What is phishing?

It is an attempt to get your personal information by sending you an email. These email looks as a legitimate email comes from reputed organization like PayPal, e-bay and many others. Those emails contain links on which sender ask you to click to fill personal information including credit card details. Once they will get your information, they use it later for their personal benefits. In this situation you can maintain your email backup.

How can we identify them?

1. There is a possibility of spelling mistake in their emails because most of the email provider not allow the user to use the suspected keywords in their email at a mass level.
2. Move your mouse over the link (but don’t click on it), it will show the ip address. (Is it looks like a companies ip address?)
3. It will scare you by writing something. Like a message ‘If you do not fill the information your account will be blocked permanently’.
4. They use graphics in their email looks like an original website. For example Facebook.   

Always remember the thing that a reputed organization never asks you the personal information (i.e. financial info) by an email through unsecured channel.

Ways to Protect your Computer from Internet Threats

In recent years we heard about the computer viruses, spyware hackers and internet frauds. As consumer we know the importance of protecting our computer's and personal information against these threats.

If you are using windows operating system then don’t worry because this operating system has a security center that contain all the information and configuration of your computer setup security. It mainly contains three security essentials. i.e. Firewall, automatic windows update and Virus Protection.

Windows firewall:

Windows operating system comes with integrated firewall. The function of this firewall is to protect the windows from internet threats. But it can not provide you the protection from all the threats like it will not warn you if you are going to open a infected email. It also can not detect or delete the virus or worms that are already present in your computer. That’s why we need additional software to to protect the computer.

Automatic updates:

Microsoft continuously send you security updates for windows over the internet so it is important to update your computer windows time to time. Automatic update helps you to to protect your computer setup from internet threats.

Virus protection:

To protect your computer from viruses you need to install a antivirus program or use computer maintenance tools to maintain your computer. Now a days internet is the one of the important source of virus infection. The best option for complete internet security is to purchase an internet security. The security indication is located on the bottom toolbar on the right-hand side.

How to remove GRV?

The steps to remove this type of virus are as follows:

• Completely scan your computer with a good quality, highly defined anti-virus or anti-malware software. 
• Check your host files for malicious entries which reside in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts. 
• Open the host file with notepad and delete lines of codes and IPs which rewrite Google or Microsoft sub domains. 
• Check Domain Name Server (DNS) setting and in internet protocol settings tick the check box “Obtain DNS server address automatically”. 
• Check proxy setting on internet browser and enter parameters that were given by system administrator. 
• Please, uninstall all the suspicious add-ons and extensions of your browsers. 
• Click Uncheck to all the “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” and then click apply to save these changes. 

The best precaution which you should take to overcome this virus is that stop visiting websites which are provides irrelevant software’s. Properly judge the site by seeing its rating and authentication before clicking to it. Properly read terms and conditions before installing software.

Google redirect virus (GRV)

It is the one of the most notorious virus which simply, infects the computer and starts redirecting the search result of the websites to some other malicious websites and porn sites. It causes a great chaos and hazard on the person who got infected with this virus. Because of such features, it is also called as browser hijack virus. 

Every day millions of computers get infected by this kind of virus, and its removal is a bit difficult process as it gets bundled with many root kits commonly known as TLD3 or Alureon Root kits, which start every time you restart your computer and operates before your computer boots up properly. It changed your computer settings in such a way that when you type Google’s web address in address bar of your web browser, you will be redirected to a malicious web page which looks like Google. And, when you click a particular link, a web page having malicious files on it will get opened. 

The worst thing is that it affects the DNS of computer and can steal your personal information. It too degrades the overall performance of the computer system. 

How to install Microsoft Security Essential on a Computer Setup:

• First you need to download the Microsoft security essential from the Microsoft’s site, link is here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/security-essentials-download 
• Now double click on the downloaded file and click on “I Accept” and it will validate that you are using the genuine copy of Windows. 
• Then it will install further, after completion of process Update will start automatically and it immediately update itself with the latest antivirus definitions released by Microsoft. 
• MSE regularly scans your computer setup and notify you regarding the problems detected by displaying in the notification area at the right bottom of task bar. 

Working modes: 

• MSE with Green background: This indicates your computer setup is protected against harmful threats. 
• MSE with Red background: This indicates your computer is at risk and some malwares is detected in your computer setup. 
• MSE with Yellow background: This indicates your computer is not protected and you need to scan your computer setup.

Windows firewall limitations

Windows 7 firewall comes with many limitations like It only protects about incoming threats. It does very little for outbound. Most outbound connections will silently be blocked unless you thought to add the programs into the exclusion list. Separate rules are defined for each permissible outbound connection. It is difficult to configure windows firewall for outbound process for making it more secure. PC malfunctions is protected by windows firewall. 

So, it’s a difficult task for the users who are not more technical, their comes many third party tools which automatically solve these limitations. Some of the features of third party firewalls are as follows:

• More secure. 
• Automatically controls inbound and outbound connections. 
• Automatically creates definitions for outbound connections. 
• More users friendly.

Friends, as firewalls makes the system more secure but they also decrease the performance of computer, but it is very less and can be neglected, because security is more important then performance. In market their comes many third party windows firewall management software tools, check all the features mentioned above, even you can go for my recommendation.

Windows firewall 2

Windows 7 firewall contains some improvements then the earlier version of windows. It is more users friendly and has multiple active profiles. Windows 7 firewalls can be managed in following ways: 

• Click the start button. 
• Then click, control panel. 
• In the search box type, firewall. 
• Then click, windows firewall. 
• In the left pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off. 
• If you want to allow a program or features through windows firewall, click change settings. 
• Select the check box next to the program you want to allow, select the network locations you want to allow communication on, and then click OK. 

If some firewall settings are unavailable and your computer is connected to a domain, your system administrator might be remember, each time you choose to allow a program to communicate through your firewall, your computer setup will become less secure. The more items you allow through your firewall, the more at risk you become to hackers or malicious software controlling these settings through Group Policy.