As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their
computers at school, home or in the office it�s only a matter of time
before they encounter a computer virus. Here are our top 10 steps to
protect you from computer viruses.
Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different
anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than
others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to
help you find the one that matches your needs.
Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus
software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email
messages, and any software programs you run.
Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a
yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More
advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for
�off hours� like 2AM when you aren�t likely to be using your computer.
Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating
systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you
check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date
versions of your software.
Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep
their documents in the �My documents� folder. This makes it easy to back
up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD
or USB drives.
If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like
your school computer lab, Kinko�s, or even digital photo printing store
make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for
not being up to date and properly protected.
Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as
potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren�t
expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but
weren�t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading
the contacts from an infected computer.
Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and
allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer
viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by
opening an attachment.
Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with
caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan
the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan
the program before you install it on your computer.
Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don�t
accept invitations from people you don�t know and never click a link
from someone you don�t trust, they can easily redirect you to another
website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Programmer's Guide To Understanding The Software Copyright Act
The Software Copyright Act, better known as the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act, has given software developers more power to protect their
works. If you've bought software in the last few years I'm sure you've
noticed some of the changes in the software buying process.
Some of the more noteworthy achievements of this Act are the following:
1) It is now a crime to break any anti-piracy measures in the software.
2) It is no longer legal to make, sale, or give away software or devices that were invented for the purpose of cracking codes enabling the illegal copying of software.
3) Limits the liability that ISPs (as far as copyright infringement violations) when information is transmitted online.
Most people don�t want to pirate software. Most of us by nature want to do the right thing. The problem lies in educating people that it is stealing when you bootleg, pirate, illegally download, or acquire copies of software that you didn't pay for. It's one of those �white lie� types of crimes for most people, and they don't see how it will hurt anyone to copy a game from a brother, cousin, uncle, or friend. Someone paid for it, after all. The problem is if 10 million people are duplicating software at $50 or more per copy, the loss of software royalties and profits are staggering. The Software Copyright Act seeks to protect businesses from losing money this way and curtail illegal downloading of copyrighted music and software.
A Software Copyright Statement Protects Current and Future Works
If you have a site dedicated to sharing and distributing open source software, it is a wise decision to have a software copyright statement that explains the limits of use for your software, as well as the limits of your responsibility for those who use your software. I also recommend getting an attorney to look over the statement before posting it just to be sure there are no legal issues that you may be unaware of.
A software copyright statement doesn't have to be a 10 page booklet on the law or the protections that copyright offers; it should be a simple short paragraph stating the basics and protecting you from litigation and/or responsibility. Your software copyright statement should also establish your ownership of the material.
A software copyright statement is only part of the process required to protect your software; it is also a significant deterrent to those who would abuse your copyright and/or your kindness to use and distribute your software. Even if you are charging people for the use of your software, you still need to protect the labor you have put into making not only the software but the distribution method, the website, the payment method and the thousands of other things that are part and parcel of the business model for your software distribution.
Most software developers, coders, and programmers aren't as concerned nearly as much about associating their name with the products they create. They also want to protect future potential income from their software. By protecting all your work with a software copyright statement you are not only protecting current works, but also future works as well.
Some of the more noteworthy achievements of this Act are the following:
1) It is now a crime to break any anti-piracy measures in the software.
2) It is no longer legal to make, sale, or give away software or devices that were invented for the purpose of cracking codes enabling the illegal copying of software.
3) Limits the liability that ISPs (as far as copyright infringement violations) when information is transmitted online.
Most people don�t want to pirate software. Most of us by nature want to do the right thing. The problem lies in educating people that it is stealing when you bootleg, pirate, illegally download, or acquire copies of software that you didn't pay for. It's one of those �white lie� types of crimes for most people, and they don't see how it will hurt anyone to copy a game from a brother, cousin, uncle, or friend. Someone paid for it, after all. The problem is if 10 million people are duplicating software at $50 or more per copy, the loss of software royalties and profits are staggering. The Software Copyright Act seeks to protect businesses from losing money this way and curtail illegal downloading of copyrighted music and software.
A Software Copyright Statement Protects Current and Future Works
If you have a site dedicated to sharing and distributing open source software, it is a wise decision to have a software copyright statement that explains the limits of use for your software, as well as the limits of your responsibility for those who use your software. I also recommend getting an attorney to look over the statement before posting it just to be sure there are no legal issues that you may be unaware of.
A software copyright statement doesn't have to be a 10 page booklet on the law or the protections that copyright offers; it should be a simple short paragraph stating the basics and protecting you from litigation and/or responsibility. Your software copyright statement should also establish your ownership of the material.
A software copyright statement is only part of the process required to protect your software; it is also a significant deterrent to those who would abuse your copyright and/or your kindness to use and distribute your software. Even if you are charging people for the use of your software, you still need to protect the labor you have put into making not only the software but the distribution method, the website, the payment method and the thousands of other things that are part and parcel of the business model for your software distribution.
Most software developers, coders, and programmers aren't as concerned nearly as much about associating their name with the products they create. They also want to protect future potential income from their software. By protecting all your work with a software copyright statement you are not only protecting current works, but also future works as well.
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