Mike, What should my Power settings be and how do I change these?

1. On your Desktop, right-click and select Properties.
2. Click on the Screen Saver tab.
3. At the bottom here, click on the Power button.
4. Check your settings under Power Schemes:
- Turn off monitor is typically 20 minutes.
- Turn off hard disks is typically None.
- System standby is typically 45 minutes.
- Under the Hibernate tab, make sure the box for Enable hibernate support is unchecked.
5. Select OK and OK again to exit.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, I just brought my new laptop home and it’s asking me for a key or passphrase to my wireless network. I have no idea what this is. Any insight?

I’ll keep my response basic and simple; choosing not to get into too much technical detail.

If you find you cannot connect to your wireless network (typically after introducing a new computer or other authorized computers into your network) because you do not know or have forgotten your Passphrase or Key, read on.

The simplest way to resolve this is to place your wireless device’s installation CD into a computer that has a direct cable connection to your wireless device. Install the software paying close attention to what type of encryption the software will install. If you use a Linksys device, you may wind up installing WPA encryption by default and the wireless device will more than likely choose a Passphrase for you. If you choose this method write the Passphrase down and keep it handy for future reference. An alternative is to set your encryption for WEP (64-bit) and enter a 10-digit number (such as a telephone number with area code) into the KEY 1 field. Regardless, if you use WEP be sure and enter the KEY 1 number under KEY and the WAP Passphrase under Passphrase. The two are not interchangeable.

This should resolve your issue, but if you want to learn more about this please read on.

A Passphrase or Key (I’ll simply call these access codes) refers to a means of securing your wireless network to prevent others within your geographical area from “dropping in” to use your connection or to break into your computer or network. Besides being a security and privacy risk, unauthorized connections can drag down your Internet and use up critical bandwidth.

There are three methods you can use to secure your wireless network from unauthorized use.

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the original, wireless privacy method that incorporates various levels of encryption. With WEP you can establish a level of network privacy that best suits you needs. The typical level of protection under WEP that I’ve seen is 64-bit encryption which translates to a 10-digit binary access code or KEY (the higher the encryption the slower your throughput). In larger installations, you can increase the encryption level to 128-bit and allow wireless network access by logical areas and sub-nets through the use of KEY numbers. But for home use I typically find that 64-bit WEP encryption through KEY 1 is a fairly safe level to use. Yes, there are crackers out there ready and willing to break into a wireless network, but these folks are more likely interested in the big payoff (companies).

A newer level of wireless security created to resolve issues with WEP encryption is WAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WAP/WAP2 was created to resolve critical security deficiencies in WEP with a renewed focus on protection as opposed to WEP Privacy.

Encryption for WAP is far more secure than WEP and should be a definite requirement for any medium to large businesses. WAP utilizes in-depth encryption algorithms to encrypt and decrypt wireless data when sending or receiving. Typically you can choose a pre-defined Passphrase (Pre-Shared Key or PSK) or a system generated Passphrase for each user. Regardless of which of these you choose write this Passphrase down and keep it secured and handy for future reference. WAP2 provides the strongest of the three encryption methods incorporating more algorithms than WAP thereby guaranteeing the ultimate in secured protection for your network.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, What are cookies?

Cookies are used by web sites and web site advertisers to collect information (there’s that word again) about your system. I suggest you make a change in your Internet Explorer options that could be quit entertaining to you:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Pull down the Tools menu and select Internet Options...
3. Click on the Privacy tab then click the Advanced… button.
4. Under the Advanced Privacy Settings window you will no doubt see that Override automatic cookie handling is unchecked. Check this now.
5. Under First-party Cookies, leave this checked. Under Third-party Cookies check Prompt.
6. Click Okay and Okay again.

Now, go out and surf the Internet. I would bet that within minutes of surfing an IE window will pop-up and alert you that (n) is requesting to save a file on your computer and ask you if you want to allow this or block this. On the Smiley Central site, I encountered:

Ø Ads.digitalpoint.com (1 time)
Ø Apmebf.com (2 times)
Ø Qksrv.net (2 times)
Ø Hermoment.com (2 times)

Even visiting a Spy-ware Protection site (spywareonline.org) I was hit with Counter2.hitslink.com (4 times) and when returning, Zedo.com (6 times).

Now most of these will relate to “pop-ups” which will advertise other sites. When these pop-ups occur you will be hit with even more cookie requests and the cycle continues.

So I think we all need to stop and ask ourselves, “Even though the web site says they do not track or capture information about me, what do I know about them and how much do I trust them? I’ve never dealt with them directly, I do not know their intent, nor do I know their personal integrity. Am I willing to take the chance that they are telling me the truth?"

If you want to simply block these cookie requests silently, follow the steps above and check, Block. However, if you like having unknown companies load cookies onto your system, simply check Allow.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Update 2005: Viruses and Parasites - What's a EULA?

The good news is Viruses seem to be passé, although still with us. The bad news is Parasites are on the rise.

Parasites: those pesky spy-wares, ad-wares, key-stroke loggers, mal-wares, trojan horses, and worms are still going strong. As Michael Gregg of High-Performance Network Tips reports on March 23, 2005, “While spyware programs are nothing new, they continue to grow in virulence and sophistication. Anyone that uses a computer and the Internet should be aware of the risk these programs present. While they can be troublesome to the home user, they can pose an even bigger risk to a corporate network.”

Why? Because Parasite writers themselves have become more sophisticated.
In the old world order, Virus writers reveled in destroying information. In the new world order, Parasite writers have shown us that information is important and can be profitable…to the right people. Imagine being able to dip down into the bowls of an operating system while quietly, and systematically, collecting critical personal and company information to either sell or otherwise use for your own gain. For home users this could mean stealing credit card information, bank account numbers, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and contacts. For business users this could mean lifting customer lists, getting into bank accounts, stealing passwords, employee lists, addresses, phone numbers, and financial information. All of which is a sellable commodity to advertisers, marketers, identity thieves, investors, the competition, recruiting companies, even to the federal government.

The more holes we seem to plug the more that new ones open up. It is impossible today to restrict everything, yet that is almost exactly what we would need to do in order to protect ourselves. Of course we all know this is not viable, so we need to depend on software and hardware companies and products to help us stay safe. But we also need to take responsibility for our own actions.
Most spy-ware for instance, is legitimately downloaded to your computer at your approval. That’s right, you approved of it. Take those seemingly innocent smiley faces, those cute little mode-icons, or even music and movie downloads. In almost all cases you were presented with what is called a EULA (End User License Agreement) to approve or deny. Have you ever completely read one through? Hidden among the legal-eeze you will most likely find a paragraph that specifically states that you are giving the web site authorization to download and install certain softwares onto your computer to be used to track and report on your buying or surfing habits.

Here is the paragraph listed at the bottom of the Smiley Faces web site that most users will not read. I’ve highlighted it in red:

Please read carefully. By clicking the "Click Here"button above and downloading Smiley Central, I accept and agree to abide by the End User License Agreement
Click on End User License Agreement above to view the entire EULA.

Among other notices and conditions, the Smiley Central EULA cites,

“MY WEB SEARCH BROWSER COMBINED END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT/ TERMS OF SERVICE/AND PRIVACY POLICY IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BY CLICKING ON THE "SUBMIT", "DOWNLOAD", "I ACCEPT" OR SUCH SIMILAR BUTTON OR LINK AS MAY BE DESIGNATED FOR PURPOSES OF INITIATING THE DOWNLOAD OF THE ACCOMPANYING SOFTWARE
PRODUCT AND SERVICES (WHICH CONSIST OF THE "MY WEB SEARCH BROWSER", ITS ASSOCIATED FEATURES DESCRIBED BELOW AND "EASY INSTALLER") (COLLECTIVELY, THE "SOFTWARE") OR BY USING THE SOFTWARE, THE END USER ("YOU") AGREES TO BE LEGALLY
BOUND BY THE MY WEB SEARCH BROWSER COMBINED END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT/TERMS OF SERVICE/AND PRIVACY POLICY (THE "AGREEMENT").
THE SOFTWARE INCLUDES A SUITE OF FEATURES TO IMPROVE YOUR ONLINE EXPERIENCE. THESE FEATURES INCLUDE MYWEBSEARCH™, SMILEYCENTRAL™, CURSOR MANIA™, FUN BUDDY ICONS™, HISTORYSWATTER™, MY INFO™, MY MAIL NOTIFIER™, MY MAIL SIGNATURE™, MY MAIL STAMP™, MY FUN CARDS™, MY MAIL STATIONARY™, POPSWATTER™, POPULARSCREENSAVERS™ AND SEARCH ASSISTANT. ALL OF THESE FEATURES ARE INCLUDED IN THE SOFTWARE AND ARE COVERED BY THIS AGREEMENT.”

So yes, the smiley face icons you requested will be downloaded… along with 14 to 15 other programs that you probably did not want. Some, or all, of these products may be classified as spy-ware. Take the reference above for MY WEB BROWSER. This is known spy-ware that can easily track and report back your web surfing habits as it is a plug-in to Internet Explorer.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: http://www.itcaz.com/
Email: mike@itcaz.com

ITC Newsletter - September 29, 2007

Okay, okay; it’s been awhile since I last dropped you a line, but great news, “I’m still here and in January ’08 I celebrate my seventh year in Computer Services consulting!” I know it’s exciting for you too, but calm down; I have important stuff to write you about.

I’ve hemmed and hawed this past year over building my new website; whether it should be more business focused or customer focused. Well I finally hawed and decided on customer focus and am happy to tell you it’s ready to go. I have a new logo, an expanded company name, color scheme and content so take a moment to check it out here: http://www.itcaz.com.

Some of my new features include Blogs where I write about specific technology issues and answer any questions you have, new service packages that include pre-paying for support hours at an great discount, gift certificates for family, friends, coworkers, and others, New Live Remote and Phone Support services, a top-ten list of the latest Windows news, top-ten virus concerns, an ITC search engine, a Free Popular Downloads area and a place to link to research sites. I can’t wait for your feedback!

And if you have a Home or Small Office or Business and want to advertise on itcaz.com drop me a line. I’d be happy to include a link to your website or a small ad.

Now down to serious business…
If you’re in the market for a new computer you may be in for a big surprise. If you don’t already know Microsoft pulled all of its XP operating systems from the shelves earlier this year, so you are left (stuck?) with Vista. Now I’m not writing that Vista is all that bad, but it certainly has its fair share of flaws (unplanned features?). The problem stems from Microsoft’s arrogance and rush to release (behind schedule) that they forgot to tell all the third party vendors that they were releasing Vista early. What’s the issue? Well these third party vendors never had a chance to complete (or even begin!) to write new peripheral drivers (for video, printers, disks, scanners, etc.) so Vista was initially released without these. Of course Vista has its own set of problems and idiosyncrasies, but this just makes matters even worse. Oh, talk about upset customers and vendors! My, my, my Bill… haven’t you learned yet?

Don’t dismay though, there are alternatives to Vista and its called XP Home and XP Professional. Yup, good ole XP is still available, but you have to know where to go and how to get it. I know of three computer vendors that still offer XP Home and XP Professional on their website. These are HP, Dell, and Lenovo and I’m sure there are more. In the case of HP and Dell, go to their website and opt to view Small Business computers. When you select one of interest and view the options, you’ll see that you are offered XP. Check it out. There’s more than one way to skin a Gates.

Speaking of Lenovo ThinkPad Notebooks (IBM); I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about these and wish I had purchased my laptop from them. ;)

On the security front…
Infections are still here and growing steadily. I reported an article about two years ago that stated organized crime was getting into the Spam and Spyware market and this month a news segment confirms they are here and doing well. Trojans continue to dominate the infections through bogus emails, Internet pop-ups, and dangerously infected sites. One thing you really need to be careful of is getting a pop-up window that says your computer is or may be infected and to Click Here for a free scan. Of course, the entire window is a button and by clicking anywhere other than the X (close the window in the upper right corner) will download the infection. The latest of these Zlog which downloads a Trojan called Antivirgear. The most prevalent so far is the Vundo infection, so if you see these give me a call.

Some of you are still out there surfing the web without protection. For all of us, basic protection should include an anti-virus and anti-parasite product. Improvements over this include a software firewall. If you haven’t renewed your existing protection, or haven’t yet acquired one (arghh), an alternative is AVG’s Free Spyware and Virus protection. Check the home page of itcaz.com for the Free Popular Downloads area and get protected today!

Symantec has finally simplified their product with the introduction of Norton 360 (meaning full circle I guess). I think what has hurt Symantec/Norton over the past few years has been the complicated and frustrating Internet Security product. I’m glad to see they’ve finally realized this.

Tips
If you’re using wireless in your home or office, be sure to turn on encryption in order to secure your computer and protect your Internet connection so nearby neighbors (and other snoops) don’t get a free ride. Give me a call if you need help on this. A typical wireless setup usually takes me between 30 and 45 minutes to setup and install.

If you’ve downloaded Windows IE7 and are as disappointed as I was, you can always remove it and automatically revert back to IE6. Just go to your Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs and remove it. To prevent this from being offered a download in the future, uncheck the option to install this now and you’ll be asked if you want Windows to ignore this in the future. Most definitely say yes.

One of easiest and best ways to keep unwanted sites and downloads from coming into your computer (as well as going out) is to populate your Hosts file. You can read my Blog here for more information and a link to download a Hosts file already populated with a large number of known infectors.

Did you know you really don’t have to enter a full web address into your URL? As long as the address ends in “.com” you need only to enter the site name (such as msn or itcaz), hold down your control key and press Enter. IE will fill in the rest. There’s an IE setting for this and is usually turned on. Let me know if this doesn’t work for you and I’ll send you instructions on how to turn it on.

I don’t want to make this email too long, so I’ll cut off here. Please remember to send me your questions and I’ll Blog an answer for you.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, What is TeamViewer and how do I install and use it?

TeamViewer is one of many tools available that allows you access to your computer remotely through an Internet connection from anywhere in the world. Remote access is the commonly used phrase, but in reality you are not accessing your computer directly. These remote tools allow you and your computer to meet in "cyberspace" though a secured and encrypted third-party server via the Internet.

I have tested, evaluated, and used several of the most common tools out there such as LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and found TeamViewer not only easy to setup and use, but the price is just right. Unlike the most popular pay-for-use tools out there today, the folks at TeamViewer offer their product for residential use free of charge. But don't worry about TeamViewer; they make their big bucks from corporate licenses.

Downloading and Installing TeamViewer
Note: In order to operate TeamViewer, you will need to perform the following on both your home computer and the computer you intend to use remotely.

Open www.itcaz.com and click on TeamViewer Remote Access in the Free Download area. Follow instructions below or follow the on-screen prompts:

1. Select to Open and the install process will begin.
2. Click Next to continue…
3. Read through the EULA (End User License Agreement), and choose, “I accept the terms in the license Agreement” and click Next or Cancel if you’re not sure. I’ve read the EULA and it pertains mostly to the commercial use of this free product.
4. Select, Host mode installation in Choose Installation Type and click Next.
5. Set your private password here and click Next. Use a password with a combination of at least six letters and numbers and write this down for reference.
6. Click Next to continue.
7. Click Install…
8. And then Next to complete the process.
9. Click Finish.
   

Using TeamViewer
After the installation you'll see two new icons show up in your System Tray. One is the TeamViewer application and the other is your remote connection (DynGate). Roll your cursor over the TeamViewer icons and you’ll see two sets of numbers. They might look like this: 1282213, 192.168.1.100. The first set of numbers (before the comma) is your TeamViewer computer id number. The second set of numbers will be your local computer’s network address. Write your TeamViewer computer id number down and keep it with you.

To access your home computer remotely:

1. Ensure TeamViewer is running (you’ll see the two icons in your System Tray) on both your home and remote computer. Note: Make sure your home computer is not set to Hibernate as this may cause your computer to be inaccessible.
2. On your remote computer, right-click on the TeamViewer icon and select Request Connection.
3. On the left under Your Details is your local computer’s information. On the right under Partner Details is the computer id number of your home computer. Enter this now.
4. Select which connection mode you prefer to work in and click on Connect to Partner.
5. If all is successful, you will be asked for the password you provided to your home computer. Enter this now and click Login.

You should now see the desktop of your remote, home computer. Familiarize yourself with the various tools and commands at the top of the screen and simply disconnect when you’re through working.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: http://www.itcaz.com/
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, What is DNS and what does it do?

The term, DNS (Domain Name Service) is nothing more than an extremely large Hosts file that resides at a specific Internet Address for a specific server and contains host translations. Let me explain...

The true network address for any web site is really a set of four, three-digit numbers separated by periods; leading zeros are truncated. In the case of www.yahoo.com, its main Internet Address is 209.131.36.158. But it’s impractical for users of the World Wide Web to remember all of the variations of Internet Addresses (gets really cumbersome), so these need to be translated into an alias (nick) name for ease of use.

To gain a visual on this, open your Internet Browser, enter http://209.131.36.158/ into your URL address bar, and press GO. If you did this right http://www.yahoo.com/ should show up.

So how does it know this?

The DNS provided to you by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will translate 209.131.36.158 to http://www.yahoo.com/, 74.125.19.104 to http://www.google.com/, etc. And whenever you see a DNS error on a web page it usually means the translation does not exist (no such website) or the DNS address provided to you by your ISP is either down, missing, or is incorrect.

What do you do in these instances?

Call your ISP and explain the issue. Let them troubleshoot and investigate the problem. Chances are the solution is a simple fix.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona

Office/Fax: 602-375-7934

Mobile: 602-684-7501

Web Site: http://www.itcaz.com/

Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, How can I manage what programs are started when I boot my computer?

On Windows XP (and above) there is a command called MSCONFIG. MSCONFIG allows you to change all boot settings on your computer including Services and Start up programs. Be careful though, changing other boot settings can cause problems and may even prevent your computer from starting up.

• Go to Start and select Run.
• Enter msconfig in the address window that pops up and press OK.
• Click on the Start up tab.

The entries here are all programs that are set to start when you boot your computer. Now, each of these programs (while needed in some cases) merely work to drag down the performance of your computer so read through these carefully and choose wisely which ones you want to start and which ones you want to turn off. Note, turning these programs off does not remove them from your computer.

Each entry contains three bits of information:

• Item
• Command
• Location

To the left of these is a check-box. Checked items are turned on, unchecked items are turned off.

Usually the Start up Item is intuitive enough for you to get an idea of what the program is (such as Adobe, Microsoft Office, etc.). But if you need more information to identify the program, look at the Command column. To do this, locate the small, vertical lines between the columns, hold down your left mouse button and drag this to the right to increase the column width.

Which items should you leave turned on? A rule of thumb is to always allow programs related to Windows Updates, Firewalls, Virus and Spy ware protection to start up when your computer boots. Secondary, is to keep programs turned on that you'll need for productivity enhancement such as Scanners, Printers, Faxes, and such. All other programs can be turned off, but if you find you need them, go in and simply turn these back on.

When done click OK and then Restart.

When your computer reboots, a message window will pop up from your System Configuration Utility alerting you that settings have changed using your System Configuration Utility. Click on "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" and then click OK.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, What is a "Hosts" file and what is it for?

Consider you move from 123 Main Street to 456 Elm Ave. To ensure you get your forwarding mail you notify the U.S. Post Office of your change of address. The Hosts file acts in a similar manner. It is a file found on every Windows operating system that checks incoming and outgoing traffic for forwarding addresses. The Hosts file contains two entries: A From entry and a To entry separated by a tab, so if traffic comes into 123 Main Street the Hosts file forwards it to 456 Elm Ave. But to better understand the Hosts file function you first need to understand that the World Wide Web is not based on www URL addresses as we’re all used to using.

Every web site in the world is identified by a unique set of four numbers containing three characters (zeros are truncated) separated by a period. These addresses are often referred to as IP Addresses, Internet Addresses, or Network Addresses. For instance, Yahoo’s Internet Address is 209.131.36.158. Try it out; type 209.131.36.158 into the URL address bar on your web browser. Yahoo.com opened didn’t it? Here’s another one, my Internet Address is 216.185.128.200. Now this doesn’t work with all addresses as many are hidden behind layers of security, but you get the idea.

If you never setup your Hosts file this is what you’d typically see if you viewed it:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

The entry for localhost is the computer you are on. The address 127.0.0.1 points to itself and we call this a “black hole” or a “loop back”. Anything referring to localhost or 127.0.0.1 is flushed from the computer. Knowing this, we can block (or filter) access to specific web sites, so let’s consider blocking www.myspace.com:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

127.0.0.1 www.myspace.com

127.0.0.1 myspace.com

The reason I have two entries here for myspace is to ensure the above formats are both blocked (www. is unnecessary to type in today as it is assumed).

Does this mean you or I have to enter every possible combination of every potentially unsafe web site? No, there are many ways of populating your Hosts file with templates already out on the web.

If you use SpyBot S&D you can download SpyBot’s Hosts file or you can search the web for any number of free Hosts file sources. But probably the most popular Hosts file source comes from www.mvps.org. You can download this using a zip/unzip program (such as WinZip) at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip. If you don’t have a zip/unzip program you can open the MVPS Hosts file in plain text here: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt. For more information and instructions on how to download and install this file, go to: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, I’ve heard that you should leave your computer on all night and then again you should always keep it off when not in use. Which is correct?

They both are.

There two reasons for keeping your computer running 24x6:

1. Each time you start your computer, or any electronic device for that matter, you wear down the internal components. The surge of electricity and cold starting is usually the culprit. Although the wear is minor, over time it can take its toll.

2. Early in the morning is the best time for your computer to run Windows updates, virus and parasite scans, and system utilities. This has the least impact on your computing usage time.

The flip side to this is power consumption. If your computer could utilize EnergyStar, then this wouldn’t be an issue. For now you have three options:

1. Turn off your computer each night and allow the updates and scans to take place the next time you turn your computer back on. (Not preferred since this will slow you down while these are taking place), or

2. Leave your computer running and shut off your monitor (or set your monitor to Stand-By), or

3. Set both your computer and monitor to Stand-By. (Note: This option may require a BIOS settings change to wake your computer up when the time is ready.)

Now, I mention 24x6 above. Regardless of which option you choose you will need to restart your computer once each week. Windows seems to have a problem losing memory. The longer Windows is running without a restart, the slower it will perform.

Final note, be sure to shut off your computer, monitor, printer, and any other devices if you are going to be gone for a day or two and especially if you’ll be gone longer.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, Why isn’t my anti-virus picking up all infections?

Infections are broken down into two categories:

1. Viruses
2. Parasites

We all know about virus infections that can cripple computers, bring down networks, and steal our information. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this at one time or another, but little has been written about Parasites other than Spy-Ware or Ad-Ware. Parasites are not viruses and therefore will not show up on virus scans unless the anti-virus software you use specifically targets these in addition to viruses. Parasites include infections such as:

1. Ad-Ware
2. Spy-Ware and Key-Loggers
3. Mal-Ware (malicious)
4. Trojan Horses
5. Hijackers
6. Worms

Spy-Ware and Ad-Ware are two of the most commonly known infections.

Ad-Ware installs itself within your Internet Browser to keep track of what Internet sites you visit (builds a profile of your surfing habits) and reports these back to its creator; most likely an Internet marketing company. We’ve all seen these types of “browser helpers” suddenly show up on our Internet Browser tool bars offering quick searches, current whether information, news headlines, and others. For advertisers this information is used in many ways and helps them determine how successful their products or services are, how many people access, buy, and use these products or services, and keeps a tab on the competition. Unfortunately, these marketing companies download your surfing profile onto your computer and begin a series of specific “pop-ups” design to interest you while browsing the Internet. Pop-ups are not as prevalent today as they were in years past due mostly to pop-up blockers.

Spy-Ware is an infection that is installed through browser helpers (as discussed above), but instead of keeping track of marketing trends this infection allows others to keep track of where you’ve been for the purpose of gathering personal data. If significant, this data can be used to steal personal information for the purposes of identity theft. If you combine a Spy-Ware with a Key-Logger infection, then you have real troubles.

Key-Logger (also known as Keystroke-Logger) is a very dangerous infection that keeps track of what you type in for the purposes of identifying bank account numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers, and more. While most of the sites you visit or buy from today have secured and encrypted web sites (look for the gold padlock in the browsers lower-right corner), there are still some sites that do not secure your information and still others who use these sites steal your identity (see my write-up on Phising). Mal-Ware is simply malicious. This type of infection, while not terribly dangerous, is annoying it can cost you time and money in order to rid it from your computer. The trademark of a Mal-Ware infection is usually related to:

1. Loss of audio/sound on your computer
2. Disabled devices such as a DVD or CD player
3. Removal of critical system drivers
4. Critical system software (such as DLL files) removed or renamed which causes you to perform a system restore or full system recovery

A Trojan Horse infection is a clever vehicle used by infectors for delivering underlying infections as its name implies.
A Trojan will embed itself deep within your system files and will release its payload (infection) when your computer next starts up. You may have experienced one when your anti-virus software runs, finds a virus, and quarantines the infection only to have it return once you have restarted your computer. Subsequent cleaning of the infection will continue after each restart until you locate and destroy the Trojan as well. A Trojan is the most difficult infection to clean out manually in that the Trojan’s name is not the name of the infection(s) it releases. Therefore you can remove the Trojan and still have the infection or visa-versa.

A Hijacker can infect you through a direct download from an infected web site or email, and it may be accompanied by a Worm (see below). The purpose for a Hijacker is to take either full or partial control of your computer. In one case I witnessed the Hijacker goes into a company computer, changed all the root passwords to the servers and network devices, setup a private network to him/her and began working away. Of course working away could mean simply using your computer’s CPU power for their own purpose, copying sensitive and confidential information off the servers, installing worms that crawl through the network infecting desktop computers, or simply using your computing power to distribute Spam or other infections. A second case involved a home computer that downloaded a remote terminal service, established a private connection to the Internet, changed the passwords to their Outlook email, and began using their computer to send out Spam. To get rid of the Hijacker means disconnecting from the Internet, shutting down all network gear, restoring each server/computer back to a prior date or performing a full system recovery on each, and setting network gear back to factory defaults and reprogramming; very time consuming and (in the case of the company above) very costly.

A Worm is an infection (utility) used by infectors to populate itself and its infection. Once found, a worm is nasty infection to eradicate and in most cases it’s already too late by the time you realize it’s been there. Worms can populate viruses, Trojan Horses, Hijackers, and other infections quickly and quietly. Although Worms are typically network related they have also been found to be the culprit behind Outlook infections using ones own Address Book to distribute itself.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com

Mike, What is Phishing?

Phishing (pronounced Fishing) is a method used by identity thieves to steal your personal information. Phishers (once using pop-ups) now use email as a means to trick you into linking to their site and freely giving them what it is they want.

I’m sure we now all know about the famous Nigerian scams that have plagued our email boxes over the past years. Today, Phishers have gotten much more sophisticated.

You might receive an email from an unknown bank (one you’ve never heard of) enticing you to follow their link in order to update your personal information on a bank account you never had. Silly I know, but each year thousands of people fall into this trap even though they admit they’ve never heard of this bank and certainly never had an account there. They just felt that maybe someone made a mistake or a long gone family member had a secret bank account that no one knew of. The underlying need to get something for free (greed?) leads them right into the Phishers trap.

Others receive emails from presumed official sites asking for personal information. These include phony emails and links to Microsoft, AOL, city and federal Government, your own bank, lending companies, and the list goes on. Here’s one very important way you can identify a scam and keep your information protected: Your bank, the Government, Microsoft, AOL, your employer, and all the others will never, ever solicit you via email (or telephone for that matter) and ask you to give up your personal information. Logic and common sense wins out every time.

ITC Computer Services of Arizona
Office/Fax: 602-375-7934
Mobile: 602-684-7501
Web Site: www.itcaz.com
Email: mike@itcaz.com