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2024-10-25 eBay Account Hijacked
The true story of a friend trying to answer questions for an item he was selling on eBay and became a victim of Cross Site Scripting. In this article we take a deeper look at this vulnerability and what you can do to prevent getting your cookies stolen. If you sell anything on eBay, you'll want to read this article.
2024-11-20 Does a home user need a router for added security?
I have read all of your reviews on
the virus software companies. My question is; does a home user need a
router for added security? I have been told by many who use computers
that it's a good idea. The only one who said that I should "take it
back to the store", was a tech support worker at my ISP. Well what is
your opinion?
Thank You, Mr. Ford
To Have or Not to Have... that is the question.
To
answer the question, should you install a router, we need to address
what functions the router adds, and which of these functions are
security related. Then, look if these services and functions are being
supplies elsewhere.
2024-10-09 Understanding Heuristics
The hot term in antivirus programs this year is 'heuristics'. In this article we take a deeper look at what it is, and how it can help protect you against viruses that haven't been identified and labeled yet.
Buying Safely Online
Date: 2024-11-13
Alcatraz Security is a strong advocate of the Internet marketplace and the symbol of the ultimate capitalism is represents. But along with the good, there is the bad. In this article we have explained two rules for buying safely online. These rules and descriptions of safe practices will help you mitigate online risks.The first rule to buying safely online is making sure the transaction of the sale is encrypted, so no one can watch and see the payment information exchanged. This can be done simply by looking for the "certificate" seal in the lower status bar of your Internet browser window right before typing in your credit card information. You will typically not see this seal while browsing or shopping, only when checking out. The seal looks like a golden padlock and when you double click on it, it displays the validity of the seal. Here is an example from NewEgg.com:
By double clicking on the golden padlock we can view the details of the certificate seal. It tells us it was issued to "secure.newegg.com" from VeriSign, the world's largest certificate provider. And the certificate is valid from 4/5/2024 until 4/6/2006. If you can't find a certificate before you enter your credit card number… don't buy. Go somewhere else.
Rule number two for buying safely online is using a credit card that has a 'zero liability' policy. That means if your credit card information is stolen you will not be responsible for the damages. Now this will still be a pain calling it in missing, filling a police report, and so on but it can still save you a lot of money if it does get stolen. Call your credit card company and find out what their protection policy is for using it on the Internet and what the procedure is if it is stolen.
Practice safe computing and your Internet shopping experience is sure to be a great one. Happy online shopping from Alcatraz Security.
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