Here is a great article detailing botnets and how they affect everyone. Many people have had their computers infected by viruses that have turned their computer into a “bot”, meaning that their computer unknowingly is aiding a computer virus operator by performing functions that the owner doesn’t know about. The article goes on to detail the most “successful” bot program of all time (Storm) and show some of the dangers it has posed. An interesting read.

Reports continue to come in worldwide regarding pre-installed computer viruses of some sort being in place on gadgets that interact with computers. Whether we are talking digital cameras, digital photo frames, USB drives, or any other device, it is possible for a computer virus to be pre-loaded onto the item’s memory. This is not always done by the manufacturer, but should be a giant red flag to the manufacturers of these items that they need to work on and improve internet security. There are some great gadgets and gizmos out there… and there is no excuse that some aren’t safe to purchase.

Tech IT has issued a warning regarding a computer virus that is targeted at users of various instant messenger applications. The virus manifests itself as a seemingly benign hyperlink, but when activated it could infect the computer in use. This is not a new virus, but one of the more newer ways of spreading it. With the monstrous use of instant messenging, it is well worth it to remind people to not trust unknown links and to keep their computers up to date.

In a strange mix of technology and politics, there is discussion about not having online voting in statewide or national elections (primaries included) because some people believe that would leave democratic elections susceptible to computer virus and hacking attempts. While this is truly a possibility, it doesn’t stop us as a society from using the internet for banking and stock market transactions along with a myriad of other important and private maneuvers. There are a huge amount of complexities involved with coming up with a viable online voting program, but if people are able to pay for a t-shirt off of eBay online, the technology to allow them to vote should be achievable as well.

Very interesting news here for anyone involved with the IT industry. Temperature@lert, a company on the forefront of technology, has had their USB temperature sensor approved and accepted as a SPEC Power compliant device. The most exciting part is that Temperature@lert is the only company currently making an approved USB temperature sensor with 64-bit drivers. They seem to be a company that is forging their own path in the technology arena… not following the paths forged by others.

Full Press Release:

SPECpower_ssj2008 is the latest installment of an IT industry benchmark evaluates the power and performance characteristics in larger volume server class computers. It was created out of a need to monitor and regroup energy use from the IT industry and computer manufactures around the world.

SPECpower_ssj2008 does not only measure AC power from the source but it delivers a calibrated matrix for all computer functions including ambient temperature. There are two temperature measuring tools that are compatible with SPECpower_ssj2008 and the only one with support for 64-bit drivers is Temperarture@lert.

With the combination of the SPECpower_ssj2008 and Temperature@lert system administrators can run both temperature and power controls. The SPECpower_ssj2008 measures power for the AC input and combines the implementation to a performance metric. This provides pertinent information about what power considerations are made when considering which data center. Coupled with Temperature@lert, the power and temperature gradient works in symbiotic form to provide the best accuracy available in the IT industry.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Greg D. and his team at Dell Inc. whose deep knowledge and expertise made this possible.

For more information about SPECpower_ssj2008 visit: http://www.spec.org/power_ssj2008/

Movies come out all the time with different subject matter, but now comes a movie about a computer virus. The famous “I Love You” computer virus of the year 2000 affected (or should I say infected) millions of people and businesses around the world. Now a cast including Dean Cain (Superman from TV’s “Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman”) will tell the story of the “I Love You” virus and how it came to be. A look at a real life computer virus and how it affected the world is a new take on the tech world from Hollywood. Usual tech related movies are about completely fictional events, rarely are they historical in nature at all. Let’s hope the film is good… great… uh, Super!

Avast, a successful anti-virus software company, has hit an enormous milestone recently. They have registered their 50 millionth user in their history. This is an awesome achievement and certain lends credence to Avast’s claim of being the best anti-virus program available. Can 50 million customers really be wrong?

Here is the link to a news release detailing how a local central Oregon hospital was attacked by a computer virus and had many of the records of their contributors exposed.

Be Careful Who You Trust With Your Anti-Virus Solutions

The former CEO of a Korean based computer software company was recently indicted on charges he sold a fake anti-virus detection program to 1.26 million computer users. Remember, getting your anti-virus software from a reputable company is about as important as every other step you take in the computer virus removal phase of your company’s operation. If your virus protection software is no good, you may as well have not bought anything at all.

There are plenty of sources out there for good and serviceable computer virus protection programs. Some cost plenty of money, some are reasonably priced, and yes some are even free-of-charges. Investigate which one is right for you. Consult people in-the-know in tech forums, read reviews at any number of online software review sites, and above all make personal face-to-face contact with people in your area and find out what it is that they use.

Be smart, don’t fall victim to a questionable company like this.

Why do Internet criminals want our money? It seems like an easy question to answer, but sometimes there is a little more to the motivations of people than you would think at first glance. This article explores the motivations of online criminals… from typical scammers to virus programmers.