Stocks And Businesses

Computers are very detailed machines that function by set rules, codes and languages. Everything follows a pattern and schedule in order to operate efficiently. Computer viruses can affect the cosmetics of a computer such as the screen and display appearances or the simple functions such as the way the keyboard operates or the functionality of the drives. Some of these symptoms may seem to be only a minor inconvenience, but when you see these signs you should wonder what may have caused the change and what else may be going on that you can’t see. Other symptoms can include loss of files, decrease in memory space, slow operation and damaged programs.

The writer of the virus determines how they will infect the system as well as what they want the virus to do. In most cases, a virus will perform damage to the host system, and may do this while performing another function such as retrieving information, and then spread to the remainder of the network.

A computer virus is similar to a medical virus in that it often occurs even when precautions were taken to prevent it. Particularly malicious viruses steal information and data, which may be confidential. This may be customer or client information of a personal nature whether medical, financial or some other form. It may be company information specific to employee’s records, user names and passwords or other functions of the business. Information may simultaneously be erased. It can pick up information from any other computer in the network. It can locate other users and obtain their information.

There are many programs available and they are a must-have for an individual’s personal computer and certainly for that of a business. Strong measures must be taken to prevent viruses within a company, as one infected computer is opening the door to the entire network, putting clients, customers and even employees at risk. Businesses should understand that the condition of their system is susceptible to change with every employee that signs into the network. Training should be instituted to prevent damage by teaching employees how to determine what is safe use of the system, how to update their protection programs and how to know if something is questionable and when to bring it to the attention of the IT department. It is always helpful to set up the virus protection programs to run automatically and the individual systems or the network as a whole can be set to automatically update the programs that are install along with fixes and patches as needed. In addition to anti-virus programs a filter may also help to block viruses.

While the anti-virus is placed inside the firewall, a filter is placed on the outside and closer to the server. Users may be limited as far as what can be received and may not be able to open attachments. This will undoubtedly create an inconvenience, though it is in the best interest of the company and will save money by eliminating loss of business if a shutdown is needed to correct a problem. A virus usually spreads very quickly and for a large company this can be costly. Prevention is always the least costly way to reduce the risk of virus.

Many people misunderstand what social skills are – and what they’re not. Here’s a quick look at a few common myths and some information on what social skills really are.

Myth #1:

People who like talking are interesting and have good social skills.

False.

Verbosity isn’t a social skill. In fact, it can damage one’s social popularity and result in avoidance by others. Such over-talkative individuals may be seen as:

- self-centered: most of their monologue is about themselves, their opinions, their activities, etc.

- rude: they monopolize the conversation without letting others contribute or participate

- selfish: their incessant talk shows little respect for the listener’s time and interests

- boring: loquacious individuals tend to include too much trivial information that is irrelevant and uninteresting to the listener.

The number of words spoken does not necessarily reflect good-quality conversation nor an ability to effectively interact with others. People are interesting when they have something worthwhile to say and are able to engage in a discussion. Good social skills include the ability to carry on a conversation without dominating it and to encourage others to participate.

Myth #2:

Introverts are socially unskilled individuals.

False.

The elements of good social skills are the same for everyone. Both introverts and extroverts alike can have superb social skills or, alternatively, very poor social skills. Skills such as listening, conversing, remembering names, showing common courtesies, and giving good feedback require attentiveness from anyone who displays good social skills, regardless of whether they’re an introvert or an extrovert. A lack of such attentiveness shows a general lack of social skills.

Introverts who have refined their interpersonal skills have techniques to follow when in social situations, and those who continue to improve their professional and personal relationships are highly socially skilled.

Myth #3:

A good education and hard work are all anyone needs to succeed in a career and in life. Good social skills aren’t important.

False.

A solid education and work or personal experience are undoubtedly key factors that contribute to success. Knowing how to perform a job function, managing the tactics of a plan or having technical knowledge of machinery or equipment qualifies the individual for the position.

However, as the individual progresses in her career and life, the manner in which she interacts with others – and the quality of that interaction – plays an important role in determining the degree of success she attains. There are always others who have input and an impact on the ease or difficulty she will face when seeking career advancement and development.

Those with highly developed social skills understand the importance and value of their relationships. They realize that while having the appropriate education or experience is essential, social skills are paramount when seeking ongoing career opportunities.

Myth #4:

People with poor social skills are aloof, uncaring and indifferent.

False.

Individuals who have poor social skills may, in fact, caring and interested. It’s unfortunate that their lack of social skills results in them being misunderstood and negatively labelled. The misrepresentation that these individuals incur is caused by their inability to know what to say and how to act or behave in social situations. Often, they lack the necessary skills to effectively express themselves and communicate in ways that show support, encouragement and friendliness.

To be understood as the person they truly are, and to avoid being mistaken for someone they’re not, they need to acquire good social skills that allow others to recognize their positive attributes. These individuals simply need assistance and guidance to know what to do and how to interact effectively in social situations. There are many methods and techniques that can help individuals learn these simple skills and easily implement them in everyday life.

What are Social Skills?

Social skills are a collection of verbal communication techniques and non-verbal actions that we use to interact and connect with others.

Strong social skills include (among others):

- active listening

- knowing how to greet others

- conversing and making small talk

- building a friendly rapport

- complimenting others

- offering praise and encouragement

- showing support and understanding

- acknowledging others

- saying ‘thank you’

Social skills can be learned by anyone and most skills are easy to integrate into daily life. Sometimes all it takes is to be aware of an action, such as saying ‘thank you’ or remembering someone’s name. Other times it’s breaking a poor habit, like interrupting someone when they’re speaking. Then there are some social skills that involve learning new techniques, such as giving constructive feedback and making small talk.

Good social skills are key to establishing, maintaining and growing all relationships – at work, at home and in the community.

At www.fuelcards.com we supply all of the fuel cards that you need to keep your business fleet moving across the UK and beyond. Our cards make work safer and more efficient for your drivers by making the need to carry large amounts of cash obsolete. They also allow budget control through price fixing policies across their networks and through e-billing, they dispense with the need to keep receipts and paper records

Our UK dedicated cards provision includes several options, so you can choose which best suits your requirements and we can provide guidance if necessary. The Key fuels card, for example, can be used at 1300 sites across the network and stations including Shell, Texaco, Morrisons, Total, Gulf, Q8, Murco, Jet and Somerfield. All Key Fuels cards are PIN protected and have integrated smart restrictions, provide invoices with full management reports, and allow access to diesel charged at the same price across the entire network. Alternatively, the UK fuels company fuel cards are accepted at over 700 sites across the network, most of which have shops and amenities and many of which have gas oil bunkering sites. This card includes a service whereby fuel prices can be sent by e-mail, fax or text, as well as an e-mail invoice service, and can only be used to buy fuels and lubricants, so no unnecessary purchases can be made. Finally, the Fastfuel card can be used at all Texaco service stations and an extra 700 sites in the network, has benefits such as discounted fuels at MOTO stations, comprehensive fuel analysis reports online and interest free credit as well as reasonable payment plans. 

Infor wouldn’t have been recognized as the third largest applications-building enterprise in the world if it didn’t rightfully deserve it. As people know, the software industry is always volatile and those who are truly skilled in handling software are the ones who can reap great profits. With many competitors, Infor Global was able to emerge within the top 3 companies because it fully serves its promise to delivering its mid-sized clients’ needed applications. Until today, the company is able to adapt to the ever-changing demands of people for business and technology.

Infor currently has more than 70,000 customers from 125 countries, and it may be said that the company is already in its peak. However, those who are in the company think that it still has a long way to go even as the profit continues to grow. Because of this revenue fact, the company still takes measures that will further improve its quality as a multinational business.

One way of making sure that Infor remains on its peak, and that it still goes higher is by hiring highly-competent individuals to work in it. This isn’t limited to the regular employees as those who are in higher positions are also being reconsidered every now and then. In fact, the company had recently replaced its CEO because the new one is believed to be able to lead Infor to another phase of its growth.

The company’s new CEO is Charles Phillips. This man came from Oracle, another software-development company, where he served for more than seven years as co-president. Mr. Charles Phillips officially replaced Jim Schaper by December 2010, which had created a stir among people within the industry and within Infor itself. Many people found the delegation of Mr. Charles Phillips as quite questionable, but it eventually became accepted with his vast experience.

Mr. Charles Phillips already has 20 years of exposure and experience in the software industry. His past jobs include company acquisitions, strategic, and overseeing. Now that he’s at Infor, people expect that he will show excellence once again, and that he’ll successfully lead the company along with its beyond eight thousand employees.

The person behind the big revenue growth of Oracle—one of the best business software and hardware systems developers, is now taking over the chief executive post of Infor. Charles Phillips will now replace Jim Schaper, yet the latter will still remain as the company chairman.

Infor, a business software developer for mid-sized companies, which serves more than 70,000 customers from 125 countries helped improve operations, drive growth and quickly adapted to the changes in business demands. The company proposes deep industry-specific applications and suites using ground-breaking technology. The new system also delivers a rich user experience and flexible deployment options that give customers a choice to run their businesses in the cloud, on-premises, or both. The company has annual software revenue of about two billion dollars.

Before coming to Infor, Phillips has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the software industry. During his seven-year tenure as president and director of Oracle, the software developer saw an increase in income of nearly 300 percent, from $9.4 billion to $26.8 billion. Charles Phillips helped Oracle in acquiring PeopleSoft in January 2005, Siebel in January 2006, Hyperion in April 2007, BEA in January 2008 and Sun in August 2009. The acquisition assisted them in filling the gaps in the product line.

These acquisitions were part of his strategy in competing with SAP, an enterprise application in software and software-related service revenue. He surrounded their ERP (enterprise resource planning) system with best software for HR, CRM (customer relationship management), PLM (production life cycle management), performance management, transportation management and demand planning. Charles Phillips would often refer to it as the “wedge strategy.”

Prior to his term in Oracle, Phillips was a managing director at Morgan Stanley, and he was also a top enterprise software analyst on Wall Street. He also became a director at Viacom Corporation, American Museum of National History, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The hiring of Charles Phillips as the new president was a bold step for the company to continue its growth in the software industry. His proven track record and his perspective brought by his experience working in one of the leading software designers in the industry makes Infor a major player in the business.

Although the wireless phone services have been long considered as an essential device to communicate but it is only recently the potentials of wireless phone has been discovered and implemented as effective marketing tools. It is with the help of the mobile devices, the rate of responses for specific campaigns can be assessed accurately by the different brands and hence the success rate can be measured. This is how mobile marketing came into being.

 

In the past, it was only few traditional channels, such as, direct mailing services, telemarketing and others that the brands used to depend on generally. The mail campaigns used to create a sustained association with the subscribers. The mobile marketing approach initiated a means, which is more cost-effective and at the same time assisted to a great extent in developing a long drawn relation with the target audiences.

The consumers, who possess a mobile device, always remain connected and hence are available at all time. They indeed have a control over the entire mobile experience at all time. This signifies that although it is possible to have the target consumer from anywhere and anytime for the purpose of marketing, still in this case the customer is at the vantage point and can choose the time, when he wants to remain engaged. This also helps the marketer to judge that when he or she is most willing to buy.

Thus, the monetizing ability of the different channels involving mobile marketing turns out to be the major reason behind the success of the marketing strategy. It no doubt helps in development and strengthening of the relation between the marketer and the consumer. It enhances the money making potential of the consumer and at the same time offers an element of entertainment. Therefore, it happens to be a gain to both the ends.

Spam is one of the factors; all the consumers are scared of. Still the companies having mobile marketing schemes have established a specific set of guidelines in order to protect the consumer’s privacy. They have taken the lesson from the experience encountered over the Internet and therefore the means turned out to be a full-proof one. The published data also turn out to be credible enough in this way.

 

The marketers, who are well aware of the different marketing techniques prevalent, mobile marketing, will offer an overwhelming experience to them also. In order to launch a mobile marketing campaign successfully, one just needs to get familiar with a set of terminology, such as, MMS, WAP, SMS, PSMS and others.

 

So let’s have a look on the different terms associated with mobile marketing.

SMS: It is the acronym for ‘short message service’. More popularly, it is referred as text messaging service. This can be forwarded from person to person, from application to person and again from person to application.

 



PSMS: It is the service enabling one to pay an incremental fee and thus they can receive the different ring tones, wallpapers and other interesting attributes.

 

MMS: It is referred as ‘multimedia messaging services’ and with the help of it pictures and e-mails can be sent via the mobile device.

 

WAP: Its full form is, ‘wireless application protocol’. This enables the users to get connected to the Internet or other mobile devices.

 

Mobile Video: It is a simple application used for viewing television, commercials or music videos over the mobile phone.

 

Mobile Advertising: It is used to advertise a product or service within the range of a mobile device and include components, such as, SMS, MMS and WAP. It is somehow an application similar to advertisement over television or Internet.

 

 

 

Building the factory is not the same as building houses and roads, and therefore you must not carelessly use the building services to build the plant you want because you might not want to experience things that does not want shared with your employees.

Here we have and provides contractor to all of you who can assist you in making plant, a good contractor will always examine the deficiencies in the building other than that a good contractor is also always plan what they will do.

Our company is a contracting company that provides so many contractors are experienced and knowledgeable in their fields, we believe we are doing all that contractors will not disappoint you. Because we are always working with up and implement all that we know of contractors in the building, you can use the services of our contractors in accordance with the recording and also the expertise you need

TECHNOLOGY

An Essay

By

VIKRAM KARVE

DEFINITION OF TECHNOLOGY



In our everyday lives, most of us use a number of words that we assume have a universal, agreed-upon, and accepted meaning for all people in all contexts.

Often, the more frequently the word is used, the more we take for granted that our usage is the only possible usage of the term.

One such popular word freely bandied about and very much in-vogue jargon now-a-days is “technology”.

Let us explore the meaning of the word “technology”.

The word “technology” comprises two parts – “technikos” & “ology”

The historical derivation of the term technology comes from the Greek word technikos, meaning “of art, skillful, practical.”

The portion of the word ology indicates“knowledge of” or a “systematic treatment of.”

Thus, the literal verbatim derivation of the term technology is literally “knowledge of the skilful and practical.”



However, this definition is too general in nature and we have to transcend this narrow view of technology since every technology starts from a human purpose, from the intention to satisfy some human need or behaviour.

Indeed, technology is the manipulation of nature for human purpose – yes, manipulation of nature, so let us use a slightly different definition of technology.

We will define technology as the knowledge of the manipulation of nature for human purposes.



This definition retains the notions of both knowledge and practicality (human purposes) but adds the new concept of manipulation of nature.

This implies that all practical or technical skills ultimately derive from alterations or manipulation of nature.

Technology depends on a base in the natural world (Science) but extends the natural world through the phenomenon of manipulation (Engineering).

Since we want to manipulate nature, the ability to predict what nature will do when manipulated is most useful, indeed imperative.

ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGY



By our very definition, technology manipulates nature for human purposes.

Technology manipulates nature.

Man is a part of nature.

By manipulating nature, man manipulates himself.

Thus, technology manipulates man, influences, even governs human behaviour, and in turn impinges on societal behaviour, traditions and culture.

Technology is an entity that intervenes in the life of human beings in multifarious ways, directly or indirectly, trying to alter behaviours.

Thus, Technology has an Ethical Dimension.

The very raison d’etre of technology is human purpose.

What is the fundamental purpose of human life?



Is it to increase standard of living?

Is it to improve quality of life?

Or is it to have greater satisfaction in life?

We can distill all these various aspects into a single holistic concept: VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE.

Thus, the cardinal aim of technology is to enhance the value of human life.



TECHNOLOGY and the VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE





Let us define the value of human life as the balance or ratio between satisfaction or happiness and pain or suffering.

In the context of this definition, the ultimate purpose of technology is to enhance the value of human life, with a long-term perspective, by maximization of happiness and satisfaction and a concomitant reduction or minimization of pain and suffering (physical, mental and emotional).

As a generalization, people want a better life.

A better life may usually mean things like freedom from want, access to and possession of at least some of the “nonessentials”, comforts or luxuries, good health, a reasonable life expectancy, the absence of emotional stress, satisfying human relations (resulting from gratifying work experience and meaningful interpersonal relationships), intellectual stimulation, and personally rewarding leisure activities.

HUMAN NEEDS and VALUES

Human needs and values change through time as technology advances.

Man tends to accept the fruits of new technology more readily (satisfaction, happiness, comfort) whereas he is reluctant to accept changes in his personal life.

Thus, social and cultural changes always lag behind technology causing a mismatch and disconnect which consequently leads to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, pain and suffering (emotional) and concomitant lowering of the value of human life.

A crude but practical way of classifying human values is to divide needs into those that are essentially physiological and those that are psychological.

Most new technologies cater to the physiological aspect by performing Dangerous, Dirty, or Difficult jobs (the 3 D’s) thereby enhancing the value of human life.

As regards the psychological aspect, an example pertaining to Information Technology (IT) may be in order.

Information Technology (IT) caters to two unique categories of psychological needs of humans:

Cognitive Needs – which refer to the human need for information so as to be ready to act or make decisions that may be required, and

Affective Needs – which refer to the emotional requirements of human, such as their need to do challenging work, to know their work has value, to feel personally secure, and to be in control.

Undue emphasis on cognitive needs and consequent neglect of affective needs may cause emotional pain that counterbalances the gains from technology and this may be detrimental to the “value of human life” as a whole.

TECHNOLOGY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Effects and Consequences of Technology

In our haste to milk technology for immediate economic advantage, we often lose sight of the long-term consequences: the higher order and indirect effects, especially the delayed and unintended effects of technology.

The Sorenson multiple effect network methodology is a useful technique for an analyzing the impact and consequences of technology.

Let us introduce the term malefit to represent harmful effects and consequences of a technology in contrast with benefit as a useful output.

We may categorize the consequences of a technology [Effects vs Consequences] as:

EFFECTS CONSEQUENCES

(i)         First Order                  :           Benefits

(ii)        Second Order              :           Direct Malefits

(iii)       Third Order                 :           Indirect Malefits

(iv)       Fourth Orde
r               :           Unintended Malefits

(v)        Fifth Order                  :           Delayed Malefits

Such analyses definitely help in assessing the impact of various consequences of a technology on the value of human life in the long-term perspective in holistic manner.

Early identification of factors detrimental to the value of human life may prove useful in technology impact assessment to reduce mismatches and smoothen out incongruities.

CONCLUSION



We must not lose sight of our basic premise that the cardinal aim of technology is to increase the value of human life by maximising happiness and minimising suffering.

Ethical Technology Management comprises a harmonious blend of rational thinking and empathic understanding wherein one studies, analyses and mitigates the conflicting interplay between human cognitive and affective processes.

It may be apt to conclude with a comment by RM Pirsig, who states that, “The way to solve the conflict between human values and technological needs is not to run away from technology. That is impossible. The way to resolve the conflict is to break down the barriers of dualistic thought that prevent a real understanding of what technology is… not an exploitation of nature, but a fusion of nature and the human spirit into a new kind of creation that transcends both”.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com



http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Now many people know how difficult it is to make a bouquet of quality and meet the criteria for the actual writing, and this will certainly take quite a long and sometimes consume most of your time to do other things that are as important as working on writing assignments. But now there is online creative writing can help you to get a paper that is far more qualified, and even this would be the most fun for you and your writing tasks. This service is the best that you can use; via the online it will be easier for you to be able to use a quality essay writing service.

Writing task is not just revolving around a scientific task that requires you to make a paper with a scientific basis and the facts, but also the task of making up a story. This certainly would seem easy for most people compared with other types of essays, and even some people prefer to create an assignment to write a story in comparing other writing assignments that require research to strengthen the work that’s been made. But this is certainly not as easy as what you think it is, because it makes a short story writing must also be able to set the story up to find the end point is very impressive.

Will now be easier for you to find the creative writing ideas can help you to create a paper that is far more qualified and much better than you’ve ever made before. Even with this service then you will be able to learn many things especially about how you should start to write, the ideas that are in the service is always different every time even though the same request will be one topic. And this will greatly help you to get a paper that is far more qualified for the essay is in charge at you.

It surprises me how many users don’t take computer security seriously.

With hackers, spammers, and viruses lurking around every corner, you can’t afford not to follow some basic steps in protecting your PC and your personal information.

Here are the 10 ways to keep your computer safe.

1. Update your OS

2. Install anti-virus and update

3. Use anti-spyware/adware

4. Secure your home network

5. Use a firewall

6. Don’t use IE

7. Watch out for email attachments

8. OpenDNS

9. Be careful with dangerous websites

10. Keep your personal information safe

1. Update Your Operating System (Windows Update)

The first thing you should do, after getting a new PC or reformatting, is to run Windows Update.

In my household, I have 4 computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu 9.04, Xubuntu 9.04. Some dual-boot while one triple-boots etc.

Whichever operating system you are using, make sure to update them frequently. Especially if you’re running Windows, I recommend that you turn on the auto-update in ‘Windows Update’ if not already done so. Microsoft releases frequent vulnerability and security fixes.

Keeping your operating system up to date is the first step in keeping your computer safe. To check if you’re covered (in Windows), open up your control panel and click on Windows Update. If you see the automatic update option selected, you’re all set. If not, either choose the full auto update or the option that gives you the chance to choose which updates to install yourself. Just don’t turn it off. If you must turn it off for whatever reason, manually check the Windows Update website at least once a week.

Recommended: Try out Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distro. Using a Linux OS may sound too nerdy for some, but the level of user-friendliness has gotten a lot better over the years. It has all the pretty GUI, too. And, if you’re having problems, a huge online community is waiting to help you. It’s FREE and SAFE.

2. Install Anti-Virus and Keep the Virus Definitions Up-to-Date

An anti-virus software is a MUST. If you don’t have one, you are almost guaranteed to get infected; it’s only a matter of time.

It is amazing how many people don’t have an updated anti-virus running on their computers. Especially if you bought a pre-assembled PC from Dell or HP or Acer etc., your computer may come with a free trial period of 30 days to 1 year. Be mindful of this when you purchase a new PC.

When your subscription period runs out, you will need to either pay to continue using the anti-virus you currently have or get a different anti-virus software. Shop around.

Recommended: There are tons of options out there. But Avast and AVG are two of the best. Why? Because they’re free and very effective. Now, if you want more features and protection, you can move up to a paid anti-virus software. I know Symantec and Mcafee are two of the dominant players, but I don’t recommend them as they take more resources to run and there are others with better detection rates. Full list of recommended antivirus

3. Anti-Spyware / Adware

Many times when a PC user complains about a sluggish computer or a slow startup, it is due to a presence of ad/spyware. Most common ones are mostly cookies from your browser as you surf the web and are not very dangerous, while some spywares are very malicious in nature. One example is a key-logger that can log your key strokes to steal your credit card numbers and passwords.

There are also adwares that hijack your browser’s homepage to display their content every time you load up your browser and toolbars that won’t go away.

These days, a lot of anti-virus softwares are able to protect your PC from spy/ad-wares, too. But if you want to be extra safe, install a couple of anti-spyware programs that will more aggressively block various malwares.

Recommended: Free: Spyware Blaster, Windows Defender, SuperAntiSpyware

You can get started with just a couple of those. If you have Windows Vista or 7, you will have Windows Defender by default. So, you might as well use it. I recommend Spyware Blaster in all cases. You simply run it, update, and protect. It doesn’t need to run in the background. It adds black lists to your browsers, and provides an effective prevention. SuperAntiSpyware is a complete suite with real-time protection.

4. Secure Your Home Network

In today’s typical household, multiple computers share a single internet connection. Usually, a router is used to share that connection.

What many people forget is that router is not only an internet sharing device, but a firewall to protect your whole network as well.

Setting up your router’s firewall is the first thing you need to do when setting up a network. Make sure that the firewall feature is turned on in the router settings.

What’s more concerning is that, with the gaining popularity of wireless (WiFi) networks, people are leaving the door wide open to potential hackers and your neighbors (who’s accessing your wireless network right now). You need to protect your computers not just from threats on the internet but also from threats close to your house.

If you have a wireless network enabled in your router, please look at your security settings. If you’ve never touched it, it is very likely that your neighbors had a peek inside your network a few times.

Set it up so that you are using WPA or (preferably WPA2 if supported) with AES encryption (or TKIP if your device doesn’t support AES). WEP is no good. It can be cracked within a couple of minutes. Even WPA is not all that safe these days, but you might not have the option to use WPA2.Create a shared key (password) that’s impossible to guess.

My key is 60+ characters long with numbers and lower/upper case letters randomly generated by the router.

5. Use a Firewall

A firewall prevents intruders from getting in. If you have a router, you already have a firewall. Just confirm that it is up and running. A software firewall can increase the level of security, and especially if you don’t have a router, you need a software firewall. Windows has a built-in firewall, and should be enabled by default. There are other popular firewalls like Zone Alarm.

What I’d recommend, if you want to keep things simple, is to use a security suite that has both anti-virus and firewall included. Full list of recommended firewall

6. Try Something Other than Internet Explorer

If you are still using Internet Explorer as your main browser, you really need to switch. IE is the most vulnerable and is also the least efficient browser on the market.

Browsers such as Firefox, Opera, and Chrome are much faster and safer. At the moment, Firefox is the most popular alternative. But I encourage you to try out all the browsers and see which one you like the best.

I highly recommend Opera. Opera is faster than Firefox. It has built-in email client, bittorrent client, widgets, mouse gestures and more. Opera has all these features built-in, yet, it is smaller than Firefox. With the new release of Opera 10 with Turbo (speeds up browsing for slower connections), I predict it will gain more market share. I personally use Firefox, Opera, and IE. Firefox is my main browser; Opera is number two. IE is only used when testing website changes and visiting Korean websites. Lots of Korean websites are only compatible with IE, which I really hate.

7. Careful Opening Email Attachments

Even if you receive an email from one of your friends, don’t assume it’s safe to open file attachments. Some viruses take control of a person’s email account and sends viruses to all his contacts.

If an email is from a stranger, most likely the attachment is a virus. Having an anti-virus should protect you
from email threats, but still be careful.

Now, if you experience harm because you had replied to a Nigerian email saying you won a $10 million lottery, there’s nothing that can help for you other than your common sense.

8. Try OpenDNS

OpenDNS is a free DNS service that can help your browsing experience to be faster and safer. DNS (Domain Name System) “translates domain names meaningful to humans into the numerical (binary) identifiers associated with networking equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices worldwide.

An often used analogy to explain the Domain Name System is that it serves as the “phone book” for the Internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses. For example, www.example.com translates to 208.77.188.166.” – Wikipedia

OpenDNS keeps track of and blocks harmful websites and also has a parental control feature and more.

All you have to do is put these two numbers “208.67.222.222″, “208.67.220.220″ into your router settings or your computer’s network settings.

Instructions for various routers and computers are available on the website.

9. Be Careful about Which Sites You Visit

If you got OpenDNS all set up, you can worry about this a little less. But OpenDNS cannot protect you 100% as news malicious sites keep on popping up.

Warez, crack, and adult sites are the most dangerous categories of websites. Don’t visit them unless you know it’s safe.

Again, an anti-virus will protect you from this kind of threats as well. See how important an anti-virus is?

10. Keep Your Personal Information Safe

Many of these threats are aimed at getting your personal information. So, keep them safe!

Don’t easily give away your name, email, phone, and address to any website.

Don’t store credit card and other sensitive information on your computer. Sometimes, you have to store them on your computer. If so, don’t save an Excel file with your credit card numbers as “credit card numbers.xls” and put it in a shared folder.

Your neighbor who was sharing your internet connection might be tempted. Playing with files will be of little help. You should encrypt your files with a password, too, if it stores sensitive information.

Overall, be mindful of protecting your personal data.

I hope you learned some ways to protect your computer and your personal data. Web is a dangerous place. You must always be on the lookout and have protection. Click here fore the full article with all the recommended software.