This is a scam attempted by some people who are targeting the most gullible of users (which is none of our readers are of course) into installing a backdoor Trojan that will log your passwords and possibly do unscrupulous things with them. Keep your passwords safe, and disregard this email should you receive it.

Users should always be aware that clicking links from unknown senders is not a good idea, and will generally lead to a negative result. Still it is worth warning about this one particular. Please remember that Firefox will update itself automatically, so if you ever receive an email or link telling you that your version of Firefox needs to be updated, please ignore it.

This email made the rounds this past weekend, and will probably continue to do so, so please be aware and delete it if you get one.

This is clearly one of the weaker attempts to get passwords, but there are people out there who will fall for such trickery. If you ever have a question about the validity of an email like this always refer to the official website. If you actually need to update to the latest version of Firefox do so here. (I promise, that is not a virus).

Source: Naked Security

This guide will help you clean your computer of malware. If you think your computer is infected with a virus or some other malicious software, you may want to use this guide. It contains instructions that, if done correctly and in order, will remove most malware infections on a Windows operating system. It highlights the tools and resources that are necessary to clean your system. Malware is a general term for any malicious software, including viruses, trojans, rootkits, spyware and adware.

Don’t panic; clean up your system today with this free guide.

DOWNLOAD Operation Cleanup: Complete Malware Removal Guide
(the download password: makeuseof)

Don’t forget to share the guide with friends!

This free download will teach you:

• How to get back online after a nasty infection.
• Removing malware using a variety of free tools.
• Which free, portable virus scanners will work when Windows won’t start.
• Cleaning up your system after you remove viruses.
• Fixing a hijacked browser.
• Un-hiding your files, quick launch and menu.
• Where to find help online when all else fails.

DOWNLOAD Operation Cleanup: Complete Malware Removal Guide
(the download password: makeuseof)

Help us spread the word by sharing this guide with friends!

Parents of young children and teens often look for ways to ensure that their kids don’t get into trouble on the Internet, and many of those products are technically “spyware” as well. Sometimes the ability to monitor computer usage provides peace of mind and security that no level of antivirus software can offer. I’ve dealt with countless parents that come to me complaining that their teen did something to the computer that completely destroyed it. They have no idea what their own child did.

Using ExtraSpy to Monitor Your Home Computers

Here at MUO, we’ve covered a lot of ways to block spyware, such as MalwareBytes, Spyware Terminator, and other tools.  However, finding free spyware apps that you actually want to install is a whole other story.

It isn’t easy to find remote monitoring software for free these days. Most companies use highly technical network monitoring software that not only has the ability to track and log how employees use the computer systems, but also include port scanning and other network analysis tools that go far beyond the needs of the home or small business user.

For your home network, you many only want to “spy” on a few computers to make sure that your kids aren’t getting themselves into trouble. One of the few, full-featured, free applications available that can do this is called ExtraSpy Employee Monitor.

When you install and run this software, just click on “settings” and you’ll see how fast and easy it is to set it up to connect to your clients automatically, or to constantly scan for newly installed clients.

The software comes with two simple executables – no installation required. To run the server, launch the server EXE file. To install a client, copy the client EXE to the client PC and run it.

In less than a minute, you’ll see the following window, which tells you that the client is running, and the IP address you can use to connect to it from the server app.

Go back to the server and click on the “Add Client” button. If it doesn’t show up automatically, just type the IP address into the right pane.

If the server is able to locate and connect to the client, it’ll show up on the main server window. It’ll also show the network name of the computer, as well as the IP and the connection status. If you’re having problems getting a good connection, make sure to check the firewall and antivirus software on the client PC to make sure that you’ve enabled an exception for the client software that’s running on that PC. To test if the antivirus is the problem, temporarily disable it to see if you get a connection.

Once you have a connection to your client PCs, there’s a whole lot of really cool stuff you can do. First, if you look at the bottom of the main window when you’ve selected a client PC, you’ll see all of the applications that the current user has open. This information also includes when the app was launched and whether the window is active.

If you want to see the user’s computer screen, just click on the screenshot icon, and a pop-up window will appear with a real-time snapshot of the client window.

If you want to watch action on the screen, you can get frequent screen updates by clicking on “Refresh Periodically” and enabling timed updates of the screenshot.

If you right click on the client in the list, you’ll see that you can also do some remote administration on these computers. These tools include remotely restarting, resetting or turning off each system.

The nice thing about the software is that you don’t have to sit there and monitor all of your clients manually. You can configure “Tasks” that send you activity reports via email at whatever interval you like.

The reports are fairly high quality reports that break down application usage by group, such as Internet browsers, instant messengers, productivity apps and more.  You’ll also see a list of all of these groups and the associated time the user spent using each one.

One cool feature of the software is that you can send off messages to the client. This comes in handy for parents that want to impress on their kids that just because you’re not standing in the room, you’re still keeping an eye on computer use.

In past articles, when I’ve suggested that parents should monitor their kids’ Internet usage, a few readers took issue with the idea of the invasion of privacy. I think this can be true in some cases, and it’s important to use tools like this just do a quick spot check every now and then to ensure that kids are doing the right thing, for their own online safety. Privacy is important, but protecting your kids as well as your computer systems are important issues too. Checking in every now and then is perfectly okay.

So take the free ExtraSpy Employee Monitor software for a test drive and experience how easy it can be to monitor and manage all of your home client machines. Let us know what you like and don’t like about the software in the comments section below.

But what about your smartphone? Modern devices are essentially tiny PCs that also make phone calls, and the potential negative effects of Smartphone snooping could be much worse. Smartphones transmit location data and store lists of everyone you know, along with their phone numbers. Obviously, this information shouldn’t be in the wrong hands, but what can you do to prevent Smartphone snooping?

Monitor Permissions Carefully (Android)

If you’re using an Android smartphone you’ll be presented with a list of permissions every time you install a new app (iPhone users can move on to the next section). The permissions lists, in detail, the functions the app is looking to access on your phone. They range from fairly innocuous things such as SD card read/write access to more ominous features like the ability to read and edit your contacts.

I’d like to have a fast-and-easy rule for permissions, but there isn’t one. My best advice is to make sure the permissions make sense for the app. An app that enhances your contacts will obviously need access to contact data. That makes sense. But it might not make sense for the app to have access to your precise GPS location, unless there is some feature that requires it. If you’re hesitant, but you really want the app, try checking out the developer’s website or contacting the developer directly. Many will provide you with the reasons why their app needs various permissions.

Don’t assume that an app is on the level just because it is popular. Pandora, for example, was recently accused of acquiring data about users (including location, birthday and sex) via its app and then sending that data to ad servers.

Use A Data Monitor

One of the most obvious indications that something may be seriously wrong with your smartphone’s security is a sudden increase in data usage. Theoretically, malware and other Smartphone snooping software can do all sorts of things with your device without your knowledge. One recent proof of concept suggests that smartphone botnets could be just around the corner.

A data monitor can help you keep tabs on your data usage. There are too many such apps to do an in-depth review of them here. Personally, I like the RadioOpt Traffic Monitor for Android, but your mileage may vary.

It’s also wise to occasionally check your data usage through your carrier. Although a traffic monitor should discover any problems, it always possible that a threat could find a way to disguise itself. You should also consider an SMS text message monitor, if one is available for your mobile OS.

Install A Remote Phone Tracker & Data Nuker

As I’ve mentioned when discussing laptop security, physical theft of a mobile device can be a real security issue. Smartphones are even worse, because they’re easy to lose track of, and most users don’t even protect their device with a passphrase. It would be trivial for someone to access data on a phone once they have the physical phone.

However, smartphones do have an advantage over laptops. Virtually all of them have GPS, which means that it is easy to obtain the precise location of the device if it goes missing but remains turned on. In addition, smartphones have data connections that are always on unless specifically turned off, which means it is easy to send a remote wipe command.

There are multiple Android apps that offer this functionality – we recently looked at one example, called Mobile Defense. Apple’s iPhone offers similar functionality through the Find My iPhone feature.

Consider An Antivirus App

The antivirus field for mobile devices is still immature. Apple doesn’t even allow antivirus software on the iPhone, while Android’s antivirus market is saturated with lots of apps, many of which have frankly questionable credentials.

Even so, a quality antivirus app could have some use. At the very least, it should be able to point out phone settings that  could compromise your security, and many antivirus apps bundle phone trackers as well. Antivirus should also be very effective, at least theoretically, because the app market used on mobile devices serves as a gateway to software. This makes it harder for malware to reintroduce itself into the app ecosystem once it is discovered.

The problem is that no one seems to know how to test these mobile antivirus apps yet. There’s no definitive, objective source providing data on mobile antivirus effectiveness. Also, mobile devices – Android in particular – are ripe for fakeware attacks. Fakeware is a so-called antivirus program that actually is spyware or malware, but fools users by providing fake reports claiming the app has found and addressed security threats. I suggest doing a lot of research on any antivirus app before installing it.

Conclusion

Smartphone security is a topic that has just recently become an issue. As smartphones become more powerful and popular the malware targeting them will certainly increase. That’s just the way of security – if something is worth stealing, someone will probably try to steal it.

Don’t take this as scaremongering, however. The steps above will help protect you, and with vigilance, you should be able to side-step any problems.

There are a lot of different ways to scan the files you download to see if they are clean, but none quite like JottiQ.  JottiQ takes advantage of Jotti’s online malware scanner, which uses multiple popular antivirus programs to scan your files, without having to download or install any of them.

What Is JottiQ?

As I stated above, JottiQ is a tool that makes it more convenient to use Jotti’s malware scan, which is an online service optimized for one-by-one scanning of files you do not trust. If you’re wary of a file you downloaded because you have a strange feeling about the site it came from or you’re just curious, JottiQ is a good way to relieve that stress.

So is JottiQ a virus scanner? No, not really.

JottiQ is merely the go-between that relays the files you wish to have scanned to the online Jotti’s malware scan service. JottiQ should be considered to be an investigative tool and as such will not offer any options to delete or otherwise affect the files you scan.

JottiQ will scan the heck out of your files though, utilizing popular anti-virus apps like Avast, AVG, AntiVir, and over a dozen other programs. If your recently downloaded files are infected with something, you’ll know about it.

The application allows you to build a queue of files needing scanning. It also uses Jotti’s internal cache to speed up scans, lists scanners with detections at the top of the list in red, allows you to open scan results in your browser, and is integrated with right-click functionality so you can just click a file and scan it immediately.

How To Start Using JottiQ

To start using JottiQ, head over to this page and download the JottiQ v1.0.3 installer. Run the installer and you’ll be able to install the core components of the app. If you’re missing any applications required to run JottiQ, like I was, you will be notified and JottiQ can download and install them for you.

The installation process doesn’t take very long at all and is very easy to go through. Once you’re all done, you can start dragging files into JottiQ’s main window to queue them up for the multiple antivirus scanners. Or you can just right-click a file to scan it, if you installed context menu support (default setting).

JottiQ will give you an initial scan result to let you know if it thinks your file is safe or not, even before you get the actual results from the various programs scanning the file.

Off to the right of the app, you’ll see the list of all the anti-virus programs being used to run the scans, as well as what the individual results were for each program. If your file does happen to get a hit on one or more of the programs listed, you should be able to install that specific application for removal.

That’s all there is to it. JottiQ offers a light-weight, simple way to check your files without installing a lot of programs to figure out what will remove a potential threat. While I’d recommend you install an anti-virus program to begin with, JottiQ should help you out in case one of your downloads has you worrying.

What do you think of JottiQ?

You might have an anti-virus software installed in your computer that auto updates itself against latest threats. if you haven’t, here are MakeUseOf’s recommendations for the best free antivirus you can get your hands on. In addition to that, it is always a good idea to keep yourself on top of what exactly is happening in the computer security front. Viruses and other threats have a tendency to replicate themselves, making it tough for security software vendors to issue a patch. We have compiled a list of reliable official and independent sources that publish computer virus news and alerts as and when the outbreak happens.

Official Sources

ESET Threat Blog

ESET is a trusted name in the desktop security business. They won the hearts of both enterprise and home users alike with their rapid virus signature updates, sometimes multiple times a day, if necessary. They maintain a fantastic ESET Threat blog to keep everyone up to date on any new virus or malware threats. The blog is updated regularly and in addition to providing the latest information on viruses, they post lot of useful data walking users through tips & tricks to avoid skimming, phising etc. ESET updates the blog with content that serves everyone – from newbies to White Hat hackers.

Posts detailing as to how the malware underground works, how BlackHat hackers distribute malware via online games, how botnets manipulate the stock market are some of the interesting topics covered in the blog.

Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia

Trend Micro is one of the pioneers in the computer security business and they have put up a threat encyclopedia to keep their users in the know of the latest computer virus news and alerts. Recent strains of malware, spyware and vulnerabilities are segregated in their respective tables, with an appropriate risk rating. Clicking on the malware name opens a pretty detailed advisory as to how this malware harms the desktop and the platforms it is active on.

McAfee Virus Information

With a global map showing virus threat levels, list of recent threats to a general purpose threat meter, McAfee’s Virus Information page is put together very well. There are free resources to teach beginners about various threats like virus, malware, spyware etc. and how to identify one from another. Free virus specific diagnostics and removal tools can also be downloaded from here.

Norton Threat Explorer

Being a name synonymous with the computer security industry, Norton maintains an exhaustive threat explorer index. You can check out all the latest computer security threats listed in a single page in alphabetical order and can even search for a particular virus if you know the name.

Securelist

Securelist is a computer virus threat information portal maintained by Kaspersky Labs. They list recent virus descriptions found, in depth reviews of Malware behaviour on test systems, news & analysis of hot security topics, Monthly malware statistics and a lot more related to information security.

Independent Sources

ComputerWeekly

ComputerWeekly, a reputed technology blog has an exclusive section dedicated to computer security alerts and analysis. In addition to covering news about computer security threats, they also publish in depth articles on vulnerabilities available in popular gadgets and smartphones. Their forward-looking coverage on future threats & impending spam campaigns and in-depth white papers on IT security alerts are thorough and written in a simple language making it easy for newbies to understand.

Virus Bulletin

True to its name, Virus Bulletin is a blog dedicated to cover virus, malware and spyware outbreaks. Virus Bulletin carries a lot of articles on malware tests & analysis complete with complex graphical interpretations. A fantastic chart showing the list of top malware and their prevalence percentage on computers adorns the homepage. There is also a calender displaying various security conferences & conventions across the globe.

Security News Portal

With hard to miss, color-coded list of recent IT security threats displayed prominently, Security News Portal makes an impression right from the first visit. The portal covers a lot of platforms but highlights vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, the biggest among them all.

Conclusion

Among the official sources, ESET’s blog is an enjoyable read and is extremely qualified to become a full-fledged computer security blog. Kaspersky Securelist comes in as a close second with its computer virus alerts and analysis. The rest of the official sources are updated regularly with mostly basic computer threat description for a quick glance. ComputerWeekly and Virus Bulletin both do an excellent job in reporting and covering threat alerts in a language that even newbies can comprehend.

Now that you know where to read about computer virus alerts, you might want to check out our coverage of the best websites to find fixes for virus & malware.

Do you follow a great blog or portal for computer virus news and alerts that we have missed? Please do share it with us in the comments section.