September 30, 2010

Your Facebook Status Can Come Back to Bite You.

Your Facebook Status Can Come Back to Bite You.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, your blog… these and countless other websites and social networking hubs share one thing in common, and that is each one of them lets it’s users write and promote their current status. That status is usually something relatively innocuous: What a person is having for lunch, what they did the night before, or maybe even some LOLcat links.

These kind of status updates aren’t a problem, but as we become more used to posting the details of our daily lives there’s an inherent danger in over-exposing ourselves, our family, or our jobs to the public. From something as simple TMI to talkin’ trash, there are many degrees of “you shouldn’t post that online”. Here are a few standouts:

  • Zip your lip about work.

    Nothing online gets you fired faster or in hot water easier than leaking sensitive company information, trash talkin’ about your boss, or revealing co-worker secrets. Leave work stuff at work, and keep personal stuff personal.

  • Keep kids out of sight!

    Keep any info about your kids as much out of the public view as possible. Don’t use Foursquare from their school (do you really want the mayorship of a school, anyhow?!), don’t use their last names in blog posts, and make sure that pictures of them don’t have identifiable info in the background like street addresses and things of that nature.

  • Travel first, tweet later.

    Going on a vacation? Great! Just be sure to blog, tweet, or leave a comment online about it after the fact. Online criminals are looking for empty houses from the comfort of their homes instead of casing neighborhoods, so don’t blog yourself into an empty house. Do a post-trip post if you must, so that you’re not dangling fresh bait in front of the bad guys.

  • Who’s looking at your stuff?

    You constantly hear about how some online service is having troubles with their privacy settings, or is changing how things work. Make it a point to re-check your viewing permissions and be sure to set them so that only people who you want to see your profile can see you.

Bottom line? Be careful what you post. What your write as your Facebook (Twitter, blog, etc.) status can come back to bite you in a big way.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/rishibando/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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September 22, 2010

There’s No Free Lunch Online.

There’s No Free Lunch Online.

I want to talk about “free“. I don’t know about you, but I love free things. Free samples at Costco, kids eat free specials at restaurants… free is great when you can get it. But it’s not really free, is it? I mean, they want you to buy… they wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t. The free is just to get you in the door; but before you leave they want that “free” to turn into “pay”.

A very famous (and very popular) pop artist has a song that goes:

“We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.”
Madonna

She is not wrong about where we’re living.

Like it or not, companies exist to make money. That’s not a popular thing to say out loud, but the fact is we all need to make money to survive. Your company needs to make money just as much as mine does, and when they do make it, we get our checks, pay our bills, and send our kids to school.

We see “free” a lot with services and products in the online world, don’t we? Free software, free upgrades, free this or that. But if you look closely, many times you see a free version advertised, only to click on the link to find out (surprise, surprise) that they push the paid versions. StopSign doesn’t do that. We offer a paid service, and a darned good one at that.

In our industry, that of Internet security, we have a lot of competitors. So what sets a company like ours apart if there are plenty of other choices? Why should you choose StopSign over someone else? Because StopSign offers you three things:

  1. Commitment to quality: First and foremost, we have quality software. We stand behind every download and every account that our members have. We’re nothing without you and we know it, so we try harder. We’re a small business, and we don’t have a bajillion dollars behind us to flood the market with empty promises.
  2. Excellent customer service :We’ve got 100% US-based support. Not outsourcing our support means that as a StopSign member you’ll get helped by people who live right here in the United States. We’re committed to keeping as many jobs in the US as possible.
  3. Up front pricing: We don’t ply you with “free” and pretend you aren’t going to pay for our services. Sure, you could get a free 30-day trial of StopSign to test out the waters, but we’re not going to lie and say it’s 100% free. We want you to try StopSign out, see how great we are, and become a paid StopSign member. And because we’re not trying to fleece you with “free”, we don’t have to charge exorbitant support fees if you run into a major problem. Once you pay for your StopSign membership, that’s it until your next bill. You do not pay extra for support! Few antivirus software vendors can say the same thing.

Chances are your mom told you the same thing my mom did: “You get what you pay for.” If you paid nothing for software, what do you think you’ll get when you need help? At StopSign, our reasonably priced subscriptions ensure you get quality, US-based support that won’t quit on you or ask for more money to help you out when you need it. We hope that you’ll choose StopSign for your antivirus and Internet security needs.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuteobento/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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August 19, 2010

8 Character Passwords Are So 2009.

8 Character Passwords Are So 2009.

There’s a really interesting article from Georgia Tech that talks about how the advanced computing power that’s readily available today may actually be making password length an even more important factor for creating a secure password. Using graphics processors, researchers are able to quickly, and cheaply, break 8 character passwords in a matter of hours. From the article:

Georgia Tech researchers are investigating whether this new calculating power might change the security landscape worldwide. They’re concerned that these desktop marvels might soon compromise a critical part of the world’s cyber-security infrastructure — password protection.

We’re big proponents of secure passwords here at StopSign, so this story really spoke to us. It confirms that any password less than 8 characters in length is pretty much useless, and even 8 character passwords are now not exactly cutting edge. The new recommendation for the total number of characters in a password? The article says:

…any password shorter than 12 characters could be vulnerable — if not now, soon

Brute force attacks on passwords that are 12 characters would currently take approximately 17,134 years, while an 11 character password would take around 180 years. It’s amazing what one character difference can make.

As usual, we recommend not only longer passwords, but also that you use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as other characters and symbols such as the asterisk (“*“), hash sign (“#“), ampersand (“&“), and the like. Doing so will greatly increase the time it takes to break your password. For more on creating strong passwords, check out our article “12 Tips for Making a Good Password.“.

Image courtesy of Georgia Tech, taken from a screenshot of their website

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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August 13, 2010

Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust?

There are millions of websites online and many of them offer things you can buy, download, or receive by some method. They’ve got the stuff, and you want the stuff, but you’re worried that somehow/someway your info will get leaked out. So how do you know who you can trust with your personal information or credit card numbers?

One good way to determine who you can trust is by checking the website for trust, verification, or privacy seals/certificates from trusted third-party sources. There are companies out there whose job is vetting company’s and websites and ensuring that they are safe, secure, and legitimate. In most cases the seal/certificate will be a link back to the issuing company with details on who they are, what they do for the original site you clicked on, and what level of trust or security you can place on the site.

There are many options when it comes to third-party accreditation or authentication, but here are some of the more popular options: (Disclaimer)

  • Verisign:

    According to their website, “VeriSign is one of the most trusted and recognized brands on the Internet (Synovate/GMI research, September 2009)”, and the VeriSign Trust™ Seal is a widely-recognized program for monitoring sites for malicious software and website authentication.

  • BBB Online:

    A long-time favorite of consumers, the Better Business Bureau is one of the most widely trusted third party organizations that vets businesses. The BBB uses their own Standards of Trust as a “comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices focused on how businesses should treat the public – fairly and honestly in all circumstances.”

  • TRUSTe:

    As noted on the TRUSTe website, “For over a decade, TRUSTe’s online privacy services and trustmarks have enabled businesses to strive for the highest standards in online privacy and customer satisfaction.”

A seal or certificate from any of the aforementioned companies would be a good indicator of trust, as long as there’s a legitimate relationship between the site and one of the 3 companies listed above. Before you go entering your credit card number or other personally-identifiable information, be sure to click on those seals and certificates to make sure the website is actually part of their program. It’s easy to put up a picture of the seal/certificate with no real affiliation with the third party site, so be sure to do your own check first.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/ / CC BY 2.0

StopSign uses Verisign’s services and is also an accredited BBB company.

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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July 22, 2010

Antivirus Software – Your Helping Hand for Security.

Antivirus Software – Your Helping Hand for Security.

Using antivirus software is an important part of owning a computer. As a PC user and web surfer, you’re constantly faced with online threats, Internet security holes, and the spectre of viruses & spyware. Downloading and installing antivirus software is the best first line of defense for avoiding these problems.

Sure, decent antivirus software is going to cost you a little money, but it’s well worth the price. The money you spend on antivirus software is like the money you spend on oil changes for your car. You may not always see the benefit with your eyes, but it’s preventative maintenance that’s necessary to keep things running smoothly and costs you less in the long run. Better to pay $50 for antivirus software today that keeps you protected, than spending $200 or more to have your local computer geek fix things every time you’re hit with a virus of spyware.

Antivirus software does a lot for you behind the scenes and frees you from having to not only keep up with all of the latest virus and spyware trends, but also gives you peace of mind to know that whether you’re working or surfing, you’re safe from online threats. Benefits of a decent antivirus software solution are:

  • Virus protection:

    Any antivirus software worth its salt is going to help prevent a virus from wreaking havoc on your computer’s operating system, and if on a network, on any computer attached to it.

  • Infected email detection:

    Good antivirus software will provide a method of detecting and removing infected emails; a commonly used way to spread viruses and spyware.

  • Keeps important files safe:

    You’ve got pictures from your digital camera on your computer, don’t you? How about your taxes? The video of your wedding? Important emails? Sure you do. One good virus could wipe them all out. Or a nasty piece of spyware could transmit personally identifiable or financially-related information to a hacker somewhere.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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