2011 ~ PCCare247.com PCCare247.com Blog, PC Care 247 Tech Support Redefined

Wednesday 28 December 2011

'Christmas theme' on Facebook gets stolen by the Grinch


Antivirus Support
Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa is coming to wish ‘netizens’ Merry Christmas on Facebook!! But watch out, for the Grinch is masquerading as Santa this Christmas and he has a malware up his sleeve; sugar coated as a theme for your Facebook profile.

The latest attack uses social engineering as a potent tool for luring people into installing a malicious browser plugin. And once people get sucked into the bait of clicking on the Like button, the page redirects them to a URL where a malicious plugin named Free Cheesecake Factory Coupons get installed on the PC.

With the plugin once activated affected users get their walls flooded with the catchy status, "Get Christmas Theme for FB, a free Christmas Theme for all FB users”. Caught by the antivirus software this file is christened as TROJ_REDIR.CU.

So, next around you want to make merry this Christmas season be careful because cyber criminals are for sure launching attacks using the holiday season as a big lure.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!   www.pccare247.com

Monday 26 December 2011

Choke hackers Inc. with their own venom

Everything is going hunky-dory for your business, the online rankings are good, the internet marketing strategies seem to be leaving an impact, clients are thronging on to the site - in short business is doing well.  But then suddenly you wake one fine morning and end up finding your official portal has been hacked. Hackers Inc. have ended up punching gaping holes in the security. Leaving you with a persistent bot; now what?

Hacking Back In Self-Defense
Online Tech Support
The bottom-line is hackers Inc. is pulling out all strings to screw up security systems. And organizations need to take a good hard look at every available vista for stopping the loss of their money, technology and secrets.  With new laws being explored, old ones being amended and solutions sought, it is about time an outside the box thinking was adopted and good guys in the bargain were given advantage or at least a fighting chance. Although technically difficult but clearly feasible, adopting a clear, forward, out-of-the-box thinking and analysis to put back get thing chugging along.

Haul the crooks by scruff of their neck
Nations can legally defend themselves but what about organizations? Bound by legal compulsions and a code of conduct they really can’t end up going beyond a certain limit. But then with one hundred percent security considered to be a myth, what does one really do?

With standard responses considered to be slow and in many cases not very effective, it is a presumption a business cannot reach beyond its own network for blocking an attacker in self-defense. However, I strongly intend to strike a discordant note! Even though refraining from advocating vigilantism, in reality the war in the cyberspace is being lost and it is about time one did a hard rethink on existing strategies and laws.

Not the one to mince any words further, it is really about time we went in for a hard rethink. Opening up a dialogue and moving the conversation further down the road to shape better responses, solutions, and laws. In the retrospect not even shying away from advocating organizations of using an automated code going beyond their network and eliminating threat via a self-defense master stroke.

Getting into the technicality of it all
To get rid of that nasty Trojan, Virus or a Bot put into the system, what if were to suggest that you ended up implanting a code on the phone-home function or communication function of the bot so that when it was to end up communicating with the CnC server for instructions, the communication path would be blocked or cut off by the code at the CnC server? Does it sound like a perfect solution? Not even close, so what, you are at a liberty to try other measures to finally nail the nasty bot. Is this hacking? Is it gaining unauthorized access to or trespassing on a computer system?

I really don’t think so, for at the end of the day my ideology of ‘fighting fire with fire’ is really what ends up giving a befitting reply to those unworthy hackers.   www.pccare247.com

Thursday 22 December 2011

Fake antivirus: A contagion masking as an antidote

Fake antivirus is definitely counted amongst the most potent online threats. Christened as rogue antivirus, rogues, or scareware, the embezzler employs social engineering for luring users to malicious sites and scaring them into paying for fake threat removal tools.

Waylaying PC users into deft traps
Antivirus SupportFake antivirus as a security software pretends to find dangerous security threats—such as viruses—on a PC. The application while starting with a free scan ends up asking PC users to pay in the progressive stages for cleaning up fraudulently reported “threats”. The same set of alerts end up prompting users to visit a site where they would be asked to pay for non-existent threats to be cleaned up. With the fake antivirus malware continuing to send annoying and intrusive alerts until a payment is made or the malware is removed.

Compared to other malware such as Bots, Backdoor Trojans, Downloaders and Password Stealers; Fake Antivirus draws a victim towards handing money directly over to a malware author. With victims paying anywhere around 100-120 dollars to pay for junk software supposedly considered as a quick fix for the problem.

Infection is a Click Away!!
Although through many different ways a fake antivirus may get onto a system, the majority of distribution avenues rely on social engineering. Going ahead and tricking PC users into running a fake antivirus install executable in a way similar to many other types of Trojans. With fake antivirus, a huge range of social engineering tricks are being used and still new ones are coming up all the time. Commonly ending up comprising of:
  •  Email spam campaigns
  •  Compromised websites and exploit payloads
  •  Search engine optimization poisoning
  •  Fake antivirus downloads by other malware

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Look out!! Malware seeks to fuel its gluttonous zest with your PC

Instead of succumbing to the voguish threat hype, organizations and individuals can accentuate their threat tolerance through creation and promotion of a more secure system. Sprucing up defenses against an ever-evolving malware industry via strategic investment in security policies; thus eliminating vulnerabilities in the times to come.

Set your priorities Right!!
MalwareFor enhancing the malware-defense capability, security professionals would need to stop chasing malware flavor of the month and instead develop proactive security measures for proactively stopping it. All going on to suggest, if you have not opted for “defense against malware” as a top priority, it is high time you ended up doing so.

As time runs out variants in present times are fast becoming more polymorphic, stealthy, targeted and agile – indubitably leaving no doubt malware is capable of exploiting several vulnerabilities. With effect, giving security professionals sleepless nights and work hard towards detecting malicious elements looking to penetrate into an environment.

Sheath your PC out of harm’s way
Shielding a PC is easy if you know how!! Believe us, for following such handy tips is bound to ensure your PC remains in the pink of health.  

·         Offline malware and threat Detection
Inline technologies, such as IPS and secure Web gateways, need to adhere to line speed and therefore are restricted in the amount of analysis which can be performed. But, offline detection capabilities provided by a number of vendors in the market can go a long way in conducting a much deeper analysis and catching malware otherwise missed.

·         Whitelisting the maladies
In a highly controlled environment, white listing is a powerful tool against anomalies, including malware. One can end up applying it to Web accesses, software installed on servers and endpoints, and server-to-server communication. Organizations however using Whitelisting must have a fast response capability towards handling exceptions and the rarest of cases.

·         Enhancing the Browser security
With a majority of malware issues spreading via the Web and looking to exploit browser vulnerabilities, a hardened browser environment works towards eliminating such a major threat. With new technologies being regularly released from prominent vendors in the market, a full-proof browser security is no more an invincible prospect. www.pccare247.com

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Beware!!! Scraping Attacks are on the Prowl!!


Computer Tech SupportWhenever we imagine a thief, we envision a masked man lurking in a dark alley? Or a teenage hacker nestled in a dimly lit basement striving to break into a remote Web server? But then in real time try and move past such clichés, for data is even being swindled by big conglomerates belonging to the software, finance and event planning verticals.

Employing a technique better known as site scraping or alternatively called data harvesting, screen scraping or Web scraping, such entities resort to all means necessary for extracting data from a Website. Depending on the requirement; either manually copying Website content from Web browsers or employing software programs for an automatic extraction of data.

Fatal effects of Site Scraping
Site scraping can undermine victims’ revenues and profits by siphoning off clients and reducing competitiveness. Unfortunately, site scrapers can be very tough to differentiate from legitimate Web application users. However, when left unchecked, site scraping quickly ends up transitioning from merely being innocuous to malicious; especially when individuals or businesses end up reusing the scraped data for financial gain.

What Site Scraping intends to do?
  • Harvesting user information from social network sites or user forums
  • Plagiarizing content comprising of news articles, blog posts, medical information and financial research
  • Gathering product and pricing data for to peg back prices of goods and services for a rival
  • Collecting email IDs from Websites for spam email campaigns
  • Detecting changes on a competitor’s website
  • Republishing Website listings, such as job board postings, real estate listings, and phone directories
  • Re-purposing the scraped content for applications such as comparison shopping sites or reverse phone look up tools. 
  • “Auction sniping” or placing bids on online auction sites within minutes or seconds of the auction ending

The aforementioned actions end up violating the intended use of application data. And for Web-based companies, site scraping acts as a big threat to revenues and competitiveness; even endangering business viability.

Common Weaponry of Choice
Site scraping tools range from simple, home grown scripts to commercial scraping software embedded with Web browsers. Tools one would say not only come in good towards parsing HTML, DOM (Document Object Model) but even interpreting the most complex of Java Scripts. Often ranging from simple, custom scripts to advanced software tools with built-in browser-like capabilities designed to impersonate normal users. Many scraping tools also include Web site crawlers that help automate initial configuration. Ring and Grab Major Printer Support Virus Removal Support at +1-855-877-5848, http://www.pccare247.com/

Saturday 17 December 2011

Phising Attacks: Malafide Intentions Personified

In the times gone by, it was observed financial credentials ended up bearing the brunt of phishing attacks. But Snap!! Coming back to the present, phishing attacks have evolved; targeting sensitive corporate data. A fact evidenced by high-profile data breaches. At the receiving end have been organizations targeted with advanced persistent threats and phishing and spear-phishing emails posing as entry vectors.

Email SupportSo Take Care!! Representing the greatest threat to even the biggest organizations they are there to decimate the best defense put forth by you.

Phishing Attacks high on Adrenaline Rush
The seriousness of phishing threats may sound very theoretical, but a harsh reality is – “phishing attacks are achieving their malicious goals”. Organizations are on the knife’s edge thanks to devastating breaches resulting from phishing and spear-phishing attacks. With attackers leaving no stone unturned to utilize a broad spectrum of technologies and techniques. Highly focused and persistent, often these attacks are considered to be highly opportunistic in their orientation.

Specimens of a Phish Attack
  • Phishing emails sent – employees are not necessarily high profile or high value targets.
  • Email is crafted well enough and even if it is caught by the email security solution employees may be   tricked into retrieving it from their quarantine.
  • The employee then clicks on the URL in the message, initiating a drive-by download of malware.
  • Malware may be designed to coax a desktop machine to reach out to command and control servers.
  • Malware propagates across the network, searching for specific user accounts with relevant privileges (initial entry points/accounts may not have sufficient administrative rights).
  • With sufficient privileges and target systems reached, data is acquired and staged for exfiltration.
  • Data is exfiltrated (extracted outside the organization), typically via encrypted files over available ports – FTP, HTTP, or SMTP. www.pccare247.com

Monday 12 December 2011

Take care!! Security concerns for 2012 are knocking on the door

With 2012 just about round-the-corner, security concerns are also rather new and are being considered more than menacing in their outlook ever before. What’s more, adding to already burgeoning security hassles are the influx of bring your own devices (BYOD), social media, cloud computing and other operational challenges. In short, all we can say is buckle up, for if 2011 was a shocker, then 2012 is likely to be a motherload of all security issues.

What’s 2012 got in store?
2012 is for sure going to pain in the neck or the IT guys dealing with the security scenario. Since, as it goes the year will end up promising hassles galore in fields such as:

PC Security·         Social Media
It goes without saying identity may prove more valuable to cybercriminals than credit cards. For at the end of the day, bad guys would be actively involved in the activity of buying and selling social media credentials on online forums. And if facts are anything to go by then with Facebook nearly boasting of more than 800 million active users and over half of them logging on to the site daily, with every user nearly boasting of as many 130 friends on an average, a less than favorable scenario is not far away.  And yes with trust ending up being the foundation of social networking, if in case a bad guy does end up compromising with the logins, there is a good chance a manipulation on friends list is in the pipeline.

·         Blended Attacks
This method is considered as one of the most advanced attacks trying to sneak its way past elements social media elements such as ‘friends’, ‘mobile devices’ and the cloud. Blended attacks are generally a considered as a mix of two elements, namely E-mail and the Web. In the coming year advanced attacks are increasingly going to rely on at least two and sometimes all the emerging technologies such as social media, cloud platforms and mobile.

·         Volley of Attacks in 2012
End up expecting an increase in exposed vulnerabilities from black hats and white hats in coming year for mobile devices. In 2012, if estimates are anything to go by then nearly 1,000 different variants of exploits, malicious applications, and botnets would be ready to infect hand held devices and those plugged to the head. And yes with nearly a new variant every day the number of people falling victim to believable social engineering scams will rise manifold.

·         Containment is the new prevention 
For years, security defenses have focused on keeping cybercrime and malware out. There’s been much less attention on watching outbound traffic for data theft and evasive command and control communications. Organizations on the leading edge will implement outbound inspection and will focus on adapting prevention technologies to be more about containment, severing communications, and data loss mitigation after an initial infection.

·         Social Event Magnets
The London Olympics, U.S. presidential elections, Mayan calendar and apocalyptic predictions are events cyber criminals will try and exploit to the hilt. SEO poisoning has become an everyday occurrence and one just needs to the name the trend and it is for sure going to be poisoned. Further, as the bigger search engines have become savvier towards removing poisoned results; criminals in 2012 will end up using the same techniques ported to new platforms. So, in short Twitter feeds, Facebook posts/emails, LinkedIn updates, YouTube video comments, and forum conversations need to be handled with extreme caution. Better still searches, wall posts, forum discussions, and tweets dealing with topics listed above, as well as any celebrity death or other surprising news are considered to be magnets for unsuspecting netizens. www.pccare247.com

Friday 2 December 2011

Malware: An ultimate nemesis for SMB’s

Malicious attacks via social networks and through other mediums are considered to be a number one cause for data breaches, surpassing lost or stolen laptops and accidental sharing.


Impacting businesses big time, the costs comprise of detection, remediation, notification efforts, tech support, credit monitoring and legal fees.


Malware SupportIn dire situations, resources are even diverted from other sales, marketing, customer service projects to focus on repair and damage control. With effect, leading the management teams to shift tasks to emergency communication efforts in order to repair customer trust.

But that’s not all, in addition to increased costs; businesses even end up risking the loss of their intellectual property. And if in a situation a cybercriminal were to end up gaining access to a corporate network, the company stands to lose new product development plans, confidential marketing, shareholder information and even its intellectual capital.

SMB’s need to tread with caution
Malware attacks can end up playing havoc with any organization, but for SMBs (Small and Medium-Sized Businesses) the costs are magnified. And in such a situation, the best protection strategy against social networking malware would be to go in for a two-pronged approach: education and technology.

To start with the easiest way to prepare employees against malware would be by means of showing them examples. Say for instance, one could always start by showing screenshots of Facebook scams, Twitter hacks or fake LinkedIn invitations. Yet, at the same time coming up with inclusive quick tips on how to avoid social malware via creation of strong passwords, using only trustworthy news sources and not clicking on questionable links. www.pccare247.com

And yes at the end of the day when employees do up realizing how convincing such attacks might be, giving them a good understanding of how to end up avoiding them.

Source your antivirus judiciously
Only employee education won’t do, for at the end of the day blue-chip business antivirus solutions are considered as an effective solution against social malware. However, as it goes all AV solutions are equal, so the one you should end up choosing should be inclusive of:
  •  A powerful scanning technology. High-quality AV solutions come in good towards analyzing and   detecting potential viruses and malware before they end up infecting user machines.
  •  Active monitoring and protection as a majority of the SMBs don’t have time or resources to constantly monitor their networks for security threats. So, investing in a solution protecting your network and user machines in real time would end up helping big time.
  • Web filtering for malicious elements and blocking bad URLs before they hit the network. This should  be done by implementing a solution using the latest behavioral analysis and malware URL detection technology.

Thursday 1 December 2011

How to win loyal clientele via superlative online tech support?

In spite of the best client experience initiatives being led by someone from marketing, organizations boasting of superlative programs end up having a mixture of people who are responsible for coming out with periodical reports having a bearing on entire client base of an organization.

At the same time attached to the whole process they have something better known as a "case report", a document saving up information whenever a client ends up calling a contact centre to lodge either a compliment or a complaint.

Key Initiatives for flawless online tech support
Every contact centre can end up delivering a smooth tech support experience to its clients, provided it is ready to adhere to the following points:

·         Prompt action on Feedback
Online Tech SupportOrganizations failing to respond to client feedback are throwing away a chance to increase their base of satisfied and loyal clients. At the same time changes need to be deployed throughout the company and need to be communicated on a regular basis to employees and customers.

·         Client-Centric Processes
Organizations should identify processes crucial for clients rather than designing them with an objective of improving operational efficiencies.

·         Ensuring consistency via a united front  
Companies should ensure any information gleaned from a client during one interaction is not forgotten in the next channel.

·         Being receptive
Opening channels or extending hours are one way of doing it.  But it can be way more than that, say for instance it can be like building communities. It goes without saying that organizations need to be transparent, clear, open-minded and inclusive.

·         Personalization
Personalization can be complex, and it can lead to accentuated costs for the company. Companies need to evaluate the costs of personalization against sales benefits in order to improve a client’s experience in the longer run.

·         Altering company behavior and attitudes  
The most powerful actions in a client's experience are the ones taken by the employees. In a nutshell there can be three ways to alter employee behavior:
·         Recruitment of right employees
·         Laying down standards with policies, procedures and governance structures
·         Creation of training programs  for modifying employee behavior

·         Design the complete customer experience:
To just cut the whole thing short, it would be right to say - Organizations need to plan and design the client experience, rather than letting it "just happen". 

Wednesday 30 November 2011

Select your Printer Brand with Prudence

With organizations having complex documentation requirements, printers as peripherals end up bearing maximum of stress. Leading to a strong reason as to why various manufacturers need to offer printer security as a part of the overall deal. In the bargain saving enterprises from the hassle of purchasing exorbitantly priced security solutions separately. So, if you are also thinking of buying a printer, just read on and get a good understanding of what various brands have on offer and how secure they are.
Printer Support 
Canon
Canon with its wide range of built-in and optional hardware features and software ends up addressing print security requirements for businesses of all sizes. Canon’s security proposition ends up offering capabilities such as user authentication, usage auditing and reporting. Among all the notable features, the printer’s keyword recognition feature comprises of optical character recognition (OCR) and a unique uniFLOW technology to prevent any sort of unauthorized copy, fax or scan jobs taking place on Canon and any other third party devices. To further maximize the security, jobs can be held and checked for restricted content before they are printed or sent to their scan destination.

HP
HP boasts of a strong portfolio to help businesses manage risk and secure their print infrastructure. Established over a time span of 10 years, the organization’s Imaging and Printing Security Framework has been found on the four pillars of secure data, secure devices, well-protected printed documents, and extensive monitoring and management of printing fleet. The organization has further augmented the same framework by adding risk management and compliance considerations inclusive of features such as authentication, rules-based printing, job accounting and secure pull printing.

Konica Minolta
In Konica Minolta’s overall strategy, security is considered as a key element. The company has a comprehensive range of print and document security features considered to be a standard amongst its biz hub range of devices. Offering bizhub SECURE, a professional security service providing lock down protection on bizhub MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals), the gamut of services appeal to many enterprises given the complex mix of MFP hardware and software security features any business environment demands.  In the same instance helping Konica Minolta raise its print security offerings well beyond its standard hardware features and duly support an OPS-led approach.

Lexmark
Lexmark with its message of “Print Less, Save More,” to quite a large extent ends up addressing the business requirement of saving money in the present economic scenario. With the services portfolio of the company comprising of pull-printing, device personalization, activity tracking and reporting, Lexmark does well to authenticate devices across locations, branches and country offices. Further, by virtue of developing and owning its own core technologies, Lexmark is able to deliver a strong set of innovative solutions for a secure and cost-effective print infrastructure.

Ricoh
Security is considered to be inherent in any hardware, software and other services offered by the company. Ricoh provides a comprehensive range of advanced security solutions comprising of authentication, secure server-less pull-printing, document management and audit and reporting features. Ricoh is wisely focusing on assessing business security needs rather than presenting a complex array of hardware and software product features.


Xerox
The development, implementation and delivery of all Xerox products, services and technologies end up focusing on network security, document security, data security and authentication. Xerox builds a comprehensive range of features into its devices to help safeguard customer information, including hard drive removal, fax/network separation, image overwrite, network authentication and authorization, encryption and secure print. Ring and Grab Major Printer Support at +1-855-877-5848, http://www.pccare247.com/printer-support.html

Thursday 24 November 2011

Common Impediments derailing an Online Tech Support Experience


Online Tech SupportFor those struggling with their PC, online tech support is considered nothing short of paradisiacal.  Considered to be a process where technical support executives are expected to stick their best foot forward to resolve a client’s grievances. Howbeit, in spite of such a concern, online tech providers woefully do also end up realizing they are not always fully equipped to meet every requirement. And with comparative studies further strengthening the claim, online channels do very well end up acting as a second fiddle to phone and in-person channels.


High-Fivers rubbing the wrong way
Taking the word of online tech support executives, there are five types of customer struggles coming in the way of providing a flawless experience. Classified as:

·         Blurry Path – On occasions Online Tech Support Executives feel clients are not sure about the path they need to tread. An issue forcing them to go back and forth from one page to another while experimenting with several alternative paths.    

·      Perplexing Cues – At times clients end up feeling confused about information displayed on a page. Be it the description of a product or the FAQ page they end up spending extra degree of time trying to figure it out.

·       Process Hassles  – In situations where there is a doubt of finishing a process, say for instance applying for a loan or changing around the settings of the account, it is for given a fact clients won’t be able to finish the process. Issues very often hard to spot as clients don’t even get started with the whole process.

·        Ruptured Content – There can be situations where clients while seeking information scatter content all across the site. In the hindsight, not realizing they end up creating unexpected paths for online tech support executives.  
  
·         Botched Up Systems – A site going down or returning unexpected error messages can end up being a big turn off for clients.   www.pccare247.com


Tuesday 22 November 2011

Comprehending Security Log Analysis for salvaging organizations

Going by the Chinese lexicon, the term ‘crisis’ end up comprising of two words ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity’. The idea being one should end up looking for the gold buried within a crisis. Well, then as it would turn out the slogan doesn't seem to be quite true. Chinese scholars don’t dispute the ‘danger’ part, but it looks like somebody pulled a fast one on ‘opportunity.’ It turns out the term ‘opportunity’ really depicts something closer to ‘critical moment.’

It essentially means we would need to accept a crisis just plain mean and serious. Maybe, that’s what it exactly means for at the end of the no matter how hard we try we cannot end up avoiding all crisis in our jobs, but our jobs are meant to prevent our organization from plunging into one.

The saga of Security Logs
Where do security logs come into the picture? Quality data in form of security logs helps one take decisions and yet avoid crisis; essentially meaning security logs are a danger and an opportunity at the same time. Considered to be dangerous when they are not capturing data, or when the data is not being analyzed regularly and properly while at the same time presenting an opportunity to scour security logs, devour details in order to make an organization stronger.

Credos for effective Log Monitoring Process
There are critical facets one needs to consider for a security log monitoring process. And even though there can be other things on the list, in reality there can be other things which might merit a higher level of thought and attention. Comprising of company-specific rules or constraints considered of leaving a lasting impact on security log analysis program.

Categorizing Compliance Drivers
Companies need to follow specific government or industry mandated rules governing information security? In the financial industry, complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations is a must for avoiding all possible financial and legal penalties. The same rule applies to companies associated with the health care industry; asked of following the HIPAA regulations to ensure any requirements related to logging and compliance are readily complied with.

Classifying Identity Logs
The number of security logs an organization possesses can have a bearing on it security. A case in point wherein a full security log audit ends up comprising of logs related to devices and activities running the overall operations. This category is inclusive of firewalls, VPN systems, authentication servers, mail servers, database servers and application servers.

Ranking of Logs
In spite of many logs residing on a system; not all systems, data and their associated logs are of equal value. One of those cases where one needs to allocate time and energy to the most mission-critical logs first and work towards less important and fringe logs with time permitting. Yet, at the same time one need not have an unmonitored log for at the end of the day as not every ends up deserving the same degree of time and attention in a process.

Committed Teams
Once having identified and ranked the logs, the next step would be to establish formal teams to divvy up the workload. A step considered good towards using people resources to the fullest as well as carrying out database log analysis in tandem with the DBAs and database developers. Leading to a scenario where individuals may not actually ever capture or view a log file but end up using the same expertise for understanding data and crafting responses.

Benchmarking Procedures
It makes little sense to establish a great system for capturing and analyzing security log data without any procedures to respond appropriately to what is discovered. This is where analysis morphs into response. The appropriate response may be to simply do nothing, but unless this has been thought about thoroughly, documented and communicated to a team, the analysis serves little purpose. You can’t create a procedure for every possible scenario but you can easily identify the most common type of scenarios that logs can generate.

Maximizing Automation
Once having identified the final objective; the next objective is to work on streamlining and automating capture, analysis and response procedures. Software tools along with simple flowchart analysis help in minimizing the time and effort required for achieving a greater degree of vigilance one seeks.

Employing Redundant Analysts
A majority of log consolidation and analysis tools provide a capability for targeting specific log events and set response actions. However, it needs to be remembered most powerful computers are still being run by human experts. A basic tenet where any log file employs procedures for multiple people to go ahead and review the data. www.pccare247.com

Tuesday 15 November 2011

How to measure and manage the impact of social media?

Ever since its inception social media has turned around the way we originally thought about branding our products on the “World Wide Web”. And yes with savvy marketers also going about and reading as well as responding to social media content, measuring the concept in terms of success and failure has somewhat become a sort of a norm. 


Discovering the entities involved
There are many entities involved from the start to the end in any successful social media campaign. Classification which really ends up enlisting consumers into five levels of engagement and on what basis they really end up responding to various online channels. At the end of the day primarily comprising of:
Internet Security

·      Searchers at the most passive levels. This category is primarily involved with the task of scanning online resources for finding out specific information. And at the end of the day, a count of unique visitors thronging onto the site probably best captures this category.
·    The second category ends up comprising of Lurkers. A class consisting of individuals who every now and then like to drop on to a conversation but really don’t end up participating in it. This class of users can be treated as repeat visitors above a certain frequency. Say for instance when they start coming back to a site for about 3 or 5 times in a month.
·      A little bit more engaged class of visitors are the Casuals, participating lightly in any all sorts of social media. This class is identified via metrics such as percentage of comments they post as friends on either Facebook or by becoming followers on Twitter.
·  Ranking high on the hierarchy are the Actives who regularly retweet messages,  repeatedly participate in active forums and post messages frequently.
·       Last but the most important class is that of Defenders who are entrusted with the task of advocating, recommending and defending. This class is the most influential and the most active among all the categories.  www.pccare247.com




Monday 14 November 2011

Propel your organization forward with these vital policies

For an organization to thrive and grow, a well-defined corporate policy is always warranted. Be it then again related to firewalls, backups, or personnel management, at any time of the day an organization would need security policies to keep itself on the forward march. However, the policies discussed here do not mean other policies are less important. And in any scenario, an organization might need to formulate as many as hundred of policies to be in sync with its objectives and vision. But then again, going into the nitty-gritty of every such policy would be nothing more of a herculean task. So out here we are just mentioning the vital policies which are considered to be more than handy. Starting with:

Acceptable User Policy (AUP)
PCCare247 ReviewsEvery organization needs to spell out its activities; allowed or prohibited. This step is specifically taken with regards to the usage of the official equipment and resource such as the internet. Say for instance, accessing adult sites or running one’s own personal agenda such as free lancing, is considered as activities contrary to the interests of an organization. Thus, at the end of the day AUP acts as a guide for employees to enhance their productivity without putting the organization at risk with risky activities contrary to the interests of a business.  

Privacy Policy
A privacy policy is responsible for disclosing what is private or not private while working on the company’s premises or its equipment.  A privacy policy is inclusive of activities such as use of security cameras, recording of keystrokes, monitoring of net usage. The policy also dictates what must be disclosed, what shouldn’t be, to whom the information is disclosed and for what purposes.  

Password Security
The password policy tends to comprise rules and regulations with regards to framing of passwords, characters used in a password, minimum and maximum age of a password and prevention of any password reuse. Under this policy users should be trained on how to select more secure passwords. The policy also works towards disabling of passwords wherein even after subsequent login attempts a user fails to log on.  

Disposal and Destruction of confidential data
Safe destruction and disposal of official documents is always warranted. For at the end of the day; dumpster diving might very well end up leading to confidential documents getting into the hands of either competitors or the government. 

Storage and Retention Policy
Data to be used in the future must be retained and stored properly. Backup devices alone won’t do and the use of a working media device such as backup software and compatible OS software is always considered as quintessential.

 Human Resource Policy
The human resource policy is always something on which an organization builds its foundation. For at the end of the day, the policy is responsible for recruitment and training of employees; considered as the most pivotal cog in the smooth running of any organization.

Firewall Policy
Firewalls are essential components of a computer security infrastructure. Responsible for keeping unwanted traffic at bay, a firewall policy dictates and describes how firewalls are to be implemented. www.pccare247.com

Sunday 6 November 2011

Beware!! Top 5 Malware Delivery Networks look to prey on unsuspecting netizens

The best of the breed Firewall and Anti-Virus software are bound to fail in front of malware delivery networks comprising of dynamic links and ever changing payload servers. Elements working towards luring innocent netizens by offering them sugar coated baits comprising of online storage solutions and free software downloads. And with those remaining untouched often coming up tagged with categories such as:
·         Search Engines (39.2%)
·         E-mail (6.9%)
·         Pornography (6.7%)
·         Social Networking (5.2%)

Once again driving home the point conventional firewall and anti-virus software would be deemed as incompetent for dealing with dynamic and constantly changing threats. Thus, pushing home the point of employing an intelligent, real-time cloud based Web defense that is dynamic and equally effective at the same time. However, then again coming back to the question of malware delivery networks, on any given day there would be nothing less than 50 operational and highly active malware networks. But since we can’t talk about all of them, herein we are just listing the top 5 networks which may play havoc with any security software.

Take Care!! The evil 5 are still thriving and throbbing
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Netizens really need to take care; for there are 5 networks still thriving and throbbing which intend to make a huge dent in any security establishment. Well here goes nothing. Starting with:

1.    Shnakule
As the name sounds, equally is the destructive force of this malware network. With a Unique Attacks Hosts tally comprising of 2001 and going up to teach a maximum of 4357, the network in the first half of 2011 nearly drew about 21000 users on an average, with the maximum touching a whopping 51000 users. Broad based in origin, the Shnakule has a number of malicious activities in its kitty; primarily comprising of fake Anti-Virus and Codecs, Fake Flash and Firefox updates, Fake Wares, Botnet commands and controls. With Search Engine poisoning being a major USP of the network, Shnakule has a stake in many categories such as pornography, gambling, pharmaceuticals, link farming and work-at-home scams.

2.    Ishabor
Exclusively devoted to distributing fake anti-virus scareware and comprising of unique attack hosts averaging up to 766 and the maximum touching up a whopping figure of 1140, extensive research revealed Ishabor was riding piggy back on Shnakule from the very beginning to spread around its nefarious designs.  

3.    Cinbric
With unique attack host raking up an average of 505 hosts and going up to touch a maximum of 1602 hosts, Cinbric as a network tends to primarily rely on spam to drive traffic to porn-centric ransomware. At the same time luring users with the promise of exclusive Web cam access, if they were to download and install their software.  

4.    Naargo
Notching up impressive figures of 199 for unique attack hosts and the maximum number going up to as good as 299, even though Naargo is not devoted to malware delivery, the network tends to exhibit a number of shady characteristics; calling for continued tracking and investigation. The network also tends to heavily rely on using spam and search engine poisoning for driving traffic to porn sites.

5.    Vidzeban
Boasting of a significant Russian-language presence, the malware network with its unique attack hosts tallying up to 156 and the maximum tally climbing up to as good as 347, Vidzeban ends up wooing netizens by promising them easy to download and install software. In short, the basic premise on which the network tends to thrive is Search Engine Poisoning. http://www.pccare247.com/pc-security/malware-removal.html

Friday 4 November 2011

Embrace Consumerization – Don’t wish it away

Emerging technologies are propelling IT industry ahead and it is about time organizations took notice of them. And It is about time IT departments started to shrug off their inhibitions and started to embrace concepts such as cloud computing, Consumerization and but of course Social Media with open arms. Using the same technologies to not only improve productivity of the employees but at the same time Ushering an era of work productivity like never before.    

Consumerization is ‘fait accompli
It is about time the senior management started recognizing Consumerization is here to stay and they cannot simply wish away devices such as personal smart phones, tablets, and laptops away. Devices which to say the least are inevitable and extremely pivotal for communication. For at the end of the day Consumerization is way more than just users connecting a personal device to the corporate network. It is anything but an experience which is driven by several inter-related trends such as:

• Enterprise Mobility
In a highly dynamic environment personally liable smart phones and tablets are slowly but surely becoming a norm. Users of such devices are more than happy in bringing such gadgets with them into an enterprise.

• Cloud Computing
Cloud-based infrastructure and applications whether public or private can be pivotal in driving down the Capex and other associated IT operational costs. More importantly, as it goes, cloud computing also ends up giving users an instant access to cloud-based alternatives and IT-controlled applications. To be used at the end of the day without any sort of involvement from the IT department.

• Social Media
Enterprises across the globe are on the cusp of a generational shift in how their workers communicate. And somehow in the consumer world such communications end up taking place in the form of online conversations on community forums, wikis and instant Messaging.

Considered to be immediate yet uncensored at the same time, it is worth pointing out that the above trends tend to thrive in a synergistic relationship. Wherein, cloud makes enterprise mobility possible and mobility drives more demand for cloud-based and mobile applications. While, on the other hand Social Media is the communication medium in which users end up collaborating with each other, search for new applications, share information and offer their opinions as and when asked for.

In short, this new era of Consumerization and mobility is changing the relationship between users and their enterprise. And it is about time, the management ended up taking note of it. www.pccare247.com

Monday 31 October 2011

What do you know about cloud computing?


There would be many geeks and technical experts out there who might scoff at me when I ask such a question. But then as it would be the case there is also a whopping majority of those who are not so well acquainted with the vagaries of the IT world and are rather keen to get a good understanding of the terminologies and technologies which can make a pivotal difference in their lives. And well in that perspective with all the recent brouhaha surrounding cloud computing I thought why I don’t get cracking on the same concept and the possible implications it holds for avid PC users.


So, just go ahead and read on and get yourself enlightened on the terminology and its bearing on your daily life.

The Internet is ‘the’ platform, so take advantage
As the concept goes cloud computing is a general term for anything which involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories:
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·         Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Entities such as Amazon Web Services provide Infrastructure-as-a-Service for starting, stopping accessing and configuring virtual servers and storage virtual server instance. In this instance via cloud computing a company is required to pay for only as much capacity it requires and going for more only if the need be. Sometimes this model is also referred to as utility computing because of its pay-for-what-you-use functionality.

·         Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)  
Platform-as-a-service in the cloud comprises of software and product development tools hosted on the provider's infrastructure. With developers creating applications on a provider's platform over the Internet, PaaS providers may end up using APIs, website portals or gateway software residing on a customer's PC. Google Apps is a prominent example of PaaS.

·         Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
In this model, the vendor supplies the hardware infrastructure, the software product and interacts with the user through a front-end portal. SaaS is a very broad market. Services can stretch from anything like a Web-based email to inventory control and database processing.  And yes with the service provider hosting both application and data, the end user is free to use the service from anywhere.

Cloud computing rules the Roost
Cloud service primarily consists of three distinct characteristics which differentiate it from traditional hosting. What’s more it is sold on demand typically by the minute or the hour and it is also elastic – a user can end up having as much or as little of a service at any given point in time. Better still the service is fully managed by the provider (With the PC user requiring nothing but a personal computer and Internet access). www.pccare247.com
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