The internet can be an amazing and incredibly beneficial resource that allows you to collect massive amounts of information, and distribute other information, quickly and easily. It can allow communication between people on opposite sides of the world in mere seconds, and has brought the entire population of the world closer together. Unfortunately, the internet can also be a scary, dangerous place. Wherever there is transfer of information, mass communication and commerce, there are unscrupulous people that will take advantage of the situation for their own personal gain. These people can destroy systems and steal very sensitive information without you ever knowing that they have gotten near you. You have no idea anything has happened until you have already been harmed. To prevent this, manufacturers created internet security software.

What is Internet Security?

Internet security software was created to act as a defense for you and your computer from the harm of predators working through online venues. These predators may create malignant programs referred to as viruses that are meant solely to damage the operating systems and corrupt the files of others' computers, or steal your information. Internet security suites are comprehensive security programs that are designed to identify the potential risks to your computer and personal security and neutralize them before they can cause harm.

Why is it Important?

Often the information you use on the internet is extremely sensitive and personal. You make purchases using financial information such as credit card numbers and authorization codes, sign up for deposits using bank account numbers and routing numbers, fill out demographic forms with your social security information, or post details of purchases and plans in public forums. Even though you may feel that these items are safe because they are being done virtually, they can actually be less safe than face-to-face interactions. This is because internet predators can use spyware programs that will secretly infiltrate your system and steal this exceptionally classified information. It can then be used to steal your identity, create new credit accounts in your name, empty your bank accounts, or otherwise harm you personally. Internet security software prevents this from happening by identifying spyware and destroying it.

Other forms of dangerous malware include viruses, which are threats created specifically for the purpose of causing widespread harm. These programs can be downloaded onto your computer completely without your knowledge. The creators can attach it to an innocent-looking email, often one with an email address that you recognize but that has actually been stolen and is being used as a disguise. They can also get into your computer through websites, false system update warnings and other paths. These viruses can then crash your computer, often irreversibly. Security software programs identify these dangers and block them before they can cause any problems to your computer.

Features of Internet Security Software

Internet security software programs generally feature several different subprograms that protect your computer from different angles.

Antivirus programs specifically monitor your system for suspicious programs that could be malignant, investigate them, and destroy them if necessary. This can not only protect your computer from harm but prevent the virus from using your email address to send the virus to your contacts.

Antispyware programs identify programs that are attempting to steal your personal information and block them. They also defend your information as it is being transferred so spyware programs can't find it in the first place.

Internet based banking is one of recent revolutions in the world of banking that has revolutionized the method of banking transactions. Various banking institutions have gone electronic and are reaping the benefits of complete digitalization. Banking institutions have implemented proper security measures in order to make sure that the internet banking activities are carried on safely. However, it also becomes the responsibility of the customers to adopt certain security measures to safeguard their e-transactions. Certain internet security pointers should always be kept in mind while carrying on e-banking activities in order to thwart them from being a victim of cyber crime.

According to a recent survey, more than 60% of the active online banking customers have become a victim of unauthorized account access and other similar crimes in a last couple of years. Therefore, it has become quite essential to follow some simple internet security tips and safeguard the online financial activities. Further in this article, I have discussed some simple pointers that you should bear in mind while availing such e-services.

• First and foremost, you should try and keep you account password as well as pin number secret. Any information related to these two aspects should not be disclosed to any known or unknown individual. You should adopt the policy of changing the password after regular intervals of time and try to keep the same unique.

• Secondly, you should try to keep your system safe from web based threats. Internet security measures like installing up to date anti-virus software, in combination to software capable of removing the spyware, should be followed. Spyware remits your private information to the internet and the hackers can use this information to fulfill their evil desires.

• Installing updated versions operating systems as well as highly protective firewalls should also be one of your internet security strategies. These help in safeguarding your system from unwanted elements by acting as a barrier between the internet and your PC.

• You should also keep a regular check on your bank pass book and transaction statements in order to spot any transactions that may have carried on without your prior knowledge.

• You should always be alert and vigilant while accessing your online account from a public computer, office computer or internet cafe.

• Lastly, as an active internet security measure, you should always log off your e-account after completing the session. If the account is completely logged off, the crackers can acquire all the necessary details of your account and can even carry out unauthorized transactions.

So, these are some vital internet security tips that you must surely follow while surfing your internet banking account in order to stay safe from the reach of evil e-elements.

Like big businesses, small businesses have varied requirements from infrastructure, IT deployment, daily operation, and manpower to data management. However unlike big businesses, small businesses have budget constraints that often limit their scope of expansion and expenditures in the needful projects. Despite the limitations it doesn't mean that small businesses do not have options. In fact there is a plethora of options available for small businesses to fulfill their wide-ranging business requirements.

One of such options is cloud storage, also called as online storage, for data management, which is the biggest need of small businesses. Cloud storage is an answer to all the prayers related to data backup and restore of small businesses which are more prone to data loss/damage as compared to large businesses. According to a survey, 70% of the small businesses shut down within one year of their operations after they suffer major data. According to a survey conducted by Sage North America, about 62% small companies do not have a proper disaster recovery plan in place for safety from catastrophic disasters, man-made debacles, accidental deletions, thefts, power outages, hardware failure. In the same survey, it was concluded that around 33% of the businesses do not have data backup and recovery plans in place because there hasn't been observed any catastrophic disasters or emergencies in their areas while around 30% said that "have never thought about it". Around 28% of the participants said that they regularly back up their data because they have major data losses in the past.

This is the poorest scenario for any small business that needs to be able to run properly without facing operational hitches which may occur and recue in the absence of a proper data backup and recovery plan. If you run a small business from your home or office, you can understand how vital it is to keep your data organized and safe to be able to meet the tailor-made demands to your clients, protect your business ideas and information from competitors, and from employees who might take advantage of your personal or professional information for monetary purposes among other things.

The question that arises here is 'why small businesses do not pay attention to data backup and recovery plans when they cannot prevent a tornado or other such catastrophic disasters, accidental deletions, thefts, power outages, or hardware failure for that matter from occurring'? Small businesses may be taking this risk because data management is not affordable for them. Besides, regular data backups and recoveries on several devices involve lots of hassles that put them off from maintaining proper data management plans. However with the onset of cloud storage, it has become extremely convenient and affordable for small businesses to maintain data. Businesses can back up their data as many times as they want and access it anytime, anywhere from their computers, Smartphones, tablets, servers, and networks etc. connected to the Internet.

Since your data is stored in a cloud server, which is the only place for all your digital possessions viz. emails, contacts, documents, images, family videos, music numbers, social network updates, and bank details etc., the cost of regularly data backups and recoveries drastically come down. It's is because you don't have to use multiple hard disks and/or USB devices to store your data. In the cloud server, your data is stored once and forever. You can access, add, delete, edit, re-edit, backup and restore your business data as many times as you want without going through the lengthy and cumbersome procedure.

In fact the data stored in a cloud server remains protected and safe from the tactics of hackers. Besides, cloud storage services are scalable as you can store higher volumes of data according to your needs. With cloud storage, it only takes a computer, server or mobile device with an active Internet connection or Wi-Fi to be able to manage the data. Such a flexibility and convenience is absent from the external storage media on which the cost of backing up and recovering data is also very high, in fact the highest.

Considering that cloud storage is the only contemporary, affordable, and viable solution for small businesses and users, several major tech giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Netgear, and McAfee among others have come up with integrated cloud storage. Cloud storage is around 1,000 times more affordable than the external backup media whose reliability and safety are always at risk due to environment, physical conditions, catastrophic emergencies, accidental deletions, thefts, and other contingencies. Thus, if you own a small business, make sure that you cloud-power your data. It's your choice to keep spending big money on the external storage media or spend only once and forever with a cloud storage services. It's your choice if you want peace of mind or want to constantly run around losing business, clients, and money.

Cloud storage has been in use for some period of time and this has been very true due to the rising popularity of the service. The variety of reasons that provide basis for the use of the cloud services are as different as the various different businesses and people searching for the services. The biggest reason behind looking for the cloud storage services is finding backups to the information and all other material that they may have and want to avoid the situation and disaster which would happen. The cloud storage has changed how people carry, transfer an
d store data in the present age when people have very large data like the photos and music. Thus cloud storage is all about having backed up data in remote servers and it offers big flexibility in terms of backups and recovery.

Companies as well as individuals are purchasing the cloud computing services in order to boost business and cut down on the risks involved in handling data and especially client and customer data and the confidential data belonging to the company. The advantages associated with the cloud storage services have been responsible for the popularity and the big acceptance rate with these services. Service quality is one big feature which contributes heavily to the success of the cloud storage service and it arises from the business model and the competition in the niche. The companies can all guarantee that the up time and the resource will be available at every possible opportunity. The services have been such that it is entrenched in the contract and experts are at hand to handle any of the problems which may arise. The other big advantage is that of scalability and this is a big factor behind companies going for the service. It affords them the chance to play around with the resources at hand by increasing or decreasing their needs.

A look at the other advantages of the cloud storage and services will surely indicate that the accessibility of data from about any point provided there will be a computer and an internet connection. Cloud computing has revolutionalized the accessibility of data and has made sure that data is accessible from about anywhere around the world. This is made possible through the interface created by the cloud service provider which only requires that you enter a password which will be matched to the username provided. Security is yet another very big advantage which is associated with the cloud storage and this has been possible since a network of servers has been put in place to ensure that security is totally guaranteed. Thus hackers are not in a position to go in and find a specific server which will hold the data that you have and specifically hijack the data. The location of your data is at best unknown to hackers and criminals and thus incidences of data theft are not even conceivable. Again other security measures are provided albeit at a cost and which will surely provide additional and guaranteed security of data. The other advantage of the cloud storage is that backup is done automatically new material has been added to the folders in the directory and this can be best said to be real time. It is thus more effective and provides less of a hassle to have all data backed up. The cloud storage is cheaper comparative to buying of storage hardware and hence resources can be directed elsewhere.

The drawbacks of the cloud storage are not many but it is still important that they are mentioned to provide just the most correct information. Individual users and small business are slightly disadvantaged when it comes to costs which are linked to space requirements. Network connection may let down the cloud services especially at the time of need. Even with guaranteed uptime, the risk will always exist and may affect a business with varying severity. Security is the last disadvantage with the cloud services. Even though hackers have no specific data to target, due to the interconnection of the servers, there are concerns that when breached as seen in some recent incidences the damage can be vast due to the connected nature of the servers and systems. Finally, cloud storage offers the best method of backing up data and perhaps the noted disadvantages arise from the fact that the technology is still very new.


A proper solution is to find companies providing excellent Cloud computing  like Shadowrestore, a division of Guardian Network Solutions. Shadowrestore guarantees data integrity.

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Looking for hard-to-find songs over the Internet? You have three basic choices. One is to visit online stores and see if you can check out what you want for a few dollars. Another option is to visit free download sites that may or may not carry the songs you want. The third option is the most popular among the savvy Internet users: get it through a file sharing program.

The success rate for finding the file you need through file sharing is very high, as file sharing programs allow access to various users. Downloading is faster, too, as file sharing is a method that allows users to get files from other people's hard drives and store them directly in their own. The result is less loading on bandwidths. And in most cases, the transaction is free, too. Additionally, today songs or mp3's are not the only files available for download. Users can get full-length movies and software through free file sharing.

But this newfound freedom for Internet users is slowly being restricted by many factors. One is the growing vulnerability of users to viruses that can freely attach themselves to files being shared across the Internet. Also, companies that produce original music, movies, photos, and software are filing for hold orders on these file-sharing programs on the grounds that the arbitrary sharing of their works for free violates their intellectual property rights. Before accessing any file through a file-sharing program, check first for your local state or country's guidelines and laws on file sharing.

Despite these drawbacks, however, the number of free file sharing programs has grown, and more people are discovering the joys and convenience of downloading media files for free. Developers of these free file-sharing programs have to formulate ways to aid their users in outsmarting hackers and virus infectors.

File Sharing has got easier with the emergence of hosting services. There is a constant need for storing files in a secure way. Your computer may lose its ability to work if you overload it with files. There are many external storage devices to backup data. However, there is a high risk of those devices getting lost or damaged physically. If you get to lose the external storage device that holds important information about your employer, then you may lose your job. The best alternative to back up data is store it online.

If you are in a large business, then your job may involve you to distribute files. Fetching the files from your computer and sending it over email every time is time consuming. If your host your files online, you can easily share it with a network of users in no time. Some services also communicate to the users whenever a change is made to an existing file.

Sharing files will help you promote your business in quick time. You may share information about your products and services by online file sharing. By sharing your files online, you can also find the number of visitors who viewed the information about your product and services. By doing so, you can target and promote your business to those who view more about your products. You can also get feedback from those who viewed the shared information. Getting feedback will help you to take your business reach new heights.

If you are on a busy schedule working for multiple employers, you may fail to remember the locations where you stored the files. When you want to share a file that is stored on your computer, you have to spend loads of time to find its location. However, by hosting files online you don't have to spend time searching for location of your file. The hosting services lets you categorize your file and retrieve it in a flash of a second. There are many services that automatically updates the changes made to the file in all the systems connected to it.

There are plenty of advantages in hosting and sharing your files. You don't have to worry about the file size. Many hosting services provide huge size and bandwidth to store files. You can even retrieve the archived files at the time of need. There are so many hosting services that provide the hosting and file sharing services for a nominal cost.

If you are not interested in paying for a hosting service, you can even choose to buy your own file server to host your files. However, if you want to save on the cost and efforts, it is better to take the help of a hosting service rather than buying a server. The following tips will help you choose the best file hosting and sharing services. Determine the storage capacity and band width offered by the service. Check for the security settings that will let you control the sharing ability of the file. Check whether it is possible to upload the files from remote systems. You can even research online to find the best file sharing services.

The MS SQL server tutorials provide all the details needed for understanding the databases and how they perform. The user must know what SQL server is and what is required to make full use of it. SQL server 2008 and SQL server 2000 are the most widely used applications.

SQL Server: The tutorials about SQL Server have lessons about the server, different editions, how to create database, creating table, adding data, designer, views, stored procedures, logins, linked servers, and integration services. Basically the MS SQL server is a management system that is created to work on different platforms like laptops or large servers. It is used as the backend system for many websites and it can help a number of users. There are many tools that help in maintenance of database and other tasks like programming.

Server: The database systems that are based on server are programmed in such a way that they run with the help of a central server and any number of users will be able to have access to the data at the same time with the help of an application. The users can do multiple tasks like accessing the data, updating of data, and anything that they want to do. SQL server has features that help the application in all its functions.

Editions: There are many editions to SQL server 2008 and the user will choose the one that suits his requirements. For a free database management, the user will choose the Express or Compact edition. There is also an Evaluation edition which permits the user to try the Server 2008 for about 180 days. Some of the notable editions of SQL Server 2008 are:

Enterprise edition that has better availability and security for applications related to business; Standard edition that provides easy management of data management and to run departmental applications; workgroup edition for secured synchronization at the remote end, and to run branch applications; Developer edition that can be made use of by one user in testing, developing, and demonstrating the programs in any number of systems; Web edition for web hosters; Express edition for learning purposes; Compact edition meant for applications for desk tops, mobile services and web customers; and Evaluation edition for evaluating the purposes till the trial period is over.

Creating database: SQL server makes use of SQL Server Management Studio as the console for administration. It helps in creating databases, views, tables and so on, and to access the data, configuring the accounts, and to transfer data to other databases. The Object Explorer guides the user to databases and to files. The user can get results by writing queries on data. Any amount of databases can be created with SQL server Management. After creating a database, the user can change the configuration of the database with the help of options available. Tables can also be created with the help of the options. The user can control the type of data in each column and thus have integrity of the data maintained. Options such as editing and adding data are also available to the user. Re-entering the data is facilitated by writing a SQL script. The user can use and run the SQL query for inserting data, updating it or deleting it.

Query designer: This interface permits the user to create queries to be run against the database and to create queries which will include views or tables. It is very useful for the beginners who want to learn to use SQL as the syntax need not be remembered for creating queries.

View: A view in SQL server is store din the database and when run, it permits the user to see the outcome of it from multiple databases. This is particularly useful when many users want to access the data at various levels. They can have access to specific rows or columns of a table.

Stored procedures: These are of great value to the programmers when they work on databases. The programmers can make the procedures work from either the SQL Server management or any other application based on their requirement. The advantages of the stored procedures are many, such as quicker execution, less traffic, and security. The user can configure SQL server security accounts, create linked servers, database maintenance, create scheduled jobs, replication, text search and many more.

Logins: SQL Server helps in creating user logins for every individual who wants to access the server. Based on the requirement of the user, the logins can be created to enable access. Not everyone should be provided with access to server role. The server role is useful for performing any task in the server, create options of configuration, help in managing logins and permissions, and managing files.

Database Schema: It is a means of grouping the data and works as a container. The user can be assigned permission to a single schema so that he can access only the ones that they are permitted to. The schemes can be configured in a database. Linked Servers permit the users to connect to another server remotely.