Unblock and Block Programs Using Windows 7 Firewall

Windows Firewall in Windows 7 provides two-way firewall protection to control computer programs using the Internet connection. Find out how to you can block and unblock applications using Windows 7 firewall.

Firewall Protection in Windows 7

 

The built-in firewall in Windows is similar to third-party firewall program because of its ability to block or unblock ports that a computer program may need to be able to use the Internet connection. This is a common problem if the firewall has determined that a particular connection to the server by a program is not responding to request by the user and if no data is received. A firewall is doing its task in protecting the computer. For any event in which the firewall in Windows prevents the connection, the user will be notified and there are options on how Windows firewall will act on an unresponsive server request by a program. The options are to keep blocking, unblock, or to ask you later.
In some cases, the program may keep changing the ports to use and the firewall is not configured to allow the connection on particular port because it is blocked or not open.

Fixing Connection Problems when the Firewall is Enabled

You may have seen a problem of using software to connect to the Internet or to function properly. Application that requires an Internet connection may not connect to the Internet if Windows 7 firewall blocking the application. To solve Windows firewall blocking any programs, follow the method in this article:

• Add a program exception in Windows Firewall –         the first thing to do is to check if the affected program is in the firewall exception list already and that it has a checked mark. If the program is listed already but the check box does not have a check mark, simply put a check and then apply the changes. However, if the affected program is not listed, you may add it by clicking Add Program button and then browse for the executable. 

 

• Open the port number for the affected program –          some programs require a port number to use. Find out from the software vendor or from the documentation of the application the required port numbers, and then use Windows Firewall to open the port number. Note that you can may also identify the required port number by using the command prompt and then type netstat –ano. Try using the affected program and note the process identifier (PID) and the port number in use after the local address. Add the said port number in Windows firewall exception to solve the issue to connect a program.

How to block program using Windows firewall

If the firewall protection automatically adds an exception for a program or application, you may block it by removing the name of the program from the exception or allowed programs. There is also an option to uncheck the program from the list of allowed programs to connect to the Internet. Use this option if you want Windows firewall to keep the program name.
Blocking an application to connect to the Internet using Windows firewall is effective but if the application has associated executable, the connection may not be blocked. An example is Google Toolbar that uses Google Updater to connect to Google.com servers. Make sure that you will block the application that installed additional software.

Final words

A computer without firewall protection is vulnerable to remote and local attackers which is why it is recommended to always enable the Windows Firewall in Windows 7 or earlier operating systems. Using a third-party firewall is also recommended to enjoy better firewall controls and options. The computer that uses firewall protection is also vulnerable to attackers if the settings are not correct. Always review the firewall policy and request help from advanced users in creating firewall rules for home or work computers.

 

Europe Undertakes Privacy and Security Research

A research project under way in Europe aims to develop systems to help people protect and share their personal digital information.

The four-year project, called ABC4Trust, will run two pilot tests in Greece and Sweden of a system that will mesh existing identity technologies from IBM, Microsoft and Nokia Siemens Networks.

ABC, which stands for attribute-based credentials, is centered around users only providing the minimal information required. For example, rather than show an entire birthday with an identity document, a user would be able to show only that they are over 18 years old.

The Swedish trial will take place at a secondary school in Norrtullskolan. The identity system will let students and parents authenticate themselves with medical and counseling services offered by the school.

The other trial, at the Research Academic Computer Technology Institute in Patras, Greece, is also centered on education. Students will be able to vote to rank courses and lecturers without revealing their identity.

ABC4Trust will use IBM's Identity Mixer and Microsoft's U-Prove technologies, which will be meshed together using other technology from Nokia Siemens Networks Research.

The project, which started last fall, will run for four years. The European Union contributed €8.85 million (US$12.1 million) for the project, which is budgeted at €13.5 million.

U.S. Plans ‘Tough’ Global Talks on Cyber-Crime Fight

          The U.S. plans a diplomatic push to get more countries to join in cyber-crime investigations, Howard Schmidt, the top White House cyber-security official, said yesterday.

          “I can’t think of any case involving intrusions that didn’t have an international component,” Schmidt said, referring to breaches of computer security. “In the very near future, we will be coming forth with specific efforts” that may include “tough discussions” with countries to ensure they help hunt down criminals who steal information and data using computers, he said.

           Some governments actively engage in cyber crimes or turn “a blind eye” to the practice, similar to nations condoning money-laundering schemes in the 1980s, Schmidt, a special assistant to the president, said at a Department of Defense Cybercrime Conference in Atlanta. He declined to name any countries in that category.

           Several large U.S. companies have reported attacks on their computer networks in the last year. In March, Google Inc. stopped self-censoring searches in China and pulled out of the country after alleging attacks on its networks aimed at obtaining its proprietary information and personal data on human rights activists. In December, Mastercard Inc. and Visa Inc. said their websites were attacked by supporters of Wikileaks.

Money Laundering

           In the case of money laundering, once countries recognized such activity as “fundamentally bad” and pledged cooperation, it became more difficult for criminals to engage in it, Schmidt said.

          Schmidt was appointed by President Barack Obama in December 2009 to oversee and coordinate the cyber-security efforts of all U.S. government agencies.

          Criminals and hackers probe U.S. government computers “millions of times every day, about 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year and cyber crime costs large American businesses $3.8 million a year,” a group of U.S. senators said today in a statement, after introducing legislation to tighten security.

          “More than $1 trillion worth of intellectual property has already been stolen from American businesses,” said the lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

            The legislation, backed by the heads of seven Senate committees, would provide incentives to companies urging them to assess risks and safeguard their computers from attacks, the statement said.

Cybercrime Convention

            Schmidt said the U.S. would urge more countries to sign a 10-year-old treaty called the Cybercrime Convention that calls for cooperation in probing crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks. These include crimes related to copyright infringement, fraud, child pornography and violations of network security, according to the treaty website.

            The treaty has been ratified by 30 countries, including the U.S. and 29 European nations. Signatories including the U.K., Canada and Turkey have yet to ratify the law, according to the treaty website. China and Russia are among nations that have yet to sign the treaty.

            Schmidt said securing government computers isn’t sufficient. “Protecting national networks” operated by defense contractors, utilities, banks and other critical service providers “is just as important as protecting government systems,” he said.

            Ensuring that the government’s suppliers have adequate computer safeguards can be accomplished through careful purchasing, he said. When government agencies buy goods and services, they must ensure that suppliers “provide baseline security whether providing telecommunication equipment, software or hardware,” he said.

India will store 2.3 zettabytes of info by 2020: experts at Amity

                A two day IT Summit Confluence 2011’ – on “Information Storage, Security and Compliance for Business Excellence” organized by Amity School of Engineering & Technology (ASET) in association with EMC2 Data Storage Systems Pvt. Ltd was inaugurated at Amity University Campus, Sector – 125, Noida.


              Inaugurating Confluence’ 2011, Chief Guest, Dr. B.B Bhattacharya, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University said “It is heartening to see that India is successfully keeping abreast with the fast technological advancement of the world by producing higher number of users of the available technologies. However India still has miles to go as the nation is yet to make a mark in producing IT brands of its own”. Mulling over the scenario of India’s Hardware business Dr. Bhattacharya informed that “India has already lost its Hardware business not to the technical leader nations like U.S, Germany and Japan but to countries like China, Taiwan and South Korea whose Hardware business evolved only in the 1990s. The prime concern of investigation today is to identify the barriers that are preventing India from producing its own IT brands”. He advised the students of IT to maximize their potential in IT knowledge so as to be able to work towards their own innovation and to achieve this the leading industrialists can play a major role in realizing this dream by picking up the best brains from the leading technology institutes of our country like Amity, to develop India’s own IT brands”.

           During her welcome address Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Pro Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP) said “At present when Information Technology has become a part of our daily lives, the objective of information dissemination is to protect the interests of those who rely on information and to ensure that right information should reach the right person at the right time”.

          Addressing the august gathering Mr. Manoj Chugh, President India & SAARC, EMC Corporation informed that “The primary key driver of the changing IT landscape is the Facebook generation. With the advent of social networking sites, information growth in India is twice the information growth of the world”. He said “In 2010 without the wide coverage of 3G services, India has stored 40 thousand petabyte of information and within a decade India’s information storage capacity will multiply 60 times more (2.3 zettabyte)”.

           Addressing the gathering Mr. M Moni, Deputy Director, National Informatics Centre said “Poverty growth in India is also increasing with the growth of information therefore India necessarily needs to develop technology and algorithm to develop wealth. Growth of information is meaningless till it can cater to the development at grass root level. In an agriculture based country like India where only 5% of the population is proficient in English language, it is of paramount importance to develop local information processes”. He appealed to the budding technology professionals to spare a thought to the need of making information available in local and vernacular languages, which in future can be translated to action to help the farmers reap benefits out of IT revolution.

           Wishing success to Confluence’ 2011, Maj. Gen K. Jai Singh, Vice Chancellor, AUUP, stated that “Presently the primary keys of advancement are computer and communication. The security and management of information should strictly operate on the need to know basis and it is vital for the technology users to ensure the 3Cs of information disseminated such as Correct, Current and Consistent”.

           The technical sessions and paper presentations on ‘Next Generation Computing Technology – Challenges & Future ahead’, ‘Cloud Computing and its Impact’, ‘Business intelligence, Analytics and Enterprise Performance Management’, ‘Information Security, Compliance & Business Trends-Technological Challenges and Strategies’, ‘Information Security and Management’, ‘Web Security and Compliance’ and ‘Industry Academia Collaborations – Issues and Road Ahead’ will unfold in the two days of the Confluence.
Also present during the inauguration of the Confluence were Dr. Ajoy Kr. Ray, Vice Chancellor, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shivpur, Mr. M. Thyagaraj, Chief Information Officer (Retd), ONGC, Dr. Abhay Bansal, Head of Department (IT) and students and faculty members of ASET.

Computer Network Card

A computer network card is used by computers to commmunicate with each other. The common technical terms for a network card are: a network adapter, a network interface card (NIC), a LAN adapter, or a Ethernet Controller. However, in basic terms and without too much computer jargon, a network card is just the way a computer talks to another computer.

Information is processed by the CPU, sent to the network card, which outputs it to another computer through a hard wired cable, or through a wireless connection. Wireless connections run through a wireless network card.

Now it is easy to get confused between a computer network card and a modem card, so look at the picture on the right, so you can tell the difference.

A modem card has a smaller connection and is becoming less common. A modem card is used for connecting to the internet through a dial-up connection and this has been superceded by a broadband connection which runs through a router, and connects to your computer through a network port, or through a USB connection.

The majority of modern motherboards have a network port built into them on the motherboard. This means that the network card is becoming extinct, but there are two reasons why they are still relevant.

1. Firstly you may have an older computer and not have network port. In this circumstance you need to purchase a computer network card so that you can communicate and connect to other computers.
2. The second reason, is that you have a network port, already but either it is broken, or not fast enough for your needs. Your network port may go to speeds of 10Mbits and you want 100Mbits or something like that.

 

What are common network speeds?

Common network speeds are: 10 Mbit/s, 100 Mbit/s, 1000 Mbit/s (Gigabit connection). The last connection 'Gigabit' or 'Gbit' is very fast.

How do you know if you have a network card?

1. The first step is to look behind your computer and see if you have a network port, similar to the picture above. Make sure it is not a modem port, but definetely a network port. Your network port could be built in on the motherboard, or on a PCI network card. Once you have checked and confirmed that you have a network port you can move on to step 2.
2. You need to check that your network card is visible and recognized by your computer. Click start, my control panel. Once that opens up click system, and select Device Manager. Scroll down to network adapters and view your network cards. Look for something that sounds like a network card, such as a ethernet controller, a network device, a LAN adapter or something on those lines. If you have something there, right click it and view properties. If the properties say that there is no problems detected with the device then your network is detected and as far as the computer can see is working fine. If you know that there is a network port on the back (that is built into the motherboard) but it doesn't detect anything in device manager go to step 3.
3. For this step you will need to restart and go into the BIOS setup. To do this, restart your computer and press Del, or F10, or a key that your computer specifies. Once you have entered setup, go to the advanced tab, or integrated peripherals tab or a tab that would be likely to contain details on computer components.
4. The BIOS setup differs on every manufacturer. Once you have found your network port, check and see if it is enabled or disabled. If disabled change to enabled, then save changes and restart your computer. Go back to device manager and check if your network port is now viewable.

Remove PC Security 2011 Virus-PC Security 2011 Virus Removal

Are you looking for a way to uninstall and remove PC Security 2011 Virus? Have you tried many methods, but you still can't remove PC Security 2011 Virus? Now you are at the right place! This article is written for the purpose to help you fully remove PC Security 2011 Virus security-wire.com.
What's Remove PC Security 2011 Virus?

PC Security 2011 is a rogue anti-spyware whose forerunners are System Pro 2011 or Win7 AV. PC Security 2011 usually intrudes into your workstation with the help of Trojan viruses without your authorization. Once on board, PC Security 2011 makes many changes your system and adds new startup entry to compel your system to load it at every startup. Once running, this malware runs its fake scanner which deliberately detects a bunch of malware infections on your PC. In addition, PC Security 2011 keeps creating numerous popup alerts denoting about potential malware. So never trust its scan results and alert messages that are invented to make you thinking that you need to buy its full version in order to get viruses removed. Moreover, PC Security 2011 has no ability to detect or remove any single virus. What it can do is to block your applications, hijack your Internet session and force you into submitting a payment.

Why You Get PC Security 2011 Virus?

Many people do not know how their computers are infected by Remove PC Security 2011 Virus until their PCs are in bad performance. Actually, in many cases, it is the users themselves who give the chance for malware into their PC, not anyone else! Many people are lack of self-protection awareness and know little about how to maintain computer security. It's suggested that you get a 100% real time protection!

How to Remove PC Security 2011 Virus?

If you're feeling lucky, an advanced user, and you aren't too busy, you could try to manually remove PC Security 2011 Virus. First of all, backup your registry and important data. Then you need to open registry and delete registry entries related to PC Security 2011 Virus and .exe, .bat files, .dll and .lnk files. You must be more careful, patient and prudent when you manually remove PC Security 2011 Virus.

But it's advised that you use a professional designed tool to remove PC Security 2011 Virus. A professional designed removal tool can not only completely remove PC Security 2011 Virus but also those malware that hide in your system. And it's not only for one time removal. It can provide you with 100% real time protection and patch your system vulnerabilities so as to prevent your system against potential threats. The infection of PC Security 2011 Virus should be attributed to the bad protection of your current antivirus. Now save your time and start to get rid of PC Security 2011 Virus now!

How to Force Uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

Are you facing the problem to completely uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security 2011? If you don’t know how to fully remove it and its components or got error message during uninstalling process, please follow this step by step Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 Uninstall tutorial that has been proven to be a 100% complete removal!
How to Uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 thru Control Panel Add/ Remove Programs
Exit the program by right clicking its icon on the Taskbar or open Task Manager with Ctrl+Alt+Delete to end its process.
Click Start menu and then Control Panel
Double click Add/ Remove Porgrams and navigate ESET.
Click Remove to uninstall it.
The chances are you can’t find Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 or an error message stops its uninstalling, or you still see its folders left in your computer. If you don’t know how to completely uninstall ESET NOD 32 AntiVirus in such cases, then you can only do one more thing…
How to Force Uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 with regsitryquick
Reboot your computer and keep pressing F8 Key into Safe Mode.
Run Perfect Uninstaller.
Click Force Uninstall tab and select ESET folder path.
Follow Uninstall Wizard and ESET will be completely uninstalled.
Reboot the computer into normal mode.
Why Use Registryquick?
Registryquick is a better and easier way for you to completely uninstall any unwanted application that standard Windows Add/Remove Programs can’t remove. Its Uninstall Wizard can scan out all registry entries, DLL files and drivers of a program, which can prevent system crash caused by our wrong registry edition. What’s more, it can fully display all programs installed in the computer and Force Uninstall corrupted programs that Control Panel can’t display and uninstall. Moreover, with its easy-to-use interface, the uninstalling would be easier and faster.
For your convenience, I have taken all screenshots of step-by-step of the above tutorial, you can visit how to Force uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security 2011. If you have difficulty in uninstalling other programs, you can refer to more how to completely uninstall programs tutorials.

Know the Essential Skills to Become an Ethical hacker

Computer security has become a major cause of worry for businesses and governments all over the world. Though internet has made e-commerce possible, helped in advertising products and services to millions of people, it has also led to the rise of criminal hacking. Due to this, a growing number of companies and governments are turning to ethical or white-hat hackers to get them out of the problem.

A certified ethical hacker tests the security of the systems, look for viruses and rectify the problems pertaining to the network security. But in order to become en efficient ethical hacker, you need to have competent skills along with the right attitude.

Programming skills
The knowledge of programming languages is a mandatory. You should learn the technique of C, C++, Python, Java, Perl and Lisp.

As a beginner, you can start by learning Python which is less complicated as compared to other languages but at the same time challenging enough. It is well-documented and well-designed. Afterwards, you can learn C, Lisp, Perl and java.

It is important to learn Perl as it is used extensively for web pages and system administration.

All these languages have different approach to programming, and by acquiring the knowledge of each one of these would make you much more efficient hacker. Each language has its own significance and at the end of the day you would benefit by learning each one of them.

UNIX
You can’t become a hacker unless you learn and understand UNIX. After all UNIX is the platform on which the Internet is built upon. Though there are other platforms, it is not possible to read the code or modify them. However with UNIX you can read how the operating system is written and modify it. Hence, learn to hack on open-source UNIX by getting a Linux or BDS-UNIX installed on your personal computer and practice on it daily for hours.

HTML
To become a hacker, you should know how the World Wide Web functions. And having knowledge of web is not just restricted to how to use the browser. You should make efforts to learn and write HTML.

Usage of English
In order to become an efficient ethical hacker, you need to have a good command over the English language, as it is the English language which dominates the Internet. All the books on hacking come in English language. Hence concentrate to improve on this part too.

Apart from all this, read lots of books on hacking. The more you read; the better. Buy books or enroll in some libraries and take them on rent. And don’t hesitate in experimenting. To become a white-hat hacker, you need to have the curiosity to learn about new things.

In fact, you can also take up hacking course. There are several reputed institutes which offer certified hacking courses with theoretical as well practical training. Getting proper training from prestigious institutes would benefit you a lot and help you in becoming a professional, certified ethical hacker.