Best Internet Security Software: Computer Viruses, Online Backup, Data Recovery http://tcg200.com Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:05:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 What is a Computer Virus? http://tcg200.com/what-is-a-computer-virus/ http://tcg200.com/what-is-a-computer-virus/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:05:38 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=296 10 years ago, computer viruses were simple. They jumped into the computer and infected a few files. And they were relatively easy to detect and destroy.

These days, the number of viruses you have to defend your system against is astoundingly complex. You could be infected by a dropper that's puts a Trojan on your hard drive and corrupts the master boot record. Sound a little too techee for you? That's because the game has changed and so have the rules.

Don't let this frighten you. Defending yourself against Internet predatory viruses is still pretty straight forward. You don't have to be a super geek to install the correct software. Still, if you are a little skidish, knowledge goes a long way. Understanding how a virus works makes it a little less scary.

Computer viruses started to appear in the 1980s, but didn't become a major threat until the 1990s. That's because the Internet started to become mainstream. Its hard to find anyone is not connected to Internet through home, work or school.

The Internet is the main reason virus and personal security software became such a hot topic. Its like a network of veins that carry infections from computer to computer. It operates almost exactly like a biological virus.

So What exactly is a Virus?

The simplest way to explain what virus is is to say its a computer program written to specifically to cause problems for computer systems and/or networks.

For a virus to be executed a human must trigger it. This can be done by opening a unknown email attachment, downloading a file, video or song that has a virus attached to it. There hundreds of ways a virus is activated. Just be aware that you must perform an action before the virus does its thing.

Many times the virus will then replicate itself and spread to different parts of your computer or to other unsuspecting computer that are on the network. Viruses like to travel and email seems to be its favored mode of transportation.

The damage a virus can do can be mildly annoying to absolutely devastating, but that's another article. Just remember that knowledge is a powerful defense. Equip yourself and reduce the risk.

]]> http://tcg200.com/what-is-a-computer-virus/feed/ 0 Finding the Best Internet Security Software http://tcg200.com/finding-the-best-internet-security-software/ http://tcg200.com/finding-the-best-internet-security-software/#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:09:00 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=293 Internet Security is Priority #1 So what kind of Internet security software is the best? Well the answer varies from person to person. These days, anybody who goes online is susceptible to Internet dangers.  Once you hit the power button, open an email or start your browser you open yourself up to many hazards that can vary from being annoying little bugs to catastrophic attacks that can render your computer useless. All kinds of risks await the unsuspecting Internet user. Keep reading to find out what Internet security software you need to stay safe.

Caution: Unknown Websites and Emails are Potential Dangers

Anytime an unknown website or email comes your way asking you to change something, protect something, or add something new, just click on "no" or cancel out the window. You should always refuse any changes especially if it is in a little popup window or in a strange email. Be aware that some dangers don't ask for permission. They don't give you the chance to say no. This is why it is so important to install a trusted Internet security software to avoid disaster.]]> http://tcg200.com/finding-the-best-internet-security-software/feed/ 0 How Does Emergency Data Recovery Work? http://tcg200.com/how-does-emergency-data-recovery-work/ http://tcg200.com/how-does-emergency-data-recovery-work/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:36:51 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=291 Data recovery is the act of saving data from a damaged, corrupt or otherwise inaccessible storage device. There are many ways one can go about this. For starters, if the drive has been physically damaged, you could try to repair it. This often entails taking parts from a working drive or device, such as the read/write head, and replacing the one on the damaged drive with it. Physically altering your drive, however, is guaranteed to forfeit whatever manufacturer's warranty you may have.

If your drive is physically fine but you've still suffered data loss, you have what is called "logical damage." This is the term for when, due to a device failure or power outage or any one of a hundred things, you've lost valuable data. One method for recovering data in this fashion is consistency checking.

What is the best data recovery software?

It totally depends on your experience of using data recovery software. I had faced lots of data lost situation in which some of the great software doesn't work.

Due to 5 year experience in this field I recommend Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery Software. One of the best software I had ever used and it is fact.

I just found out how much a data recovery software can save my life, or what is left of it. There are so many of them, so, please help me choose. I've tried a free one mentioned by one of the reader here, but it is extremely slow, and I mean slowwwww. It took the whole day just to scan 50% of my hard drive, and the whole day just to undelete 20% of the 50% scanned files. But the problem is that I can not choose what type of files to recover. If you know or have used one, please let me know your opinion. Thanks all !

If the data REALLY IS that important, maybe consider giving the disk to a special laboratory (still Ontrack comes to mind). The price will be sky-high but the recovery rate will be highest possible.

For Hard Drive Data Recovery, there is software available that can help recover your hard disk’s data and even make your hard disk usable again. This software does a low-level read and access of your hard disk and are usually able to make a Hard Drive Data Recovery, and even make your hard disk usable again. Hard Drive Data Recovery, for the most part, is similar to that used for retrieving lost files no matter where they were originally stored.

You will never find a single software that suffice all. Some software will recover a particular format very well but will have problems in other, as a result, I suggest a suite of softwares which came as a bootable CD (You can use it within windows also). It is called Hiren's Bootable Disk. The latest version is 10, you can find more info and download it from their website http://www.hiren.com or just google Hirens boot cd download and you will find a thousand link. The good thing about this disk is that it contains not only recovery softwares, it is also a live Windows XP CD and in case of system crash, you can still boot from it and access your files from here natively. It have utilities to recover even deleted partitions and damaged MBRs, try it. I highly recommend this.

]]> http://tcg200.com/how-does-emergency-data-recovery-work/feed/ 0 How To: Computer Virus Removal http://tcg200.com/how-to-computer-virus-removal/ http://tcg200.com/how-to-computer-virus-removal/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:30:02 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=285

Safemode Virus Scan

If you can't get onto the Internet, or if your computer keeps rebooting because of the virus, boot into safe mode with networking, to do this turn your computer off, then turn it on again and begin to pump on the F8 key, do not hold it down constantly, or just press it once, but keep pumping it until you get a screen with boot options, then choose safe mode with networking, this will stop the virus from running and allow you to access the Internet in case you need to download any software or run any online scans.

Before removing any file from your computer you should verify it is a virus or other malware.

If you've determined that a file is infected with a virus the best method of removal is to run an antivirus scan on the computer. If the virus is preventing you from entering Windows or running the antivirus can boot the computer into Safe Mode and run the scan there.

If you do not have a antivirus scan, but still believe a file is infected with a virus, try running an online virus scan. You may also wish to consider purchasing an antivirus scanner.

Do it Yourself Virus Removal

I hate doing virus removals myself! The first thing that you're going to do is to turn that computer off, and take it off of your main network. You can then turn off all of the other computers on this network. Turn your computer on, and boot it up into Safe Mode with Networking and turn OFF system restore. Run the antiviral program first. This program will not get all of the viruses off of your computer though.

After you've run it the first time, run it again. When this comes back clean, you'll want to do a full scan using your anti-virus program. When that comes back clean, reboot the computer, and scan again.

Do not use "System Restore". Viruses actually back themselves up to System Restore also, and within a few days, you have it again. If after following these instructions, your virus is still there, take it to a security specialist to do a manual removal. Always be careful of what you do on your computer as it doesn't take much at all to get a virus onto it. Never leave a computer with a virus on your main network because the virus will travel to the other computers.

If that is the case you need to back up all your documents to an external hard drive (just in case. And when backing it up make sure it’s disconnected from the internet since some viruses download more viruses) and then re-install windows. Once windows is re-installed you can run a anti-virus scan on EVERYTHING.

Basic Computer Virus Information

Similar to the virus in the human body, computer viruses can multiply at an alarming rate if they are authorized to do so. A computer virus can attack your computer, but it varies on the type of virus. Each computer has its own factors and qualities that make it unique.

A virus can infect a computer system in many ways and it is not just internet downloads that pose the biggest threat. You can also become infected if you transfer data or software between systems that is infected and emails are another very commonly used method which hackers use to spread these malicious applications.

The trouble with viruses is that once you have triggered them via installation they perform damage at a rapid rate and can perform system modifications, corrupt hard drive contents and delete any programs that they desire. Furthermore it can also steal personal information such as banking details and passwords which it can pass along to harmful third parties which will gladly use it to their advantage.

The only sure way to remove a virus from your computer is to have a good anti-virus program installed. It will hunt down and remove all strings of the viruses for you. You will also need to patch the host programs that allowed the virus to execute, and you can do that by keeping your computer up to date from the windows update site.

If you have tried everything then you may need to call on professional help, but that should be a last resort because of the expense involved. ]]> http://tcg200.com/how-to-computer-virus-removal/feed/ 0 Restore Lost Data Now http://tcg200.com/restore-lost-data-now/ http://tcg200.com/restore-lost-data-now/#comments Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:38:36 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=275

2 Step Data Recovery Method

1 . Determine the cause of data loss. Was it a human error? Did you accidentally delete something important? Or, was it a software issue? Did your system crash or is it acting strange? It could be a virus. Or, is it a hardware problem? Will the computer not even boot up? Are you getting all kinds of strange error messages?

2. If you accidentally deleted the data try out some free demo software recovery packages and find the one the fits your needs and experience level. If it was a system failure you may have to reload the operating system or call tech support. If it is hardware malfunction such has crashed hard drive then you will need to send the disk to a reputable data recovery service to retrieve the data.

HD Recovery! Act Quickly!

After losing important data due to a system failure or a virus attack, it is never wise to stall. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to recover the lost data and achieve hard disk or hd recovery.

Caution for Newbies

Don't be misled by the attractive offers that you see online. Irrespective of the price factor, you should make sure that the software tool is easy to use and operate. Many of the software packages allow you to demo before you buy. Definitely take advantage of these free demos to see which one will work for you.]]> http://tcg200.com/restore-lost-data-now/feed/ 0 Online Backup: What you Need to Know http://tcg200.com/online-backup-what-you-need-to-know/ http://tcg200.com/online-backup-what-you-need-to-know/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:38:52 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/?p=271 Catastrophe Strikes: Data is Gone If catastrophe strikes your back up is gone. Of course you can remember to take the data offsite on a continual basis, but that can be a naissance. And the one day you forget to do so is the day your home or office burns down. The single greatest advantage of remote data backup solutions is that they are remote. If something happens to your home or building, or you suffer a hardware failure, your data is patiently sitting there on the remote server, waiting for you when you're ready to download it again.

Convenience of Online Backup

Like I mentioned before online backups are performed on a schedule. This means that a "set and forget" proposition. Once the software has been set up, the backups are performed automatically, without human error. Its all about convenience.

Online Backup is Safe and Secure

Data is encrypted both ways (client to server, and server to client), and good remote data backup providers have their own redundant backup network, meaning that your data is saved in different locations, so that if one location suffers and outage or system failure, your data is safe and secure on other servers on the network. Bottom line is that online backup is safe, secure and convenient. Anybody and everybody with any kind of valuable data should immediately sign up for an online backup service.]]> http://tcg200.com/online-backup-what-you-need-to-know/feed/ 0 Top 5 Threats to your Computer http://tcg200.com/top-5-threats-to-your-computer/ http://tcg200.com/top-5-threats-to-your-computer/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:02:05 +0000 admin http://tcg200.com/top-5-threats-to-your-computer/
Viruses - These files come in varying degrees of danger, but they all can create havoc with your system and data files.

Spyware - Similar to viruses, spyware is basically the James Bond of evil. It is a file that enters your computer without permission, and tries to steal information about you. Its target is mainly financial and personal information, so if you have secrets or credit data stored inside your computer, you could be a victim of credit card fraud or privacy issues.

Malware - This is really a combination of files that are both viruses and spyware, so you can imagine how much damage it can do to your computer and possibly your identity.

Pop Up Ads - Ever seen an ad suddenly pop up on your screen, flashing and screaming some kind of marketing gimmick? The problem is not that it keeps coming back, but that it could contain malicious files as well.

Infected Emails - This is the most dangerous infection. If you have a friend who forwards an attachment that is infected, you will also get infected.

You can prevent these different threats by getting an antispyware, antivirus, malware detection, pop up blocker, and email attachment phishing. All these applications can be found in one software package.

There are many options when it comes to the best security software, but there is the danger of getting the wrong one.

Some desktop security software companies have hidden agendas, and use the appeal of security software to get into people's computer system.]]> http://tcg200.com/top-5-threats-to-your-computer/feed/ 0