Your home computer is a popular target for intruders. Why Because intruders want what you've stored there. They look for credit card numbers, bank account information, and anything else they can find.

But it's not just money-related information they're after. Intruders also want your computer's resources, meaning your hard disk space, your fast processor, and your Internet connection.

They use these resources to attack other computers on the Internet. In fact, the more computers an intruder uses, the harder it is for law enforcement to figure out where the attack is really coming from. If intruders can't be found, they can't be stopped, and they can't be prosecuted.

The next section discusses concepts you need to know, to keep this intruders away!

Spyware and other unwanted software refers to software that performs certain tasks on your computer, typically without your consent. This may include giving you advertising or collecting personal information about you. Learn more about the symptoms of spyware and other unwanted software and how you can help protect your computer.

Google Chrome Hit With Another Security Bug
By Stefanie Hoffman, ChannelWeb

Remote attackers could then exploit the flaw by constructing a specially crafted Web page infused with malicious code. The attacker could then entice a victim to open and then save the infected page, which would subsequently download malicious code onto the victim's computer and give the attacker complete access to the affected system.

Chrome's latest buffer overflow vulnerability is one of about half a dozen errors detected in the newly released beta Web browser, about half of which allow for remote code execution, experts say. Another vulnerability, discovered shortly after the browser's release Tuesday, included a carpetbombing glitch that stemmed from a fundamental flaw in the underlying user agent Safari 3.1.

However experts say that several Chrome beta version flaws are anticipated and will likely be worked out with the final version as the browser is subsequently tested.

"I think for a new product like Chrome, it doesn't concern me much that they're discovering the number of vulnerabilities and the details are getting out there. That's the point of beta, especially open source beta," said John Bambenek, handler for the SANS Internet Storm Center. "I think that the people who are really into getting exploits on a number of machines are not interested in messing with Chrome until (Google) gets some distribution out there."

"If it's not public information, the hackers don't have it either," he added.

And despite some errors that could lead to remote exploitation, experts say that because the browser is still in beta and not yet widely adopted, security threats for most users for the time being remains small.

"I don't think the consumer impact is very large yet," said Bambenek, "but that could change very quickly."

Question
I have a problem in windows xp, Some office files are stored in my directory and i hide the folder. My system settings have changed and I am unable to fin the FOLDER OPTIONS.

Answer
There is no feature in Windows XP that enable you to hide the Folder Option from Tools menu. Usually this is caused by a computer virus or worm. I suggest you scan your computer with an up-to-date antivirus program. If the problem still insist, then edit the registry:

Go to start>run, type regedit, and hit enter. Then find the following key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer]On the right panel, double click on the value NoFolderOptions. Then change 1 to 0. And exit the registry

Q. I've suddenly started having a problem with Active Desktop Recovery being shown every time I start my (Win XP Pro) machine. When I click "Restore my Active Desktop" I get the following error:

"An error has occured in a script on this page:

Line 65

Char 1

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/My%20Name/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Internet%20Explorer/Desktop.htt"

Here is the solutions for this problem

1. Run regedit

2. Find this entry - HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDesktopSafeModeComponents

3. Change the key value - DeskHtmlVersion REG_DWORD 0x00000110(272) to decimal zero

4. Close regedit log off and log back on.

This has worked for all our XP clients

Expert User

Heres a basic script to change the above registry setting

HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
strComputer = "."
Set objReg = GetObject("winmgmts:\" & strComputer & " ootdefault:StdRegProv")
strKeyPath = "SoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDesktopSafeModeComponents"
strValue = "0"
ValueName = "DeskHtmlVersion"
objReg.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, strKeyPath, ValueName, strValue

Copy this to notepad and save as activedesktop.vbs, then run the file, logoff then log back in again

Hope this help, if not give me a call at 909-862-4141

If your kids are Web savvy, there’s no doubt that they’re coming upon sites that offer up free games, cool screensavers, latest music tracks from their favorite artists, fantastic offers to win prizes, and a host of other hip happenings – most requiring a simple click of a link or button to kick off a download on their computer.

It can happen to anyone, anywhere. You really shouldn’t think for a moment that it can’t happen to you. Friends recently related this story about their family computer, shared among the two parents and their two boys – ages 11 and 9. Their cute and curious nine-year-old decided he wanted to download a popular movie from a Web site called LimeWire. He was able to figure out that it was free and ready to be sent directly to his computer. He just couldn’t wait. With a simple click of the “Download” button, he was ready for a fun viewing of one of his favorite films. Instead, strange things began to happen. He turned off the PC, and went off to play.The following day, the dad of the house turned on the computer to check his email and he couldn’t believe what he saw.

Literally hundreds of pop-up messages started to display on the monitor in a random and haphazard fashion. His security software (an inferior freebie that he now regrets using), was telling him that multiple viruses have been discovered and they cannot be removed. Worse yet, other screens were popping up everywhere, many with violent and pornographic images.He shut down and restarted multiple times, hoping that the problem would just go away, but that didn’t happen.

In fact, things went from bad to worse. Trying to take matters into his own hands, he attempted to get on the Internet and research the specific names of the viruses that were being indentified on the screen. He proceeded to follow some half-baked instructions he was receiving from one source or another, frantically clicking some designated keys as more pop-ups and more horrid images continued to display.

Finally, the mayhem on the screen ended, but the bad news did not. He lost virtually every file on his computer. This included loaded programs, financial files, school information, and his wife’s complete collection of Bruce Springsteen recordings that she purchased and downloaded online from iTunes® . Even worse than losing the Boss, all of their family photos (that were not even backed up) were lost forever!What Happened?

You can’t really blame the nine year old for his misdeed. He didn’t know any better, and that’s perhaps the best thing we can take away from this story. We need to educate our children about the dangers – and often illegal ramifications – of attempting downloads. It could’ve been a game, a screensaver, a television show, or anything else that a child might be curious about. In this particular case, it happened to be a movie. Instead, it was a virus program loaded on the family PC that was designed to destroy a hard drive.

Believe it or not, there are people out there who get a thrill from spreading malicious code like this, and kids need to be aware of this.Everyone should take caution when downloading things over the Internet. If there are sites that offer free software (movies, television shows, music, games, etc.) then it’s likely these sites are illegal because that software is owned by someone and it’s being offered for free, you truly never know what you will be getting from them.When downloading illegal software, you have literally no defense from a legal standpoint. Going after the Web site that caused the problem will be fruitless. Even the FBI and the CIA are looking for these bad guys.

Children need to learn that when downloading something, they MUST be sure that it is from a respectable site. These ‘good’ sites will unlikely have viruses on their programs, but you, as parents, should still ensure you have quality virus and spyware protection installed, such as Norton Internet Security ™ or Norton 360 ™.Taking Action

Kids will usually value “free” over “safe” and that’s a belief system that needs to change. Here’s what parents need to do:
Teach your kids to be extremely cautious. Never click ads or links that are included in emails or Instant Messages.

Tell children to NEVER click the download link or any type of “Get This Now” button unless they check with you first. Even if the site was recommended by a friend, they should confirm with a parent that it’s OK to download ANYTHING onto the computer.

Teach children to never click "yes" buttons anywhere on the screen. They need to read all of the text carefully and, again, check with you before clicking.

Explain to kids that they should download games, movies, music, screensavers, and any other software ONLY from trusted sites. Don’t buy them an iPod if you’re not planning to register them into iTunes at the same time. That would be like an open invitation for them to become a pirate.

Instruct your kids to immediately report anything suspicious to an adult.

Oh, and one other thing: always back up your files in case something does happen. You don’t want to lose important documents, family photos, or your favorite songs!

I will recommend you to use McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009.

McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 is a solid contender in the anti-virus market. Its ability to find and remove threats was definitely above par. It turned out to be one of the better products that we came across.

McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 also shines in the area of providing extra perks to the user. This is evidenced by the file shredding utility as well as the personal firewall that comes with the program. Customer support, while not entirely comprehensive, does seem to be able to help with most any problems that may be encountered by the casual user. In this sense the service is fairly good, despite the inability to make phone contact right away.

Overall we found the software to function well. It removed the threats that it encountered and it provides a few extra perks as well. This together with adequate customer service can make this program a good choice for many users.