Archive for the Category ◊ Antivirus ◊

What to do in case you fall a victim to identity theft?
Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 | Author:

It goes without saying that jitteratis are no sooner getting any respite from growing cyber melancholies. Whether its virus attack, hacking, phishing or more recent-identity theft, cyber freebooters have decided not to give a sigh of relief to internet denizens in coming future. Identity thefts have come to lie as a recent hobby horse of bandits and statistics also hold the truthiness of this very fact. Around 4% to 6% percent of U.S. population have reported to be an unwary victim of one or other kind of identity theft. So what to do if you also come to lie as a hapless muggee of identity theft? Read on to know more on how to escape the lurid identity theft experience if you happen to stumble upon by chance.

Know first the tell-tale signs of disaster

A bad credit report stating missing payments or receiving unfamiliar IRS filings at your name, these are sure shot signs that freebooters have ran over your hard earned deposits. Then, while on shopping, if your credit cards get rejected because of a recent deciphered fraud or you happen to receive unpaid traffic tickets at your name, or there is a windfall of court action notices, the signs are very clear that it’s time to run for an immediate action as you have come to lie as an apple of hacker’s eye.

Get into action mode for your stolen identity

  • Set a “fraud alert” on your account

When you place a fraud alert with credit bureaus, it will discourage the marauders from further creating sham accounts under your name. Soon after you can get a free copy of your credit report, which you can review in thorough to spot from where the first signs of forgery have initiated.

  • Notify creditors to keep them aware

The next very step to ensure that no stone remains unturned is to reach out to your credit card provider, telephone and internet service vendors to keep them well noted of the fact that you have been beleaguered.

  • Do away with tampered accounts

Have a closer eye on accounts, which you think might have been messed about and it’s always advisable to close these accounts before they get into troublemaker mode.

  • Reach out to local law enforcement agencies

It’s always best to place your complaint with the police of your area, which will assist you to make your creditors believe of the fraud.

  • Keep a tight watch on your financial records

A monthly review of your bank and credit card statement can help you to trace out any loopholes and manage the situation accordingly.

Along with all these you can also file a claim with your insurance provider and Federal Trade Commission as a stitch on time can always save nine.

 

Ounce of prevention is better than pounds of cure

And as always, it’s prudent to look for preventive measures rather than going for cure. Therefore, a wise man approach is to be at an arm’s length from hackers menace and this you can ensure by sealing the key vulnerabilities in your cyber security.  This can be done easily by not going for unsolicited emails and by keeping your password least guessable. Also, you should ensure to log off properly while you’re over with your net banking operations. Not clicking on pop-ups can be really beneficial. Also, to undo the danger set in by malware most commonly used by hackers these days, it’s advisable to look out for genuine antivirus and antispyware programs. Going for effective tech support can prove its fittingness as a redeemer to keep hackers and their missionaries i.e. viruses, malware and botnets at bay always.

 

 

 

Category: Antivirus, computer, identity theft, Malware, Online Security, Tech Support  | Tags: antivirus, Cyber Security, Identity Theft, Malware, password, tech support  | Leave a Comment
Sort Out Your Antivirus Package Prudently
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 | Author:

Individuals and organizations always end up facing complicated buying decisions when it comes to buying anti-virus solutions. Often confused between brands such as Norton and Mcafee, Vipre and Avast,Kaspersky or Panda; not being able to make up their mind on how and which antivirus protection suite would best end up standing tall on their stringent requirements.

Why to go for antivirus software?


The negative impact from malware is perceived so threatening authorities such as HIPAA and PCI-DSS have laid out many regulations and standards to enlighten organizations about their potency. Giving way to a scenario where antivirus software is considered as quintessential in many organizations to prevent any malicious attacks on networks and systems.

Software application at the end of the day coming in good towards minimizing any potential damage resulting from Worms, Trojans, Keystroke Loggers and Root Kits. But then as it is the case even though antivirus software installs are straightforwardly non-negotiable, the choices facing corporate anti-malware buyers are almost considered to be labyrinthine in their complexity.

Which antivirus solution to opt for?


Although it is possible to purchase single purpose antivirus solutions, a good majority of organizations find it easier to combine a number of functions into a single agent. For at the end of the day, benefits of any single agent include a smaller installation footprint and a single point of control for policy management.

However, names for a good deal of combined-function agents end up comprising of security suites, endpoint security and total protection. A bare minimum of what’s in a standard antivirus suite; inclusive of scanning for viruses as well as a personal firewall. And yes what’s more with such security suites considered to be mature in their overall orientation they have been offered by major players in a majority of antivirus industries over a number of years.

PCCare247 takes antivirus support to the next level


Taking multifunction antivirus support to the next level, companies such as PCCare247 have teamed up with names such as Avast to offer additional security controls comprising of full NAC integration (with quarantine and patching support), DLP (data loss prevention) functionality, file encryption Web2.0 (e. g. cross-site request forgery and cross-site scripting attacks) and browser protection, and messaging hygiene with anti-spam and instant messaging filtering. Controls one would end up considering as pivotal for safeguarding computers from a range of unscrupulous elements residing on the World Wide Web.

PCCare247 and Avast a force to reckon with in the antivirus industry have joined hands to offer computer users unique solutions for their fight against viruses, malwares and Trojans found in the cyber world. In fact, as it goes every solution offered guarantees PC users are bound to win their freedom against viruses.

Category: Antivirus, Online Security  | 65 Comments
Rogue Antivirus: A Wolf in Lamb’s skin
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 | Author:

Does antivirus becomes rogue? Strange Indeed! But, beware!! a disguised coaxer is in ambush to give a heavy blow to your PC’s security. That’s what a rogue antivirus is all about, a turncoat that emulates your ever-chum antivirus but spews out slow poison by opening a conduit for a whole armada of malware and viruses.

Who they exactly are?

An entirely dedicated class of these rogue antiviruses is being used by the charlatans to defeat the very purpose of internet security. The most exemplary among these hoodlums is fake antivirus (AV) software that hoodwinks by making you believe that your computer is actually under threat. This it does by generating fake alerts which forms the perfect cog of its mortis operandi. Your agony doesn’t stops here as once you are convinced that your machine is at stake, you are then made to buy the commercial versions of the software. A single click and you land up in a fool’s paradise, a false sense of security while your PC is being looted from multiple sides. That’s not all as some AV software have the inbuilt ability to install a backdoor to let in more of its accomplice into your PC.

The Three Inroads

Out of many possible ways-in there are these three most popular ones:

• Social Engineering Techniques

This is the one which we have just discussed in the passage above. A fake scan generated by malware intimidates that your PC has been infected and then the whole drama unfolds. One click and a bag of troubles is at your doorstop. Many of the cyber ruffians use this technique to get hold of your credentials.

• Drive by Download Attack

In this type of attack, a website packed with malicious scripts is used by the cons to amplify their reach. In such a case, efforts are put in to enchant the maximum web traffic on the malicious web page and to accomplish this Blackhat search engine technique is used. Popular keywords, search phrases and most importantly current affairs form the part and parcel of this technique. If done in a proper manner, the landing page is ranked high and large traffic is diverted to the malicious site which forms the bringer for further promulgation of the rogue antivirus.

• Botnets

Last but not the least; Botnets are especially effective in promulgating the infection through a collection of compromised computers. Large botnets like Conficker and Koobface are also known to install AV software in the machines attacked by them.

The Prophylaxis

Prevention is always better than cure. This mantra upholds even in the web world. And moreover it’s not a rocket science. Just a few tips to follow and that’s well enough to keep fake antivirus at bay. Here’s a few of these do’s and don’ts:

• A strong firewall is always recommended for a fortified PC, so be sure for this. Also, not to forget the strong and reliable antivirus and antispyware is a must for your PC.
• Always make a point not to open the illegitimate links. Open the ones on which you can bank upon. And, especially be at a safe distance from the pop-ups.

• If there is a virus alert, don’t try to further work upon it. Just strike CTRL+ALT+DELETE on your keyboard and try to locate the masquerading urchin from the list of currently running programmes on Windows Task Manager and then exterminate it. A call to your Computer tech support service provider is always recommended after this.

Category: Antivirus, Malware, Online Security  | Tags: Online Tech Support, PCCare247  | 52 Comments