Checksum

 

A checksum or hash sum is a fixed-size datum computed from an arbitrary block of digital data for the purpose of detecting accidental errors that may have been introduced during its transmission or storage. The integrity of the data can be checked at any later time by recomputing the checksum and comparing it with the stored one. If the checksums match, the data was almost certainly not altered.

The procedure that yields the checksum from the data is called a checksum function or checksum algorithm. A good checksum algorithm will yield a different result with high probability when the data is accidentally corrupted; if the checksums match, the data is very likely to be free of accidental errors.

Effect of a typical checksum function (the Unix cksum utility)

Checksum functions are related to hash functions, fingerprints, randomization functions, and cryptographic hash functions. However, each of those concepts has different applications and therefore different design goals. Check digits and parity bits are special cases of checksums, appropriate for small blocks of data (such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, computer words, single bytes, etc.). Some error-correcting codes are based on special checksums that not only detect common errors but also allow the original data to be recovered in certain cases.

 

Checksum algorithms

Parity byte or parity word

The simplest checksum algorithm is the so-called longitudinal parity check, which breaks the data into "words" with a fixed number n of bits, and then computes the exclusive or of all those words. The result is appended to the message as an extra word. To check the integrity of a message, the receiver computes the exclusive or of all its words, including the checksum; if the result is not a word with n zeros, the receiver knows that a transmission error occurred.

With this checksum, any transmission error that flips a single bit of the message, or an odd number of bits, will be detected as an incorrect checksum. However, an error that affects two bits will not be detected if those bits lie at the same position in two distinct words. If the affected bits are independently chosen at random, the probability of a two-bit error being undetected is 1/n.

Modular sum

A variant of the previous algorithm is to add all the "words" as unsigned binary numbers, discarding any overflow bits, and append the two's complement of the total as the checksum. To validate a message, the receiver adds all the words in the same manner, including the checksum; if the result is not a word full of zeros, an error must have occurred. This variant too detects any single-bit error, but the probability that a two-bit error will go undetected is a little less than 1/n.

Position-dependent checksums

The simple checksums described above fail to detect some common errors that affect many bits at once, such as changing the order of data words, or inserting or deleting words with all bits set to zero. The checksum algorithms that are most used in practice, such as Fletcher's checksum, Adler-32, and cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs), address these weaknesses by considering not only the value of each word but also its position in the sequence. This feature generally increases the cost of computing the checksum.

General considerations

A single-bit transmission error then corresponds to a displacement from a valid corner (the correct message and checksum) to one of the m adjacent corners. An error that affects k bits moves the message to a corner that is k steps removed from its correct corner. The goal of a good checksum algorithm is to spread the valid corners as far from each other as possible, so as to increase the likelihood that "typical" transmission errors will end up in an invalid corner.

Checksum tools

• Bitser, a free Microsoft Windows application that calculates MD5, SHA-1 and SHA-256 sums for any given input file.
• checksum, a fast file, folder and drive hashing application for Windows.
• cksum, a Unix command that generates both a 32-bit CRC and a byte count for any given input file.
• Cobynsoft's Hash Calculator, a free multi-file hash calculator for Windows that calculates MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 checksums.
• File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV), a command-prompt utility from Microsoft that computes and verifies MD5 or SHA-1 cryptographic hash values of files.
• Jacksum, a Java API, usable both through a GUI and a CLI, which incorporates many checksum implementations and allows to extend with as many as you need.
• jdigest, a Java GUI tool that generates and checks MD5 and SHA sums
• jcksum, a Java library, that can be used by developers in Java applications to calculate checksums using different algorithms.
• md5sum, a Unix command that generates an MD5 sum
• Sum (Unix), a Unix command (also ported to Win32) that generates order-independent sums; uses two different algorithms for calculating, the SYSV checksum algorithm and the BSD checksum (default) algorithm.

Source: wikipedia.org

HP and AMD Deliver Unmatched Performance Across the Data Center

HP recently introduced HP ProLiant G7 servers featuring AMD Opteron 6200 Series processors, which can improve data center efficiency, scalability and performance up to 30 percent to support large-scale, virtualized and database workloads. The new introduction includes five industry-standard servers in its ProLiant x86 lineup: the HP ProLiant BL465c G7, HP ProLiant BL685c G7, HP ProLiant DL385 G7, HP ProLiant DL585 G7 and HP ProLiant DL165 G7; which can deliver the world’s fastest dual socket database engine with up to a 40 percent improvement in throughput over the previous generations of HP ProLiant servers based on AMD Opteron processors.

“We are excited about the launch of the HP ProLiant DL385 G7 based on the AMD Opteron 6200 Series, as it will allow us to increase the density of virtual machines for our customers, while being able to dedicate processor cores for real-time applications like Microsoft Lync,” said Robert Adie, director of Digital IP, an HP customer. “Leveraging HP and AMD together allows us to meet our customer requirements by minimizing the physical footprint and power requirement while hitting an aggressive price point.”

HP ProLiant G7 servers with AMD Opteron 6200 Series processors are planned to be available Nov. 29. Pricing for the new series begins at $2,679 for the HP ProLiant BL465c G7, $9,559 for the HP ProLiant BL685c G7, $3,699 for the HP ProLiant DL385 G7, $6,309 for the HP ProLiant DL585 G7 and $1,559 for the HP ProLiant DL165 G7.

Source: http://www.hp.com.

Kernel

In computing, the kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components). Usually as a basic component of an operating system, a kernel can provide the lowest-level abstraction layer for the resources (especially processors and I/O devices) that application software must control to perform its function. It typically makes these facilities available to application processes through inter-process communication mechanisms and system calls.

Operating system tasks are done differently by different kernels, depending on their design and implementation. While monolithic kernels execute all the operating system code in the same address space to increase the performance of the system, microkernels run most of the operating system services in user space as servers, aiming to improve maintainability and modularity of the operating system. A range of possibilities exists between these two extremes.

On the definition of "kernel", Jochen Liedtke said that the word is "traditionally used to denote the part of the operating system that is mandatory and common to all other software." Most operating systems rely on this concept of the kernel. The existence of a kernel is a natural consequence of designing a computer system as a series of abstraction layers, each relying on the functions of layers beneath it. The kernel, from this viewpoint, is simply the name given to the lowest level of abstraction that is implemented in software. In order to avoid having a kernel, one would have to design all the software on the system not to use abstraction layers; this would increase the complexity of the design to such a point that only the simplest systems could feasibly be implemented.

While it is today mostly called the kernel, originally the same part of the operating system was also called the nucleus or core and was originally conceived as containing only the essential support features of the operating system. However the term core has also been used to refer to the primary memory of a computer system, because some early computers used a form of memory called core memory.

In most cases, the boot loader starts executing the kernel in supervisor mode. The kernel then initializes itself and starts the first process. After this, the kernel does not typically execute directly, only in response to external events (e.g., via system calls used by applications to request services from the kernel, or via interrupts used by the hardware to notify the kernel of events). Additionally, the kernel typically provides a loop that is executed whenever no processes are available to run; this is often called the idle process.

Kernel development is considered one of the most complex and difficult tasks in programming. Its central position in an operating system implies the necessity for good performance, which defines the kernel as a critical piece of software and makes its correct design and implementation difficult. For various reasons, a kernel might not even be able to use the abstraction mechanisms it provides to other software. Such reasons include memory management concerns (for example, a user-mode function might rely on memory being subject to demand paging, but as the kernel itself provides that facility it cannot use it, because then it might not remain in memory to provide that facility) and lack of reentrancy, thus making its development even more difficult for software engineers.

A kernel will usually provide features for low-level scheduling of processes (dispatching), inter-process communication, process synchronization, context switching, manipulation of process control blocks, interrupt handling, process creation and destruction, and process suspension and resumption.

Kernel basic facilities

The kernel's primary purpose is to manage the computer's resources and allow other programs to run and use these resources. Typically, the resources consist of:

• The Central Processing Unit (CPU, the processor). This is the most central part of a computer system, responsible for running or executing programs on it. The kernel takes responsibility for deciding at any time which of the many running programs should be allocated to the processor or processors (each of which can usually run only one program at a time)
• The computer's memory. Memory is used to store both program instructions and data. Typically, both need to be present in memory in order for a program to execute. Often multiple programs will want access to memory, frequently demanding more memory than the computer has available. The kernel is responsible for deciding which memory each process can use, and determining what to do when not enough is available.
• Any Input/Output (I/O) devices present in the computer, such as keyboard, mouse, disk drives, printers, displays, etc. The kernel allocates requests from applications to perform I/O to an appropriate device (or subsection of a device, in the case of files on a disk or windows on a display) and provides convenient methods for using the device (typically abstracted to the point where the application does not need to know implementation details of the device).

Key aspects necessary in resource managements are the definition of an execution domain (address space) and the protection mechanism used to mediate the accesses to the resources within a domain.

Kernels also usually provide methods for synchronization and communication between processes (called inter-process communication or IPC).

A kernel may implement these features itself, or rely on some of the processes it runs to provide the facilities to other processes, although in this case it must provide some means of IPC to allow processes to access the facilities provided by each other.

Finally, a kernel must provide running programs with a method to make requests to access these facilities.

Sourced from: Wikipedia

Data Relocation Means Various Things

By A Noton

Data relocation is a process, where files are reorganized in a certain way. However, this cannot only mean relocated data in order to secure it. The way of destroying data beyond the point of recovery also uses the same term. This article will look at both ways of data relocation. 

The simplest form of data transposition is used by every person many times. It means for example, that an individual moves an image from a personal computer onto a USB stick. Nonetheless, if the image is copied instead of simply moved, then this is a form of secured data as it is saved twice at different locations. 

Students can get very annoyed if they loose their homework that was store on their hard drive. The government would feel the same about tax payers lost information. Therefore it is worth for everyone to make at least one copy of important data on a simple disk or external hard drive. 

Businesses with many gigabytes of information will have to take more advanced security measures. They will want to secure their data, so that it withstands eventually occurring natural disasters or hacker attacks. Many companies are specialized in information security. Their job is to design servers that can meet the above described requirements. 

Similar to data security companies are data storage companies. They are paid to keep other businesses' files safe. They would use massive online servers for this purpose. Things like important historical documents are kept secure through hard copies. The reason for this is that these are complicated to be transferred onto electronic devices. 

The other form of information transposition is destroying data. Shredding companies are hired to demolish data in a professional manner. Paperwork or discs are first smashed and cut into smallest pieces. This is often not enough as modern technologies can recall information of broken computers. Therefore, the rest of the information is being burned or liquidated through chemical ways. The fear is that, new technologies will enable people to restore the eliminated data even after this process. 

Even though it is easy, many people have problems in every day's life with moving data from their old computer to the new one. One will have to reinstall programs on the new computer. This work cannot be saved.  Also, files from the other machine do not have to get lost. Using a disc or an USB for data movement is the easiest way to get those files onto the new machine. 

Those who love computer games can reinstall the particular game on the new computer. Then one should copy the "Save" folder from the old device. After that he can continue the game from the last saved state. 

This article was written to enlighten the meanings of data relocation. One of them is safeguarding data the other one is demolishing of it. These are controversy meanings but are strongly related in terms of technique. People should now understand how to simply overcome the problem of data movement and saved game files.

About the Author:

Tape Guard specializes in the secure and certified digital data storage as well as data destruction such as hard drives, tapes and other digital media. http://www.tapeguard.net

Source: http://www.isnare.com/

Managed Hosting: Providing Effective Disaster Recovery Solutions

By Adriana N.

Today, enterprise of all sizes is aware of the critical need to protect their sensitive data and ensure there is an uninterrupted flow of information. For this reason, businesses need a managed hosting service that will provide effective data protection and disaster recovery solutions. Managed server hosting services have proven to be an effective solution to providing effective disaster recovery solutions.

A managed hosting provider understands the need to protect businesses from unplanned downtime and ensure that in the event of a disaster, their mission-critical data can be retrieved. The best way to ensure protection of data is to anticipate the risks with reliable solutions that provides complete restoration in the event of a disaster such as a power outage. Managed hosting employs a fully redundant data center configuration that mirrors businesses systems. The data center infrastructure and space provided by a managed host will ensure critical applications are available in the event of a disaster. For instance, in the event of a disaster, the managed dedicated hosting service enables businesses to fail-over in real-time to the alternate site which ensures uninterrupted service and almost instant recovery.

With a managed server host, enterprise will not have to worry about server down time because the managed host will normally guarantee a 99.9% up-time. This means visitors will always have access to the business website. As well, the host provider will manage the server which includes ensuring a quality back for the server as well monitoring the server 24/7/365. prevent viruses, Trojans, phishing, Malware, DDoS attacks, and any other harmful element that can cause problems in the server resulting in a disruption. The host provider will troubleshoot, identify, and repair any problems that may occur. The business client will also have 24/7/365 customer support.

With managed hosting, server replication is an effective solution as it keeps a business up and running with complete data protection. As well, in the event of a system interruption or failure, server replication delivers continuous availability for businesses requiring an automated fail-over and disaster recovery solution. If such an event occurs, the replication seamlessly and automatically initiates which ensures continued access to data and applications. Managed hosting provides the services and technology to ensure high availability, high performance, and secure protection of sensitive data when there is an unexpected disaster.

Disaster recovery and business continuity are essential components to creating the IT enterprise environment that allows a business to carry out mission-critical operations in the event a disruption occurs. With a quality managed dedicated host, businesses are assured of a secure server that will allow them to provide operational continuity when an unexpected disaster occurs. This gives businesses peace of mind knowing their information is safe and secure so they can focus on other vital aspects of their business operations.

In such a highly competitive global world, keeping data safe and maintaining business continuity is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage. For efficient disaster recovery and data protection solutions, consider the benefits of Managed Hosting.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

What is Cloud Storage?

By Jason Kay

More and more major online players have demonstrated how effective cloud storage can be, most notably Google Docs and Amazon S3 services. Since then, cloud storage has gained a lot more attention. What was once just a fad in storage now has become a staple. However, many people and most businesses still have no idea how cloud storage works, let alone whether or not it would be a benefit to utilize. Here is a quick look at what cloud storage is and how it works.

Cloud storage is actually a small part of a much bigger picture – cloud computing. In general, cloud storage means that you will be storing your data off site, normally through a 3rd party vendor. By using a remote database and an internet connection, you can access all of your data, without having to worry about your own hard drive space. In general, the concept of cloud storage has several potential benefits. The biggest benefit is that there is no limit to how much data your can store. Additionally, you will never have to spend money on additional hard drives or worry about  transporting data from one location to another.

How Cloud Storage Works

There are literally hundreds of different cloud storage set ups. Some have been designed for specific purpose, such as only storing a single type of data, whereas others are much more flexible and can handle all sorts of data. Because of this it can be difficult to nail down exactly how cloud storage works, because it can vary greatly. However, let's take a look at a simple cloud storage system and how it functions. At the most basic level, all you need is a single data server connected to the internet. Then a “client computer” or subscriber, would be able to send/receive copies of files over the internet to/from that data server. In short, anytime you store data with a 3^rd party storage service via the internet, you will be using cloud storage.

Whether you are creating a cloud storage system of your own or looking for a quality 3rd party service there are two main priorities to keep in mind: security and reliability. In terms of security, there are two areas to focus on. The first is hackers. It is impossible to tell how or when a hacker will try and attack your data, so security will always be an issue. You should also pay attention to physical security, so that nothing happens to the physical hard drive either. Reliability is also an issue. Most big companies that offer cloud storage rely on redundancy to ensure that their service will be reliable. Redundancy is when a company stores the exact same information on several machines simultaneously. This ensures that if something happens to one machine, the data can still be accessed from another machine.

In its most basic form, cloud storage is simply accessing data stored somewhere outside your main hard drive via the internet. From there a lot of variables can change exactly how cloud storage works. However, regardless of how it works, the two main issues to consider when either using a service or operating a service is reliability and security. As long as proper measures are taken, there should never be any major problems.

About the Author: Jason Kay recommends reading reviews and ratings of the best online backup services to choose the right one for you at http://www.remoteonlinebackup.net

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Simple Ways to Backup Your Computer Files

By Jason Kay

Backing up your computer files is extremely important because accidents, power surges, virus attacks and other unwanted problems can potentially happen in an instant. Within one second you could lose everything and will not be able to recover even one of your files. This being said, before you end up having any kind of regrets, there are plenty of simple ways that you can backup your computer files.

One of the easiest ways to backup and store your files is by copying them to a CD or DVD. All computers that have a CD or DVD burner - no matter if you have a Mac or PC - come with a program that will allow you to pick and choose which files you’d like to burn to a CD or DVD. Programs like Media Center, Roxio and Sonic RecordNow are a few examples of software programs that you can use. All you will need to do is launch the program, start a new data disk project, browse for your files and then begin burning them. One downside to this is that you could end up with lots of CD s and DVDs that you will need to store, and on top of that you will need to repeat this process quite often especially if you make changes to your important files.

Another way to backup your files is by using an external hard drive. Yes, an external hard drive often costs a decent amount of money but it is much less bulkier than having tons of CDs or DVDs to store. An external hard drive will easily store all of your files safely and because it’s portable, you can take it anywhere.

If you have an email account, you can even use your email account to backup your files. This is a simple way to backup your files, but can be a pain if you have a ton of different files you’d like to backup. All you will need to do is attach your files to a new email document and send the email to

yourself. However, if you choose this option to backup your files you will want to make sure that your password is secure so that no one else can access your documents.

There are tons of backup services online that will allow you to backup your files in just a few simple steps. Carbonite backup is one example. All of these services are secure and are potentially a good option, but some of these websites will require you to pay a fee for storing your data. However, if you do some browsing there are a few services that will store your files for free.

Flash drives are extremely convenient when it comes to backing up your data. Not only are they small, portable and affordable, they can hold a lot of data if you choose to purchase a flash drive that can hold a 1 to 10GB at a time.

No matter which way you decide to backup your computer files, these simple ways are ways to backup your files now. After all, you don’t want to wait for a virus or other issue to take over your computer and lose your files forever.

About the Author:

Compare remote online backup reviews as well as features and prices at http://www.remoteonlinebackup.net

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Toshiba’s Dynabook Qosmio T75

Toshiba has introduced a new product on the market. Dynabook Qosmio T75 limited edition features a beautiful casing that gives the hallmark symbol of Japan’s professional baseball team.

Some feature include:

Model name : dynabook Qosmio T750/WTVA dynabook Qosmio T750/WTVA

Screen: 15.6 HD（16:9）LED HD 15.6-inch wide LCD (16:9), power-saving LED backlight

CPU:  ® Core™ i7-640M 2.80GHz Intel ® Core ™ i7-640M-processor operating frequency of 2.80GHz, 3.46GHz） (When using the turbo boost 3.46GHz)

ODD : With Blu-ray Disc

HDD: 640GB/8GB 640GB/8GB

Operating System: SpursEngine™、Windows® 7 Home With SpursEngine ™, a terrestrial digital TV tuner built groups, Windows ® 7 Home

Premium 64/32 Microsoft® Office Home and Business 2010、 Selectable Premium 64/32 bit version OS, Microsoft ® Office Home and Business 2010,

Web, WiMAX, Web camera (30 megapixels), WiMAX ^{4 Notes} Module, 3 ^{* 5-year} warranty

Source: www.toshiba.co.jp

Laptop Buyer's Guide - Points to Consider

By David J Miller

As more and more laptop manufacturing companies are mushrooming around, buying a laptop has become quite a task. There are very few differences in the features and prices of laptops. Only when you decide the purpose for which you need the laptop that you start exploring various models, else it will be a waste of time. Some laptops are suited for gaming, some for storing and editing photographs and some for entirely different needs.

There are some features you should consider. The first one among them is Upgradeability. There are some parts of the laptop which cannot be upgraded such as the screen, the processing
unit, video card and so on. The simple reason behind it is that they come with the machine. On the other hand there are parts which are upgradable such as main memory and the hard drive. In
some of the newer models parts such as Firewire ports, USB and USB 2.0 can be upgraded. Upgrading would definitely lead to decreased portability due to increase in weight.

The next important point to look for is portability. As that’s the basic reason why people require a laptop be it a businessman or a student, you need to carry your data along. Laptops are
available in the market with different speed, capacity, weight and size. Depending on your specific requirements, you can make a choice as to which one to buy.

A major factor which can limit or expand your range of choice is the price. Usually a laptop costs double the amount of a simple personal computer. If two desktop PCs will do the job and
are required to be installed at two different places, then you can probably drop the idea of buying a laptop altogether. You can establish a LAN to connect the two if required.

Generally, the more you pay the better the laptop you will get. However this is not always true. Do a quick search online and search for laptop deals. Everyday dozens of online retailers are putting up special offers to attract new customers. Make the most of these whenever you can. Of course, don't be fooled by a special offer alone – research exactly how much the laptop is worth otherwise and whether it has a specification which fulfills your needs.

There are also many brands out there and all have a unique selling point which may be what you are looking for. Some brands are aiming to offer functionality at cheaper prices, whilst others are giving you a laptop which has style, elegance and prestige attached to it. Two popular laptop models which are considered stylish and powerful are the Apple iMac and the Sony Vaio. However like for like these models will be more expensive than similar specifications from Acer or Compaq.

There other features you need to explore such as wireless LAN, hard drives, battery life and so on. It is better to choose specific stores in the market which have a good variety of laptops to show to you. You are sure to find one that suits your needs perfectly.

About the Author: David Miller runs a website where you can get a free laptop with your mobile phone contract, and it can be accessed at http://www.freelaptopmobilephonecontract.co.uk/

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Flash Drives - How Many Do You Need?

By Handel Streete

Thumbnail, Jump drive, or flash drive – are all similar names for the same kind of device. These are external drives that are used to store information that you want to keep. But, how many of them do you really need?

First of all, your computer has a built in hard drive that usually has enough space for everyday user. But many users need extra space so you can buy an external hard drive such as flash drive for more versatility.

A flash drive is made of a small printed circuit board containing the circuit elements and a USB connector, electrically insulated and protected inside a metal, plastic or rubber casing.

A flash drive is basically a form of storage device. Nothing moves mechanically in a flash drive however the term drive is used because computers read and write flash-drive data using the same system commands like a mechanical disk drive. Flash drives usually connect to your computer via USB ports. They can range from 256MB to several gigabytes in storage capacity. There are also huge external hard drives with terabytes of data storage space, but we will focus on the flash drives for now.

Flash drives have several advantages. First off, they are portable. You can use them anywhere you have a computer with a USB port. Your data is always with you when you need it.

Second, they are durable. You can put them on a keychain, place them in your purse or even in your pocket. Because of their size and lack of moving parts, a little bumping around is well tolerated.

Third, they can store massive amounts of data for almost instantaneous retrieval. You can keep your pictures, music, videos and movies on flash drives. They replace carrying around tons of physical paper. And these days they even reduce the number of CDs that you need to buy to store your data on.

Realistically, you only need as many flash drives as you have different tasks to use them for. For example, personal and business needs can be kept separate on two flash drives to avoid pulling up pictures of baby’s first bath at the office sales meeting. Buying a flash drive, with future storage in mind, ensures the most memory for your dollar.

It is easy to check to see how much memory you have on a flash drive to know if it is time for another one to be purchased. When you plug one in to your computer, you can access information on it and about it. From the Start menu, go to my Computer and a window will open showing your drives where all of your computer storage media are listed. Under Removable Storage, you will see your flash drive listed according to the drive letter it is assigned to. Right clicking on the picture will show a menu. Choose Properties to view a pie graph showing you the free space remaining.

Flash drives are useful for portable storage when you don’t want to take your laptop along and for PC users who can’t possibly drag their desktop with them.

About the Author: Get a FREE 9 Page Report On computer buying written for moms. Visit http://www.computer-buying-tips.net today to get your copy. By the way, Dads can gain from this info too.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Antivirus Killer Particularly Malicious; Could Gluttonously Swallow Windows® Vista® and 7®

 

BitDefender^®, an award-winning provider of innovative internet security solutions, recently issued a warning of Backdoor.MSIL.Bot.A which can run on any machine with the .NET framework installed. Presenting a series of threats designed to disable antivirus software and capture user data, this malicious piece of malware has the potential to attack all the systems running the most recent versions of Windows®, including Windows® Vista® and Windows 7®, because they have the .NET framework preinstalled.

According to BitDefender, the most interesting feature of Backdoor.MSIL.Bot.A, is that it will look for specific antivirus solutions installed on the target machine and try to kill their processes. This behavior is quite uncommon for a Trojan, as most don't attempt to kill antivirus routines. However, for those Trojans that do attack antivirus programs, this one is particularly ambitious, with a list of antivirus targets longer than some Trojans created only to interrupt antivirus programs.

Because .NET-based languages make it easy to accomplish several tasks with only a couple of lines of code, this type of attack holds the potential to trigger an increase in the number of malicious programs written in this manner and a higher efficiency and productivity in the future generations of malware writers.

BitDefender users are protected against this e-threat. More information on the unique properties of this Trojan is available on the Malware City blog: Backdoor.MSIL.Bot.A.

Source: http://news.bitdefender.com

HTML

 

Wiki.answers.com provides the definition of HTML as hyper-text markup language that is used  to create websites with. It is a form of language that enables the computer how to display your website. It is the most popular way of creating websites that many designers like to use and it is used for files that are posted on the internet for web browsers to view them.  HTML files can also be sent through electronic mail.

When using HTML, graphics and text have codes which eventually help the web browsers on how to display the files which includes layout and formatting. HTML files can be recognized by their extensions such as html or htm.

Essentially, HTML helps in creating structured documents by way of headings, lists, links, quotes, graphics and interactive forms. It is also useful in embedding images and objects onto pages

HTML files can be easily edited thereby enabling the designer to effect changes accordingly. These days, web pages can easily be designed by novices by simply employing software available on the market. This helps those who are particularly not conversant with HTML formats to design their pages hassle-free. Additionally, such software platforms assist designers to generate the required HTML codes for their websites.

Reference: Wiki.answers.com

 

Protecting your System from Computer Malware

Author: Sturat Michael M

The Internet is now a big part of everyone’s life. You can read all sorts of information, do business conveniently, and access movies or music with so much ease. But along with the things that you can download from the World Wide Web comes the Trojan viruses. There are some websites or files that include computer malware which can immediately spread to your system resulting to corrupted files, access to your private details, computer process slow down, and so many others. That is why it is very important that you know how to prevent these malicious wares from getting into your system.

One of the most effective ways of preventing any kind of computer malware from ruining your system is by installing reliable anti-virus software. As long as you allow this software to run while you surf online, you will be warned if there are Trojan viruses that are trying to hack into your computer. Therefore, you will instantly prevent the virus which may or may not disguise itself as a useful program. At the same time, your trusted anti-virus software can get rid of the malware effectively if your system has already been infected. If you are online 24/7, take time to scan your computer at least once a week to ensure that you maintain a clean and safe system.

Another option is to increase your system’s security by turning on the firewall. This can also be an efficient tool when it comes to blocking computer malware. These Trojan viruses would never even get the chance to scan your system for vulnerabilities. If you have an updated anti-virus program plus a firewall, there is a big chance that the security of your files, personal information, and the whole system will be secured.

Of course, there is no time to switch off your common sense especially when browsing and downloading files online. There is no use having firewalls and anti-virus programs if you would allow the malicious ware to access your computer.

Stuart is writing for many websites, He enjoys writing on wide range of topics such as  found.000 and  computer malware. You may visit for more details.

Article Source: www.articlealley.com

Learning To Utilize A USB Drive

Author: Jaymes Hoatfinias

Data storage technology has came along way over the years. A piece of technology that stands out the most and has really revolutionized the data storage industry is the USB stick. Choosing one that best fits you and will open up the doors of data transferring is essential to easy data transfer.

Portable applications go hand in hand with thumb drives. These portable applications can be sued and taken from your computer to a friends with a click of a button.

This is very useful because if you have a favorite application that will not allow more than one license, odds are they make a mini app that will fit onto a thumb dive. This can way you a great deal of money not having to pay for more than one license in order to use the application on several computers.

If you own a laptop then you know how important it is to implement the appropriate security measures in order to keep people from using your laptop. With a portable drive you can buy a application that will lock down your computer when not in use. That's right, load the app on to the stick and your able to keep un wanted visitors off your laptop.

Better yet, they make OS systems that can be easily moved from notebook to notebook. Think of how cool it would be to be able to have all your icons on any computer you choose to take your OS.

One of the watch outs for having a thumb drive with important material on it is...Make sure you don't misplace or lose it. Having a data sensitive thumb drive in the hands of a unworthy individual is something that you don't want.

Last but not least, the style side of these thumb drives. No matter what your interest or hobbies you can buy a thumb drive that will match your personality. From car shaped thumb drives to food shaped thumb drives there is a customer drive just for your.

Having a thumb drive at your fingertips is essential now days. Choosing one that is functional and yet fashionable is achievable if done right.

Article Source: www.articlealley.com

About the Author:

Jaymes Hoatfinias has been collecting http://usbmemorypen.net/ for over two years, but oddly enough also collects http://bestboarbristlehairbrush.com/ too. He loves writing articles and helping people with life obstacles.

Social Engineering

Wikipedia.org describes Social engineering as the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information, rather than by breaking in or using technical hacking techniques. The term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access. Mostly, the would-be attacker does not make himself known to their victims and many victims are left in dire situation without a guess.

Basically, Social Engineering involves use of trickery to sneak through security setups by attempting to gain access  to network or computer systems through someone authorized to access the network in order to get  information that compromises the network's or system’s security. It takes advantage of the victim’s desperate situation by capitalizing on their helplessness which may eventually lead to revealing their login and other valuable credentials. Security of login or other useful information is not seriously regarded as something that should not be tampered with or shared  by anyone apart from the user himself. This is so because a lot of computer users still live in the dark as to know the importance of data protection. A good number of users just turn a blind eye to this concern and stay without taking any action to protect themselves from would-be social engineers. It is also advisable that you should not allow anyone come near you or look over your shoulder when inputting security information as this may lead to someone stealing the required information by simply memorizing any valuable access credentials (i.e. passcodes).

Though online threats continue to wreck havoc all over the world, proper ways should be put in place on how computer users in our institutions should respond to such threats. A coordinated effort by System Administrators and their employees will yield better results if they join hands in this fight.  This should be an on-going process as new threats continue to emerge and social engineers continue to get more sophisticated by each day that passes by.

Reference: Wikipedia.org

How to troubleshoot your USB Port

Shown in figure on the right is a typical example of how a USB port looks like. It is somehow rectangular point where you can connect a universal serial bus (USB) device.

   

It is indisputable that USB ports are crucial when it comes to attaching removable devices such as cameras, printers, USB Flash Disks, Mice and keyboards to your computer. 

What happens when you plug in your removable device and you notice that your computer does not recognize any presence of your plugged in device? Well, there are several issues that can prompt such a situation ranging from incompatible Operating System, faulty USB device, faulty USB port to corrupt drivers. 

I am not advising anyone to repair the USB port because that will be hard to do if your technical expertise does not accommodate enough knowledge to undertake any repairs. My focus is on basic procedures on how to troubleshoot your malfunctioning USB port.

The first step is to check whether or not  all components are working properly. Check if the drivers for your USB port are properly installed. Here is how to check in Windows Vista:

Option One:

• Click START and go to Computer
  
• 
  
  
  Click System Properties Tab and click on Device Manager
• On the Confirmation Window, click Continue
  
• 
  
  
  Faulty component will be indicated by a Yellow Question Mark against it.
• Right click the component and select Properties
  
• In the General Tab you will read “This device is not working Properly”
  
• Click Driver Tab then click Update Driver. Follow other instructions accordingly.
  

Option Two:

•  Click START
  
• Click All Programs
  
• Click Windows Update
  
• Click Check for Updates Tab.  This will enable Windows to check for new software for all components so that the right software is installed on your computer.
  

It is highly recommended that you turn on Automatic Updates so that Windows checks for any software updates available. You can choose whether Windows automatically installs updates or you can choose which when to install them. If Windows can't find an appropriate USB driver for your device, prompt for installation disk with appropriate drivers.

Option Three:

You can make your own search on the internet by using Google or Yahoo search engines. Check which site has appropriate drivers for your device. The best way is to check the website of your computer manufacture an type in the real problem so that you get appropriate help. Your computer manufacturer’s website will guide you on how to download the software.

Alternatively, a blower will do some some job in removing dust which may have been accumulated on your USB port. Accumulation of dust can adversely prevent connection between the port and your device. This action requires the services of a trained and authorized technician.

If all steps above prove futile, consult your vendor or manufacturer.

Windows is a registered Trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries.

DIY Tips To Formatting your PC

Author: PipDawg

It is sometimes necessary to format a pc in instances such as when the pc has crashed, when you've viruses or spy ware, or if you wish to improve your pc's booting speed. The method of formatting a pc is very easy and if you happen to learn how to format pc, you will save money since you will not want a professional. The first step in formatting a pc is backing up the info because, although it's possible to make use of information-recovery software applications to recover formatted information, this can be a massive hustle. You should also backup the drivers if they're stored in your pc or in case you are formatting a laptop computer and wouldn't have the original driver CD. Drivers are troublesome to search for and formatting a pc without contemplating this may trigger you untold headache. You'll be able to backup your information and drivers on CDs, DVDs, or external hard drives.

After backing up the info, the subsequent step in formatting your computer is to right-click on 'My Computer'. That could be finished from the start menu or from the desktop. If your HDD only has one partition, you possibly can merely click on the 'Format' option. However, if your HDD is segmented, you need to target particular partitions for formatting. Click on the 'Manage' tab after which choose the 'Laptop Management' option. Next, click on the 'Storage' option and below it choose 'Disk Management'. That will give you a listing of all of the HDDs and in your pc and their partitions. From the 'Disk Management', you will additionally be capable of determine the 'health' of the different partitions and the file system. The file system is essential because the information is required in the process of formatting. The system is either NTFS or FAT32.

The next step to format a computer is to mainframe the pc display screen's right side. That will give you a greater view of the HDDs and their partition – this eliminates the chance of formatting the improper drive or partition. Should you merely wish to format one partition, simply right-click on it and click on the 'Format' option. If you want to merge different partitions after the formatting, click on the 'Delete Partition' tab for all partitions. Once you get warning indicators on pop-up windows, click on the 'Yes' tab.

After this step, you're going to get a black bar saying 'Unallocated'. The next step is to click on this bar and to decide on the new option. A set up wizard will take you through the installation process. The pc will choose a new letter for the HDD. You'll be able to change this letter on the menu.

Finally, the last step to formatting your PC is to decide on between the NTFS or the FAT32 file systems and click on 'format'. Don't change what is indicated within the 'Disk Management' tab. The NTFS system is safer if you anticipate a virus problem and it's faster. You will know that the process is done when the partition or the HDD gives you a 'healthy' status.

I hope this article helped you understand the topic in hand. If you want to read an advanced thesis on the same topic, I suggest you read my article how to format a computer

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1501059_10.html

About the Author: The Author runs a blog on Free Online Diets and Binoculars with Camera

How To Avoid Losing Your Important Emails during Downtime

Emailing these days is by far the fastest and most convenient way of sending mail, documents, photos, videos etc. At a click of a button your information is uploaded on to server or sent to intended recipient. Despite this good idea, there seem to be several snags which can adversely affect or prevent you from accessing your important mails or documents sent from a friend or office. You will agree with me that sometimes accessing your emails online is just like climbing Mount Everest. Some service black-outs are hard to handle and this leaves the loyal subscribers banging their heads waiting for an immediate solution from their service providers. Do you know that in such a downtime you still have a chance to access some important emails saved on your email server if you took proper precautionary measures? Are you one of those who cry all day long failing to get their emails? Here is how you can avoid such situations from playing the tricks on you:

Create an Email Account from another service Provider. With so many email service providers these days, one can register with a Service Provider of their choice. It pays when downtime creeps hard on your servers.

In Gmail:

• 
  
  Login with your Gmail Id
• 
  
  Go to Settings Tab and click on Forwarding and POP/IMAP
• 
  
  Select ‘Forward a copy of incoming mail to: (please enter your second email address from a different provider).
• 
  
  Select ‘Keep Gmail’s copy in the inbox’ from the drop down arrow on your right
• 
  
  Select ‘When messages are accessed with POP keep Gmail’s copy in the inbox’ from dropdown arrow on your right
• 
  
  Enable IMAP and configure accordingly
• 
  
  Click ‘Save Changes Tab’

Alternatively, you may configure Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird to download mail from your email providers to your desktop and can be read offline wherever and whenever you wish to.

You have successfully configured your Gmail account to forward any incoming mail to your second email. Even if there is a server downtime, you will still be able to access your saved mail from your second email provider.

Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail are registered Trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries. Thunderbird is a registered Trademark of the Mozilla Foundation.

Thunderbird 3.0.4

 

A new version of Thunderbird 3.0.4 is out and ready for download. Thunderbird comes in a class of its own to fight email overloads, viruses, spam and Identity theft among others. The new Thunderbird has several features that will improve stability, security and user interface.

New features in Thunderbird 3 include:

Advanced Filtering Tools. This feature enables user to filter results by sender, tag, attachments etc. Email filtering can also be achieved by timeline tool. The New Global Search Field is another important feature that auto-completes user’s address book and prompts the user to search everywhere.

New Mail Account Setup Wizard. Easily compatible with several popular email mail providers.  This feature only requires user to provide name, valid email address and password to set up new accounts. Other important features include:

• 
  
  Redesigned Mail Toolbar
• 
  
  Tabbed Email Messages
• 
  
  Smart Folders
• 
  
  New Message Summary View
• 
  
  Column Headings
• 
  
  Message Archive
• 
  
  Activity Manager
• 
  
  New Add-ons Manager
• 
  
  Improved Address Book
• 
  
  Improved Gmail Integration
• 
  
  Integration with Windows Vista. Thunderbird will prompt to install its indexing system into Windows Vista and you can choose to see Thunderbird email and news messages in Windows search results.
• 
  
  Mac OS. Thunderbird 3 integrates with Spotlight, can import from Mail.app, read your OS X address book, and use Growl for new mail alerts.

Before installing, make sure your computer meets the system requirements as specified in the release notes.
Mozilla ®, Firefox ®, Thunderbird ®, Logos used in this post are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation.
Reference: Mozilla.com

AVG Rescue CD: A Powerful Solution

AVG Rescue CD is another powerful product from Antivirus Software giants. It is a ‘Must-have’ toolset for rescue and repair of infected machines to all those who set security of their machines at high priority. It is designed that even a novice can use to salvage unredeemable condition of their machines thereby prompting the user to recover data that would have been lost by reformatting the hard disk. Compatibility with different versions of operating systems like Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, and various Windows Server editions is another reason why the AVG Rescue CD offers its users the intuitive feel of what a Rescue CD should be.

The AVG Rescue CD comes in two versions, the CD version and USB drive version. All you need to do is burn the software onto a CD or use a USB disk. In order for your computer to boot from these devices, change BIOS settings to allow it boot from such devices.

The Recue CD provides the following features:

1. 
   
   System recovery from virus and spyware infections to help find and remove the infection on your hard drive.
2. 
   
   Compatibility with MS Windows and Linux OS, both FAT32 and NTFS file systems. This feature enables the AVG Rescue CD to load on Linux or Windows based machines.
3. 
   
   It can perform a clean boot from CD and USB stick.
4. 
   
   Administration tools which include Windows Registry Editor, TestDisk (powerful hard disk drive recovery tool), Ping to test availability of network resources among other features.

The AVG Rescue CD is a free-to-use product that anyone can download at AVG.COM. This also covers any new program versions and virus database updates plus the full technical support.

Reference: Avg.com