Securing your Windows Machines
Comments OffAfter a Long day at work, you sometimes feel like there isn’t much you want to talk about. Then this idea comes to me? Why do people blog and why do people talk about security?
I’ve come to realize something, I’m not one who was grew up understanding bits from bytes. I grew up as any family does fighting with my siblings.
Having been blogging the past few years, it seems like only yesterday that I started blogging. Cliche I know but still very much true. Most blogs do what they know, I aim to learn and teach each day I blog. Like days like this when the world is pretty much quite and the remnants of the conficker worm dies to a rumble.
After a day long battle with my wife’s system, I grow to wonder if there is something I should do differently with how to prevent Viruses and Worms on her system. So I’ve groomed my Knowledge base and come up with 5 good points when it comes to locking down your Windows Machines:
Signs of a Computer Infection!
Comments OffSo I was thinking this morning what I missed and I totally missed on how you might be able to tell if you have a computer virus. It does me no good to talk about a virus if you don’t know you’re infected. I was thinking of the times I had a client who had trouble but wasn’t what I thought.
So How do you know?
Some people would say it depends on factors but here are what I call clues that make me suspect a virus:
- Slow or Sluggish computers – Here is what I know if the computer is really slowing down and have a dual core or quad core. If you are running a system and sees a lot of hard drive activity even when the computer is idle then it might be a virus or it could be a program doing what it is supposed to be doing. So this is somewhat of an indication but not always.
- Slow internet connection on the computer or on the network — Due to the fact that most people have a router that is connected to all the computers and if you internet connection on all your systems are slower than normal then you could have a virus. I use Speed Test website to help determine this.
Reports are coming in that WPA is no longer secure!
Comments OffAccording to a media reports, Erik Tews and Martin Beck claim that they have found a way to unlock the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) key, used by WPA, to read data sent from a wireless router to laptop computers. According to the researchers, the key can be cracked in 12-15 minutes.
[via Sophos]
According to Sophos, they are claim that people can now watch what you are doing on a Wireless router to a laptop. Although this isn’t to be unexpected this is a very serious out come. It is now easier to watch what people are doing online. So does that mean people can see everything you do? Not necessary. According to some people this is harder than it seems, most of the websites you visit are not encrypted, but websites that use the “https” protocol are more safer to use online. You should be safe if you are buying things online as long as you are sure it is secure. Some other steps to take to help make it harder to unencrypte your wireless single is to use Roboform promotion codes you will get for 10% or 20% off the purchase price!!
AT&T smacks the gauntlet at you!
Comments OffAccording to Cnet News:
The test, which began being applied in the Reno, Nev., area on Saturday, limits customers of AT&T’s slowest DSL service to 20 gigabytes of monthly data transfers, while users of the fastest service will be limited to 150 gigabytes. Customers will have access to an online tool to track their usage and will receive notification when they reach 80 percent. Those who exceed their limits will be charged $1 per gigabyte.
[Via Cnet News]
So you just received the information that AT&T is doing this. How do you want to keep track of your online usage. I’ve got some good tools to help you. Although they will only help to a certain point you must remember a few tips and these tips are:
- Limiting use of your Bandwidth!!
- Understanding your Wireless Router
- 10 Ways to keep your wireless router secure!
With these steps you would greatly increase stoping unnecessary use of your bandwidth. Most people don’t understand that any program you use on your network will be counted on the total bill. If you know of any good ways to help stop bandwidth by all means tell people and if you find any good programs that might help, please leave a comment.
Limiting Use of Your Bandwidth!!
Comments OffWith the Recent Comcast deciding to declare how much of bandwidth you can use. I decided to talk about how to limit your bandwidth. So Here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of your bandwidth:
Chapter 1 – Understanding your Wireless Router : This is a must. This chapter talks about how to access your router and and how what is an IP!!
Chapter 2 — 10 Ways to keep your wireless router Secure – This one will help with those pesky neighbors who are leeching of your internet and Bandwidth!
Chapter 3
- Turn off Auto Update to Unimportant programs : Having several programs checking for updates can start to add up. Although this is a small amount of bandwidth. It will give your that extra amount.
- When not using your Internet turn off your Modem : This one is the most useful because when your not using your internet just turning off the modem will prevent you from using to much bandwidth.
Is IPv6 a Problem or is it still in Beta?
Comments Off
Due to the high volume of people, I have thought of how best to go about describing my issue with my DSL router and why I”ve disabled IPv6!!! First off, I have a VISTA Premium System, with an OEM license. That isn’t nothing new. The problem is that if I use IPv6, I would constantly get no internet. I would always get local but not Internet. I didn’t know why until recently, and that was IPv6. It isn’t to say I don’t stop getting this. I still do but it is less of the problem. I could re-install the system and see if that fixes the problem.
Would that fix the problem?
Yes it probably would if it is a driver issue. I say it isn’t because if it was a driver issue I could just downgrade to an earlier driver, which there is none. I am going to guess that no one has done any new drivers for the IPv6 Since Vista came out. I don’t know why but with my DSL it has been an issue when I was on my cable. I recently switched, I had no problems.
Could it be my DSL Provider?
Understanding your wireless Router
Two things to understanding your wireless router is: secure your router and figure out what you router IP is. This can be difficult because a variety of routers use what they called the internal house IP’s. Check this site out for several brands of Routers, to figure out your router IP:
BTW you can see the default user and password for most of them, so that tells you how important it is to change those ASAP. <VERY IMPORTANT>
Now what are these used for? I’ll break it down for the novice users, these are used for your location router. A router monitors the network and directs traffic from the Internet to the computer needing that information. It then has to figure out which computer is asking or sending out packets. How does it know each computer, the router uses its’ own internal ip. It gives each computer a number, usually like something like this:
For Example, A Belkin Router:
- 192.168.1.2
- 192.168.1.3
- 192.168.1.4
- so on until 192.168.1.255
10 ways to keep your wireless router secure!!
Comments OffI have been doing quite a few router reworks. I’ve got a wireless G router from my DSL provider and Have had problems with someone in my neighborhood trying to get onto my router. They were trying everything. I wanted to give you some suggestions that would help you keep your secure and have some piece of mind!!
- Turn off Signal Identification (What your router name is)- By turning of the signal so no one can see the broadcast name will greatly make it harder for anyone to get onto your router.
- Change your router identification – Creating a unique router identification will also make it harder for anyone to guess router identification. Keep the identification something that is unidentifiable to the location where you live.
- USE WPA and not WEP – WEP has been cracked so if at all possible use WPA encryption and that too will make it harder for an unwanted guest.
- Use a Random Password Generator (Roboform an generate secure random passwords) ["Use one these promo codes to get it cheaper"] – By using a random password you prevent hackers from guessing the Network password of your WPA key.
