PCPowerGuide.com » PC Security http://www.pcpowerguide.com PC Tips For Windows Users Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:30:58 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 How to Create Hidden User Accounts in Windows http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/how-to-create-hidden-user-accounts-in-windows/ http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/how-to-create-hidden-user-accounts-in-windows/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:57:42 +0000 donna http://www.pcpowerguide.com/?p=595

By default windows automatically adds all user accounts that exist on a computer to the list displayed on the Welcome screen so the user can click on their ID and log on. Would you like to have an invisible user account to work on your computer?

One way to accomplish this is to create a hidden user account. Now this doesn’t mean that no one can’t see the account but it does mean that your user account ID will not be displayed on the Welcome Screen.

It is good for creating accounts that you don’t want other users of the computer to know exists. To prevent others from seeing the account profile you will need to use the NTFS permissions to remove their ability to read the directory as well.

However, this kind of account is normally used to keep another family member from knowing something exists. If they are extremely computer literate, it may not be possible to keep them from finding the account. This trick worked for me to keep my teenagers out of my banking information on our shared computer in the family room.

Hiding a User Account

To create a hidden user account in Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, perform the following tasks:

  1. Click on Start-> Control Panel -> User Accounts
  2. Select Create a new account and then follow the prompts until it is created

Once the account exists or if you want to hide an existing account do the following:

  1. Click Start -> and go the Run command and type regedit in the dialog box as shown below

  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList as shown below

  3. If SpecialAccounts and UserList is not found, create the new sub-key and name them  those names
  4. Highlight UserList, then right click in the right hand pane of the registry editor.
  5. Select New -> DWORD and name it the exact same name as the account you want hidden

  6. Then double click on the key you just created, a box similar to the one below will appear

  7. Keep the value at zero to hide the account or change it to 1 of you want it to be seen on the welcome screen.
  8. Exit the registry

Restart the computer for the changes to take effect

How to Logon to a Hidden User Account

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the windows login dialog box and then type in  the user name and password.

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]]> http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/how-to-create-hidden-user-accounts-in-windows/feed/ 0 Is Your Computer a Zombie? http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/is-your-computer-a-zombie/ http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/is-your-computer-a-zombie/#comments Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:00:37 +0000 donna http://www.pcpowerguide.com/?p=511

Most people are not aware that their computer can easily become one of the hordes of zombie computers that the bad guys use to cause problems for other people.

What in the World is a Zombie Computer?

Any computer can become a zombie. A zombie computer is also called a ‘bot’. Bots (short for robots) are computers that allow an unauthorized person to take control over someone else’s computer. When activated by their master, these machines participate in some very malicious actions sometimes as part of an army of hundreds or even thousands of controlled computers. When this happens it is called a botnet.

These hordes can run DoS (denial of Service) attacks against web sites or entire networks, host phishing attacks and send out hundreds of thousands of spam messages. If you trace the source of the attacks, you will only find a zombie whose owner is totally unaware that their computer is being used to attack others.

How can you tell if your PC is a Zombie?

Your PC can become a zombie as the result of a hacker, a malicious website, infected email, download file or even a flash drive planting the zombie program on your machine.

These programs are very good at hiding themselves. Many times they have file names that are identical to or very similar to legitimate programs so most users would not think anything was wrong even if they saw them listed as running in the task manager. The only to identify the impostor is by looking at where the file is stored. Svchost.exe is one file name commonly used by malware because every time your operating system opens a new process or application it will create a new instance of the svchost.exe file.

Facebook and twitter have been plagued by URLs that are hiding an infection planted through friend messages on Facebook or an innocuous tweet like “Is this You in this Video”. Once you click on the link your computer becomes a zombie. To make matters worse many bots will send a message to everyone in your address book, friends list or all your followers on twitter trying to get them to click on the same link so they can also be infected.

Unless one of your friends asks you why you sent them the link or video, you will never know your computer is infected.

How Can You Protect Your Computer from Zombies?

You can prevent your computer from becoming a zombie by performing routine maintenance on a regular schedule. If you use Facebook, Twitter, download a lot of files you need to use a good anti-malware and anti-virus program. Turn on the active elements such as scanning emails and downloads in real time. Since there is always some lag in virus and malware definitions, set you automatic download for new definitions for daily downloads so your definitions are as up to date as possible.

Schedule a full scan of your computer for once a week. Then after you perform the scan, defrag your hard drive and run a good registry cleaner to eliminate any problems these programs can cause in the registry.

If you maintain your computer properly, you should never have a zombie living in your house.

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]]> http://www.pcpowerguide.com/windows/is-your-computer-a-zombie/feed/ 0 How To Remove Trojans From Your PC http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-trojan/how-to-remove-trojans-from-your-pc/ http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-trojan/how-to-remove-trojans-from-your-pc/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:16:05 +0000 admin http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-trojan/how-to-remove-trojans-from-your-pc/

Trojans found on computers were named for the famous wooden Trojan horse that the Greek army gave to the city of Troy as a peace offering during the Greek and Trojan war. The people of Troy took the horse inside the city walls. Greek soldiers were hiding in the belly of the horse and emerged in the middle of the night to slaughter their enemy.

Today’s Trojans are any computer program that intentionally hides itself by pretending to be something else so it can perform malicious actions on your computer. Unlike their malicious counterparts, viruses and worms, Trojans can not act autonomously and spread from machine to machine. They require human intervention to activate and spread them. That means you have to open the file they are hiding in before they can do any harm.

Another difference between viruses, worms and Trojans is that Trojans do not make copies of themselves on the infected computer. They must be attached to another file and can only be spread by sharing that file.

Trojans can be very destructive and have also become a source of a new kind of criminal activity. According to USA Today, the FBI estimate of U.S. businesses losses to computer-related crimes is approximately $67.2 billion annually. Consumer Reports estimates that U.S. consumers lost $8 billion because of viruses, spyware and Trojans, especially the Trojans used for identity theft and phising scams.

Trojans are dangerous beasts and capable of doing a lot of damage such as:

  • Uploading or downloading files
  • Erasing or overwriting the data on your hard drive
  • Encrypting your entire hard drive and then demanding a ransom to unencrypt it. This is a fairly new type of crime.
  • Sending email to your entire address book which is usually some form of malware or spam.
  • Creating a backdoor for someone else to take control of your computer
  • Recording your general activities using screen shots and sending the information to their masters
  • Recording keystrokes to steal credit card or password information to be used for identity theft.

Getting Infected

Trojans usually enter a computer systems in one of two ways. The first is through legitimate software that someone has deliberately corrupted with malicious code. The second is through an independent program that is embedded in a game, image, or song. Typically they are aimed at Windows programs and bear filename extensions such as .exe, .com, .bat, .scr, .vbs or .pif..

An actual Trojan file sent out through email was named LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs. Notice that the file has two extensions: .txt and .vbs. Only the last one matters because that is how your computer sees the file and it is an executable file capable of running the Trojans program.

Trojans can infect you computer in several different ways such as:

  • Being attached to an instant message
  • Delivered on CD-ROM
  • Downloaded from websites or file-sharing programs
  • As an email attachment which is the most common method for spreading.
  • Hidden in games (the second most common method), utilities and other programs

Protecting Yourself

Here are some guidelines for protecting yourself from Trojans:

  • Purchase a program specifically designed to detect and remove Trojans and worms as well as viruses. Configure the application to periodically check for new threat updates.
  • Do not download files from anywhere without scanning them first. Make sure the application you bought scans all download files and all incoming email messages.
  • Unhide your file extensions by opening windows explorer, selecting Tools -> Folder Options then click on the Files tab and uncheck Hide extensions for know file types. That way you can tell that mynewbaby.jpg is really a picture of your friend’s new baby and not a file named mynewbaby.jpg.exe containing a Trojan.
  • Configure your firewall to block Trojans.

Removing Trojans

Anti Virus Programs – Some anti virus programs can detect and remove Trojans. However, they usually can not detect all of them. Make certain that you always have the latest updates. Configure the program to automatically check its parent website for new updates.

Anti Trojan Software – these programs are specifically designed to detect and remove Trojans. Most commercial versions cost around $30 and are well worth the price.

Clean Re-Install – this is the most draconian method but, if all else fails, reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything from the original CDs will guarantee you get rid of all viruses, spyware and Trojans.

If you want to salvage file you created, scan them with both the anti virus and anti Trojan programs to be certain they are not infected before you restore them to your machine.

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]]> http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-trojan/how-to-remove-trojans-from-your-pc/feed/ 0 How To Stop and Remove Adware http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/adware/how-to-stop-and-remove-adware/ http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/adware/how-to-stop-and-remove-adware/#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:52:11 +0000 admin http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/adware/how-to-stop-and-remove-adware/

What is Adware?

There are two basic kinds of adware…harmless and malicious. The harmless variety is called adware. The malicious variety is called spyware. The terms adware and spyware tend to be used interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing. Adware is usually a marketing tool. Spyware’s primary intent is getting your personal information such as passwords, credit card and bank account numbers, street and email addresses.

Harmless Adware

Harmless adware comes in two distinct flavors. The first is similar to most passive advertising methods such as magazine ads or billboards. It shows banners, popups and other types of ads while you are visiting a website. No information is collected and sent back to the advertiser unless you fill out a form asking for more information.

The second kind of adware is software that is frequently included with free applications. The end user license agreements clearly state that they are collecting statistical information for advertisers in exchange for you getting a free product. When you install the program, the adware writes itself to your windows registry.

The program was loaded onto your computer to monitor you web surfing, music preferences and internet buying habits. The advertisers have no interest in your personal information, just what sites you visit, music you listen to and where you shop online. Most of these programs are part of marketing research done by legitimate companies that sell the aggregated results to legitimate advertisers. Adware is rarely malicious and normally won’t hurt your computer.

So, why is harmless adware a problem?

There are two reasons harmless adware can be a problem. First, it can slow down your computer. Second, since very few people ever actually read the end users license agreement, most of the time, the adware was installed on your computer and is collecting anonymous information about your habits without your permission. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like people collecting information about me without telling me they are doing it. I also don’t like having my computer slow down to a crawl because adware is using up all of my system resources. A single adware program is unlikely to affect performance enough that you would notice it. However, several adware programs running simultaneously can cause the machine to crash.

Malicious Adware or Spyware

Spyware can be compared to a thief that silently goes through all of the files on your computer looking for personal information that can be sold to criminals. Spyware collects the following private information from you:

  • Email address book
  • Copies of your chats and Instant messages
  • Online banking sites
  • Credit card numbers
  • Users IDs and passwords

“Wait a minute”, you say, “I don’t store that stuff on my computer.”

Actually you do. It’s located in temporary files, browser favorite lists, cookies, temporary internet download and email address files, as well as chat and instant message logs, caches and history files. The Spyware program collects all of this information and sends it back to their masters.

What do the Thieves do with the Information?

The collected information is used to manufacture phony credit cards and driver’s licenses, apply for loans, passports, and replacement social security cards to be used by an illegal alien or someone with a criminal record to get a job pretending to be you. Finally, they send spyware infected emails to everyone in your address book pretending to be you.

Then they sell the credit cards, driver’s licenses, passports and social security cards to other criminals over and over again. In fact they try to sell your information as many times as possible in as short a time period as possible because they know that eventually you will realize it’s been stolen and cancel the credit cards, freeze the bank funds and inform the authorities that your identity has been stolen.

What can I do to protect myself?

Unfortunately, anti-virus programs don’t detect adware and spyware because they are not viruses. Firewalls only block the outgoing messages and can not remove them from your registry.

There are several programs that can remove adware and spyware from your computer both free and for sale. The biggest draw back of some of the free ones is that they don’t give you a choice whether you want the adware or spyware removed.

Why would I want to keep adware and spyware?

All spyware should be removed. However, some of those free programs you use will stop working if you remove the adware. Remember that was a condition for getting to use the program free. Also, you may want to see ads about products that are of interest to you. Most commercial programs allow you to pick and choose what you want to remove.

How often should I run my adware and spyware detection program?

It’s probably a good idea to run your adware and spyware removal program any time you download and install a new application and periodically, perhaps weekly if you do a lot of surfing, for safety.

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]]> http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/adware/how-to-stop-and-remove-adware/feed/ 0 Why You Should Run McAfee Antivirus http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-spyware/why-you-should-run-mcafee-antivirus/ http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/anti-spyware/why-you-should-run-mcafee-antivirus/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:43:34 +0000 admin http://www.pcpowerguide.com/pc-security/why-you-should-run-mcafee-antivirus/

The Internet is a great source of information and knowledge to people of all ages. All you have to do is connect via your favorite web browser, enter your search in Google, Yahoo, MSN (or any other search engine) and you have access to literally billions of pages where you will be shown websites offering information on virtually every subject known to man. You visit these sites to gain knowledge, but in addition to just great information, there is the possibility of receiving shady PC programs as well.

This is because there are many malicious software programs such as viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, backdoors, worms etc. that may be installed on your computer while surfing the Internet. These viruses that enter your computer have the capacity of interfering with normal PC operations wherein data can be corrupted, deleted or spread to other computers through the net and on your home network.

The best thing you can do to protect your PC from these viruses is to install some antivirus software on your hard drive like McAfee Antivirus. With the help of McAfee Antivirus, you can detect, prevent and the remove such malicious programs from your PC.

Today, McAfee is one of the largest antispyware software sites on the web and have well over 2 million active subscribers. With McAfee Antivirus installed, you are not only protected with premier anti-virus software, but also with added security, encryption services and desktop optimization.

McAfee software headquarters is located in Santa Clara, California. They are one of the leading suppliers of not only network security, but also availability solutions. There is no need to worry about the authenticity of McAfee Antivirus programs as all the applications available are backed by the famous anti-virus research organization, McAfee AVERT. This is the organization that protests all its customers from even the most complex virus attacks.

McAfee Antivirus is software that provides multiple virus protection for numerous systems including desktops, e-mail servers and Internet gateways (that are connected to both wireless and remote devices and file servers). It helps in the identification and removal of the latest worms and trojans like MyDoom, and Bagel before it has a chance of entering your computer and corrupting all your vital data.

It is possible to use it to block all inbound threats that are associated with e-mail security. There are lots of malicious programs that are distributed through e-mail on a regular basis. However, with the help of McAfee antivirus, you can prevent your PC from becoming corrupted with email viruses because its e-mail security protects your email server from expensive network downtime, compromise of data and reduction in your productivity.

McAfee Antivirus also works as an Internet gateway protection that scans all traffic coming in and requests going out of your network. This helps prevent malicious attacks on the gateway connected to your network before your system is corrupted. Not only should you install MacAfee Antivirus software on your computer, you have to make it a point to update the software regularly, which is a simple option in the software to handle virus definition updates automatically.

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