Firesheep: With the advent of wireless technology, it didn’t take long for the Internet to become available almost everywhere, thanks to Wi-Fi. Desktops and laptops with Wi-Fi receivers can easily access the Web where an open wireless connection is available. It must be heaven for traveling people to have Wi-Fi wherever they go. Well, not quite. Free Wi-Fi also means lots of free wares that are usually transmitted wirelessly and oftentimes damaging to unprotected users. One of these is the Firesheep.

What Is Firesheep and How It Works

It is originally a Firefox browser app created by software engineers Eric Butler and Ian Gallagher. Butler used it to demonstrate how unsecure the Net is, especially with the emerging Wi-Fi technology. The plug-in makes it easy for hackers to gather users’ login information and hack into accounts. Facebook, Twitter, PayPal and Amazon are some of the websites most susceptible to this app.

When a user signs in to, for example, Facebook, the browser sends the login information to a partially encrypted or even an unencrypted website. Firesheep works by listening in on the said traffic going over unsecure Wi-Fi networks. It captures the information in the session cookie, allowing a hacker use it to access the websites visited. When a hacker signs into someone’s vulnerable social network, email or online shopping accounts, he can use that person’s account to send out unauthorized posts or emails or make unauthorized purchases online. That is called sidejacking.

Double-click on someone, and you’re instantly logged in as them, Image Source: http://codebutler.com/firesheep

How to Protect Your System Against Firesheep

The most recommended advice to protect your login information from invasion is avoiding the use of open Wi-Fi networks. However, if circumstances call you to use free wireless right then and there, here are some ways to be on guard when in an unsecure Wi-Fi:

• Use software programs or apps that can block or hinder access in free Wi-Fi environments. Try using Firefox extensions such as Force TLS and HTTP-Everywhere.
• Sign out of websites when you’re finished. This makes the session cookie invalid, but this is no guarantee. Change your passwords habitually.
• Rent a virtual private network (VPN) service to encrypt your Internet activities. Some of these services are AceVPN, StrongVPN and Private WiFi. These make your logins and online traffic invisible to hackers and sidejackers, even when you visit vulnerable websites.

Firesheep has become a plug-in predator and has given major websites a wake-up call to upgrade their security.

So what exactly is a trojan horse? A giant wooden horse made to fill with warriors who are set to jump out once they have breached the walls of an enemies city! No, not that kind of trojan horse.

A trojan horse is simply a computer program that claims to do one thing, but instead does damage when you execute it. These programs can come in any form. It could be a video game, an anti virus program, or even just a photo. They are set up to initiate once you have double clicked them. Trojans can only cause harm if you have executed them. They have no way to replicate themselves automatically.

Some people will exclaim that they have gotten a trojan horse from someone! But the reality is that if you have a trojan on your computer, it is because you have opened a file that included the trojan.

What Can A Trojan Horse Do?

A trojan can do anything from allowing a hacker to control every aspect of your computer. They can move your mouse before your eyes, or open your rom right in front of you as if you had done it yourself. They can also completely erase your hard drive, or implant more malicious information onto your computer. If you computer contains sensitive materials, a trojan will be your worst nightmare as anything saved to your hard drive will become available to the hacker who is using the trojan horse.

The best way to avoid a trojan horse is the same as avoiding a virus. Never open anything that hasn’t been virus scanned first. But it is important to also remember that not all trojans can be found through a virus scanner. Be sure to download a trojan cleaner and occasionally run it on your computer to be sure of the safety of your files and programs.

Unfortunately for any computer user viruses and Spyware are a common problem. The worst part is that most people are not aware of some things that may install Spyware or other malicious items onto their computers. Most people wrongly assume that they have to download something or open themselves up to a vulnerability manually. This is not always true.

How Do I Keep Getting Spyware?

Actually, one of the main ways that hackers have found is the easiest to use to get PC users to execute their malicious software is through emails. All of those inspirational or chain emails can be the biggest source of problems for some users who do not even frequent sites that may contain Spyware or viruses.
All of those nice inspirational emails can have malicious coding embedded that may cause security vulnerabilities within your computer. Clicking links that you are unsure of inside emails is also a great way to install Spyware on your system.

For new users this may be the biggest problems. Most people who regularly use computers for personal or business related activities are aware of the dangers of the internet and the possibility of getting Spyware of viruses. However, most think that in order to get them, you have to execute a program. This is entirely untrue.

Delete Those Emails Before You Open Them!

Whatever the title and whomever it has come from does not matter. Always keep in mind that others may not know the dangers of simple emails or links as well. The best way to deal with emails from unfamiliar sources or emails that contain inspirational or chain letter type messages is to delete them as soon as possible. Do not open them ever!

By Spyware News www.spywarenews.org – A couple of teens from Tesoro High School in Orange County, California, are being charged with multiple felony charges after being caught of hacking into their school’s computer network in order to infect it with spyware designed to monitor and change their grades.

The teachers at Tesoro High School started to suspect foul play when they noticed that the two 18-year old high school hackers, Tanvir Singh and Omar Khan have unusually high grades that conflicted with their actual classroom performance.

According to official police reports, Khan and Singh conspired and plotted their theft and hacking activities as far back as January of this year. Concurrently, Khan himself broke into the school on several occasions and has stolen the school’s master key, which he then used to gain easier access to the school facilities. He then stole his teacher’s login and passwords and used it to alter his and Singh’s grades, along with 12 other students.

Tanvir Singh is now facing four counts of felony, which consists of burglary, conspiracy, computer fraud, and altering public record. If found guilty, the 18-year old Singh could be sentenced to a three year prison term. On the other hand, Omar Khan, who is currently being held on a $50,000 bail, could be sentenced to as much as 38 years in prison, due to the severity of the felonies that he committed.

This news was both unexpected and tragic for the relatives and friends of the two teenagers, since both would have graduated from Tesoro High last June 18 if the debacle did not happen. – www.spywarenews.org

The FBI recently issued an alert warning that wireless Internet networks, often called Wi-Fi hotspots, are more vulnerable to hackers than most users probably realize.

Often the security of the free public networks is low and this setting make it very easy for a hacker working from anywhere around the world to use computer codes to peek into your computer and steal sensitive information.

Here are some tips from the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on how to keep your personal computer data safe:

• Make sure your laptop security is up to date. That includes firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Spyware is a kind of program that can collect information from your computer without your knowledge. It’s sometimes used by companies that want to collect marketing information about people who log on to their Web site, but spyware has also been used by hackers who want to mine information from someone’s computer.
• When using a public Wi-Fi service, avoid logging into financial accounts of any kind because hackers might be able to monitor your computer from another location to see what you are typing and steal your login information. For the same reason, you also want to avoid logging into e-mail accounts and instant messaging services.
• When logging on to a site, glance at the address bar to check that you’re at an authentic Web page. Hackers set up fake Web pages that look like the real thing to trick people into typing in their log-in information. But you can tell which are the fake pages by glancing at the address bar. If the address is different from what you originally typed, don’t enter your personal information. Close your browser and leave the Wi-Fi network.
• Don’t use the same password for all your online accounts. That way if hackers steal a password, they won’t be able to use it at more than one Web site.
• Make sure your computer does not automatically log on to wireless networks. You can do this by adjusting the Internet security settings on your computer. As an added precaution, turn the computer off when you’re not around to ensure that it’s not picking up a wireless network signal.

source: bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1096994

There are many programs out there that can help you with Spy ware and Mal ware protection.

Some of the best programs to us are as follows;

The Cleaner Trojan checker For Trojan checker.
Male-ware Protection – http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
AVG – Offers free virus protection for your pc without causing vulnerabilities

Many other are available but be sure you get them from reputable services. All information secured on hard drives makes some people thing they are secure. They are NOT if they do not follow the simple instructions to avoid opening up our computer to malicious attacks.