There are many resources that can help the average computer user educate themselves and implement proper procedures to help protect their identity and personal computer. We feel these are some of the best:

Onguard Online - probably the cream of the crop. Offers detailed definitions of the vulnerabilities along with how to protect oneself against various threats.

Staysafe Online - similiar in its amount of information available as Onguard Online, another excellent resource.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse - Privacy Alerts and information on how to keep your identity safe

Introduction To Identity Theft - Excellent video tutorial on how to protect your identity hosted by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.) *Highly Recommended

Fighting Back Against Identity Theft - Federal Trade Commission's site on Identity Theft

What Are Identity Theft Products - Excellent resource that defines:

  • Credit Monitoring Services
  • Identity Theft Insurance
  • Fraud Alert Products
  • Credit Freeze Products
  • Data Sweep Services

Optoutprescreen.com - Official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website to accept and process requests from consumers to opt in or opt out of firm offers of credit or insurance.

Identity Theft Resource Center - Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft

Internet Crime Complaint Center - IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau Of Investigation & the National White Collar Crime Center

Cyber Security Tips - US-CERT Cyber Security Tips describe and offer advice about common security issues for non-technical computer users

Anti-Phishing Workgroup - Committed to wiping out Internet scams and fraud

Anti-Phishing Phil - Anti-Phishing Phil is an interactive game that teaches users how to identify phishing URLs, where to look for cues in web browsers, and how to use search engines to find legitimate sites.

ID Protection & PC Security Blog - We stay abreast of developing news stories and offer timely tips gathered from around the internet

Trend Micro Trend Of Threats - This report is a wealth of information on what 2007's major threats were and takes a look at what the trends are for 2008. Education is important to prevent mishaps in today's challenging internet environment.

Effective Laptop Security - Principles and Best Practices for Effectively Securing Mobile Data Assets

If you come across a resource that you believe would be valuable to other users, please feel free to contact us and we will evaluate it for possible inclusion. This is not the definitive list, just our recommendation for some of the best most trusted sites.

Following is a list of our recommended computer tools to protect your computer:

Firefox Web Browser - Offers better security than current versions of Internet Explorer along with a wealth of features that Internet Explorer does not offer.

SafeCentral Browser - The secure companion to everyday web browsing, providing end-to-end security against Identity Theft by locking out desktop malware and establishing trusted web connections.

Google Chrome - Now with many of the same features and extensions offered by the popular Firefox browser, another great alternative and extremely fast browser

Opera Web Browser - Another excellent alternative for safer browsing.

AVG FREE Version of Antivirus Software - Takes you to the Download.com site for downloading the FREE version of this popular and effective antivirus software

Microsoft Security Essentials - FREE Antispyware, Malware Spyware from Microsoft that automatically updates itself

Defensio - Protects your personal or corporate Facebook profiles from spam and malicious content.

Spyware Doctor - Download.com site to get the latest version of one of the most effective Antispyware removal software. FREE trial, $29.95/yr

Zonealarm Firewall - FREE version of this popular firewall program. If you do not have a router in place, you absolutely need at least a software firewall.

Comodo Firewall Pro - Another excellent FREE firewall

Secunia Software Inspector - Analyzes your software for latest versions to make sure you are not vulnerable from an attack through an unpatched software version. The online version is very good and gives you links to the place where you can update your software. *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - lots of vulnerabilities in old versions of software

Test Your Total PC Security - FREE test on our Invisus Direct website that will test your entire computer for any vulnerabilities *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED when redirected look for the link at the bottom of the page that says "Test Your PC"

TRENDPROTECT - FREE browser plug-in that helps you avoid Web pages with unwanted content and hidden threats.

CallingID Link Advisor - FREE similar tool to Trend Protect tool - know who's site you are visiting before you click

Truecrypt - Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux

OpenDNS - OpenDNS operates PhishTank.com, the most accurate and timely source of phishing data on the Web. We protect you from phishing scams by blocking the fraudulent sites from resolving on your network by incorporating PhishTank directly into our system.

Foxit PDF Reader - In the past, you've had to download a huge PDF reader from another software company, go through a lengthy installation process and wait for an annoying splash window to disappear just to open a PDF document. Moreover, if you want to annotate a PDF document, you have to pay US$299 to buy certain software. Add to this the numerous security vulnerabilities with recent versions of Adobe PDF Reader and this reader becomes a very valuable alternative.

Trustware - This software creates a buffer hence the name Bufferzone, between your data and the internet. For one low yearly subscription you can surf the internet and do so with an added layer of protection that will not allow malware and spyware etc. to be downloaded.

Malwarebytes - Perhaps the best ant-malware tool that you can't buy. *Because it's FREE.

SUPERAntispyware - Excellent FREE tool to protect your PC against ongoing threats from spyware.

If you have questions on how any of these tools work, feel free to contact us and we will help you either make a decision, or assist you in installing the application

*Please bookmark this page and check back frequently. As with everything, better resources and tools are released frequently.
 

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Remote Data Backups

When people say 'Computer Security' the first thing that comes to mind is data; encryption, preventing viruses, preventing unauthorized access, data backup. But do you think about the hardware itself?

These days of economic woe bring a whole new set of problems. In the past, companies were more concerned with protecting the data than the hardware. They figured that as long as the data was safe, they could always re-create their drives from backups or USB thumb drives. Software could be reinstalled on new machines if their computers or laptops were stolen.

But today? Can your company bear the cost of replacing the hardware? In times of economic downturns, companies realize that their hardware becomes more of a theft threat. People who would never steal in the past are more tempted when they are suffering themselves.

Assessing your threat level is the first step. Computer Locks and Laptop Locks prevent opportunity theft. Other security items such as Laptop Lockdown Brackets and Server Security Enclosures are better for higher risk areas. To be notified of a potential theft while it is taking place, a computer theft alarm system such as the PCTab, will call your security department if tampered with.