Online Safety Tips for You and Your Family

WebSafetyTips is a comprehensive site where people can find tips on how to protect themselves and their family from online dangers. Millions of people are subject to identity theft, cyber crimes, and hacking every year. Put a couple of our recommendations in place and reduce your risk of being a victim.

TIP 1: Take Security Measures

The best way to keep yourself and your family secure online is to take general preventative measures. The best way to do that is to subscribe to a service that was built to protect people against very specific dangers online.

Child Safety: We recommend signing up for SafetyWeb, which is designed to help parents monitor their child's computer and cell phone usage. Get instant text messages and e-mail alerts directly to your phone every time your child does something online that might put him or her in danger.
Computer Safety - The best two product available on the market today are Norton's Symantic Anti-Virus 2010, and AVG. For a 1 time cost of $200 you will be completely protected against SPAM, Phising, Hackers, and other online predators.
Identity Protection - Identity theft is quickly becoming the greatest threat to the American consumer. Even the most careful consumer can have their Identity Stolen without ever knowing it. We recommend TrustedID which monitors your credit, identity and has a guarantee up to $1,000,000 in damages.

TIP 2: Proceed with Caution

Make sure you do your research before you download a new program or application. A basic Google search of the program will tell you whether or not the program is trusted. If other consumers have had issues in the past there will be blog posts and comments. Anything mentioning a "virus" or fake program should be an immediate red flag not to download.

When purchasing products online always make sure that the merchant has seals of approval from Verisign, Better Business Bureau, or a consumer advocate website such as BizRate.

TIP 3: Beware of E-mail

Your e-mail inbox is a breeding ground for hackers and cyber criminals to attack your computer and personal information. In addition to the endless amounts of SPAM you receive on a daily basis you also need to follow a couple general rules to maintain your security.

Never share your e-mail password with anyone
Change your password frequently and always log out of your e-mail when you are finished
Reputable companies will never as of personal identifiable information over e-mail - NEVER share it
Never open an attachment from an unknown source
Never respond to an e-mail from an unknown source
Use SPAM filters such as MailWasher.net

TIP 4: Social Network Safety

The most important rule of social network safety is: Don't post anything about yourself that you don't want the whole world to know or see. Social networks are the largest sources of personal information and gives immediate access to future employers, police, teachers, strangers, and predators.

Children are at a greater risk than adults when it comes to social networking. Parents need to make sure that their children follow a couple of general rules to help keep them safe.

Never let your teen post an explicit photo of themselves
Keep your status as hidden and only approve known friends
Create groups for friends, family, school, etc.
Do not post your address and full location details
NEVER meet anyone that you met on a social network

Children need to make sure that their social network identity is kept clean and free of drinking, sex, and drugs. Colleges and future employers will search for their profiles before accepting of hiring a child. If there is something they can find on your network that you don't want them to see - remove it.

TIP 5: Child Safety

Parents have a lot to worry about when it comes to their children's use of computers, social networks, and their mobile phones. One of the biggest dangers is the sexual exploitation of children. Any child with unrestricted access to their computer can access pornographic material at any time. All parents should enable parental controls on their PC's to restrict their kids from accessing pornographic material online.

The Internet also gives sexual predators unprecedented access to children online via chat rooms, gaming, and social networks. Make sure your children are aware of online dangers and subscribe to services like SafetyWeb to keep your children safe at all time.

TIP 6: What's the Password?

Passwords are very tricky because it's important to keep different passwords for every new website you subscribe too, but very hard to remember all of them. There are websites like http://www.Billeo.com, which is a toolbar that automatically stores and remembers all of your passwords.

Make sure that you never store a file on your computer with all of your passwords on it. If you do, never name the file "passwords" as hackers are always looking to steal those files. Try and come up with your own password scheme that only you and your family knows.

TIP 7: Always Lock your Computer

Hackers and Identity Thieves are looking to steal your files in all types of ways. The easiest is to steal your computer or extract the files that they need quickly. When using a public computer always make sure you log out so that the next person cannot access your information. When using your computer in public (like Starbucks) always lock it so that someone cannot access your files while you are getting coffee, etc. Simple tips will go a long way.

TIP 8: Protect your Wireless Network

Wireless connections are great but they can compromise your safety without you ever knowing it. Always make sure that your home wireless network is safe by having it password protected. Do not share that password with anyone other than the people who use that particular network every day. An experienced hacker can access all of your files from your wireless network once they have access. Contact your wireless network provider to make sure your network is secure.

Your home wireless connection is not all you have to worry about. Never connect to a wireless network that isn't yours and isn't password protected. Once your computer connects to a public network it gives hackers easier access to your files.

TIP 9: Protect against Identity Theft

The fastest growing threat for today's consumer is having their identity stolen. Over 30 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the past 5 years. Following our tips can help protect you against identity thief's but it's impossible to prevent sometimes. For example, lets say your favorite clothing store just had their credit card database compromised, your identity was stolen and you didn't do anything wrong.

The only way to stop Identity Theft is to pay for it. Companies like LifeLock and TrustedID has software that monitors your credit report, social security number, and full personal history to make sure nobody can steal your identity. These companies also come with a $1,000,000 insurance guarantee in the event that you suffer a financial loss due to identity theft.

TIP 10: Set Safety Guidelines for your Family

It's important to talk with your kids and family members to set important guidelines when it comes to computers use. Give them general rules to abide by that will cause them to think twice in the event that they need to make an important decision. The two most important would be never to engage in any sexual related conversations with strangers, never share or post something on a social network that you don't want the whole world to see, and never under any circumstances meet someone that you met online.

Online Holiday Shopping Tips - How To Stay Safe When Shopping On the Internet

Every Christmas, more and more people give up the hassle of doing their holiday gift shopping at the mall or big box department stores, and turn to the ease and convenience of the Internet to find the perfect gifts for everyone on their shopping list. Internet shopping is safe, simple, and direct. Here's how to get the most out of your online holiday shopping experience.

Internet Safety

One of the major concerns keeping many people from shopping online is the threat of a cyber-thief getting a hold of their credit card or checking account information. The best way to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to make sure that you use reputable online retailers only. The online websites of major real-world retailers typically offer the same security as buying something in the store, and large web-based retailers like Amazon and Yahoo! Shopping take great care to ensure that their transactions are secure.

A reputable retailer will use some sort of encrypted transmission to carry your credit card information from your computer to their server. Check your web browser for the indication that your connection is secure. This is usually a padlock, an eye, or some other security-related icon.

If you find yourself connected to a website that looks suspicious, do some research on the retailer before typing in your credit card information. This can be as simple as opening up a new tab and Googling the name of the website. If some of the autofill suggestions are the company name and "fraud," "scam," or something similar, it might be in your best interests to find another online retailer.

Holiday Deals

Most, but not all, websites for major retailers will honor the same deals, sales, and specials that are offered in their brick-and-mortar stores. This makes the sale even more of a bargain for you, since you don't have to waste time and gas in getting to the store. In addition, many online retailers offer free shipping if certain items are purchased, or if the total amount due is over a certain amount. Shipping costs are usually one advantage that stores in the mall have over their online counterparts, but if the shipping is free, that advantage no longer applies.

Be on the lookout when your weekly ads hit your newspaper or mailbox. Make sure the ad doesn't have fine print stating "in-store only" or "while supplies last." These phrases typically mean you won't have much success in finding the deal online. Clearance items that are available in a store may not be available on their web site either.

E-Mail Subscriptions

If you plan to be an online power-shopper, it pays to subscribe to the various e-mail newsletters and online promotions that are available. Many of these subscription services are run by individual retailers as a form of targeted advertising, while others are grass-roots, ad-supported sites that operate by collecting and reviewing the various special offers available across the Internet. After all, a sale won't do you any good if you never find out about it!

By taking these tips into account, you can guarantee that your online Christmas shopping experience will be a success. Once you've seen how fast and easy online shopping is, you may never go back to the mall again!

Ginny Peterson has become an expert on Christmas because of her love for this holiday. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and helpful information with others. Are you in need of a new stocking or holiday lights? Visit her sites: Christmas Needlepoint Stocking Kit and Battery Christmas Lights.

Using System Restore

Windows XP offers a very helpful feature when it comes to battling malware of all sorts. Whether your computer has been compromised by a Trojan, infected by a virus or infiltrated by spyware, you can simply go back in time to a point before the computer had any problems.

System Restore periodically saves a Restore Point to provide a means of returning to a known-good configuration should something go wrong. Just about any time you install new software, a Restore Point is created. You can also manually create a Restore Point.

System Restore will undo programs and applications that have been installed since the Restore Point, but data files such as documents, spreadsheets or music MP3's will not be touched. So, your personal data should survive the restore, but you may have to reinstall any programs that had been installed after the Restore Point.

If you notice that your computer is acting slow, weird, bizarre, funky or any other way than the way it is intended to run, perhaps it has been infected or compromised in some way. Follow these steps to return it to its former glory: Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore Choose Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next Using the calendar, select a day and Restore Point that you want to return to and click Next Save your work and shut down any open programs. Click Next to confirm your wish to restore your computer to the designated Restore Point.

The computer will shut down and reboot, after doing some thinking and making some changes. When all is said and done, the computer will be restored to the state it was in at the designated Restore Point and all should be well.

To make sure you don't end right back where you started from, you should make sure that your antivirus, anti-spyware and other security software are installed and running and that they are up to date.

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I Need A Proxy, Everybody Wants A Proxy!

I guess I'm not going to be very popular after publishing this article, but this is really a big problem and one that needs to be addressed very quickly before it grows into another digital snowball like spam and malware. IT departments spend a lot of time and money on network security. Restrictions are put into place, not only to protect corporate data, but also for the safety of everyone working on the corporate network. However, network restrictions are not only for the corporate world, these restrictions are also present at schools and even in our homes. But what is the use of protecting your data and privacy if you constantly have to deal with cyber rats eating their way through your defences from the inside?

A proxy is often blocked as soon as the network administrator becomes aware of the fact that it is used to gain unauthorised access to websites and other networks. That's the reason why people are constantly in search of brand new proxies and what scares me the most, is the rate at which these new proxies become available, it is so bad you can even regard it as another form of spam. The sad reality however, is that the people who use these proxies, either do not know a thing about PC security, or they don't give a damn about it. Browsing restricted sites via an illegal proxy exposes your computer to malware and hackers, putting the whole network at risk. Confidential and sensitive corporate information can easily be leaked and the privacy of every employee using the corporate network could be compromised due to the selfish acts of employees who can't walk between the lines. So you are not only putting your colleagues in a tight spot, your compromising your own security as well.

The most popular reason for a proxy is to gain access to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Orkut or Twitter. Social networking sites are time and money wasters in terms of productivity, bandwidth and company resources. Instead of doing their jobs, people waste hours and hours of productivity during the day, by hanging out on social community sites. To add insult to injury, they don't use their own bandwidth to chill on these sites, they use company bandwidth, company computers and company printers to do what they should be doing after work. Kids browse these social communities instead of attending to their schoolwork, wasting their parents's money, or the money of the taxpayer if the government funds the school. Speaking of the government, what about government workers? Instead of delivering the services we pay for, they browse MySpace, Facebook, Orkut or Twitter with our tax money. (Some governments do not even have any network security to speak of, so they can access any site without the use of a proxy).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the use of social networking sites, but there is a time and place for everything and social networking sites do not have a place at the office or at school (unless you are the PR manager of the company maintaining the company profile on MySpace). Before everyone starts to call me a party pooper, accusing me of taking the fun out of the office, think about this: If everyone spent more time on their job and less time on social networking sites during working hours, we will get a lot more work done and will therefore have plenty of time to hang out with friends and family on our favourite social networking sites. Don't be mad at your boss for limiting your Internet access, the fact that you are using a proxy to bypass Internet filters and other limitations imposed by your employer, already tells me that you can't use the Internet responsibly. If you really need to use these sites, visit them after work or after school and if you don't have a computer at home, use a friend's computer or visit an Internet caf�. It has to be mentioned though, that 3rd party proxies are not only used to access social networking sites, but they are also popular for porn surfing and the downloading of pirated software, music and movies. These sites are far worse than social networking sites, because they do not only waste valuable man-hours, they are often loaded with nasty malware, a direct threat to the safety of everyone working on the network.

The bottom line is, companies invest a lot in computer security, computer labs at schools do their best to keep their networks safe and clean and parents invest in parental control software to keep their young ones from accessing harmful content on the Web. Still you get people who want to break down all these barriers, ignoring the damage they cause and the risks they create during this process. Bypassing the parental control software on the family computer can easily lead to a prohibited site where a sneaky rootkit finds its way into your system. It may log a credit card number here and a password there and before your folks know what's going on, they could be staring bankruptcy in the face. The same can happen at work or at school, your infected PC can cause a lot of problems for other people using the same network. Do you want something like this on your conscience? Proxies may have their uses, but they should not be used to cross digital borders illegally. If you are not allowed to visit a specific site at work or at school, then there's most likely a pretty good reason why you shouldn't visit it. If you choose to visit prohibited sites without proper authorisation, you risk loosing your job, getting suspended or even harsher network restrictions may be implemented. Think about it, is it really worth all that?

People are so touchy about this subject that when they ask for new proxies in forums or Q&A communities, they often warn you in advance not to bitch about why they shouldn't be using one. So next time when you run across someone asking for a proxy to bypass firewalls and Internet filters, don't waste your time explaining why they shouldn't be using one, don't expose yourself to insults and swearing, just refer them to this article.

About the Author
Coenraad is webmaster and founder of Cyber Top Cops, an online resource providing education to the Internet Community about online threats. Coenraad also writes about cyber security related topics on the Cyber Top Cops Blog.

Vista Password Policy

Open the Microsoft Windows Local Security Policy console and navigate to the Password Policies following these steps: Click on Start Click on Control Panel Click on Administrative Tools Click on Local Security Policy Click on the plus-sign in the left pane to open Account Policies Click on Password Policy

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Background Check on Hacking in Online Banking

Cyber crimes have been growing rampant nowadays from prostitution to identity thievery. Even as we search criminal records, there are notable persons who have done hacking on personal accounts from emails accounts to even bank accounts.

Internet Crime Complaint Center releases a background check report stating that about $559 million were lost by Americans to Internet thieves last year. This was twice than the 2008 figure where $268 million were stolen.

Bankrate.com gave advice regarding cyber crime especially on how to secure the consumer's interest. They first take note on the most dangerous account taker.

The biggest threat to banking accounts would be Banking Trojan, a malicious code designed for banking fraud. These are invisible and can steal multiple data which includes the consumer's passwords. Advance types of this virus can even make illicit transactions like money transfers that can drain one's account completely.

For those who wish to have a secure bank account online passwords and other so called "layers" before entering the account are very important. The more codes that are needed to be given before you can log in the better are the security of that account. There are even banking sites that ask for users to use a username for logging in. the key to a safer account is to have a password composed of letters and numbers as well.

In the case that your account has been hacked remember to the general rule of consumers checking the savings: the bank is liable for most of the damage. This rule however is limited only to those who report the illicit transfer in a timely manner. In the case that a user has multiple accounts from credit to business, liability to the bank is only when the customer has he has a reasonable conducted with respect to security. The court will therefore determine who more at fault of the breach was.

Business accounts are also more prone to hackers especially and is least protected by the law. Court records have listed such cases of theft that if we search criminal records there are definitely hundreds of such listed per year.

The Uniform commercial Code or UCC regulates the Business Accounts. They require banks to maintain a commercial reasonable authentication security procedure in any wire transfer. This is a background check whether breaches are caused by the consumer or the bank. In case the consumer is at fault the bank is not liable for the loss.

To protect accounts, as shown in background check on hacked accounts, it is best know the safety procedures first before undergoing online transactions. Firstly opening it should only be accessed on one's personal computer and not that which is shared; this also goes the same on the network used by the computer (the network should not be in public). Computers should also have an updated anti-virus, anti spyware, and firewall protection. Do background check of statements to see if there is an irregularity that is needs to be reported immediately. Lastly passwords should be strong (using combination of numbers and letters) and should not be the same for multiple accounts. Logging off after every session is a must as well.

Madeline is a psychology graduate presently working as a freelance writer and at times handle background check service for a women's magazines. she is also a ghostwriter for a local newspaper and does background check on records search for her uncle's law firm which also helps her with her writing stint.

WHAT IS SQL AZURE?

Version 1.0 of SQL Azure, which was released at PDC 2009, provides the core capabilities of SQL Server in the cloud. The first release can be likened to running an instance of SQL Server Express Edition on a shared host, with some changes to security so that you can�t mess with other databases on the same server. Communication with SQL Azure is via the Tabular Data Stream (TDS) protocol, which is the same protocol that�s used for the on-premises editions of SQL Server. You can connect SQL Management Studio directly to your database hosted in the cloud, as if it were hosted locally.

In the first release of SQL Azure, security is limited to SQL Server user accounts. Windows Integrated Security isn�t yet supported. Expect some sort of support beyond SQL Security at a later date.

Because you can connect to SQL Azure with a regular connection string, any existing data access layers continue to work normally. Communication between SQL Azure and applications that are hosted both inside and outside Windows Azure.

If your application works today using SQL Server Express Edition and doesn�t use some of the more advanced features of SQL Server, then your application should work in the cloud with little or no modification.

Although on-premises applications can talk to SQL Azure, latency might make this a less attractive option. The closer your application is to the database, the faster it�ll go. You can reduce the impact of latency by making your application less chatty.


HOW SCALABLE IS SQL AZURE?
In version 1.0 of SQL Azure, there�s no built-in support for data partitioning (the ability to split your data across multiple servers). The initial release is targeted for databases that are sized up to 10 GB; larger databases aren�t suitable for SQL Azure in this initial release, but support for larger databases will be available in future service updates. If you need to perform partitioning, you need to implement it in the application layer.

Let�s turn now to Azure platform�s enterprise services. Known as AppFabric, these services include the Access Control Service (ACS) and the Service Bus.

Source of Information : Manning Azure in Action 2010

Password Security

One of the problems with passwords is that users forget them. In an effort to not forget them, they use simple things like their dog�s name, their son�s first name and birthdate, the name of the current month- anything that will give them a clue to remember what their password is.

For the curious hacker who has somehow gained access to your computer system this is the equivalent of locking your door and leaving the key under the doormat. Without even resorting to any specialized tools a hacker can discover your basic personal information- name, children�s names, birthdates, pets names, etc. and try all of those out as potential passwords.

To create a secure password that is easy for you to remember, follow these simple steps: Do not use personal information. You should never use personal information as a part of your password. It is very easy for someone to guess things like your last name, pet's name, child's birth date and other similar details. Do not use real words. There are tools available to help attackers guess your password. With today's computing power, it doesn't take long to try every word in the dictionary and find your password, so it is best if you do not use real words for your password. Mix different character types. You can make a password much more secure by mixing different types of characters. Use some uppercase letters along with lowercase letters, numbers and even special characters such as '&' or '%'. Use a passphrase. Rather than trying to remember a password created using various character types which is also not a word from the dictionary, you can use a passphrase. Think up a sentence or a line from a song or poem that you like and create a password using the first letter from each word.

For example, rather than just having a password like 'yr$1Hes', you could take a sentence such as "I like to read the About.com Internet / Network Security web site" and convert it to a password like 'il2rtA!nsws". By substituting the number '2' for the word 'to' and using an exclamation point in place of the 'i' for 'Internet', you can use a variety of character types and create a secure password that is hard to crack, but much easier for you to remember.

Use a password management tool. Another way to store and remember passwords securely is to use some sort of password management tool. These tools maintain a list of usernames and passwords in encrypted form. Some will even automatically fill in the username and password information on sites and applications.

Using the tips above will help you create passwords that are more secure, but you should still also follow the following tips: Use different passwords. You should usea different username and password for each login or application you are trying to protect. That way if one gets compromised the others are still safe. Another approach which is less secure, but provides a fair tradeoff between security and convenience, is to use one username and password for sites and applications that don't need the extra security, but use unique usernames and more secure passwords on sites such as your bank or credit card companies. Change your passwords. You should change your password at least every 30 to 60 days. You should also not re-use a password for at least a year. Enforce stronger passwords: Rather than relying on every user of the computer to understand and follow the instructions above, you can configure Microsot Windows password policies so that Windows will not accept passwords that don't meet the minimum requirements.

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Internet Danger Myth Busters

One way to keep you safe while being online is to know the truth and do away with internet myths.

Myth #1: Attention-seeking teens sabotage your computer.

Truth #1: Fame for teenagers is not a priority. What they want is to get rich. The culprit is organized crime by cyber experts who go online to place malwares on computers for money. They hack computers and take over them to send spam, steal accounts and credit card information to ask for transfers from contacts, and raid online game accounts, which could earn them a huge sum of money by selling in-game priced items for real currency. Cyber criminals have cost such a great loss of money, identity, reputation and important documents, for internet users from businessmen to innocent citizens.

Myth #2: Good antivirus software will solve everything.

Truth #2: Although a good antivirus program will greatly help, there is no guarantee of total security. In fact, there is a constant battle between antivirus manufacturers and cyber criminals where one gives the greatest effort to stay one step ahead of the other. Antivirus softwares have proven its promises by defending attacks, but loopholes are unfortunately assaulted by the criminals. Therefore, aside from a good antivirus program, there is a need for more security softwares for greater defense.

Myth #3: Attacks are site-dependent, be cautious where you surf.

Truth #3: This would be true if we were to go back in time. But after years of technology improvement, you could not easily claim a site to be dangerous just by sight, nor can we live without antivirus even though we are careful with our emails. Experts have eyed hacked and assaulted web pages, emails, and well-respected company sites and are seen to be rampant. Cyber criminals utilize blemishes in the installed security software where they could insert malware, and thus, this teaches us that apart from antivirus software, it would require us to have antispyware, anti-rootkit, and a two-directional powerful firewall of techies to keep us safe from cyber-crime.

Myth #4: Fix only what's broken.

Truth #4: Sometimes, you would have to believe what you don't see because nasty hidden applications, threats, documents, and registry keys can only be removed by advanced anti-rootkit technology.

Myth #5: Safest place: don't go online.

Truth #5: So false! If you just prepare sufficiently ahead for the coming risks, then you can enjoy the Web. Just follow these guidelines for safety:

- At the start, install an antivirus (with antispyware), anti-rootkit, and a bidirectional firewall.
- Always be sure that your computer acquires security updates everyday, automatic upgrading to latest softwares and full security software support.
- Daily check your computer for malware and end any malicious codes before it's too late.
- Obtain protection programs for emails and attachments.
- Create a team of computer techs to regularly clean your computers and make them run smoothly.

Don't be deceived, we're not yet doomed! Cyber-crimes may be prevented with the right tactics. The internet is a blessing to the world - enjoy the Web and everything it has to offer.

Tina L. Douglas is a well established author on the topic of internet security.

For more advice and information on internet security software, just click on these link.

Google�s wifi mapping non-solution

Google got in a lot of trouble last year for capturing private data from wireless networks when they were driving the googlemobiles around to get video shots for StreetView.? Basically, rather than just capturing the SSID for the access points, in a lot of cases they captured data streams from the AP�s, which violated all sorts of European privacy laws.? And in reply to this, Google came up with a solution:? users can opt-out of Google�s wireless access point mapping solution by simply adding �_nomap� to the end of their SSID!? So simple it�s stupid.? No, I mean it�s so simple it�s absolutely idiotic and a waste of the digital ink that was used to express the idea!

I think MG Siegler expresses it best when he said, �The solution is a joke.�? Siegler thought of the same things I did when he saw this so-called solution.? First, only a fraction of a percent of people are even going to understand that Google is mapping their access points and even a smaller segment of the population is going to understand what that means.? And of that small group, only a much smaller percentage are going to make the changes to SSID names necessary to opt-out of the Google mapping.? I thnk that his .01% of the 10% of the people who actually read the article is a bit generous; only the truly paranoid will opt out using this method, and they probably weren�t advertising their SSID to begin with.

Let�s think about the pain in the arse it is to change a SSID to include �_nomap�.? My house is probably not normal, but it�s what I have to use as an example.? I have two wireless networks, two access points, three desktops, half a dozen laptops and a server that all would have to be changed to include the �_nomap� SSID.? Plus there are a few more systems to worry about when you include the gaming systems the kids use.? The average household probably doesn�t have nearly that much equipment, but they also don�t know enough about wifi to set it up with proper encryption in the first place, so why would Google assume the average home user would know enough to change the SSID on all these systems once they finally got them running on their home network?

Let�s be honest; all Google is doing is waving their hands over StreetView in an effort to claim they�re doing something in front of governmental bodies who wouldn�t know the difference between an SSID and Sid Vicious.? In most cases, they�d probably recognize Sid Vicious before they�d have a clue what an SSID was or what it�s used for!? Siegler nails it when he states that Google might as well ask for people to solve calculus problems.? And I�d be willing to guess there are a number of people would have an easier time solving advance mathmatical equations than they would changing their SSID.

I want a solution that doesn�t require me to change my SSID to opt-out of Google�s mapping.? It�s a stupid solution and I�m not changing my SSID to include the �_nomap� modifier.? My last thoguht is two-fold:? What effect will this have on the all the data that Google has already collected (Answer: none) and will Google actually honor their own �_nomap� identifier and drop the data at collection or will they simply not display the access points using �_nomap� but keep the data in their database?? I think you and I both know the answer to the second one as well.

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Technology in the Classroom - Ways to Integrate Educational Technology Into Your Teaching Practice

Here are some technology things that you could do with your students. Not everything may be feasible (i.e. cost factors) or appropriate (i.e. security or privacy issues):

some of the things we're already doing,
some of the things we're thinking of doing, and,
some of the things are simply wishful thinking, but great ideas have to start somewhere...

How do you integrate technology into the curriculum? Do you have any ideas to add to the list?

Class Set of Laptops

Get a company to donate a class set of laptops when they upgrade their equipment. (The company can receive a charitable donation tax-credit.)
Set up a wi-fi hotspot in your classroom so that students can blog online during independent reading and writing workshops.
Purchase digital copies of textbooks to have a paperless classroom. Use text-reading software (i.e. Kurzweil) to highlight and take notes in the textbook.

Non-Traditional Reading and Writing

Teach students the differences between formal, informal, and colloquial language and explore text messaging, chat rooms, and msn-speak as forms of colloquial language.
Evaluate the evolving nature of language and develop word-attack skills by examining how words get accepted into everyday language (or the dictionary). For example, Google is now a commonly used noun and verb.
Use text-reading software (i.e. Kurzweil) to allow students to access difficult texts.

Blogging

Have students set up personal blogs as a medium to publish their writing portfolios.
Explore how Google is a popularity contest. Publish work in an e-zine article directory to understand how to build inbound links. Post comments on other blogs to build inbound links.
Explore copyright issues. Publish work in a blog or an e-zine article directory will inevitably end up with your work scraped onto another blog without proper attribution. Explore how that feels and the ethics of using other people's content without consent.

Computer Safety

Discuss cyber-bullying: ways to protect yourself, how to respond when it happens, and how to avoid accidentally cyber-bullying when blogging.
Explore computer safety: password strength, viruses, trojans, phishing, etc.
Learn about online dangers and ways to protect yourself.

Classroom Website

Make hand-outs and homework assignments accessible on a classroom website.
Use a secure website as a communication tool for marks for both parents and students.
Introduce your students to HTML and web design.

Making Money Online

Introduce students to the business of making money online.
Explore advertising online - how it works.
Fund raise by selling stuff on e-bay.

GPS and Mapping Technology

Geo-cache with your students.
Use GPS technology or mapping software (i.e. Google Earth) in math class to construct larger geometric shapes. (i.e. construct a circle that has a radius of 5 city blocks.)
Apply GPS technology or mapping software in Geography.

The Internet as a Global Village / Community

Find a class to pen-pal with and correspond using blogs, email, or IRC chat rooms.
Use a wiki for students to synthesize and evaluate knowledge gained in a content-subject like History or Geography. They can track how their understanding of concepts grow. Demonstrate how our understanding of a subject-specific topic evolves over time (i.e. a dynamic and digital KWL chart)
Publish student work in English and in their first language online so that relatives overseas can celebrate in their success.

Technology as a Teaching Tool

Use a data-projector in class to do modeled and shared readings.
Use a data-projector in class to do shared writing: the modern equivalent of flip-chart paper
Use dynamic geometry software (i.e. Geometer's Sketchpad) to explore math concepts.

Music and Technology

Buy songs (i.e. itunes) and allow students to DJ their own school dances.
Critically examine popular music to determine whether mainstream music is appropriate at a school dance (i.e. Soulja Boy - Crank that)
Create your own pod-casts. Students can use free sound-editing software (i.e. audacity) to mix in free sound effects (i.e. ljudo.com) with their digital recordings of their voices.

Class Projects

Send an object around the world and invite people who find the object to leave a message online in the classroom blog.
Explore the video making process: scripts, recording, editing, post-production
Explore youtube as a medium to publish content.

If you're ready to start a classroom blog, we're here to help at http://blog.classroomteacher.ca where you'll find this information and more detailed information about how to use technology in the classroom.

New Insider Threat Blog Entry

Hi, this is George Silowash and recently, I had the opportunity to review our insider threat database looking for a different type of insider threat to the enterprise�paper. Yes, paper. In particular, printouts and devices that allow for extraction of digital information to paper or the management of paper documents. This area is often overlooked in enterprise risk assessments and I thought I would share some information regarding this type of attack.

Our database of over 500 cases contains the following types of cases in which a scanner, copier, printer, or FAX machine were used as part of the insider�s attack:

Device Used
Number of Incidents

It should be noted that our database contains one instance in which a copier, FAX, and printer were all used in the same attack. More on that later.

Technology in the workplace enables employees to efficiently do their jobs and accomplish the mission of the organization. It is often these technologies that also enable malicious insiders to cause harm to the organization. Management, Information Security, and Information Technology support teams must work to secure both the physical and virtual environments. This typically entails implementing physical protections for servers, workstations, and mobile devices while Access Control Lists (ACLs) restrict access to data. Often times other devices are overlooked and left with little to no protection.

These devices should be included in organizational risk assessments:

printersscannersFAX machinescopiers

Printers can allow a malicious insider to extract sensitive company documents and remove the documents from the organization to share with competitors or even start their own business.

In one case, the insider was a disgruntled scientist at a technology component manufacturer. The insider exfiltrated research documents using his access privileges. He downloaded the documents onto his laptop, sent them to his email account, and physically carried the document printouts out of the workplace. He also mailed some of the research documents to the component manufacturer's competitors. The total losses were estimated to be about $3 million. The insider was sentenced to five years probation, fined over $7000, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.In another case, the insider worked with a conspirator to sell physical blueprints and trade secrets to a competitor organization. Although potential losses were estimated to be between $50 million and $100 million, the victim organization was able to prevent the information from being used by the competitor. The insider was sentenced to prison and fined $20,000.

Organizations should carefully monitor printer activity and retain logs of printed documents. These logs should be audited as part of an organization�s continuous log monitoring program. Personnel should be alerted when anomalies occur, such as printing before or after business hours or printing an unusually high number of documents for that particular user.

Companies must also ensure that hardcopy documents are properly disposed of when they are no longer needed. Documents containing proprietary information must be destroyed by those who are authorized to do so. Organizations should consider who has access to hardcopy documents during the document�s lifecycle. The CERT database has cases where janitors took documents containing personally identifiable information (PII) or other sensitive information from the organization. If the documents had been properly managed and disposed of, the risk of malicious insider activity may have decreased.

Scanners also pose a threat to organizations. Documents that are not in digital form or are not accessible in electronic form due to access restrictions can be scanned by a user who has authorized access to a scanner.

In one case, an insider was contracted by a telecommunications company to scan physical trade secret documents into digital form. After scanning the documents, the insider stole some of the electronic files and posted them on a hacking website. The total potential damages were estimated to be $25 million while the insider was ordered to repay over $145,000 in restitution.An insider was employed by a document imaging company. The imaging company was a trusted business partner of a university. The insider stole 1,700 student transcripts containing the students' PII while digitally archiving them for the university. The insider was never identified, and the monetary impact of the incident was never fully understood.

Companies need to provide commensurate levels of protection to printed documents as they do for digital files. People receiving printouts must have a valid need to know and permission to have access to these hard copies. In the above cases, trusted business partners had access to physical documents to perform a contractual obligation. Contracts with trusted business partners need to stipulate the need for thorough background investigations. In addition, if company sensitive documents are being scanned, a company representative should monitor the process to ensure that the contractor is not mishandling company information.

FAX machines are an older technology that continues to exist in many organizations. These devices can be used by an insider to send documents out of the organization, often without being detected. .

Insiders were employed by a financial institution and used the institution's computer systems to access PII of 68 customers, including the customers' credit card numbers. They then faxed this information outside of their organization to their accomplices. In total, almost $600,000 was stolen through the fraudulent activity. The insider was sentenced to over one year imprisonment, two years of supervised release, participate in a drug/alcohol program and repay over $99,500 in restitution.In another case the insider was a disgruntled engineer for a product manufacturing company. Fearing his job was in jeopardy, he sent technical drawings to a competitor organization via fax and email. The damage to the victim organization was estimated to be roughly $1.5 million. The insider was sentenced to over two years in prison and ordered to repay $1.3 million in restitution.

In the above examples, the insiders were able to FAX documents to accomplices or competitors. One solution to reduce this threat is to limit access to FAX machines whereby employees in the organization must submit their documents to another individual to review and transmit.

Copiers allow insiders to duplicate company documents without the worry of having to remove original documents from the organization, which could lead to faster detection.

The insider was employed as a mail room supervisor by the victim organization, which was a financial institution. While on site and during work hours, the insider opened the organization�s mail and copied checks that customers had sent in for deposits. The insider sold the copies to an identity theft group, which used the valid account numbers to make fraudulent checks. The insider was arrested, but information regarding the monetary impact was unknown.

Access to copiers needs to be limited when company sensitive information is at stake. In the above example, the insider was able to copy customer checks for identity theft purposes. The insider�s activities should have raised red flags when opened mail was delivered.

Finally, the malicious insider who used all of the methods that we have been discussing, worked as an administrative assistant to a top executive at the victim organization. As part of her job responsibilities, she had access to confidential trade secrets and other proprietary information. She was caught making copies of confidential documents and leaving with them from her workplace and attempting to sell them for money. She handed over some of the copies to buyers, as well as faxed some. The insider also printed out some of the executive's emails which contained confidential project information. The only monetary impact reported was $40,000 restitution ordered to be paid by the insider.

These cases highlight the need for organizations to be more vigilant about all technologies used in the organization. Scanners, copiers, printers, and FAX machines all have a place in an organization. However, incorporating them into enterprise risk assessments as well as polices that govern their use will help to identify and mitigate risks associated with their use.

Our team would like to hear what you are doing to counter this threat. If you have any questions or comments please email us using the feedback link.

View the original article here

Who Needs Protection the Most? Your Data, Your PC Or You?

Data security, PC protection and the safety of your Personal identity are constant challenges faced daily when data processing and the use of the internet is considered.

Mention must be made here and now that:

1. Your data processed requires protection: It is common knowledge that viruses, worms, Trojans, and the likes daily pose a threat to data processed on your PC and/or stored on your computer hard drive.

Any incidence of virus attack on your PC infects and renders useless information, files, folders and data present on your hard disc. This development is frustrating whenever it occurs and as a result installing and deploying anti-virus software against risks posed, threats faced and attacks from viruses, worms, Trojans, etc is to be desired and it is greatly required to curb this data security and digital menace.

Any data processed requires anti-virus protection.

2. Your PC requires protection: Performance is something that cannot be compromised when the operation or use of your personal computer is considered.

Every computer owner and/or user enjoys it when their system boots quickly at start-up, performs different functions and processes on time, responds quickly to keystrokes and commands promptly, etc.

At a time, it will be discovered that your PC begins to operate slowly and takes so long a time to open a file or folder, load a program or application, often hangs or crashes, etc. Whenever you experience any of the aforementioned while operating your computer system, know that your PC requires a Registry Fix or Clean-up software urgently.

Registry problems occur as a result of errors and conflicts from installing and uninstalling programs, corrupted drivers, bugs, lost chains, abruptly terminated start-up tasks, hardware and software conflicts due to incompatibility with the operating system configurations, to mention a few.

With a Registry Fix or Cleanup software, you can protect your PC from running slowly, constant hangs and freezes and periodic system crashes experienced quite often.

In addition, you get your computer system to perform better, fast and reliably well when processing data, booting, loading a program, file or application and responding to keystrokes promptly whenever pressed.

3. Your Personal Identity requires protection: The implementation of a personal identity for yourself especially when you shop, bank, chat, browse, socialize, sell or trade online is an obligation you cannot run away from.

Considering the rate with which cyber-crime and internet fraud involving personal identities is being committed, leaving your online identity protection to chance or luck is plain suicidal. You may easily fall victim to fraud and impersonation. These are by no means good for your unique, special and personal profile and image as an individual.

You must install and deploy online identity protection software on your PC immediately.

In all, you will have realized and equally discovered the importance and the uniqueness in securing your data, your PC and your Personal identity. These must all be protected as one without the other is not good enough for an all-round protection in your quest to safely and securely operate your PC, process data and access the internet in this present day.

Get to install and deploy:

1. An Anti-virus software.

2. A Registry Fix or Cleanup software.

3. An Online identity protection software.

And you are on your way to a better and a more secure computing experience even whilst connected to the internet.

Your Self, Your Data and Your PC all require and urgently need protection, ACT NOW and ACT FAST!

The internet can be pretty unsafe nowadays with the prevalence of constant threats and attacks from identity thieves, viruses and malicious contents in addition to flooding your PC with spam and ad ware. CLICK HERE for best methods to combating this menace and ensuring you do not fall victim to fraud when online.

Treating computing power as a utility service

In traditional on-premises or managed-hosting solutions, you either rent or own the infrastructure that your service is hosted on. You�re paying for future capacity that you�re currently not using. The Windows Azure platform, like other cloud platforms, follows a model of utility computing.

Utility computing treats computing power or storage in the same way you treat a utility service (such as gas or electricity). Your usage of the Windows Azure platform is metered, and you pay only for what you consume.


PAY AS YOU GROW
If you have to pay only for the resources you use, you can launch a scalable service without making a huge investment up front in hardware. In the early days of a new venture, a start-up company survives from investment funding and generates very little income. The less money the company spends, the more chance it has of surviving long enough to generate sufficient income to sustain itself. If the service is successful, then the generated income will pay for the use of the resources.

It�s not unusual for technology start-ups to purchase large and expensive hardware solutions for new ventures to cope with predicted future demand. If the service is successful, then it�ll require the extra capacity; in the meantime, the start-up is paying for resources that it�s not using. Utility computing offers the best of both worlds, giving you the ability to use extra capacity as the service grows without making up-front investments in hardware, and to pay only for the resources that that you use.


SCALE ON DEMAND
Some situations involve large, unpredictable growth; you want to handle the load, but not pay for the unused capacity. This situation might appear in the following scenarios:

� Viral marketing campaigns
� Referrals by a popular website
� Concert ticket sales

Let�s say you run a Hawaiian Shirt Shop, and you typically have a predictable pattern of usage. If, for example, Ashton Kutcher (who has 2,000,000 Twitter followers) tweets that he buys his shirts from your website, and he posts a link to your site to all his followers, it�s likely that your website will experience a surge in traffic.

An example shows that your website normally receives around 1,000 hits per day. After Ashton Kutcher tweeted about your website, that increased to 100,000 hits per day. The traffic dropped off after about a week, and then the website had a new baseline of around 10,000 hits per day.

With Windows Azure, you can dynamically scale up to handle the increased traffic load for that week (and get all the extra shirt sales); then, as the traffic decreases, you can scale back down again, paying only for the resources you use. Scaling up and down in Azure is quite simple. You have several options at your disposal. It�s important to remember that Azure doesn�t scale your service for you. Because it costs money, you have to tell Azure how many servers you want. Azure gives you tools to do this. You can simply log into the portal and make a small change to a configuration file, which is the easy, manual way. You can also use the Service Management API. This API lets you change the resources you have allocated to your application in an automated way.

It�s not only possible to scale up and down for predictable (or unpredictable) bursts of growth; you can also dynamically scale your service based on normal, varied usage patterns.


VARIED USAGE PATTERNS
Returning to the Hawaiian Shirt Shop example: after the Ashton Kutcher hype died down a little, your website leveled off at around 10,000 hits per day. Most of the time there�s little traffic on the site, apart from during lunch and in the evening. Evidently, most people don�t buy Hawaiian shirts when they�re at work.

Because it takes only a few minutes to provision a new web server in Windows Azure, you can dynamically scale your website as your usage patterns dictate. For the Hawaiian Shirt Shop, you might decide to run one instance of the website during the day, but in the evening to run three instances to deal with the increased traffic.

This sort of scenario is a perfect example of when cloud computing, specifically using Windows Azure, is a perfect fit for your business. If you need to scale beyond a single web server for certain periods of the day when traffic is high, Windows Azure is a cost-effective choice because it allows you to scale back when traffic dies down. Cloud computing solutions are the only offerings that give you this elastic scalability. Other solutions typically require you to over-provision your hardware to cope with the peak periods, but that hardware is underused at off-peak times. So far, we�ve discussed the cost savings you can achieve by scaling your application up and down. Let�s now look at how you can save money in maintenance costs.


Simplified data-center management
We�ll look at how the effort involved in operationally maintaining your application is reduced in the Windows Azure environment.

BUILT-IN FAULT TOLERANCE
In Windows Azure, if the physical hardware that your service instance resides on fails, that failed instance is redeployed to another machine. Hardware maintenance resides solely in Microsoft�s domain, and you don�t have to worry about it.

When you have more than two instances of your application running in Windows Azure, each instance of your web role doesn�t live on the same physical server as another instance. This arrangement ensures that if the hardware for one instance dies, the other instance can continue to perform incoming requests. Not only does the second instance live on a different physical server, but it also lives on a different rack (in case the server rack fails). The server rack where the second instance resides is connected to a different network and power grid from the first rack. This level of fault tolerance ensures that if there�s a failure on the physical server, the server rack, the network, or in the electricity supply, your service continues to run and is able to service requests.

When you install your application, Windows Azure decides what servers to place your instances on, with the intention of providing the maximum levels of fault tolerance. Because all data-center assets are tracked and mapped, the placement of applications on each physical server is determined by an algorithm designed to match the fault-tolerance criteria. Even with only two instances of an application, these considerations are pretty complex, but Windows Azure maximizes fault tolerance even when there are hundreds of instances.

Although fault tolerance is maintained within a physical data center, Azure doesn�t currently run across the data centers, but runs only within a single data center. You still need to perform offsite backups (if you need them). You can replicate your data to a second data center and run your applications in more than one data center if georedundancy is required.

One of the key differences between Windows Azure�hosted applications and regular on-premises solutions or other cloud solutions is that Windows Azure abstracts away everything about the infrastructure, including the underlying operating system, leaving you to focus on your application. Let�s see how Azure�s ability to maintain the servers your applications run on reduces cost.


SERVER SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE BEGONE!
Whether you�re running an entire data center or hosting a website on a dedicated server at a hosting company, maintaining the operating system is usually your responsibility. Maintenance tasks can include managing antivirus protection, installing Windows updates, applying service packs, and providing security. If you�re running your own dedicated machine on your own premises rather than it being hosted for you, then you�re even responsible for performing backups.

In Windows Azure, because the tasks associated with maintaining the server are the responsibility of Microsoft, you can focus completely on your application. This situation greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of running a service.

A final cost consideration is that if you have a service hosted in Windows Azure, you don�t have to worry about the licensing costs for the underlying operating system. You gain all the benefits of running under the latest version of Windows without paying for the costs of maintaining that software. The underlying software is abstracted away from your service, but the base underlying operating system of your service is Windows Server 2008. If you�re running multiple servers, the cost of licensing usually runs into thousands of dollars.

Although you don�t have to worry about hardware or software maintenance from an operational or cost perspective, you do have to worry about it from a software design perspective.


DESIGNING FOR DISTRIBUTION
Your services won�t always be running on the same machine, and they might be failed over to another machine at any time. Failover might be caused by hardware failures, software maintenance cycles, or load distribution. You must design your software so that it can handle these failures. This might mean automatically retrying a failed operation when an exception occurs or reloading any local caches when a service restarts.

Source of Information : Manning Azure in Action 2010

Offline or Online? Obtaining Leads

There is much debate in the arena of network marketing about securing leads to build a profitable business. With the explosion of the internet, it seems that the new paradigm in network marketing is focused more on building a business online. Network marketing "experts" are coming out of the woodwork with tips, strategies, and systems that supposedly will help anyone build a business online. In fact, these pundits claim that if done correctly, you will never have to chase your friends and family again. Instead, people will chase you and sign right in to your business opportunity.

Now, let's study this new line of thinking and use some common sense rationale to determine whether it is possible to build a business online without ever having to contact someone you know.

First of all, let's examine why someone would choose to go strictly with the online marketing approach to network marketing. One online marketing "expert" told me that she preferred online marketing because she felt the overwhelming population of people were not comfortable marketing their business opportunity in person.

With the advent of the internet, we know that people have become more and more bold in terms of how they behave via the internet. Every single one of us has received a scathing email from a friend or an associate. Would this same person have been as bold with the message had they been forced to communicate it face to face?

Cyber bullying has been on the rise in recent years. Using the power of the internet, kids and teens no longer have to confront their adversaries face to face. They are using email or other social media forms like Facebook to communicate their hurtful words to their victims.

What's my point? What's happening in society today is a trend away from face to face meetings, conversations, and relationship building. Instead, people are moving away from one on one interactions and are opting for the safety net of a computer. This trend is occurring in all facets of life. Kids don't talk anymore! They text! People don't resolve conflicts in individual meetings. Instead, people trade emails back and forth because it feels safer.

The same trend that is driving people away from building intentional relationships through face to face conversations is happening in network marketing. The so-called "gurus" of MLM are taking advantage of people's inhibitions and fears and they are using this to market strategies, coaching materials, and systems that convince people that they will no longer have to build a network marketing business the old fashion way--in person! These "gurus" are making money, not you!

So to address the original question, is it better to spend your time obtaining leads offline or online? I would say that it is possible to obtain leads online. I am proof of that. I met my upline sponsor, Eric Allen, through an online ad. However, if you ask me what sold me on the business opportunity, I will tell you that it wasn't his ad. It was a person to person phone call. Eric picked up the phone and spent 30 minutes building a relationship with me. It was after getting to know him and hearing his story that I became convinced that the business opportunity was the right one for me. So I am living proof that online marketing can attract people.

However, every single one of us has a gold mine of talented and proactive individuals right in our own sphere of influence. Are you willing to share your business opportunity with someone you know? Are your confident enough in your business that you would be willing to sit down face to face with someone over a cup of coffee and invite them to check out your products and your business opportunity? If the answer is no, then I think you will find that building a viable and profitable business is going to be challenging!

Ultimately, those who achieve success in this business are the ones who don't mind picking up the phone, setting up a meeting, and talking with people face to face. The 97 percent of those who fail do so for a variety of reasons: 1) They are afraid of rejection. 2) They are ashamed of network marketing. 3) They don't believe in their company's product therefore they are uncomfortable sharing it with others. 4) They are lazy. 5) They are looking for a "get rich quick scheme".

Here's what I have learned through the years. You can't create success through anonymity. Living a successful and purpose-driven life occurs only if you surround yourself with the right people. Proverbs 18:24 reminds us, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Building your business does not require you to be an expert salesmen. However, it is important that you have a product that appeals to a wide range of people. It's also important to select an MLM company that offers the kind of support that will give you a chance to succeed. One of my upline leaders once told me, "Bill, don't worry about being a salesmen. Just be good at inviting. The products and the opportunity will sell itself." That's the key.

If you want to succeed in network marketing, begin today by changing your thinking. Think of your business as a gift that you are sharing with others so that they can be empowered to make a difference in the world they live in. Get out there. Talk, share, and give of yourself! You will build a business and you will do it the right way!

Check out my weekly blogs for tips and insights on living a successful and purpose-filled life! http://bigtimeventures.org/

Check out my website for the latest posts! http://bigtimeventures.org/

Safety On The Internet For Kids - The Threats Ever Rising!

The day by day advancement in the technology and online world has only served to fuel further the rising concern for safety on the internet for kids, why? Aren't we suppose to be in a better condition now that our lives are surrounded by facilities enabled by the latest technologies, which were a dream for others few years back?

Whether we like it or not, fact is that we are at the stage where for most of us cannot live without computers and internet anymore, indeed. The present cyber age which we and our children live in is a fast paced modern world where we are becoming more and more dependent on the use of computers and internet to get most things done.

Computers and internet indeed make our life easier. We are able to get many things done in no time at all which otherwise use to be considered difficult tasks. Children not only depend on it for their school research project works but also loves spending time on the internet surfing and also for entertainment like gaming. They frequent online chat rooms and social networking sites exposing themselves and revealing personal information online.

In the present times many parents rest oblivious of the fact that the online world can present threats and dangers to their kids. The possibility of harm to their kids from a medium which is purely online seems a far fetched possibility which they do not give it a thought even. This is the reason why many parents do not take the right steps to ensure safety on the internet for kids, which is critical.

The time has come when every parents must be aware and educate themselves of the threats and dangers online. Then only will they be in a position to guide their kids and teens in safe practice online. In todays times parenting is incomplete without ensuring safety on the internet for kids, indeed.

The parents of the kids who became victim of cyber bullying, some kids who very unfortunately ended their lives even, would surely have wished that had they been better aware of the happenings in the online world they could have taken necessary precautionary steps in time.

The fact is, every parents would do everything they can, in fact would not leave out anything, to keep their children safe and secure. It is important for them to realize that when it comes to the online world, why should it be any different? for the threats and dangers are very real. And it is in this very world where online predators lurks around, that children innocently go about their activities online.

If you are a parent, first of all know this that parenting today is incomplete without you being educated and well aware in the areas of the latest happenings in the online world, especially the threats and dangers to kids, also what children really does during their time online.

Please understand that their innocent activities, due to lack of proper guidance, can not only put themselves in danger, but can put the whole family in a very difficult and embarrassing situation.

Learn today how you can ensure internet safety for kids by educating yourself and taking the right steps, including using tools like internet safety software, so that your most important duty as a parent is taken care of, that of safety of your kids, including safety on the internet.

Conducting a Comprehensive Background Check - Is That Really Necessary?

A comprehensive background check is the process of looking up public records or documents that are compiled by the government and other affiliate organizations, to check on the background of a person. These public records include commercial records, financial records, property records, intellectual property registration and other personal records. A background check is often executed when someone is applying for a job that requires high security profile and trust such institution who opt for this high level of search are airport, law enforcements, bank, schools and hospitals.

Today, a comprehensive background check is only done by the above mentioned sectors, now even employers who wish to hire a new employee do a comprehensive background check on their potential staff. This can give information on the character of a person who is applying for the job is credible or not. Comprehensive background checks nowadays has been an essential tool for individuals, with rampant socializing that has been happening in the online scene today such as online dating and cyber matching, blind dates, and online marriage matches. These types of checks are essential to know more about an individual whom you virtually met. This character checks also helps individuals be protected from con artists, sexual abusers or sex slavery dens among dominant crimes of today. So it is but essential to perform a thorough background check to see whom you are about to date.

As today's generation increases the incidents of both parents working, parents also use this search as a tool in evaluating a person's character especially if they would like to hire a babysitter, choose the right day care facilities and house help. This aids them to find a suitable candidate for the job that could be trusted to be their children, home and family. When it comes to the safety of your loved one's, a thorough background investigation is a must.

A comprehensive background check is also used by government law enforcement agencies to track down law offenders and criminals. It can give away location s where that person is and even the numbers of the neighbors. They also use these kinds of check to get a profile on an individual. As an individual, performing these checks are easy, all you need is a computer and an internet connection and you are free to do your investigative research. Avail of the services of websites that gives extensive results and accurate findings. It is also better if this website has a track record of giving accurate and fast results. So if you're asking if a background check is necessary? It sure is!

Laila Ford

Author at ezinearticles.com

Also at Background Check

Explore Online Dating For Fun And Romance

Finding just the right match for romance in today's fast-paced world can seem almost impossible. The bar scene doesn't often work. Church isn't for everyone. And grocery store produce aisle pick-ups are kind of creepy. For many the answer has become online dating services and the results are pretty amazing. Successes are reported every day whether the goal was finding a new friend or a spouse.

While it used to be that successful matches made online, the ones where marriage resulted, were the things of headlines and tabloids, that's not the case these days where more and more people are meeting online, forming fast friendships and then turning those connections romances that work.

The services available online can and do work, but they aren't for everyone. Careful consideration should come in before signing up. And if you do sign up, be honest about yourself, interests and even appearance for a better chance at finding the right match.

Despite the success stories, however, there are a lot of stigmas associated with online dating. All and all, they're not very fair. After all, since we're now in a "one world" situation where boundaries between countries are blurred by the Internet, finding lots of interesting people online from all over the world is more than possible.

Dating services online can really help cut down on some of the problems associated with finding the right match for a simple date or even a long-term commitment. By matching personalities, likes, dislikes and so on, these services can "cut out" some of the trouble that goes along with regular dating.

The secret behind most of these services is to compare the personality profiles of clients, match interests and line up folks from the same geographic area for potential dates. Once possible matches are made, many services allow, and in fact encourage, clients to first get to know each other online by corresponding or talking in instant messages or via a phone. This helps establish whether a bond is present or if another candidate should be checked out.

Cutting down on the hassle of dating, these services can prove incredibly successful in pairing up people of like minds. While it's true opposites attract, a lot of long-term successful relationships are forged through commonalities.

If you've decided to go the online service route, chances are you'll enjoy the experience. But, remember, it's a good idea to be careful when actually meeting your match. Good safety precautions are in order whether a person's date is met online, in a bar or even at church.

Before heading out on that first date, consider doing the following things:

* Insist on meeting in a public place. This is for your security and your date's, plus it can help take some of the edge off a first-date situation.

* Make sure someone you know is told where you are going.

* Get the person's full name. Pass this along to the person you've told about the date.

* If you don't feel comfortable on the date, say so politely and move on.

While online dating is great for matching people, precautions should be taken in actually meeting matches. With a little common sense and some diligence, an honest to goodness match can be found. There may even be a soul mate out there in cyber space.

Remember when using online dating services that these generally match people and personalities. This doesn't mean a computer can ensure "chemistry." Be prepared for a few strikeouts and consider the experience as a fun exploration, not a last-ditch effort.

#1 Resource

[http://www.onlinedatinglink.com]

Protect Yourself Against Cybercrime

I think you'll be shocked by what you're about to read.

Yearly cybercrime profits and damages have reached a trillion dollars. That is according to U.S. Senate testimony.

Most people probably think they are somehow immune to being affected by cybercrime. But consider that Google was hacked this year.

If Google is vulnerable, you are too.

For these and many other reasons, it makes sense to be intentional about online security. You don't have to sit back and wait to be the next victim. Take action with the following suggestions.

Strong Passwords for Internet Security

Resist the urge to create simple passwords. Hackers have tools that decode passwords. Make their job harder by:

Make your passwords longer than 8 characters. 14 characters or more is better, but 8 is the minimum.
Avoid using any dictionary words (regardless of the language).
Don't use letters or numbers in sequence or repetition. This includes using letters in keyboard sequence. (for example: "asdf")
Use different passwords for different accounts
Use combinations of letters, numbers and characters.
Avoid using your birthdate, anniversary date, etc., even with another number added to the end. Hackers can figure this out.

Once you decide on a password, you can test it by using Microsoft's secure password checker at www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx. This password checker rates your password for you according to its strength and does not store information.

Don't Run Outdated Software

When software updates become available, be sure to install them. Hackers continue attacking old versions of software after the manufacturers have stopped supporting them.

This means that if hackers find bugs in an outdated version of a program that you are using, they can vandalize you. That very bug may have already been fixed in an updated version.

Pay particular attention to updates in your internet browser, Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat programs.

Protect Your Information: Learn Phishing Facts

Phishing is a method cyber criminals use to obtain access to computers and sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy source.

Often attempting invasion in the form of emails, these criminals seek to convince their victims that they are legitimate institutions such as banks, social media websites, internet service providers, and online payment processors. They 'bait' unsuspecting personsby luring them to enter information at fake sites that look almost identical to the legitimate one. The goal is to obtain credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data

Watch out for phrases such as 'verify your account,' 'confirm your account,' or any request for entering passwords or payment information.

Yourmain defense against phishing is to avoid clicking on any links that come inside emails. Rather, type the institution's legitimate address into your address bar if you wish to visit the site, and do not give out your passwords.

Stepping up your internet security is not difficult, but it does take a little time. By choosing strong passwords, updating your software regularly, and being cautious about what shows up in your inbox, you can stay ahead of the online safety game.

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How Safe Is Your Computer Data?

As recently as December 2007, a New Zealander was subject to an FBI investigation on world-wide cyber crime which also resulted in Dutch authorities imposing strong penalties on companies using his malicious software.

Managing data security is unavoidable in today's business environment and is a critical task for many. But what has all of this got to do with the small business owner?

Perhaps the cost of your laptop or your office personal computers does not amount to that much in the grand scheme of things. Have you ever stopped and wondered how long it would take to replace the data that you stored on them; or what damage losing customers' sensitive data would have on your business.

I recall an ex-colleague at a large, international accounting and consulting firm whose laptop was stolen from his car. He stored valuable information about several blue-chip clients' projects he was working on his hard drive. Not only did he lose the only copies that the firm had (which meant that weeks of work was lost) but he potentially put the firm at serious risk of bad publicity and losing major clients.

How well do you protect your computer hardware and data? How much would it cost to replace them? The following are just a few tips to help protect you.

Use Anti-Virus software and keep it software up-to-date. Hundreds of new viruses are discovered each month. You are not just protecting yourself when using virus software, but also others you communicate with.
Always use a Firewall - A firewall is an "internal lock" for information on your computer. Many computer operating systems already have firewalls installed and you must activate them. There are many other firewalls available to download or buy that help you secure your computer.
Learn the risks & rules associated with sharing files or your internet connection. You can be exposed to danger via e-mail, file-sharing, a broadband connection or a wireless connection
Disconnect from the net when idle. If you're not using your net connection, (when you go to bed as an example) turn it off. It's much harder to hack your computer when it is not connected. This is especially important if you have a high-speed connection.
Use strong, unique passwords and don't share them with anyone & back up your data frequently
Take immediate action if you think you have been hacked or infected by a virus and contact your ISP

Protecting your information can be a major deal for a small business owner but using the proper tools can ease the burden significantly. Such efforts will dramatically reduce the chance of a major security breach and also the costs and damage to your company's reputation that such an event causes.

Mark Gwilliam, FCCA, uses his international experience to coach small business owners on how to run successful businesses. He combines his natural enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge with his proven ability to provide practical down-to-earth solutions for his clients. He has written several books and owns several companies which offer small business owners integrated business solutions. He writes several business articles in his weekly newsletters "The Bizness" and "Successful Marketing Strategies". To read these and to have access to more tools and resources to turbo charge your business, visit his sites at http://www.mark-gwilliam.com and http://www.themarketingdude.com

Great Dates Ideas

To be sure, going out for dinner and/or a romantic movie is certainly one of the most popular type of dating event, however, it can ultimately turn into one of the most uncomfortable and awkward dates you could possibly go on, especially for new couples embarking on the early stages of dating! Many new couples hit it off just fine, right from the outset, talking and laughing about anything and everything that comes to mind. Some are great storytellers, while others might be great listeners. But, what if you or your date, just don't happen to possess either of those characteristics? How difficult and clumsy would that nightmare prove to be? In fact, you just might want to set aside that list of best dates ideas for a later time. Honestly, the best advice, in the beginning of any online relationship, is to take a little time to get to know each other prior to any live encounter. Exercise sufficient caution and patience, as you evaluate the plusses and minuses that make up the character, personality and compatibility of any candidate seeking the most distinguished status of soul mate.

As a consequence of typical concerns for personal safety and privacy, good old-fashioned common sense dictates that, prior to actually meeting each other in person, the vast majority of Internet dating couples should get acquainted online first. So, in all likelihood, it's a better idea to take a slower approach when beginning the process of gradually gaining confidence and comfort with your newest connection. Consider the following everyday activities, which are quickly growing in popularity throughout the Internet these days, with regard to sharing photos and greeting cards. In fact, both of these examples really go hand in hand, extremely well, with online dating and will generally help to facilitate the entire process of developing the new and fragile relationship.

Photos - As a wonderful keepsake of your evolving romantic relationship, create an online photo album for your new cyber-soul mate. Include digital photos of some of your favorite outdoor scenes, pets, flowers, cars, silly moments, your computer corner, laptop, etc. This will provide a variety of subjects to talk about during your online dates via emails and chat rooms. Search for "photo albums" in Google, or other search engines so that you might find websites that allow you to store your photos.

Greeting Cards - It makes no difference exactly where the person might live, you can always mail a simple greeting card. If you're concerned about privacy and security (as you certainly should be), then check into the possibility of renting an inexpensive post office box (check the Yellow Pages or local post office branch). And, don't be afraid to get creative. You really don't need to be an artist, in order to make something unique and homemade for the special new friend in your life. The simple gesture of making a personalized greeting card would surely be appreciated and it would also demonstrate to your date that you care enough to take the time required to make something by hand. If you're really not confident with your creative abilities, then, to be sure, you can always utilize your favorite search engine to locate sites for online greeting cards to send, as well. They typically include free or at least, low cost and can be sent very quickly with the simple click of a mouse.

Ultimately, don't allow yourself to be pressured into a premature encounter. There's absolutely no need to risk an in person meeting until you acquire a sufficient degree of comfort and familiarity with each other online first. So, go ahead and take the online dating plunge! Great dates ideas are just a click away. So, get excited, get busy and get online!

To learn more about the best dating sources and creative ideas, please visit Great Dates Ideas

Copyright 2010 Harry Monell. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the entire contents of this article with your friends or post it on your site as long as it is left intact with all links unchanged, including this notice.

Harry Monell maintains several affiliate and content websites. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Old Dominion University. Following formal retirement in 2000, he now spends time doing what he considers his most challenging, yet most rewarding endeavor - writing about many of the important topics that affect today's families and lifestyles, including health, nutrition and family pets.

Proxy Pages Ensure Privacy

Proxy sites allow the users to freely search and surf any location in the web without being tracked the service providers. There is more than one way to surf online with your identities hidden from crackers. The reason for this precautionary method is to ensure that the identity of the user and other vital information such as home address and contact number are not used in spamming activities.

Not only that the insecure networks which you might chance up upon which surfing can be a safety hazard to your personal information. The collection of data in your personal computer can somehow be assessed by the other people in these unauthorized pages.

The worst scenario where invasion of privacy is concerned is cyber theft. The person on the other side of the screen may be able to correctly identify your pass code or Internet security pin number from your banking account facilities. In order to minimize the risk of such unwanted occurrences, be aware of your choice of password. Strictly avoid using your birth date for the pin code or you name for a password option because it is very predictable.

Try to avoid having to write down your password on paper and memorize the password instead. The other approach to keeping cyber theft at bay is by changing your pin number from time to time in order to avoid any attempts of a virtual break-in.

The proxy sites are available for free and it is usually trustworthy, especially when there is an authentic certificate attached together. The users are able to download videos and other files from the Web anonymously. Not only that, you are able to send electronic mail without having to give out your own information. Linking websites anonymously are also available when using a proxy site.

Dennis enjoys writing on wide range of topics such as Proxy. You can visit for more details.

Four Online Shopping Tips For Safety

The National Retail Foundation reports due to the technological advances of today more and more people are using the internet to do their online shopping especially during the holiday season. When it comes to shopping in the digital marketplace all the necessary safety precautions must be followed to avoid the probable of a scam. Below are four safety tips to practice when shopping digitally.

Always shop from a computer that is fully secure, particularly those who do Canadian online shopping at a internet cafe this can be dangerous because these PCs often times are infected with spy-ware which steal all you information such as passwords and user names. It is always better to shop from a private computer that has a functional up-to-date anti-virus software, for additional protect you use a firewall to block unauthorized access to and from the computer.

If shopping for a new electronics device for example dell computers it is always best to with from a website that's trusted and has positive reviews from customers, it's always advisable to stick with merchants that have a good track record. It is equally important to also check the merchant's shipping and return protocols prior to making that final purchase, don't worry about missing discounts, just ensure that the fine prints and disclaimer are read properly.

Be sure to keep a printed copy for each confirmation email or receipt received. Secure all receipts in a single folder and store them in a safe location, never purchase from a unknown email address that's advertising or recommending a product because these offers are nearly always a scam.

Many cyber criminals setup up attractive store fronts that shuts down days after the unsuspecting shopper completes a purchase order, if not familiar with a merchant it is best to conduct a quick search to check the integrity of that business.

Ripoff Report and the Better Business Bureau normally has a lot of information about consumer complaints from legitimate online companies For those who do Canada online shopping it is always best to shop from a credit card even if debit cards are accepted reason being federal law states that those who issue credit cards can make a customer liable for the first $50 on fraudulent charges and many issuers will even waive this amount.

Although debit card insurers adopt the same approach, your back account may get overdrawn while in the process of disputing any fraudulent charges especially when they aren't detect immediately. Experts claim that credit cards present the least amount of hassle when disputing with any financial institution in the event any unauthorized charges that may show up on your monthly statement at a later date.

For maximum security and protection consider alternative methods of payment when buying online, there are many websites online that you can use to create a virtual account that you have use to conduct your digital transactions, some of which can be specified for a single transaction after which the account becomes unable hence securing the customers.

Canadian online shopping with hundreds of brand names at popular stores such as Dell Computers.