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When a file is deleted from your computer, its contents aren’t immediately destroyed. Windows simply marks the hard drive space as being available for use by changing one character in the file table so that the file entry won’t be displayed in My Computer or a commandline DIR command, etc. If you manage to start an undeletion process before Windows uses that part of the hard drive to write a new file, all you have to do is set that flag back to “on,” and you get the file. Pretty cool, eh?

Obviously, the sooner you try to restore a file, the more successful you’ll be. But stop a moment and think about the other things that could cause this part of the hard drive to be overwritten. If your hard drive is pretty full, the odds are much greater that Windows will grab your precious unallocated space for its next write. Or, if you defrag the hard drive, you run the risk of unused parts of the drive being overwritten! (This also means that if you are running silent background defrag services like Diskeeper, or if you have defrag utilities scheduled to defrag automatically, you might get blindsided — lose your chance at data recovery — if you don’t halt them until you have your deleted file recovered. Tip from MS-MVP Manny Carvalho.)

NOTE: This risk from defragging is not necessarily as severe as I previously thought. For example, on one test with a half-full C: partition, I had 8,926 recoverable files before a defrag, and 8,915 recoverable files after. Nonetheless, it’s a good thing I didn’t want to recover the 11 files that were lost in the process!

For that matter, simply starting up Windows or, to a lesser extent, shutting down Windows causes many tiny files to be written. You really want to avoid these processes if at all possible.

So the first rule is: STOP USING THAT COMPUTER IMMEDIATELY! Use another computer to get the recovery tool you will need.

This is also one of the places where well-planned partitioning of your hard drive has a huge advantage. Partitions physically mark off different parts of the hard drive. If, for example, you have your data and program files on their own separate partitions, and it’s a data file that you want to recover (which is usually the case), then Windows startup or shutdown won’t touch that part of the hard drive. If you have the swapfile / pagefile on its own partition, and all of your directories for temporary files on another, then these most-changing and most-written files also will be kept from overwriting the part of the drive holding the files you want to recover. However, if you take that 80 GB hard drive and make it all one big single C: partition, then you run the risk of making your file unrecoverable anytime the swapfile resizes, or any time Windows writes a temporary file of any kind… and this could be pretty much at any moment whatsoever! Partitioning gives enormous advantage in file recovery. You must know how to do partition of your hard disk too.

Data Security Data Security, data-safety, data_recovery, drive_space, file_recovery, hard_drive

Who is Cyclades?

Cyclades is the leader in next-generation IT infrastructure management. The company’s OOBI (oo-bee) (Out-of-Band Infrastructure) solutions offer a comprehensive system of products and services that reduces IT operational costs and risks, while increasing the productivity of IT assets and personnel. More than 8,000 organizations, including 85 percent of the FORTUNE 100, depend on Cyclades’ technology and services.

What do Cyclades products do?

Cyclades’ AlterPath OOBI System provides secure alternate paths into the production IT infrastructure, enabling administrators to remotely access, diagnose and restore disconnected assets to normal operation, along with a host of other valuable services. Designed to seamlessly integrate and deploy into the enterprise, Cyclades’ AlterPath solutions include console servers, KVM and KVM over IP, power control and a manager to control the entire out-of-band infrastructure. Cyclades products provide:

• Wide coverage of data center equipment, including servers, network and telecommunications equipment, monitoring and control devices. They support and are independent of vendor, physical media, protocol, operating system and hardware platform.
• Consolidation of data center infrastructure management beyond simple remote access to individual devices. They allow for event detection, auditing and automation of the management routine, minimizing the need for human intervention.
• Integration with other legacy and emerging management technologies. They incorporate support for all the standard management protocols, including IPMI, serial console, KVM, SNMP and interoperate with vendor-specific solutions and enterprise management systems.

What benefits do Cyclades products deliver?

Cyclades products and solutions reduce IT operational costs and risks, while increasing the productivity of IT assets and personnel. They provide remote access, monitoring and management of equipment, minimizing the need for human intervention and reducing maintenance costs at the data center and remote sites while allowing for faster problem solving and higher network availability.

Why are Cyclades products necessary in today’s marketplace?

Because distributed networks and mission critical applications are being implemented on clusters or server farms (a collection of two or more computers cooperating to execute a task) rather than on a single large mainframe, console servers and power management devices are indispensable elements in managing any large computer installation.

The ability to remotely manage servers and network equipment is the most critical aspect of network administration. An effective OOBI (Out-of-Band Infrastructure), made possible by Cyclades console servers, KVM switches, Intelligent Power Distribution Units and IPMI Managers, enables “lights out” data center operation with centralized and more automated network management. In addition, time and travel expenses associated with sending a specialist to a remote location to resolve problems is eliminated. The result: reduced costs and downtime along with improved service levels.

What is Cyclades advantage in the marketplace?

Cyclades differentiates offers not only the physical access gateways for out-of-band management (console server and power distribution units, etc.), but also integrating and consolidating those components under a platform that enables the automation and remote operation of the data center.

As a pioneer in Open Source development, Cyclades leverages on embedded Linux technology and adherence to open standards to offer products that have superior flexibility, security, and platform-independence.

How do Cyclades products differ from system management products like HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli and BMC Patrol?

In a typical large data center, system management tools based on SNMP (e.g., HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli, BMC Patrol) rely on the production data network for the transport of the management information. If connectivity to one or more IT assets is lost, these tools become ineffective. (The situation is comparable to a phone line that is not working. Because it is down, it can’t be used to the phone company with a repair request.) An alternative path is needed to reach the disconnected IT assets and restore them back into the production network. These alternative paths are collectively referred to as an OOBI (oo-bee), or Out-of-Band Infrastructure. The OOBI complements system management tools by providing a facility to reconnect affected assets without the need for a site visit or physical presence at the asset.

Computer security Research Computer-security, computer-security-management, Computer-security-market-research, cyclades, information-security

Are you going to do custom creation for data encryption. You must think before you do any thing. The draw backs are as follow.

1. Unless you are an encryption expert, odds are any encryption system you create from scratch will not provide more than a trivial level of protection. Unsalted, one-way password hashes or “ROTx” forms of encryption are easily defeated with a little work.
2. If your encryption breaks due to your own incompetence, then your data is ruined. You did keep unencrypted backups of everything, right? (And even if you did, isn’t that a security hole right there?)
3. It’s scarcely worth your time when there are professional-level, industrial-strength encryption solutions available off the shelf. Devote your time to building a good, solid database, not reinventing the wheel.

Encryption data_encryption, Encryption, encryption_solutions, encryption_system, industrial_strength_encryption, security_hole

There is no silver bullet or single solution to stop or combat spam, phishing and online deception — it takes a combination of innovative technologies, user education, effective and strong enforcement, and collaboration with industry, business, and governments. The Sender ID Framework is an example of a simple yet innovative, cost effective and easy-todeploy solution, developed in collaboration with organizations throughout the world. SIDF has two parts: a DNS record that identifies SMTP servers authorized to send e-mail,
and an authentication mechanism that uses that DNS record to verify that inbound e-mai is from an authorized server. Together with reputation data, SIDF plays an important role in the fight against spam by authenticating the sender and applying reputation data. This enables valid messages that might otherwise be identified as bad to be delivered to the
Inbox, and conversely keeps messages that are spoofed and do not pass authentication out
of the Inbox. In doing so, SIDF helps protect users from unwanted e-mail, delivers the email
that users want, and helps keep company brands protected from bad messages that
may hurt their reputation and expose their customers to risk.
Sophisticated spammers recognize that domains that have implemented SIDF are highly
resistant to spoofing and phishing attacks and are not worth their time. As adoption of SIDF
has increased, we have witnessed spammers moving to softer targets, providing early
adopters of SIDF a competitive advantage. Large international banks, online retailers such
as eBay and PayPal, and online service providers such as GoDaddy.com and Windows Live
Hotmail have all implemented Sender-ID and have benefited from the protection it
provides their brand and their customers.

Download the full review at Microsoft 

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) today announced that McAfee® VirusScan® Mobile, which is included in McAfee’s Triple Play offer, is now available for download at http://us.mcafee.com. McAfee currently offers market-leading defense for consumers’ PCs and Internet experiences, and the new mobile security component protects against threats that originate from e-mail, instant messages and multimedia downloads in various mobile devices.

Consumers who purchase McAfee Total Protection or McAfee Internet Security Suite get McAfee VirusScan Mobile at no additional charge.

“Mobile Internet use, which now involves everything from e-mail to payments and mobile security, will become of greater importance as threats evolve,” said Todd Gebhart, senior vice president and general manager, McAfee Consumer, Mobile and Small Business. “While not yet widespread, McAfee Avert® Labs has identified 450 different mobile threat variants, including viruses and spyware that can threaten devices and personal information. McAfee VirusScan® Mobile is proactive protection, providing customers with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are protected today against the mobile threats of the future.”

McAfee VirusScan Mobile is designed from the ground up to provide mobile protection. It guards against threats and protects the device at entry points, including SMS, MMS and e-mail. It automatically scans incoming and outgoing data for malicious code and continuously monitors and analyzes mobile data and files. VirusScan Mobile also seamlessly interacts with McAfee’s Avert Labs for the latest protection updates.

Read full story at McAfee

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Trend Micro, Incorporated (TSE: 4704), a leader in network antivirus and Internet content security software, today announced a new total Web security service for PLAYSTATION®3 (hereinafter referred to as PS3™) released by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.Trend Micro Web Security for PS3 is expected to be available on November 8, and will be free of charge until the end of April 2008*2. This service is the first globally supported Web security service for a home game system. The service provision starts on November 8 as part of PS3’s system software update version 2.00 for PS3s sold worldwide with the user interface in 16 languages*3.

Overview of “Trend Micro Web Security for PS3”
Home game systems with Web site browsing capabilities will continue to proliferate, and Web browsing via a game console is expected to become more and more popular. With the growing trend, users may also become more susceptible to malicious Web sites through the game system, or may have a chance to become the victim of cybercrime that targets monetary transactions such as shopping, banking, and securities trading through Web sites.

This service is developed as a module especially for PS3 using Trend Micro’s own Web reputation and URL filtering technology. By using this service, a wide range of PS3 users can feel safe to browse the Internet.

Function: Blocks malicious and harmful websites
Access to websites that are classified into specific categories (Adult/Sex, Alcohol/Tobacco, Crime, Cults/The Occult, Gambling, Hacking/Proxy Avoidance, Illegal Drugs, Sex Education, Violence/Hate/Racism, Weapons/Military, etc.) can be blocked simply by going to the PS3 Internet Browser menu,*4 selecting “Tool,” and then selecting “Trend Micro Web Security for PS3” from “Browser Security.” A password will be needed.

Read full story at Trend Micro 

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Trend Micro Incorporated (TSE: 4704), a leader in network antivirus and Internet content security software and services, today announced the results of its third Internet Confidence and Safety Survey which was first conducted in August 2006 and is carried out twice a year. The study provides an overall measurement of consumers’ confidence and perceived safety of the Internet. The overall global confidence and safety score increased from a confidence index of 39.9 to an index of 40.7, due to an increase in Japanese and U.S. consumers’ confidence and perceived safety.In the U.S., respondents who view the Internet as currently being “very safe” increased from 45 percent in February 2007 to 53 percent in August 2007. Similarly, U.S. respondents who believe the Internet will be much safer in the next six months increased from 26 percent in February to 32 percent in August. The survey also found that as U.S. consumers have more confidence in the Internet, they engage in riskier behavior. Respondents who reported they bank online increased 9 percent; and 16 percent, compared to 12 percent in February, reported the use of public hotspots for Wi-Fi access.   

Read full story at Trend Micro 

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Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the launch of Norton Smartphone Security, the first consumer mobile security offering to provide a solution for both the Windows Mobile and Symbian OS ™ in one product. This new product features best-in-class Norton AntiVirus technology as well as a firewall and antispam for SMS (Short Message Service). Symantec designed Norton Smartphone Security to provide mobile users the same level of security that has become standard for laptops and other computing devices.“Smartphones are expanding consumer freedom to communicate and access important information anytime, anywhere,” said Rowan Trollope, senior vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec. “However, unsecure public WiFi or network connections can put users at risk. In addition, Web and e-mail viruses can directly infect smartphones, enabling hackers to remotely control the device, access sensitive information or disable applications. Norton Smartphone Security runs discreetly in the background, providing the confidence and peace of mind to engage in everyday activities like e-mailing, Web browsing or banking online from these handheld devices.”

This solution will be unique in its own kind. There are very less solutions of such type in the market.

Read detail at Symantec 

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Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) concludes that cyber criminals are increasingly becoming more professional – even commercial – in the development, distribution and use of malicious code and services. While cybercrime continues to be driven by financial gain, cyber criminals are now utilizing more professional attack methods, tools and strategies to conduct malicious activity.“As the global cyber threat continues to grow, it has never been more important to remain vigilant and informed on the evolving threat landscape,” said Dan Lohrmann, chief information security officer, State of Michigan. “Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report continues to provide us with critical information on the most current online security trends, helping us better protect our state’s infrastructure and citizen information.”

Read more at Symantec

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Wireless phones and devices become more prevalent in today’s society, it is inevitable that these devices become more difficult to properly secure. Antivirus giant Symantec suggests users are wising up to a growing threat of mobile phone viruses. But one company which handles support for major mobile operators claims the threat is being blown well out of proportion and the latest figures reveal a gulf between “perception and reality”.”If you look at the viruses out there currently there are about 14 core viruses, the majority of which are fairly benign. They are mostly developed as proof of concept to warn manufacturers of handsets and operating systems or the antivirus industry about potential vulnerabilities,”

There are only few viruses for mobile phones but still the research is needed in this area. As the technology is growing the more high tech phones are being produced by the companies. These phones are more vulnerable than the older ones due to the facilities like accessing internet, emails etc through the phones.

Be careful use the phone as you are using your computer. Microsoft give some tips on securing your mobile device, the tips are as follow

1- Only download or accept programs and content (including photos, video clips, ring tones, mobile device themes, and games) from a source you trust.

2- If your phone is equipped with Bluetooth, turn it off or set it to non-discoverable mode when you’re not using it. Only accept incoming data from a source you trust. For more information, see the instructions that came with your mobile device.

3- If your phone is equipped with Beam (also known as Infrared), only allow it to receive incoming beams when you’re receiving data from a source you trust.

You can find more at Microsoft 

Computer security technology accessing_internet, Computer-security-technology, handsets, mobile_phone_viruses, symantec, Vulnerabilities, wireless_phones

On Tuesday October 23, two Microsoft executives, Scott Charney and Ben Fathi, presented keynotes at the IAPP Privacy Academy (San Francisco) and the RSA Europe Conference (London) respectively. They highlighted recently completed research findings that show that more collaboration between privacy and security officers is critical to helping prevent breaches of personal information.

You can watch or listen the Scott and Benn keynotes at Microsoft

Scott Charney discussed how a holistic approach to security and privacy can help organizations responsibly protect and manage personal information, mitigate risk, achieve compliance, and promote trust and accountability. This is a must read article for business executives. He elaborated in a nice way to protect a small to big size business from information security threats.

Ben is a corporate vice president of development windows core operating system. Ben Fathi discussed the challenges and opportunities technology leaders face in maintaining security and privacy.

You can watch or listen the Scott and Benn keynotes at Microsoft

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The 2007 Microsoft® Office release is designed to help defeat attacks that target e-mail and desktop documents. Hundreds of security and privacy settings are available that allow you to ensure your deployment of the 2007 Office release balances your organization’s needs for security and functionality.

This guide explain how to deal with threats and the counter measures of those threats are also elaborated.

GPOAccelerator is also defined well and how to use it.

Spreadsheets security settings are also defined.

You can read more at Microsoft 

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