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Security

Beware of this type of spam

Below is an example of an email spam (unwanted email) that is increasing in frequency. Overall, the email looks to be legit and normal. However, there are two parts of the email that you need to pay particular attention to:

  1. Who is it from? In the example below, I have no idea who Allison is. Red flag number 1. If you don’t recognize the name or the email address, be suspicious.
  2. Link in the email uses an URL (web address) shortener service. If I don’t know who it is from, I’m darn sure not going to click the unidentified link. Red flag number 2.

I started using TinyURL.com years ago in my email and on the radio to be able to quickly and clearly send someone to a long web site address with little hassle. However, with the rising popularity of Twitter and other quick messaging and blog services, more and more URL shortener services have emerged. Most of which have no problems. The problem is Read More »Beware of this type of spam

2 laptop suggestions for college students

Hats Off
photo credit: jarnott

Millions of high schoolers will be graduating soon and will be leaving for their respective campuses (campii?) at the end of the summer. These students will more than likely go to college with a computer…probably a laptop. I would like to suggest two possible laptops ideas for these students.

Both of my ideas involve good systems that will allow college kids to word process, chat, email, listen to music, watch DVD’s, browse the web wirelessly(for school research of course), create presentations, spreadsheets, download and edit photos and much more. Neither involve Windows and thus don’t require a degree in computer security and maintenance. One of the computers costs between $1200-1800 and the other costs less than $700.

My recommendations stem from first hand accounts from parents whose college kids call home frequently with tales of woe about a slow, non-functioning new computer. Students need to have their computers operational, and running around to the campus IT people or dropping the computer at a fix-it shop for expensive repairs. These two recommendations will keep calls home for repair money, tales of woe, and computer down time to a bare minimum.Read More »2 laptop suggestions for college students

Another plea for you to use Mozilla Firefox

IMG_0242.JPG
photo credit: khoogheem

Over the past six months, the spyware problems infiltrating both Windows XP and Vista has become almost mythical. Spyware is the junk that gets into your computer and slows it down, prevents antivirus software from doing its job, halts Windows updates, can disable your CDROM and/or USB drives, and much more. The vast majority of it turns out to be self-induced. By self-induced, I mean that the user willingly downloaded ring tones, free music, free wallpaper, screensavers, registry cleaners, or other junk software. Even with the best security software on the planet installed on your computer system, agreeing to install junk software circumvents your security and the problems begin.

How can you prevent it? First start by protecting your system properly with the tools I have listed on every page here at HelpMeRick.com. You will find them in Read More »Another plea for you to use Mozilla Firefox

No rush to get AVG 8.5

NOTE: This is an older article, please see my latest Computer Security recommendations here. AVG 8.5 is still free (for home users), it is being offered now, but it isn’t at all critical to get yet. If you still haven’t upgraded from 7.5 to 8.0, then go the whole nine yards and get 8.5. But if you are using 8.0,… Read More »No rush to get AVG 8.5

Four techniques for erasing your old hard drive

a disk
photo credit: Jason Schlachet

When you replace an old computer, you need to take steps to protect the data that was on that computer prior to donating it, selling it or even throwing it out or recycling it. Too many computer degenerates use the data that can be found on old hard drives to try and steal your identity. You can avoid this by using one of the following four options:

  1. One free program that will completely cleanse a hard drive is called Autoclave. You can download and read the instructions here.
  2. Darik’s Book and Nuke also provides a way of thoroughly cleaning the data from an old hard drive.
  3. A third option to cleaning your old data form a hard drive is Active KillDisk. They offer a free and a pro version of this software.
  4. My last, and probably easiest, fastest, and safest method of guaranteeing your old data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands is to to open the computer and Read More »Four techniques for erasing your old hard drive

Google Docs privacy leak

Headlines garner attention, but do people then read the article. This week an article is making the rounds about a Google Docs security problem. Turns out that the problem only affects an extremely minor number of users who already shared document and then happened to perform a very particular set of steps. In other words, the chances of a problem… Read More »Google Docs privacy leak

Reunion spam makes a comeback

Social engineering strikes again.

Last spring, a spam posing as a reunion invitation made its rounds around the Internet. The spam/virus gets spread by an unsuspecting and less than alert computer user opens an email supposedly from a class mate inviting them to a reunion. Once the email is opened, a root-kit (hard to detect spyware/virus hybrid) gets deployed on the person’s computer and begins to spread itself from there.

This scenario repeats itself hundreds of thousands times over a couple of days and eventually infects millions of computers around the world.

A variant of the very same ploy started to make its rounds again this year coming to a crescendo over the past couple of weeks with millions more people duped.