Introduction
Welcome to the Get-it-sorted.com newsletter. Now that the summer months are drawing to a close and the days start to get shorter, maybe this is a good time to start looking at your computer systems and just double checking that you are as secure as you think you are and that you have all your system documentation up to date.
Spyware and the Legal Battle
Symantec are in the midst of a legal battle with a "spyware" software provider as the software provider states that the vendor's antivirus tool removes their software illegally. They state that the software can be removed legitimately using an uninstall option in add/remove programs and thus Symantec should not be classing it as "spyware" and removing it.
This shows the lengths some companies will go to, to obtain "marketing" information from users. It is vital that you audit your computers regularly to ensure that there is only software installed which you know about. When installing software, especially from Vendors you know very little about, always read the license agreement and check you know what you are agreeing with when you click that "Proceed" button.
Business Risk - Wireless Networks
Are you running a wireless network in your office or home office? Aren't they just great! You can sit with your laptop anywhere and be really productive - great for giving "adhoc" presentations to clients.
But are your wireless links secured? Shouldn't they be? Well actually "yes they should" - but what does this mean, what is WEP and WPA and 128bit and what does it all mean? As for VPN's and PPTP, L2TP,IPsec and the other things what are they?
Well drop me a line and I'll explain in more detail - but it would be a good idea to check your wireless setup and make sure it has at least some sort of security measure. If your lack of knowledge or security measures concern you then feel free to contact me to clarify things.
Web Fraudsters
If you remember in my first newsletter I talked about Phishing and Pharming well it would seem that "Amazon" have been the latest targets for a Phishing exercise with a high profile Fraud against consumers where the criminals attempt to pass their sites off as "Amazon" sites. The fraud starts with an email to a target user and this directs them to a fraudulent Amazon website which is infact run by the criminals. Any user could be fooled by the look and feel of these websites and be duped into giving criminals financial information.
Again I would like re-iterate - be very careful when giving any information out over the internet always check for the "padlock" in the lower right hand corner of the browser window and check the details by double clicking on this padlock. Often your credit card company will cover you against losses incurred on the Internet - but checking before giving any information away can save hours of hassle and grief later on.
Wireless Evil Twin
When you are out and about, using wireless hotspots at your favourite cafe, then you really need to be aware of a scam fraudsters are using to fool people into thinking that they are connecting to the wireless access point using network identification (SSID - Service Set IDentifier) which seem plausible like "starbucks", once a victim has connected then dummy pages which look like the valid pages appear and the victim is duped into giving their credit card details to the fraudsters.
So when out and about - use wireless hot spots with caution, ensure you are connecting to what you think you are connecting to and if you are in any doubt then go wireless where you feel safe. Checking the padlock in the browser and the url. When using hotspots don't do your internet banking and don't use any private information on web pages. Always check the padlock (SSL certificate) and only browse public web pages.
But computers Never get it wrong, do they ?
I think it is well known that you can make a mistake but to make a really big mistake it takes a computer as well. During the August Bank Holiday weekend, Argos accidentally posted a LCD television for 49p under their "special offers - Summer Sale" section and hundreds of people took up the offer. On discovering the mistake Argos removed the "special offer" and informed customers it would not be honouring their orders. It was clearly a mistake and Argos can rely on the legal "doctrine of mistake" to ensure that they are not in breach of any contract. Several customers placed orders for more than one television!
Inside Track
Wireless Access Point Information.
NetStumbler - Without affecting your existing wireless setup you can see which wireless points are within range and it may even help you spot an "Evil Twin".
Intuit Quickbooks
I now have some demo copies of Intuit Quickbooks Pro 2005, if you would like a copy then please drop me a line. They come with an installation key which is valid for 2 months, which allows for a thorough evaluation.
Security bulletin
Microsoft did not issue a security bulletin during the month of September 2005.
However, have you checked your software is all upto date?
If you are running Windows 2000 then you need to be aware of
Zotob
