Computers

The majority of computers connected to the internet today are infected with some sort of spyware. The prevalence of internet use has made the growth of spybot, adware, spyware, Trojans, keyloggers and other malware fast and easy.

Each form of surveillance software invades users’ privacy through numerous methods so they can gather information about people’s internet and computer activities. Users must learn to deny spyware access or remove any current infestations in order to maintain a private internet experience.

The consequences of spyware can include identity theft, loss of system control, PC slow downs, pop up ads and browsers crashes. Without a spyware removal tool you are continuing to invite spyware in to invade your privacy. Your anti-virus and firewalls cannot catch most spyware applications because they are installed by piggybacking in on legitimate downloads that you approve such as freeware programs as well as music and game software.

Once on your computer the spyware works silently, beyond the user’s knowledge to gather private information. Spyware and adware software are stealthily embedded in your system, making them difficult to remove manually, which is why it is vital for internet users to find a spyware scanner. Spy scan tools search through the hard drive for spyware infected files. It then removes the detected files so your computer can be restored to it normal working capabilities. Several spyware tools
actively protect you from spyware infections while you are working online.

Hard Disk Wiping and the Secure Removal of Data
It is important for businesses to recycle their computers, but have you thought about what happens to the data on your computer when it is collected?

How sensitive is the data stored on your hard disk?
If you are donating equipment to a recycler, you need to ensure that their data removal procedures operate to a high standard.

A recycler needs to honour the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, in summary:

To treat all data obtained from a donation as confidential
To use appropriate methods to securely destroy all data
Notify the donor as soon as possible if any unauthorised use or disclosure of the data is made

How Do You Securely Remove Data?
If a hard disk is formatted, this is not a secure way to wipe data!
This method has inherent limitations, as only the file allocation tables and the pointers to the data (that render the data inaccessible) are destroyed. The data on the remainder of the drive is not destroyed, and the inaccessible data is easily retrievable. There are many free programs available on the internet to recover data from a formatted drive.

Best Practice:
A Recycler should use a piece of software which will:

run from a bootable floppy
report the actual hard disk capacity (the same reading as the BIOS and label on the HD)
overwrite a single character pattern to the entire HD
produce a report that all areas have been overwritten
report any bad or unusable sectors that cannot be overwritten
verify successful erasure
The key point here is that the hard disk is actually overwritten with new data – ie. 10101010
This ensures that your old data cannot be retrieved.

The Security Levels:
In order for a disk to be wiped to High Security Standards, such as Military Of Defense standard, the hard disk is overwritten several times, for instance:

Perform 3 overwrite cycles to all areas (where each cycle will be a single pattern, followed by its complement), and a final overwrite with a random character pattern (ie. A total of 7 overwrites) – verification of successful erasure should then be carried out for all Hard Disks.

How Do You Erase Data From A Hard Disk That No Longer Works?
The simplest way to ensure this is to destroy the Hard Disk. Recyclers have many different methods for this, but an example is to drill a hole through the disk, just off centre.

Summary
Before you allow your computer equipment to be collected, ensure you check the recyclers’ procedures for the secure removal of data from your hard disks. Most recyclers will also provide some form of report after the collection to guarantee the data from your hard disks was securely removed.

Generally the products offered by appliance producers are rather conservative in design. But every now and then something unusual appears on the market.

Right now it is the internet refrigerator. A refrigerator that you hook up to your telephone line so it can do its magic.

One of the first to introduce this concept to the public was LG Electronics. A Korean based company now distributing appliances all over the world. They have been the innovators of many changes to the appliance industry.

They have recently introduced a refrigerator with a television in the door. It allows you to watch your favourite programs while getting supper ready. Also, messages can be left on the screen for family members to see later.

The Future -----------------------------------------------

Other manufacturers have been contemplating an internet refrigerator that has a bar code scanner built into the door. So every time a package is added to, or removed from the refrigerator it keeps track of it. That means that you would know what is inside the refrigerator with the simple touch of a button. The refrigerator would never lie.

I can see the scenario now: “Mommy where did you hide the Popsicles? The refrigerator says there are two left”.

Perhaps, the question should be, ”do you really need an inventory of what is inside your refrigerator”? Generally I would say no. But, I can see situations where it would be advantageous.

“The frig says we need more milk “ -------------

Perhaps you are disabled and cannot access the refrigerator interior. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to know you only have one quart of milk left? You would access this information via a computer screen on the outside of the door that says it’s time to buy more.

What if the same person is able to push a touch pad on the computer screen and get a read out (or a printout) of all the contents? It would certainly make their shopping easier.

Or, what if the refrigerator were hooked into a service that delivers food to the home. If the refrigerator can keep track of the contents, it will also know when you have run out of something. So every week it could total your contents, connects itself to the Internet, and places an order with the grocery store.

Later that day the delivery truck arrives with what you require. All you have to do is put it into the refrigerator and pay the bill.

No grocery store parking, no lineups, no trying to remember what you did with your grocery list.

Ah, the joys of the modern age.

Not there yet --------------------------------------------

Well we’re not there quite yet. The Internet refrigerators we have today can be connected to the web, but mainly for service. Perhaps it starts making funny noises and you want to know why. Connect it to the telephone outlet, dial a service centre number, and the refrigerator will self-diagnose, offering you suggestions as to the cause of the problem.

So the question we all have to ask ourselves is, “is it worth the extra cost”. Would an internet refrigerator be helpful – or is it only marketing hype. As usual the consumer will make the final decision regarding that query.

Customers I have mentioned this refrigerator to are generally intrigued by the idea – at first. Then they usually tell me they think the world is already too fast paced. Many people work with computers all day and just want to get away from them at home. They already feel computers are ruling their office, so they don’t want them ruling their kitchens.

The feedback I get from customers is this type of product is only one more thing that would add to their stress level. So unless you have a specific need for an Internet refrigerator I think it is something that the general public is not yet ready to embrace.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) is defined as scheduled work done on a system to identify and fix any occurring issues before they become problems. The concept of preventive maintenance applies to many different industries. PM is often done on buildings, various types of machines, computers, institutions, as well as personal assets, including finances and property.

A common example of preventive maintenance is a car getting its oil changed. Usually, this is done when the car is in good working order to prevent any future problems resulting from the car running on old oil.

In the past, preventive maintenance was formed solely by personnel, but now computers manage much of the process. Computer programs can schedule the maintenance and send alerts to employees when work is needed. Another name for preventive maintenance software is computer maintenance management software (CMMS). These are software programs that allow users to identify and fix potential problems. Some common uses for preventive maintenance are healthcare facilities, computer hardware, correctional facilities, and personal assets.

Preventive maintenance software works in several ways, depending on what is being maintained, but most types of preventive maintenance software operate on the same principles. The main difference between types of preventive maintenance software for different industries is the asset or equipment being maintained. The core concept behind preventive maintenance for an automobile and a healthcare facility is generally the same. The difference is that an automobile’s engine must be kept in running order, while a healthcare facility’s equipment must be kept sterile.

The price range for preventive maintenance software varies depending on its use. Programs can cost about $60 for some personal asset software to several thousand for software used in correctional institutions. Although much of the scheduling of preventive maintenance is automatic and computerized, it is still important that people keep up with the physical aspects of the maintenance, such as replacing old parts and following the software’s recommendations.

When spyware invades a computer system it monitors, records and sends out to intruders information on your computer usage and internet habits and it can possibly detect private banking and security information which could result in identity theft. Computers are easily infected with spyware while users click around online or download freeware.
The Norton Internet Security Professional software is one of the top rated computer security tools for its ability to detect and fix viruses, Trojan Horses, spyware, joke programs and other malicious codes that can end up in security risks. The capabilities of all types of spyware are numerous, ranging from annoying consequences such as pop up to detrimental occurrences such as identity theft and complete computer failure.

Using the Norton security tool you can also screen incoming emails so as to avoid any that are linked with malicious viruses. However well the Norton Security Professional tool works, it is unlikely the program will catch all threats, especially spyware because of its widespread possibilities.

To more thoroughly guard yourself and your computer from spyware threats, use more than one spyware security tool, such as Ad-Aware by LavaSoft or Spybot search and destroy. Both of these programs are free for download and they work by scanning specifically for known and defined spyware threats. Using more than one internet security tool is necessary for catching both virus and spyware threats.

Have you priced a laptop computer lately? Buying a new laptop is a big investment; and just how big of an investment you want to make is entirely up to you. Look in your Sunday newspaper flyers to see countless models on sale each week. Initially selections were made by looking at the specifications and the general appearance. However that’s not the sole criteria any longer. Everyday more and more people are now stepping inside the mobile world. With so many models of laptops now available, how can you be sure about the choice you make? Below are several factors you should consider: CPU (Central Processing Unit), Video Card, hard disk, noise, battery life and RAM (Random Access Memory).

CPU is the main component which determines the performance of your computer and also the heating and the battery life. There is a trade-off between the CPU performance and the battery-life and power consumption (heating). If you want a laptop which would replace a desktop and if you are not planning to travel with it a lot then there are several different offers with desktop CPUs integrated in the laptop main board (such as a P4).

If you are fond of mobility and are going to use your new laptop for your business purposes or school, then you should consider buying a laptop with more suitable CPUs. AMD Athlon can be a solution: Athlon processors are designed for users who are looking for economical solutions, both purchase and usage. Older models of Athlon are no where near Intel Pentium products from the point of performance, and yet new models like 2800+ are potent enough to compete with P4 2.8 GHz.

There is one more model of CPU that many of the customers prefer: Centrino. Centrino is the new attempt of Intel to balance the tradeoff between the performance and mobility issues. With the 2 MB second level cash, the Pentium CPU is modified for the laptop which eases the burden of the CPU and implicitly pulls down the levels of heating and power consumption.

RAM and the graphic card are also two important factors for the quality of the laptop. There are two kinds of RAM on the market: SD RAM and DD RAM. In any case, there is no tradeoff, no comparison: DD RAM is better, and yet, you still have to be careful about the clock specification of the RAM. If you buy a RAM with 3.0 MHz clock speed, you will see the performance improvement it supplies to the whole system. Another thing to consider is that some computers have 512 MB RAM with two slots (256 x 2) which is not very good for the new laptop you are going to buy. Overall, if you want a good laptop, you should consider one equipped with a 3.0 MHz, 512 MB, DD RAM.

There are various video cards on the market today. The first thing you should check is the “ON-Board” specification in the video card. These cards are integrated into the main board and generally use your main RAM as for the video memory. If you are going to use your laptop for general purposes, not for gaming or 3-D design which would require 3D hardware acceleration, these laptops with onboard video card are for you. However, if you are a professional Counter Strike player, you would be disappointed with the screen delays and freezes.

The last technical detail is the hard disk. While buying a hard disk there is a detail which is much more important then the capacity: RPM. Rotation Per Minute determines how fast the data transfer rate is to the CPU to be processed so this specification also plays a huge role while dealing with multimedia stuff.

So if you’re in the market for a new laptop computer, one suggestion is to consider buying a Centrino laptop with an onboard video card with a big RAM if you are planning to use it for school or business purposes and also randomly for movies and music. Nevertheless, Pentium computers with AGP or PCI Express video off-board video cards would give you the performance of a desktop if you don’t mind the weight, noise and the heating of the laptop.

With so many decisions to make, take your time; do your homework and invest wisely.

About Indoor Air Pollution At The Workplace And At Home.
Workplace Air Pollution

When we think about pollution, we generally think in terms of outdoor air pollution. However, we spend many hours each day indoors, be it at home or in our work place. Yes, air pollution isn't only an outdoor issue. The air indoors, at our home and in our workplace can also be polluted and we can suffer because of it. Indoor air pollution can and does affect the quality of our life. In fact, levels of some types of air pollution can be higher indoors than outdoors. On average, people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, so the quality of indoor air is very important to ones wellbeing and health. We need to breathe whether it is indoors or outdoors so we have to make the air we live in as pollution free as possible.

Air Pollution at our work place and the indoor air quality is an important health issue and demands our attention. Complaints abound related to indoor air quality due to more tightly sealed buildings, energy conservation measures, designed to re-circulate air within the building, which reduces the amount of outside air supply, that is allowed to come indoors. Adding to this problem is the use of synthetic and chemical materials used within the workplace environment, such as the modern office equipment, comprising photocopiers, laser printers and computers. Offices use plenty of cleaning products that can give out vapors that add to this pollution problem and to indoor air contamination.

Home- Indoor Air Pollution
A very harmful contaminant of indoor air is cigarette tobacco smoke. Then there is mould, mildew and dampness caused by condensation problems, improperly maintained combustion equipment, gasses from chemicals, dust mites and their by-products that lead to indoor pollution and cause a number of health related problems.

Mould is a common problem in a home and this brings about the release of mould spores, toxins, and moldy odors which lead to allergy and asthma reactions. Chemicals used in our house cleaning can release harmful vapors and synthetic fabrics, furnishings and other household products also bring about unseen contaminants. We have also increased the use of candles which is a source of indoor air pollutants. We must ensure that we maintain properly vented combustion devices, such as wood stoves, fireplaces,gas or propane cooking stoves, furnaces, water heaters etc. to enjoy a living space that is free from indoor pollution.
Health Hazards Due To Indoor air pollution
The health symptoms usually attributed to indoor air quality problems include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, sinus congestion, cough, sneezing, skin irritation, dizziness, nausea, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Some individuals may be particularly susceptible to the effects of indoor air contaminants such as those people with existing allergies or asthma, people with respiratory disease, people whose immune systems are suppressed due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, disease, and those that wear contact lenses.

Ways to Protect Yourself from Indoor Air Pollution
Avoid smoking while inside the home.

Keep door and windows open whenever possible to ensure fresh air flow and air exchange which will help control humidity and eliminate gaseous chemicals which may be present indoors.

Fix any water damage from leaks, infiltration, or flood. Clean any mould and keep the place dry and moisture free.

Avoid excessive humidity (not more than 50% RH (relative humidity) in summer and 30% in winter)

Combustion devices such as a furnace, water heater, gas stove or fireplace should be inspected by a specialist at regular intervals and must be well vented.

Chemical such as varnish, paint, cleaning products should be used according to the manufacturer's recommendations and heed any warnings on the product labels and used with proper ventilation to reduce exposure to fumes or vapors.

We all know we have to backup regularly, but those backups files can get huge. Add that to your existing your files and your notebook computer hard drive seems to have shrunk overnight. No matter what size hard drive you have on your notebook computer, space is a premium. Besides, it's not exactly a good idea to store your backups on the same hard drive since you can't retrieve it -- rather defeats the purpose of backing up don't you think? So what do you do, what are your options?

Backup to an external hard drive. This is probably the quickest, most cost effective option. You can often get a removable drive on sale or with rebate for a low price too. You can get one with hundreds of Gigabytes of space too. They can be easy to hookup to your notebook computer. However, do remember that they are hard drives and hard drives can fail. You may find the external backup fails before your notebook computer does.

Online backup. This is actually a good idea because physical disasters can happen to your home. And when that happens, you will always have a copy in a place not affected by the disaster. This is why businesses usually have one backup in the premises and one (or more) off premises. The good thing about online backup is, it's accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. So if your notebook fails when you're away from home, you can still retrieve your data.

Many of these services are reasonably priced and they provide you with everything you need to get the backups safely transfered. But because your data will be on someone else's system, choose a reputable company, one who is not only established but takes customer data confidentiality very seriously.

Network attached storage. This would make more sense if you have several computers. They allow you to not only backup several computers' data into one location but also ability to share or retrieve files from that central area. You can also achieve a similar effect equipping an older computer with a large hard drive and use it just for storage or backup.

Backup to CD or DVD. This is considered the safest for long term data integrity. External drives and network storage can still crash and prone to virusses. CD's and DVD's are also inexpensive. But backing up to disks daily is chore as you'll find yourself having to manually pop in the disks. It becomes even more hard work when you have a lot of files and your backup spans several disks. The other problem with this method is, backup utilities that come with your operating system cannot backup to a CD or DVD drive. So you'll have to fork out extra cash to buy a third party backup software that will.

No backup solution is one hundred percent and what you choose of course will depend on how you work. If your data is really important to you, try not rely on one backup source. Create two separate sources if you can afford to, just in case.

It seems like technology is headed for a massive telephone change over. The traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is looking to be replaced by VoIP. VoIP is short for Voice over IP. VoIP is the routing of conversations over an IP network or the Internet. VoIP uses a packet-switched network instead of the circuit-switched voice transmission lines used by traditional telephone networks. VoIP does not need an Internet connection to work. A company that has a LAN connection with all of its computers can utilize VoIP technology.

VoIP is a great technology, but has a variety of issues with implementation. VoIP may face problems with latency because IPs do not provide Quality of Service guarantees, nor do they provide their packets of information in sequential order. High-speed Internet connections are required for VoIP and firewalls often prove tricky for VoIP technology. To combat this, many people use Session Border Controllers (SBC).

VoIP technology has many advantages. There are more new features with VoIP because of the lack of an International Telecommunications Union. VoIP is still very much an open market for developers, so the technology is constantly being improved. VoIP also has a lower cost than traditional sources because of the monopolies that exist or traditional phone companies being controlled by the government. Some users even see VoIP phone calls as free because they do not have to pay extra for the service. The user only pays the Internet service provider, and therefore the usage of VoIP seems to be free. You can also take your VoIP phone wherever you go because all you need is a network connection to make it work. VoIP technology will also benefit network agents who work for call centers. Agents can help callers from anywhere in the country with an Internet connection. Finally, because VoIP is on the computer, there is increased functionality. Conference calls can be held, information can be sent, and things like address books can be updated and shared over VoIP.

While VoIP has many advantages, there are a few drawbacks to the service. One of the biggest drawbacks is reliability. Telephone lines have back up generators in case of power outages, so phones can keep working. Because VoIP is connected to the Internet, a power outage will end a VoIP call when the computer shuts down. To combat this, users must buy an expensive uninterruptible power supply or a generator that must then be installed on the premises. Internet connections are also subject to disconnection, depending on crowded networks, and the quality of the ISP. If the Internet connection drops, then the VoIP call will be dropped. VoIP is also a problem for emergency calls. Because of the nature of the Internet and VoIP systems, emergency workers cannot trace calls. In the event that someone with an emergency has a problem but is unable to give an address, the emergency worker will not be able to trace the call and find the person. VoIP carriers are already attempting to fix this problem by implementing a technical work-around. Finally, it will be very difficult to integrate VoIP on a massive scale, because while the standard Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) has a common standard, VoIP does not.

VoIP has many advantages as well as some large drawbacks. The main roadblock in the way of global VoIP adoption is reliability. When VoIP proves that it can be just as reliable as traditional telephone services have been over many years, then it will start to be adopted. VoIP technology is always improving, so the problems with VoIP today are likely to be solved sooner than many people expect. VoIP can truly revolutionize both the business world and home life.

Hackers, phishers, viruses, worms…simply having your computer online can expose your data and personal information to all kinds of malicious and worrisome problems. If you’re somewhat new to the 'net' or to computers in general, these four tips could help protect you from identity theft, credit card fraud, or a complete computer takeover – all of which can happen without you even knowing about it!

1. What’s in Your Inbox? – If your e-mail program allows you to preview the entire message before or while it is being downloaded, turn this setting off. Some e-mails can contain dangerous code that could unknowingly compromise your computer and leave you vulnerable to viruses, worms or worse! Check the options in your e-mail program for a way to disable the message preview pane.

2. Scrutinize Your Messages – Don’t ever respond to messages claiming to be from your bank, credit card company, or other financial institution, which ask for personally identifiable information such as card or account numbers, passwords, or other private information – even if the e-mail looks to have come from the actual company. It may be a hoax designed to get you to unknowingly part with crucial financial or private contact information, leaving you vulnerable to credit card fraud, identity theft or credit card theft. Contact the institution or company that claims to be sending the e-mail and verify the contents of the message with them. Chances are – they never sent it. Only use the number on your statement though, and not the number that appears in the e-mail message. It may direct you right to the scammer, who will do everything they can to assure you that nothing is wrong!

3. If it’s From a Friend, it must be Safe, Right? – It’s logical to assume that a message from your friend or colleague is safe, but that isn’t always the case! If you receive an email from a friend or colleague which contains an attachment (could be a media clip, a screensaver, a picture or anything else), call them up to check and see if they really did send it. Many viruses and worms can hijack your computer and blast out a virus-ridden email to everyone in your address book, making it appear that it came from you and therefore, making it appear trustworthy.

4. Read Your Messages in Plain Text – Some e-mails written in HTML (the coding language that makes up many web pages) can be harmless. Others can contain malicious code that can hijack your e-mail program, browser, or your entire computer – and send your personal and financial information out to a hacker or scammer without you even knowing about it! Stay safe by setting your e-mail program to only show messages in plain text format (often in the options or settings section of the software). This will prevent threatening code from installing itself and compromising your system and private information.

Possibly one of the best ways to protect your e-mail is simply by exercising common sense. The Internet is a lot like a crowded plaza. Would your banker or credit card lender walk out into the middle of the throng of people and shout out to you to ask for your account information? Would you tell him where everyone could hear? Definitely not! The same caution should be exercised when checking your e-mail. These tips can help you stop scammers dead in their tracks while keeping you from becoming another victim of fraud or theft.