs in part A of this section were previously not able to run correctly you should go back and try and run them again. If none of the above programs were able to run correctly please boot into Safe Mode with Networking and try scanning from there. However, if they were able to run correctly, and threats still remain even after following the advice in this section a second time, then you should continue to the next section.

C) If Needed Try These More Time Consuming Methods

If the above steps were not able to completely remove the infection then you likely have some very inhospitable malware inhabiting your machine. Thus the methods discussed in this section are much more powerful, but will take much longer to complete. The first thing I would advise doing is to scan your computer with another anti-rootkit scanner called GMER. It can be downloaded from Remove anything shaded in red. Make sure you do click on the Scan button once the program has finished its quick analysis of the system. Also, if you're running a 32 bit operating system you should download a program to scan for and remove the ZeroAccess rootkit. Information about this rootkit, and a link to a program to remove it from 32 bit systems. The AntiZeroAccess tool can be downloaded from the link in the second paragraph.

After scanning with the above programs you should next open CCE, go to the options, and select the option to "Scan for suspicious MBR modification". Then select OK. Now perform a full scan with CCE. Restart where requested and quarantine anything it finds. Note that this option can be relatively dangerous as it could possibly identify problems where there are none. Use it carefully and make sure everything important is already backed up. Note that in rare cases scanning with these options may render your system unbootable. This rarely happens, but even if it does it should be fixable. If running this scan renders your computer unbootable please see this section of an article I wrote about How to Fix a Malware Infected Computer. It should be able to help make your computer bootable again.

Once CCE has completely finished, again open up CCE while holding down the SHIFT key. This will kill most unnecessary processes which may be interfering with your scans. Then open KillSwitch, go to "Tools", and choose the option to "Hide Safe Processes". Now, once again delete all dangerous processes. Then, you should also right click on any unknown processes that remain and select the option to "Kill Process". Do not delete them. You should follow the advice in this paragraph each time you restart your computer in order to make sure that the following scans are as effective as possible.


After killing all processes not verified to be safe you should open HitmanPro while holding down the CTRL key. Then perform a "Default Scan" and quarantine anything it finds. Then perform full scans with Malwarebytes and Emsisoft Emergency Kit. Quarantine anything they find. Then download the free version of SUPERAntiSpyware from this page. During installation be very careful as other programs come bundled with the installer. On the first page make sure to uncheck both options about adding Google Chrome. Then click on the option for "Custom Install". During the custom install you will once again have to uncheck two boxes about adding Google Chrome.

Other than that the program will install fine. When asked I would recommend that you decline the option to start a free trial. Once the program is fully loaded select the option to do a Complete Scan and click on the button to "Scan your Computer...". Then click on the button to "Start Complete Scan>". Remove all detected files and restart wherever required.

After following these steps you should restart your computer. Then once again check your computer using the advice I give in How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. If all is well then you can skip to the section about What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed. Remember that a disabled registry entry is not a risk. However, if your computer is still not clean then go through the steps outlined in this section once more and see if that is able to remove the infections. If it is not then you should continue to the next section.

D) If Necessary Make A Bootable Disk

If the above methods were not able to completely remove the infection, or you cannot even boot your computer, then you may need to use a bootable CD/Flash-Drive, also called a bootable disk, to clean your computer. I know this may sound complicated, but it's really not that bad. Just remember to create this disk on a computer that is not infected. Otherwise the files may be corrupted or even possibly infected.

Because this is a bootable disk no malware can hide from it, disable it, or interfere with it in any way. Thus scanning in this way, with multiple programs, should allow you to clean almost any machine, no matter how infected it may be. One exception to this is if the system files on the machine have themselves been infected. If this is the case then removing the infection may cripple the machine. It's largely for that reason that you backed up all important documents before starting the cleaning process. That said, sometimes it's possible to get around that by following the advice I give below.


To do this you should download the Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility (SARDU). This is an excellent program which will allow you to create a single rescue disk with multiple antivirus programs on it. It also has many other useful functions, which I will not be discussing in this article. A few very useful tutorials for SARDU can be found on this page. Be very careful about the added offers now included with the installer. Sadly, this program now tries to trick people into installing extra programs, which are largely unnecessary.

After downloading it extract the contents and open the SARDU folder. Then open the correct executable for your operating system, either sardu or sardu_x64. Under the Antivirus tab click on whichever antivirus applications you would like to add to your disk. You can add as many or as few as you wish. I would recommend that you scan your computer with at least Dr. Web, Avira AntiVir Rescue System, and Kaspersky Rescue System. One of the nice things about Dr. Web is that it sometimes has the option to replace an infected file with a clean version of it instead of just deleting it. This may allow you to clean some infected systems without crippling the computer. Thus I'd strongly recommend including Dr. Web in your bootable disk.

Clicking on the names of the various antivirus applications will often direct you to a page where you can download the ISO for that particular antivirus. Sometimes it will instead give you the option to download it directly through SARDU, which can be found under the Downloader tab. If given the choice always select the option to download the ISO. Also, after downloading the ISO you may need to move it to the ISO folder inside the main SARDU folder. Once you have moved all of the ISO's, for the antivirus products you would like to include, to the ISO folder, you are ready to create the rescue disk. To do this go to the Antivirus tab and make sure that all desired antiviruses have a check next to them. Then either click the button to make a USB or make an ISO. Either will work fine. It just depends on whether you want to run this off of a USB drive or a disk.

After creating your rescue disk you will likely need to change the bootup sequence in your BIOS settings to ensure that when you insert the bootable CD, or flash-drive, the computer will boot from it instead of from the normal operating system. Here is a useful article on How To Change the Boot Order in BIOS. For our purposes you should change the order so that the "CD/DVD Rom drive" is first if you want to boot from a CD or DVD, or that "Removable Devices" is first if you want to boot from a flash-drive. Once that's done just follow the advice given in this other article about How To Boot From a CD, DVD, or BD Disc in order to boot from the rescue disk.


After booting from the disk you can select whichever antivirus you want to first scan your computer with. As I previously mentioned, I would recommend starting with Dr. Web. Once it's finished, and you have repaired or deleted everything it finds, you should shut down the computer. Then make sure to again boot from the disk and then scan with another antivirus. Continue this process until you have scanned your computer with all of the antivirus programs you have put on the rescue disk.

After cleaning your computer with whichever programs you've put on the disk you should now try booting your system into Windows again. If it is able to boot into Windows then check your computer using the advice I give in How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected. If all is well then you can skip to the section about What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed. Remember that a disabled registry entry is not a risk.

If your computer is not yet clean, but you are able to boot into Windows, then I would recommend trying to clean your computer from inside windows, starting from this section of this article and following the suggested methods. However, if your computer is still not able to boot into Windows then again try fixing it by following the advice in this section of an article I wrote about How to Fix a Malware Infected Computer. It should be able to help make your computer bootable again. If even that can't make your computer bootable then try adding even more antiviruses to the boot disk and then rescanning your computer. If doing that still does not work then please read the next section.

3. What To Do If The Above Methods Are Unable To Clean Your Computer

If you followed all of the above advice and were still not able to clean your computer, but you're convinced that the problems are due to malware, then there's not much more I can do to help. I'm actually hoping that nobody ever reaches this section. This article is meant to allow you to completely clean an infected computer. Thus I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a comment below that explains what you tried to do in order to clean the computer, and what symptoms remain that make you think that your computer is not yet clean. This is very important in order for me to improve the article.


You can also seek advice from a specialized malware removal forum. A forum which I have found to be very helpful is MalwareTips. However, if even after seeking help on a malware removal forum your computer is still not free of malware, it may be necessary to format your computer and start over. This means that you will lose anything on the computer which you did not back up. Make sure that if you do this you do a complete format of your computer before reinstalling Windows. This will be able to destroy almost any type of malware. Once Windows is freshly installed please follow the steps in the next section.

4. What To Do After All Malware Is Confirmed To Be Removed

After confirming that your computer is now clean you can now try to repair any damage that may have been caused. For this I have written an article about How to Fix a Malware Infected Computer. Please follow the advice in this article in order to fix any damage that was caused by the infection. If after doing this your computer is running fine, then you can also open Comodo Autoruns and select the option to delete those registry items you had previously only disabled. This way they will no longer be on your computer at all.


Once you have successfully cleaned all infections from your computer, and repaired any leftover damage, you should take steps to ensure that it does not happen again. For this reason I have written a guide about How to Stay Safe While Online. Please read through it and implement whichever methods you feel best fit your needs.

After securing your computer you can now restore any of the previously backed up files that were lost during the cleanup process. Hopefully this step is also not necessary. Also, before restoring them make sure that your computer is very well protected. If you don't lock the computer down strongly enough then you may inadvertently infect it and again have to clean the infections from the computer. In addition, if you used a USB drive to transfer any files to the infected computer you can now plug that back into the computer and make sure there is no malware on it. I would recommend doing this by deleting all files left on it.

 

If you have any problems, or are confused by my directions, please leave a comment below and I will try to help you. Trust me, if you are having a problem then so are many others. I need to know this so that I can improve the advice in this article. Also, I do realize that there are a plethora of programs that can be used to clean an infected computer. I have selected these particular programs, and arranged them in such a way as to emphasize their positive qualities while at the same time compensating for their weaknesses, in an attempt to simplify the malware removal process. Please let me know if you see any problems with the approach I have outlined.
In addition, please help by rating this article. If you believe this article deserves anything less than 5 stars, please leave a comment below explaining how you think it can be improved or where you find fault. This article is written by me but fueled by the community. Thus your opinions and advice are not only much appreciated, but actually necessary in order for this article to grow and improve.

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Basic Computer Security Tips

Basic Computer Security Tips

Setting up anti-virus and content filtering software, individual user accounts... just a few measures to ensure a secure system. To learn more useful tips to maintain a secure system, read on...

Everyone talks about computer security i.e being secure online but how many of us actually practice the effective security tips? Then when hackers or viruses attack, we look around to attach blame. Well, prevention is better than cure, so it pays in the long run to secure your system in advance.

Tip #1: Set up user accounts

One computer, many users, is a security disaster waiting to happen. Your files and data are your personal, private content and should be protected accordingly. To prevent other users from seeing or accessing your data, set up user accounts on your PC. A user account shows an individual's specific data and not what is present on the entire system. It also specifies privileges on shared data, such as deleting/editing operations and what software can be installed on the machine.

This feature is especially useful when kids and adults use the same machine. What if your child accesses your important work files and deletes them by mistake? With a separate user account, he/she can only view certain files and cannot modify or delete them. Even if you are the sole user of the PC, set up a guest account, in case someone else needs to use the computer.

Tip #2: Secure your wireless network

With wired Internet access, there's little risk of someone encroaching on your network. But wireless networks do have holes in their security, so as the owner of the network, you need to be vigilant. Setting up password-protected network access is the first step. You need to assign a network name and password to your Wi-Fi network. Use the latest wireless encryption methods like WPA or WPA2. Do not reveal your network password to others.

Tip #3: Arm your computer with an anti-virus program

The best defense is a good offense. One of the most basic computer security guidelines is installing an anti-virus software. Installing security programs like an anti-virus, keeps your computer round-the-clock safe against viruses, malware, Trojan worms etc. and other malicious programs. For better protection, try to install complete security suites, that provide Internet security and firewalls along with anti-virus software.

Tip #4: Be regular in updates and virus scans

Just installing an anti-virus program will not protect your PC. You need to keep it up-to-date with regular virus signature and threat updates. New viruses and malware programs emerge online each day. Another bad trait of viruses is that they keep trying to find new ways to enter an unsuspecting computer. The only way to counter such attacks is to update your security programs on a regular basis. You should also scan your computer regularly for dangerous programs. Schedule periodic scans, once-a-month scans, scanning new added devices and automatic full system scans, to ensure your PC is threat-free.

Tip #5: Install parental control software for kid-friendly computer usage

Keeping your computer secure definitely involves keeping your kids safe from cyber enemies. Aside from explicit and adult content, you need to filter and monitor what your kid is up to online. Social networking sites in particular, are fun online places to socialize but they are also preying grounds for the depraved. Parental control software allows you to set filters and block sites as well as receive warnings when suspicious activity is taking place online.

Tip #6: Block unwanted search results

You can even change your web browser's security settings to block certain sites and filter out objectionable content. Such settings are not as powerful as parental control software but it helps to be extra secure. You can find this feature in the Tools option of most browsers. With search engines like Google, you can fiddle with search preferences settings.

Tip #7: Download wisely

Whether it is a picture, an MP3 or a game, downloaded files are an excellent way for malicious software to enter your computer. Once you download and install or use a file, there's no telling what it will do to your machine. So be extra careful when it comes to downloading. Download files from trusted and preferably certified sites. Sites offering free, cracked versions of software programs are especially dangerous, as some cracks can contain malware.

When a download begins, you are asked to save the file before the downloading actually starts. Read the file name and its extension carefully, to ensure what you want is being downloaded. While installing a program, read the license agreement and make sure, only the program you want is being installed. Sometimes spyware and hidden programs are bundled into the installer program, and are installed secretly along with your software. Scan your PC for threats after downloading files from the Internet.

Tip #8: Be careful with emails

Getting and sending emails is easy, going through your inbox for mail, that is actually relevant, is not. Email inboxes are storehouses of junk mail, spam, advertisements, forwards, mail and many times, a hidden threat. You can keep your inbox sorted and clutter-free by using spam blockers and filters. Threat-wise, try to avoid opening emails from senders or addresses you don't know.

A key sign of a malicious email is poor language. Weird, nonsensical text or poor grammar or even bogus-seeming email addresses are some signs of a harmful email. Be especially wary of email attachments. Check the file extension. Files with .exe, .pif, .com,.bin or .bat extensions, can be malicious. If you do not know the sender of the email, do not open or download such files, just delete the mail. Instead of opening the attachment from the mail itself, save the file, let it download and scan it, before opening it.

Tip #9: Secure your data with backups

Sometimes no matter what steps you take, you lose data. Part of being secure is having a fail-safe or backup to fall back on, in case something bad happens. So in case a virus has attacked your files or data is accidentally deleted, your data is never really lost, if you have a backup of it. Backup your data regularly, either by storing it on physical devices like CDs or by backing it up on a network. Set a system restore point for your PC, so in the event of a system crash, you can restore your PC to a particular working state with your data intact.

Tip #10: Be smart with your passwords

Passwords are supposed to keep your individual settings and data safe, so you need to keep their true value or the actual password safe. This means, do not write down all your passwords on a piece of paper and keep it lying around. With numerous passwords, it's understandable that remembering them all is difficult. So you can write them down but the place where you store this info, should be secure. And once in a while, please change your passwords. If in case, they are revealed, updating the passwords can render all hacking attempts as naught. Another safety precaution is the "remember me" option in most secure sites. If multiple users access the same PC, do not select this option.

The above computer security tips are just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to securing your PC. For every good advancement in technology, cyber evil seems to get even more evil, so it pays to be vigilant in today's cyberspace.

source : http://www.buzzle.com/

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DDOS Attacks and Protection

DDOS attacks, or Distributed Denial of Service attacks, are a form of network attacks aimed at disabling the functionality of a network being targeted. These attacks generally come in the form of either individuals spamming a network to slow it down or create instability, or a bot that systematically attacks a network or series of networks. DDOS protection is the only security for these types of attacks.

DDOS attacks are more common today because of the wide reaching availability of networks, cloud computing, and "always on" technology in which a network is never offline. Commonly these attacks are taken out on businesses and organizations that are operating in competition to another person's goal. Meaning that instead of harassing a company in person, a group of hackers or another business may launch a DDOS attack as a means of crippling an organization's ability to function.

Even large companies with extremely sophisticated networks are at risk. As recently as 2010, a DDOS attack was launched on PayPal and MasterCard during the height of the WikiLeaks news. The attack was aimed at those companies after they refused to process donations to WikiLeaks. Whichever side of the issue you stand on, doesn't take away from the fact that vulnerability lies at every level of business.

Because of the prevalence of this type of attack, there are many DDOS protection methods available today. To decide which DDOS protection method is right for your particular business depends on the architecture and needs of your network. The key to stopping a DDOS attack is pro-active DDOS protection aimed at identifying the attacking traffic and stopping it as soon as possible.

Firewalls

Firewalls are typically the first method employed in DDOS protection. Firewalls are constantly running, and act as the gate keeper to your castle (network). Once an attack is realized, the first option is to block traffic from the particular IP address that is sending the traffic. In more complex attacks, there will be a system of computers on different IP addresses, so ad-hoc blocking is not most effective tool for DDOS protection. If traffic is all centered on a specific port, then that port can be shut-off until the attack is over. This is an issue if the port being attacked is 80 (internet traffic) as that would shut down all internet traffic to the network. Often times, firewalls are deep in the hierarchy of a network, protection at the switch level may be more appropriate.

Switches

Today's switches are very sophisticated and have constantly running DDOS protection. Switches can use rate limiting, which caps an amount of traffic coming in or out thus denying any chance of overflowing a network's capacity. Also, deep packet inspection offers switches the ability to inspect each packet being sent through before allowing on to the network. Switches can also use Bogon Filtering which blocks bogus IP addresses that may be originating from a DDOS source. This is good to have in case the IP filtering of the Firewall is unable to stop that method of intrusion.

DDOS protection is must for any network today. Attackers do not always have a reason for attack other than "watching the world burn". While the reason behind the attack may be unclear, an unprotected network is vulnerable to these attacks at any time. In the world of network protection, DDOS protection is the defense in a "defense is the best offense" strategy.

The author of this article, Petra Gordon, has written many Technology articles in the past. As a point of reference, readers may want to check out DOSArrest, which has a lot of trusted and reliable information on DDos technology.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8145401

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best antivirus apps for android

 Protection for Android devices has become a high priority over the last year or so. Malware and viruses are more rampant than ever and although being careful usually avoids the problem, sometimes people want more. A good antivirus or anti-malware app can not only bring peace of mind, but also protect your Android device from threats you may accidentally stumble upon. So in this list we’ll show you the 10 best  antivirus and anti-malware apps for Android.

#10 Norton Security Antivirus

[Price: Free or $29.99/year subscription]
Number 10 on our list is Norton Security Antivirus. Norton is already a trusted brand in security and millions use Norton on their PC. It comes in both a lite and paid flavor. The light version offers some peripheral protection, including scanning the SD card and apps for threats. With the free variant, you can also lock the phone via SMS if it is lost or stolen.
With the $29.99/year subscription, you get all the features. Unfortunately, some of them probably should’ve been included in the free version, like locating a lost or stolen phone. Bad free/paid decisions aside, Norton is a solid antivirus app from a name that people know. To give it a shot, click the button below.

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#9 Hornet AntiVirus Free

[Price: Free]
Next up is Hornet AntiVirus and it’s one of the few truly free apps on the list. It includes a number of standard features, like scanning apps for malware and scanning your storage for threats. It also includes a number of unique features, like detection of apps that use offensive advertising.
The interface is easy to use even if it isn’t much to look at. Really, we weren’t able to find anything bad about this app. Hornet is free, it works fairly well, and it updates frequently to add new definitions and features. It’s a win-win. We would’ve liked to have seen some anti-theft features, though. Use the button below to check it out.

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#8 BitDefender AntiVirus Free

[Price: Free]
Number 8 on our list is BitDefender AntiVirus Free. As the name implies, it is completely free. What this app has that the others don’t is simplicity. It performs exactly one action and that’s a comprehensive scan of your device to see if it’s safe. You can do this manually or enable the auto-pilot feature which does it for you.

BitDefender’s claim to fame is the light usage. The app doesn’t have all the bulky features of most of these other apps. It simply scans your device to keep it safe. That’s it. If you need something with more features like anti-theft, you’ll need to look elsewhere. This is for people who just want something that scans for safety, then goes away. It doesn’t hurt that BitDefender is also a well known PC antivirus app. To check it out, use the button below.

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#7 Zoner AntiVirus Free

[Price: Free / $4.99]
Zoner is another free antivirus app. This one carries a much larger set of features than most of the other free offerings on this list. This includes your standard virus and malware protection, anti-theft features, and the ability to block calls from unfamiliar phone numbers. There is even a task manager built in.
The interface is sleek and the features work well. When it’s all said and done you really can’t ask for much more than that out of an antivirus app. There is also a version that was specifically developed for tablets. To check it out, click the button below.

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#6 Mobile Security and AntiVirus by Avast

[Price: Free / $1.99 per month / $14.99 per year]
Next up is Avast, which is another well known name in the PC antivirus space. Avast is one of the more highly rated PC antivirus apps and they’ve translated well to mobile. The mobile app is truly impressive and is packed with features. This includes your standard anti-virus and anti-malware along with one of the highest rated anti-theft systems out there.
Aside from the standards, Avast puts a lot more into the app. There is a network monitor, SMS and call filtering, and even backups. There is a free and premium version. The free version gives you pretty much everything but the paid version makes them better. For instance, you get backups with the free version but when you pay for it, it extends to music, video, and applications. To give this truly impressive app a shot, use the button below.

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#5 AntiVirus Security Free by AVG

[Price: Free]
AVG already has one of the most popular free PC antivirus apps out there. Their mobile app is no different as AVG boasts over 70 million users to date. It comes with your standard features and a few extra perks to make this powerful antivirus app even better.
You get the standard malware and antivirus protection. Along with that you get web security, anti-theft using Google Maps, a task manager, and a battery monitor to help manage your battery life. It covers all the bases and a couple of bases the others don’t cover. That makes it a great option for mobile security. To try it out, use the button below.

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#4 Armor for Android

[Price: $29.95]
Up next is not only one of the highest rated antivirus apps for Android, but also one of the most expensive. When it first came out, Armor for Android was on sale for $1. It now costs around $75. That doesn’t prevent it from being a great app, but we understand if that’s a little too expensive for your tastes. For the $75 price tag you do get lifetime support for the app as opposed to 1 or 2 year licenses you get from others.
In terms of features, it comes with everything you’d need to keep your Android device secure. Armor for Android has one of the most comprehensive malware databases for Android as well as other helpful features like their Memory Booster. If you can foot the bill, it’s an amazing application to have on your device. Our advice, keep an eye out for any sales because if you can pick it up for cheaper, it’s that much better of a deal. Use the button below to give it a look.
Note: Armor for Android recently dropped their prices to a much more reasonable $29.95. At this price, it is a substantially better deal than it was at $75!

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#3 Mobile Security and Antivirus by ESET

[Price: Free / $15.97/year subscription]
The first in our top 3 is ESET’s offering, called Mobile Security and AntiVirus. Like many others on this list, ESET is known for it’s PC antivirus, called Nod32. It also follows the free-paid paradigm, where you get more features if you pay for it.
The features come packed into a pleasant interface. Other than the standard, you get access to the ESET Live Grid which offers great updates on the latest malware threats and anti-theft. If you pay for it, you get even more unique features like SIM Guard, where you can control the phone even if another SIM card is installed. It’s great for protection and you can check it out by using the button below.

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#2 Antivirus and Mobile Security

[Price: Free]
Number 2 on our list is Antivirus and Mobile Security by TrustGo Inc. This is the highest rated free app on the list. It is 100% free with no pay options. Aside from being free, it has also won awards for its protection and security.
Aside from the standard features, you also get others like data backups and anti-theft. The anti-theft includes a feature that will snap a picture of the thief if they enter your password wrong 3 times. It then emails you the picture. If you want to try it out, use the button below.

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#1 Dr. Web Antivirus

[Price: Free / $75]
Here it is, the number one highest rated app in the antivirus space on Android. It’s called Dr Web Antivirus and it comes in the classic free-paid paradigm. The three versions give you the basics including antivirus and anti-malware. It’s geared toward people who have Android devices with lower specs, limited data plans, and those who are battery savvy.
The paid version includes anti-theft and anti-spyware protection. So if you want complete protection you’ll have to pay for it. It all comes packed in an easy-to-use interface and people genuinely seem to enjoy it. To see more, use the button below.

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Antivirus Wrap-up

This is one of the most truly competitive lists we’ve ever published. The ratings in the Play Store range from 4.5 to 4.7 and every single one of these antivirus apps caters to a different audience. So whether you prefer comprehensive protection or something more minimal, one of these apps will fit your needs.
What it really comes down to is a difference of opinion and which niche you belong to. If you want something that doesn’t consume significant resources or get in the way, you would use something like BitDefender. If you require 100% protection and can’t pay for it, you’d look at TrustGo’s Antivirus and Mobile Security. There simply isn’t one right answer here. Regardless of what you end up choosing, know that we’ve hand picked each one, and that all are a fantastic choice. Let us know what you think down below!

source : androidauthority.com
tags : Android,Antivirus ,Wrap-up, Android devices,Protection for Android,protection for android tablet,malware protection for android,norton

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