Protect your PC, Laptop, handhelds, PDA and Smart Phones: Guide to Internet Security

I do a lot of reading -- partly for intellectual enrichment and partly because I HAVE TO -- while I stumbled on this beautiful, rather eye-opening article titled " Is the Virus Threat Real?" which plumbs into answering exactly that question.

The article is unmistakably a beautiful read with inputs garnered from actual experiments done by the research team.

Should you think twice about surfing the Internet? Swap files online? Download music/mp3? Watch Streaming Music, Videos or pod casts online?

The answers will come to those who seek, baby!

Please click on the link below to head over to read the article:
Is the virus threat real?

Mobile phones are increasingly turning out to the convenient replacement for the bulky PC. Users are moving over from the Lap to the palm.

The digital vermin like viruses, malware and spamware aren't far behind and they will follow you like stink follows garbage.

What do you do? Know, my friend. and then ACT!

Top 4 Mobile anti-virus Software for your smart phone

Firewalls can't do everything, but what they can, nothing else can.

Firewalls aren't Anti-Virus; they have functions of their own and they are present to do something else. if you thought it was all the same, a little bit of reading can't kill you.

Small Business Security: Firewall Basics

Trust ware technologies has a new, unique product called as Trustware Bufferzone which enables you to surf the net and do everything you would normally do with a computer in a virtual, isolated environment. That basically means that with all those Internet Threats Lurking around -- you are still free to do whatever you had wanted to do online and then delete everything ( that includes all the nasty spyware, malware and adware).

How cool is that?

Review of Trustware Bufferzone V. 3.0.1 - part 1

Review of Trustware Bufferzone V. 3.0.1 - part 2

Virus Is History. At least it isn't as important as it once was. It isn't even making any news now.

What's making news is the fact that every now and then, one of us is sucked into believing that their bank has actually emailed them asking for their account info because they thought you were losing it completely and they would better have control over your money -- well, almost. Just kidding!

You see, these mails seem to be sourced from legitimate companies like Citibank or any other bank for that matter and they hook and bait you asking for sensitive financial information. If you do respond to it or click on any of those links they must have sent through the mail -- your shirt just vanishes in just as much time it took you to click.

This act of trying to fool you to retrieve sensitive information about you, your company or your financial data is called phishing and for every smart person who knows about this and is every of it, there are 3 of them who still aren't aware.

Here are some great articles on Phishing, if you would like to know more:

A Furtive Look at the History of Phishing

Ignore Phishing and YOU are a dead FISH

Phishing Delivery mechanisms: Know Your Enemy ( email and Spam )- Part 1

McAfee has recently conducted a survey which showed that over 80% of those who use smart phones/PDAs and Smart phones - especially the windows based ones have NO security softwre on them.

Way too dangerous to trot around without any security like that. Most executives and business foks are online now and they access their emails and surf the web using their handhelds. However, it is alarming to note that they don't pay heed to the fact that their smartphone/PDA is now just like a computer and it needs just as much protection as your Laptop/PC needs.

Gear Up People. Do something about it.

Kaspersky Mobile Security - Anti-Theft Protection for Your Smartphone!

Top 10 Windows Mobile Applications

Most people tell you that anti-virus is good for your system and that software like this can help you save yourself from the ubiquitous threats online. The game isn't so simple, because the Anti-virus Industry would cripple if it were, wouldn't it?

1. The technology is still fire-fighting: let's face it, the hackers and virus writers are far more advanced than we can care to fathom. The WE includes the anti-virus company think-tanks and brain-boys. If you look around, all we do is fire-fighting. It is in this mode of a paranoic, counter-attack that we start reviewing and labelling some AV software as good and bad. Whom are we kidding with?

2. The technology itself is playing cop-thief: Understand how AV engines work -- they stop any suspicious exchange of files off your computer or network (if your software luckily catches it) and while doing a defensive check, it checks for " signatures" of various files with the ones on its database to see what's safe and what's not. If it is suspicious, it's going to ask YOU. If you knew it, why would you need the software?

3. There's more to Anti-virus than just Virus: If you thought virus is all you have to fight against. I am sorry to disappoint you. There's more than you would like to know. There's phishing, there's spyware, there's malware and there is Phishing, which in turn takes varied forms of attack like Man-in-the-browser Attacks, Man in the Middle attacks. As if that wasn't enough, we have DDOS( distributed Denial or Service) and DOS( Denial of Service) and even Reputation attacks.

Guess what? I haven't even covered a fraction of what's out there. Big Bad world, isn't it?

if you would like to read more: Here are some amazing resources:

Anti-virus and Phishing Information:

How To Handle Network Intrusion
What would you do if someone were to Hack your network?

Intrusion Detection Systems
Know more about Intrusion Detection Systems and what they can do for you

Google Bombing, Reputation Attacks and More: How do you want me to harm you?
learn all about Google Bombing, A case study on how one particular company got attacked and much more.

Denial of Service Attacks: What are They?
See what a Denial of Service Attack is. It also has a link to head over to what a DDOS attack is(Distributed Denial of Service Attack. Also check the links for Information on Phishing.

Everyone needs an anti-virus software because your computer would look naked otherwise. It would be this little baby -- ever vulnerable and unguarded. Have you made a decision yet? What do you think is the best possible software to pick and choose from?

Top Anti-Virus Software for 2008
Head over here for the an Article Published on Brighthub.com on Top Anti-Virus Software for 2008

Haven't you ever given it a thought as to why we don't see much of an open-source revolution -- that has apparently torn the priced software models to shreds -- never did touch the anti Virus Industry? Do we have any free anti-virus software from the Open Source Community? Yes, we do. However, whether it works or not, is another thing altogether.

Clam AntiVirus Software: The Open Source Anti-Virus Software
Not Much can be said about the open source community's answer to the AV Industry, but here's a take on it.

Bitdefender is relatively newer into the anti-virus realm, but doing great for itself. It has been getting some rave reviews and Listed below are a few reviews that others have written about it. If I would have written a review on this, it would be very different from the ones I am posting down here.

However, when I tested this Anti-virus on my Laptop, I happened to notice my laptop slowing down a little. I am not sure if this happens to everyone though since I didn't see many complaints on this front.

Review of Bitdefender Total Security 2009: Futuristic,Light and Packed Have you read about the nifty new Bitdefender Total Security 2009 Package? Also, don't forget to check out their 2 GB online storage option :-)

Top 5 Anti Virus Solutions for 2008
Head over here for the Top 5 Anti Virus Solutions for 2008 by Ashwin Satyanarayana.

BitDefender Total Security 2008 -- Your Total Security Solution
Head over here for the BitDefender Total Security 2008 -- Your Total Security Solution by Paul Pardi.

BitDefender Total Security 2008 - CNet's Review
Robert vamosi reviews the Bitdefender at CNet. I found it a pleasing read.

BitDefender Antivirus 2008 - Protection from viruses, spyware and other malware



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