Try Clipperz Password Manager

Clipperz is an online password manager where you have total control. You access it through a Master Password (Passphrase) that YOU create, should you forget it then you have a real problem as you are the only one who knows it, it isn’t stored which also means that it cannot be retrieved.

All the information that you enter into the browser window is fully encrypted and secure. Also, this is the first web-based application that has no knowledge of the users or their data.

Full details Click Here

File Shredders for Security

So you delete a file and it goes into your Recycle Bin, then you empty the Recycle Bin and it’s gone. You think so anyway. It isn’t. Windows simply removes the reference to the files, and with Recovery Software it is very easy to recover deleted items.

Use these programs with extreme caution, ensuring your PC is backed up first.

With these products you can safely shred confidential information. If you are replacing your PC or Hard Drive, would you leave any personal identification on it? Many people do, thinking that a reformat will wipe any sensitive data, yet most Recovery Software programs can easily recover these files. If it has been securely shredded it is almost impossible to recover depending upon the algorithm of the shredder.

File Shredder is a free program for Personal and Commercial use.It is a fast, safe and reliable utility.

You have the option to shred files or complete folders, along with 5 different algorithms:

Simple One Pass

Simple Two Pass

DoD 5520-22.M

Secure Erasing Algorithm with 7 Passes

Guttman Algorithm 35 Passes.

It has a Windows Shell Integration which means that you can right click any file or folder and select File Shredder which then gives you the option to Secure Delete, Remember to be deleted later or to Call Up the File Shredder which will open the program.

You will be asked for confirmation before shredding any items, they do NOT get shredded by adding them to File Shredder and you have the option to remove items before shredding is started.

You can also Shred Free Disk Space on your hard drive, which will shred unused or free space across the whole volume which includes previously deleted items. This option may take some time depending on which algorithm you choose and the speed of your PC.

The author of this program has issued it in the belief that everyone has the right to permanently remove private and confidential documents as a basic right to privacy.

File Shredder is compatible with Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 Server and Vista.

The download file is 1.2 mb and is available here.

There is another File Shredder from HandyBits, which is free for personal use only and again is compatible with Windows OS.

This shredder features simple drag&drop files or folders to the Desktop Icon, over writing data up to 15 times, Windows Shell Integration, Multi Language Support, Custom Backgrounds, a Drop Target Window which stays on top of other windows, Useful Tips and Online Help.

The download file is 1.55 MB and is available here

A word of caution.

Backup your system before making any changes.

Any files that are accidentally deleted to the Recycle Bin and subsequently deleted upon emptying the Recycle Bin can be recovered using a recovery program such as Recuva.

Once shredded using file shredders, they may well be beyond normal recovery methods.

Securing Your Wireless Network

Working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken.

As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, therefore gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your computer which could be transferred to other computers on your network.

Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have basic security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open with the default configurations.

It is recommended that wireless router/access point setup be always done though a wired client.

You can setup your security by follow these steps:

Change default admin password on wireless router/access point to a secured password.

Change your WEP keys periodically.

Change the channel your router uses to transmit and receive data on a regularly basis.

Use encryption such as WEP and WPA. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it.

Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.

Setup router/access point not to broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.

Block anonymous Internet requests or pings.

On each computer having a wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only.

Computer to Computer (peer to peer) Connection should not be allowed. Enable MAC filtering. Deny availability to your wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses.

Mac or Physical addresses are available through your computer device network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards.

When adding new wireless cards / computers to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point.

Network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled.

All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall. You should also update router/access point firmware when new versions become available.

There is no guarantee of a full protection of your wireless network, but following these suggested tips can definitely lessen your risk of exposing to attackers aiming at insecure networks.

File Shredders for Security

So you delete a file and it goes into your Recycle Bin, then you empty the Recycle Bin and it’s gone. You think so anyway. It isn’t. Windows simply removes the reference to the files, and with Recovery Software it is very easy to recover deleted items.

Use these programs with extreme caution, ensuring your PC is backed up first.

With these products you can safely shred confidential information. If you are replacing your PC or Hard Drive, would you leave any personal identification on it? Many people do, thinking that a reformat will wipe any sensitive data, yet most Recovery Software programs can easily recover these files. If it has been securely shredded it is almost impossible to recover depending upon the algorithm of the shredder.

File Shredder is a free program for Personal and Commercial use.It is a fast, safe and reliable utility.

You have the option to shred files or complete folders, along with 5 different algorithms:

Simple One Pass

Simple Two Pass

DoD 5520-22.M

Secure Erasing Algorithm with 7 Passes

Guttman Algorithm 35 Passes.

It has a Windows Shell Integration which means that you can right click any file or folder and select File Shredder which then gives you the option to Secure Delete, Remember to be deleted later or to Call Up the File Shredder which will open the program.

You will be asked for confirmation before shredding any items, they do NOT get shredded by adding them to File Shredder and you have the option to remove items before shredding is started.

You can also Shred Free Disk Space on your hard drive, which will shred unused or free space across the whole volume which includes previously deleted items. This option may take some time depending on which algorithm you choose and the speed of your PC.

The author of this program has issued it in the belief that everyone has the right to permanently remove private and confidential documents as a basic right to privacy.

File Shredder is compatible with Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 Server and Vista.

The download file is 1.2 mb and is available here.

There is another File Shredder from HandyBits, which is free for personal use only and again is compatible with Windows OS.

This shredder features simple drag&drop files or folders to the Desktop Icon, over writing data up to 15 times, Windows Shell Integration, Multi Language Support, Custom Backgrounds, a Drop Target Window which stays on top of other windows, Useful Tips and Online Help.

The download file is 1.55 MB and is available here

A word of caution.

Backup your system before making any changes.

Any files that are accidentally deleted to the Recycle Bin and subsequently deleted upon emptying the Recycle Bin can be recovered using a recovery program such as Recuva.

Once shredded using file shredders, they may well be beyond normal recovery methods.

Securing Your Wireless Network

Working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken.

As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, therefore gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your computer which could be transferred to other computers on your network.

Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have basic security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open with the default configurations.

It is recommended that wireless router/access point setup be always done though a wired client.

You can setup your security by follow these steps:

Change default admin password on wireless router/access point to a secured password.
Change your WEP keys periodically.

Change the channel your router uses to transmit and receive data on a regularly basis.

Use encryption such as WEP and WPA. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it.

Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.

Setup router/access point not to broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.

Block anonymous Internet requests or pings.

On each computer having a wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only.

Computer to Computer (peer to peer) Connection should not be allowed.

Enable MAC filtering. Deny availability to your wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses.

Mac or Physical addresses are available through your computer device network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards.

When adding new wireless cards / computers to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point.

Network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled.

All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall. You should also update router/access point firmware when new versions become available.

There is no guarantee of a full protection of your wireless network, but following these suggested tips can definitely lessen your risk of exposing to attackers aiming at insecure networks

Securing Firefox

How to avoid hacker attacks on Mozilla’s Firefox browser

Constant security problems with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser helped pave the way for Mozilla Firefox to emerge as an alternative browser for surfers.

However, Firefox users should be aware that hackers can exploit software flaws and design features to launch attacks.

The following configuration changes can disable various features and set up the browser to run in a secure state, limiting the damage from malware attacks.

To get started, select Tools, then Options.

In the General tab, you can manually set your home page and check to ensure Firefox is your default browser.

In the Privacy tab, select the Cookies sub-category. Here you can disable cookies or change your preferences for how the browser handles them. It is recommended that you enable cookies for the original site only. Also, by enabling the option ‘unless I have removed cookies set by the site’, a website can be “blacklisted” from setting cookies when its cookies are removed manually.
It is recommended that you do not use the Firefox feature to store passwords. If you decide to use the feature, be sure to use the measures available to protect the password data on your computer. Under Firefox’s Privacy category, the Passwords subcategory contains various options to manage stored passwords, and a Master Password feature to encrypt the data on your system. Use this option only if you decide to let Firefox manage your passwords.
Alternatively use Clipperz or RoboForm.

From the Content category, you can configure Firefox to block pop-ups and warn when websites try to install extensions or themes.

You should also Disable Java unless required by the site you wish to visit. You should determine if this site is trustworthy and whether you want to enable Java to view the site’s content.
Click on “Advanced” to disable specific JavaScript features.
It is recommended that you disable all of the options displayed in this dialog.

Firefox’s Downloads tab offers the option to change actions taken when files are downloading. Any time a file type is configured to open automatically with an associated application, this can make the browser more dangerous to use.

Vulnerabilities in these associated applications can be exploited more easily when they are configured to open automatically. Click the View & Edit Actions button to view the current download settings and modify them if necessary.

The Download Actions dialog shows the file types and the actions the browser will perform when it encounters a given file type. For any file type listed, click on either Remove Action or Change Action.

If you click on Change Action, select Save them on my computer to save files of that type to the computer. This helps prevent automated exploitation of vulnerabilities that may exist in these applications. Also scan them with an Anti-Virus program before executing them.

Firefox includes a feature to Clear Private Data to give users the option to remove potentially sensitive information from the web browser. Click on Tools, then Save Private data to find the settings (Ctrl+Shift+Del)

This is where you can configure Firefox to remove potentially sensitive data from the browser.
Place checkmark in the following boxes:
Browsing History
Saved Form Information
Cookies
Cache
Authenticated Sessions
Ask me before clearing private data.

Safe P2P File Sharing

GigaTribe (also known as TribalWeb) is a revolutionary program that lets you share entire folders with friends in a private peer to peer (P2P) environment. Share all your files (home movies, pictures, documents…) no matter how large they are.

It’s secure, encrypted…and free!

You create your private network by inviting your friends.No one can join your network unless invited. You can dismiss or ban your guests at any time. Your guests can’t see each other on your network.

EasyInstall
GigaTribe, select the folders you want to share and invite your friends to join your private network! Share all your files (movies, pictures, documents…) no matter how large they are. Interrupted exchanges automatically resume with no data loss. All files are exchanged at maximum speed.

Secure
Only the folders you want to share are visible. Only the users of your network can see your shared folders. When exchanging a file, only the sender and the receiver are aware of the exchange. All data exchanged on your network is encrypted (Blowfishencryption with a 256-bit key).

Free
All these features are included in the standard version and are totally free. GigaTribe contains no adware and can be uninstalled easily.

Pick of reviews:
PC Plus June 2007 Monthly DVD - The PC Plus Essential Collection” Harnessing the power of peer to peer, GigaTribe provides a network to exchange large files with your friends.”

Computer Shopper May 2007 DVD Edition: Expert Toolkit - MaySpecials” Create a private network over the internet to share files with friends.”

Download it HERE

MRU-Blaster Guide

MRU-Blaster is a program that does one large task - detect and clean the MRU (most recently used) lists on your computer.

This program is Freeware, although donations are accepted

goto: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/mrublaster.html

Download this program, I suggest that you place a NewFolder on your Desktop and rename it 'Downloads'. You can then download the various programs that I pass on to you in one central location, and always make back up copies.

The additional plug-ins are described below and allow you to clean out your Temporary Internet Files and Cookies. MRU-Blaster enhances the protection of your privacy!

MRU-Blaster setup: Take care setting this up.

When installed go to Settings and tick boxes1,3,4,6,7,8,9, & 10 on the left hand side.
Tick boxes 3,5,6, 7 & 8 on right hand side, then Save Setting.

Click on 'Go To Plugins' then click cookie blaster. Do not save any cookies as they are used to monitor your internet activity.

Click on 'IE Temporary Internet File Cleaner', tick EnableSecure Deletion of Files and click radio button 'Specify a custom number of passes and set to 7. Then save Settings & Run Now.
Using this program frequently only takes a few seconds and removes traces of the Most Recently Used (MRU) lists on your PC. These lists contain details of the name/locations of the files you have accessed. Traces of these are left scattered through your registry and unless removed are there for all to find.

One very important thing - do NOT save your passwords on your hard drive and do NOT tick the boxes asking to remember your login details.
Open any text document and type in the URL, Username and Password for each site that you have a password for, save this to either a floppy disc, flash drive, or other removable media, Do NOT save this text file on your hard drive।

I will cover another program for using secure passwords in the near future.

goto: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/mrublaster.html

Safe surfing everyone
cotojo

Zone Alarm Free Firewall

Get Into the Zone

Malware. An odd sounding word created to lump all
malicious software programs, including viruses, worms,
trojans, spyware, adware, and other malevolent codes into
one cause-your-computer-serious-hurt category.

In 2005, Computer Economics released a report on malware.
The good news was that for the first time since 2002, the
total worldwide financial losses from malware actually
declined to a mere $14.2 billion. The bad news was that the
nature of malware was changing from overt threats to more
focused, covert attacks. This definitely is not great news
for the average computer user just trying to keep up with
the hundreds of malware programs that bombard us daily.

It’s not an easy task keeping malware out of your computer
system. In order to accomplish this, you need a strong
antivirus program. I have covered that with AVG Anti-Virus.

Now you need a good firewall to complement it.
One such program that can deliver the
goods is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7 from Zone
Labs. Zone Labs is one of the most trusted brands in
Internet Security for good reason. Their product, simply
put, kicks serious malware gluteus maximus.

ZoneAlarm has received more review recommendations that
any other Internet-security software suite because of its
superb firewallprotection. It blocks pop-up
ads, protects against identify theft and provides adequate
spam filters that are flexible. It even beats the market
leader, Norton Internet Security, which is often criticized
for excessive system drag.

The bonus for the average user who cringes at the idea of
setting-up one of these systems is that the interface is
easier to understand and use in comparison to most if its
competitors. If you choose to venture beyond the out-of-the-
box default settings, and install a more elaborate
filtering, know that this will require some additional time
to set up on your part.

Overall, ZoneAlarm is a user-friendly, solution that will
have your computer safe from Internet hazards and cyber
criminals within minutes of installation and it also has
an auto-update feature, very useful.

ZoneAlarm makes it easy. Unlike other personal firewalls,
ZoneAlarm protects automatically from the moment it’s
installed - no programming required. ZoneAlarm barricades
your PC with immediate and complete port blocking. And
then runs in Stealth Mode to make your PC invisible on the
Internet - if you can’t be seen, you can’t be attacked.
ZoneAlarm is a simple to use Firewall without compromising
your security. A getting started tutorial explains controls
and alerts to get you up and running quickly. And, to keep
you confident that you’re always protected, intuitive color-
coded alerts rate security risks - in real time. For basic,
“no frills” firewall protection, ZoneAlarm® is the popular
first step for many home PC users. And it’s still FREE for
individual & non-profit use.

Install it and forget it. ZoneAlarm comes configured to
deliver “out-of the-box” safety and security. As you use
your computer and applications that access the Internet, a
bubble will open on the lower left of your screen and
ZoneAlarm asks you whether you want applications to access
the Internet. It quietly protects you while logging
unauthorized repelled attempts to access your computer.
Security Levels make ZoneAlarm easy to use. In just a few
seconds you can decide how secure you want your system to
be. In contrast to other security solutions, ZoneAlarm does
not require you to learn about ports, protocols and
firewall programming. Security Levels automatically
configure the Firewall and eliminate the risk of improper
use that comes with other products. With ZoneAlarm’s
Security Levels, you get peace of mind, not confusion.
ZoneAlarm makes Internet safety and security hassle-free.

Remember……either back-up your system or create a
Restore Point BEFORE making any changes.

So what are you waiting for? Click the link below, click on
‘I only want basic ZoneAlarm Protection’ and
download and install it.


http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

How many spyware items are infecting your computer?

I just had, by mistake, a plug-in called Intelligent Explorer attach
to my browser. What a nightmare! I have another article on this
topic, but this brings home a point. Spyware or adware items are
continually infecting computers. Most computers have no protection
from them. Most frightening is the frequency of them. From the
InfosecWriters web site, "According to a 2004 survey by America
Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance, 91% of users
questioned were familiar with the term spyware. Only 53% believed
their computers were infected, but a scan found that 80% of their PCs
had some type of spyware installed on them." It goes on to say,
"...The average number of spyware components per computer was 93 with
one computer having well over a thousand."

What is Spyware?

Butte College (www.bctv.butte.edu/support/spyware.html) offers this
definition:

“The term ‘spyware’ is broadly defined as any program that gets into
your computer without permission and hides in the background while it
makes unwanted changes to your user experience.

Spyware is generally not designed to damage your computer. The
damage it does is more a by-product of its main mission, which is to
serve you targeted advertisements or make your browser display
certain sites or search results.

At present, most spyware targets only the Windows operating system
(Internet Explorer).”

To be fair, spyware can be harmless, for example tracking cookies
don’t do much. While such things infringe on your privacy, they don't
really harm anything. Others, however, are extremely dangerous.

So what do you do about it?

No spyware program seems to do everything, but there are a lot of
goods solutions out there that can help. Here is a list of some of
the top Spyware tools to look at:

1) Try Ad-Aware 6.0 Professional from LavaSoft (there is also a free
version with less functionality)

2) Spybot Search & Destroy from PepiMK Software

3) Xoftspy form Pareto Logic

4) Spyware Guard from Javacool Software is a free program

5) Pest Patrol (now part of Computer Associates by acquisition)

6) McAfee Anti-Spyware

One thing is for certain: you do need to take spyware seriously.
For some reason, too many people out there think anti-virus solutions
are the end-all solution. They are not.

And, when all else fails?

Finally, as drastic as it seems, if your computer has been infected
with a large number of spyware programs, the only solution you may
have is backing up your data, and performing a complete reinstall of
the operating system.

About Encryption and Making Your System Secure

To What does encryption do for me?
Encryption and cryptographic software has been used in many different ways to make systems more secure.
This article discusses only a few ways that such software can make your system more secure, including:

1) Encrypting your email

2) Encrypting your files

Two programs are mentioned that will help encrypt information. There are many more programs out there that will help, but these programs are good and a good place to start as any. They have the added benefit of both being free with source code available.

Will encryption stop people from accessing my information?
Encryption simply makes it harder for people to gain access to important information, like passwords or sensitive information in a file. The first thing you should know about encryption is that the algorithm that is used to encrypt can be simple or more complex and that affects how securely what you have encrypted is protected. Encryption systems have been broken when the method of encryption is understood by hackers and is easy to break.

Why bother to encrypt my email?
It should be noted that email is far less secure than paper mail for two very good reasons: first, electronic data can be accessed easily over an Internet and secondly, electronic data is really simple to copy. There is a very good chance that someone has snooped around in your email despite your best intentions to stop it.

How do I go about encrypting my email?
There are many programs out there that can help you encrypt your email. A very popular one is PGP (Pretty GoodPrivacy) or its Gnu offshoot GPG.
PGP (http://www.pgpi.org/) self-describes itself this way: This "is a program that gives your electronic mail something that it otherwise doesn't have: Privacy. It does this by encrypting your mail so that nobody but the intended person can read it. When encrypted, the message looks like a meaningless jumble of random characters. PGP has proven itself quite capable of resisting even the most sophisticated forms of analysis aimed at reading the encrypted text."

Why bother to encrypt my files?
The answer to this boils down to what you store on your computer. If you have financial data with important information like social security numbers, email addresses, account numbers and passwords, then you open yourself up to losing very valuable information. Most corporate Internet security employees will attest to the widespread theft of very valuable information. As long as you are connected to the Internet you are vulnerable.

How do I go about encrypting my files?
AxCrypt File Encryption Software (http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/) Self-described as "FreePersonal Privacy and Security for Windows 98/ME/NT/2K/XP with AES-128 File Encryption, Compression and transparent Decrypt and Open in the original application."

Protect Your PC and Privacy

You may think that you are reasonably safe as you surf the net, but windows has many gaping flaws that do not protect your privacy, and it it far too easy for a hacker to gain access to your privacy and others to harness your ISP etc. There are some simple steps outlined below which will allow you to surf much safer, as well as guiding you through various tweaks to help you.

Set a Restore Point or back-up your PC FIRST!

I have been using AVG free Anti-Virus for many years and install it as first choice on other peoples machines.
Get yours here: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5

Ad-Aware Personal remains the most popular anti-spyware product for computer users around the world, with nearly one million downloads every week.
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

Also worth using is ZoneAlarm free firewall available from http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster and MRU-Blaster available for free from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/products.html

The only thing that I would actually PAY for is XoftSpy, and it is only a one off payment with lifetime updates, and a free scan so you can test it and see what it finds.
It's availabe at http://www.linkbrander.com/go/34613

Also check your PC for free at http://pcpitstop.com/

Without your knowledge or explicit permission, the Windows networking technology which connects your computer to the Internet may be offering some or all of your computer's data to the entire world at this very moment! You can check your open Ports, File Sharing etc for Free at http://www.grc.com/default.htm
Simply scroll down the page to *Hot Spots* and click on ShieldsUp.

Finally for now, I would also recommend the use of CCleaner (formerly Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused and temporary files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The best part is that it's fast! (normally taking less than a second to run) and Free. Cleans the following:
Internet Explorer Cache, History, Cookies, Index.dat.
Recycle Bin, Temporary files and Log files.
Recently opened URLs and files.
Third-party application temp files and recent file lists (MRUs). Including: Firefox, Opera, Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, Google Toolbar, Netscape, Office XP, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip and more...
Advanced Registry scanner and cleaner to remove unused and old entries. Including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more... Backup for registry clean.
Windows Startup tool.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Hope that some of this is of some use to you.
Have a good day all
http://www.linkbrander.com/go/35000
http://www.linkbrander.com/go/33862
http://www.linkbrander.com/go/33863

Any problems then feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you asap.