Tag Archives: software
A Conundrum Called Adware! (Page 1 of 3)
We, as dedicated computer and software users, have traversed a long way from those bad days, when our computers used to get attacked by vicious sounding viruses, Trojans, spyware and malwares. We are still are under constant threat from attack by invisible viruses or spyware. As the word spyware became a household name, and when it started creating havoc on thousands of computer systems the world over, security experts and anti-virus software professionals started taking notice of the menace posed by these spyware modules.
Strangely, all these spywares were designed and propagated by the so called software majors! However, with the passage of time, the word spyware became a dirty word among computer users, which needed to be avoided at any cost! As a result, everyone started to think that spyware is a piece of software that closely monitors your activities on computers and reports them back to its maker. In fact, all software users were neatly outflanked by these smart operators, who surreptitiously planted their evil creations in the computer systems. It was a peculiar situation, when people simply abhorred the word spyware, and they got irritated when it was suggested to them that their computer systems were being spied upon by these spyware modules. As a result, it was so convenient to label these software items, as something that is very dirty. And, it was a good way to make sure that everyone listened to this fact!
But, the situation is entirely different today; if you notice, there are a lot of public relation exercises that keep coming at you, non-stop for twenty-four hours a day. Many software majors claim that they are not making spyware anymore, but they make highly innovative adware! Paradoxically, these firms also claim that adware is actually very good for your computer system! As all computer users were just sighing relief, thinking that they had decisively won the moral war against spyware, they were in for a real surprise! Many software majors wanted to push computer users all over the world, with a clever strategy that was devised with a novel idea in mind (maybe ulterior?).
Though, these software majors stopped creating spyware altogether, they found another smart way to outflank computer users! It was very ingenious as well! And it had to be! It is so true that someone could plant legal software right into your computer, with your own consent, to monitor your online activities and browsing habits! And the amazing thing with these software modules was that there was absolutely no need to send those vital bits of information back to the software company! The program that was installed on your computer system did everything by itself!
These smart software items were designed to perform the same thing that was performed by spyware. However, there was no need for any spying with these software modules. The creators of these software programs were intelligent enough to call them adware and their monster creation was promoted by floating a huge publicity campaign. All of this was done to separate out adware from spyware!
Business and Internet Security (Page 1 of 2)
Taking chances when it comes to Internet Security is never something to be taken lightly. Though some private and casual computer users will likely do so, business owners who make use of computers to store both business and customer data must consider security a top priority. Having run a business myself I can say with the utmost of confidence that not only must you have some sort of Computer Security set up for your PCs but must also make use of reliable and dependable software. It is an all to common practice in business these days to cut corners in an attempt to save a buck and while I have seen several businesses cut expenses even in security applications to do so is simply folly.
When my partner and I began our business venture a couple of years ago the first thing we did after deciding to start the business was to begin with Security Research. Though we both involved ourselves with finding the very best security software I was tasked with the majority of the project. I was initially disappointed by all of the PC Security Software I had looked at as none seemed to deliver an all in one experience. Being an ample computer user and fairly tech savvy I didnt want to treat my businesses network as I did my home network. Using several different antivirus applications to both eliminate and keep threats at bay wasnt going to cut it in the business world. The program I needed had to bring everything to the table so that I would know Im getting the best bang for my buck and that my business and its confidential information would remain safe.
Ive heard all the horror stories of business being sued and/or shut down due to poor security measures taken by owners who feel penny pinching is the way to solve all problems. I was determined not to be that type of owner nor did I want my business to suffer the effects of that management style. After some exhaustive research and substandard results I felt it was time to consult with those that had gone down this road before me. I actually spoke with my former employer whom I was employed with prior to starting my businesses. She revealed that not only did they take PC Security seriously but that they also went with a company that they found through several internet searches. This company she had chosen and still uses to this day is known as eEye. eEye specializes in creating tools that will allow just about anyone to successfully remove threats from their computers and networks while at the same time keep those same threats out and away from their machines.
This information piqued my curiosity and so I began looking at eEyes website and list of PC Security applications. As I was initially pleased with what I saw I began scouring the internet for opinions and reviews of the said programs. The majority of users said the same things my former employer did and they shared her opinions on the programs as well. After going over the results with my business partner we decided to invest in a couple of eEyes products. We began with Blink® Professional Edition which would allow us to remove and keep all threats out of our computers and do it all in one program. Secondly we ended up with their Security Management Appliance 1505 which would further reduce our exposure to attacks, thus protecting our client and business data. Once things got set up both my partner and I couldnt have been more pleased. Our network and individual PCs have rum smoothly with little to no issues for close to two years. In addition to that, now that we are a much larger company than we were a few years ago weve taken on a small but effective IT staff of which the Director shares our tastes in Endpoint Security software so things continue to run as though weve never had any issues.