Spyware and computer security

Spyware is malicious software or code that has been designed purposefully to steal personal data like banking details, social security numbers, passwords, etc. and to monitor the user's Internet activities. Spyware is usually written such that it infects the computer without the computer user's approval and in most situations the computer user may not even be aware that his/her online activities are being recorded and monitored. most malicious spyware can also hijack browser settings, deliver unwanted popup advertisements and download and install other software, viruses or other spyware applications. Spyware detection and deletion can be sometimes difficult because the files are often concealed from the layman user.

At first the term "spyware" meant hardware that was meant for espionage. However, after being used in a press release in 2000 by Gregor Freud, a security expert at Zone Labs, the term has taken on its present significance. Today, almost all the people who are familiar with computers and the World Wide Web might be aware of viruses, spyware applications and trojans.

Spy-ware usually get installed by exploiting bugs in Windows or when the user unknowingly downloads malicious or "tagged" files from the Network. The primary difference between viruses and spyware programs is that dissimilar to virus applications, spyware do not replicate i.e. make copies of themselves and spread to other computers. Some trojans also download and install spyware programs without the user's permission.

Windows is more insecure to spyware applications and other such malware. Apple's Mac OS and other operating systems like Linux and PCBSD are less vulnerable when compared to Microsoft Windows. There are many opinions on why there are few spyware targeting Linux and FreeBSD. Many security experts that these operating systems are inherently less vulnerable and it is difficult to develop spyware to work on these platforms. Other experts believe that because the market share of these operating systems is way lower when compared with Windows, spyware developers don't think that it is worth the effort to write spyware aimed at these operating systems.

If you use a Windows based personal computer, it is recommended to daily update your OS to protect yourself from spyware and adware. Updates contain bug fixes and patches to security vulnerabilities. It is also recommended to switch to another Web browser like Mozilla Firefox or Opera in place of the default Internet Explorer. These browsers are more secure and can help you in maintaining your computer free from spyware.

You should also download and install a good virus removal software and update it regularly. Most commercial anti-virus scanners can disinfect spyware and related malware. However, you can also install an anti-spyware software along with virus removal software for maximum benefit. A hardware firewall is also suggested. Most anti-virus scanners or Internet security suites, as they are known, have a firewall as well.

For more information visit the free spyware removal web page.

The Chilka Adventure

"Day after day, day after day,We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted shipUpon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere,And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,Nor any drop to drink."

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The sea mouth shone brilliantly converging the lake and the mighty Bay of Bengal making it a splendid view to the eyes of the observers as the "ship" sailed towards it. We were spell bound looking at its vastness and awe forgetting our gruelling journey for a while hoping to get to the sea and take a dip into the blue water. But it were just a mirage, which was more than expected, the sea was so far that we had to climb a nearby hillock to get a glimpse of its waves creating phosphorescent froth.

This was on 23rd August when we all set to go for adventure to visit nearby places of the temple city Bubhaneswar. Creating a little breach to our hectic schedule we set off in a Qualis towards the mighty Chilka lake. Our plan was to first explore the great lake first which was also the dwelling place for dolphins. I had never seen dolphins in reality and my only expectation was to see them as closely as I could.

We enjoyed the trip with torrents of rain fall till the end of the city. We then stopped at a little hut-hotel at the outskirts of the city to have breakfast which was awful and created ripples of Chilka lake in our stomachs. We had to agin get down at a village nearby and had lemons to vanquish the discomfort.

It took nearly three hours before we finally reached the lake. There were two packages. One for three hour tour and one for half an hour. We preferred the three hour tour to make it more interesting and also of course to see more of the lake.

The motor boat was old with an engine that made soung similiar to a tractor on field. It sped leaving the bank back and sped towards the first site. It was an island with a temple of Shiva. We visited the temple and were back in the boat. The boat started gain speeding it's way towards the sea mouth. Then I remembered about the dolphins.

The engine stopped after a while and the driver announced that dolphins were all around us. Where? I wondered and suddenly saw something jump in the water. "There is the Dolphin" I yelled only to realise that it was an over grown frog.

After a while a little froth appeared a few meters away when all of us sreamed together! Yes it was a Dolphin but only a part of its (nose?) was (barely?) visible!

Crafty... the extra ordinary!

Considered to be one of the powerful chess engines, I could see it's remarkable strength when I had it play against Shredder chess. It eventually won in the last moment, with both of them equal at almost every move!

Long time...

"Time and tide wait for none" This is the age old saying that makes one to be always conscious of this thing called time. What is time all about? Is it just a medium to make events run? Or is it a creation of man only for some reference? No one knows for sure. And this has been a baffling topic for scientists and phiosophers and will continue to be. Because time is something boundless which is not just limited to clocks and watches. It is an enitity which itself comprises of entirety.

But time is unidirectional. It is like a one way traffic that moves in a single direction and makes all of us move in THAT direction whether we desire or not. Hence the concept of time management arises. Time management is not about managing time.. But in fact managing ourselves according to time.

Day dreaming

Day dreaming is a the opposite of dreams that come in the night and occur when one is wide wake. This is a misnomer infact as Day dreams represent thoughts especially those which haven't been accomplished. Some times we day dream to such an extent that we may even forget what is going around us. This does happen several times. For example say we are holding a conversation with someone, suddenly an idea might erupt in our mind and we will forget what the person said last. We may even ask him to repeat. What causes these thoughts to come into the mind?

Rain

I gazed out of the window and saw droplets of water dripping from the roof of the window. May be the water tank was full. My room was on the second floor of the three floor apartment. It was an old apartment and no one ever tried to improvise it by at least putting a little white wash on its walls. People simply came and went, there were people who shifted within a few days. I felt I was the only one to stay here so long say an year. There was a gust of wind all of a sudden and thick clouds, black clouds started coveringthe skies and soon engulfed the mighty burning sphere into their enormous fathoms.There was a lightning and a distant rumble that slowly approached and burst on the top ofthe apartment. A cold breeze began to blow, making my face turn white. I closed thewindow and at the very moment the skies poured the rain.Water began to sprout from the gaps of the window doors. A steady stream of water ranfrom the window, through the wall racing towards my bed.I took a piece of old cloth and wiped the stream and clogged the gap with it. A while later the cloth got soaked with the water and I took it and wrung it squeezing all the water intoa little bucketI gazed out of the window leaving the water-stream account to observe what was goingoutside. People where running helter shelter some with umbrellas, some with books above their heads and some with their bags. My eyes fell on a girl, a young girl standing on the pavement with a disheveled look, with her teeth chattering and longing for someone’s help, in this heavy inadvertent rain. The water was flowing with full force creating ripples and froth.She stood looking left and right for a while and began to walk as if in a trance. I remembered somethingI remembered something. But my memory couldn’t recall. Something was wrong. At least something was about togo wrong. Then I recalled the man hole. I had seen a group of workers pumping out thesewage water the day before and had left the door open. Now in this turbulent current ofwater I wasn’t visible …. And the girl was nearing it slowly, unconsciously unaware ofthe impending danger, whatever her problem was.I rushed out of my room, descending the stairs with full speed, I tripped over and fellrolling downstairs, almost breaking my arm, but I didn’t care. The pain seemed nothing compared to the plight of the girl.I opened the gates and ran into the rain leaving a dismayed watchman behind. I ran and ran as fast as my legs could carry. And the girl took one step more… the final step to go… and she fell in ..Only to be caught by her shoulders. I held them firmly surprised by her weight and pulledher out.She screamed.. but no one came near. Nobody seemed to be caring.She looked at me and burst into sobs and pressed her head on my chest. I hugged hertightly, comforting her and relinquishing all her worries.

The Old woman and the grace

The evening sun rays spread slowly over the buildings turning everything into light orange as I stood gazing on the terrace. I glanced towards the foot steps of the opposite building putting my hands on to the parapet wall. I could see the old woman sitting on alittle stone laid on the front.

Beside her was an ironing shop with a woman at work without looking at the old woman. The woman had millions of wrinkles all over her face and her skin had completelydrooped. Her eyes lost their life and her cheeks sullen. Her hair looked like a matted dry grass fully white. She wore a torn sari full of dirt that came by the dust that flew when the iron woman sometimes swept.The woman seemed to be waiting for the doors to open, to see her wretched sons, who had reimbursed her help by throwing her out of her own house, and not even providing a morsel to eat.The doors opened and after a while a man came out wearing a striped lungi and a vest.His wife followed him from the back."Didn’t you go away? How many time times have I told you not to sit in front of my house!" and he started his foul mouth as usual. His wife joined him and they jointly aggrieved her.
It was getting dark. I was still on the terrace. A cold breeze blew touching my face. I closed my eyes. When will she be shown grace?A warm hand touched my back. I looked back and saw my wife with her beautiful eyes looking straight into mine boldly. "Again you are
thinking about the woman?""Yes dear.." I said putting my hand over her shoulders. I could feel the warmth despite the cold current of the wind. "I am wondering when
she will be granted grace.""She surely will.." she said, "What you are seeing is just an example, I
am watching the whole scene when you go to office.. Come dear.. we have to do some
work at our house."
"I think we can lend a helping hand.." I said while we both descended the stairs.
"I tried to give her rice but she didn’t take it saying that she had a son
who would take care of.." Said my wife .
"The people.." I muttered.
* * *

I was ruffling my documents to verify them while my wife sat opposite to me waiting forme to finish when there was a commotion all of a sudden. We both got up and went to the corridor. A group of people gathered around. I could see the old woman lying in the centre. Strangly no one cared about here when alive but people were swarming around like bees now.

At last she was granted her grance I felt.

hi,

This is my first blog for this blog. Hope you will find this blog interesting and informative....