Imagine this scenario, you are at your computer and you begin reading your email. Among all of the messages from friends or the garbage email you are getting, you notice EBay has sent you a message. A serious malfunction has happened in one of there databases. They need you to follow the URL link in your email, and begin to update your information. Of course you trust EBay, so you once again, you reenter your email address, your real address, your phone number, and finally everything was correct but they did have your credit card number wrong. As you want them to have all of your information, you enter you credit card number, and do not even hesitate before clicking submit.
I explained this scenario, the exact way it has happened for thousands of people. It's important you read this article carefully. It may just save your identity. The email you received, you may not have guessed, is a carefully thought out fake. Companies such as EBay, Paypal, your bank, or any other financial institution; will never send you an email asking you to enter such sensitive information. They also do not have members of there organization contact you over the phone, or by email, asking for specific identification nor verification.
If you have received an email such as this, it is a false forgery, and its purpose is to defraud you of whatever money or information it can. Today's internet criminals use sophisticated tools to steal your important assets. Let's discuss a few of these now.
Ø Email, forged to look like the address it came from is whomever they are using. Most of the time, this is EBay, Paypal, your bank, or another internet icon, they can use to earn your trust.
Ø A Spoofed URL, they are carefully planned to look like they are coming from the company in question.
Ø Stolen Web Designs, you are directed to a site that looks like it is the company they have used to bait you.
Ø A Professional Demeanor, the pages do not have misspelled words, the forms look professional, and they are well thought out and put together.
The goal of this internet criminal is to make you give up your information. I am sure that this may make you feel like you may want to give up, and stop using your computer all together. However there are many ways to combat these criminals, and simple tips to make your internet browsing be safer.
Ø Install a spam filter for your computer.
Ø Do not answer emails asking for sensitive information.
Ø Do not use email linked urls to visit sites, unless you are absolutely positive it came from the company it says it has.
Ø Always change information by logging into the actual websites of these companies.
Ø Triple check that a URL is, www.ebay.com, www.paypal.com, or whatever institution you're visiting, before you ever enter sensitive information.
Ø Never answer sensitive questions from people calling you, only do this if you have called them.
Ø In addition to the above steps, always make sure you have anti-virus, and anti-spy ware programs installed.
Following these steps and making them a habit, will ensure your safe browsing on the internet. It is important for me to repeat, these companies, or any other will never ask you for sensitive information directly. Before you become a victim, make sure to educate yourself on these safe practices. An internet criminal, will find new ways to try and steal from you. Don't give them the opportunity. Protect yourself now.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Technology Must-Haves: Knoppix, Puppy Linux and Backtrack Linux Live CDs
Linux Live CD's are a great way to introduce yourself to the Linux operating system. You do not have to end your reliance on the Windows operating system and you have the ability to see what the other side has to offer. Many Live CD's are available for download. Puppy Linux, Backtrack, and Knoppix are some popular Live CD distributions.
In todays world Linux has grown up. Driver support is one area that has finally gotten much easier than it ever was before. Many drivers are auto recognized simply and easily. This is especially helpful when using a laptop and a wireless connection. You automatically have a connection to the World Wide Web.
For desktops there are two major choices, KDE and Gnome. Both of these desktops have become very comparable to Windows. Each of these have the built in Linux option to have two desktops at one time. Knoppix even offers a 3d desktop option and the graphics are out of this world. One of the more popular things the world of Linux has always offered is comparable software that is free. Several word processing suites, many graphics packages, media players and games are all offered for no price.
Many activities that are harder in Windows become easier with Linux. These Live Linux versions also automatically recognize your Windows files. On the other hand with all of the achievements that Linux has made, it is still not ready to compete hand in hand with Microsoft.
Some of the issues you can run across still affect major operating areas. Sometimes you have to manually enter information that most users would not know. I would generally always recommend trying Linux to a technical savvy person. However it is not for the faint hearted and if you do not have a lot of technical knowledge I would hold off loading any Linux version.
Linspire has gone a long way to release a user friendly Linux version. This should not be considered an option for a technical person. However for the layman who just wants a computer that works the way it should Linspire may be an option for you.
No matter what you decide Linux is here to stay. Several hundred thousand developers world wide are doing there best to improve the Linux system In the next few years we may very well see these operating systems being able to take on Windows in a very real way. For a small time Windows Vista was being considered to run on a Unix back-end. For a long time Apple has ran on a Unix back-end based on FreeBSD.
With so many developers and technicians contributing to the Linux operating system, it will not take long for it to become a viable alternative to Windows. Using these Live CD's will give you a wonderful ability to test the waters.
In todays world Linux has grown up. Driver support is one area that has finally gotten much easier than it ever was before. Many drivers are auto recognized simply and easily. This is especially helpful when using a laptop and a wireless connection. You automatically have a connection to the World Wide Web.
For desktops there are two major choices, KDE and Gnome. Both of these desktops have become very comparable to Windows. Each of these have the built in Linux option to have two desktops at one time. Knoppix even offers a 3d desktop option and the graphics are out of this world. One of the more popular things the world of Linux has always offered is comparable software that is free. Several word processing suites, many graphics packages, media players and games are all offered for no price.
Many activities that are harder in Windows become easier with Linux. These Live Linux versions also automatically recognize your Windows files. On the other hand with all of the achievements that Linux has made, it is still not ready to compete hand in hand with Microsoft.
Some of the issues you can run across still affect major operating areas. Sometimes you have to manually enter information that most users would not know. I would generally always recommend trying Linux to a technical savvy person. However it is not for the faint hearted and if you do not have a lot of technical knowledge I would hold off loading any Linux version.
Linspire has gone a long way to release a user friendly Linux version. This should not be considered an option for a technical person. However for the layman who just wants a computer that works the way it should Linspire may be an option for you.
No matter what you decide Linux is here to stay. Several hundred thousand developers world wide are doing there best to improve the Linux system In the next few years we may very well see these operating systems being able to take on Windows in a very real way. For a small time Windows Vista was being considered to run on a Unix back-end. For a long time Apple has ran on a Unix back-end based on FreeBSD.
With so many developers and technicians contributing to the Linux operating system, it will not take long for it to become a viable alternative to Windows. Using these Live CD's will give you a wonderful ability to test the waters.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Part 3 of Why Is My Computer Running So Slow
My apologies this post is severely late, for reasons I could not control. In Part 1 we discussed why your computer might be running slow. In Part 2 we discussed some alternatives to bulky programs that may be taxing your computer.
In this the last and possibly most important installment of the Why Is My Computer Running So Slow; we will be discussing how to disable start up programs, how to uninstall unused programs, and finally how you can disable certain services that you may not be using.
Do not take any of the three of these lightly, you have to be careful because you can cause many problems with your computer if you do not proceed with caution.
Ok lets get started. All of you should be familiar with what the start menu is. When you click on the start button, on the right hand side of that menu is an option called run. Please click that and in the box type "msconfig". After you have typed this you can press the enter key. The last or second to last tab will be labeled"startup". Click on this tab and you will see a scrolling box that is listing all of your startup programs. Chances are, most of the programs that are starting here are unneeded.
With some time and care you can track what most of these programs are. To disable them, you will make sure there is no check mark in the box next to them. You can do this by highlighting and clicking with the mouse in the box. After you have enabled or disabled the services you wish to, you will press ok.
Occasionally your computer may be running so slow it makes the usual troubleshooting impossible. A remedy for this is called Sade Mode. It is basically a built in troubleshooting platform for the windows operating system. At the post or boot up of your computer wait about 3 seconds and then press F8. In most systems you will wait until you have heard the beep, on the screen it will ask you if you would like to enter the bios, right after this screen press F8. You will press it several seconds before it begins to boot Windows XP.
Once you have pressed F8, a menu will pop up asking several options. For inexperienced users you can choose the top option for regular safe mode. What safe mode does is load windows with many of your startup programs disabled, and just a the few drivers it needs to get by. From there you can run "msconfig" and begin to troubleshoot your computer.
Another option can be that you may want to uninstall unused programs, this can be done in safe mode or regular mode. You will choose Start-Control Panel, and then Add and Remove Programs. You will see a scroll through list of programs you may not even be using. You can uninstall most any of these programs by choosing the uninstall option. You may only uninstall one program at a time.
A common program that can cause huge slow down problems if left on your computer is the AOL dialup platform. I have seen systems that have 3 or 4 versions of AOL left on there system, and now they are a broadband customer. These versions can be uninstalled and you will see a performance enhancement.
The last item we will cover in this article are services. If you go to Start-Run-type services.msc- press enter, you will see a list of your computer services. I will not tell you in this article every needed service and every service you can disable safely, however with a little research you can find out programs you disable. For example one that comes to mind is desktops that are wired with wireless internet management service on.
Once you have researched what services are safe to disable you can disable it permanently or stop it just during one computer session. You do this by highlighting the service right clicking and choosing properties. In the middle you will see a drop down box that says startup type. You can choose Automatic-Manual-or Disabled. Underneath there you can choose Start or Stop.
This is the last installment of this three part article. I hope you have enjoyed it and feel free to ask any questions.
In this the last and possibly most important installment of the Why Is My Computer Running So Slow; we will be discussing how to disable start up programs, how to uninstall unused programs, and finally how you can disable certain services that you may not be using.
Do not take any of the three of these lightly, you have to be careful because you can cause many problems with your computer if you do not proceed with caution.
Ok lets get started. All of you should be familiar with what the start menu is. When you click on the start button, on the right hand side of that menu is an option called run. Please click that and in the box type "msconfig". After you have typed this you can press the enter key. The last or second to last tab will be labeled"startup". Click on this tab and you will see a scrolling box that is listing all of your startup programs. Chances are, most of the programs that are starting here are unneeded.
With some time and care you can track what most of these programs are. To disable them, you will make sure there is no check mark in the box next to them. You can do this by highlighting and clicking with the mouse in the box. After you have enabled or disabled the services you wish to, you will press ok.
Occasionally your computer may be running so slow it makes the usual troubleshooting impossible. A remedy for this is called Sade Mode. It is basically a built in troubleshooting platform for the windows operating system. At the post or boot up of your computer wait about 3 seconds and then press F8. In most systems you will wait until you have heard the beep, on the screen it will ask you if you would like to enter the bios, right after this screen press F8. You will press it several seconds before it begins to boot Windows XP.
Once you have pressed F8, a menu will pop up asking several options. For inexperienced users you can choose the top option for regular safe mode. What safe mode does is load windows with many of your startup programs disabled, and just a the few drivers it needs to get by. From there you can run "msconfig" and begin to troubleshoot your computer.
Another option can be that you may want to uninstall unused programs, this can be done in safe mode or regular mode. You will choose Start-Control Panel, and then Add and Remove Programs. You will see a scroll through list of programs you may not even be using. You can uninstall most any of these programs by choosing the uninstall option. You may only uninstall one program at a time.
A common program that can cause huge slow down problems if left on your computer is the AOL dialup platform. I have seen systems that have 3 or 4 versions of AOL left on there system, and now they are a broadband customer. These versions can be uninstalled and you will see a performance enhancement.
The last item we will cover in this article are services. If you go to Start-Run-type services.msc- press enter, you will see a list of your computer services. I will not tell you in this article every needed service and every service you can disable safely, however with a little research you can find out programs you disable. For example one that comes to mind is desktops that are wired with wireless internet management service on.
Once you have researched what services are safe to disable you can disable it permanently or stop it just during one computer session. You do this by highlighting the service right clicking and choosing properties. In the middle you will see a drop down box that says startup type. You can choose Automatic-Manual-or Disabled. Underneath there you can choose Start or Stop.
This is the last installment of this three part article. I hope you have enjoyed it and feel free to ask any questions.
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