Counter Assertion

The answer is really simple. To protect your own computer from damage, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge.

Many people are reluctant to shell out the cash for decent antivirus software. I’ll agree that at roughly $50 for a decent antivirus program, it isn’t exactly small change. But, let’s look at the costs more closely for a moment:

Computer $600-$4,000
Monitor $250-$1000
Software/Games $500-$5000
Internet Connection $25+/month
Personal/Business Data Priceless

So, on the low end of the scale we are looking at an investment similar to an older used car, on the higher end, a computer investment similar in price to a newer used car.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that you wouldn’t buy a used car that had all the locks removed and didn’t need a key to start it, and comes with a free “STEAL ME” sign on it too.

Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus protection is absolutely the same. You are simply asking for trouble.

And trouble WILL find you.

How can I be so sure? Simply because that is what viruses, worms, malware etc. are made to do. Their ONLY job is to find unprotected computers and attack and hijack them without your knowledge. These things are VERY good at what they are built to do, and they NEVER stop. If your computer isn’t protected, and you share disks or go online, it will get infected.

The top antivirus software programs cost as little as 2 months internet connection. They all include constant and unlimited automatic updates that keep your system safe and clean.

If you can afford $1500+ on a computer, $300+/year on internet connections, you can definitely afford another $50 once to make it safe (and prevent it from being used to spread viruses and Trojan horses behind your back).

Anything less would be uncivilized!

P.S. Some people have started to make claims that if you don’t use antivirus software you should be held legally responsible if your machine be used as part of an attack (even if you did not know about it).

Learn how to remove black worm virus and how to easily block trojan horses, spyware, computer viruses, and other malicious software in the future. Growing library of Computer Security Articles

What is a Firewall?

The term “firewall” illustrates a system that protects a network and the machines on them from various types of attack. Firewalls are geared towards keeping the server up all the time and protecting the entire network.

The primary goal of a firewall is to implement a desired security policy; controlling access in both directions through the firewall, and to protect the firewall itself from compromise. It wards off intrusion attempts, Trojans and other malicious attacks.

Personal Firewalls:

They are meant for the home user in a networked environment. They aim to block simple attacks, unlike the enterprise level firewalls that the corporate world uses at the server or router end. There are many ways to implement a firewall, each with specific advantages and disadvantages.

Are they really needed?

Nowadays organizations and professionals use Internet technology to establish their online presence and showcase their products and services globally. Their endeavor is to leverage digital technology to make their business work for them.

All the organizations and professionals are shifting from Dialup to broadband and getting a fixed IP. It has led to an increase in security attacks, bugs in everyday working. This does not mean that Dialup being anonymous dynamic link or the firewall of the ISP network make you pretty safe.

Now if your machine was under attack, you must have wondered what went wrong making your system crash suddenly. So I would rather like to say, it’s not necessary for anyone to actually know about you or your IP address to gain access to your system.

If you system is infected or prone to intrusions, then beyond the anonymity of your Dialup connection or a dynamic IP, your system can be hacked.

Types of Attacks

Intrusion:

There are many ways to gain unauthorized access to a system. Operating system vulnerabilities, cracked or guessed passwords are some of the more common. Once access is attained, the intruder can send email, tamper with data, or use the system privileges to attack another system.

Information Theft and Tampering:

Data theft and tampering do not always require that the system be compromised. There have been many bugs with FTP servers that allow attackers to download password files or upload Trojan horses.

Service Attacks:

Any attack that keeps the intended user from being able to use the services provided by their servers is considered a denial of service attack. There are many types of denial of service attacks, and unfortunately are very difficult to defend against. “Mail bombs” are one example in which an attacker repeatedly sends large mail files in the attempt at filling the server’s disk filesystem thus preventing legitimate mail from being received.

Types of Attackers

Joyrider:

Not all attacks on computer systems are malicious. Joyriders are just looking for fun. Your system may be broken into just because it was easy, or to use the machine as a platform to attack others. It may be difficult to detect intrusion on a system that is used for this purpose. If the log files are modified, and if everything appears to be working, you may never know.

Vandals:

A vandal is malicious. They break in to delete files or crash computer systems either because they don’t like you, or because they enjoy destroying things. If a vandal breaks into your computer, you will know about it right away. Vandals may also steal secrets and target your privacy.

“In an incident a Trojan was being used to operate the web cam. All the activities being done in the house were being telecasted on the websites.”

Spies:

Spies are out to get secret information. It may be difficult to detect break-ins by spies since they will probably leave no trace if they get what they are looking for.

A personal firewall, therefore, is one of the methods you can use to deny such intrusions.

How Firewalls work?

Firewalls basically work as a filter between your application and network connection. They act as gatekeepers and as per your settings, show a port as open or closed for communication. You can grant rights for different applications to gain access to the internet and also in a reverse manner by blocking outside applications trying to use ports and protocols and preventing attacks. Hence you can block ports that you don’t use or even block common ports used by Trojans.

Using Firewalls you can also block protocols, so restricting access to NetBIOS will prevent computers on the network from accessing your data. Firewalls often use a combination of ports, protocols, and application level security to give you the desired security.

Firewalls are configured to discard packets with particular attributes such as:

• Specific source or destination IP addresses.

• Specific protocol types

• TCP flags set/clear in the packet header.

Choosing a firewall:

Choose the firewalls which have the ability to ward of all intrusion attempts, control applications that can access the internet, preventing the malicious scripts or controls from stealing information or uploading files and prevent Trojans and other backdoor agents from running as servers.

The purpose of having a firewall cannot be diminished in order to gain speed. However, secure, high-performance firewalls are required to remove the bottleneck when using high speed Internet connections. The World-Wide-Web makes possible the generation of enormous amounts of traffic at the click of a mouse.

Some of the good firewall performers available in the market are below:

• BlackICE Defender

• eSafe Desktop

• McAfee Personal Firewall

• Neowatch

• Norton Personal Firewall

• PGP Desktop Security

• Sygate Personal Firewalls

• Tiny Personal Firewall

• Zone Alarm

• Zone Alarm Pro

Most of these firewalls are free for personal use or offer a free trial period. All the personal firewalls available can’t ensure 100% security for your machine. Regular maintenance of the machine is needed for ensuring safety.

Some of the tasks advised for maintaining system not prone to intrusions:

• Disable file and print sharing if you are not going to be on network.

• Update your antivirus signature files regularly.

• Use a specialized Trojan cleaner.

• Regular apply security patches to your software and operating system.

• Don’t open email attachments if you have don’t know the contents it may contain.

• Don’t allow unknown applications to access to the internet or to your system.

• Regularly check log files of your personal firewall and antivirus software.

• Disable ActiveX and java and uninstall windows scripting host if not required.

• Turn off Macros in Applications like Microsoft Office and turn macro protection on.

• Check the open ports of your system and see them against the common list of Trojans ports to see if they are being used by some Trojan.

• Log Off from your internet connection if not required. Being online on the internet for long duration gives any intruder more and sufficient time to breach system security.

• Unplug peripherals like web cam, microphone if they are not being used.

About The Author

Pawan Bangar,
Technical Director,
Birbals,India
ebirbals@gmail.com

Taking those first few steps towards establishing a Fitness Lifestyle can very well be intimidating, especially if the decision is made to sign-up for a gym membership. In fact, deciding on even using a gym can be a double-edged sword of sorts. On one hand, there are many of us who feel that we’ll become more motivated towards exercising regularly if we do sign-up for a gym membership. After all, you’re now investing more money into your health so you certainly don’t want to just throw that money away. Additionally, there are typically many more people working out at the gym than anywhere else, so you’ll probably be more likely to get caught up in the ambience and energy of others exercising as well. However, on the other hand, because there can be so many people working out at the gym, you may feel intimidated beginning those first steps towards getting back in condition in front of others. When you stop to consider all of the pros and cons with signing up for a gym membership, you may find that making this decision was a more daunting task than you first thought.

Fortunately, there are many gyms and fitness facilities available now to accommodate virtually every factor and consideration involved in your own decision making process. From the large fitness clubs such as Bally’s and 24-Hour Fitness to the local YMCA or university health centers, and from the private one-on-one training studios to even mobile Personal Training trailers, chances are excellent that a gym can be found to match your own personal preferences. What’s important to keep in mind is that every gym and fitness facility has it’s own unique personality and subsequently, there’s a gym to match your own unique personality as well. Therefore, with a little gym shopping savvy and factors that we’ll providing you for consideration, you’ll be on your way towards locating a gym that’s a perfect match for you!

Presented here then is a brief summary of several factors for you to consider when shopping for the gym that’s right for you:

1) Location

Typically, you’re better off when your gym is near to your home or work. The greater the distance that you’ll have to travel to exercise, then the greater the chance that you may find an excuse not to. At the same time, don’t let location be your sole determining factor, as it’s important that you don’t join a gym that you dislike simply because it’s nearby.

2) Management Attitude

When you walk into your gym, I strongly believe that you should never feel like only a dollar sign or a second-class citizen. Look for honesty, sincerity, politeness, and above all, respect. The vast majority of gyms that I have stepped foot into are operated by managers and staff members that genuinely enjoy their jobs and genuinely enjoy assisting their clients. However, if you feel like a gym is not interested in your needs at all, then you may wish to keep looking.

3) Hours

How does your own personal schedule fit in with the gym’s? If conducting early-bird workouts is your best option, then at what time does your gym open up? What if you can only workout late at night? Is your gym a 24-hour gym? Is it open 7 days a week?

4) Price

This factor is actually most people’s first consideration when searching for a gym. As this issue can be largely affected by your own personal taste and budget, I would simply propose the following points to consider. First, look at the entire package before you just consider the cost. Being the cheapest gym around does not necessarily make it the best fit for you. You do sometimes get what you pay for. Secondly, be mindful of the contracts you sign. There are fitness chains that have been notorious for absolutely locking you into a long-term contract and then making it nearly impossible to cancel should you decide to withdraw at a later date. If you are not convinced that you’re going to stick with regularly working out at a gym, you may then prefer to sign a short-term contract instead even if it costs more per month.

5) Sanitation

For me, this is a direct reflection on management. Bathrooms, showers, pools, saunas, tanning beds, and the gym equipment should be cleaned on a regular basis. Granted, while club members are working out, no gym will ever be 100% perfect, but as long as a club still places an emphasis on proper hygienic practices, then it demonstrates responsibility and concern for their members.

6) Client Volume

If you’re just beginning a gym membership for the first time and feel a bit insecure about working out for the first time, you may (or may not) prefer a smaller gym or even a personal training studio. Also, the best gym in the world for you may still be the wrong fit if you’re going to have to regularly wait in line to exercise on a piece of equipment. A crowded gym can result in irritable attitudes and inefficient workouts. Your best bet may be to locate a fitness facility with the proper combination of number of members and number of equipment that will allow you to maintain a steady workout.

7) Environment

Do you prefer an “Iron Dungeon” with a perpetual cloud of hand chalk and chorus of loud yells and grunts? Or do you prefer a club that feels more like a Singles joint where the clients seem more concerned with meeting the members of the opposite gender? Just like the design of the gym’s building, a gym’s environment can come in all versions as well. If you feel uncomfortable upon your initial walk-through, you may wish to continue looking at other gyms and fitness facilities nearby. When you sign up for a gym membership, it’s vitally important that you sign up at one that you feel comfortable at and enjoy the atmosphere because if you don’t, then there’s a good chance that you won’t succeed in regularly working out there.

There are still many additional factors not listed here you may wish to consider before selecting the gym of your choice such as amenities, the equipment itself, and the clientele. Just be sure to give yourself a little bit of time to shop around and determine which choice is best for you based on your needs and tastes. I truly believe that signing up for a gym membership is an outstanding investment on your physical and emotional health and is well worth the time and money spent to locate the one that’s the best match for you. Most gyms and fitness facilities today are ran by professionals in their field who enjoy their jobs and there is a good chance that this high level of enthusiasm will only energize you further.

So shop around, it’s well worth the effort!

About The Author

Nathan Boyd is author of the highly rated ebook, “The Fitness Lifestyle” and the current Director of Pro Fitness of Texas. Nathan encourages everyone in their pursuit of becoming physically fit and maintaining it for a lifetime. All questions and comments are always welcomed!

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weightloss@weightloss-cookies.com

Pranayama, also known as yogic breathing is the method of silencing the breath. Prana has been defined as the air which flows through the body. Pranayama is made up of three parts: controlled inhalations, controlled exhalations and holding of the breath. When you do all three parts, it is called sahita, while doing only the holding breath without the other two is called kevala. You should start with sahita till kevala comes into being. This is a technique that controls all that is associated with prana.

Our breathing is made of two acts of inhalations and exhalations. These acts are followed in cycles where inhalations and exhalations succeed each other, where you take in air into the lungs and then release some of it back from the lungs. In between the inhalation and exhalation, there is a short gap which usually escapes our attention. This act is called respiration and is usually completed in four seconds in the resting phase. We usually respire nearly fifteen times a minute. You can take in about 400 cubic centimeters or 0.4 liters in a minute. When you do deep inhalations, you take in additional 1.6 liters of air and 2 liters in all. At the time of deep exhalations, you throw out all these 2 liters of air but still your lungs contain another 1.5 to 2 liters of air.

Thus, the total lung capacity of the human body for a normal individual is about 5 liters. The amount of air that you can exhale through deep exhalation after a deep inhalation is called as Vital Capacity. Dividing this number by the weight of the body gives you the Vital Index, which shows the capacity to breathe as well as the vitality of the body and its efficiency in the body’s functions. Regular practice of yogic breathing has been shown to increase yogic breathing. This raises the vitality of the body and efficiency of the bodily functions.

Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina

There’s one thing that most people forget about when it comes to weight loss. The truth is it’s even more important than the right diet or effective exercise. It’s motivation.

Weight loss is not easy and you need a real drive force to move you towards your goal.

Sit back, relax and think for a second. Do you really WANT to lose weight? Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Do you have enough motivation to lose weight?

To lose weight all you need is three things: desire, belief, and motivation. If you have all three I can guarantee you a success.

1. Desire: Do you really WANT to lose weight?

Are you sure your desire is strong enough? Are you ready for some changes? Are you willing to sacrifice? How committed you are to achieving your goal? Under what condition will you give up?

What if you wanted to lose weight so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, positively never ever give up?

There’s one little trick to help you intensify your desire. Take a piece of paper, and write down all the reasons why do you want to be slimmer. Write down all the benefits of being slim. Try to write down at least 15. The more reasons you’ll find, the stronger your desire will get.

2. Belief: Do you BELIEVE in yourself?

If you don’t believe you can reach your goal… you won’t.

You have to believe that you can do it. Can you picture yourself being slim? Do you have any doubts in your mind that you can achieve what you want?

There is nothing impossible in loosing weight. Everyone can do that. And you are no exception.

3. Motivation: Are you MOTIVATED enough to follow your plan every day?

In order to achieve you goal you have to keep yourself motivated. There are three effective techniques that will help you to stay on track.

- Remember your reasons and benefits.

Take the list of benefits you wrote before. Read it. Read it every morning before you get up. Read it whenever you need stimulation.

Think about your wish, stay connected with your goal. When you are able to keep your mind on success you will be virtually certain to reach that success.

- Visualize yourself being slim

Close your eyes and relax… Create a clear mental picture. Visualize yourself being slim. How it feels? Do you feel satisfied? Happy? How others look at you? What are they saying?

Try to make the picture as realistic as possible. When you continually see yourself in possession of your goal, your subconscious mind will move you into actions that align with the mental image you hold. Visualize your goal at every opportunity.

- Use affirmations

Affirmations are the words we say to ourselves. It is the simple repeating a positive phrase in front of the mirror, in the car, or writing it on paper.

First, develop a couple of affirmations that are the most motivational to you. For example, it can be something like:

“My body is strong and healthy.” “I enjoy eating foods that are delicious and full of vitamins and minerals.” “I love the burst of energy I get after exercising.” “Every day, I am burning calories and getting closer to my weight goal.” “My healthy lifestyle empowers me.”

Then repeat it as often as you can. While driving, cooking, brushing your teeth… Say it loud, add emotions. Listen to your affirmation. Feel it.

The trick is not to force yourself, but listen to yourself.

Get motivated first and you won’t have to struggle trying to make yourself exercise or keep away from that doughnut. Your desire will keep you committed to your goal.

Magnesium is a mineral that serves many vital purposes in the body. There are more than 300 biochemical processes in the human body that require magnesium. From the heart to the bones, some of the body’s most fundamental systems and structures depend on this important mineral. Both day-to-day and long-term health and well being require sufficient intake of magnesium.

Magnesium is important to bone health and structure. Indeed, fully half of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. One important contribution magnesium makes to the bones is to assist in the production of the hormone calcitonin, which increases the level of calcium in the bones. Magnesium also controls the acidity of the blood, which is beneficial to bones, as high acid levels can weaken bone structure.

Magnesium plays a role in controlling the neuromuscular activities of the heart and helps to keep the heartbeat regular. It also helps to keep blood pressure levels within the normal range. For these reasons, researchers have been investigating the ways that magnesium could affect heart disease treatment and prevention.

There is also interest in magnesium in relation to diabetes. That is because magnesium is necessary for insulin secretion and function, and plays a role in controlling blood sugar. It serves to assist in turning blood sugar into energy, as well.

Working in partnership with a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, magnesium serves a wide range of purposes. It is essential to the health and functioning of the body’s neurological system and muscular system, serving - among other purposes - to enable the contraction of muscles and nerves.

It is important to maintain adequate levels of magnesium in the body, as serious help problems can result from deficiencies of this essential mineral. Adult males need about 350mg of magnesium per day, with adult women requiring 280mg daily, with an increase of up to 420mg per day while pregnant or breastfeeding. Children, depending on size and weight, need between 130mg to 240mg per day.

Deficiency in magnesium can cause a variety of symptoms of varying severity. These include significant calcium loss, heart spasms, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, muscle contractions and spasms, fatigue, and feelings of weakness, both in general and in the muscles.

Consuming the standard recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is essential to good health and the proper functioning of the body and its many systems. Unfortunately, most people do not achieve this through diet alone. Using nutritional supplements to make up the difference between what you should eat and what you really do eat is an effective and safe option, provided that you do so with the understanding that the standard recommended dosage should be used, unless advised otherwise by your personal health care provider. The body’s systems are based upon a delicate balance of chemicals, and too much can often be as harmful as too little. A licensed nutritionist can help you to make a supplement plan best suited to your individual dietary needs and health goals.

Water is your most important nutrient. Everyone knows that the majority of our body is water. Here are some facts. babies are 70% water, adults are 50-60% water and in breaking your body down, Blood is made up of 83 percent water, bones are 22 percent water, and muscle is 75 percent water. So water is really important.

Most people do not drink much water if any at all. In fact both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both have their customers drink between 8 and 10 glasses of water a day and most people find that they lose 2-10 pounds in the first week on their diet, primarily from the water loss.

Hydration is a very interesting thing. If you do not drink enough water your body seems to retain it to protect itself, once you start to drink a LOT of water you will find that for the first few days you will be running to the bathroom every hour but your body quickly adapts and you regulate quite well. When drinking your water you will also find that your concentration gets better and you are more attentive. I have also found a very interesting attitude amongst others around me, when they see you increasing the water in your diet they will in a very condescending tone tell you that yes in fact drinking water is good for you. You are going to see this with many of the new habits that you pick up that people will seem to know these things and sometimes feel guilty to see someone else follow through on them.

There is always a few strategies for getting yourself to make these changes that are som important. I do not just drink a lot of water in the morning and then forget about it until the next day. Instead, I drink three cups of water first thing in the morning and then at 10, 12, 3, 5, and later in the evening I try to have a big glass of water. I time this water so that I drink it at the same time as I have a meal. Some say that you should not drink water with a meal as it will hamper your digestion of that meal but I have not run into this myself.

Finally just one thing that I have found is that I kick start my day by drinking about 3 glasses of my water first thing before I get on my bike to start my day.

My first job was at a water park. It was a huge park with dozens of water slides, tube rides, cannon balls, and even a wave pool. It seems like it was just yesterday I was wearing the pink visor and pink shorts, hot pink that is. It sounds worse than it was, it actually looked real good once you got a real good tan going. Not to mention the fact that you got to sit in the sun and have all the fountain drinks and hot dogs you could ever want.
One of the other really cool things about the job as a lifeguard was the after hours, employee only parties. You’d get to do all kinds of cool stuff that the general admission wasn’t allowed to do. You’d get to have huge balls and surfboards in the wave pools, use the special inter tubes for the tube ride, and they’d turn the water pressure up on all the rides so that it was industrial style water attractions.
It was only a summer long that I ended up working there, but lasting memories for sure. We took all kinds of diet products to stay slim since we were by the pool all the time in our swim suits. The Acceletrim weight loss plan was my favorite for sure. It seemed to give me the best results when those few extra pounds snuck up.
It was definitely a lot of exercise working there. Tons of swimming, walking, basically a work out the whole time. So you ended up staying pretty lean all summer long.
My favorite part was sitting at the end of the wave pool. Not much action there and you got to relax and really enjoy your day.