You may ask yourself “What are the symptoms of Computer Addiction?” The answer is: “They can vary according to the extent of the addiction”. For instance, some people may be only addicted mildly to the internet and computer, therefore, they display little nor no symptoms other than the constant desire to be using the internet or computer.

On the other hand, those suffering from severe computer addiction may display a variety of symptoms, some of which can be hazardous to health. There are some symptoms of acute computer-related addiction outlined below with a brief description of each.

*Mood swings and irritability when not at the computer.

One of the first, and the most pressing signs of computer addiction is when the person shows anger, irritability and mood swings when not at the computer. Very often, all lifes’ situations become insignificant and they feel they must get back to the computer. The person seems to be completely preoccupied and focused on nothing else other than getting back online or back to the computer. If the person displays this sort of symptom, then it is a sure sign that this person is completely addicted to the computer.

*Showing signs of a lack of interest in offline activities.

This is a huge indication that computer addiction has taken hold. A computer addict may totally ignore their offline friends in favor of forming online relationships. It could even reach the extent that they sever relationships with their family as well. This is one of the most tragic symptoms, and when this happens, the computer addict needs to seek professional help as they are showing severe computer addiction symptoms.

*Loss of sleep and the abandoning of commitments to spend time at the computer.

This has a drastic effect on the health of a computer addict. They will often lose all track of time and will stay up all night to be at the computer with little or no sleep. They rarely go outside for fresh air and sunshine which will obviously affect their health. Another tragic computer addiction symptom is when the sufferer abandons their commitments to work, school, college, study and family to favor computer time. The abandoning of commitments will have a long-term effect on the life of the sufferer. Loss of their job, poor grades and failure of courses.

*Not eating balanced meals and lack of personal hygiene.

A person suffering from computer addiction, will very often miss meals. This is because it takes time to prepare a proper meal, time which would rather be spent at the computer. A computer addict will often favor snacks, fast food and soda. Another thing to bear in mind is the fact that a severe computer addict will not spend time for their ablutions. Again, these fundamental actions take time and some important conversation or a bad guy on the game who needs to be watched and could be missed if the addict were completing his or her ablutions.

*Lack of concentration and motivation for anything other than the computer.

The lack of motivation for any sort of activity outside of the computer environment. Computer addiction will cause lack of concentration, which could be very dangerous for those operating machinery or driving. This could have an obvious tragic effect on theirs - and others - health.

Sadly, these computer addictions are obviously very dangerous and should serve as a dire warning to the family and friends of addicts that the person needs to seek professional help before they crawl deeper into a virtual reality world with disastrous consequences. All these symptoms are due to computer addiction.

Very often people fall victim to fraud by unscrupulous people with clever tricks used to “steal” personal information, bank records, credit card numbers and more.

What many people don’t know, is that there are several ways to protect yourself, and virtually eliminate any chances of being “ripped off” by an internet hoodlum!

The following prevention methods can be implemented by any adult who is able to browse the internet, and should ALWAYS be practiced. Here are several tips:

1.) Do not pay bills or conduct online transactions dealing with the exchange of money or banking, on public computers such as those in libraries, internet cafes etc. Also, do NOT pay bills or conduct online transactions while using a “public” network. It is much easier for thieves to access information that exists on a network that has no security/encryption,and when financial activity is conducted on public computers that are used by “everyone,” “financial Russian Roulette” is played. Dangerous!!

2.) Do not conduct financial transactions on websites that aren’t “secure.” How do you know when a website is secure? One determining factor is HTTP, and HTTPS.

HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, and HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. When browsing the internet, your web browser includes an HTTP or HTTPS, prior to the web address.

(Notice the “S” in that address?) HTTPS is the protocol that provides encryption (i.e. protection) and secures the identification of the user.

HTTPS is often, but not ALWAYS used, in payment transactions that take place on the internet. Get to know your internet browser; many newer browsers display a warning across the window and many display the site’s security info in the address bar. Most browsers also pop up with a warning notice to the user, when they attempt to visit a site that contains a mix of unencrypted and encrypted content. In summary, HTTP is insecure and is subject to attacks, while HTTPS withstands said attacks, and is secure. (there are many more factors involved in security/encryption that may be addressed in another article)

3.) Use PayPal when possible! Did you know that PayPal is virtually THE most secure payment processing website/merchant currently on the internet?

When a company accepts PayPal, it is always advisable to pay using PayPal as opposed to the company’s merchant. PayPal is a very secure merchant, and many companies that sell online actually uses PayPal’s security methods when creating security standards for their websites. **Beware of “fake” PayPal sites i.e.: paypalcompanydotcomm or mypaypaldotcom,etc. (those sites are examples only and in the event that any of the aforementioned website’s are actual “legit” websites, please accept our apologies and change your website’s name! )

4.) Do NOT pay your bills and access your bank account(s) etc, while using the computer(s) at your place of employment! Why you ask? Believe it or not, there are unscrupulous people who work in IT departments, and who may use your information for fraudulent purposes. Most employers heavily monitor their employees’ internet usage, and most if not all people who are employed and use computers daily - know this fact. For instance, you decide to log onto your online banking site to balance your checkbook online. You are prompted to enter your user name and password to access the site. There are many scenarios that can occur, which could be devastating to your finances which include:

a.) Your employer has a “key-logger” installed on your computer, to track what you type; your passwords, user names etc. The key-logger also catches your account information as you type it into your online bank. NOT GOOD!

b.) Your employer requests that the IT department keep an indefinite “usage history” for internet browsing. The internet history contains which sites you visited, when you visited them,

what you clicked on during your visit; and lastly - constant SNAPSHOTS (or pictures) of the website during your visit. Guess what?…YOUR account information is included in that snapshot, in the exact form that it showed when you viewed it! BAD!!

c.) You decide to log onto to check your account balance. When you are finished, a co-worker runs to your desk asking you to come with them to lunch.

You close down your browser, but you don’t log out of your account, or your computer. A temporary employee is instructed by your supervisor, to use your computer while you are at lunch. He opens the browser on your PC, goes to “History” and notices the last page viewed. He clicks on the link and VOILA…the browser opens up and your account information is staring him in the face. How did that happen? You never logged out of your session. HORRIBLE!!!

Now that you’ve read this article, you are prepared to browse the internet, and conduct business safely and securely. Stay tuned, another part to this article may be released soon.

Please use this as a reference, and do not become the next CYBER FRAUD STATISTIC!!

Happy Computing!

From functionality to aesthetics, the modern TV is absolutely a far cry from the initial CRT version. These ubiquitous state-of-the-art LCD and Plasma sets also no longer just bring pastime entertainment. TV has actually become such a big part of daily life that watching it is a necessity in order to stay in tune with society.

All kinds of programming are available on TV now. Gone are the days when people switched on the TV and watched what’s scheduled, take it or leave it. Nowadays, viewers are picky with what they watch with their valuable time and as if to condone that, they are indeed spoilt for choice.

There’s on-demand TV for those who are targeted on what they want, pay-per-view for that special hot telecast, subscription TV for those who won’t tolerate commercials and then also the standard broadcast programming. There’re options to the options too, these programming can come via cable, satellite, antennae or internet line.

The transmission speed of the internet has been hugely boosted with the advent of broadband. With that, IPTV which had long been stifled in that respect can now soar to its potential. Given the kind of penetration that internet has into households, IPTV is undoubtedly positioned to be the technology of choice for TV.

One form of IPTV definitely appears poised to take the TV market by storm. Known by various terms such as Free Satellite TV PC, Internet TV on PC, Online Satellite TV and so forth, they are basically FTA broadcasts propagated and accessed over the internet as free TV on PC.

Most households have a PC with internet access anyway and they’re all that’s needed to watch free TV on PC. If navigating in search of these freebies is too bothersome, then there’re the commercial service providers to turn to. You can still watch TV on Computer free but there’s generally a one-time fee for the software.

The combination of internet and TV has gained quite a fan base. Those who have tried it swear by the benefits and the leading providers can have it up in a matter of minutes. However, there are scams too so patronize only those offered by established retailers like Clickbank and come with full money-back guarantee.

Here is what you can do to protect yourself.

Internet and computer safeguards:

Before you shop online, install and Update spyware and virus protection utilities to prevent a worm, virus or spyware program from sending out files or other stored information from your computer. But if you understand what spyware means and take the necessary steps to detect, remove and prevent it you can be free from this headache before it turns chronic. These are just a few of the ways that you can continue to monitor your computer in the attempt to prevent spyware from being installed.

A Firewall is very effective at stopping spyware installation and even if it does manage to become installed (because of an user action) you will be able to prevent the Spyware from communicating with it’s creators on the Internet. 5- Spyware Guard- A product of Javacool Software which performs scans immediately to block and catch spyware, protects against browser-hijackers from installing spyware to your computer. To help prevent malware from writing to the Registry, get a custom HOSTS file, to block requests that the spyware be downloaded and installed again.

Here are a few things that you may want to keep checking on your computer in order to prevent spyware. Thankfully anti-spyware/adware programs such as Ad-Aware (free) and WebRoot’s own offering, Spy Sweeper can clean up a PC and even help prevent further infections, but just like anti-virus software, this software needs to be kept up-to-date to remain effective. Most people don’t even know that they have spyware on their computer let alone how to remove it and prevent an outbreak from ever happening again.

The information will go as far as pointing out where the spyware is located in the computer, gamble quotient and the vital actions desired to prevent such threats. Computer security bundles with advanced algorithm and heuristic capabilities; MD5 hashes; immunization solutions; all of these have stepped up to the front lines of internet security to prevent adware, spyware or malware from compromising systems.

Pandora’s box has been opened and the explosion of information both personal and non-personal seems to be limitless and increases exponentially. And according to the National Opinion Poll taken in January of 2007 half the UK harbors a “deep mistrust” due to security concerns. Not only is there a deep public mistrust but, the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology are inquiring into the need for personal Internet Security because of the growing use of home computers, expansion of broadband, internet banking and commerce (Brent MacLean “A new look at Internet Security” Monday September 10, 2007).

Every one is talking extensively ( ISP Associations, Richard Clayton of the Cambridge Security Lab, John Carr of the Children’s Charities Coalition on Internet Safety, as well as Johnathan Zittrain of the Oxford Internet Institute and many others), gathering evidence of information and compiling it all for what? Sadly, most businesses and citizens still do not take the threat posed by cyber-insecurity seriously.

You would think with dependency of economies relying on certain infrastructures involving the Internet and information exchange between key service providers, that a disruption would certainly result in loss of lives, loss of property, and the collapse of public confidence globablly. Today simple domestic hacking is not the issue that will bring on devastating destruction like those designed by terrorist activities directed at nuclear plants, banking systems, hospitals, air traffic control as well as domain name servers, the possibilities are limitless. However, it is imperative to remove these personal and public computers from the arsenal of cyber terrorists as well as cybercriminals. With 225 million Internet users in North America (Nielson-Netratings), the personal computer dominates the Internet and at the same time is the most vulnerable. Millions of PCs are under the control of “zombie masters”. Red Herring, the technical business journal, estimated that in 2005 a 172,000 computers were hijacked and taken over each day and became “zombies” and under the control of a hacker. By 2007, Secure Computing, which tracks the Internet landscape, identified more than 500,000 new zombies per day that were hijacked and under the control of “bot” herders. Triple the level only two years earlier. The FBI says that because of their wideley distributed capabilities, botnets are a growing threat to national security, the national information infrastructure, and the economy.

The total number of compromised computers on the Internet is not known; however, Vince Cerf, Father of the Internet, estimates that about 150 million PCs currently connected to the Internet and are part of botnets. Based on FBI reports and other independent researchers the aforementioned number may be significantly higher. The typical home computer is attached to “always on” broadband facilities, severely compromised with malware (viruses, spyware, Trojans, keyloggers, etc.), usually without degradation of their ordinary capabilities and doing the bidding of their “zombie master”. Hacking, virus dissemination, denial od service (DoS), theft of personal data, ID fraud, keyloggers, spamming, distribution of pornography, spying through webcams, click fraud and many other cyber exploits are all now almost wholly orchestrated via zombie networks.

Computers weren’t designed for security; they were designed to perform complex work. As complex as computers are, each computer has 65,000 open ports (doorways) to the Internet; a simple element that leaves them vulnerable. You might wonder why an individual would want control of a herd of zombies, there are several reasons. For exploits whether it’s a denial of service, to bring down the servers of banks, major corporations, or a competitor. Inherently, whenever a computer says “hello” to another computer, that computer must respond with a “hello” back. A “bot herder” with tens of thousands of computers under their control has all of them say hello at the same time to your computer or a network of computers, what do think happens. Most likely the responding PC or server is overwhelmed and crashes, it simply can’t respond to that many hellos. A botnet can be purchased on the black market to carry out attacks. Zombie-making virus kits can be purchased on the net, requiring little or no technical knowledge and which provides the breeding ground for future international cybercriminals and the training ground for cybergangs (terrorists).

What are we to do? Implementing new laws when it’s already difficult to pursue and in some cases unenforceable and with cross-border criminal investigations not to mention the resources needed are vast and costly with little results.

How do we secure the Internet now? One idea is to improve administrative, regulatory, and technical solutions to produce a safer Net and then apply resources to fortify banks, airports, power plants from the insecure internet we have allowed to develop. It begins with securing the end-user and creating an awareness that we are all responsible for the safety of the Internet and we all need to “Become Responsible Cybercitizens”.

We the people have to make an effort to make sure our machines run clean and free of malware (viruses, spyware, trojans, etc.). That involves current patches, updates, upgrades, and professional software technologies. It also obligates everyone of us to make sure that we have not been compromised by having our computers serviced by a security technician and assured that there is no malware present. There is a service, the Invisus PC security service, that will provide a fully managed computer security service including unlimited security technical support plus several additional benefits that will earn you the title of a “Responsible Cybercitizen”.

Requiring ISPs to scan data traffic going to and from computers attached to their networks for unusual patterns of traffic and then deny them Internet access until it has been determined they are not zombies. We can also ask the ISP to provide remote patches, updates and software updates. However, the ISPs will bulk at the cost, liability, autonomy, support, and delivery. Or have our ISPs provide a value-added service similar to subscription-based services offered by the Invisus PC security service which not only provides for a hassle-free computing experience but, is a total security package locking down the end-users computer for a minimum monthly fee.

In order to succeed we must meld security and convenience. The consumer doesn’t want to be responsible for their security. All they want to know is how to turn their computer on and off. Unfortunately, we can’t have our cake and eat it too. The time has come to learn how to maintain a safe and healthy computer (saving the consumer both time and money) void of infections that keep spreading and infecting other computers. It’s not necessary to be technically savvy to operate a computer, like your automobile there’s no need to be a technically savvy mechanic but, it is important to make sure your car is in good operating condition not only for its performance but, for the safety of others. We have laws to assure us the security of cars and their owners are safe. Those who are ignorant of how to maintain the safety of an automobile are required to perform certain responsibilities to insure the safety of their vehicle for others as well as the owner of the car. To insure the safety of others we require a certain level of education and knowledge of the rules of the road. You can’t drive without insurance or a drivers license, which means that you have undertaken and understand some level of instructions.

You may disagree but, unfortunately as impossible as it may be practically, politically, and ethically, to require every consumer… including the ignorant, the poor, and even the wealthy, to be legally responsible for keeping their computer in a state of reasonable security, the fact is you are guilty until proven innocent. So, the next best approach might be to offer to try and educate them but we probably cannot impose a “computer-driving license”. Again, we may be able to offer an alternative by requiring the consumer to take necessary steps to assure that their computers are serviced and up-to-date with professional security software and that they are checked and given a clean bill of health; free of malware.

How do you know as a parent when your teen’s computer use is going too far? There is no easy litmus test here. If your teen loves to play online games, he may not be alone. However, if your teen seems to be sacrificing social opportunities or spending more than 25 hours a week in the online gaming arena, maybe something is wrong.

One of the Internet’s most popular games, the World of Warcraft, is a self-contained online world with millions of different players from dozens of countries around the world. This online realm sucks teenagers in easily, and some have been known to stay on the World of Warcraft site for more than 70 or 80 active hours per week.

Today’s teenager also has access to a variety of services available on the computer and over the Internet. Instead of using the telephone, they use instant messaging. They don’t get their pictures printed at the corner drugstore anymore but upload digital pictures to MySpace and sharing them with friends and anyone else instantly. Even the ever-present radio or stereo have fallen out of vogue because the computer has much better sound and its attached woofer makes the room vibrate even more. Watching a movie on television has been replaced with playing a DVD on the computer. Teens may even do their homework and school projects on the computer.

Considering that many people get addicted to the Internet, parents should be able to recognize when their teen is developing a bad habit. The isolating, repetitive nature of computer work in general can be stunting in terms of development. In addition, parents should be concerned if their teens are not getting enough exercise, nutrition and sleep. A friend of mine told me just a few days ago “I caught my 11 year old son playing games on the Internet at four o”clock in the morning!”

What Parents can do

I have spent most of my time on the computer writing this book for the last few months. Since our kids tend to do as they see more often than they do as they are told, I know this would not be a good time to bring this subject up with my daughter.

To establish a good and argument-proof plan when approaching your teen to discuss this topic, it is vital that you know exactly what your teenager is doing while on the computer and how much time he is spending on each particular activity. Establish which activities you will allow, and what Web sites or activities are off limit.

Your plan also needs to include how much time you will allow for each activity and how many hours you are willing to allow per week. The Internet has become an unsafe place for teens in many respects, so you also might consider one of the software packages available that allow you to set parental controls similar to the parental controls which block certain TV programs. Be prepared for your teenager’s question: “What do you want me to do instead?”

Set an example yourself. If you’re an online junky or a solitaire addict, cut back on your computer use to provide a good example. Take time to connect with your teenager and to bring your family together for non-computer/TV related activities, and you’ll likely see computer use decrease.

Computers are being used in various educational fields. People consider them fine mediums to impart knowledge. Computers are successfully applied in art education. There are many art institutes related to fashion, culinary skills, design and media arts that totally depend on the use of computers. Instructors consider them to be convenient, economical and interesting mediums.

There are colleges and institutes that offer courses to introduce students to computer applications in the field of art education. They emphasize on the use of the Internet as a communication and learning tool. Internet is also considered a creative art medium and a professional resource. Computer art education helps them to explore the use of digital-imaging hardware and software for individual creative expression. There are courses that teach ways to integrate the Internet and computer technology into school art programs.

Computer art education reflects the conviction that the computer is a tool that requires creative thinking and purpose in order to use it effectively. At the completion of the course, pre-service art education students are able to use digital imaging software and hardware, to create 2-D computer art and graphics in their chosen fields.

Students learn to incorporate text and graphics in electronic documents, for creative and instructional purposes. They produce computer animation and multimedia documents with the use of application software. The software is used as a communication tool, a creative medium and a professional resource.

Students learn applications of digital technologies in the field of art and art education. The technology can also be used for aesthetic, ethical and legal issues related to the use of digital technology in the visual arts and art education. There are a variety of instructional methods including, lectures, demonstrations, mutual learning and projects. Computer art education enables students to get actively involved in the learning process.

There are few simple reasons why this happens -

• People who just like causing harm.
• People who feel that it is the only way to make money.
• People with too much free time.
• People who do not know what they are doing and in overtly cause harm.

It seems almost every day new buzz words are created for programs on the Internet that can do damage to a PC - Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Trojans, Bots, and the list goes on. Do not get confused by these buzz words, even the IT professionals sometimes cannot tell them apart.

• Viruses are programs that run on your machine that just wreck havoc, such as deleting other programs on your PC.
• Spyware is just that, programs that actually try to gather information that can possible be sent out on the Internet.
• Adware are programs that try to add things onto your computer, for example pop ups that want you to buy something.
• Trojans are programs that embed themselves somewhere in your computer and then proceed to take over other programs on the PC, a common one would be to redirect your Internet explorer to somewhere different than where you wanted to go.
• The latest craze is ‘Bots’, programs that run on your PC and possible work in conjunction with other ‘Bots’ on other PCs to perform tasks, such as breaking into networks.

There are never any guarantees no matter what you do! But by following some simple rules you can get the best PC Internet protection that is reasonable to expect.

• Make sure you have a program installed that gets continuously updated to protect your machine. Some of the more popular ones are McAfee or Symantec, however sometimes lesser known programs do a better job. You may also need addition programs, ones for example that are designed specifically to keep your PCs registry clean, or block adware.
• Avoid web sites that seem questionable, usually you can use common sense and your gut feeling.
• Never agree to download something unless you are sure what you are downloading. By agreeing to install something you might bypass any protection software. *If prompted for a download, instead of selecting ‘NO’ when prompted click on the ‘X’ or cancel the process through Task Manager. Sometimes by clicking on the ‘NO’, you are actually agreeing to do a download.
• If you do get infected by something, try to do a restore of your registry too before you got infected. In MS Windows perform a ‘System Restore’ by going to Accessories - System Tools - System Restore. This will restore your systems registry, you will not loose any data.

Checking your personal email, paying bills online, researching for a good carpet cleaner. All of these tasks are necessary when it comes to managing our personal affairs. But how can we get it all done when we work 8 hours each day? Many of us spend our work day sitting in front of a computer for hours on end so why not take a few moments to knock a couple of things out so we can have more time to do what we really want at home? Depending on your employer, getting some personal things done while at work might just be a real possibility. With that we need to learn a little “how to” etiquette when it comes to internet use at work. The following guidelines will help you stay above the line and prevent you from dealing with any scathing web surfing reprimands from your boss.

1. Saying “I didn’t know” is not an excuse when it comes to internet and computer etiquette at work. Make it your business to know the company rules.

2. Personal time on computers at work should be used - only before or after work hours. Lunchtime use is okay only if you are able to make it very clear to coworkers you are on break for lunch and not on company time.

3. Even if you spend a lot of hours at your job you should only surf the web, shop online, or pay bills if company permits you to so. Keep time limits to a minimum.

4. Rather than rely on your memory, keep a log of personal time spent online in the event you are questioned later.

5. Be mindful of “looky-loos.” These are the nosey folks that just can’t help looking over your shoulder. They can really start a big mess. Don’t give them any ammunition. Make sure the sites you visit are won’t be misconstrued as “inappropriate” for work.

6. Remember, email accounts at work are not private. That email address does not belong to you personally, it’s the company’s. They have total rights to your account.

KEY POINTS

- Always project professionalism in correspondence.
- Watch your language
- Even if it’s someone you know personally, avoid sending out e-mail that is religious, political or pornographic.

Overall, across the country computers are becoming much more a part of everyone’s life. When I went to college you went to school and then had to go to a computer lab to do your homework. Several families had a computer in their home, but having the internet on any computer was not as common. Then of course, having a laptop was absolutely unheard of. Times have changed and now the internet and computers are available everywhere you turn. Most college students have their own laptop and can sit and work on their work or access their class information while sitting in class.

For many of us we love having this type of access. We love that we can access the internet from our phones or from anywhere we go. There are a million reasons to think that the computers, internet and access to the world at our fingertips is an amazing thing. It seems that with all great things there can be negatives. Child pornography has become much more prevalent due to the access to the internet. Whether you live in Los Angeles or live in Philadelphia it is important to recognize the importance of protecting your own children and those around you. Not only is it important to protect your own children, but if you come across anything on the internet it is important to report it.

You might not know where to turn for help if you find child pornography but it is important to look to lawyers that are specialized in the area that you live. If you live in Philadelphia you will want to get a Philadelphia child pornography lawyer. They are aware of the laws in your state and can help you make a difference.