What is Hacking?

What is your definition of hacking? Most people think of the news stories that relate to big companies having embarrassing problems as their data is compromised. But in truth, hacking goes a lot further than this.

It doesn't always have to be someone you don't know who hacks into your systems and causes problems for your business. It could equally be someone who works for you that doesn't have your best interests at heart. This is because the basic meaning of hacking is when someone accesses some or all of your computer systems without permission. And it doesn't just happen over the internet.

Quite often, many people don't see how widespread computer hacking can be. Assuming that they are only in danger from internet based attacks means they may not be covered for all risks. Even those companies that do all they can to prevent hacking which occurs online may have unwittingly turned a blind eye to other dangers.

This is why an understanding of what hacking is and what it involves can help you to protect your own business more fully. But what do you do if you don't know all the ins and outs of the threats posed?

The easiest solution is to rely on an expert to make sure every potential hole is plugged, and no one can break into your systems. Network penetration testing is one of the best ways to see how good your computer network really is. If you do have vulnerabilities it's best to find out via someone who is honest and is looking for them to benefit you. If you assume everything is okay and it isn't, you could be in for a nasty shock at some point in the future.

It is probably because people limit their definition of hacking that some businesses are more in danger than they realise. Everyone likes to think that all their employees are working honestly and for the company's good, but it doesn't always pan out that way.

Supposing an employee was given notice to leave but they had until the end of the day to clear their desk. They could potentially do a lot of damage to your computer system before they left, if the mood took them that way. Even though you could have them arrested for their actions, the damage would still be done and it would take time to rectify.

An expert in the field of ethical hacking would be able to highlight any potential problems and solve them before anyone else had a chance to exploit them. And that is certainly a service that is worth paying for.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this should only be done once though. Hackers are constantly finding new ways into previously secure systems. If you employ a company to see how up to date your security measures really are, make sure you do it on a regular basis. If you don't, you still run the risk of being caught out.

Pure Hacking helps protect your Internet security by providing world-class penetration testing and ethical hacking risk management services. For a free consultation, please visit Ethical Hacking.

Credit Card Users Need to Be Careful With Their Computers

If you, like most of us, own a home computer it is likely that you have used it to store personal information, perhaps done some internet banking, saved the addresses and names of family members for your Christmas card list...

It is unlikely that you would imagine yourself leaving this information out on the front door step for anybody on the street to come across, and we all know that we need to shred our personal information before we put it into the litter, but there are more aggressive identity thieves out there who are determined to get their hands on your information.

Personal computers are the new hot target for the thieves after your personal information, and they're stopping at nothing to get hold of them. If you decide to get rid of your computer for any reason, make sure you wipe the hard drive of every single thing on it otherwise you risk making it easily available to thieves. Identity fraudsters are looking specifically for used personal computers so they can harvest the information still on the hard rive.

If they can't get hold of your computer information this way, they will use a more aggressive approach and simply break into your home and steal the computer from you. There are a rising amount of theft victims saying that little more than the home computer has been stolen.

If you have any saved bank statements, pin numbers (a surprising amount of us keep these codes in a word document!) photographs of you and your family, passwords to bank accounts online etc all of this is going to in a neat little package waiting for the thief. It is so important to remember to password protect these files, if you must have them on your computer.

If you are going to get rid of your computer, take it to a responsible location and remember to destroy the hard disk inside. This way the computer can be recycled and its parts used without being a risk to your identity being stolen.

For credit cards be sure to make sure you look into all of the different credit card deals available. 0% credit cards can really make the difference on the day you are caught out on a payment you can't ignore.

Security Features You Should Know About If You Are Printing Your Own Checks

Hackers, spammers, and scammers are constantly surfing the Web looking for unwary victims. More and more people are falling victim to financial crimes such as check fraud, which is the number one crime in the financial sector.

In order to safeguard against check fraud, checks are being updated to contain enhanced security features. The increased security features help to prevent common crimes such as tampering, photocopying, and counterfeiting. Checks that lack security features can be readily altered by criminals.

It is common for checks to use one or more enhanced security features. One way to provide check security is by using special types of paper. One example is controlled paper stock in which checks are printed on a special, high-quality paper. Another way to provide security using paper is by printing checks on chemical sensitive paper. Checks are printed on a special paper that resists chemical alterations. Any type of chemical alteration will result in the destruction of the paper.

Another way to add security to checks is by using special printing techniques. Micro printing is an attractive security feature that places a small border around the check. To the naked eye, the border appears as a broken line but it is actually a series of words that cannot be duplicated by a photocopier or scanner. Prismatic pantographs are another printing option. This process employs a multicolor background with frequent changes in density. This makes the color impossible to duplicate. Watermarks are a type of security feature in which white ink is used to print the back of the check. The ink can only be seen using a black light thus the check is impossible to duplicate.

Other security features that can prevent check fraud include:

• Copy-void pantographs in which checks contain a series of dots on the backside. They are invisible to the naked eye but when photocopied or scanned, the word "VOID" will appear on the duplicate.
• Light-sensitive material known as fluorescent fibers can be used in check paper. These can only be seen in black light and they cannot be duplicated.
• Endorsement pantograph is a feature that prevents duplication of the check issuer's signature.
• Signature security is a feature in which there is a pantograph built in to the area surrounding the check's signature line. The pantograph interferes with scanners and copiers making it impossible to reproduce.
• Anti-fraud printing is a feature that uses MICR toner to create a stain to appear on any check that has been subjected to chemical tampering.

Learn more about secure check printing with MICR Toner and MICR Toner Cartridges by visiting the Inkcarts website.

Countering Credit Card Fraud With a Cool Head and Common Sense

In March 2008, Maine-based supermarket chain Hannaford Bros. admitted that credit and debit card numbers were stolen from its systems during the authorization transmissions. In what the Massachusetts Bankers Association (MBA) called a "large retail data security breach," over 4 million credit and debit card numbers may have been taken. By the beginning of April, nearly 2,000 instances of fraud had been reported as a result of the breach.

"We sincerely regret this intrusion into our systems," Hannaford Bros. President and CEO Ronald Hodge said at the time, "which we believe are among the strongest in the industry." In a "customer Q&A" document posted on its website, the company insisted that its security measures were "above and beyond" industry standards.

For its part, the MBA released a statement assuring New England consumers "that this was not a problem caused by banks."

The security went "above and beyond." The banks were not at fault. So who, then, is responsible for protecting the customers' credit card information? And what exactly were these standards that Hannaford Bros. went "above and beyond"?

You are responsible, period

It's simple: If your firm handles a customer's credit card transaction, you are responsible for protecting the information. The standards to which Hannaford CEO Hodge was referring are embodied in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

For small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), compliance costs are proportionately higher than for Fortune 500 firms, and "regulatory burden" is a familiar (and unpopular) concept. However, as a comprehensive standard designed to help businesses proactively protect consumers, the PCI DSS is a good investment. With over $3 trillion in credit card purchases in 2007, there is a lot of protecting to do.

Like other payment processing companies, SecureNet Payment Systems and Sage Payment Solutions both have very "safe" sounding programs, Credit Card Vault and Sage Vault, respectively. The programs allow you to store credit card, electronic check and other sensitive data in a secure, reliable, PCI-compliant environment without having to store this data on your local servers. The technology can be seamlessly integrated into your current applications. But the real solution involves "low-tech," too.

First line of defense: awareness

In this web-wild, computerized world, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that all the thieves' tools are high-tech, as are the precautions and defenses. Not so, according to Ricardo Harvin, website development manager for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Despite the real threat of theft by outsiders," he writes in Uschambermagazine.com, "in most cases when company information is stolen, it involved either someone working for the victimized company or a nonemployee who has access [to] that data."

Protecting your customers and their credit card data is a multifaceted endeavor. Depending on the nature of your business, it can include analysis of Web assets, database design and administration, network access control and more. It may seem a daunting task, but you will go a long way toward safeguarding your customers and your business by

• cultivating a company environment of alertness and care;
• having strict, enforced policies for card processing;
• storing only the data you need, only for as long as you need it, and offsite if possible;
• providing access to customer data only as required to transact business; and
• maintaining both high- and low-tech security measures.

It is a combination of technology and common sense that will help your business avoid fraudulent transactions. The role of merchant today is more complicated, certainly, but you are not alone in this challenge. Small-business associations and industry trade groups can be a great source of information about what is working for other businesses like yours. And there is one more underutilized tool: pressure tactics.

MasterCard is now publishing the interchange tables, the byzantine formulas and rate structures that set merchant processing costs. According to a study by Amy Dawson and Carl Hugener of Diamond Management & Technology Consultants*, "Once transparency comes to credit card pricing models ... merchants will use the information to force an unbundling of interchange fee structures. The interchange structure as we know it will disappear." (Report is titled, "A New Business Model for Card Payments.")

SMBs can use their aggregate strength to force some overdue revisions of the pricing structure of credit card processing. Once a candid, open negotiation on these matters can commence, savings in this area can be redirected to creating ever safer systems, onsite and off, for the protection of your customer's credit card accounts.

This article provided by Scott McQuarrie who has devoted a lifetime to developing his world-class expertise in electronic security, video surveillance and the myriad technologies involved in both fields. His firm has its major web presence at Video Surveillance Systems, although he maintains several other security related websites.

Scott has a comprehensive knowledge of the design and installation of large commercial video surveillance, alarm and card access systems, which made him a top professional at Honeywell. Among his numerous accomplishments, then and since, are the complete system design and project management for various universities, prisons, airports and corporations. Top clients have included Lockheed, L3, ATK and 3M.

In 1990 Scott founded his first security company, going on to build several security-related firms into regional and national powerhouses over the years. In 2000 he turned his focus to the Internet, which opened up a national and international market for his talents. Scott has other security related websites, including Security-Guy.com, which you can visit for more information.

Working Proxies and Why Free Proxies Break

If you want to obscure your identity and IP address from a particular web site you visit, then you'll need to find some reliable working proxies. there are lots of reasons people use proxies they are surprisingly useful servers and have all sorts of cool uses.

The main difficulty with free working proxies is because generally the administrators of these servers don't even know their server is being used as proxy server. Often these boxes are just misconfigured internet facing servers which have been left open by mistake. It doesn't take long for people to find them and they start getting added to the endless lists of free anonymous proxies on the internet.

It doesn't usually take long before they are completely overwhelmed with surfers bouncing off these proxies and browsing via them becomes a painfully slow process until they either fall over or an embarrassed systems admin realises his mistake. But never fear there will always be a new batch of proxies along very soon.

Whatever your use for using a proxy server, whether you want to bypass your work or schools proxy to access restricted sites or just you believe in privacy and freedom of speech. You should be extremely careful what you use these servers for - many, many free anonymous proxies are set up for the purposes of identity theft and stealing data. When you use a proxy all your web browsing goes through that single point first and as most html traffic is in clear text then obviously identity thieves, hackers and all sorts of spyware is usually found or installed on them.

Unless you know all about who runs a particular free proxy server, then never, ever use it to pass any sort of personal or private information. Personally I would never go near a free anonymous proxy partly because I know exactly the sort of people who target these servers to steal information.

If your goal of protecting your identity and privacy on the internet then a free anonymous proxy is about the worst thing you could use. Sure it will likely block your IP address from the web server you are visiting (if it's configured correctly) but all your data is in the clear before that point and your ISP has a complete list of every server you are visiting anyway (unless you use end-to-end encryption). That's before you include the distinct possibility of Mr Identity Thief sitting on that proxy server with a sniffer capturing every single piece of data both ways!

Free anonymous proxies are extremely costly to run and less face it you never get anything for free. If you want real privacy, real anonymity and to surf at super fast speeds you are either going to have to seduce a systems admin at your local University or use a paid service.

The good news is that it doesn't cost too much if you pick a professional product.

If you want to read about some of my thoughts on using anonymous proxies and how you can surf without being spied on, try the link below. You can also download an exclusive demo version of the most secure way of surfing the internet currently available.

Secure Proxy Surfing

Online Scams and Their Prevention

An Internet scam or online scam is a fraudulent or deceiving business scheme. It is very rampant nowadays. Be careful when using the internet. Do not be vulnerable to such cunning schemes. Be informed.

Here are some of the more popular internet scams:
Nigerian Scam or the 419
This scam came from a Nigerian family. It was first known as "The Spanish Prisoner" in 1920s.

The Nigerian Scam tricks victims to do business with them, with promise of high returns. It operates by first sending out a proposal letter, luring readers of a very lucrative business. You will then be asked to pay a certain amount as investment to them. But you will never receive the money they promised.

Advanced payment for guaranteed loan or credits
In this kind of deception, the victim is asked a certain fee in advance in return for guaranteed loan. Careful not to fall for such tricks. There are no upfront fees when applying for loans. Besides, why would a stranger entrust you with a credit? It is better to turn to well-known and accredited loan institutions.

Lottery Scam
Lottery scams usually come in emails. They will say you won millions in a random lottery draw. Before you can claim your prize, you will have to pay certain processing fees. You will never get the prize after your payment.

Think carefully before falling in the trap. Did you ever join any lottery contest in the first place? Why do you have to pay certain fees before being able to claim your prize?

Overpayment Scams for Items on Sale
These scams often happen during online purchases. As a seller, someone will contact you to offer selling your goods at a premium. He will ask you to send him your product plus the premium price (his selling price less your selling price). The money order he will send you is fake.

Employment Scams
These scams frequently happen during online job applications. In the application process, you are required to give some of your important personal details. The scammers can track you down in your house to rob you, or withdraw all your money from your bank. Always check the background of the company, especially if online. Your carelessness may not just lose you money, but also cost the life of your loved ones.

These are just some of the popular online scams. Day by day, the scammers will always find new ways to trick the ignorant and misinformed. It always pays to know. Be wise and smart in your online dealings.

Here are suggested ways to prevent being scammed:

• think twice if advanced payment is asked of you before joining
• avoid Ponzi schemes
• avoid pyramid schemes
• study how the deposit system works
• Use an escrow service as much as possible

For more information on Criminal Lawyers and Email Spam and Phishing please visit our website.

Spotting a Scam Before it Hits You

If you are going to go through life oblivious of the dangers of scams, then more than likely you are going to be a target. Spotting a scam can be the best way to ovoid falling into a nasty financial trap where you are the one snared and have no way of protecting yourself. There are very few measures that the police can offer other than being very cautious and never letting your guard down when dealing with the Internet. If you happen to use the web a great deal, it is a good idea to be protected from the possibility of a scam that could end up costing you a great deal of money.

What have I Done To Deserve This?

When you are being offered something for nothing, this is something that generally raises eyebrows. When spotting a scam, you need to be aware of the scammer that makes it look like you have done something to warrant them offering you something for nothing. This is without question a scam, and you should always question when someone you do not know is trying to give you something. While it is nice to believe that there are good people in the world still, not paying attention to the possibility that someone wants to rip you off is practically an invitation. Stay alert and pay close attention to people that approach you, and offer you a deal that is too good to be true. There are more people like this on the Internet than you could ever imagine, and the people that are not paying attention meet these people in the worst of ways.

Email And Messenger Scams

Spotting a scam today really does not take a great deal of education or experience, all you need to do is stay diligent in your conviction that someone that you do not know is not just going to help you get rich or make money. Anyone that is trying to pressure you to sign on to something that you are not familiar with could in fact be trying to target you for a scam. Most of these scams are run through email, or the various messenger services that you can find on the web today. An anonymous contact will always try to gain trust in you prior to you getting attacked, so it is always a good idea to stay with what you know and avoid strangers.

A Proven Hunting Ground

When you are trying to avoid trouble by spotting a scam, you will need to keep in mind that if you surf the web you are in fact in a proven hunting ground for scammers. This is the best place possible for a scammer to find a target, and more people each year fall victim to Internet scammers than any other scammer form combined. This is because the Internet is an endless source of information and avenues for communication. Where you find people using this tool as a source of information gathering and entertainment, you will find someone that wants to take advantage of you.

Jerry Turner writes articles about online money making and home business opportunities for the Make Money Online Idea website at http://www.makemoneyonlineidea.com