Top 5 Security Threats for Active Online Social Networking Users

When you log on any social media website there are potential threats that can damage your system and steal important data. You need to be vigilant against these threats and be aware of the ways by which you can prevent these malicious actions. Let us learn about the top 5 security threats that active online social networking users face.

Virus and malware threats -Viruses that enter your system can wreak havoc. Often the most vicious attack that a user encounters is while surfing social websites. This is where they run the risk of malware entering their system. Once this enters the PC, the user faces a lot of issues ranging from slow PC performance to software issues and error messages. If these go unattended then it can even lead to a system crash.

Phishing attacks - It has always been the trend that the most popular websites are prone to become the target of hackers. The reason is simple. People often divulge their personal information even to strangers who they meet via the web without knowing their real identity. This becomes a threat to their own security when the information shared is misused for the purpose of committing crimes or tampering with financial information. A simple way to avoid this mess is by not answering e-mails or chat messages that come from unknown or suspicious sources. Even if these are coming from a known source you still need to be careful.

Scam emails - Often it happens that a user may get an email that claims to have come from the administrator of a website. This kind of emails, trick the user into believing that the password has been automatically reset due to some technical difficulties. Now you are asked to open the attachment to get the new password. This is a potential threat to your system as this attachment is designed to steal your password. The hacker will get to know the details of your account and tamper with the information. The easiest way to recognize these are the numerous sentence constructions, grammatical errors that are there in the content. In order to prevent your computer from getting infected, avoid responding to these scam emails. One more thing to remember is that a social networking website may send you an email for resetting the password but will never do so without prior intimation.

Selective Sharing of information - While chatting with a friend or a random acquaintance you often share personal information. This information can be misused by anyone. Divulging information to a random stranger is a potential threat to your own security. You should avoid sharing information to people randomly as this is the only way by which you can be secure. What kind of information you are sharing and with whom is extremely important and you need to be very specific about choosing people when it comes to information sharing.

Privacy settings - You need to be aware of security and privacy settings once you access a social network website. Websites like Facebook, Orkut comes powered with various security measures. If you are not aware of them, you need to read their online manual for the required security settings and opt for ways by which you can protect your online privacy. You will find an entire step by step tutorial for setting up these privacy related filters.

Security should have multi-levels and multi-layers so that it provides complete protection. After realizing the potential threats prevailing on social networking website the next step is to secure you data and PC from hackers. To know more about securing your PC and protecting your privacy online you need to get in touch with a premium computer support provider that offers online tech support.

She is a Technology writer who is keen on any new emerging technology updates. She is working with Qresolve as a Technical Support Engineer. Semeli Karen McPherson has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones computer support and more.She caters to the segment of core technology and provides viable solutions to any issues related to technology and software. Her expertise and skills in handling key technology issues is immaculate and quick result bearing. Through her articles and postings she aims to provide knowledge and solutions to common technology issues that a user faces.

Network Based Security Attacks on Internet Users

Network based Security Attacks

Network is a collection of nodes connected to each other. These nodes can be a computer or computing devices (like mobile and PDA), peripheral devices (like printer, scanner), other networks (connect via bridge or router) or any service (like directory service, mailing service) etc. As the boom in networking has joined whole world in one network called the Internet, we have also joined with many new problems. These are due to malicious activity peoples who ? intentionally or unintentionally and for profit or without profit trying to harm us. To be protected and to be secure it is necessary to understand their way of action. This small note will help you understand these attacks.

Types of Attack ?

Network based security attacks can be categorized in following. This list is based on a server, a user accessing data on the server and data that the server holds.

1. Attack on availability ? making any part or whole network unavailable to users. Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) is one of the best examples of network attack. In this the server is clogged in such a way that the server starts denying services to legitimate users.

2. Attack on confidentiality ? unauthorized access of any data. It can be active or passive. Eavesdropping is one of the best examples of such attack. In this network line is tapped or gained access.

3. Attack on Integrity ? attack on confidentiality and then modifying any part or whole data. One of the famous attack in this category is changing the secure HTTP content by using some local proxy.

4. Attack on authenticity ? creating data and sending it to users by faking themselves as authentic. Now days a very famous spamming technique called scams is cheating users world wide. In this a mail that is believed to be sent from any authorized bank is send. In the mail request of data is asked and a link that seems authentic in url text is given. The url can be like http://www.xyzbank.com/register/user.php but the url is something like [http://221.211.2.222/.http://www.xyzbank.com] which is incorrect. Many users are trapped by these scammers.

5. Attack on access control ? faking as an authentic user and utilizing all resource provided to that user. It is very common sometimes active sometimes passive, many users try to enter server?s computer and also many of hackers gained access in computers from defense labs to PC?s. A fresh case of this is use of Robots. These are small programs which were entered in the victim computer. These programs are capable of taking commands from network and then executing them on the victim?s computer. A teenager group has caught, since they break up in a hospital?s ICU computers and damaged vital schedules of it.

6. Attack on privacy ? Gaining access of user?s computer and spy on its usage and then selling this information to many business bodies, so that they can target their customers. It is now becoming one of the most common attacks. Spywares are installed on the victim?s computer and all surfing information is uploaded to some desired marketing site. This is later used as weapon of mass advertisement.

How to secure our data

There is no one panacea solution for this. Better practice of security can help. Some attacks can be reduced by using software and some by being careful.

Carefully handle your mail ? whenever you get mail regarding - providing any vital information like account no. and password, don?t jump on any conclusion. Mail the responsible authority with a copy of that mail and get what you have to do. Check that the link given and the URL text written are same. If you find something fraudulent, immediately contact police or responsible certification authority.

When you are about to purchase something through Internet, make sure that the seller is certified by CA (certifying authority) like VeriSign or any other renowned CA of your country. Also read the certificate and check if the certificate is not invalid and is not invoked by the CA.

Software that can help you

Many free software and patches for vulnerability are available. The best to have is a good virus scanner like AVG free virus scanner, running on your computer in real time. You should also know that virus scanner work on the basis virus available at the moment, so any old virus scanner will not find newly created viruses. For this you must install the updates time to time.

Other than virus scanners, there are many other softwares working against network based security attacks. I will not give any name of software but I will give you types of software that can be used. You can search them at http://www.download.com.

Firewalls ? there are many typed of firewalls that one can run, but we are concerned here about proxy based firewalls. Such a firewall setup a proxy server on your computer, this proxy scans all out going requests and incoming responses from your computer. This way they block any unauthorized access to your computer.

Spyware sweeper ? Spywares can be small software installed on your computer or cookies based online spy of your system. A Spyware sweeper first searches all possible locations of Spywares like cookies, your system registry, start up folder of your Windows and system?s root. After finding that, they ask you what action they should take, like, deleting, shielding or blocking such Spywares. If you browse the Internet using low security software like Internet Explorer, this is highly recommended that you should use a Spyware sweeper.

Network block ? even if your computer is secure and virus ? Spyware free, other computer attached to your computer network can setup them. This can be cured by using network blockers. These are firewall software that runs in real time and alert you with all LAN based packets coming to your system. Such software provide you facility to unblock few parts of your network also.

Conclusion

Finally, I can say that never curse others who damaged your computer or information, curse yourself that you were not able to block them.

?If you actively not attack them, they will actively attack you.?

Be careful, be updated and know all moves of your opponents (malicious software) before they even have taken any step. If you want to be simple user of network based system, them you are candidate of being victim also. A smart move can thwart your opponents and help you stand unaffected in swamp of malicious software.

Manu Dutt Tripathi is a young energetic computer professional working as a consultant DBA in leading IT firm of Bangalore, India. He has a master degree in computer science. He is a active member of many technical forums and help users and computer professional through out the world.

More such ideas can be found at http://manudutt.wikispaces.com

Internet Security in Instant Messaging - A Must For Internet Users

The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.

Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.

Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.

However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.

There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.

1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.

2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.

3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.

4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.

Internet Security in Instant Messaging - A Must For Internet Users

The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.

Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.

Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.

However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.

There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.

1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.

2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.

3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.

4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.

Internet Security in Instant Messaging - A Must For Internet Users

The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.

Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.

Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.

However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.

There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.

1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.

2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.

3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.

4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.

Security Professionals Alert Users of Spam E-mails Seeking Credit Card Bill Payment

Security researchers have alerted customers on a new spam e-mail, which attempts to scare users by asking them to make payment of overdue credit card bill. The spam e-mail identified by researchers at Sophos comes with different subject lines and seeks payment of the credit card bill within two days. The scam e-mail warns users that non-payment of the bill within two days may result in late fees and finance charges. The e-mails contain credit card details such as card number and card limit. The e-mail urges users to open the attached .zip file to view bill details.

Scammers attempt to create panic by claiming that their credit card bill is overdue by one week. Users who download the file out of panic or curiosity to check the authenticity of the claim, inadvertently download a malware on their computer systems. Security researchers at Sophos have detected the malware as Troj/Invo-Zip. The Trojan arrives in a Zip file and attempts to download more malware into the compromised machine. The malware affects Windows operating system.

Scammers also attempt to defraud users by sending URLs or image and video files related to an event or celebrity. Scammers may also send a fake invoice related to a parcel service or entice users to fill a malicious form for tax refund. In one of the recent spam attack, scammers attempted to capitalize the death of pop singer Amy Winehouse to download malware and compromise computer systems.

Internet users must not click on suspicious links and avoid downloading attachments in e-mails with suspicious claims. They must regularly update the security software to benefit from the latest virus and malware definitions added by the vendor. They may keep track of the security updates by visiting the websites of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and product developers. E-learning and online degree programs may help Internet users in gaining insights on security threats and safe online computing practices.

Scammers may also target employees through social engineering techniques. As such, organizations must update employees on the latest threats through training sessions and e-alerts. They may also encourage employees to undertake online university degree programs to gain understanding of the security fundamentals and improve their cyber security practices.

Professionals qualified in masters of security science help organizations in making assessment of different threats in the IT environment and initiate corrective measures.

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