The Key to Protecting Your Computer from Cybercriminals

Beware of free or store bought security software installed on your computer that claims to protect your from cybercriminals. Your chance of becoming a victim of cybercrime is 7 out of 10.

Companies like McAfee, Symantec (Norton), and Trend Micro, Inc. spend a lot of money advertising that their products prevent cybercrime, but Computer World Security writes that they admitted that vulnerabilities in their security software allow hackers to hijack computers.

The security software and suites that these companies sell DO NOT prevent cybercrime. They mainly focus on worms, Trojan horses, and spyware that allow hackers to infect your computer. It takes many hours for the security companies to capture and analyze the problem, write a new solution, and get it to your computer. In the meantime, hackers are one step ahead of the companies. This explains why 172,000 computers are hacked each day.

Security companies do not focus on vulnerabilities, e.g. weak passwords, software bugs, a computer virus and other malware that allow hackers to install malware on your computer, take your sensitive data, convince you to open an email message with atached malware, or copy a hardened encrypted program onto a thumb drive and crack it at home. Not focusing on these vulnerabilities can bring the "blue screen of death" and make your operating system unusable.

When your computer is hijacked, it becomes a zombie computer and cybercriminals have full control of all your personal information. They use your name and social security number for criminal activities and you don't know that it has been hacked until a policeman arrives at your doorstep to arrest you. It may take a long time for this to happen, and in the meantime your computer slows down You need to have it cleaned up a few times a year and it is expensive.

You wish there was a better way to protect your computer from becoming infected. I once had 7,500 malware on my computer and it was slowing down. I subscribed to a Managed Internet Security Service where a team of techs remotely cleaned it up, and installed professional grade software and a bi-directional firewall in my computer. I just love this Managed Internet Security Service.

Until now only big businesses, universities, and the government were able to afford Managed Internet Security Services. Now there is a company that makes it affordable for individuals, families, and small businesses. The company has recently upgraded the software. If you are not satisfied the security software on your computer read my blog "Cybercrime - A World Wide Epidemic." It describes how cutting edge technologies protect you, your family, and your business from cybercrime and cybercriminals

Cybercriminals Target Small Businesses

According to a study by McAfee, Inc. small businesses risk losing over $1 trillion from loss or theft of data and other cybercrimes. The Internet Security Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides a forum for information on security issues, tells us that small businesses are severely at risk for security breaches. Large corporations who were formerly attacked by hackers have significantly bolstered their network security. Therefore, criminals are turning their attention toward small businesses.l

Small businesses can be easier to find as many do not have a well developed security plan, and their networks and computers many times are unprotected. One in five does not have antivirus software and more than half do not use encryption for wireless links. Hackers, on the other hand, now have more sophisticated and damaging programs that resist removal, continuously change, and spread across the Internet in minutes.

The impact of a security attack on a small business is much greater than on a corporation. Small businesses that do business over the internet and handle credit card data online, cannot protect their data from hackers when they do a denial of service attack. They do not have the financial resources and insurance and have difficulty bouncing back.

The following are a few of the small businesses that are at risk for cybercrime and identity theft:

Charities and nonprofit organizations can be targets of organized crime rings from abroad. Russia, the Ukraine, and China are particularly interested in their lists of benefactors and donors, and beneficiary lists from life insurers and cybercrime is the best way to get these lists.

The Real Estate Industry is also targeted. Realtor Associations, MLS Boards, and Brokers and Agents are severly at risk and have already been victims of cybercrime. Hackers have been able to gain access to membership systems and the MLS store through programming errors on MLS public websites. They can walk into a real estate agency, walk past the busy receptionist, plug his laptop into a network jack, and in minutes can have the entire membership database and all the software needed to use for criminal activities. Millions of consumer records with bank account and credit card information have been stolen stolen by employees and then sell it to a data broker.

Hotels are also at risk. Hackers have broken into the computers of one hotel that was part of a chain of hotels and gained access to tens of thousands of customer credit card members from all the hotel chains,

Recently, the largest coordinated ATM rip-off took place when $9 million dollars were stolen from 100 stolen credit cards in 30 minutes.

The best protection for small businesses is Managed Internet Security and Whole Identity Protection as they are affordable, have the latest security technologies to protect the computer and emails, and work with the police to find the thieves. They help restore identities to Pre-theft Status.

Five Dangerous Internet Myths

Eric Larkin in PC World reports that we need to get rid of myths about the internet in order to stay safe online.
Myth #1:
Maladjusted teens vandalize your computer.
Reality #1:
Gone are the days when teenagers looked for 15 minutes of fame. Organized crime is the culprit. They want money.Online black marketers place malware on computers to make money. They take over PCs to send spam, steal logins and credit card information, or hack game accounts. They use stolen webmail accounts to request transfers from contact lists and raid online games to sell the items or the in-game currency for real money. Financial fraud has cost consumers and businesses billions of dollars.
Myth #2:
All you need is a good antivirus program.
Reality #2:
Wrong. A good antivirus program will help a good deal, but antivirus companies are locked in a constant battle with cybercriminals who make every effort to stay one step ahead of antivirus software. Yes, many times the security software can prevent the attacks, but other times there are holes in the software and the criminals get the upper hand. You need more security software to protect you from cybercrime than just a good antivirus program.
Myth #3:
You're fine if you are just careful where you surf.
Reality #3:
This way of thinking is outdated. Years ago you could tell if a site was dangerous just by looking at it, and if you were careful with your emails, you could go without antivirus software. Not anymore. Now personal pages and big-name company sites are hacked by cybercriminals using flaws in the security software to install malware. You would have to be an expert to recognize a hacked page or an email that was attacked. Besides antivirus software, you need antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall along with a team of techs to protect you from cybercriminals.
Myth #4:
"If it ain't broke don't fix it" requires knowing when something is broken.
Reality #4:
These days there are malicious hidden processes, threats, files, or registry keys and you need advanced anti-rootkit technology to remove them.
Myth #5:
The worse myth. We're all doomed. Stay offline.
Reality #5:
Yes, you can get hacked, but if you know the risks and prepare adequately you can enjoy what the Web has to offer. By following simple steps, you can be protected from cybercriminals.

• Install antivirus+antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall on your computer.
• Make sure your computer has daily security updates, automatic upgrades to new software, and full security software support.
• Have your computer monitored daily for malware and have malicious codes stopped before it can harm your computer.
• Get protection for emails and attachments.
• Have your own team of techs to keep your computer clean and running well.

Don't fall hostage to cybercriminals. Personal Computer Services can protect you, your family, and your business from cybercrime.

Who Caused the Twitter Attack?

On 8/6/09 the an alarm rang that Twitter had been hit by a large attack and was not working for several hours,followed by a period of slowness and sporadic time-outs. It was so large that Twitter didn't even know it was under attack until it crashed. This was called a Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack (DDoS). It came from infected computers from all over the world. They were zombie computers and were used by hackers and cybercriminals to cause trouble.

Graham Cluley, a technology consultant at Sophos, explained in an article by C. McCarthy in CNET News, that DDoS attacks come from millions of compromised computers. Some of these computers belonged to people with Twitter accounts. Because they either did not install or update their security software, visited risque sites, or downloaded music and movies from unsecure sites, their computers had become zombie computers.

During the DDoS attack, zombie computers were used to inundate Twitter servers with communication requests. It was difficult for Twitter to deal with the attack because it was hard to distinguish legitimate Twitter communications from communications that were part of the attack. They did not want to block access from IP addresses as many of the zombie computers that was sending traffic to Twitter belonged to law abiding people.

The question is "Who Caused the Twitter Attack?" There are several possibilities:

1. Paul Henry, a security analyst, explained that it happened at the same time as the Hacker Convention where a new version of malware, that was found on Twitter messages, was introduced.
2. A European Blogger believes that a foreign country was behind the attack because such a large attack could only be organized by somewith huge resources.
3. According to a spokeswoman at Facebook, the attack might have been directed at an individual who had a presence on a number of sites, rather than the sites themselves.
4. So many Twitters did not have adequate security on their computers and were zombie computers that they made it easy for a hacker to attack Twitter

We can all learn from the Twitter attack how important it is to install security software on our computers and continuously undate and upgrade them. This will keep them safe and secure and not put Twitter or any other site at risk of being attacked.

I can identify with those who had no security on their computers. I once was like you, but then my computer started to slow down. I met someone who told me he could help. I took a test and found out that 7,500 malicious codes were on my computer. I immediately enrolled for personal computer services. A team of techs cleaned up my computer and installed professional grade software on it. I now occasionally call them if I have any computer related issues.

Check List for a Safe and Secure Computer with the Following:

• Alerts of unexpected events that could harm your computer.
• Daily scans that detect and remove malware before it harms your computer.
• The latest security updates.
• A protected computer with a combination of antivirus+antispyware.
• Have the holes in back of your computer closed up so hackers can't get in.
• Critical data and sensitive information protected from being compromised or modified.
• Your organization's computing assets protected from loss and/or damage from network attacks.
  
• A firewall that is monitored.
• Fully protected emails and attachments.
• Improved performance of your computer.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out my blog at www.crimeandjustice4all.com to find out how your computer can be protected from hackers and cybercriminals and never be a zombie computer again.

Medical Identity Theft - A Fast Growing Crime

According to the American Health Information Management Association, medical identity theft accounts for 3% of identity theft crimes. In 2005, 249,000 of the estimated 8.3 million people who had their identities stolen were medical identity theft cases.

Medical Identity theft affects individuals, healthcare providers, and health plans.

For the individual, it leads to a trail of falsified information in medical records and can plague your medical and financial life for many years. The elderly, newborns, minors, people whose medical information are on public registries (e.g. cancer registry) and individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities are particularly at risk for medical identity theft. Dead people are often targeted too.

• A healthcare provider who incorrectly bills the victim for treatment provided to the identity thief may have to write off all the expenses related to the thief as he has trouble canceling health insurance claims that were made for the thief. His reputation can be damaged and his practice negatively affected.

The reputation of the health plan can be damaged too as they preapproved and paid for the thief's treatment which is applied to your annual or lifetime benefit allowance. They also store wrong medical information in its database and share it with the Medical Information Bureau.

When a medical identity thief uses your name, social security number, and medical insurance information without your knowledge or consent to get medical services from doctors, emergency rooms, hospitals, and pharmacies, the thief's medical information is put into your records and a false medical record in your name is created. The new record can contain the thief's blood type, allergies, prescription drug use, and a history of his diseases. In an emergency, you could be treated based on the wrong information and die.

It is very difficult to discover that you are a victim of medical identity theft as it is often hidden in complex payment systems, databases, and medical records. When you do find out that you have been a victim, it is even more difficult to correct. Under the federal law know as Hipaa (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) you are entitled to a copy of your medical records, but once your information is mixed in with the thief's information, you may have trouble accessing your files as privacy laws regulate that the thief's medical information, now in your records, must also be kept confidential. If you want to correct your record, you have to do it on a case-by-case basis as the wrong information may be in dozens of health care providers and insurance plan records. Until such time as all your records are corrected, you could be denied additional health, disability, or life insurance and your credit record could be permanently damaged.

The best way to protect your medical identity is to have an Identity Protection Service which monitors social security numbers and medical insurance information every day for medical fraud, insurance records, and criminal records. The Cybercrime Underground is also monitored for your information. Your entire family is protected, including your children to age 25 and senior dependents. You will get Expense Reimbursement Insurance and Full Recovery Services (not assisted recovery) from a team of experts who also cooperate with the police to help find the thief.

The Internet - A Hiding Place for Online Child Predators

Do you know who your child is talking to online? If he/she is romping ar ound chat rooms, instant messaging, emails, discussion/ bulletin boards and social networking sites, it is time for you to take notice.

While using the technology of the 21st century seems very appropriate for children, you need to be aware that Child Predators are lurking in these sites. In February 2009 My Space kicked out 90,000 sexual predators and Facebook booted out 5,500. Now the predators are heading to Twitter.

ALL children are at risk. Whether they are insecure, rebellious, lonely, confused about their sexual identity or just normal kids playing games on the internet, they are prey for these predators. They meet in chat rooms, then continue communicating through emails or instant messaging, and the final step is to meet in person.

Not knowing the identity of people you meet on the internet, allows predators to pretend they are young adults. They build relationships with inexperienced young people by listening to their problems and sympathizing with them. They know their favorite music and hobbies. And gradually, and sometimes not so gradually, they introduce sexual content into their conversation or show them photos of child pornography to convince the child that it is normal for adults to have sex with children. Then the predator arranges a meeting in the community where the child is raped, photographed and videographed.

If the child plays games over the internet, the predator will offer game points in exchange for naked photographs of the child.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reviewed some 25 million child pornography videos and images circulating online in the past six years alone. Sexual predators around the world now network with each other and share photographs and videos of children they met online. These pictures are shown all over the internet. Furthermore, tech-savvy criminal organizations sell child pornography through web sites that can be put up and taken down in hours. They make large profits through online card processing centers. Online Pornography is yet another form of Cybercrime.

To minimize your child's risk of being a victim of a sexual predator, computers need to be in a common area of the house, not in the bedroom. Children should share the family's email address and their access to chat rooms, instant messaging, and emails should be monitored. They should be taught never to leave the chat room's public area as private area chat rooms are where they can become victim's of the predator. They should never respond to emails or instant messages from strangers or go out with a stranger they meet over the internet. And last but not least they should be instructed that it is wrong for adults to have sex with minors.

If your child is targeted by a predator who asks for a meeting, sends sexually explicit photos or asks to be sent naked pictures, save any documentation including email addresses, web sites, and chat logs to share with the police.

Then call the LOCAL POLICE and ask for the CYBERCRIME UNIT. Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tip Line at 1-800-843-5678 or log onto www.cybertipline.com. They are staffed 24/7 to receive reports of child exploitation online.

Either before or after the crisis, get involved with a non-profit organization that teaches children in school how to be safe online. They are at http://www.i-safe.com.

Explore a Managed Internet Security Service that has the latest security technologies to keep predators away from your computer, and an Whole Identity Protection Service that includes your children. This service monitors all the databases and if the identity is stolen works with law enforcement to catch the thief or predator, and restore the identity to pretheft status.

May you never go through this kind of experience.