Category: Security

Wipe Your Hard Disk Using DBAN

If you are giving away or selling your old computer, then you should keep in mind that any sensitive data on your computer’s hard disk can be restored even after it is deleted. To make sure that nobody is able to recover your sensitive data, you should completely wipe your hard disk and then re-install the operating system before giving it away or selling. Here is how you can completely wipe your hard disk using Dariks Boot and Nuke (DBAN) CD.

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How to Generate Strong Passwords Using KeyPass

The most common cause of your web site, email account, bank account or some other online account getting hacked is that you were using a very weak password. A weak password is a password which is short in length, uses dictionary words, letter or number patterns, pet names, spouse names etc. If you use a weak password, then it makes hacking you a piece of cake for a hacker – because all he has to do is run a dictionary attack or a brute force attack.

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How to Remove Rootkits Using Sophos Anti-Rootkit

A rootkit is a Trojan or technology that is used to hide the presence of a malicious object from the standard computer user or the administrator. Although your antivirus program can detect and prevent a known rootkit from infecting your system, yet it cannot find if a rootkit has already penetrated your computer system. Sophos Anti-Rootkit scans, detects and removes any rootkit that is hidden on your computer using advanced rootkit detection technology.

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Online Safety Using Web-of-Trust Browser Add-on

The Web-of-Trust add-on works in partnership with the Panda Security. This add-on is available for all the major web browsers. It adds a button in the toolbar which shows the rating of the currently browsed website. When you search something in a search engine like Google, it also shows you the rating of each of the listed results. If you accidentally open a malicious website with poor ratings, then the Web-of-Trust add-on will block it.

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Stay safe online with McAfee SiteAdvisor

The Internet is full of various kinds of threats – malware, phishing, spyware, drive-by-downloads. The cyber-criminals are now working in a well organized manner in order to steal your financial information and turn your computer into a zombie. Would it not be nice if someone warns you before you visit a fraud web site or a web site designed to infect your computer with malware? The McAfee SiteAdvisor can warn you about a web site as you open it in your browser.

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Identify file types using TrID file identifier

When you download a file from the internet you expose yourself to unknown threats. An attacker can easily change the extension of a file and disguise it as harmless file. For example, an MP3 file can be actually an WMA file containing code to download malware from a malicious site. The only safe approach left is to identify a file type using their binary signatures.

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Test your antivirus with the EICAR test file

Is your antivirus software functioning correctly like it should? Will it detect if a virus is dropped on your hard disk? You can test your antivirus using the EICAR (European Institute for Computer AntiVirus Research) antivirus test file. The Eicar test file is recognized by all the antivirus products and they all should block it.

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