What is the Internet and WWW?
The Internet is an international global network or "network of networks". The Internet allows its users to interact with each other as well as find or publish all sorts of information... | more info »

What are "ports" and "protocols"?
Basically a port is an access channel and a protocol is a standardized way for computers to exchange information.... | more info »

Securing your Windows XP vol. 1   NEW!
First part of the article where we discuss things to do when we want to enhance the security of computer running Windows XP as its operating system, next part coming up soon!... | more info »

Social engineering as applied to the ordinary home computer user
This brief article focuses on some of the most common social engineering schemes to attack personal information... | more info »

One man's job   NEW!
In this article our writer, Andrew Cooper is investigating modern practical ways to cure a virus-plagued home computer... | more info »

Peer-to-peer networks: what you should know
This new article explains what the P2P network is all about, focusing on its principles, development history and guidelines for a safer use...  | more info »

Firewalls and Leak Tests: face-to-face battles
Nowadays, online data security is a critical concern. Often in the media we hear worrisome news of someone misusing somebody else's information, cases of loss or theft of data and various equipment malfunctions...  | more info »

Passwords: Common Attacks and Possible Solutions
This article focuses on the modern ways of safely storing and using passwords to access network resources... | more info »

How can you be attacked?
Oddly enough, there are some people who like to spend their day trying to find other people's computers that are open to them and without proper safeguards any computer is wide open. The intruder will gain access to all the data stored on your computer and can delete, copy or edit any file you have... | more info »

How To Protect Your Computer From Attacks
To safeguard your computer on the Internet, it is not enough just to install protective software and improve your system configuration settings... | more info »

Quick reference to Windows Ports
In this article we will review some vulnerable ports used by Windows operating systems. You will find out about what services use the ports and learn how to fix vulnerabilities exposed by the ports... | more info »

Always On, Always Vulnerable
Read an excerpt from Douglas Schweitzer' book "Internet Security Made Easy"... | more info »

Trojan Horses: How Can I Get Infected?
Learn how you can be infected by trojan horses... | more info »

Internet Relay Chat — IRC the Place to Be?
Originated by Jarkko Oikarinen of Finland in 1988, IRC has become a popular means for Internet communications. While IRC may sound inviting, it also presents some serious security risks... | more info »

Creating And Maintaining Strong Passwords
The purpose of this article is to briefly explore various strategies, as well as provide you with recommendations in a process of creating and maintaining strong passwords... | more info »

Physical Security - The Hidden Dangers
Physical Security - an aspect of Security not that often overlooked and discussed as it should be. This article seeks to provide summarized tips and recommendations for the proper and secure maintenance of your computer... | more info »

How to toughen the weakest link in the security chain
While organizations around the globe routinely employ the use of powerful firewalls, antivirus software and sophisticated intrusion detection systems to guard precious information assets, they often neglect the most important and vulnerable security component, the human element... | more info »

Making IM safer place to be
Organizations around the globe are beginning to realize the benefits of including instant messaging (IM) capabilities on their company networks. But IM products also allow users to freely transfer potentially virus-ridden files and conduct unencrypted chat sessions that can be attractive to reasonably knowledgeable hackers...  | more info »

Goodbye Antivirus?
There was a time when antivirus software was the only security tool used for home PCs. That time has passed into history and someday your grandchildren will sit on your knee and be amazed at your telling them about it. But, should we say "Good bye" to our antivirus software?  | more info »

What is a Java Applet?
A Java applet is a small application written in the Java programming language... | more info »

What is ActiveX?
Microsoft ActiveX is a bundle of technologies that allow different applications to exchange data and files over a network... | more info »

What is a Trojan Horse's Trapdoor?
A Trojan has two parts: server and client. The server part is a program or file that is installed on the perspective but unknowing victim's machine to infect it... | more info »

Trojan Classes
Trojans can be divided into groups or classes. Right now there're seven classes of Trojans... | more info »

Stopping New Generation of Internet Worms: Mission Impossible?
The new generation of worms can produce a real havoc to the whole Internet community, hence, the Internet economy... | more info »

Dangers posed by the Internet Browsing
This brief article consists of small tips that would definitely enhance your current level of Security Awareness while browsing the Internet... | more info »

Backdoor or rootkit? Maybe Netstat can help!
One of the most worrisome aspects of computer intrusions is that hackers (generally) prefer to avoid fame and usually seek to hide their presence on compromised systems... | more info »

PGP: the place to be   NEW!
First material dedicated to the data encryption, this article offers an overview of what the encryption is and how it can be implemented at home to facilitate a personalised, dedicated and secure data transfer... | more info »

What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small text file saved onto your hard drive by your browser as directed by the web site being viewed... | more info »

What is a referrer?
When you browse a web site, it can collect various data about you... | more info »

What is Ad Ware?
Ad Ware is software that contains advertising... | more info »

What is Spy Ware?
Spy Ware is any software that is used to acquire personal information about a user... | more info »

A funny hoax scares users
We have been receiving lot of messages asking us to help and give a word of advice on "how to prevent my hard drive from being viewed over the Net" and "how to close this security hole". So what is this frightening vulnerability that shocked so many users? | more info »

What are sniffers?
Term “sniffer” can probably sound familiar to you, especially if security is one of your interests. But possibly you’re not pretty sure what a sniffer is and what it is used for... | more info »

Browser Helper Objects: Help you can sometimes do without
There is a small program called a Browser Helper Object (BHO) that automatically runs every time you start your Internet Explorer Web browser... | more info »

How can I fight Spam?
Unsolicited, junk e-mail, known as spam, is more than just an annoyance. This article provides useful tips which can help you remove or at least minimize spam from your inbox... | more info »

Spam today: more information   NEW!
This latest article gives its readers a new look on the issue of SPAM -- a menacingly growing threat to many Internet users... | more info »

Anti-virus Software
Anti-virus software checks your system for the presence of viruses and deletes them if found... | more info »

Anti-Trojans
Anti-Trojan software is designed to prevent attacks via Trojan horses and to delete Trojans if any is discovered on your machine... | more info »

Firewalls
A firewall is software that protects your system when it's connected to the Internet. It is named after the firewall used by fire fighters that acts as a barrier to a spreading fire... | more info »

Which software to choose?
There are three basic types of software designed to protect Internet users. These are firewalls, anti-Trojans and anti-virus software... | more info »

The Best Tools to neutralize Trojan horses
We have selected and downloaded ten leading anti-virus and anti-trojan products for our test. To determine how many Trojan horses each product "knows", all the programs have been offered to check 1390 files, all infected by different Trojans... | more info »

PC Flank challenges firewalls!
We have selected and downloaded eight leading pesonal firewalls for our Stealth test. Each firewall was tested with default settings... | more info »

Personal firewalls vs Leak Tests
Since most users do not know which firewall to choose it is becoming important to learn more about advantages and flaws of each product. We have already tested how effective most popular firewalls are in making users' computers stealth (invisible) on the Internet. Now our goal is to test outbound filtering features provided by today's firewalls... | more info »

Personal firewalls roadmap
What users should expect from personal firewall? What is the future of firewalls?... | more info »

Personal firewalls Support Comparison
We have already discussed the essential features of today's personal firewalls. But there is yet another factor all users should consider when choosing a firewall as well as any other software. This factor is a product Support level... | more info »

The "Real world" anti-trojan tools comparison
In our previous comparison we have offered all selected programs to check 1390 files from our trojan horses database. But there were some claims that was a "laboratory" kind of examination as some of those trojans were not prevalent and thus the results of the test did not reflect the real status of each product... | more info »

Personal firewalls vs. Stealth Test, part II
Almost six months ago we tested leading personal firewalls with our Stealth test. The results were surprising: only four firewalls were able to pass the test. Now we decided to check if other developers have improved their products... | more info »

WinXP firewall: good and bad points
Windows XP operating system goes with built-in firewall software known as Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). But should users enable it? In this brief article we will try to find the answer... | more info »

Personal Firewalls vs. Leak Tests: Part II: "Leak Tests Win Again!"   
PC Flank team decided to once again determine if the new leak tests really point out the weak points of firewalls... | more info »