Good Passwords, Safer Accounts

When picking Usernames and Passwords, try to be as creative as possible . Don’t use short Passwords and don’t put any personal details in them. Passwords should be changed from time to time to make them even harder to crack.

Here is an example of a good and hard to crack password: C&hv_w+iX%!i=A&+B[@TPgv!R

How did I get infected with malware?

This question is very common among users so I’ve decided to give you a few hints about where that nasty infection came from.

Every user has different internet related habits, some can be benign and some can be very dangerous. As many of you know, malware creators target only the most popular internet places so don’t be surprised when you take a look at this list.

1. XXX , Porn sites

2. Warez , Places that distribute pirated software, movies, music…

3. P2P, File sharing networks

4. Social Networking Sites, MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter like places

These are the very top of “malware distribution centers” ,  so if you visit one (or all) of the places listed above it is very possible that your computer is indeed infected with some form of malware.

Malware Research Group

Things you should know before you decide to install Antivirus software

First I want to start by saying that Antivirus software is as good as the user behind it.

Here are a few simple but very important things you should consider when choosing your Antivirus software.

1. Always test Antivirus software before you decide to buy it, all the tests and reviews can’t tell you if the program will be compatible with the rest of your system. Most Antivirus programs have 15-30 day trial versions and that is enough time to see if the program will suite your needs and blend in with the rest of your programs.

2. Be honest about your knowledge and experience and pick a program that you understand.

3. Inform yourself about the possibility of False Positives, most vendors will not talk about it, but False Positives are very common and can cause as much damage as  viruses. Almost all of today’s Antivirus programs have some form of heuristic detection, this ,in other words, means they are able to detect new variants of viruses without receiving signatures for them. This method of detection is known to produce False Positives, be sure that you understand what False Positives are before you decide the activate this feature.

4. You have to understand that Antivirus programs are your first line of defense, therefore you need to keep them updated at all times. It is strongly recommended to enable automatic updates upon installation.

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