Thanks to its simple layout and the fact that it works properly in addition to being a lot cheaper to run than other Microsoft Operating Systems, Microsoft’s Windows XP Operating still has hundreds of thousands of users around the world despite many security considerations of using it.

It will come as no surprise to those who are in tune with some flaws that Windows XP has in it’s security compared to other Microsoft OS’ that Microsoft have decided to disable the Auto-run feature on Windows XP. Now, media such as CDs & DVDs containing Auto-run features will still work, however, other forms of removable media will not.

This step has been taken to limit the amount of Auto-run infections in circulation with the feature itself forming an inseparable part of every modern malware bot. According to data from Microsoft, the Win32/Autorun remains within the most popular malware families with Windows XP users more susceptible to such an infection compared to those who use Windows 7.

The Rustock spam email network, responsible for more spam emails than any other network worldwide was toppled a couple of weeks ago after Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, working with the US Marshall’s office raided 7 hosting facilities and seized the command-and-control machines that were running the network.

Richard Boscovich, senior attorney in the Microsoft Digital Crime Unit wrote in a blog post:

“This botnet is estimated to have approximately a million infected computers operating under its control and has been known to be capable of sending billions of spam mails every day,”

Security Software giant Symantec last year estimated that the Rustock network accounted for 39% of the spam that is in circulation around the world. Dutch authorities were responsible for a 12% decrease in global spam last November when they crushed a Trojan horse botnet called Bredolab.

Since Government authorities rarely have the resources to commit to investigating cases such as this, Microsoft willingly provide the funding since it has vested interest in keeping people emailing.

So if you notice a major drop in the amount of spam you receive, you now know why.

Users of the social networking site Facebook are in line to be on the end of a new phishing scam which harvests their log-in details. The recently introduced Facebook messaging service is providing an all too attractive lure which could reel in its fair share of victims.

The scam itself promises the user a @facebook.com email address if they register to use the service, however this is actually a trap for you to input your log-in credentials for your Facebook account. The scam tries to get people to act quickly before their choice of @facebook.com email address is snapped up by somebody else.

Once the users click on the link, the user is redirected to a Facebook app which contains an iFrame that is pointed toward an infected site which hosts the phishing page itself. Once the user clicks next to continue, their details are sent to the scammers who then immediately hi-jack the related Facebook account and update your status to try and scam the people in the accounts friends lists.

That is just the first stage apparently as the compromised user is also encouraged to visit other compromised pages.

There is a way which you can prevent this and a range of other attacks by modifying your Facebook settings to inform you when an attempt has been made to access your account from different computers. To do this, follow these simple steps:

Account > Account Settings > Account Security

Check the box beneath “When a new computer or mobile device logs into this account:” and you will be sent an email when someone accesses your account.

As our use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter increases and the new technologies come into use, it is extremely easy to simply forget about what we are doing with our personal information.

Quite often, we are seemingly unaware of what our status updates can mean to the more unsavoury characters lurking on these sites and have access to our information. For example, people seem to feel comfortable with updating their status with their holiday plans, which is gold to a potential burglar to target your home whilst you are away especially if you have your address details on your account too.

In a previous article of ours, we discussed the issue regarding Facebook Places and how safe that was. So in this article, we shall share 3 things which you really shouldn’t do on your Facebook account.

Don’t allow yourself to be listed on Search Engine results

Allowing yourself to be listed on search engines can be potentially dangerous and allows anybody who types your name into a search engine to see your profile.

In order to change this, Log-in to your Facebook account and do the following: Go to Account>Privacy Settings>Apps and websites>Public Search. Then just deselect the Enable Public Search button.

Refrain from adding Addresses & Phone Numbers

There really is no need for these bits of personal information on your profile so for security reasons its best not to fill this in.

Unused Apps are like Vampires

Apps that you haven’t used in a long while still continue to suck away your personal information even whilst you’re not using them. The best way to handle apps which you never use any more is to remove the ones you don’t use anymore.

To do this, follow these steps: Go to Account>Privacy Setting>Apps, games and websites and remove the ones you don’t want.

If you would like to read previous articles, please visit our previous articles page.

E-mail scammers and hackers will never miss an opportunity to try and get their hands on your personal details and will try almost anything to get them. This February marks Scam Awareness Month and therefore we will share details of some of the top E-mail scams circling the web and appearing in your Inbox.

The DVLA Scam

Scammers often choose to take on the identity of official organisations and as such, recently they have been recently fronting themselves as the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) trying to get license holders to update their details online and threatening that failure to comply would lead to you losing your license and possibly having to take your driving test again.

However, upon closer inspection, the poor language and grammar mistakes (in some of the versions seen, the email reads that people have to ‘verify there driver’s license details’) start the alarm bells ringing. The best thing you can do if you receive a similar email is to hit the delete button.

The Job Opportunity Scam

Due to the current rising levels of unemployment, this scam can draw those looking for work in and capitalise on their circumstances. Upon first reading, the email seems genuine enough and doesn’t ask you for any personal information. However, when you respond to the email itself, you will then be sent an ‘application form’ to fill in which asks for details which a fraudster can use to impersonate yourself and borrow money under your name.

If you receive an email of this kind, you should first of all look up the company/recruitment organisation that the email says that it is from. However, don’t click any links given to you in the email. Most recruitment companies don’t just send out emails without having seen the CV so it is wise to check. Also keep an eye out for spelling/grammar mistakes. Numerous mistakes should serve as a warning that this is most likely a scam.

The Bank Account Scam

Another long time favourite scam of scammers and hackers are the ones where you receive an email alerting you to the fact that somebody has been trying to access your account illegally and that you need to reactivate your account and change details.

These emails always contain a link to the bank’s website, which isn’t real and designed for one purpose only: to get a hold of your bank details.

If you receive emails like this, follow the same steps as above: check for spelling/grammar mistakes and remember that your bank should never send any request for personal details and if they do, they include personal information which only they have access to which shows that they are genuine.

The Prize Winning Scam

Scammers have always loved to try their luck with a good lottery scam. They send you an email which tells you that you have won a vast amount of money and that they need details from you so that you can claim the prize.

These scams are one of the easiest to spot and therefore the easiest to avoid. If you cannot remember entering a competition or lottery, then it is obviously going to be a scam. Just hit the delete button.

The Investment Opportunity Scam

In the current economic climate, most of us would welcome a decent return on our money especially with savings rates so feeble. However, the criminals have also cottoned onto this fact and have set up various scams which could end up costing you more than you think.

You receive an email out of the blue, offering you a once in a lifetime to invest in a scheme which promises substantial returns on any money invested. All you have to do is to set up an account with the brains behind the scheme and you’re in, hook, line and sinker. The creator not only gets the initial cash you invested, but also your personal and account details.

If you receive an email like this, just keep in mind the saying: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Plus, would you really want to hand over your money to a faceless stranger that you have never met?

If you would like to read any of our past articles, please feel free to visit our Previous Articles and remember: When it comes to scams like these, a little bit of common sense can save you a whole lot of time.

Do you skip a beat when you have no music to listen to? Feel cut off without a Mobile Phone?

Can you go without your daily fix of Facebook, Twitter or television? Some apparently not, at least not without experiencing withdrawal symptoms similar to those experienced by users of controlled substances or smokers trying to quit.

These findings are from an International experiment called Unplugged involving 12 universities from around the world in which volunteers couldn’t use any form of social networking website, send any texts or emails and even had to avoid television, radio and newspapers for 24 hours.

As the time progressed, the volunteers began to show symptoms which are often seen in smokers who are trying to quit and once the test was over, the volunteers likened their experience to going cold turkey on a drug addiction or going on a diet.

And the name for this condition…?

The condition has now been given the name IDD (Information Deprivation Disorder). Scientists in charge of the experiment saw both physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal and found the factor which affected most people was the lack of music during the experiment.

If you would like to read our previous articles, visit our Articles page.

The launch of Facebook Places last month could be seen as a good idea, but it has now added to number of risks associated with other location based services.

Having your address visible to everyone could result in a few surprises, unfortunately not all as cute as this little cub.

The Facebook Places service is a service in which Facebook users list their current location to their friends and other users of the service

Home-owners as a majority seem to be unaware that their address may be available to be sold legally on the internet, even if they are ex-directory. Providing that they are listed on the electoral role, their address could be sold on.

Another down-side to this scheme for people who hold home insurance could face raised premiums in the future. This is due, according to the price comparison website confused.com to the ‘additional risks which could arise from broadcasting your information online and on social networking websites.’

So, it might be beneficial to check your settings in sites such as Facebook and Twitter to ensure that you aren’t sharing any information which could be used against you or to aid a burglar.

Would you like to read more of our articles? Then visit our Articles page. 

The ‘Here you have’ email has been spreading through the online world, infecting victims contact lists and sending copies of itself to everyone on your contact list.

The email itself invites the user to click on a link which takes you to a PDF file. One of the most common versions going around offers a link to free XXX downloads. If the link is clicked on, the virus is then downloaded on their machine and spreads to the contact address book of their email account and then sending duplicates of itself to each of their contacts.

The worm also attempts to shut down any anti-virus software currently installed on the machine, opening the door for other viruses to infect and eventually cripple the machines performance.

It’s not just small companies that this virus is infecting either with firms such as Disney, Comcast and even NASA being affected.

A couple of the known versions of the email says:

Hello: This is The Document I told you about, you can find it here – and then provides the link for the bogus PDF file.

The other has the subject: Just For you and says: This is The Free Download Sex Movies; you can find it here – again with a link for the reader to click.

Computer Security and Anti-Virus software maker McAfee says that if you receive any emails resembling these then you should delete them immediately, even if they’re from somebody you know and do not click on the links.

In addition, ensure that you keep your machines updated with the latest software updates, especially the anti-virus.

In this, the next in our backup articles we will tell you how you go about backing up your documents and other files on the Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System.

As we have highlighted in our previous articles, backing up your data can avoid a major headache if something happens to your machine and you lose all the data contained on that machine. So here is how you go about backing up your files on Microsoft Windows Vista.

Go to the Start Menu and click the Control Panel and select System and Maintenance. On the System and Maintenance menu, select Backup and Restore Centre.

Then select the Backup files from the Backup and Restore Centre menu and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the backup.

In our last article, we discussed the benefits of backing up the files contained on your computer. However sometimes you may be too busy to carry out the backup manually so now I’ll tell you how to schedule backups so that they run automatically.

To begin with, follow the first four steps in the article: BACK UP! How a few minutes now could save you HOURS later and then continue with these steps:

1. On the ‘Completing the Backup’ page, click the ‘Advanced’ button and then select the normal backup and click ‘Next’.
2. Click next again to take you to the ‘Backup Options’ screen and select ‘Replace the existing backups’ before clicking ‘Next’.
3. Select Later on the ‘When to backup’ page and in the job name box, type Backup and then select Set Schedule.
4. In the Schedule box that appears, choose weekly and a start time of your choice. Then pick the day and how often you want to carry out the backup.
5. Go to the Settings tab and ensure that if you have set the computer to backup at a time when you know you will be in bed that you select the ‘Wake the computer to run this task’ and then click Ok.
6. A dialogue box will then appear asking you to input and confirm your password. Once you have done this, click Ok again.
7. You will then be taken back to the wizard and the When to backup page. Click next and you will get another box asking for your password and for you to confirm the password. Input your password and then click ok.
8. In the dialogue box that appears, click ok and then finish which will complete the wizard.

And that is how you schedule your backups if you’re too busy to do them manually.

Remember, it is worth spending the few minutes it takes to set this up because it just might save you hours later on.