Will you like to have a website that is down half of the time?

I hope not. For that matter, I have decided to outline 5S principles of web hosting, and will ask you to verify a web hosting account on all these parameters during your purchase process. Yes, money matters, but not as much as these do.

5S of Web Hosting

Swift: Speed is the essence of our time, so this not something on which you should compromise. A slow website is as good as dead. And the speed of your website does not only depend upon the code and the design of your website, but it also depends upon the strength of your web host. If your web host uses state-of-the-art technology and data center then your website will be faster.

Stable: How good a rocket-fuel-propelled website will be if it gets down even now and then? Your speed only matters if your website is live. For a website that is down often, it does not matter how speedy it is when it is live. You need to go for a webhost that gives 99.99% uptime—everyone writes that, but very few delivers, so check their credibility.

Secure: Who does not know the risk of venturing out on the Internet? There are viruses, spywares, malwares, trojans, and other types of malicious codes as well as hacker, crackers, spammers, etc., to crack into your website and take control of it. Hence, security is not something you should compromise on. See if the web hosting account you are using is secure or not.

Support: Ideally, I would like to suggest you to go for the one that never fails, but you also know that this suggestion will not take you anywhere because there is nothing like never-failing system. I would rather ask you to go with the web hosting company that has a strong support system to help you in case of eventuality. You should not be made to wait in queue for hours, if not days, when you need them.

Service: Agility and nimbleness of service and delivery is another thing that you need to look for in a web hosting service provider. Do not go for the ones that are too slow in responding your queries, or system of which is not fast enough.

Filter a web hosting company through this, and what you get is a strong, reliable, seldom-failing web host. And after all this, you should think of price of the service.

Recommendation: I would suggest you to check Gossimer’s the Ultimate Web Hosting
account as it has everything that you are going to need in your web hosting account.

Protecting Yourself At Home

The best way to protect our computer when you have Wi-Fi is to make sure that you have an up-to-date antivirus program installed on your computer. Most anti-virus software will automatically scan your computer to check for any possible threats or viruses. By enabling a WEP or WPA (encryptions on your computer) you can help prevent any intruders from accessing your computer and installing a virus or worm on it. This is very important for wireless internet users as any half-way decent hacker can use your Wi-Fi connection to get into your computer.

When you look for a router for your wireless internet, make sure to get one that has a firewall installed on it. This will greatly reduce the chances that someone will be able to hack into your computer. If you find that your router does not have a firewall installed on it, there are firewall software programs that you can add to your existing router.

Disable the SSID link on your wireless internet. The SSID link is a network that the Wi-Fi uses that regularly broadcast over the air. If you disable the SSID, that means that others can not access your network. This means they won’t have access to your computer either.

Protecting Yourself At Public Wi-Fi Spots

If you have the proper software on your computer, you will be able to go places like local coffee shops, hotels, and airports which are hot spots for wireless internet. This means that you can log onto the computer from these places and share the network. Sharing the network means that you may have a greater chance of someone accessing your computer information or sending a virus into your computer. A good idea when using wireless internet at a public place is to never put any personal identification on your computer at that time. Don’t give your social security number at that time to anybody or order anything online with a credit card while using the public internet.

Its amazing growth does come at a small price. As we incorporate the World Wide Web more into our lives we become more dependent to it. We use the internet more in the work we play. We rely on the internet for instant information we need. We even use it to convey our thoughts in popular blogs and forums.

This dependence leaves you susceptible to attacks from people without the purest of intentions. These internet threats can come in different forms. One of the most popular forms of internet threat can be seen in malicious software or otherwise called “Malware”. Malware can come in many forms including Trojans, worms and viruses.

Trojans are programs that act as a useful program but allow other people to access information in your computer or deliver a damaging payload to your computer. Worms are programs that copy itself over and over without the need of a host program. This is in contrast to a virus which does the same thing but needs to attach itself to a host program to achieve this.

Another threat to your internet security is Phishing and Phishing sites. Phishing is the unauthorized gathering of information by a fraudster. This can be done through the use of Phishing sites that use automated means to pull sensitive information from your computer.

Another growing threat in the internet comes from scammers and hackers. Scammers are nothing more than fraudsters trying to separate you from your money. They can pose as charity groups or organizations in need of aid asking for a donation from your credit card. They then use the information you supplied through your credit card to steal your identity and cost you thousands of dollars.

Hackers are different from the normal scammer because they not only deal with the personal side of fooling someone but they can also go the technological route. Hackers are usually computer programmers that break through your security measures through the use of their skill in computers.

These are just some the threat you need to worry about when you are looking to the internet to expand your business. The people at Gossimer understand these risks and approach them holistically to provide the best security for your business website, business email and your domain name.

The key initiatives of their security strategy revolve around five key objectives: The privacy of your vital information; the integrity of your data; the protection of your data from being deleted or destroyed; the proper of identification and authentication of users; and the protection of your network service from hacking and internet attacks.

Internet security is a serious issue that needs to be addressed for the proper implementation of the web in your business. Contact Gossimer today and they will discuss how their solutions can specifically address your concerns about the internet and its security.

At times we have hundreds of files on our computers that we do not use, just sitting there. We should establish periods that we do a bit of system cleaning on the computer, deleting unnecessary files and organizing folders in an efficient manner that makes them easily found and with the proper file headings.Computers are like cars they need to be maintained!.

If you have experienced a few system hang ups and had to reboot the computer it is worth running scandisk on the computer to detect and fix errors that arise as a result of these system hang ups and the presence of viruses. But what is scandisk you may be asking yourself? Scandisk is a maintenance tool that aims to search and correct bad clusters when a program was prematurely aborted. At the send of the scan a report is produced that informs the user the files scanned and the amount of space scanned.

Always ensure that the signatures of your Anti-Virus is up to date this will curtail the possibility of viruses infesting your computer system. Ensure that you do frequent system checks to detect viruses, spy ware etc.

Never open e-mails if you do not know the user this will be committing system suicide and be suspicious of formal and informal e-mails that may come from friends as well. They usually do not address you personally eg. Hello , we would like you have a look at our pictures thanks bye.

If you use a password(and I recommend you start doing so) to enter your computer, HIDE IT! DO NOT PASTE IN ON A POST IT AND LEAVE IT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE IN OBVIOUS AREAS!.Another useful tip is to scan all Cds, pen drives, floppy disks for viruses before accessing any file on them.For those that are not computer cracks on the matter then every protection can never be enough to protect you as you navigate the worldwide web. Protecting your password can also come in the form of writing a .htacess file that guarantees protection of sensitive information on your system and thus curtailing hackers and possible phishing.

Once you are expanding your computer operations and sense that your system is slowing down, this could be an indication of the necessity of more memory space or virus infections on your system. Installing memory is a simple process that can be done from home if you one is confident enough to do so, or with a qualified person if not.

For Windows and Linux users both have a firewall is built in and is activated by default. The fact that the firewall is built into all Windows/Linux operating system does not limit the user from choosing another firewall that suits his needs once the original is turned off. One can easilty create exceptions if there is a need to recieve information from another soource eg Instant messaging, windows media player etc.

Firewalls do not protect your system fom viruses neither do they prevent you from opening e-mails that could damage your computer. In cases like these if is the user´s responsibility to install an adequate Anti-Virus program and to always update it´s signatures. Apart from this he should always exercise caution when he opens e-mails and do not know the sender.Even if one knows the sender care should be taken at all times when opening the contecnts of e-mails.

If there is not a built in firewall then there is the possibility do buy Software Firewalls to help protect your system. While this is a advantage software firewalls can only be placed on one computer and do not permit installation on various computers. In other words there can only be one software firewall for each computer and usually they are costly.

For homes that have an internet connection one generally uses hardware routers to offer protection while connected. Hardware routers offer protection to various computers and allow multiple usage.

Finally for those who use a wireless networks then there is are wireless routers that can be used. They allow one to connect laptops and generally do not use wires to connect, thus eliminating a clustered working environment. They however emit signals that can be intercepted with the right machine and generally do not come with built in firewalls, which indicates extra cost for the user.

Installing a firewall and antivirus on your computer is essential for anyone whose computer is connected to the internet. Surely, even those who frequently transfer data from one computer to another should also consider getting at least an antivirus to make sure that their data are safe from attack. So what should one look for in an antivirus and firewall?

First of all, remember that a firewall is only necessary if you will be connecting to a network or to the internet. The main function of a firewall is to monitor or control the incoming and outgoing data on your computer. Essentially, it helps in blocking harmful connections from other computers to your computer. Take note that some malicious software or even hackers would be able to easily take control of your computer if it is not sufficiently protected from attack. This are usually done by injecting data or getting data from your computer through one of your computer’s ports. Ports can be compared to openings on your computer where a user with enough knowledge can send and retrieve data to and from your computer.A firewall is able to prevent attacks by blocking or closing down ports on your computer and also monitor those that are required for your computer to continue functioning correctly. Not all ports should be closed or blocked and your choice of firewall should be one which has the ability to determine which of these ports are dangerous and which can be safely used.

Antivirus programs on the other hand are programs that prevent your computer from getting viruses, or in the event that your computer does get infected by a virus, be able to remove the virus and either quarantine it or get rid of it permanently. Unlike firewall software though, an antivirus program is essential on any computer that transfers data through other means like through floppy disks, USB flash drives or even direct network connections to another computer. Viruses are designed not only to expose your data but are sometimes designed to modify or destroy the data completely. This could be very costly for people with valuable data stored on their computers indeed.

Windows XP and Windows Vista comes with their own built-in firewall but these firewall programs pale in comparison to third-party firewall programs that one can purchase or get for free from the internet. Some of the more popular firewall programs even have antivirus features included in their more advanced products.

ZoneAlarm is one of the most popular firewall programs which can be downloaded for free or for a fee for more advanced versions. The free version of ZoneAlarm only includes firewall protection without the antivirus features included in its paid versions.

On the flipside, most antivirus programs also feature firewall protection in their more advanced paid versions. When it comes to free antivirus, some of the leading programs include AVG, Avast, BitDefender and Avira AntiVir. As for paid antivirus programs, the popular ones include Norton, McAfee, and TrendMicro. Take note that for the paid versions of all these great antivirus products, firewall features are usually included already, thus there is no need to install a separate firewall anymore.

The biggest question for those who have decided to get an antivirus and firewall on their computer is which product should I get? All the antivirus and firewall programs mentioned earlier have their merits and corresponding weaknesses. Depending on your needs, you may not need an overly complex program to scan or protect your computer. It all boils down to usage and preference. Being a careful and responsible computer user can save you more often than having the best antivirus and firewall money can buy. If you stick to legitimate websites and careful with the files and programs you keep on your computer, even the most basic of firewall and antivirus software on your computer will suffice. Remember, when it comes to virus and hacker attacks, the best defense is good common sense.

Its amazing growth does come at a small price. As we incorporate the World Wide Web more into our lives we become more dependent to it. We use the Internet more in the work we play. We rely on the Internet for instant information we need. We even use it to convey our thought in the popular blogs and forums.

This dependence leaves you susceptible to attacks from people without the purest of intentions. These Internet threats can come in different forms. One of the most popular forms of Internet threat can be seen in malicious software or otherwise called “Malware”. Malware can come in many forms including Trojans, worms and viruses.

Trojans are programs that act as a useful program but allow other people to access information in your computer or deliver a damaging payload to your computer. Worms are programs that copy itself over and over without the need of a host program. This is in contrast to a virus which does the same thing but needs to attach itself to a host program to achieve this.

Another threat to your Internet security is Phishing and Phishing sites. Phishing is the unauthorized gathering of information by a fraudster. This can be done through the use of Phishing sites that use automated means to pull sensitive information from your computer.

Another growing threat in the Internet comes from scammers and hackers. Scammers are nothing more than fraudsters trying to separate you from your money. They can pose as charity groups or organizations in need of aid asking for a donation from your credit card. They then use the information you supplied through your credit card to steal your identity and cost you thousands of dollars.

Hackers are different from the normal scammer because they not only deal with the personal side of fooling someone but they can also go the technological route. Hackers are usually computer programmers that break through your security measures through the use of their skill in computers.

These are just some the threat you need to worry about when you are looking to the Internet to expand your business. The people at www.gossimer.com understand these risks and we approach them holistically to provide the best security for your web domain.

The key initiatives of their security strategy revolve around five key objectives: The privacy of your vital information; the integrity of your data; the protection of your data from being deleted or destroyed; the proper of identification and authentication of users; and the protection of your network service from hacking and Internet attacks. A great feature that Gossimer offers is free whois privacy protection which allow customers to conceal their personal information from unscrupulous whois data scrapers.

Internet security is a serious issue that needs to be addressed for the proper implementation of the web in your business. Contact us today and we will happily discuss how our solutions can specifically address your concerns about the Internet and its security.