Actsolution » Computer Security http://www.actsolution.net/blog Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:34:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 What happens next? http://www.actsolution.net/blog/what-happens-next http://www.actsolution.net/blog/what-happens-next#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:25:15 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=304 Your computer is running slower than normal, programs keep crashing, and those pesky pop-ups aren’t being blocked anymore. You determine you have a virus on your computer. So what now? What is the next step?
The first step is determining what kind of virus you have. A virus is a program. Very simple. Every program has a function. Different viruses function differently and have different purposes. The most annoying type of virus would be something called “Adware”. Then the most sneaky and hard to get rid of are called “Spyware”. There are many others. Many times they are designed to sell you things, damage your computer, or just annoy you. Viruses can be acquired through many places such as attack sites, fake emails, fake pop ups, and even fake software for your computer.
If you have a virus and access to IT support, for example at work, contact them immediately. If you are going to get someone else to help you, it is probably best to switch off your computer and stop using it until they arrive. Some of the following measures require internet access, but if you are not using the internet and have to leave the computer on, disconnect the internet connection.
Tech experts will detect and remove all spyware and viruses from your computer. They will optimize your firewall and schedule automated virus, spyware, and adware scans, as well as assist in installing the latest antivirus software on your PC.
Getting a virus is awful but it doesn’t have to be the worst thing with good technical support.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/what-happens-next/feed 105 Free and Paid Anti-Virus – The Differences http://www.actsolution.net/blog/free-and-paid-anti-virus-%e2%80%93-the-differences http://www.actsolution.net/blog/free-and-paid-anti-virus-%e2%80%93-the-differences#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:35:59 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=244 Many people wonder if it is worth it to download any of those free anti-virus programs out there or just go out and purchase one at fifty dollars. Most people would rather go with downloading the free anti-virus instead because of budget and convenience and that is just fine. There are small differences when it comes to the free one and the kind that you pay for. Free anti virus programs have less features and are usually downgraded from the paid for one, some slightly downgraded to others that only just detect and do not do anything about it until you pay for the subscription.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/free-and-paid-anti-virus-%e2%80%93-the-differences/feed 0 Get an Antivirus For Free http://www.actsolution.net/blog/get-an-antivirus-for-free http://www.actsolution.net/blog/get-an-antivirus-for-free#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:23:36 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=195 When the free trial of antivirus expires on new computers, most users turn to free antivirus software available for download online. Though they aren’t as secure and efficient as the paid software, many people would rather take the risk than to pay for one. PC World, teaming up with AV-Test.org of Germany, put some of the currently available free antivirus software against each other. Each software’s scan speed, detection rates and ability to stop malware was tested. Results showed Avira Antivirus Personal and Alwil Avast Antivirus Home Edition as the top two and were given “superior” ratings. AVG 8.5 Free and Microsoft Security Essentials Beta, being the next two, were given “very good” ratings.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/get-an-antivirus-for-free/feed 3 Spyware, Spyware…EVERYWHERE! http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-spyware-everywhere http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-spyware-everywhere#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:45:51 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=183 These days, spyware is everywhere. As Anti-Spyware programs get stronger, spyware continues to become trickier. Because of this, you simply cannot rely on running a spyware scanner to tel you if you have a spyware infection or not. You need to be able to notice other signs that you may have some type of spyware infection. Let’s face it, unless you have some type of spyware guard that runs 24/7, it’s possible you will get an infection between scans with whichever spyware scanner you use. And if you go weeks between scans, the spyware could really harm your computer.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-spyware-everywhere/feed 0 Plagued With a Virus or Malware Infestation? http://www.actsolution.net/blog/plagued-with-a-virus-or-malware-infestation http://www.actsolution.net/blog/plagued-with-a-virus-or-malware-infestation#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:43:24 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=181 Is your PC running slow or doing strange things? You may have been infected by a virus or malware infestation. First off, you need to install an anti virus and malware program that works. There are a lot of free ones available. However, the free ones have limited functionality. For effective support it it best to purchase a know working software that will do the job. If your software detects a virus or malware, your software usually can remove it for you into quarantine. Sometimes, however, the infection cannot be removed by the program. If this is the case do a Google search by using the virus name to search for a removal tool or solution.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/plagued-with-a-virus-or-malware-infestation/feed 0 The War Against Conficker http://www.actsolution.net/blog/the-war-against-conficker http://www.actsolution.net/blog/the-war-against-conficker#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:08:29 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=116 A software program named Conficker easily gained global attention as it quickly infected millions of computers with a program designed to link together all the infected machines into a powerful “being” called a botnet. This plague, if you will, has brought together some of the world’s best computer security experts to form the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, they refer to themselves as the Conficker Cabal. Microsoft has even offered a reward of $250,000 for any information aiding the capture of the author of Conficker. As of now, the team of experts have not yet been able to find out the location of the author(s) or whether it is being run by one individual or a group of hackers.

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/the-war-against-conficker/feed 2 Spyware Vs Adaware http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-and-adaware-approaches-and-resolutions http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-and-adaware-approaches-and-resolutions#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:57:19 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=53 Today’s spyware and adware infections are among the common and dangerous threats on the internet. Modern spyware, adware, browser hijackers and information thieves became more harmful than “traditional” viruses and worms. Using up-to-date antivirus software will give you the feeling of being protected from 90% of viruses, Trojans and similar threats. Antivirus companies did not pay much attention to spyware, adware and other malware problem and this resulted in a tremendous growth of infections. That’s why special anti-spyware programs appeared.

Modern anti-spywares are no more “anti-spyware only”. Most of them can successfully identify and remove trojans, worms, backdoor, keyloggers, dialers and even rootkits, i.e. all those parasites, which common name is “malware”.

If you take closer look at the most popular and effective anti-spyware products today, you will notice that all of them actually are anti-malware tools. They still cannot replace regular antiviruses, but often use in support and hand-in-hand with antivirus program. Sometimes a spyware remover sweeps all malware infections by itself, so the user does not even need to run any virus scans.

What is Spyware?

Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first, such as:


• Advertising
• Collecting personal information
• Changing the configuration of your computer


Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information.

What is Adware?


Adware is a close relative of spyware. Adware is software that is installed on your computer to show you advertisements.

Adware can slow your PC by using RAM and CPU cycles. Adware can also slow your Internet connection by using bandwidth to retrieve advertisements. In addition, adware can increase the instability of your system because many adware applications are not programmed well.


In addition, adware can annoy you and waste huge amounts of your time by popping unwanted ads onto your screen, which require you to close them before you can get back to using your PC.

Adware vs. Spyware

Spyware is a close relative of adware. Spyware is software which is installed on your computer to spy on your activities and report this data to people willing to pay for it.


Spyware usually collects this data with the purpose of telling advertisers what types of goods and services you are likely to purchase.

Warning: Before You Remove Adware

Note that if you choose to remove adware, some shareware programs which you installed may refuse to function. Shareware authors are sometimes paid to include these adware packages with their software.

By running adware, you can think of yourself as supporting the shareware author. Or, you could send them a few bucks and keep a clean machine.


Recommended steps to remove spyware, adware and trojan infection on your computer:


1. Download and/or install anti-spyware program and update its components and definition database.


2. It is always recommended to turn-off System Restore before running a scan. This would avoid restoring trojans that usually hides in restore points. Once the system is clean, you can turn System Restore back on again.

3. Performing a quick scan normally removes 90% of the infection and will make your computer functional again. A full system scan however is recommended to make sure that all malwares are scan and found.

4. A system restart usually is required after removing the infection to permanently eliminate all discovered threats.


Free Spyware and Adware Removal Utilities

Many free tools and utilities are available online to help you detect, identify and remove spyware and adware including browser hijackers, web bugs, tracking cookies and other malicious spy programs.

Free spyware removal tools and utilities to help you block, or at least detect and remove spyware and adware that can infect your computer and bog it down severely and may even perform malicious functions like capturing your passwords.


Download Free Malware Removal Software


• Download Spybot Search and Destroy
• Download AdAware Personal Edition
• Download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
• Download Windows Defender
• Other Free Spyware and Adware Detection & Removal Software

]]> http://www.actsolution.net/blog/spyware-and-adaware-approaches-and-resolutions/feed 17 Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches http://www.actsolution.net/blog/cisco-catalyst-4500-series-switches http://www.actsolution.net/blog/cisco-catalyst-4500-series-switches#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:12:17 +0000 admin http://www.actsolution.net/blog/?p=18
Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series switches are designed for enterprise LAN access, branch offices, Layer 3 distribution points, small and medium-sized businesses, and metropolitan (metro) Ethernet deployments. The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series comprises a series of chassis ranging from 3 to 10 slots and a set of supervisor engines delivering up to 136 Gbps of Layer 2-4 switching. The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series supports an extensive set of line cards, including high-density 10/100, 10/100/1000 (both with 802.3af Power over Ethernet [PoE] options), 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-LX10, 100BASE-BX-D, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series offers a price-performance range of chassis: Cisco Catalyst 4510R (10 slots with redundant supervisor option), Cisco Catalyst 4507R (7 slots with redundant supervisor option), Cisco Catalyst 4506 (6 slots) and Cisco Catalyst 4503 (3 slots).

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