Posts Tagged ‘Scanners’
Adware Scanners and How They Work
Article by garry
Adware scanner programs are advanced software used to protect your computer from malicious programs that can get in when you surf the web. An adware program looks in the smallest places on your hardisk looking for problems that can really trash your computer. Adware gives you the power to protect your computer while on the internet. They are similar to virus scanners in that they need regular updates to work properly to do their job. If you do not have the latest updates, a lot could get by and set up on your hard drive.
Why We Need Adware Protection?There are a lot of sneaky malicious programs on the web, and some of them install and you do not even know they are on your computer until you start getting strange e-mails and sometimes phone calls, or worse yet charges on your credit cards you know you did not make! These little programs are sending out your personal information to sneaky companies.
Tracking cookies are also something that comes with adware these track where you go and what you do on the Internet. They also slow down your computer. Exactly what they do is they take the info they gather and send it to marketing companies. If you like gamings, then chances are you will be inundated by pop ups for gaming when you go on the internet- this is because of the tracking cookies!
We cannot avoid the adware or cookies but with the software to detect them and remove them. We can stay ahead of the infestations with the adware protection and the virus programs. There are some very good FREE adware and virus programs you can find to use too without having to empty your wallet. Download.com has a good selection of free scanners to choose from. Personally, I use an adware scanner daily on my laptop, it is worth the time to run a quick check once a day and an in depth a couple times a week. It does slow you down a little but the trade off no pop-ups is well worth it.
The web browsers now have pop up blockers built into them, which is good, but they BLOCK them, not remove the reason you get them. Therefore, you may be saying I have them blocked, so no harm done. WRONG! The programs are still on your hard drive sending out the information even if the pop ups are blocked your info is still going out to cyberspace!
For more information on Adware and spyware scanners, please log on to http://www.smartimeinc.com. Smartime Inc. is a leading web designing, development and hosting company providing large assortment of services like web designing, site maintenance, Site marketing, promotion, Ecommerce, software development etc.
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Cybercriminals Use Counterfeit Anti-Virus Scanners to Extract Confidential User Information
Cybercriminals constantly find ways to exploit software vulnerabilities and user negligence to install malware or extract confidential information. While some of the scams have become common, cybercriminals tend to repackage, refine and make use of new themes to defraud users. In the recent times, cybercriminals have been quick to exploit events such as Royal Wedding and Osama bin Laden’s death. Cybercriminals try to lead users to malicious and fake sites through phishing, SEO poisoning and other techniques. One of the scams involves enticing customers to purchase fake anti-virus software. Internet security firm Trend Micro has identified a trend wherein cybercriminals attempt to monetize their schemes by creating accounts with FAKEAV affiliates. The affiliates provide URLs to the landing pages, which display fake anti-virus scanners. Researchers identified that most of the domain names are propagated within two days of their registration. Unwary Internet users, who click on a malicious link are redirected to a fake website, wherein they get a false virus alert and are enticed to purchase the fake scanner. The income generated is shared between the affiliates and other cybercriminals.
Security researchers at Sophos recently identified a scam, wherein Internet users allegedly receive an e-mail from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cleverly crafted e-mail by scammers attempts to scare users by informing them that their IP address has been logged on several illegal websites. The e-mail asks users to respond to their questions listed on the attached zip file. When susceptible Internet users download the file, they inadvertently download malicious software. The malware then alerts uses that their computers are infected with malware. The e-mail scares users to purchase counterfeit anti-virus scanners to safeguard their computers. Users are required to enter the names, addresses, credit card number, card expiry date and other personally identifiable information.
Internet users must be wary of social engineering schemes used by cybercriminals to extract sensitive information. They must avoid responding to e-mails from strangers. They must directly visit the website of a legitimate vendor to purchase and download anti-virus solution and programs. Social engineering techniques are also used to entice employees of an organization to reveal sensitive business information. Employees must be guided on the various security threats through training sessions, huddle meetings, e-learning programs and encouraging them to undertake online computer degree programs.
Security professionals qualified in IT masters degree may enable an organization to identify emerging Internet-based threats, update IT security policy and ensure proper adherence to security guidelines by employees. online technology degree programs may help IT professionals to update themselves on latest information security practices, and monitoring mechanisms.