Do Not Show Your SSID in Your Router For Complete WiFi Security

There are some rules in WiFi networks world that help other Internet users to connect to a particular WiFi network to get Internet connection or to share the data among connected PCs.

One of these rules - the name of the WiFi net called SSID (service set identifier) that helps to identify necessary WiFi network. It is all good when we know who is trying to connect to our network. But we should always remember that crackers know this rule too.

So, if you show your network name or SSID, a hacker can get into your network and try to rob a personal information on any PC connected to your WiFi network, especially if these PCs are not secured in a proper manner.

To remove your visibility for everyone, you need to disable the setting "Wireless SSID Broadcast" in your router Wireless settings.

Follow eight easy steps to disable "Wireless SSID Broadcast" (useful for most routers):

1. Run your WiFi network. (just start up your WiFi router or modem and make sure that everything is OK)

2. Launch IE, Firefox or any other browser and input the following address http ://192.168.1.1

3. Proceed to the showed web address by pressing Enter button

4. Login to your network

5. Press OK button

6. Go to Wireless text tab

7. Find the setting "Wireless SSID Broadcast" and make sure that you have selected "Disable" radio button

8. Save Settings

As soon as you have disabled "Wireless SSID Broadcast", you can be sure that no one will find your WiFi network without your permission. Here you have a control over the users who want use your WiFi and its resources. That is very useful if you care about WiFi Security.

Stephen Ward is writing in the Internet for more than 4 years and would like to suggest you to try out brand new WiFi Security software that can help you to be sure online 24 hours a day.

Avoiding Online Security Risks That Lead to Accounts Being Hacked

I don't know if you've heard about the news about people who had their cards charged against their will by Apple's iTunes Store, but it's been all over the news, at least in the tech world.

A lot of people have been blaming Apple and saying the iTunes App Store was hacked, but it looks like a problem with passwords.

In this article I'll help you understand what happened, and give you a few tips to avoid similar problems.

First off, if you're not familiar with it, the App Store is part of Apple's iTunes Store, and is an online market where you can get free or paid "Apps" for mobile devices such as the iPod Touch, iPhone, and the iPad.

Apps are basically programs (also called applications) just like you would find on your computer, but designed to run on a mobile device like a smartphone.

Apple's App Store lets you browse through thousands of these apps which let you do a wide variety of things from keeping up with news, to reading a book, to working with photos, to playing games, and a lot more.

Again, the same basic idea as an application or program for a computer, just the "pocket sized" edition, so to speak.

The App Store can be found within the iTunes program on your computer, or by using the App Store icon on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Other companies also provide app stores for their devices.

So what happened with these unauthorized charges everyone is talking about?

Well, basically what happened is, people noticed that 40 out of 50 of the top-ranked apps (ranked in terms of copies sold) in the books category were all from the same person!

This seemed a little suspicious that one person would have managed to pull this off without being up to something. The next piece of the puzzle turned up when people started reporting unwanted charges on their accounts for hundreds or even in some cases over a thousand dollars, all orders for Apple Apps.

It seems that somehow criminals had gained access to at least a few hundred accounts people had on iTunes, they'd been used to place orders for dozens of apps, racking up big bills for each person who had been victimized.

Some people thought the Apple App Store itself had been hacked, but most likely the each account had been broken into individually, probably by one of two means.

The first is known as a "brute force password crack", and it's where a program is used to try one password after another, starting with common ones, until the right one is guessed.

This may sound like a time-consuming process that no one would ever bother with, but remember it's a program that does it automatically, and it starts with the easy to guess common passwords that so many people make the mistake of using.

The other possibility is that the passwords were stolen via a "phishing scam", which is were people are tricked into entering their passwords into a website designed to look legit, but which is not.

Who is to blame?

At this point, the people behind it are unknown, but seem to be based in Asia. It is most likely an organized criminal organization instead of just one person acting alone.

Here's what to do if you have an iTunes Store account

If you're concerned your account may have been compromised, you can find out by opening iTunes on your computer, then clicking the iTunes Store on the left side.

Then click your email address where it appears in the upper right of the window and you'll be asked for your password. It's OK to enter it there.

Once you log in, you'll see a list of account-related items, including a "Purchase History" button you can click to look over any orders. You should be able to spot if there are items listed which you never ordered.

On the accounts screen you can also click the button "Edit Account Info" to change your password as a precaution.

If you find fraudulent charges, you can call Apple at: 1-800-275-2273 (to talk to a real person, press 0 at each prompt)

Here are a few tips for being safe with passwords:

1) Avoid using a simple word as your password, especially easy to guess things such as your name, your child or pet's name, your phone number, the word 'password', etc. Basically avoid anything you'd find in the dictionary to start with.

2) Don't use the same password for everything - passwords are like keys, and I don't think you'd hire a locksmith who used the same lock & key for every door and every customer. Don't make the same mistake with your passwords!

3) Longer and more complicated passwords are safer: as I mentioned above, brute force cracking methods will basically run through the dictionary when trying to break in -- the longer the password is, and the more you mix in numbers with letters, UPPER and lower case letters (liKe THis), and even punctuation, the better.

4) Be careful about where you enter in your username and password information, and especially be wary of emails that come out of the blue asking you to "reset your account", "update your information", etc. And make sure that you look at the address bar on the top of your web browser window and read the address to make sure you're on an official site when you sign in.

Hopefully if you follow these computer tips you'll stay safer online and feel a little more comfortable shopping on the web, which overall is very safe to do.

Worth Godwin is a computer coach with over 15 years' experience helping computer users of all levels, and has also worked for many years "in the trenches" as a hardware and software tech, solving real-world computer problems.

Worth has also been studying the human mind, and how people learn, since the early 1990s. He draws upon all of this experience, as well as his English and writing degrees, to teach people in a unique way with computer training that really makes sense.

In 2006, Worth began putting his easy lessons together on computer training CDs, carefully designed to make it easy to learn computer basics at your own pace, for an affordable price, with a system that really works.

Understanding Confidentiality Attacks

A confidentiality attack tries to capture confidential data (such as username, password, credit card numbers and data in emails) so an attacker can use that data for malicious intent. Confidentiality attacks often go undetected because the attacker makes a copy of the data, rather than trying to change the data or take down the system. There are several different types or methods to a confidentiality attack:

Packet Capture: A packet capture utility can capture data that is sent across the network or from a PC's NIC card. The packets can contain username and password, credit card numbers, social security card numbers or anything that is in plain text. An attacker can read this data from a packet capture utility and use it for malicious intent.

Ping sweep and port scan: Some attacks start with a scan of the network to identify devices to target on the network. A ping sweep will ping a range of IP addresses and wait for a reply. A ping reply might indicate that there is a network resource at those IP addresses. Once a collection of IP addresses is identified, a port scan can be ran to see what services are available on the host. Port scans can also help gather more information about the target system such as what operating system it's running.

Dumpster Diving: Many companies throw away confidential data without properly shredding it. An attacker can rummage through a company's trash in hopes of discovering data that could be used to compromise network resources.

Wiretapping: If an attacker gains access to a network wiring closet, they can then physically tap into a telephone line and eavesdrop on the conversation. They could also insert a hub inline with the network cable and receive copies of the data.

Social Engineering: Phone techniques can be used to obtain information from end users. For example someone could pose as a member of the IT department and ask for the end users login information.

Electromagnetic interfaces interception: Data is often transmitted over a wire, often called a network cable. Attackers can copy data traveling over the wire by intercepting the EMI being emitted by the wire. The EMI emissions are sometimes called emanations.

Visit Matt's latest website Event Log Monitoring for listing of Event Log Monitoring Software. Also check out Order Management Software for a list of Order Management Software and inventory software.

3 Common Social Media Network 'Threats' to Avoid

Online social media network sites have experienced an extraordinary growth in popularity over the last few years. The growth in social media use has captured the attention of not only enthusiastic users but also cyber criminals as well. It was inevitable that internet predators would gravitate towards social sites due to the sheer number of users these sites attract. This criminal element commonly targets innocent site participants with various types' of scams looking for money, personal ID information or to even install spyware or malware.

Here are 3 of the most common scams people using social media sites need to be aware of to better protect themselves against these internet predators.

Shortening (Hiding) Links

Shortening links is an acceptable, expected and encouraged practice on most social sites to 'dress up' rather long links being sent in short messages. This is well and good however shortened links also actually 'hide' the ultimate destination to where you are being redirected. By inadvertently landing on a 'forbidden' site you could easily have unwanted malware installed on your computer. Treat these links like you would suspicious email and only open those that come from a source with which you are already familiar.

'Fun' Questionnaires

How many times have you come across short quizzes sent to you that will tell you things about yourself, friends, or even love life? All you need to do is to 'register' by leaving your contact information including your cell phone number in order to receive your answers and even a prize. Well many times the 'prize' is really a 'surprise' when you have a billing for a subscription you had unknowingly signed up for on your phone. The best approach with these questionnaires is to simply ignore them!

Personal ID Theft

Information 'trawling' or phishing has been around for a while online. Most of us are use to seeing it come through in suspicious emails that require sensitive information in order to complete a transaction. Well those damn cyber criminals have now taken their methods and adapted them to online social media sites. Ever seen a message that says 'someone is looking for you' and then instructs you to click on a link to see who it may be? When the link takes you to one of the login pages of a popular social network you are then required to sign in, DO NOT! By doing so you may be giving a stranger complete access to your account and no telling what they will do with that!

Online social media network sites have grown in popularity and as a result have also become the targets for cyber criminals as well. With the tremendous increase in social media use the online criminal element has spotted an opportunity to target large masses fairly easily. They tend to favor the use of scams which work quite efficiently for them when dealing with large masses of people. 3 of the most commonly used scams to which people using social media sites are exposed are mentioned above. The danger such schemes like these pose to the innocent is magnified when people are unaware of their existence until it is too late. In this case however to be fore-warned is to be fore-armed! It is therefore hoped that this 'heads-up' will help neutralize any efforts and all intentions of this rather creepy online element.

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina. To learn more about safely using social media network sites and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques simply visit: http://blogbrawn.com/

Remove Data Protection - Easiest Data Protection Removal Out There

If you're taking the time to read this, it's probably because you are having some second thoughts about data protection. The truth is you are right to be a bit concerned, because it isn't a real antivirus program, it is actually malware. If you have already loaded it on to your computer, you are in a bit of trouble. It is actually quite difficult to remove this virus. With legitimate software, removal would be easy, but since it is a virus, you won't be able to just uninstall it. It digs in too deep for that.

The malicious code burrows deep into your system and infects important system files. It seeks out credit card information, email addresses and other personal information you might have on your computer that can be sold. All this activity slows down your pc and congests your internet bandwidth. Because it digs in so deep, data protection removal can be a labor intensive task.

The ideal situation is to never be infected, it you aren't infected by it, you won't have to delete data protection. The difficult thing about that is that so many routine activities on the internet can lead to an attack. Browsing infected websites could result in your browser getting hijacked, using Adobe software without data protection protection could also get you in trouble, as Adobe utilities seem to have an inherent vulnerability, p2p software is also quite dangerous, as it exposes you to several unprotected users.

When you are first infected, you'll be hit by an endless stream of pop-ups that alert you to a supposed data protection infection, they will tell you that you need to install a certain utility to correct the problem. The utility is the real malware, and when you install it, your real problems will begin.

If you're pretty handy with a computer, you might try to get rid of data protection by deleting it from your pc one file at time. There will be some.Exe,.Bat,.Dll, and.Lnk files associated with it, they should be removed, be careful not to delete something that you aren't sure is related to the data protection. You also need to remove any entries associated to the data protection in the registry, particularly in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE AND HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder.

A much more user friendly, less time consuming and yes, more effective way to remove data protection is to use a virus removal tool. It can do in minutes what a man would take hours to do. It is faster and more thorough. It will also keep you protected from other problems of the same nature after.

Tired of viruses infecting your computer? Want to surf the web with the peace of mind that your computer is safe and secure? Get your free scan from the top Data Protection removal.

Jim Marshall is an expert computer technician with fifteen years of experience in the industry. Since his own computer was destroyed by malicious software, he has been studying antispyware, adware, and malware systems for years. His website details the comprehensive results of this research, ranking the best antispyware and antivirus programs available.

http://www.spyware-fix.net

Internet Security and Its Enemies

The internet may be the savviest innovation that has ever been created in that it has surely provided comfort and ease in the lives of many. Yet as great of an innovation as this may be, this might actually be a good source for crimes especially for unsuspecting people who just merely want to enjoy the benefits of internet use. That is why it is important to have internet security. Whenever you open the internet, you have to secure it. With the internet security, it protects your computer with its files being accessed by unauthorized people, especially those who have bad intentions such as stealing identities. One of the fundamental ways for you to protect your computer is by using very good passwords that would make it hard for an intruder to identify, backing up your files and using permissions before anyone can access it.

Many businesses now are even more aware of updating and securing their computers as they are aware that many identity thefts are attempting to access their computers via the internet with the knowledge that by having access on those business files and using it in one way or another, they can make huge profits of it. These thieves will always try to find a way how to outwit the company's internet security because of that. That is why companies are more watchful and that whenever there is a need to enhance the system, the first and foremost concern is how to further secure the sensitive data stored.

Unfortunately, some programs are considered to be very helpful in protecting the computer such as Malware, virus, Trojan, Worms, Bots and Spyware. So, internet security authorities should be experts in four major areas concerning these six:

• Malware: it is the common name used to identify a software program that has a malicious intent to either spy, breach or destroy the computer's contents. It is not just limited to infiltrating computers but cell phones, PDA's and other technical devices as well.

• Viruses: they infiltrate the computer maliciously and give the computer user a very hard time. The virus can delete, hide, or make the data stored in the computer inaccessible. It can also make other applications not run anymore.

• Trojan: it is a program that pretends to be helpful when in reality it just seeks to destroy files, steal or change something in the system which could cause major problems to the user.

• Worms: they replicate themselves and swarm through the internet system and could destroy a whole community of computer users, even to the extent of destroying a country's economy.

• Bots: takes over the system and may communicate the computers' contents to others.

All six may be used simultaneously by an internet criminal and continue to develop sophistically. That is why there is now the use of the Antivirus programs, which protect your computers from such malicious attacks. Anti-virus software can freely be downloaded online, but still one should be cautious in downloading software even if it is antivirus ones that may represent themselves to be effective but aren't.

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 software.

How to Tell If Your Site Has Been Hacked

How do you know if your site has been hacked? Sometimes you will know because the site has dropped precipitously in the search engine rankings for no apparent reason. Or many of your pages are no longer being indexed by the search engines. Or visitors send you emails complaining that their anti-virus software warns them away from your site. These are not good things to have happen, because by then the damage has been done.

A better approach to to proactively scan your site for hacked pages. What you are looking for are unauthorized links to external sites, because most hackers use those links to boost the search engine rankings of their own sites. That makes most hacked pages easy to find with a few simple search engine queries.

The key is to combine the "site:" command with one or more commonly used hacker ranking terms like "viagra" or "cialis". The "site:" command restricts search engine results to pages from the given domain. For example, the query:

site:about.com

restricts the search to the "about.com" domain. All you need to do is add one or two hacker-targeted keywords to the query, as in:

site:whitehouse.gov viagra

That query will return all indexed pages on the "whitehouse.gov" domain that include the word "viagra". (As I write this, there are in fact two pages on the official White House site that have been hacked in this manner. Oops!)

While "viagra" is the most obvious term to search for, there are other possibilities. Any erectile dysfunction drug is a candidate: "levitra", "cialis", etc. Generic version of the brand names are also popular: "sildenafil", "vardenafil", etc. Really, any kind of high-demand pharmaceutical product is a good candidate, though you can also look for money-making schemes (think "forex" or "online gambling") and other things that a spam catcher would normally isolate in your incoming email.

Of course, you will not actually see these links on the pages in question. Hackers do their best to hide the links from human visitors. But they do not hide them from search engines, because the point is to get the search engines to find those links and count them as "votes" to getting their own "money sites" to rank highly for sought-after, highly commercial and extremely competitive terms. That is why a simple search query exposes hacked pages.

What do you do once you have found a hacked page on one of your sites? It depends on how the links were added to your pages and how your pages are generated. You will find lots of help online on how to get rid of link spam from a website and how to "harden" your site against future attacks.

Just remember to run this check on each of your sites every few days. It is a very quick and simple way to detect potential link spam before it becomes a real problem.

Be sure to check out Eric Giguere's privacy policy plugin, useful for anyone running WordPress. Eric is a co-founder of Synclastic Media and has written extensively about all aspects of Internet marketing, website and blog development, and software programming.