Articles from April 2010
April 27, 2010 | Posted by admin
Passwords are a common form of authentication and are often the only barrier between a user and your personal information. There are several programs attackers can use to help guess or “crack” passwords, but by choosing good passwords and keeping them confidential, you can make it more difficult for an unauthorized person to access your [...]
Categories: General | 
Tags: choosing good passwords, computer clarity, confidential information, How to choose a good password, How to protect your password, online computer security, passwords, PIN, protecting passwords, remote computer services, secure your computer | 
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April 23, 2010 | Posted by admin
Staying Safe on Social Network Sites The popularity of social networking sites continues to increase, especially among teenagers and young adults. The nature of these sites introduces security risks, so you should take certain precautions. What are social networking sites? Social networking sites, sometimes referred to as “friend-of-a-friend” sites, build upon the concept of traditional [...]
Categories: General | Tags: chat rooms, communities, computer clarity, connection, customized applications, email, establishing business connections, forums, impersonate, instant messenger, internet safety, malicious intent, misleading information, predators, protect your account, remote computer security, social networking, social networking sites, subgroups, update definitions, use strong passwords | No Comments »
April 20, 2010 | Posted by admin
Understanding Hidden Threats: Corrupted Software Files Malicious code is not always hidden in web page scripts or unusual file formats. Attackers may corrupt types of files that you would recognize and typically consider safe, so you should take precautions when opening files from other people. What types of files can attackers corrupt? An attacker may [...]
Categories: General | Tags: altering files, anti-virus software, automatic updates, computer access, computer clarity, computer freeze, consuming memory, corrupted software files, cosuming bandwidth, deleting files, do not open email attachments, hidden threats, install software patches, installing files, remote computer security, remove the virus, security settings, web site certificate | No Comments »
April 15, 2010 | Posted by admin
Why is Cyber Security a Problem? You’ve heard the news stories about credit card numbers being stolen and email viruses spreading. Maybe you’ve even been a victim yourself. One of the best defenses understands the risks, what some of the basic terms mean, and what you can do to protect yourself against them. What is [...]
Categories: General | Tags: apply updates and patches, computer clarity, computer intruder, computer protection, cyber security, cyber security tips, detecting computer problems, erasing your operating system, exploit weaknesses in software, hacker, internet precautions, malicious codes, online communication, preventing computer attacks, programming errors in software, remote computer repair, responding to computer attacks, vulnerable computer systems | No Comments »
April 12, 2010 | Posted by admin
Spam is a common, and often frustrating, side effect to having an email account. Although you will probably not be able to eliminate it, there are ways to reduce it. What is spam? Spam is the electronic version of “junk mail.” The term spam refers to unsolicited, often unwanted, email messages. Spam does not necessarily [...]
Categories: General | Tags: check privacy policies, computer clarity, computer protection, electronic junk mail, filtering spam, free email accounts, HTML mail, links, privacy settings, protecting your privacy, spam, spam filters, spam folders, unsolicited email, unsubscribe, valid addresses | No Comments »
April 10, 2010 | Posted by admin
Anti-virus software can identify and block many viruses before they can infect your computer. Once you install anti-virus software, it is important to keep it up to date. What does anti-virus software do? Although details may vary between packages, anti-virus software scans files or your computer’s memory for certain patterns that may indicate an infection. [...]
Categories: General | Tags: anti-virus vendors, antivirus software, automatic scans, become infected, computer clarity, definitions, harddrive, manual scans, online computer security, receive updated virus definitions, signatures, software scans, understanding anti virus software | No Comments »
April 8, 2010 | Posted by admin
While email attachments are a popular and convenient way to send documents, they are also a common source of viruses. Use caution when opening attachments, even if they appear to have been sent by someone you know. Why can email attachments be dangerous? Some of the characteristics that make email attachments convenient and popular are [...]
Categories: General | Tags: address book, administrator privileges, antivirus software, computer clarity, computer screen, email attachments, email seems suspicious, infect a computer, restricted privileges, scan, unsolicited attachments, unsolicited emails, user-friendly, virus | No Comments »
April 6, 2010 | Posted by admin
When vendors become aware of vulnerabilities in their products, they often issue patches to fix the problem. Make sure to apply relevant patches to your computer as soon as possible so that your system is protected. What are patches? Similar to the way fabric patches are used to repair holes in clothing, software patches repair [...]
Categories: General | Tags: check for updates, computer clarity, online computer repair, patches, program vulnerability, protect your computer, remote security, software patches, software patches repair holes, upgrade, upgrades software, Windows OS system | No Comments »
April 3, 2010 | Posted by admin
The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail. The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail. The IRS does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts. Report suspicious e-mails and bogus IRS Web sites to phishing@irs.gov. If you receive [...]
Categories: General, Viruses, Spyware, and Other Malicious Software | Tags: bogus irs web sites, computer clarity, e-mail scams, irs, online remote security, phishing, remote online security, suspicious emails | No Comments »
April 1, 2010 | Posted by admin
419 Advanced Fee Frauds These schemes are quite elaborate and despite their somewhat preposterous appearance manage to hook a surprising number of victims. Essentially, these scams attempt to entice the victim into a bogus plot to acquire and split a large sum of cash. Many perpetrators of this kind of fraud have been Nigerian citizens. [...]
Categories: General, Viruses, Spyware, and Other Malicious Software | Tags: 419, 419 fee frauds, bogus, computer clarity, Computer Security, email scams, extortion, fraud, inbox, nigerian banks, online fraud, online scams, online security, phony, remote online protection, remote security, scams, victim | No Comments »