Choosing the right Internet Service Provider

When choosing a ISP (Internet Service Provider) whether it is for personal or business it is always important to take time in conducting a study on various providers of Internet. There are lots of different Internet Service provider that offers different technology, rates and services. You can choose from a DSL, Cable or Wireless.

When choosing between Digital Subscriber Line, Wireless or Cable, consider all the factors involved in the decision. Before we proceed with the tips let me first explain those services that I mention.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)- An Internet access service typically offered by telephone companies. Uses the same physical wire as your existing telephone, yet allows you to browse the Web and make a phone call at the same time. Speeds vary, from a low of 128kbps to 5mbps. The most popular here in the Philippines are PLDT MyDSL and Globe. But base on my experience and other clients experience PLDT provides the best DSL service.

Cable - This service is typically offered by cable TV companies. It uses the same physical wire as your existing cable TV, yet allows you to browse the Web and watch TV at the same time.

Wireless (Wi-Fi) - Unlike Cable and DSL this doesn’t need a physical wire to provide internet connection. It uses a canopy to provide service. The most popular here in the Philippines is SmartBro. Smartbro can supply a speed ranging from 128kbps to 384kbps but Globe Wireless can now provide a speed up to 1.8mbps (This will depend on your location).

Which is better? well… here some factors to consider to help you choose the right service for you.

• Availability - This is the first thing you should consider because not all services are available on all locations specially the Wi-Fi service your location must be on the hotspot before you can avail their service. Cable are also limited specially on rural places.
  

• Speed/Performance - Though cable can be a great deal quicker than Digital Subscriber Line, there are examples when cable doesn’t in reality give you what it claims to. The downside is that people in the neighborhood who use the same service simultaneously time may draw on your service and slow the speed of the cable connection. DSL offers a “guaranteed” bandwidth. Wi-Fi is only recommended for personal use because of limited speed.

• Security Levels - Regarding security, security systems are set up for both the Digital Subscriber Line and cable networks. But many individuals have genuine fears about the security of their system while using cable.

• Price - The most affordable one is WiFi you can get an unlimited connection for only PhP 999 ($20) a month. But Wi-Fi connection is not recommended if your going to use it for business purposes because of speed limitation and stability. DSL and Cable are has almost the same in pricing but for business it is much better to choose DSL so you can bundle it with your phone connection. PLDT MyDSL has a package plan of Php 999 bundled with phone unlimited plan with a speed of 1.0mbps.
  

• Support Services - One of the top priorities when choosing a Internet Service Provider is their ability to offer the best customer service and technical support. What is the use of giving your money to a service that won’t let you log on to the Internet due to some type of technical problem and you can’t get in touch with anybody to get the trouble solved. Your first thought is running your business enterprise, and without online access you merely can not be as effective.

If you want to run an online business enterprise from your home, it is vital that you select a service that will not compromise the privacy of the information your customers give you. You do not want this data to be available to anyone in order to prevent any fraudulent uses.

Start your comparison of Digital Subscriber Line, Cable and Wireless service providers by asking friends, family, and neighbors what they do or do not like about the provider they use. By taking this precaution, you will be able to evaluate the service first hand, and you will know whether or not it will meet the specific needs that you have.

Internet Service Provider comparison shopping will help to you ensure that you get the best value for your money. It’s easy to find the right service for your business concern if you simply keep these pointers in mind.

Crime risk warning to users of social networking sites

By David Barrett, PA Home Affairs Correspondent

One in four users of social networking sites unwittingly leave themselves open to crime by revealing personal details, it was claimed today.

A poll marking the launch of an internet safety campaign also disclosed what many addicts of sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Friends Reunited already suspected - up to 39% of people use them to look up old flames.

Government-backed research for the Get Safe Online week found 25% of the 10.8 million Britons registered with networking websites expose information such as contact details or dates of birth on their online "profiles".

Among 18 to 24-year-olds the proportion putting themselves at risk of identity fraud rises to 34%.

The poll of 2,000 adults conducted by ICM found 29% admitted searching for former boyfriends or girlfriends, with the 25 to 34 age group most likely to hunt out their exes, at 39%.

Nearly one in three people has also used the sites to find out about their boss, colleagues or a job candidate.

The survey showed 13% of social networkers had posted information or photos about other people without their consent, rising to 27% of 18 to 24s.

Cabinet Office minister Gillian Merron said: "The risks we are highlighting today can be easily fixed and do not mean that people should stop using social networking sites and wireless networks.

"People simply need to take a few basic steps and simple precautions which they can find by going to www.getsafeonline.org to help keep themselves, their families and their businesses safe online."

Tony Neate, managing director of GetSafeOnline.org, said: "Although some of these details may seem harmless, they actually provide rich pickings for criminals.

"Your date of birth and where you live is enough for someone to set up a credit card in your name.

"So whilst most people wouldn't give this information to a stranger in real life, they will happily post it online where people they don't know can see it."

Wireless networks also provide opportunities for criminals.

Users of home "wi-fi" who leave their systems unsecured - estimated to number about 7.8 million people - could allow criminals to hijack their computer, adapt its programs and steal information held on it, warned the campaign, which is a joint initiative between the Government, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and industry sponsors.

The poll also found 15% of people do not use any privacy settings on social networking sites.

And almost one in four (24%) people use the same password for all websites.

Koobface, Other Worms Target Facebook Friends

As Facebook works to make itself more relevant and timely for its growing member base with a profile page makeover, attackers seem to be working overtime to steal the identities of the friends, fans and brands that connect though the social-networking site.

Indeed, Facebook has seen five different security threats in the past week. According to Trend Micro, four new hoax applications are attempting to trick members into divulging their usernames and passwords. And a new variant of the Koobface worm is running wild on the site, installing malware on the computers of victims who click on a link to a fake YouTube video.

The Koobface worm is dangerous. It can be dropped by other malware and downloaded unknowingly by a user when visiting malicious Web sites, Trend Micro reports. When attackers execute the malware, it searches for cookies created by online social networks. The latest variant is targeting Facebook, but earlier variants have also plagued MySpace.

Koobface's Wicked Agenda

Once Koobface finds the social-networking cookies, it makes a DNS query to check IP addresses that correspond to remote domains. Trend Micro explains that those servers can send and receive information about the affected machine. Once connected, the malicious user can remotely perform commands on the victim's machine.

"Once cookies related to the monitored social-networking Web sites are located, it connects to these Web sites using the user log-in session stored in the cookies. It then navigates through pages to search for the user's friends. If a friend has been located, it sends an HTTP POST request to the server," Trend Micro reports.

Ultimately, the worm's agenda is to transform the victim's computer into a zombie and form botnets for malicious purposes. Koobface attempts to do this by composing a message and sending it to the user's friends. The message contains a link to a Web site where a copy of the worm can be downloaded by unsuspecting friends. And the cycle repeats itself.

An Attractive Face(book)

Malware authors are investing more energy in Facebook and other social-networking sites because that effort pays off, according to Michael Argast, a security analyst at Sophos. Facebook alone has more than 175 million users, which makes it an attractive target.

"Many computer users have been conditioned not to open an attachment from an e-mail or click a link found within, but won't think twice about checking out a hot new video linked to by a trusted friend on Facebook," Argast said.

Argast called the Koobface worm a mix of something old and something new. The new is using social networks as a method to spread malware. The old is using fake codec Trojans linked to a saucy video to induce the user to install the malware.

Argast said people can protect themselves by running up-to-date antivirus software, restricting which Facebook applications they install, thinking twice before clicking on links from friends and never, never installing a codec from some random Web site in the hopes of catching some celebrity in a compromised situation.

"I would expect to see more attacks on Facebook," Argast said. "As long as this is a successful propagation method, the bad guys will double down and invest more. They are entirely motivated by financial gain. If it pays, they'll continue to romp in your social playgrounds."