Politics Just Isn't My Thing

Politics just isn’t my thing. That’s not to say I don’t vote – I haven’t missed an election since I turned 18 (and I won’t tell you how long ago that was).

But my politics are very personal. There aren’t too many things that will turn my husband into a rabid, bulging-eyed monster like politics. Maybe that’s why I shy away from discussing it – especially since we sit on two different sides of the proverbial fence!

One way politics has affected me this season (for our overseas friends, we are gearing up for a November 7 election day) is on my computer.

Political bloggers, both Democrat and Republican, are busy manipulating the Google search results by dropping “Google bombs.”

First, let me explain how Google works. Without getting into detail (and believe me, there’s a lot of detail about how a search engine works), Google prides itself on returning search results to us, the end user, that are relevant and popular.

There are a whole lot of factors that help to determine this, such as keyword density, metatags, link popularity, and much more. Google’s algorithm for searches is complex and private.

Both liberal and conservative bloggers are manipulating the Google search engine so that negative articles about the candidates they oppose appear near the top, potentially influencing undecided voters.

Will this practice affect a popular candidate or a voter who has strong party affiliations? Probably not. But the independent voter who is just trying to get more information about a candidate may well be swayed if the first article he sees is a vicious blow piece.

Google is not thrilled by the idea. "We don't condone the practice of Google-bombing or any other action that seeks to affect the integrity of our search results," spokesman Ricardo Reyes said.

Will this information keep your computer clean? Nope. Will it make you better informed about the workings of the Internet and who you can trust? I sure hope so.

technorati tags: Computers, Computers+Internet, Politics,

Politics Just Isn't My Thing

Free Software From Microsoft

Microsoft has a pretty good list of free software programs available for download. Finding them can sometimes pose a problem.

Blake Handler, self proclaimed "Tech Evangelist & Microsoft Consultant" has put together an incredibly comprehensive list.

Check it out for free software from Microsoft!

technorati tags:Microsoft, Internet, Computers, Computers and Internet, Free Software From Microsoft

Opt Out vs. Delete - Which One Gets You Less Spam?

We all get spam. In fact, spam accounts for as much as 83 percent of all email messages in the United States. So how do you keep your computer clean - do you report and delete unwanted spam, or do you unsubscribe or "opt-out"?

There are two camps. One says, 'Do not opt-out or reply to spam. Once you click the unsubscribe link, you'll get even more because you've just told the spammer that your email address is legitimate and active, and they will continue using and selling your email address."

The other camp says, "Go ahead and opt-out. Most email marketers are legitimate and will honor your unsubscribe request."

Is there absolute proof that one theory wins out over the other? Sorry, but no. No one has done a complete test of this because it's so difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

So here's what you do:

• Use your email program's spam filter and set up a special folder so spam will automatically be dumped into that folder, and not clog up your inbox.

• Report spam to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). They usually have guidelines for reporting spam on their website.

• Once you get spam, tell your email program to dump further emails from that sender's domain into your Junk folder. Check and delete items from your Junk folder periodically.

• If it looks like an email from a legitimate marketer, go ahead and opt-out. Most legitimate email marketers will put your subscription information in their emails - such as when you subscribed, what email address you used to subscribe, etc. Hopefully, that will trigger your memory if you actually did subscribe to their list. Never report a sender if you subscribed to their list.

• Put more effort into preventative measures, such as keeping your email address off public sites and forums. If you want to post your email address, do it so the spammers' tools can't find it so easily. For instance, post your email address like this: info (AT) 1CleanComputer (DOT) com. Spammers use automated software to search the Internet for email addresses, and posting it like the example above will help prevent them from harvesting your address.

• If spam still gets under your skin, you can always get a good spam filter, such as Cloudmark's SpamNet, which claims to block 98% of spam and phishing attempts from reaching your inbox with zero false positives, or Spam Arrest, which claims to block 100% of automated spam with no false positives. Both have free trials!

technorati tags: Internet+Security, Computers, Computers+Internet, Spam, Opt Out vs. Delete - Which One Gets You Less Spam?

Wanna Bet I Know Your Password?

I’ve been on the Internet a long time. In that time, I’ve visited about a zillion websites that required a username and password. OK, maybe it just seems like a zillion. Let’s just say a lot.

And I’ll bet you have at least a couple of dozen passwords too. Think about it – you have one (or more) for email, your ISP (Internet Service Provider), credit cards, banks, forums, chatrooms. . .you get the gist of it.

Now consider that the average human brain can only hold five to nine “random bits of information” in its short-term memory. That’s why people choose easy-to-remember passwords, which are usually the most dangerous.

For instance, did you know the most common password is simply “password”? And it doesn’t help matters any that it is usually the default password for many software programs and websites. Most people don’t change it as recommended, and will even use “password” for all of their other passwords.

So if you are using “password” as your password, change it today. And don’t create the same user name and password everywhere – that is almost equally dangerous. Think about it. . . if a hacker figures out your email account login and password, it will be pretty easy for them to figure out where else you have accounts and use that same login information. You might as well hang a “welcome” sign out in front of your credit card and bank account!

Here are some very general rules for passwords:

• Use different passwords for different accounts

• Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess (family and pet names, phone numbers, etc)

• Also avoid common words – such as “password”! “God” is also an especially common one.

Write your passwords down on paper and keep them in a safe place. You can also keep them in your computer (such as in Excel), but print them whenever you make significant changes. You never know when your hard drive is going to crash. Be cautious if using a password software program – some of them come with spyware, so do your research.

Once you come up with a new password, run it through a password evaluator to see if you picked a good one.

I have included a comprehensive guide to choosing a good password in my ebook, 1 Clean Computer.

technorati tags:Passwords, Internet+Security, Computers, Computers+Internet, Wanna Bet I Know Your Password?

Almost A Dozen Patches On Their Way

It's the second Tuesday of the month. And that can only mean one thing - more Microsoft security patches.

This time we've got almost a full dozen on their way - six critical updates for Windows, six critical updates for Office, and four moderate updates for the .NET Framework.

Please don't forget to download these important updates - it's critical for the safety of your computer and your information.

The Microsoft Security Bulletin lays out the details.

technorati tags:Microsoft, Internet, Computers, Internet Security, Computers and Internet, Almost A Dozen Patches On Their Way

CA Puts Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

It's the first time an anti-virus software company has ponied up and put their money where there mouth is.

CA, formerly Computer Associates, is gifting its customers with two free insurance policies with the purchase of CA Internet Security Suite 2007 and CA Anti-Virus 2007. The policies will cover up to $5,000 in identity theft coverage and up to $1,500 in protection against damage caused by computer viruses.

Sorry New Yorkers, it's only available in the rest of the US but not in your state (and maybe some other jurisdictions).

The identity theft policy will cover up to $5,000 of lost wages, legal fees and correction to your credit reporting. The virus protection policy will cover up to $1,500 for tech support, repair and hardware replacement. It won't cover lost data.

As always, I recommend reading the Terms and Conditions first.

According to a recent Consumer Reports study, virus infections caused an estimated 2.6 million households to replace their computers in the past two years.

Another study estimated that ID fraud loses average at $6,383 per victim, each of which can expect to spend up to 40 hours sorting out the financial mess created by con men applying for loans and opening accounts in their name under false pretences.

Whatever you decide to use, just make sure you're protected. You can find my recommendations in 1 Clean Computer.

. . . Stephanie

technorati tags: Internet+Security, Computers, Computers+Internet, Antivirus, Spyware, Stephanie Trahd
CA Puts Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

How Does Your Bank Rate For Identity Theft?

Ever wonder which banks keep you safer against identity theft?

Wonder no more. The jury is in!

While most banks do pretty well in resolving identity fraud (such as dealing with disputed transactions on accounts), only three financial institutions scored best in a test of their ability to prevent, detect and resolve identity theft.

First, a few statistics.

• Last year, for the third year in a row, identity theft topped the list of fraud complaints reported to the Federal Trade Commission.

• Consumers filed more than 685,000 identity theft and consumer fraud reports to the FTC in 2005, accounting for more than a third of all complaints the agency received.

• Consumers reported losses from fraud of more than $680 million. That's a median loss of about $350 per person. Remember, median is the midpoint. Half of the victims had losses higher than $350, the other half had losses lower.

And now, the three top rated financial institutions for their ability to prevent, detect and resolve identity theft (out of the top 24 financial institutions in the US) . . . . drum roll please. . . Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Washington Mutual.

The results were obtained by Javelin Strategy & Research in its annual Banking Identity Safety Scorecard.

The 24 banks they reviewed were AmSouth, Bank of America, Bank of New York, BB&T, Citibank, E*Trade, Fifth Third Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, KeyBank, M&T Bank, Marshall & Ilsley Bank, National City Bank, Navy FCU, NetBank, PNC Bank, Regions Bank, Sovereign Bank, SunTrust, Union Bank of California, US Bank, Wachovia, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo.

Safe Banking!

. . .Stephanie

technorati tags: Internet, Computers, Internet Security, Computers and Internet, identity theft, online banking, Stephanie Trahd ,
How Does Your Bank Rate For Identity Theft?

It's Now Or Never

I remember it well. Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) came out and all the techies warned us against downloading it. Too many bugs. Too many problems. Not worth the trouble.

And they were right - back then. But many upgrades later, Windows XP SP2 is solid. The security upgrades are worth their weight in gold (well, almost).

Now the case for installing SP2 is even greater. Microsoft is discontinuing their support for Windows XP SP1 on October 11. After that, you're on your own baby.

The Windows XP SP2 installation is much smoother than it was initially. But if you do have any trouble, visit Microsoft's special SP2 support site.

. . . Stephanie

technorati tags:Microsoft, Internet+Security, Computers, Computers+Internet, Stephanie+Trahd

It's Now Or Never