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Cable vs DSL
Okay, so you are finally tired of those slow dial-up internet connections, and you want to go broadband. Good deal. But first, you may be wondering which type of broadband connection is best- DSL or Cable? Or, at least, which of the two gives you...
Internet Distribution: The Future of Entertainment.
A friend and I were having a discussion recently. I asked him what he thought the next method of distribution for films and music would be. My thoughts were that we would have to come up with some new method that was convenient, sturdy and didn't...
The Future of the Web
The future of the web is so bright, not only do you have to wear shades, but you have to also wear fire retardant clothing just to keep up with the rapid pace of change, without igniting yourself.
I say this because when I think back to when I...
The Internet Phone Revolution.
The Internet Phone Revolution.
The world is on the brink of a phone revolution, with a growing number of people cutting their telecom bills by making free calls via the World Wide Web.
A recent sign of this is that EBay, the online auction...
What is broadband?
Defining broadband can get complicated
There are many different takes on how to actually define the word: broadband. The first and most obvious way to define it is a transmission medium that allows for multiple pathways and types of data, far...
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Worms, Horses, Bugs and Thugs
Worms, Horses, Bugs and Thugs by John Geiger
"A determined hacker is hard to stop. But those malevolent crackers would rather walk through an open door than pick a lock" writes Michael Fitzgerald of Extreme Tech.
With all of the viruses, worms, trojan horses, and other new phenomenon called by old words running rampant, how do we provide a little peace of mind for ourselves and our workplaces? Like locking our house, stopping the mail, or adding a security system to our home or automobile, there are some simple things we can do to make it less attractive or at least less obvious to be the next target of these malicious acts. Most of the following preventative measures are free or of little monetary expense and simple to implement, but can prevent immense cost.
If you have the time or inclination to read only this far, take note of the one preventative measure that probably has better payoff than all the others combined, and that is to not open e-mail attachments (especially any ending in .exe) unless you are absolutely positive they are safe. Positive in this case means more than recognizing the first name of the sender, or a familiar subject line. A telephone call e-mail to the sender (if the message is not expected), or use of other simple measures to double-check not only the authenticity, but freedom of contamination is just prudent. If you established the initial communication (say to a reputed software vender for download) you are much safer than if something comes unsolicited from the other end. It is not worth taking chances just for curiosity's sake.
Next on the importance scale is to make sure you have some sort of virus protection software installed on each computer. There are two major providers of such software, as well as several smaller. The majors (McAfee and Symantec's Norton) and both are comparable in price, features and usability. They can be purchased at your local retailer, or even downloaded from the internet and then updated via
download forever after. I have copies of both, being used on separate computers and although there are minor differences in user interface, they both are highly rated and effective. It is important to update the software frequently and each provides a recommended frequency and procedures. Most versions provide a setting that will automatically download updates as they are available and that is quite frequently. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
The two steps above are the biggies for software related gremlins, but there are the human variety as well, who take pleasure in snooping around your hard-drive, or even commandeering your PC and invisibly using it to transmit, infect, or otherwise interfere with other computers and/or the network as a whole. Two important steps will go far in protecting you.
First of all make sure you have a firewall installed. There are hardware versions (built in to modem, router, or separate box) and there are software versions available. If you connect via broadband (DSL, Cable, T1, etc.) you may be wide open to attack 24/7. Your ISP can most likely provide this as a service as well so check with them before buying anything else.
Second, periodically check for updates available for both your operating system, and your browser. Microsoft has a free service available to provide these update patches via automatic notification. One important point to note: Microsoft (maker of over 80% of all PC operating systems) will never provide software patches via e-mail, so if you see that as an offer (remember unsolicited above), it is a hoax.
Be smart; be safe and you will sleep better at night.
About the Author
John Geiger owns and operates the local affiliate of WSI Internet Consulting and Education, a Toronto based global network of consultants, developers and production centers providing turn-key internet business solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. He can be reached at 828-320-5929 or www.webmasters-wsi.com
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List of resources from Federal Communications Commission regarding broadband Internet and access issues. |
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Westnet - Broadband Internet, ADSL, Dialup, Web Hosting, Domain ... |
Westnet provides a range of Broadband Internet, ADSL, Dialup, Web Hosting and Phone services Australia wide. Connect with Australia’s Number 1 ISP for ... |
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Broadband Internet : Find Broadband Internet Access Providers with ... |
Find Broadband Internet Service Provider. TheBroadbandGuide.com is a comprehensive directory of Broadband Internet Provider. |
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Internode - Broadband ADSL Internet Access |
Internode - Broadband Internet Access and other Internet services. ... Internode Broadband ADSL is the broadband Internet solution you have been looking for ... |
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CHOICE - Setting up broadband internet |
Setting up broadband internet. How to get ADSL broadband, step by step Online 02/04. Contents. Setting up broadband internet · Availability and choice ... |
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Wireless Broadband Internet Service Provider: High Speed Wireless ISP |
Clearwire is a wireless broadband internet service provider (high speed wireless ISP) providing high speed wireless broadband internet access in Abilene TX, ... |
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SurfCity Networks Broadband Internet |
SurfCity Networks Broadband Verizon DSL High Speed Internet and Web Hosting. |
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Australian ISP providing business dialup, high-speed broadband, network access and datacentre services. |
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Digital Television Network. |
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