Author: Carl Atkinson

ClipGenie is not a good program. It may have been well written by its creators, but it is awful for your computer. Any computer that has ever been infected by it has only ended up worse off than it was before the infection.

Sometimes people download ClipGenie willingly to their computers because they get tricked into it. ClipGenie is advertised as a program that will help you with downloading movies. It will download them for you and you don’t have to do a thing. It sounds nice and convenient, but it is actually terrible for your computer.

Among the things that ClipGenie downloads onto your computer are movies, movie clips, and casino games. These are downloaded at regular intervals and are downloaded without your consent. The more movies that get downloaded the more your memory will get eaten up. This will eventually cause your computer to work slower.

But what really slows down your computer is the other stuff that ClipGenie downloads. ClipGenie downloads adware programs onto your computer. These adware programs specialize in creating pop up ads that will pop up at random times. They will also monitor your Internet usage and send you ads based on the content that you have viewed.

All of these factors add up to one conclusion: you need to get rid of ClipGenie. The longer that you let ClipGenie infect your computer, the more its downloads will become a full blown infestation. Don’t let this happen to your computer.

Instead, you should protect your computer from the influence of ClipGenie and other adware programs. You can do this effectively by downloading and installing a high quality anti-spyware program. You shouldn’t try to remove ClipGenie manually or you might harm your computer.

When you are looking for an anti-spyware program, it is important to make sure that you find one that is guaranteed to remove 100% of spyware from your computer. If the program doesn’t guarantee that kind of removal, then you shouldn’t get it.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/clipgenie-doesnt-grant-wishes-just-unwanted-downloads-813900.html

Author: Bernard Pragides

If you are like many men and women, you have an understandable concern in regard to identity theft. Statistics prove that you are likely to become the victim of identity theft at least one time during your lifetime. In fact, when you really consider how common identity theft actually is, odds are that you will become a victim of identity theft once every ten years. Understanding how common identity theft is, you must realize how it can impact your life and your finances, including your credit score.

If you discover that you have become the victim of identity theft, one of the first things that you will want to do is to make contact with each of the three major credit reporting agencies. These agencies make it fairly easy for you to report the fact that you have become the victim of identity theft. These agencies maintain special toll free numbers and dedicated portals on the Internet and World Wide Web through which you can report that you have become the victim of identity theft.

Once placed on your account, a fraud alert will flag any activity. In other words, even if an inquiry is made to the credit reporting agency about you, you will be notified immediately. This is very helpful to you when you are fighting identity theft and working to prevent your credit score from being damaged or harmed because of identity theft.

You may be wondering whether there is a charge to have a fraud alert placed on your credit report and your associated credit score. The fact is that the credit reporting agencies do not charge you anything for placing an alert on your credit report and your credit score.

There are identity theft protection agencies in business today that can assist you in undertaking these types of steps to protect your credit report and your credit score. These services do charge a fee for their assistance.

Finally, when it comes to the issue of identity theft, a fraud alert, your credit report and your credit score, you need to keep in mind that these alerts do not stay in place forever. Therefore, you need to make sure that you remain in contact with the credit reporting agency in order to keep the fraud alert in place for as long as is necessary. It is important that you do not release the fraud alert in a premature fashion.

About the Author:

Author and internet entrepreneur Bernard Pragides offers expert advice and tips regarding identity theft. Learn more about identity theft and fraud by visiting his identity theft blog at http://www.LifeLockBlog.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/fraud-alerts-your-credit-score-identity-theft-814483.html

Author: Carl Atkinson

Out of the blue I started getting pop-ups and pop-unders all of them pointing to ads.free-windows-games.com, otherwise known as Free GamHelper. I did some research and found out that I was infected with a program that is both adware and browser helper object.

Adware is a program that was written to assist advertisers in getting their advertisements directly to you. Pop ups are the most common form of this directed advertising, but it can also occur in the form of pop-unders, banner ads, and floating advertisements. Adware programs are known to hog your computer’s resources. Both your processing power and your bandwidth are severely slowed, leading to a slower computer and Internet. Adware usually gets on your computer from being in a software bundle. That means that you intend to download and install one program, but extra stuff gets installed when you run the installation of the program you wanted.

Browser helper objects, also called BHOs, usually take the form of toolbars, but are known to not show up at all. They usually look like an added search bar when they appear as a toolbar. Browser helper objects are known to change your Internet Explorer settings such as your start page and default search page, as well as hijacking your search results. It is rare that a browser helper object is installed on its own. It is usually part of a bundle and is installed on your computer without you knowing about it until after the fact. Browser helper objects are also known for monitoring your web browsing activity and sending that information to a remote server so the ads you get are more “targeted” to your interests.

Through research I discovered that to remove Free GamHelper you need to have an anti-spyware program. I discovered there are a couple problems with this. The first problem is that there are a lot of programs that pretend to be anti-spyware when in fact they are really spyware programs themselves. The second problem is when you do finally find an anti-spyware program it may not do the job. Most anti-spyware programs only remove 80-90% of an infection often times leaving you still infected. There are anti-spyware programs out there that will remove 100%, you just have to look for them. Make sure to check for awards from places like Tucows and WUGNET, which are recognized in the computer industry as only being given to superior programs.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/free-gamhelper-no-gaming-matter-815641.html

Author: Carl Atkinson

TSAdvert is one of the worst kinds of malware to have a run-in with. It wouldn’t be so bad if it confined itself to simply giving you pop-ups, but no, that would be too easy. The developers of TSAdvert are fully intent on making your life as difficult and miserable as possible.

TSAdvert is classified as “high risk” adware. So not only does it send you third party advertisements like all adware does, it ups the ante by coming programmed with a variety of abilities such as disabling your security software and locking you out of your own system files. It also has the ability to connect to the Internet without your knowledge, update itself, and invite its malicious buddies to join the hey-day happening on your computer. Of course, TSAdvert is also gathering sensitive personal information about you in the midst of all these subversive activities. Maybe all the locking out and disabling is really just a smoke screen to keep you distracted while it serenely goes about compromising your identity?

Furthermore, removing programs like TSAdvert can be very difficult because they are typically programmed with a neat little self preservation technique, known as the use of “polymorphic tactics”, that allows it to self-mutate and adapt to your removal attempts. Sounds like a lot of fun to contend with, doesn’t it?

Good thing you don’t have to. While you could waste your time and energy trying to do battle with vermin like TSAdvert, you could also just get a good anti-spyware program to do it for you. Make sure that whatever program you choose is guaranteed to remove 100% of all spyware infections, as many programs only remove 80-90% of an infection - leaving you susceptible to programs utilizing polymorphic tactics to come back bigger and better than before. Also, look for something that updates itself constantly and backs up its claims with a money-back guarantee. After all, there’s a lot of bogus anti-spyware out there too, unfortunately. So make sure that what you get will do the job right the first time, so that you don’t waste any more precious resources battling it out with thieving liars like TSAdvert.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/tsadvert-one-more-thieving-liar-817466.html

Author: Carl Atkinson

People are always riding my case about getting a good anti-spyware program. Until recently, I had always turned my nose up at these admonishments. After all, I know how to check my system’s registry files, utilize the add/remove programs feature, and know what signs will appear if my system is in trouble. Or at least I thought I did until I had a run-in with WebFavoriteSite.

Now, while I’m waiting for my computer to be completely over-hauled due to the invasion of WebFavoriteSite and the subsequent damages it caused, I’m wishing that I would have been a little more humble, and taken the advice when it was offered.

WebFavoriteSite is an executable adware program that comes bundled with an encryption and embeds itself secretly on your computer’s system registry. It lays down nice and quiet, waiting in the shadows, until you shut down your computer, and then upon reboot, it springs into action.

What kind of action, you might ask? The wreaking havoc, all-systems shut down kind of action, of course. You see, WebFavoriteSite is classified as “high risk” for a reason. High risk adware programs are capable of all kinds of niceties, including having the ability to disable your existing security software, so that you don’t even know what hit you when you suddenly discover that your computer is rendered completely inoperable due to the high volume of malicious software that has invited itself in through the security breach that WebFavoriteSite created.

Even better, high risk programs often have the ability to self-mutate to protect their survival should you try to manually remove them. Which, of course, I tried to do. Rather than just getting help, I decided to engage in a battle of wills with WebFavoriteSite. It politely answered my call to war by ignoring me completely, and using my “strategic maneuvers” to its advantage.

When I finally threw my hands in the air, and decided to seek help, my computer was an irreconcilable mess. I’ve learned my lesson though. I found the best darn anti-spyware program available on the market; a program by the name of Spyzooka. Rather than list their numerous merits, suffice it to say that these people really know what they’re doing, and they back up their word every step of the way. Don’t let pride win out over intelligence. Let them scan your computer today for free by clicking here: http://www.spyzooka.com.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/webfavoritesite-a-profound-lesson-in-humility-817732.html

Author: Rg Hannah

One of the most important reasons for utilizing encrypted flash drive is it is simply the most secure storage device for your data. Remember the data that mobile personnel carry around with them is confidential, valuable and sensitive. Using any other method to transport data other than an encrypted flash drive needlessly increases security risks. Using any other type of drive not only the company’s operating system too many different levels of attack but could lead to the compromising of valuable and confidential data. All of these risks can be drastically reduced by simply incorporating the use of an encrypted flash drive like the units that are offered by SanDisk Enterprises.

Encrypted Flash Drive Limits Access

Another important reason for utilizing an encrypted flash drive is that it will limit the opportunity for employees to circumvent company security measures. Circumventing company security measures can by using anything other then an encrypted flash drive exposes your company to increased risk through the exposure of proprietary data. Your company’s proprietary data is not only valuable to you but it is also valuable to thieves who would like to exploit the data. If the compromise of data takes place the damage control to fix it will be very expensive and time consuming. Making an encrypted flash drive mandatory can save a lot of money and embarrassment by preventing the compromise of sensitive data.

To get your company on the right track first make the decision that an encrypted flash drive will be the standard flash drive used by everyone in your company. Distribute a mandate that only an encrypted flash drive issued by the company will be authorized for use by all employees. This will stop the continued use of unauthorized and less secure drives. Approve an encrypted flash drive like the ones offered by SanDisk Enterprise for issue to your mobile personnel to secure your data. Follow up and make sure that only approved drives are indeed being used by all personnel who transmit and transport company data.

Security Features of an Encrypted Flash Drive

One of the main security features of an encrypted flash drive should be its independence from the operating system in order to prevent access and the uploading of a virus or worm. An encrypted flash drive is independent of the operating system and so reduces the risk of a successful attempt to compromise or corrupt your company data. Being independent also means encryption keys are stored in the drive and not the operating system where s might gain access. A software program used by the host operating system will also allow the control of drives. With this software should an encrypted flash drive become lost or stolen it can be terminated from the central control server. This is an important management feature.

Another key security feature of an encrypted flash drive should be the ease of operation. Personnel using the drives will want a unit that is functional but at the same time secure. A key consideration for personnel will be fast transfer data rates. SanDisk Enterprise produces an encrypted flash drive with super fast transfer rates including units with 24MB rating for reading and 20MB for writing. Files are secured through that are partitioning in the encrypted flash drive adding enhanced transmission security. Secure units are available with 8GB capacity which is ideal for most companies.

About the Author:

Content writer on behalf of Always Locksmith - Provider of Professional locksmith services in London, UK.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/important-reasons-for-utilizing-an-encrypted-flash-drive-812282.html

Author: Yves Martin

Recently a computer security expert stated that the only way to keep a computer 100% safe was to never turn it on. This is actually inaccurate and a little misleading. A computer used solely to type up and print out documents, never connected to the Internet and that never received files transferred from some other computer, could in fact be a useful 100% secure computer system. Viruses and other malware get on a computer through a network like the Internet and file transfers from other computers and there are several ways that can happen.

Users want to attach computers to the Internet and receive emails, instant messages, browse web pages, download music and fun software etc. The problem is that this puts not just millions but billions of people at their doorstep! Imagine that if billions of people could reach a home instantly - how many ill intentioned people would come by to see if the doors and windows were secured? How many con artists would knock on the door? An Internet connected computer is in just that predicament.

When a computer is connected to a network by design it starts listening for communications from the outside world. Things known as ports get created which are special “doors” to the computer. These doors are special because they each have a designated program that will answer the door if it is knocked on. Examples of programs that listen for traffic from the network include:

• instant messaging programs
• Internet phone software
• software for connecting to the computer from remote locations
• Internet games

Even the operating system itself opens ports to share files or a printer or anything else on the computer. Each of those programs creates a “door” to the computer that it will answer if someone “knocks” on it. If the answering program is poorly designed then the “knocking” program could take advantage of it and thus compromise the computer.

In addition to people being able to come across the Internet and knock on one of the “doors” mentioned above - by using a web browser and surfing the Internet users are inviting people to access their computers. Every time a web site is browsed the web browser is downloading files to the computer and processing them. If that web browser is not programmed properly it is a huge security risk. For example on December 12 of 2008 Microsoft reported a big security hole in all versions of its Internet Explorer browser. The hole permitted data stealing software to be installed on the victim’s computer just by browsing an infected web page! Other examples of programs that invite access to your computer:

• Email programs
• File sharing and music sharing programs (by far one of the largest security risks)
• Instant messaging software

So aside from isolating a computer from the outside world, how can one protect a computer system? Here are some tips:

1. Don’t use Internet Explorer as your main browser. I am not bashing Microsoft or Internet Explorer particularly and something should be made clear: It is not necessarily that other browsers are programmed so much better but that 80% of people surfing the Internet are using Internet Explorer. Thus thieves interested in gaining access to the maximum amount of victims are going to spend most of their efforts exploiting the security holes of the browser that 80% of the people are using.

2. Put a firewall between your internal network and the Internet. A firewall’s job is to keep out those billions of people who can be at your doorstep instantaneously. It will only allow those you invite to knock on your computer’s door.

3. Use a Firewall on each individual computer. The network firewall mentioned above is a big step toward protecting the internal network. The problem is that it generally won’t protect users from themselves. A user browsing a website is telling the network firewall that it has given an invitation to that website and to permit files from that site to come through. If the user browses an infected website with a browser that has a security hole a virus will get into the network. If it is a certain type of virus it could start replicating itself within the local network. A computer firewall defends against this sort of problem.

4. Update your operating system and browsers. Security holes are constantly found in all operating systems and all browsers. Software updates patch these holes.

5. Use a good and up-to-date antivirus and spyware program. These programs help prevent damage from viruses that do make it to your system.

6. Backup your data. Short of isolating a computer it is impossible to 100% secure a system. If you backup your data then should the worst occur having good backups will prevent disaster.

The above represents the basics and go a long way to protecting computer systems.

About the Author:

Yves A Martin is the founder of M·Qual Computer and Internet Specialists: a network engineering and small business technical support firm based out of Philadelphia, PA. Yves maintains the site http://antivirusinternetsecurity.info where users can find reliable information about computer security.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/antivirus-internet-security-basics-how-viruses-get-on-a-computer-812503.html

Author: Carl Atkinson

Software that can cause major problems for your computer and your personal identity are becoming more and more common. With the e growth of the internet, many people are finding that strange things are happening on their pc. Spyware is a major cause for this, and fake programs like Win Defender 2009 are common. Here is some information you need to know to protect yourself and your pc.

Win Defender 2009 is one of the more recent rogue security software programs that are floating around the internet. It is particularly dangerous, because it looks so similar to Windows Defender, which is an authentic Microsoft program. This fake will display threat alerts on your pc in an attempt to make you believe that you have viruses, threats and other security problems on your computer. This is simply a ploy to get you to download their program, but never do that. Once downloaded, Win Defender 2009 can add even more malware to your pc.

What are some of the things you will notice if your computer is infected? Pop-up ads are very common, along with changes to your homepage and browser. You may also notice icons in your tool tray that weren’t there before, and that your computer is starting up or running much slower. Most fake anti-spyware programs will advertise targeted ads to you, which means the advertising is related to your online browsing habits. How can this be?

Malicious software has the ability to track everything you do when you are online. The searches you perform, websites you visit and even your passwords and personal business information are vulnerable. Rarely, people have been made victims of identity theft because of these fake software programs. This is why it is essential that you remove them as soon as possible.

You are probably thinking, “Where did this come from?” Good question. Most people don’t realize anything is wrong until they begin noticing the symptoms. Rogue anti-spyware programs like Win Defender 2009 usually come from other programs you have downloaded, such as freeware, online computer games, weather, etc. They can also come from websites you have visited. Never download programs that you aren’t completely sure are safe.

What is the solution? Legitimate anti-spyware programs are made to get rid of these and sometimes dangerous nuisances. There are many real software programs available, but many aren’t reliable. Most will scan your computer for trojans, worms, viruses and other threats and remove up to 90% of them. You must remove them completely, so purchasing another product is necessary to clear up the remaining infections. This can get very costly - and time consuming!

Although you may choose to remove fake programs like Win Defender 2009 using the above method, the most cost effective step to take is to use Spyzooka to remedy the problem. It is the only anti-spyware product that is 100% guaranteed to remove all traces of worms, trojans, viruses, and other threats. It also blocks your pc from future infections, so your worries are %

To scan your pc for free and find out if you have Win Defender 2009 click here.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/win-defender-2009-a-dangerous-fake-823779.html

Author: Carl Atkinson

Samoware is advertising software that gets installed on your pc, usually without your knowledge. It displays ads to you, most of the time through pop-up and banner ads. If you are experiencing a large number of ads, you may have this software or some other adware installed on your computer. Where does it come from, and what threats may it pose?

Adware usually rides through with other programs you download. It is in the background, so you don’t realize it until you begin getting advertisements. Some of the programs Samoware and other advertising software piggybacks on are freeware, instant news and weather updates, games, and smileys and emoticons used in email. Some carry only a mild threat, while others are more dangerous.

Advertising software may track your online activities, so that it knows what your interests are. This information is given to third parties, who use it to send targeted ads to you through pop-up and banner ads. Why? These companies hope that you will make a purchase from their ads. The downside of this is that some software can also gain access to personal information, such as business accounts and passwords.

What are some of the other symptoms of adware? In some cases, you may notice that your computer runs slower than normal or becomes unstable. You may also notice that there are changes to your homepage or browser. Eliminating this software is recommended. How is this accomplished? By downloading a reliable anti-spyware product that is designed especially for this reason.

When you use anti-spyware software, it will scan your pc for viruses and other threats such as adware. It will then remove the infections, restoring security to your computer. Be aware that some products aren’t as thorough as others, and will leave threats on your pc. If you believe you do have Samoware or other advertising software on your computer, Spyzooka is the best product available for removing it.

About the Author:

Carl runs a site devoted to helping you rid your computer from all sorts of spyware and malware at http://www.spyzooka.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/what-samoware-is-and-what-it-does–813148.html

Author: jd159

The truth about how to remove viruses and spyware.

Are you technologically challenged? Do you pay large electronic stores for “tune-ups” and virus removal? Unfortunately any company that charges you money to remove your viruses is taking advantage of your lack of knowledge. Removing viruses and cleaning out malware are the common problems faced with people today.

First of all, to remove malware you don’t need any sort of certification or programming expertise, all you need is a good virus removal program and a search engine. Here are the simple steps needed to remove a virus for people who really don’t know how things work.

1) Purchase effective software that doesn’t take up a lot of system resources. (Information on anti virus products and other software at bottom of page)

2) Install the software with its easy to follow step by step installation procedures.

3) Run the software’s entire system scans.

4) Follow the software’s virus removal steps…

Sounds just a little to simple…

That is basically what the people you pay 50$ to 100$ do to remove your viruses. Kind of frustrating isn’t it? However not ALL viruses are that simple to remove, that is where google comes into play. Simply google what the virus may be doing, from moving your cursor to closing your web browser, and there are guides posted by other people for removing the virus! My website will recommend to you the best products and helpful guides to remove viruses.

When you encounter a virus that your software is not able to remove, first you have to find out what kind of virus you are dealing with. Once you have done your research into google on your computer’s symtoms, you just have to ard your system with anti malware software. When your computer gets a virus you basicly treat it as that bad cold you got before you had a big day at work.

You woke up in the morning, feeling awful, and took as many cold medications, remedy’s, tea’s and decongestants that you thought your body could handle. Similarly with a virus you just install some free and some very inexpensive products and run them all over the course of the day, any virus that is in your system, will be removed!

About the Author:

James D. Plewak offers computer tips, help and product recommendations to optimize speed, safety and security. Visit Virus help and removal for more information, helpful tips, post questions or find products. James will do is best assisting you with your computer and virus issues.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/the-truth-about-virus-help-and-spyware-removal-that-companys-hide-813242.html