Protect Your Computer From Being Hacked!

The thought of people being concerned that NSA is listing and monitoring their activities is a hysterically funny concept to me. Whatever you think of Edward Snowden, know that he is a day late and a dollar short. Most of these very same people that worry about the NSA, have a "Tracebook", Twitter, Instagram or a half a dozen other social media accounts that should be significantly reducing the NSA operating budget. In fact, let's just disband the NSA and hire Google! It seems that most of us have no issue publicly posting our most intimate details on Facebook including everything short of our Social Security numbers. Posting our current location and "checking in" so that the entire planet knows not only where we are, but what we are doing seems to be an absolutely essential public service and should also include pictures of the meal I am about to eat. How many of these same individuals are aware that every picture posted contains Meta Data that also memorializes the GPS co-ordinates and the camera type used to take the picture? I know you want to share picture of the family, but do you really want ISIS to know exactly where they live?

As everyone is so willing to publicly disclose these personal details, it explains why so many remain ignorant of the data mining that goes on that you do not knowingly consent to. I assume we all know that Google is in the business of selling digital user profiles to advertisers? Every type an email to a friend about planning a trip to the Italy only to find your inbox now populated with travel agency "hot deals"? If your email does not fill up with travel deals to the Italy, you can bet your internet browser will now display a travel agency advertisements, "learn to speak Italian" and top Italian Restaurants on every page you view fin! Now ask me what we think about using Google Docs! We suggest that you consider DoNotTrackme extensions to your Chrome and Firefox browsers. We also recommend that you install "self-destructing cookies" and watch how many cookies are exchanged with your browser each use. Remember, we really don't need your username and password, we need your cookies all of which are transmitted in clear text over that Starbucks wireless you have been using! All available using FireSheep!

Now if this is a vulnerability that effects individuals, what vulnerability effects enterprise level environments? Forget the notoriously leaking Windows Operating system and your hopelessly porous laptop, in the wake of the 55 Million credit card numbers stolen from Home Depot and the 45 million stolen from Target, we now have to worry about the credit card machines at the checkout counter. Actually the TJ Maxx heist was in many ways much larger! You might be considering how did the hackers get through the Firewall? As we have pointed out before, most computer network security exploitations are not executed through the firewall, they are executed by "social engineering" with the assistance of an ignorant employee or paid hit man. It is suspect that at least one of the above break ins was assisted by a third party trusted partner like the heating and air conditioning service company. Nothing like a starving janitorial night service crew to earn a few extra bucks plugging a USB device into any desktop computer releasing a new and improved malware version of BlackPOS! Most of these stolen credit card numbers can be purchase here or on the Darknet using a Tor browser to reach silk road type websites.

It seems you can't turn on an electronic device today without it alerting you that a software update is available for download. From the TV set, to the mobile phone, tablet and now even your car, all are subject to software updates. Do you even question what is being downloaded to your device when you do a software update? You just assume you are connecting with Apple, Amazon or Samsung? What if some evil doer was really just spoofing a software update and you just willingly downloaded a super basket of spy goodies that turn on your phone camera, activate your microphone and email snapshots to back to the mother ship. NSA, are you kidding? You would never know if it was your spouse, or employer would you? Yet millions of people do this without care, day after day and think nothing more about it. If you want to be tracked everywhere you go, risk having your most intimate communications published (just ask Jenifer Lawrence and the other celebrity Nude hack victims) just carry your Smartphone with you at all times!

Cyber-crime, next to the Ebola virus and violent terrorism is the single most economically destructive phenomenon to threaten the American way of life since the Cuban missile crisis. Yet the average business owner winces at the cost of engaging a computer network security audit and thinks that penetration testing is lovemaking foreplay. When the IT team asks for a Firewall upgrade or an increase in budget to cover a subscription to virus, spam and bot net filtering they somehow can't justify the added expense. Educating your employees on the safe use of the Internet over WiFi should be part of the healthcare preventive medicine program, but most business will ignore "social engineering" vulnerabilities until a major data thief publicly embarrasses them.

Finalizing a Master Disc With a CD/DVD Duplication Service

They say this is the information age and for many good reasons. As a result, you will find that your business will at one time or the other requires CD/DVD duplication services either for mass distribution or for internal uses.

Whatever the case, you cannot deny that these storage applications offer high data stability, option of countable and uncountable storage units, more space for creative marketing on the covers, easy to transport and use, affordable and they offer versatile capacity to store data among many other benefits.

Finalizing to Get the Best Out of Your Storage Devices

Duplication might sound easy, it is important to note that it is indeed a professional service that should only come from a qualified firm. It differs from burning a CD in that you get bit by bit copy of the master copy. This is through use of specialized equipment in a state-of-the art studio.

However, if you have ever recorded these discs using a non-reputable firm, it is mostly likely that you experienced a problem when playing it back. According to experts, this problem mostly occurs if the firm did not finalize the medium. This occurs because the session, which was open at time of burning, remains so although you are trying to play it back.

Before you get more puzzled, why not simplify this whole issue. In the simplest terms, finalizing a CD/DVD is the process of closing a session such that your media does not think there is still information waiting to add to it.

To appreciate this even better, consider this process of burning a disc:

• A small section of data near the center hub is created and is called a lead-in with table of contents for the media.
• Next to be recorded is the information for each track including songs, videos or any other files?

This is where the problem comes in because your disc is still open and while most players can read such information, other cannot meaning you will experience problem if your CD/DVD duplication company does not close the recording.

Finalization includes writing out support material such as table of contents, menus, and directory data in order to enable your storage device to play on all other systems. This is because some players are not able to read such media or at times, they leave out the first session of a multi-session.

The beauty of it is that when the process is through, you can play back your content on virtually any device from car stereos, laptops, and other player you might own.
The advantage of using a professional service for these services is that they will not only close your media but also carry out a verification process to ensure what your company gets at the other end is playable on any gadget the target audience own.

VCM is considered a leading facility for business-to-business CD, Blu-ray, USB, SD card and DVD duplication Toronto

How to Build the Best HTPC Media Centre at the Right Price

With DVDs phasing out and the rapid growth in online media more and more people are looking to build a HTPC media centre for their living rooms. Good systems are difficult to build and there are many considerations to make when choosing your components.There are three main considerations to make when designing your system.

Price vs Performance

To many it makes sense to buy top of the range computer components to build their media centre. They want a system that is going to last and rarely need an upgrade. Unfortunately this is not a cost efficient way to build a system and you will be paying far more than you need to. The home computing market is ever changing and as new technologies come out prices fall on the older kit. Buy the top of the range processor today and in 12 months it will be half the price. To get the cost efficient build you must first decide what it is you want your media centre to do. Is it to simply watch movies and video content or do you want high end gaming? When you have decided this, source the minimum specification hardware that will carry out the task. If your system is for gaming is an Intel I7 processor required or will the I5 suffice? With all this said you do not want to degrade performance taking the cheaper option. Yes the Intel I5 processor may run the games you want to play but can it achieve the resolutions that you want and will the gameplay be jumpy? People worry too much about future proofing their systems but prices fall so dramatically it is more often than not better to upgrade every 18 months or so and save on hardware costs.

Aesthetics & Size

When it comes to aesthetics you need to remember that your HTPC media centre will be placed in the prime spot of your living room in full view so you don't want a case that looks like a PC. With the recent boom in home media there is now a whole range of HTPC cases available that look more like games consoles or home entertainment systems and at quite reasonable prices. The important thing to remember when choosing a case is to ensure that your components will fit! It sounds simple but getting the right case is one of the toughest tasks with most HTPC builds. The more compact cases are often the most attractive but if your system is for high end gaming you will struggle to find a compact case that can house the high end graphics cards. Decide on your components first and then select a case to accommodate them.

Heat and Energy Efficiency

High end processors and gaming graphics cards more often than not produce a lot of heat. Heat is more of an issue when you select a tight compact case. When choosing your case ensure that it has the ventilation required to accommodate the heat production of all of your components. If it will not then check that you have space to install additional cooling devices. (Word of warning: cooling devices are generally noisy and may interfere with your movie enjoyment). You can also combat heat by using energy efficient components. As a rule of thumb smaller components tend to be more energy efficient. Even if your case supports ATX form factor motherboards go for mini-ITX or mini-ATX as these motherboards are far more energy efficient. The added benefit of building with energy efficiency in mind is that your system will have a lower running cost.

Getting your HTPC media centre right is a tough task and one that requires careful consideration. Following the above will get your design right and produce the entertainment system you need at the right price. These are the golden rules for building the optimum HTPC media centre.

For hints, tips and expert guides for building HTPC media centres visit us at Home Media Portal.

http://www.homemediaportal.com

We provide full reviews of the latest products and components for your media centres and show you where too find the very best prices. We also review some of the latest software out there including Kodi and Hyperspin and help you get the most out of each package.

Careers in Computer Repair

Learn about careers in Computer Repair

As technology is developing, you must have noticed individuals seeking help for installing software, upgrading hardware pieces or protecting the system from several network threats. Technology is no more a simple task and, therefore, individuals need to call tech support agents for their help. Therefore, if you have an interest in technology, then the field is offering countless opportunities. Requirements for entering this computer related industry change as per the current trends, working knowledge and training. Starting your computer repair career, you can take a step ahead in this industry.

To begin this career, there are multiple options that you can choose from. The most common areas are software related problems and hardware issues. In order to deal with these areas, you should have some background knowledge. You can take training to get into the fields of software and hardware. There are various companies and colleges providing training for brushing up your skills. Also, stay updated with latest market trends, software releases and newly introduced gadgets. Having information about your technology field, you can keep your clientele updated.

The best thing about starting your computer repair career is feasibility. You can manage things according to your schedule. If you are already doing a job, you can arrange your appointments along with managing your work schedule. In case you are not working anywhere, you can schedule your work as per the client's. Additionally, you can make your work easier by offering remote technical support. Remote technical support is the suitable way of delivering tech support to those clients that at far-off places. Just using a secure Internet connection, you can access their computer and perform troubleshooting steps for fixing the issue. There are endless opportunities for you to grab.

How to take a start?

When you are beginning your career, you must need to promote it. The internet is the best medium for it. You can use your computer to advertise your services online. Also, you can use classified advertisements, blogs, and local newspapers to spread the news about your career. For making it recognized, you have to saturate the market with your career name and number so that people can contact you at the time of any technical issue. After establishing your Careers in Computer Repair, start taking small projects. This can give you the confidence in handling complex issues further. Ask your friends and family members to bring you business. Always take feedback from your clients after resolving their problem and post it online. It can create career credibility. If any client has some issue, fix it as soon as possible. Keep your clients happy and satisfied to maintain a long-term relationship with them.

If the idea of starting a computer repair career interests you, start working on it. Before managing technical projects alone, you can work with technical support companies to learn how they interact with clients. It can give you experience and confidence. Once you are ready to attend clients on your own, you can start your career. So, gain technical knowledge and start serving clients with support end-to-end solutions.

Beverly Harris is an expert in computer/technology research and works very closely with ChoiceWrite.