McStyles Software

These are some basic steps to take to prevent online and offline identity theft:

In the case of Credit cards, Debit cards, and Credit reports:

1. Reduce the number of credit and debit cards carried in your wallet. While using debit cards take advantage of online access to your bank account to monitor account activity frequently and report evidence of fraud to your financial institution immediately.
2. When using your credit and debit cards at restaurants and stores, pay attention to how the magnetic stripe information is swiped by the waiter or clerk because devices called skimmers can download the account number data onto a personal computer.
3. Do not use debit cards when shopping online, instead use a credit card because you are better protected in case of fraud.
4. Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, and investments - the account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments - in a secure place.
5. Never give out your Social Security Number, credit or debit card number or other personal information over the phone, by mail, or on the Internet unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company or if you have initiated the call.
6. Always take credit card receipts with you and never toss them in a public trash container.
7. Do not permit your credit card number to be written onto your checks.
8. Order your credit report at least once a year because if you are a victim of identity theft, your credit report will contain the tell-tale signs.

In case of Passwords and PINs:

1. When creating passwords and PINs, do not use anything that could easily be discovered by thieves.
2. Ask your financial institutions to add extra security protection to your account like an additional code or password when accessing your account.
3. Memorize all your passwords and don’t record them on anything in your wallet.

In case of Social Security Numbers:

1. Protect your Social Security Number and release it only when absolutely necessary for e.g. tax forms, employment records, most banking, stock and property transactions.
2. Do not have your SSN or driver’s license number printed on your checks.
3. Examine your Social Security Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement each year to check against fraud.
4. Do not carry your SSN card in your wallet except for situations when it is required.

In case of Internet and other Computer safeguards:

1. Install a firewall on your computer to prevent hackers from obtaining personal information and financial data from your hard drive
2. Install and update virus protection software to prevent a virus from causing your computer to send out files or other stored information.
3. Password-protect files that contain sensitive personal data, such as financial account information, etc.

You’ve paid a lot of money for your computer system and the majority of your business documents and information is kept on your computer. Wouldn’t it be wise to take physical security measures to protect your system and the data that is on it?

If you are a SOHO business owner that has a system in the home with critical information on it, care should be taken to make sure that the system is password protected. If the computer is used for other than business, then you may want to consider getting a separate system so that you’ll have a system for business and a system for the family so data won’t be destroyed.

However, if you cannot afford a new system at this time then make sure that files are password protected for certain documents so that information cannot be changed or compromised. It’s good to constantly back up your system weekly based on the volume of business that you conduct.

Laptops have become the rage of all computer users. They are small, portable and convenient to use. You can take laptops anywhere (coffee shop, library, and restaurant) and do business while accessing the local Wi-Fi spot to get on the Internet.

Extra care should be taken when you are carrying your laptop. Before you leave home, put your laptop in the trunk, away from the trunk latch so that it isn’t visible. That way, if you have your window down, no one can reach in and steal it when you make a stop.

When you are in a public place, you should always be in close proximity of your laptop. Not unless you really know people in the place that you are in, take your laptop to the restroom with you. It’s better to be safe than sorry and have all of your hard work and information disappear!

If you make a stop to the grocery store, DON’T leave your laptop on the front seat! People have been known to smash windows and steal laptops. Put your laptop in the trunk! Most cars come with alarm systems so if someone tries to break in, the alarm will alert the owner.

Use common sense in physically protecting your computer systems.

This article is to show you the various places where virus can hide. So if your computer is acting crazy, you might want to take a look at these “hot spots”.

Start-Up Folder - This is the most logical place! Windows opens every item in the Start Menu’s Start Up folder. This folder is prominent in the Programs folder of the Start Menu.  Notice that I did not say that Windows "runs" every program that is represented in the Start Up folder. I said it "opens every item." There’s an important difference.

Programs represented in the Start Up folder will run. But you can have shortcuts in the Start Up folder that represents documents, not programs.

For example, if you put a Microsoft Word document in the Start Up folder, Word will run and automatically open that document at during system initialization; if you put a WAV file there, your audio software will play the music at initialization, and if you put a Web-page Favorites there, Internet Explorer (or your own choice of a browser) will run and open that Web page for you when the computer starts up. (The examples cited here could just as easily be shortcuts to a WAV file or a Word document, and so on.)

Registry. Windows executes all instructions in the "Run" section of the Windows Registry. Items in the "Run" section (and in other parts of the Registry listed below) can be programs or files that programs open (documents), as explained in No. 1 above.  Windows executes all instructions in the "RunServices" section of the Registry.

Batch File. Windows executes all instructions in the Winstart batch file, located in the Windows folder. (This file is unknown to nearly all Windows users and most Windows experts, and might not exist on your system. You can easily create it, however. Note that some versions of Windows call the Windows folder the "WinNT" folder.) The full filename is WINSTART.BAT.

Initialization File. Windows executes instructions in the "RUN=" line in the WIN.INI file, located in the Windows (or WinNT) folder.

As with Win.ini, file names might be preceded by considerable space on such a line, to reduce the chance that they will be seen. Normally, the full path of the file will be included in this entry. If not, check the \Windows directory

Windows has a lot of phases at the start of level but if you know what you are doing, you can catch weird files that will save you downtime.

The final categorization of viruses is the mighty Trojan Horse.

The Trojan Horse is pseudo like software that appears harmless but once you install the software, look out! It causes more problems than you could ever think of!

Trojan Horse viruses try to emulate software that is legitimate from a well known company. For example, Windows software was being emulated on file sharing servers only to find out that after downloaded, it was not a Windows based program by spyware or worms in the files that quickly spread over your entire system.

Trojans are really annoying because they change system settings without you knowing it and include extra icons to your desktop that initialize and pop up at the most unwanted times while you are trying to use your computer. Many Trojans can cause serious data loss and be targeted to wipe out your “My Documents” folder in your Windows Operating System. Microsoft Word defaults all documents to this folder.

Trojans also create a way for hackers to get into your system which allows for your personal and confidential information to be compromised. Trojans don’t replicate or reproduce like other files.

Trojans can also appear as bundled or blended threat viruses and worms. One Trojan can open the door to your system. Another Trojan can go straight to the computer register and write malicious code to the register while another Trojan can release worms into your system. These threats can cause major damage and downtime to your system.

Trojans are really powerful and you should by all means pay attention to virus postings and warnings from Microsoft and other reputable computer companies. Some Trojans have been so powerful that in the past, they have gotten front page coverage, such as the Anthrax Trojan threat a few years back.

Certainly, a Trojan Horse threat is nothing to play with. These Trojans have been known to knock out government data systems and reconfigure critical, sensitive military data. You should use full protection in battling Trojan Horse viruses.

A firewall is a system or group of systems that enforces an access control policy between several networks. The actual means by which this is accomplished varies widely, but in principle, the firewall can be thought of as a pair of devices which exists to block unwanted IP traffic and the other which exists to permit traffic.
Firewalls work by implementing various access control policies. It’s also important to recognize that the firewall’s configuration creates its policy based on the parameters you provide in your security control policy.

If you have a network in you SOHO business, you need firewall protection on the web side of your host and your networked computers. The Internet has hackers that seek to get into your network or server which makes life miserable for you and your system. The purpose of a firewall is to keep hackers out and to keep your system running proficiently and smoothly.

Even if you’re a small business, you should learn about the mechanics of how a firewall operates even if you have two computers on your network.  There are many software packages out there such as, McAfee Internet Suite software that keeps hackers at bay. A firewall is also great for intranet access to certain applications that are critical which you have to put restrictions on.

Lastly, a firewall can act as your corporate “ambassador” to the Internet. McAfee Internet Suite does this. Every time someone tries to access your computer, McAfee will notify you and reject their access.  It will tell you the IP address of the computer that wants access. You can automatically set these attributes to no.
Zone Alarm is another great software package which provides outstanding firewall protection. You can limit FTP upload capability to certain user profiles when putting information on the Internet and Zone Alarm also shows you the individual that is trying to break in.

Firewalls are needed because of data and programs that you don’t want destroyed by hackers. If you don’t have any firewalls set up for your computer or web host then you run the risk of losing data and getting viruses.