Mrs. Mecomber’s Scrapbook

This blogger’s story about how his Page Rank 9 blog was hacked and removed from Google’s index shows the power of Google to essentially wipe out a guy’s work.

Yesterday was one of the scariest days I’ve had in a long time and it put in total perspective the power that Google wields. It also made me hope that every single company with an idea about how to improve search, including Microsoft, continues to try and beat Google. I was working on a blog post and was searching for something I’d written before so that I could reference it. Instead of using my blog’s search, I of course used Google’s site feature, like I always do. Only this time, I got nothing…

Now I think Google is to be commended as a company, for the great success it has had. I have nothing against success. But people are so polarized today– if Google decided to ignore you, then the world ignores you. It is a BAD thing for this to happen. Competition is supposed to be healthy, right? Well, currently there is no competition. Google reigns. And when Google makes a decision, there is no buffer, nothing to rely on.

The guy I mentioned had his blog hacked and spammed. Google will remove a spammy website. But the gi=uy’s blog was not a splog (a blog made for the purpose of spreading spam). He’d been hacked. And when he tried to fix it, he had to go through tremendous hoops and hurdles just to get Google to listen to him; and then he had to wait for weeks before corrective action was done.

It’s a sad monument to our times. I, like this blogger, hope to see more search engine companies rise to the top. It looks like Yahoo has dropped the ball. This was strange, because Yahoo could have given Google some great competition; but Yahoo backed away.

There’s now Cuil, but that is unsatisfactory and needs improvements.

We’ll see what develops. I am hoping for a new contender soon!

I was talking with my sister today, who also has scads of kids who use computers, and I mentioned Blue Coat K9. She had never heard of the program. I was surprised! I don’t know where I first heard of it, but it was a few years ago. I love it. I have the program on all the computers and it works wonderfully.

Blue Coat K9 is a “web protection” software– an Internet filter– that is downloadable to your computer. I have tried numerous free (and not free) programs, and K9 is by far the best I’ve ever had. It is extremely thorough. Check the link for more information. I checked and I see that it is Vista compatible now, too. I like that it is thoroughly customizable– you can whitelist or blacklist specific sites, or types of sites. You can set time limits and monitor Internet activity. The only thing I do not like about it is that it signs you out automatically after fifteen minutes or so. This stinks if you have a long list of Internet activity to sift through. It is very annoying to have to log back in and start the whole process again. Blue Coat says they do this to ensure that a child who has hacked into the system is bumped off… but if a child has figured out the password once, won’t he just have to retype it in again to continue? I hope they fix that part of it soon.

But as far as free Internet filters go, I love K9. Moms, check it out. Your kids may not be looking for trouble, but you don’t have to be looking for trouble to come across some pretty nasty sites! K9 should effectively block them. It has worked for us– it may help you, too!

P.S. When you create your password, be SURE not to lose it or you will be locked out of your account. Heh, now how do I know that? :S

If you haven’t heard of the Netcraft Toolbar, you should have! It’s been around for a few years now. I think it’s the best-kept secret of the Internet! But, ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you the greatest technological invention since the invention of Papermate pens, it’s the Netcraft Toolbar! Now available for Firefox (and not just Internet Explorer)!

You can read more about all the nifty things this toolbar does at the website, but it basically lets you see the hosting service of the website you are viewing, and from which country the hosting service is from. This is important, because… well, here’s the main scoop from the website:

The Toolbar community is effectively a giant neighbourhood watch scheme, empowering the most alert and most expert members to defend everyone within the community against phishing attacks. Once the first recipients of a phishing mail have reported the target URL, it is blocked for community members as they subsequently access the URL. Widely disseminated attacks (people construct phishing attacks send literally millions of emails in the expectation that some will reach customers of the bank) simply mean that the phishing attack will be reported and blocked sooner.

It helps to have input from users, to make the toolbar more efficient. It’s a very handy toolbar. Use it for good browser health!

I am frequently questioned about security issues here at Mrs. Mecomber’s Scrapbook. I haven’t been addressing them very regularly, so I aim to change that. I plan to be posting about security programs, security tutorials, and security news. My hope is that these things will help you in your own computer usage, and make your information and computer all the more secure. Eventually I will have a separate page with a list of things to do to secure your computer. For now, I’ll address these things periodically.

I’ve posted before about some good, free firewalls. And I’ve blogged about a good, free anti-virus program that I use. Next in line are some good, free spyware, malware, and junk cleaners.

No matter how effective your firewall and anti-virus programs are, you are probably going to get some junk on your computer. Simple Internet surfing picks up the junkiest clutter– cookies, adware, tracking bunnies, etc etc.

Spyware removers are a little different than anti-virus and firewall programs. It is recommended that you only use one anti-virus program and one forewall program, but it’s different with spyware removers. You want as many of these as you can. Not all spyware programs get everything. With more than one, you are ensuring that you cover most (and perhaps all, if possible) of your bases. Here are my favorites. These are oldies but goodies, and I have found them to be extremely effective.

AdAware
This program has really made great strides. I downloaded it years ago, when it was first released. It was buggy for me back then (on a Windows ME), so I had to uninstall it. I downloaded it again a year ago, and love it! I think it works a little better than my other spyware programs. It certainly is easier to use.

NoScript for Firefox
Built as a plugin for the Firefox browser, this little baby will block any and all actions in your browser until you give it permission to unblock. The plugin download at the Mozilla site is here. I think of NoScript as a firewall for your browser. You see, your computer must communicate with other computers in order to show you the data. Your web browser is the portal, like a window. It translates the information from one computer (a server on the Internet) to your computer. Most browsers automatically allow all its communication in and out. NoScript blocks all the interactive communication. It asks you if you want to show such-and-such, and remembers your answer. i have found it extremely effective. Be aware, however, that it takes a little time to learn how to use the plugin, that you will be asked a lot of “allow” or “disallow” questions in the beginning, and does make Internet browsing a little more laborious. But as far as security goes, this is aan excellent program.

Spybot: Search and Destroy
I have been a faithful user of this program for many years. I used it when I became dissatisfied with buggy AdAware (although I love AdAware now, and use it). I have found Spybot to be buggier now, lol! Sometimes the updates don’t download, and sometimes the program freezes up. You might be wondering why I am even mentioning it… I do like Spybot; I think it is very effective. I think it was updated recently to get rid of those bugs, because it is running smoother now. It has caught some gunk that AdAware had not detected. Spybot is a crucial component in my security set-up. If you download it, be sure to get the most recent version.

CrapCleaner
Don’t be repelled by the vulgar name! This program is my favorite computer cleaner. If you visit the link, CNet has a video on it. CrapCleaner, or CC, searches for all that junk that collects from your surfing– cookies, temporary files, history, data, and the like. It wipes all that data out. It cleans out the temp files and temp data in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Paint, WinZip,Open Office, Word, etc. It will also backup your registry in case it removes something important. And there are plenty of “Are you sure” windows so you don’t wipe out everything by accident.

Windows Defender
I hesitated to use this program when it first came out, but it came pre-installed on a computer I’d gotten. I am impressed with it, for a Microsoft program. It works well, and is updated with the regular MS Windows updating service. I’ve used it and it has proven efficient. The scans were fast, too. I probably wouldn’t use this program as my only spyware program, but it’s an important part of a beefy security system.

Be wary of downloading any old spyware remover software. Some are imposters and will actually infect your computer. It’s best to stick with the tried and true for this stuff. Do a little searching, and check out pros like Kim Komando or CNet for second opinions before you hit that “download” button.

Another thing I will mention is that it is best to avoid seedy or negligible websites. No-brainer, huh? But you’d be surprised if you saw the statistics (like I have) about how many people visit the most sordid sites and then act so surprised that their computers are infected. Like, duh! Porn sites, sports sites, and music sites are filled with spyware, malware, and trojans just waiting for you to click that link or image. Don’t do it! You’ll infect your computer and threaten all the other computers on your network, not to mention people whose names are in your address books, and etc. These seedy websites prey on perverts and dumkopfs. Avoid these sites. Use the internet wisely, and use the Internet safely.

Finally, other programs, such as Ad Blockers and Pop Up Stoppers, are an important part of securing your computer. These programs will prevent help scripts and cookies from being dumped into your computer as you surf. Here’s a list of a few good ones that I use.

I hope this helps! It is unfortunate that we have to take such measures to beat off the bad guys, but it’s a cruel world. Be safe with your surfing.