Rootkit's ***A must read post!!!***

It's been like 3 days I know... the labors of work, it happens.
But I came across something that needs to be covered... badly.
In recent days I found a terribly damaged computer that was being used (unknowingly) to push porn(kiddie, the worst kind) and to steal the identity of the owner. Which brings me to today's subject, Rootkits. You can't see them you can't stop the (with out the proper equipment) and you have no idea what they're doing when your looking. It's almost like a very scary and sick Santa Claus. The operator sees you but you can't see them.
Definition time.... A rootkit is software that enables continued privileged access to a computer while actively hiding its presence from administrators by subverting standard operating system functionality or other applications. As I said before the owner of the process can see you but you can't see them... and they're taking stuff and moving terrible things in your computer.

Typically, an attacker installs a rootkit on a computer after first obtaining root-level access, either by exploiting a known vulnerability or by obtaining a password (either by cracking the encryption, or through social engineering). Once a rootkit is installed, it allows an attacker to mask the ongoing intrusion and maintain privileged access to the computer by circumventing normal authentication and authorization mechanisms. Knowing this now, I Direct your attention to the fact that it starts with cracking a password... either your email or your social page(face book, twitter, etc.) or even your router... I suggest you look into my router blog post... prevention for this is on that.

But this brings me to the fact that your passwords need to be lengthy confusing and filled with numbers and letter to avoid cracking them... and never save any of them on your browser.... that is the easiest way to start the worst month of your life.
So let us get to the prevention parts... Firewalls are good but rootkit removers are good to have on hand for good measure, on top of the regular anti-virus software you should have. But for those who find out that it is too late to fix... hopefully you read my backing up post because you're going to have to reinstall everything once you're too far along. You will lose everything if you haven't backed it up. So now it's time to hand over my list of stuff you should have... you know the free stuff that can help!
Rootkit Revealer
And
Rootkit Buster

Are my only two choices in keeping you safe but if you go down to my previous posts you will find choices in firewalls. I suggest that you grab one and make it work for you, the more protection the better!!!
So I have to go back to work now but enjoy your safety!!
Because PC Safety is the best way to keep your identity!!!

Compter imaging and back up the why and how of it all

You may ask yourself why on earth would I ever back up or image my computer? Well there are multiple reasons but lets just start with some basics....
Lets say you have such a bad case of viruses even your local tech can't save what you have.... and now because you have nothing to restore it you have to start all over...
Now the same can happen with a hard drive melt down or any number of things happening to your hardware... nothing to save your computer and no back up you've just lost a good amount of information, pictures ect.
Now I know that you all aren't like my husband and I who print every picture and have it put in picture books by the wonderful ritz camera people. Once its gone its gone, so now that you know that this happens(more often then you would think) what should you do about it? Imaging. Imaging is literally taking the computer and making a copy of it and putting it on an external hard drive or disc(I personally suggest external hard drive) and poof you have a pure copy of your computer down to the software and operating system you had on it before a malfunction! Now the suggestion is to image your computer for every time you change something in the registry an example being new software. But I would do it once a week (Also make sure that your computer is virus free of a world of confusing issues and sadness will take place.)So that if something does happen that is out of your control you can just reformat and replace everything that you have. Now the software you can use for this it O&O DiskImage Express which of course can be found at FILEHIPPO I also suggest Norton Ghost and Acronis True and many others that you have to pay for in and since I'm on this Here is the TOP TEN for 2011. You can get a good amount of them for the try before you buy setting at Download by CNET (the link is attached just search Computer imaging/ Backup). But I still stick to my free ware because anything free is better than paying. Now about all of this when you download just follow the given instructions and you will be on your way to imaging in no time. Now for back up windows has a good backup setting but its not something I prefer over another Program on FileHippo Called Recuva now I prefer this because if you accidentally deleted something or a virus destroyed it the Recuva program can bring it back un-infected ect. Backing up however will just restore files picture mp3's and so on nothing hug like your operating system this is good if something was lost in a virus removal or like I said before an accidental deleting. I suggest you back up your computer (virus free of-course) once a month or by weekly it really all depends on what you're doing on your computer and how often your uploading pictures or files.
Now enough on my ranting, just remember all of these given links are on the side bar of my blog!

'Tis the Season... To be Infected??

Well all through out the year we manage to get virus infected by one simple click, it doesn't even have to be a non-legit site either!
So I have my list of keep it clean anti-virus software!!
Now remember you can always have one or more ways to protect yourself because many is better than nothing at all!!!(and more then one is always the best route to go!)
Here's my list!
CCleaner
Malwarebytes
Windows Defender
AVG
AntiVir Personal
CWShedder (this is best to stop pop ups and website redirects)
And of course my favorite Firewall software Comodo

Now all of these can be found free (no 30 day then pay)
at WWW.FILEHIPPO.COM

And remember it's the season to avoid paying for help so keep yourself protected on those new Christmas computers!!