There be Spyware here, Captain!
The ships bell had just sounded the dogwatch as Captain Skag began to check his email. He had just began to read his favorite E-zine, “Pirates gone wild” when his first mate burst into the cabin. “Captain, a dark ship approaches!” He cried. The captain, after running up on deck, examined the ship with his spyglass. “Shiver me hard drives” he bellowed as he saw the lay of her jib. “Shes a wardriver! ” (Note of historical Interest, a Wardriver is a term used to describe a way of searching for unsecure wireless networks.) “They be after plundering information on the ships server! Quick me mateys, prepare to repel boarders.” The crew scrambled to turn their laptops off while the Captain rushed to turn the wireless router off. Up on deck, the crew watched as the dark ship faded into the night. The Captain had no sooner settled back at his computer when again the cabin door burst open, this time it was the cook. “Blimey Captain, all my recipes files are gone!” This was bad news because the cooks famous secret recipe for chile con carne was highly sought after since winning 1st place at the Pirates ball last year. Thank the Kraken we have our backups” the Captain growled. The cook, cursing, left. Well, back to my email the captain thought. He pushed the send/receive button on his email client. “Blow me down” he bellowed, (Pirate Captains bellow a lot) “Whats all this SPAM mail doing in my inbox?” This was getting as back as a case of scurvy. As he sat, his rage boiling, he became aware of a lot of yelling coming from the crews quarters. “Now what” he cursed as he made his way forward. Upon entering the crew area he was assailed by a thunderous din of curses. (Pirates curse a lot) The Spainiard was yelling he couldn’t get his new game, “Pirates Revenge ” to load. The Italian couldn’t get into his stock portfolio. (Yes pirates have retirement plans too). The others were drowned out by the first mate yelling about his Blog being Hacked. As he surveyed the carnage, the captain noticed one of the crewman sitting calmly, using his laptop with apparently no problems. Bellowing loudly for quiet, he asked the crewman who he now remembered came from the land of Unix, why he was not upset. He looked up, and said “Why Captain, I’ve got a AntiVirus program along with good AntiSpyware and a reliable Firewall. I’m protected from brute force attacks, Phishing emails and drive by downloads.” He went on to say that it looked like the ships server was accessed through the wireless router, which was not secured with WEP (wired/wireless equivalent privacy). “Arrrgg”, he bellowed, the IT dogs back at the Island hideaway had told him all was peachy with the network when they sailed to pilage and plunder. The crewman whose name was Billy said he could get things ship shape by giving the other crewman the CD’s of his AntiSpyware, AntiVirus and his 3rd party Firewall…. for a price! “Aye,” the Captain replied wit a feeling of dread, “Whats your price?” Soon all onboard were back online and secure. Billy had his pockets stuffed with pieces of eight and of course, was wearing the Captains hat, looking mighty pleased with his bargaining skills. The Captain headed back to his cabin, worried that mutiny may be afoot. He had heard Billy telling the crew about those cursed Macs! The lesson learned here was obvious; You need to secure your network. AntiVirus and AntiSpyware is a must, So is a reliable Firewall. Anything less, you might as well be walking the plank, Matey! Arrrrgggg! About the Author: Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware, Viruses and other Online Nasties.
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Computer Backup
It’s happened to most of us; we’ve lost a document or a folder because there was no computer backup. Whether you lost a few lines you were typing because of power failure or your entire system crashed, computer backup is the only way to prevent such mishaps from destroying your files. Computer backup can be basic or sophisticated, costly or simply the price of your average floppy disk. Depending on your needs and the importance of your files, you will need a computer backup system that reflects your budget and your lifestyle. Many computer users prefer to keep it simple and back up their data with a floppy disk or by copying and pasting documents. This is the most basic form of computer backup, but it is not satisfactory for everyone. Floppy disks often wear out, and you can have files stored on floppy disks for years that might be not perform if they are stored on old disks. On the other hand, if you use your files quite frequently, your floppy disk could wear out, which creates another problem for your floppy disk storage. If you simply store your document elsewhere on your computer, it might not survive a complete computer crash, although minor annoyances should not interfere with your files. Because of problems with viruses, computer crashes are becoming a more frequent occurrence for many PC users, and therefore, computer backup software is the best option for many consumers. There are many files that are worth the time and investment involved in obtaining good computer backup software. Examples of such files are: ? Bank records ? Personal documents ? Digital photos ? Address books ? Software downloads ? Special projects The best computer backup software not only creates a copy of your documents automatically, but it uses encryption algorithms to protect your information from unauthorized access and spyware. Your filename will also be encrypted to protect against intrusions. Most computer backup software is quite user friendly, and new files can be added instantly at the click of a mouse. In addition to many great features, most computer backup software will enable you to: ? Create new backup programs ? Select files and folders for backup ? Define compression settings ? Choose target of backup ? Store backup info in various locations The best computer backup programs are not rigid, but allow the user the flexibility to choose where and how their files will be stored. You can choose to have everything copied automatically, or specify which files you wish to have a backup. If you have a large volume of material to store, you can select compression settings, which will minimize the size of your documents and will enable you to store more information. You can also choose where you want your backup information to be stored, and you can place the data in various locations automatically, for instance, in your hard drive, USB stick, Network folder, CD, DVD and Remote FTP Server. You can also create a simultaneous backup communication between a remote FTP server and local storage devices. Your computer backup software should provide easy user interface, the option to store your data in multiple versions and the capability to restore your files to their original folders. Most programs have a very easy to use help menu, and many have service lines to help customers who wish to communicate with an assistant. You can also obtain special features for your computer backup software, such as a disaster recovery CD or DVD, which will get your computer back up and running after a crash. You can have peer to peer backups for extra protection and virus scanning capabilities that will safeguard your valuable files against tampering. Computer backup software varies in prices, and it is worthwhile to invest in the best program you can afford, especially if your business depends on valuable files. Don’t let an unexpected computer crash destroy your valuable data, but invest in computer backup software today. Matt Garrett <a href="http://www.xoftspy.co.uk">www.XoftSpy.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.data-recovery-experts.net">www.data-recovery-experts.net</a>
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