10 Tips for a Total Online Security

With the sudden rise in the Internet usage across the globe over the past few years, there has also been a rise in the amount of online scams and frauds. Today most of the Internet users are unaware of the most prevailing online threats which pose a real challenge for their safe Internet usage. As a result, Online Security has become a questionable factor for the most Internet users. However it is still possible to effectively combat online insecurity provided that the users are well aware of the common scams and frauds and know how to protect themselves. A study shows that over 91% of the Internet users are unaware of the online scams and are worried about their security. Well if you are one among those 91% then here is a list of 10 tips to ensure your total online security.
1. Always install a good antivirus software and keep it up-to-date. Also install a good anti-spyware to keep your PC away from spywares. Click Here for a list of recommended anti-spyware softwares.
2. Always visit known and trusted websites. If you are about to visit an unknown website, ensure that you do not click on suspectable links and banners.
3. Perform a virus scan on the files/email attachments that you download before executing them.
4. Regularly Update your operating system and browser software. For a better security it is recommended that you surf the Internet through the latest version of your browser program.
5. Never share your password (email, bank logins etc.) with any one for any reason. Choose a strong password (A blend of alphanumeric+special symbols) and change it regularly, eg. every 3 months. Avoid using easy-to-guess passwords. (ex. pet's name or kid's name)
6. Always type the URL of the website in your browser's address bar to enter the login pages. For ex. To login to your Gmail account type http://mail.google.com
7. Before you enter your password on any login page, ensure that you see https instead of http. ex. https://mail.google.com instead of http://mail.google.com. HTTPS protocol implements SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and provide better security than a normal HTTP.

8. Beware of phishing emails! Do not respond to any email that request you to update your login details by clicking on a link in the body of the email. Such links can lead to Fake Login Pages (Spoofed Pages).

9. Always hit the logout button to close your login session rather than abruptly terminating the browser window. And clear your web browser caches after every session to removethe temporary files stored in the memory and hard disk of your PC.
10. Avoid (Stop) using any public computers or computers in the Internet cafes to access any sensitive/confidential information. Also avoid such computers to login to your email/bank accounts. You cannot be sure if any spyware, keystroke-logger, password-sniffer and other malicious programs have not been installed on such a PC.
By following the above 10 tips your online security can be guaranteed upto 90%. I hope this will help my readers for keeping themselves safe from any of the online insecurities. Cheers! Pass your comments.

How to Check if Your Gmail Account Has Been Hacked

If you're worried about email security, here is a step by step guide to help you check and determine if your Gmail account has been hacked or compromised in any way

Step 1: Find the 'Last Account Activity' Section Your Inbox


At the bottom of your Gmail inbox there is a 'Last Account Activity' section. Click on 'details' to launch the full blown monitor.

Step 2: See who has accessed your Gmail account recently

Next, what you'll see is a table of the most recent activity from your Gmail account. It shows you

• How it was accessed (Browser/mobile etc)
• Where exactly the IP address is (So you can do some further digging)
• When it was accessed

Step 3: Understand the IP addresses – Has your Gmail really been hacked?


If you see IP addresses from different countries, don't be too quick to panic. If you use any 3rd party services which hook-up to your Gmail account, they will almost certainly show up in your activity log. To do you own investigation, you can use DomainTools to identify the IP address. This will help you differentiate normal activity and your Gmail account being hacked.

Step 4: Understand the alerts – Google's way of highlighting suspicious activity


Google will also do it's fair share of monitoring, and will also alert you if it sees suspicious activity both in your inbox, as well as your recent activity log. When this happens, and the IP addresses look suspicious, it is advisable to play it safe, assume your Gmail account has been hacked, and change your passwords immediately.

Step 5: Sign Out All Other Sessions – If you forgot to sign out on a public computer


If you are worried you did not not sign out of a public computer, you can 'sign out all other sessions'. This won't fix any hacked Gmail accounts, but it will resolve any careless mistakes. This is also useful if you happen to lose your mobile phone and you want to ensure your email is not read by others.

Step 4: Understand the alerts – Google's way of highlighting suspicious activity


Google will also do it's fair share of monitoring, and will also alert you if it sees suspicious activity both in your inbox, as well as your recent activity log. When this happens, and the IP addresses look suspicious, it is advisable to play it safe, assume your Gmail account has been hacked, and change your passwords immediately.

Step 6: What to do if your Gmail account has really been hacked

The first thing you do is change both your password and security question right away. Then make sure your new choices are very secure. Google themselves have some really good tips . For example in the case of security questions:

• Choose a question only you know the answer to – make sure the question isn't associated with your password.
• Pick a question that can't be answered through research (for example, avoid your mother's maiden name, your birth date, your first or last name, your social security number, your phone number, your pet's name, etc.).
• Make sure your answer is memorable, but not easy to guess. Use an answer that is a complete sentence for even more security.

So there you have it. A step-by-step guide on fully understanding Gmail's account activity log, and how to check if your Gmail account has been hacked

Step 6: What to do if your Gmail account has really been hacked

The first thing you do is change both your password and security question right away. Then make sure your new choices are very secure. Google themselves have some really good tips . For example in the case of security questions:

• Choose a question only you know the answer to – make sure the question isn't associated with your password.
• Pick a question that can't be answered through research (for example, avoid your mother's maiden name, your birth date, your first or last name, your social security number, your phone number, your pet's name, etc.).
• Make sure your answer is memorable, but not easy to guess. Use an answer that is a complete sentence for even more security.

So there you have it. A step-by-step guide on fully understanding Gmail's account activity log, and how to check if your Gmail account has been hacked .

World's first hack free software developed in Australia

World's first hack-free software

MELBOURNE: A team of Australia's ICT Research Centre of Excellence's spinout company Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs) developed a microkernel The 'seL4' and claimed it to be the the world's first hack-free software which can protect systems from failure or malicious attacks.  It is a small operating system kernel which regulates access to a computer's hardware. Its unique feature is that it has been mathematically proven to operate correctly, enabling it to separate trusted from untrusted software, protecting critical services from a failure or a malicious attack, say the scientists.

In future applications, seL4 could ensure that trusted financial transaction software from secure sources like banks or stock exchanges can operate securely on a customer's mobile phone alongside "untrusted" software, such as games downloaded from the Internet, according to its developers.

Lead scientist Gerwin Klein said, "Our seL4 microkernel is the only operating system kernel in existence whose source code has been mathematically proven to implement its specification correctly. Under the assumptions of the proof, the seL4 kernel for ARM11 will always do precisely what its specification says it will do."

deface site in a secoand

It only works on sites being hosted on Ms-IIS server. Now a days many boxes are patched so it'll not work on them !!

Steps for Xp-

open run
type-

%WINDIR%\EXPLORER.EXE ,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{BDEAD

F00-C265-11d0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F}

and press enter !

A new window name "WEB FOLDER" gets open

Right click and click on New, Add Web Folder then enter your vulnerable website address.

then next....finish
# now You can insert your page with name index.html by simply copy pasting.

Also after getting access to the website...Many websites don't allows you to
add your page. so leave them.

Dork- "Powered by IIS" or use your own unique dork.

 

Above article posted by Mr. Vishal Shah (Cyber Crime Investigator & Ethical Hacker)

Beware!

Its a new type of Phishing attack!!

How The Attack Works

1. A user navigates to your normal looking site.

2. You detect when the page has lost its focus and hasn’t been interacted with for a while.

3. Replace the favicon with the Gmail favicon, the title with “Gmail: Email from Google”, and the page with a Gmail login look-a-like. This can all be done with just a little bit of Javascript that takes place instantly.

4. As the user scans their many open tabs, the favicon and title act as a strong visual cue—memory is malleable and moldable and the user will most likely simply think they left a Gmail tab open. When they click back to the fake Gmail tab, they’ll see the standard Gmail login page, assume they’ve been logged out, and provide their credentials to log in. The attack preys on the perceived immutability of tabs.

5. After the user has entered their login information and you’ve sent it back to your server, you redirect them to Gmail. Because they were never logged out in the first place, it will appear as if the login was successful.

Above article posted by Mr. Vishal Shah (Cyber Crime Investigator & Ethical Hacker)

Banner Grabbing Share

Now that the hacker has a full list of services running on the target system, to be able to exploit them, he has to first figure out what software and version the service is. One way the hacker can get this information, is to telnet into service port. In the example below, we will use command prompt on Windows (Start -> Run -> Type “cmd” -> Enter). If you are on a Mac, you will be using the terminal. Note: If you are using Windows Vista, then telnet is not installed by default. You can install it by doing the following simple steps.

o Click Start then select Control Panel.
o Select Programs and Features.
o Select Turn Windows features on or off.
o Select the Telnet Client option and click OK.
o A box will appear to confirm installation. The telnet command should now be installed

1. First, the hacker would choose one of the open ports that were revealed in the Nmap scan to continue with and attempt to exploit. Let’s say that when the hacker scanned his target, he found the port 21 open. As you can see on the chart above, port 21 is FTP. To find out what FTP software is running he would use telnet by running the command:
telnet www. targetsite.com 21

As you can see above, I ran this against my computer (localhost). So a hacker would insert a target URL in place of localhost.

2. Next, it would connect to the target and display a banner telling the hacker the software and its version as shown below. This is the information the hacker needs to continue and begin searching for vulnerabilities for the software discovered.

If the above method doesn’t work for you, then simply use Nmap’s full version.

Above article posted by Mr. Vishal Shah (Cyber Crime Investigator - Gujrat)

How Can You Send A Message Within A network Using Some Simple Commands

FIRST OF ALL OPEN NOTEPAD AND WRITE THIS CODE @echo off :A Cls echo MESSENGER set /p n=User: set /p m=Message: net send %n% %m% Pause Goto A AND SAVE IT IN THE FORMAT OF .BAT FILE IF YOU DOUBLE CLICK ON IT IT WILL SHOW THE USER IN WHICH YOU NEED TO TYPE THE IP ADDRESS OF THAT COMPUTER WHERE YOU WANT TO DISPLAY THE MESSAGE AND SECOND MESSAGE TYPE MESSAGE.

How to Alter Windows Product ID

If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system on your computer, then you are most likely aware of the fact that your PC will have a Product ID. This Product ID is a system specific alphanumeric code which is derived/calculated based on the Windows product key you use and the hardware configuration of your Computer. In simple words, Product ID is the alphanumeric code that you see when you Right-Click on the My Computer icon and select the Properties option.

 

Ever wondered how to alter the Windows Product ID?

 

It is possible to alter the Windows Product ID and change it to what ever you like. For example, you can change the Product ID and put your nickname in place of the formal Product ID displayed by the Operating System. This hack is too easy and can be done within minutes. The screenshot showing the altered Product ID is given below
Win 7 PC showing Original PID

Windows 7 PC showing Altered PID

As you can see from the above screenshot it is simple and easy to make your Windows display what ever you want in the place of the real Product ID. Here is a step-by-step procedure to alter your Windows Product ID.
1. Goto Start->Run and type the following in the Run dialog box

regedit

2. After you open the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key

HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version

3. On the right hand side, you can see an entry by name ProductID listed under the heading Name.
4. Double-Click on ProductID, a dialog box will pop-up showing your Windows PID. Now you can delete the original PID and enter anything of your choice.
5. Once you are done, just click on OK and close the Registry Editor. Now you can see the altered Product ID in the Windows Properties window.

NOTE: This trick works on Win 7, Vista and Win XP

I hope you like this trick. Pass your comments. Cheers!

What to do when your Email Account is Hacked?

How to Recover Hacked Email Accounts?

It can be a real nightmare if someone hacks and takes control of your email account as it may contain confidential information like bank logins, credit card details and other sensitive data. If you are one such Internet user whose email account has been compromised, then this post will surely help you out. In this post you will find the possible ways and procedures to get back your hacked email account.

For Gmail:

It can be a big disaster if your Gmail account has been compromised as it may be associated with several services like Blogger, Analytics, Adwords, Adsense, Orkut etc. Losing access to your Gmail account means losing access to all the services associated it with too. Here is a list of possible recovery actions that you can try.
Step -1: Try resetting your password since it is the easiest way to get your account back in action. In this process Google may ask you to answer the secret question or may send the password reset details to the secondary email address associated with your compromised account. You can reset you password from the following link

Gmail Password Reset Link

If you cannot find success from the Step-1 then proceed to Step-2.

Step-2: Many times the hacker will change the secret question and secondary email address right after the account is compromised. This is the reason for the Password Reset process to fail. If this is the case then you need to contact the Gmail support team by filling out the account recovery form. This form will ask you to fill out several questions like
1. Email addresses of up to five frequently emailed contacts
2. Names of any 4 Labels that you may have created in your account
3. List of other services associated with your compromised account
4. Your last successful login date
5. Account created date
6. Last password that you remember and many more…
You need to fill out this form as much accurately as possible. It is obvious to forget the dates of last login, account creation and similar terms. However you need to figure out the closest possible date/answers and fill out this form. This is your last chance! The more accurate the information filled out in the recovery form, the more the chances of getting your account back. You may reach the account recovery page form the following link

Account Recovery Form

For Yahoo and Hotmail:

Unfortunately for Yahoo/Hotmail there is no second option like filling out the form or contacting the support team. All you need to do is either answer the secret questions that you have setup or reset the password using the secondary email option.
To initiate the password reset process just click on the Forgot password link in your login page and proceed as per the screen instructions.

I hope this post will help you recover the lost account. I highly recommend that you also read my post on How to protect your email account from being hacked and Tipa to find unauthorized activity on your Gmail account so that you always stay protected!

How to Hack an Ethernet ADSL Router

Almost half of the Internet users across the globe use ADSL routers/modems to connect to the Internet however, most of them are unaware of the fact that it has a serious vulnerability which can easily be exploited even by a noob hacker just like you. In this post I will show you how to exploit a common vulnerability that lies in most ADSL routers so as to gain complete access to the router settings and ISP login details.
Every router comes with a username and password using which it is possible to gain access to the router settings and configure the device. The vulnerability actually lies in the Default username and password that comes with the factory settings. Usually the routers come preconfigured from the Internet Service provider and hence the users do not bother to change the password later. This makes it possible for the attackers to gain unauthorized access and modify the router settings using a common set of default usernames and passwords. Here is how you can do it.
Before you proceed, you need the following tool in the process
Angry IP Scanner
Here is a detailed information on how to exploit the vulnerability of an ADSL router.
Step-1: Go to www.whatismyipaddress.com. Once the page is loaded you will find your IP address. Note it down.
Step-2: Open Angry IP Scanner, here you will see an option called IP Range: where you need to enter the range of IP address to scan for.

Suppose your IP is 117.192.195.101, you can set the range something as 117.192.194.0 to 117.192.200.255 so that there exists atleast 200-300 IP addresses in the range.

 

Step-3: Go to Tools->Preferences and select the Ports tab. Under Port selection enter 80 (we need to scan for port 80). Now switch to the Display tab, select the option “Hosts with open ports only” and click on OK.

I have used Angry IP Scanner v3.0 beta-4. If you are using a different version, you need to Go to Options instead of Tools

 

Step-4: Now click on Start. After a few minutes, the IP scanner will show a list of IPs with Port 80 open as shown in the below image.

 

Step-5: Now copy any of the IP from the list, paste it in your browser’s address bar and hit enter. A window will popup asking for username and password. Since most users do not change the passwords, it should most likely work with the default username and password. For most routers the default username-password pair will be admin-admin or admin-password.
Just enter the username-password as specified above and hit enter. If you are lucky you should gain access to the router settings page where you can modify any of the router settings. The settings page can vary from router to router. A sample router settings page is shown below.

 

If you do not succeed to gain access, select another IP from the list and repeat the step-5. Atleast 1 out of 5 IPs will have a default password and hence you will surely be able to gain access.

 

What can an Attacker do by Gaining Access to the Router Settings?

By gaining access to the router settings, it is possible for an attacker to modify any of the router settings which results in the malfunction of the router. As a result the target user’s computer will be disconnected from the Internet. In the worst case the attacker can copy the ISP login details from the router to steal the Internet connection or play any kind of prank with the router settings. So the victim has to reconfigure the router in order to bring it back to action.

 

The Verdict:

If you are using an ADSL router to connect to the Internet, it is highly recommended that you immediately change your password to prevent any such attacks in the future. Who knows, you may be the next victim of such an attack.
Since the configuration varies from router to router, you need to contact your ISP for details on how to change the password for your model.

Warning!

All the information provided in this post are for educational purposes only. Please do not use this information for illegal purposes.

What are Private and Public IP Addresses

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are usually of two types: Public and Private. If you have ever wondered to know what is the difference between a public and a private IP address, then you are at the right place. In this post I will try to explain the difference between a public and a private IP addres in layman’s terms so that it becomes simple and easy to understand.

 

What are Public IP Addresses?

A public IP address is assigned to every computer that connects to the Internet where each IP is unique. Hence there cannot exist two computers with the same public IP address all over the Internet. This addressing scheme makes it possible for the computers to “find each other” online and exchange information. User has no control over the IP address (public) that is assigned to the computer. The public IP address is assigned to the computer by the Internet Service Provider as soon as the computer is connected to the Internet gateway.
A public IP address can be either static or dynamic. A static public IP address does not change and is used primarily for hosting webpages or services on the Internet. On the other hand a dynamic public IP address is chosen from a pool of available addresses and changes each time one connects to the Internet. Most Internet users will only have a dynamic IP assigned to their computer which goes off when the computer is disconnected from the Internet. Thus when it is re-connected it gets a new IP.
You can check your public IP address by visiting www.whatismyip.com

 

What are Private IP Addresses?

An IP address is considered private if the IP number falls within one of the IP address ranges reserved for private networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN). The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following three blocks of the IP address space for private networks (local networks):

10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 (Total Addresses: 16,777,216)
172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 (Total Addresses: 1,048,576)
192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 (Total Addresses: 65,536)

Private IP addresses are user for numbering the computers in a private network including home, school and business LANs in airports and hotels which makes it possible for the computers in the network to communicate with each other. Say for example, if a network X consists of 10 computers each of them can be given an IP starting from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.10. Unlike the public IP, the administrator of the private network is free to assign an IP address of his own choice (provided the IP number falls in the private IP address range as mentioned above).
Devices with private IP addresses cannot connect directly to the Internet. Likewise, computers outside the local network cannot connect directly to a device with a private IP. It is possible to interconnect two private networks with the help of a router or a similar device that supports Network Address Translation.
If the private network is connected to the Internet (through an Internet connection via ISP) then each computer will have a private IP as well as a public IP. Private IP is used for communication within the network where as the public IP is used for communication over the Internet. Most Internet users with a DSL/ADSL connection will have both a private as well as a public IP.
You can know your private IP by typing ipconfig command in the command prompt. The number that you see against “IPV4 Address:” is your private IP which in most cases will be 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2. Unlike the public IP, private IP addresses are always static in nature.
Unlike what most people assume, a private IP is neither the one which is impossible to trace (just like the private telephone number) nor the one reserved for stealth Internet usage. In reality there is no public IP address that is impossible to trace since the protocol itself is designed for transperancy.

7 tips for working securely from wireless hotspots

Wireless hotspots are changing the way people work. These wireless local area networks (LANs) provide high speed Internet connection in public locations—as well as at home—and need nothing more than a mobile PC such as a laptop or notebook computer equipped with a wireless card.
In fact, hotspots are an everyday connection method for travelers and remote workers to browse the Internet, check their e-mail, and even work on their corporate networks while away from the office.
Hotspots range from paid services, such as T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless, to public, free connections. Hot spots are everywhere, including:

• Coffee shops
  
• Restaurants
  
• Libraries
  
• Bookstores
  
• Airports
  
• Hotel lobbies

But they all have one thing in common—they are all open networks that are vulnerable to security breaches. And that means it's up to you to protect the data on your PC. In this article, we cover a few tips to make working in public locations more secure.

Try to choose more secure connections

It's not always possible to choose your connection type—but when you can, opt for wireless networks that require a network security key or have some other form of security, such as a certificate. The information sent over these networks is encrypted, which can help protect your computer from unauthorized access. The security features of different networks appear along with the network name as your PC discovers them.

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Make sure your firewall is activated

A firewall helps protect your mobile PC by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the Internet or a network. It acts as a barrier that checks all incoming information, and then either blocks the information or allows it to come through. All Microsoft Windows operating systems come with a firewall, and you can make sure it's turned on.

To activate the Windows Vista Firewall

1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
   
2. In Control Panel, click Network and Internet.
   
3. Under Windows Firewall, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
   
4. Ensure that On is selected.

To activate the Windows XP Firewall

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   
2. In Control Panel, click Network Connections.
   
3. In the Network Connections window, under Network Tasks, click Change Windows Firewall Settings.
   
4. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, on the General tab, ensure that On is selected.

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Monitor your access points

Chances are that there are multiple wireless networks anywhere you're trying to connect. These connections are all access points, because they link into the wired system that gives you Internet access. So how do you make sure you're connecting to the right one? Simple—by configuring your PC to let you approve access points before you connect.

Configure Windows Vista Access Points

Windows Vista takes the guesswork out of connecting to hotspots because you are automatically prompted to approve new connections. In addition, after you approve a connection, you assign it a profile for future use.

Configure Windows XP Access Points

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Network Connections.
   
2. Right-click Wireless Network Connection, and then click Properties.
   
3. On the Wireless Networks tab, make sure that the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is selected.
   
4. Under Preferred networks, make sure that the name of the network that you want to connect to is highlighted, and then click Advanced.
   
5. Click Access point (infrastructure) network only, and then click Close.

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Disable file and printer sharing

File and printer sharing is a feature that enables other computers on a network to access resources on your computer. When you are using your mobile PC in a hotspot, it's best to disable file and printer sharing—when it's enabled, it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers. Remember, though, to turn this feature back on when you return to the office.

Disable file and printer sharing in Windows Vista

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   
2. Click Network and Internet, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
   
3. Under Sharing and Discovery, click the arrow next to File sharing, click Turn off file sharing, and then click Apply.
   
4. Click the arrow next to Printer sharing, click Turn off printer sharing, and then click Apply.

Disable file and printer sharing in Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   
2. Click Security Center, and then click Windows Firewall.
   
3. Click the Exceptions tab, and then under Programs and Services, clear the File and Printer Sharing check box.

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Make your folders private

When the folders on your mobile PC are private, it's more difficult for hackers to access your files.

To make a folder private in Windows Vista

Windows Vista not only makes folders private by default, but it also requires passwords for shared folders. As a result, you're already covered! But if you want to double-check, simply right-click on the folder in question, and select Properties. On the Security tab, you can review the set permissions.

To make a folder private in Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
   
2. Click the drive where Windows is installed, and then click Documents and Settings.
   
3. Open your user folder, right-click the folder that you want to make private, and then click Properties.
   
4. On the Sharing tab, click Do no share this folder, and then click OK.

Repeat the steps above for each folder that you want to make private.

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Encrypt your files

You can protect your files further by encrypting them, which requires a password to open or modify them. Because you must perform this procedure on one file at a time, consider password-protecting only the files that you plan to use while working in a public place.

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Consider completely removing sensitive data from your notebook PC

If you're working with extremely sensitive data, it might be worth taking it off your notebook PC altogether. Instead, save it on a corporate network share and access it only when necessary. This way, you have multiple safeguards in place.

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A few simple precautions can help make working in public places more secure. And by selecting the best connections and adjusting settings, you can enjoy productive and safe work sessions no matter where you are.

How to Save Bookmarks in IE, Firefox, Chrome and Opera

How would you like to save your bookmarks in IE, Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome so that you can restore them in case if you need to re-install your operating system or move them from one computer to another? This post will show you how to save and restore bookmarks in simple steps.
Bookmarking the favorite web pages can save a lot of time as it becomes almost impossible to remember a list of favorite websites and their URLs. However it can be really frustrating at times when you lose all those saved bookmarks in case if a computer crashes. Also if you are a person who uses more than one computer then it becomes hard to copy all those saved bookmarks one by one manually. So saving the bookmarks can become handy in such situations. Here is how to to do it.

 

Saving a Bookmark file in Internet Explorer

1. From the File menu, select the option Import and Export.
2. Select the option Export to a file and click on Next.
3. In the next screen select Favorites and click on Next.
4. In the next screen again click on Favorites and click on Next.
5. Now choose the destination where you want to save your bookmarks and click on Export.
6. In the next screen click on Finish.
Now you have successfully saved all your bookmarks in a .HTM file. You can use this file to later restore the bookmarks to either IE, Firefox or any other browser. To import the saved bookmarks from a file all you need to do is goto File menu, click on Import and Export, select the option Import from a file and proceed with the screen instructions.

 

Saving a Bookmark file in Firefox

1. From the Bookmarks menu on the top select the option Organize Bookmarks.
2. A window will pop-up. From the window click on Import and Backup at the top and select the option Export HTML.
3. Now choose the destination where you want to save the bookmark file and click on Save.
To restore this saved file, follow the step-1 and in step-2 select the option Import HTML instead of Export HTML and proceed.

 

Saving a Bookmark file in Google Chrome

1. From the Tools menu, select Bookmark Manager.
2. Click the Organize menu in the manager.
3. Select Export bookmarks.
4. Select the location where you want your exported file to be saved, then click Save.
To restore the bookmarks, follow step-1, step-2 and in step-3 select Import bookmarks instead of Export bookmarks and proceed.

 

Saving a Bookmark file in Opera

1. From the File menu, select the option Import and Export.
2. Scroll over to the pull-down menu on the right and choose Export Bookmarks as HTML.
3. On the next screen, choose the destination folder from the Save in menu text box at the top of the screen.
4. Just click the Save button and you’re done.

How to Detect Anonymous IP Addresses

As the fraudsters are now becoming more sophisticated in bypassing the Geo-location controls by using proxies (Anonymous IPs) to spoof their IP address, it has become very much necessary to come up with a means for detecting the proxies so that the authenticity of the users can be verified. Using a proxy (web proxy) is the simplest and easiest way to conceal the IP address of an Internet user and maintain the online privacy. However proxies are more widely used by online fraudsters to engage in cyber crimes since it is the easiest way to hide their actual Geo-location such as city/country through a spoofed IP address. Following are some of the examples where fraudsters use the proxies to hide their actual IP.

 

1. Credit Card Frauds
For example, say a Nigerian fraudster tries to purchase goods online with a stolen credit card for which the billing address is associated with New York. Most credit card merchants use Geo-location to block orders from countries like Nigeria and other high risk countries. So in order to bypass this restriction the credit card fraudster uses a proxy to spoof his IP address so that it appears to have come from New York. The IP address location appears to be legitimate since it is in the same city as the billing address. A proxy check would be needed to flag this order.

 

2. Bypass Website Country Restrictions
Some website services are restricted to users form only a selected list of countries. For example, a paid survey may be restricted only to countries like United States and Canada. So a user from say China may use a proxy so as to make his IP appear to have come from U.S. so that he can earn from participating in the paid survey.

 

Proxy Detection Services

 

So in order to stop such online frauds, Proxy Detection has become a critical component. Today most companies, credit card merchants and websites that deal with e-commerce transactions make use of Proxy Detection Services like MaxMind and FraudLabs to detect the usage of proxy or spoofed IP from users participating online.
Proxy Detection web services allow instant detection of anonymous IP addresses. Even though the use of proxy address by users is not a direct indication of fraudulent behaviour, it can often indicate the intention of the user to hide his or her real IP. In fact, some of the most used ISPs like AOL and MSN are forms of proxies and are used by both good and bad consumers.

 

How Proxy Detection Works?
Proxy detection services often rely on IP addresses to determine whether or not the IP is a proxy. Merchants can obtain the IP address of the users from the HTTP header on the order that comes into their website. This IP address is sent to the proxy detecting service in real time to confirm it’s authenticity.
The proxy detection services on the other hand compare this IP against a known list of flagged IPs that belong to proxy services. If the IP is not on the list then it is authenticated and the confirmation is sent back to the merchant. Otherwise it is reported to be a suspected proxy. These proxy detection services work continuously to grab a list or range of IPs that are commonly used for proxy services. With this it is possible to tell whether or not a given IP address is a proxy or spoofed IP.

 

How to Tell Whether a given IP is Real or a Proxy?
There are a few free sites that help you determine whether or not a given IP is a proxy. You can use free services like WhatisMyIPAddress to detect proxy IPs. Just enter the suspected IP in the field and click on “Lookup IP Address” button to check the IP address. If it is a suspected proxy then you will see the results something as follows.

So for all those who think that they can escape by using a spoofed IP, this post is the answer. I hope this information helps. Pass your comments.

If you have been using Internet on a regular basis or working in a large company and surf the Internet while you are at work, you must have surely come across the term firewall. You might have also heard of people saying “firewalls protect their computer from web attacks and hackers” or “a certain website has been blocked by firewall in their work place”. If you have ever wondered to know what exactly is this firewall and how it works, here we go. In this post I will try to explain “How firewalls work” in a layman’s terms.

How Firewalls Work

 

Firewalls are basically a barrier between your computer (or a network) and the Internet (outside world). A firewall can be simply compared to a security guard who stands at the entrance of your house and filters the visitors coming to your place. He may allow some visitors to enter while denying others whom he suspects of being intruders. Similarly a firewall is a software program or a hardware device that filters the information (packets) coming through the Internet to your personal computer or a computer network.

Firewalls may decide to allow or block network traffic between devices based on the rules that are pre-configured or set by the firewall administrator. Most personal firewalls such as Windows firewall operate on a set of pre-configured rules that are most suitable under normal circumstances so that the user need not worry much about configuring the firewall.
Personal firewalls are easy to install and use and hence preferred by end-users for use on their personal computers.  However large networks and companies prefer those firewalls that have plenty of options to configure so as to meet their customized needs. For example, a company may set up different firewall rules for FTP servers, Telnet servers and Web servers. In addition the company can even control how the employees connect to the Internet by blocking access to certain websites or restricting the transfer of files to other networks. Thus in addition to security, a firewall can give the company a tremendous control over how people use the network.
Firewalls use one or more of the following methods to control the incoming and outgoing traffic in a network:
1. Packet Filtering: In this method packets (small chunks of data) are analyzed against a set of filters. Packet filters has a set of rules that come with accept and deny actions which are pre-configured or can be configured manually by the firewall administrator. If the packet manages to make it through these filters then it is allowed to reach the destination; otherwise it is discarded.
2. Stateful Inspection: This is a newer method that doesn’t analyze the contents of the packets. Instead it compares certain key aspects of each packet to a database of trusted source. Both incoming and outgoing packets are compared against this database and if the comparison yields a reasonable match, then the packets are allowed to travel further. Otherwise they are discarded.

 

Firewall Configuration

 

Firewalls can be configured by adding one or more filters based on several conditions as mentioned below:
1. IP addresses: In any case if an IP address outside the network is said to be unfavorable, then it is possible to set  filter to block all the traffic to and from that IP address. For example, if a cetain IP address is found to be making too many connections to a server, the administrator may decide to block traffic from this IP using the firewall.
2. Domain names: Since it is difficult to remember the IP addresses, it is an easier and smarter way to configure the firewalls by adding filters based on domain names. By setting up a domain filter, a company may decide to block all access to certain domain names, or may provide access only to a list of selected domain names.
3. Ports/Protocols: Every service running on a server is made available to the Internet using numbered ports, one for each service. In simple words, ports can be compared to virtual doors of the server through which services are made available. For example, if a server is running a Web (HTTP) service then it will be typically available on port 80. In order to avail this service, the client needs to connect to the server via port 80. Similarly different services such as Telnet (Port 23), FTP (port 21) and SMTP (port 25) services may be running on the server. If the services are intended for the public, they are usually kept open. Otherwise they are blocked using the firewall so as to prevent intruders from using the open ports for making unauthorized connections.
4. Specific words or phrases: A firewall can be configured to filter one or more specific words or phrases so that, both the incoming and outgoing packets are scanned for the words in the filter. For example, you may set up a firewall rule to filter any packet that contains an offensive term or a phrase that you may decide to block from entering or leaving your network.

 

Hardware vs Software Firewall

 

Hardware firewalls provide higher level of security and hence preferred for servers where security has the top most priority whereas, the software firewalls are less expensive and are most preferred in home computers and laptops. Hardware firewalls usually come as an in-built unit of a router and provide maximum security as it filters each packet in the hardware level itself even before it manages to enter your computer. A good example is the Linksys Cable/DSL router.

 

Why Firewall?

 

Firewalls provide security over a number of online threats such as Remote login, Trojan backdoors, Session hijacking, DOS & DDOS attacks, viruses, cookie stealing and many more. The effectiveness of the security depends on the way you configure the firewall and how you set up the filter rules. However major threats such as DOS and DDOS attacks may sometimes manage to bypass the firewalls and do the damage to the server. Even though firewall is not a complete answer to online threats, it can most effectively handle the attacks and provide security to the computer up to the maximum possible extent.