security enabled network: July 2008

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Has your AV been speed-limited?

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TODAY'S TOPICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Is Your Anti-Virus Slowing Your Browsing?
- Update Update
- Marketer's Corner
- NEWS FLASH: The Final Chapter
- Call for Comment

Hi Affiliate.

AVG Anti-Virus is now in version 8. With a number of improvements
and new features over version 7.x it remains one of the best and
is still my personal choice.

As I explained in a previous newsletter, I no longer consider that
the *free* version of AVG offers suitable protection. I give my
reasons for that assessment in a Member's Update. Login to the
member's page, scroll down a little and look for the subheading
"Recent Updates" -- it's in the block with the lemon background.
You can login from here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=KhsjTm9.vVXN312AP1lXVg

However, by default AVG v.8 enables a feature that creates a lot
of unnecessary web traffic and can slow down your web browsing --
quite considerably in some cases.

The feature is called Search-Shield. In both Internet Explorer and
Mozilla Firefox it scans every single link generated by the Google,
Yahoo!, and MSN search engines, and adds a "safety status" icon to
the end of each search results link. The icons indicate one of the
following conditions:

- The linked page is safe (not displayed for Yahoo! searches)

- Linked page doesn't contain threats but is somewhat suspicious

- Linked page itself is safe but contains links to dangerous pages
=OR=
The linked page contains suspicious code but is not directly
employing any threats at the moment.

- The linked page contains active threats. You will not be
allowed to visit this page!

- The linked page is not accessible, and could not be scanned.

Obviously this scanning takes time, so if you decide you don't need
that degree of mothering you may want to disable the feature.
Here's how...

- Right click on the AVG icon in your System Tray; the System Tray
is the "icon box" at the right-hand end of the Task Bar;

- Select "Open AVG User Interface..." from the pop-up menu;

- In the Overview tab double-click on the LinkScanner icon;

- Uncheck the top box that reads:
"Enable AVG Search-Shield (need Web browser restart);

- click on the Save changes button;

- Close the AVG user interface;

- Close and reopen your Web browser.

You will no longer have the green check marks, red crosses, etc
after each search results link, and your browser should be at least
a little speedier, and maybe even a lot more so.

Now, as a result of disabling Search-Shield, the AVG System Tray
icon takes on a new look, indicating that there is an error because
not all features are enabled.

Fortunately you don't have to live with that distraction either...

From the AVG user interface, follow the menu sequence:

- Tools -> Advanced Settings

- Click on "Ignore faulty conditions" in the left-hand column.

- In the right-hand column place a checkmark against LinkScanner.

Another (and much simpler) way to do that is to select the
Overview tab (left-hand side of the AVG interface), right-click
on the LinkScanner icon, and check "Ignore component state".

And still another way: Since AVG Safe-Search is actually a browser
plug-in, you can disable it directly from within at least Internet
Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

Which method to use is your choice... but I described the long way
first to encourage you to take a look through the available options.

If you're considering switching to AVG Anti-Virus from whatever
you're running now, here's the link:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=XBeLi7my1F.Z46kVnfVRng

---------------------------------------------------------

** Update Update **

I'm still seeing "renowned experts" wailing about, in the words
of one such expert, "problems caused by Microsoft's buggy
DNS update".

Sometimes I do despair! It just goes to demonstrate that technical
expertise doesn't necessarily go hand-in-hand with logical common
sense.

What was more important:

(1) Risk having the entire World Wide Web navigation placed
into the hands of cyber-miscreants, or...

(2) Risk breaking a few applications.

Errr... I think I'll go for door number two thank you very much.

There was a lot of hoopla about how "the DNS patch broke ZoneAlarm".
Hackers Nightmare readers have a better firewall than ZA, but it's
still a popular product so a lot of people were affected.

The only way it could be "un-broke" was by changing some of
ZoneAlarm's underlying programming code. Does that sound like
something Microsoft could do? Of course not; it's not their
product and they don't have access to the code. But Check Point
Software (publishers of ZoneAlarm ) had the necessary fix
implemented very quickly.

And *some* Windows Small Business Server 2003 installations also
suffered. This fix was even simpler, no programming required --
just add a few extra Port ranges to a registry key. Now of course
that's not "fairly simple" to someone who's just had their SBS go
haywire and doesn't know what to do about it, even if they did (as
they should) manage to put 2 and 2 together and come up with the
recent patch as the culprit.

On the one hand, Microsoft quickly posted all necessary details on
the official Small Business Server Blog:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=x48hnyXd2dr.osg0245PtA

Secondly, I'd have to seriously question whether you should be
messing with *Server* Operating System software if you don't know
where to turn to for quick information on such things.

Believe me I'm not someone who makes a habit of defending
Microsoft. They've made more than their fair share of dreadful
mistakes and a lot of unconscionable decisions.

But a lot of "industry commentators" hang on Microsoft's every
utterance for fear of missing a chance to attack them, a
predilection that swings between comical and pathetic, and
benefits no one.

However, justified or not, this latest batch of complaints once
again raise the old question: To patch or not to patch?

Some experts are adamant that you shouldn't apply a patch just
because it's available, and that you shouldn't apply a patch until
enough time has passed for any problems to be reported.

To a point I don't have any quarrel with that position, but it does
need to be qualified.

I've always held that patching is better than not patching *IF* you
are not in a position to make an informed decision about the value
of the patch. Most (but by no means all) subscribers to this
newsletter would NOT be in a position to make such a decision, so
in my opinion patch-when-available is the lesser of two evils for
most people.

Look at it this way...

Most patches are designed to block a hole that could potentially
be exploited by a bad guy. Now if you apply a patch and it breaks
something, are you worse off because of the new problem (for
which a fix will very probably become available), or better off
for having protected yourself against a potential attack?

Mind you, Service Packs can and should be treated with more caution
than patches. Rarely, if ever, will it be necessary to apply a
Service Pack as a matter of urgency.

The proper approaches to patching, updates and Service Packs, and
the precautions to be taken, are well documented in The Hacker's
Nightmare.

---------------------------------------------------------

** Marketer's corner **

To many of us engaged in business online, Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) is some sort of mysterious black art, though we
suspect it could be really useful if we could just get a handle on
it.

One thing we do know about SEO is that it's very labor-intensive,
which is partly why hiring SEO specialists is such a costly
exercise. Thus, in my book anyway, anything that will automate the
optimization of my web pages for search engines is worth looking
into.

I've just heard about a new application that might help in that
regard. "New" is a bit of an overstatement as it's not even
released yet, but there is a short preview video available that
provides some advance insight into its operation and capabilities.

It looks very interesting and I do have an opportunity to get an
advance copy to try out. I'll give you my thoughts and conclusions
in the next newsletter.

The release date for the application is August 14, a couple of
weeks off yet, but I'll give you a reminder around then if I think
it's worthy of your attention.

By the way, I have heard there will be a free version, no doubt
with some features disabled. I've also heard there will be a very
easy payment plan option, even though the price tag is under $100.
It's unusual to have payment plans for inexpensive products, but
a pretty good idea I think.

Here's the short (3 min 41 sec) preview video:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=ORIfilzVqIrpRSRFM9J1Fw

---------------------------------------------------------

** NEWS FLASH: the Final Chapter **

In last week's newsletter I passed on the Associated Press story
"Spam king escapes from jail".

Unhappily that escapade has come to a most tragic conclusion. Here
are two different takes on this anti-social lunatic's final chapter:

The Melbourne Age (Australian newspaper):
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=LYUT7yD.ZNUNPcoZyu9jCw

Yahoo News:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=X4C.0.hApctHoVL4YIgsmw

---------------------------------------------------------

** Call for Comment **

Affiliate, is there something you'd like to see discussed
in this newsletter?

I'm always open to requests and suggestions, so don't hesitate to
send in a request via the Web form at...
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=1sCc62q5J_klBMKBphn9Qg

Due to time constraints we don't automatically respond to topic
suggestions, but be assured that every single one is recorded and
given careful consideration.

---------------------------------------------------------

Until next time, Stay safe! And remember...
The human brain is the first line of defense;
keep it engaged when online.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1g._hzUiGVZTAn&b=fOvd.ivCTZh8.OrC_bBTaQAffiliate
+Affiliate&e=

-------------------------------------------------------
In case you've forgotten... here's a reminder that you
did subscribe to my service. We forward this record to
the service provider whenever a spam report is lodged.
-------------------------------------------------------
Subscription Date : July 4, 2008

-------------------------------------------------------
"Location" is a web server's "best guess" based on
your IP address. It doesn't matter if it's wrong!
-------------------------------------------------------

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zGwsrOxMDA==

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 7 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is Part 7 of your computer and Internet security course.

This article is titled : "Browser Wars".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=aFnAZtQNOM.DQU.5kqLFLw

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed any of the previous parts
you can still get them here:

1. "The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=wT5lbpy9LGWcSDDGrnvY3A

2. "Adware & Spyware Protection":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=sD3_Lnd8mKj1bpPwltYy8g

3. "PhishyTales - How to spot an eMail scam":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=aqwJK1WLK_F5fMYJCLwCMg

4. "Shoring Up Your Browser":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=VW9c1l_TQRgu4svpdjWiog

5. "Disaster Recovery - It's all In The Planning":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=tb3h3qb5zBHm9oZ8FDgpNQ

6. "Firewalls - no longer an option":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=RENJrG3boMFQpoM1xlw7ig

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jOP6Y.VU_ZTAn&b=g6.NP65MgA8IDzHUneU7AQ

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczEzMnA==

Friday, July 25, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 6 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is Part 6 of your computer and Internet security course.

This article is titled : "Firewalls - no longer an option".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=Scv40g82pnP6V.ueshTq6w

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed any of the previous parts
you can still get them here:

1. "The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=7HBDBAh5y33gB8rCbYuySg

2. "Adware & Spyware Protection":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=nbSBWMRbeeCksIHcM8odNQ

3. "PhishyTales - How to spot an eMail scam":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=070iqanRWygJqB1rNOa0aQ

4. "Shoring Up Your Browser":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=rBsrC0zQQ02LuiRFrC.M3g

5. "Disaster Recovery - It's all In The Planning":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=f09X0Rfat86l7gi1cKeHfw

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1l0JdQ6_U_ZTAn&b=eN0P4dE1b0JqUVXBmIx3Jg

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczEzM7A==

[The Hacker's Nightmare] The Internet DNS threat (REPEAT)

------------------------------------------------------------------
As a subscriber to one of Bill Hely's books or services you are
eligible to receive his occasional notices on topics of interest.

Affiliate, we're getting a lot of requests for a repeat of
my original article about the Internet DNS threat, so here is the
relevant section of that newsletter edition...

-------------------------- Extract Starts ------------------------

** THIS IS VERY SERIOUS -- IGNORE AT YOUR PERIL **

If you don't follow the technology press you may be unaware of
this, as it has been largely ignored by the popular news media.

I won't go into a lot of detail, but in brief this doesn't relate
to any sort of an attack in the normal sense. Rather, a potentially
very serious flaw has been discovered in the underlying
architecture of the Internet.

I know, sounds like an April Fool's joke, right? But I assure you
it's no such thing.

Fortunately for the billions of us who use the Web, the problem was
discovered by a good guy first. For a change the bad guys were
beaten to the punch and, so long as you do your small part, they
are forever locked out of using it against you.

Readers of The Hacker's Nightmare should be very familiar with the
various aspects of a phishing scam. In a way the end result of this
problem is similar, in that you can be taken to a website that is a
fake copy of the one you think you're visiting. For that type of
phishing scam to work you have to be tricked into following a link
that, for example, you think will take you to your online banking
site, whereas in reality it takes you to the scammer's copy of the
real site, where the scumbag can extract your login credentials
from you.

One excellent precaution against that sort of ploy is to type your
bank's URL into the browser's address line, rather than follow a
link to get there.

This recently discovered problem is much worse, in that online
criminals could completely control the flow of Internet traffic, so
that even typing your target URL into the browser would be no
defense. No matter what you typed into your browser you would be
taken to wherever the crims wanted you to end up.

It's no exaggeration to say that, left un-fixed, the resulting
chaos would effectively ruin the Internet as a useful resource.

Unbeknown to us all, this problem was discovered some six months
ago, and a small group of experts has been working feverishly and
in secret ever since to fix the problem before the black hats got
wind of it.

Now they've done their bit, it's up to you...

***********************************************
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST APPLY ALL AVAILABLE UPDATES
TO YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY.
***********************************************

As a subscriber to this newsletter, that means you must apply the
patches now available from Microsoft. The recovery team that has
been working on the fix has supplied the necessary information to
all Operating System vendors, who in turn have produced the
necessary patches that will nullify this threat.

The Hacker's Nightmare contains everything you need to know about
patching, so don't delay -- bring your Operating System up to date
NOW.

If you want to know more of the story just do a Google search for
the phrase:
Internet critical DNS flaw

Just like that, don't enclose in quotes. You'll get plenty of
articles but they'll all read much the same.

-------------------------- End of Extract ------------------------

Of course, if you have cleaned up your computer with "Seven Steps
to a Clean PC" (freely available in the members area), and then
protected it with the detailed advice from "The Hacker's
Nightmare", you wouldn't need to worry about even occasional
special incidents like this.

You'd already be covered.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1b8jr.WSOVZTAn&b=brxqruIp9JBfkmRcke4VSA

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zGxMnAys7A==

Thursday, July 24, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] URGENT ALERT

------------------------------------------------------------------
As a subscriber to one of Bill Hely's books or services you are
eligible to receive his occasional notices on topics of interest.

Affiliate, I warned about this in a newsletter a few weeks
ago, and that was in plenty of time for my readers to take the
necessary action.

NOW IT'S HAPPENED...

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fGCqXQOeVZTAn&b=jxGOMCMiCVb3331QneumIQ

There was never any doubt that once the vulnerability became known
the bad guys would have an attack ready soon after.

They don't care that there is a patch available, because they know
that millions of people won't bother.

Please, don't you be one of the bunnies.

Take action or take a BIG risk!

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fGCqXQOeVZTAn&b=oYqVHS_pQSZQl.urr3_o3gAffiliate
+Affiliate&

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zGxMbEwsTA==

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Concealing Your IP Address...

TODAY'S TOPICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Concealing Your True IP Address
- A Hot IP Address Tip for Internet Marketing Research
- Great ClickBook Offer About to Expire
- Call for Comment I
- News Flash
- Call for Comment II

Hi Affiliate.

One aspect of your online existence that can be something of a
concern in the privacy stakes is your IP address -- an identifier
which can be likened to the Internet equivalent of your street
address. Every Internet-connected computer has an IP address
assigned to it.

For the most part IP addresses are geographically assigned. In
other words, with the right reference material or look-up program,
your approximate geographical location can be derived from your IP
address.

Your IP address is readily available to anyone you contact via
e-mail, and to any Website you visit. If you look down towards the
bottom of this e-mail, where your subscription information is
located, you'll see a field for "Subscriber's IP Address". That was
your IP address when you originally joined our merry little group,
and it was invisibly derived by whatever purchase, sign-up or
subscription form you used at the time.

That may not be your IP address now, and in fact it probably isn't.
But it was your IP address when you registered with us, and that
together with the date/time of registration and other information
is enough to give a competent investigator a good start on tracking
you down.

Legitimate organizations like ours only extract and retain your IP
address as evidence that you did in fact purchase one of our
products or subscribe to one of our services. This is an
unfortunate necessity because there are people who will forget that
they willingly and voluntarily subscribed, then report the provider
(that's us) for spamming when they receive a newsletter or other
legitimate contact.

Being blacklisted as a spammer is not something that anyone
(especially anyone in business) can afford to have happen, so it's
not only reasonable but also necessary that we be able to provide
evidence that any such complaint is spurious.

Unfortunately an IP address can also be used for nefarious purposes
by a knowledgeable and determined hacker. So what I'm going to do
now is to put your interests ahead of mine, and tell you how to
prevent a Webmaster from deriving your IP address when you visit
his site.

However, don't be tempted to use this knowledge for anything,
hmmm... shall we say, "illegitimate". In the event of an
investigation being initiated because of something you did, more
powerful weapons come into play than are available to the average
Webmaster.

You can't completely hide and not provide any IP at all, so how do
we do it? The answer lies in a technique called proxying -- the use
of a proxy server.

The big picture is fairly easy to follow.

Let's say you want to connect from your computer to Google.com. All
connections between two computers on the Internet are two-way
conversations; your computer sends data to the target, and the
target responds by sending data to your computer. So we might
represent the connection like this:

Your Computer <------------------------------> Google.com

Any webpage at Google can be programmed to record your IP address,
so if for example you fill out a Web form requesting information
from Google, your IP address will almost certainly be sent to
Google along with your request.

Now consider this alternate scenario:

Your Computer <-----> Intermediate PC <------> Google.com

Your computer is now conducting its two-way conversation with an
intermediary computer, which in turn is specially configured to
hold that same conversation with Google on your behalf. Google can
now only derive the IP address of the intermediary.

In web-speak, that intermediate PC is called a Proxy Server.

Now although the use of a proxy is a fairly simple procedure in
itself, there are two problems:

1. You have to know the IP address of a suitably configured
proxy server computer -- one that is also configured to
allow you to use it in this manner;

2. You have to tell your Web browser to use that proxy
server in conversing with locations on the Internet,
instead of making a direct connection.

As I'll demonstrate shortly, neither of those problems is difficult
to overcome. The only real bar to your overcoming both problems
yourself manually is tedium.

You can do a web search for the term "public proxy servers" and
you'll get plenty of hits to investigate further. Sites such as
PublicProxyServers.com list thousands of IP addresses that are
*supposedly* available for your use.

In actual fact you will almost always find that you have to try
quite a number of the IP addresses provided before you'll find one
that is usable. Anyway, for what it's worth, here's the link to
PublicProxyServers.com, but there are much better solutions...
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=akbNHncQGvmML3laDCOB6A

Telling your browser to use the proxy server IP address is again
quite simple, but tedious if you have to keep changing that IP,
which for reasons I will explain shortly you will want to do.

To tell Firefox v3 to use a proxy server IP address, click the
following menu sequence:
Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Settings button

For Internet Explorer v7 it's:
Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings button
Proxy server settings are in the second box

Now regardless of which browser you use, after changing proxy
servers a few times you will soon come to the conclusion that
either it's not worth the effort, or you need a more automated way
to do it.

Well, happily, there is an automated method.

But before I get to that, I said above that I would explain why you
may want to be changing proxy servers frequently. There are a
couple of reasons:

1. Many so-called "public" proxy servers aren't meant to be
used by the public at all, and proxy server IPs are
appearing and disappearing all the time. You'll often find
that, having found by trial and error a proxy server IP
that does work, it will cease to work soon thereafter. Then
you'll have to find another proxy server IP and configure
your browser for it.

2. Going through a proxy can slow down your browsing session --
quite considerably in some cases. Thus if you perceive a
need to conceal your real IP address while connecting to a
particular site, you may want to revert to your real IP for
general browsing.

The solution of course is software -- a program that will:

(a) Automatically find a working proxy IP address for your use;
(b) Configure your browser to use that IP;
(c) Allow you to switch to a different IP with a click or two;
(d) Revert to your original real IP with a minimum of fuss.

There are a number of programs that will do at least most of those
things, but the big problem with the majority is the IP addresses
they serve up for your use. Many are hosted in Asian countries and
are extremely slow. In many cases the IP address provided doesn't
even work once.

So let's cut to the chase...

After trying quite a few of these applications I found only one
that I would class as "professional". I found it to be unobtrusive,
reliable, well laid out and very easy to use. It also has a number
of very useful optional features that I didn't find anywhere else.

Here's the link to the product website...
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=W3Lzu9XaLEqsi_V9IcYYZQ
But before you go there, a word of advice.

If you perceive a need for this sort of application and you decide
to purchase it then you really need to take out the Premium Service
option. Here's why...

* More and faster IPs available;

* You can select your IP so that to anyone analyzing it you will
appear to be located in your choice of USA, UK, Canada, Germany
or Hong Kong;

* You can also hide your real IP in Outlook, AIM, MSN and many
other programs besides your Web browser;

* You get free upgrades to all future versions of the program.

By the way, spoofing your IP address can also give you access to
sites from which you might otherwise be blocked. Even if you as an
individual haven't been blocked from any website, there are still
ways you can be affected.

For example, many gambling sites prevent access by visitors from
particular countries, because of the laws in those countries. Such
blocking is accomplished by geographically mapping your IP address,
so if you spoof an IP from a different country there is a good
chance you'll have full access.

Of course, if you then provide account information that is relevant
to your home country, you may then be blocked on that basis. But
even that trap has obvious workarounds.

Please don't take that as an incitement to break the law. However,
many countries have enacted certain laws that some citizens
consider an unreasonable curtailment of their civil rights. If you
consider civil disobedience to be a reasonable response to stupid
or unreasonable laws, you'll get no criticism from me.

------------------------------------------------------------------

*** HOT TIP ***

IP SPOOFING FOR INTERNET MARKETERS

To have any chance of success Internet marketers need to use a
major search engine for research purposes. While many marketers
use several search engines for research, Google is the biggie and
the one most favored, so I'll use it for this example.

If you have any experience in Internet marketing you probably know
that the results pages that Google returns for a given search
keyword or search term depend on your geographical location.

For example, say you have an interest in the "ugg boots" market.
When you search for that term, the search results page that is
returned will be different for someone located in Australia or the
UK than for someone in the USA.

Of particular interest to the Internet marketer will be the paid
advertising that appears down the right-hand side of a Google
results page. If you live in Australia and you are researching the
Ugg Boots market in the USA, you want to know what advertisements a
US-based customer will see when they search for "ugg boots".

By using the Hide-My-IP application discussed above, you can see
search results just as your target market would see them, not as
they are for your own locality.

Thus, by quickly changing your IP with a click or two, you can see
that...

An Australian-based search for the term "ugg boots" will return
almost exclusively .com.au sites.

A US-based search will return predominantly US .com sites.

A UK based-search will return a mixture of .com.au and .co.uk
sites; further, where prices are displayed in the advertisement,
they will be in British pounds.

Thus, for an Internet marketer, the Hide-My-IP Premium Service is a
must, because the Basic application doesn't allow you to select IPs
for specific countries. With the basic application you will be
served with random IP addresses, and you have no control over their
location or quality -- most will probably be located in Asia.

At the time you purchase Hide-My-IP you will be given a once-only
opportunity to add the premium service at a substantial discount.

If you don't accept that opportunity you can add the Premium
Service later at the normal retail price. The shortcut link
directly to the Premium Service option is:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=qFeVQkcSNpZczBU4eeTl7g

------------------------------------------------------------------

** ONLY DAYS TO GO ON THE GREAT CLICKBOOK OFFER **

A reminder that the ClickBook + Long-Reach Stapler offer ends in
a couple of days.

If you're new to this list, ClickBook is my highly recommended
productivity booster for anything related to printing. A new
feature of ClickBook is that it can also produce PDFs without any
fuss or bother. Another of its many neat tricks is booklet
printing, and to fasten booklets you need a stapler with a long arm
that can reach from the edge of the booklet into the center-line
where the staples go.

The quality Bostitch Long Reach Stapler usually sells from the
ClickBook website for $39.95, but until July 31 (now less than a
week away) you can get the stapler free with a purchase of
ClickBook. That means you're getting ClickBook for ten bucks
instead of fifty.

The stapler takes standard #56 (12.7mm by 6mm -- 26/6) staples
which are readily available anywhere, but you can also add a box of
5000 to the shopping cart for just $5 when you take up this special
offer.

Here are the links...

ClickBook + Stapler :
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=f5il1hmb2w1qIPIHcTNPsg

Add 5000 Staples for $5 :
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=aZmnGMw6lKMPf6Zhv74ZLw

------------------------------------------------------------------

** Call for COMMENT I **

My latest book, "Spam Warfare: Home & Small Business Edition" has
been freely available to members for a week now, and going by the
number of downloads there's a lot of interest in the subject.

So what I need now folks is some feedback.

Positive or negative, both are valuable. I can't improve the
content or provide a missing ingredient if I don't know about it.

While many people are reluctant to make negative comments, they
really are valuable to any writer, especially to those who write
any sort of how-to material.

So Affiliate, if you are a member of The Hacker's Nightmare
family, and if you have read "Spam Warfare...", please take a
moment to give me your thoughts on it.

And by the way, that goes for any book in the members area...

If you love it I'd like to hear about it -- if there's something
you didn't like or found lacking, please say so.

I really look forward to hearing from you, so thanks in advance
for taking the time. It's as simple as clicking on this link to
share your thoughts and opinions...
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=qrU9NoaOqTgxVGfq31wHJgAffiliate+Affiliate&e=

------------------------------------------------------------------

** NEWS FLASH **

And speaking of spam...

'Spam king' escapes from jail
July 23, 2008 - 9:44AM
[Associated Press]

An inmate known as the "spam king" for sending hundreds of
thousands of unsolicited e-mails has walked away from a federal
prison camp in Colorado.

U.S. Marshals, the FBI and IRS are looking for 35-year-old Edward
"Eddie" Davidson, who left a minimum-security facility in Florence
on Sunday. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced his escape on
Tuesday.

The office said Davidson was last seen in the Denver suburb of
Lakewood, which is about 90 miles north of the prison camp.

Davidson was sentenced in April to 21 months in prison and ordered
to pay $US714,139 in restitution.

------------------------------------------------------------------

** Call for COMMENT II **

Affiliate, is there something you'd like to see discussed
in this newsletter?

Be assured that I'm always open to requests and suggestions, so
don't hesitate to send in a request via the Web form at...
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=lCd2ARFqOCAkdgjAP4xUuAAffiliate+Affiliate&e=

------------------------------------------------------------------

That's it Affiliate.

Until next time, Stay safe! And remember...
The human brain is the first line of defense;
keep it engaged when online.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1fFq7_x70VZTAn&b=lCd2ARFqOCAkdgjAP4xUuAAffiliate+Affiliate&e=

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zGwM7MwsTA==

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 5 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is Part 5 of your computer and Internet security course.

This article is titled :
"Disaster Recovery - It's all In The Planning".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=2TSp5lF1pqc7_B8iE0vbqA

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed any of the previous parts
you can still get them here:

1. "The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=EWSiSZ8_7ZoYZJiRxGMYSw

2. "Adware & Spyware Protection":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=S7Yp4nnB7TR2lppJOtrjPA

3. "PhishyTales - How to spot an eMail scam":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=P_qtFV1m3pFlray6JbTL3w

4. "Shoring Up Your Browser":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=LRbxV6BfDSb1L48XR5hTug

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1meE8HFVU_ZTAn&b=uvcL0Rl5dnsvenObkRVtdg

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczEzMrA==

Thursday, July 17, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 4 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is Part 4 of your computer and Internet security course.

This article is titled : "Shoring Up Your Browser".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1oG8f8N_U_ZTAn&b=oL4uW1aTMjaeviwUGGOXcA

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed any of the previous parts
you can still get them here:

1. "The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1oG8f8N_U_ZTAn&b=jTXghkzr6f9ENRgIdpqI_w

2. "Adware & Spyware Protection":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1oG8f8N_U_ZTAn&b=fr3POqizzVHV7iyy51kjSg

3. "PhishyTales - How to spot an eMail scam":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1oG8f8N_U_ZTAn&b=KxTXYX2xv2l9RkzntsaYUw

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1oG8f8N_U_ZTAn&b=vvI8.2_32GavKs9tG3G5CA

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczEzMzA==

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Hot Tips for Real Productivity Gains...

Hi Affiliate.

One of the problems most frequently posed by novice computer users
must be along the lines of "I downloaded a file and now I can't
find it". We get a number of those every year when a new subscriber
"loses" their download of The Hacker's Nightmare or one of the
other downloads available to members.

Much as we'd like to be able to help, there is no way we can tell
you where your download has ended up, as the download location is
not determined by the file itself.

Although that's very much a novice error, it's a real problem
nevertheless, and even the best organized computer user has to go
Hunting for a misplaced file occasionally. Or frequently, in the
case of those who fall into the less organized category.

Of course Windows has its own built-in search facility. In Windows
Explorer right-click on a drive or folder, select Search from the
pop-up menu, and proceed from there. If you have multiple hard
drives you can search all of them at once by doing your
right-click-and-search from the My Computer "folder".

More often than not, provided you enter the correct search
criteria, Windows Search will eventually turn up the location of
the file you're looking for (emphasis on "eventually", but more on
that in a moment).

Unhappily there are two main problems with Windows Search: (1) it
can be mind-numbingly slow; (2) results are not guaranteed -- it's
not all that uncommon for Windows Search to fail to find a file
that you know exists.

If this is the way you're accustomed to searching for files, I'll
let you in on a little secret -- that's not how power users do it.

You see, the first time you use Windows Search in a computing
session, the only way it can find what you're looking for is to
start at the point you indicated (drive or folder) and iterate its
way through every single file and folder below that starting point.
If, as part of your search criteria, you also stipulated "A word or
phrase in the file", it also has to search *inside* every file
below the starting point. Any wonder it's so slow!

Now, compare that with a search engine that has previously analysed
the contents of all hard drives on your computer and created a
detailed index of every word in every file. When commanded to
conduct a search all it has to do is look up its index.

It's a bit like the difference between looking for a single topic
in a large book by reading the whole publication cover to cover, as
opposed to simply flipping to the index at the back.

There are several applications that can provide that sort of search
facility, but up until fairly recently all the decent ones were
quite expensive.

One of the "name" products in this field, and my personal
favorite, has long been an application called Copernicus, which is
now available free of charge for personal use and $59.95 per
computer in a commercial environment, with discounts for volume
purchases.

Copernicus is very simple to install so I won't waste time on that
aspect. It's also very easy to use, though obviously it needs some
time to create its indexes. By default Copernicus will commence
indexing automatically after its installed, but only while the
computer is idle.

The installation places a small icon in the system tray, and
right-clicking on that icon reveals a pop-up menu. If you select
the Indexing Status option from the menu you'll get the Index
Status window, in which you'll see a message that reads "Indexing
will resume after 10 seconds of idle time" (10 seconds is the most
common delay period, though other times do appear, depending on
certain circumstances). Just leave the mouse and keyboard alone and
after 10 seconds has elapsed you'll see the indexing process resume.

You really don't need to know anything that you can't get from a
quick study of the Copernicus interface. However, you can improve
the search experience quite a bit by referring to the Help file:
Help -> Help Contents from the Copernicus main menu. It's a well
laid out reference and you'll soon see a few options that you want
to customize.

One important customization relates to any special programs you use
that save files with their own unique extension. By default
Copernicus only indexes file types that it knows about, and that's
quite a large number. But if you use any special programs,
Copernicus might not recognize their file extension. Happily you
can add the necessary extensions to Copernicus yourself.

For example, a few newsletters back I extolled the virtues of my
very favorite vector graphics application, Xara Extreme Pro, which
files have the extension "xar". By default Copernicus will not
index xar files, but it's a very simple matter to add that
extension to the list of files that Copernicus knows about. Follow
the menu sequence: Tools -> Options -> Advanced.

Download Copernicus from here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1a6obQ1DdVZTAn&b=PVoYFDtJgEHWQXo_6OZ.9A

Learn about Xara Extreme Pro here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1a6obQ1DdVZTAn&b=I2TbXqJ9PmM9hrMUclNW4g

------------------------------------------------------------------

It still continues to amaze me, despite all the evidence to the
contrary, just how many people still think that having their
computers controlled by some faceless miscreant "out there" belongs
to the realms of science fiction.

A 19-year-old New Zealand hacker has just been convicted with not
much more than a slap on the wrist for controlling what was
probably the numerically largest single bot army on the global
Internet. I don't yet know the full details of why he got off so
lightly, but there was nothing imaginary about the power or the
potential for mayhem and abuse that he wielded.

It is an absolutely irrefutable and demonstrable fact that an
unprotected Windows computer *WILL* be compromised within minutes
of connecting to the Internet. That's ANY unprotected computer. Not
just someone else's, but YOURS as well. There are now so many rogue
programs hitting so many millions of computers per hour that
absolutely no one escapes attention.

And the worst thing of all is...

Of the millions of computers that are already infected by a bot,
and thus at the disposal of their controller (he's called a "bot
herder" in the lingo) any time he gets around to it -- in probably
something like 99% of those cases the owner of the computer has no
idea - and will never have any idea - of the situation.

Even amongst those computer users who are somewhat aware of the
threat, what do most of them do?

They do a Web search for "free anti-virus", download and install
the first one they come across, and Bob's your uncle -- "I'm
protected!". Some may even include "free anti-spyware", and even
"free firewall".

See, here's the thing:
None of that is good enough.
THEY WILL STILL GET HIT!

If you've read The Hacker's Nightmare and you didn't pick up on the
emphasis I've placed on a good firewall/router, then you have
missed a very important - PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT - lesson in
self-preservation online.

Affiliate, you mightn't like this, but don't consider it
abuse -- interpret it as Tough Love.

Ready? OK, here I go...

IF YOU HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE DANGERS, AND IF YOU STILL DON'T
HAVE A DECENT NAT FIREWALL/ROUTER IN PLACE, YOU ARE A FOOL!

You unquestionably have a disaster on your hands that's just
waiting for the worst possible moment to blow up.

No doubt I'll get a number of people unsubscribing from this
newsletter over that accusation, but consider this:

If I know in advance that some people are going to be upset enough
to unsubscribe, and yet I still say it, just how important do you
think it must be?

On the other hand, if you can swallow your indignation and take the
hint, The Hacker's Nightmare contains everything you need to know,
from selecting the right router through to properly enabling its
security features.

Any firewall/router is better than no firewall/router, but there
are features that make some a far better choice than others.

Incidentally, there is a way I can demonstrate just how frequent,
consistent and insidious the attacks on your Internet connection
are, but:
(a) You need to have a suitable NAT router in place to be able
to see what's happening, and...
(b) It's a bit techo and I have to figure out a way to explain
in plain language how to set it up.

So basically I can't show you on your own computer just how badly
you need a suitable NAT router, unless you already have a suitable
NAT router. Catch-22 (fantastic book, by the way; if it doesn't
have you in stitches you have no funny bone.)

Even so I'm going to work towards preparing a tutorial that will
make anyone with a suitable NAT router very glad they have one.

[ How many times did I repeat the word "suitable"? That ]
[ wasn't just sloppy prose on my part -- not all such ]
[ routers have the necessary features, but the device I ]
[ discuss in detail in The Hacker's Nightmare does. ]

------------------------------------------------------------------

And finally...

I have just uploaded my latest e-book, "Spam-Warfare: Home & Small
Business Edition", to the Bonuses section of The Hackers Nightmare
member's area.

This is a pre-release for members only -- it is not yet available
for purchase by non-members. I'm hoping to get feedback from
members before I release it for general sale.

I honestly believe this to be the most comprehensive PRACTICAL work
available anywhere on spam control and management. Whether your
computer is a stand-alone PC or you have a network to manage, this
publication will provide a solution that will allow you to convert
spam from a flood to, at worst, an easily managed trickle.

I've tried very hard to make the contents both interesting and easy
to implement.

So Affiliate, I'd REALLY REALLY REALLY like to get your
feedback! Yeah, really... <g>

Please don't hesitate to point out any negatives -- if anything
criticisms and negatives are more important than accolades. Only by
being alerted to the negatives can I make improvements, and that
applies to all my publications, including this newsletter.

Mind you, if you like it I'd really like to hear that also.

A week or so ago I mentioned that I was temporarily holding release
of the book due to doubts about the availability of one of the
solutions mentioned. There is no doubt at all as to its efficacy,
but it seems that some sort of funding or financing deal is going
on behind the scenes. The relevant section is Chapter 9, in which I
address some amazingly effective hardware solutions to spam. The
financial negotiations or whatever it is are all very hush-hush,
but I'm now fairly confident still that buyers of this equipment
will not be affected.

One other thing on this topic...

As some of you know I started this book a couple of years ago but
never ever released it for sale. When I tackled it again for this
release, thinking that I just had a small editing job ahead of me,
it soon became apparent that pretty much a complete rewrite was in
order.

I mention that because a small handful of subscribers to this
newsletter were given a copy of the original back then. I just want
to advise those people that this is a very much expanded and
extended work and bears little resemblance to that original, so
don't think you've already seen it.

------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, that's all for today Affiliate.

Until next time, Stay safe! And remember...
The human brain is the first line of defense;
keep it engaged when online.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1a6obQ1DdVZTAn&b=YVTwr0LGqXstOj5UZMJaBQ

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zKycrMwcHA==

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] News Flash for Business Subscribers...

------------------------------------------------------------------
As a subscriber to one of Bill Hely's books or services you are
eligible to receive his occasional notices on topics of interest.

NEWS FLASH
~~~~~~~~~~

RELEVANCE: Subscribers Who Have a Business Presence Online
~~~~~~~~~~

Affiliate, the real newsletter comes later today, but for
those in the relevant situation THIS WON'T WAIT.

Did you take a look at the videos I recommended last newsletter? If
you did you can jump straight down to the line that starts with
four stars, because I've got some late-breaking news for you.

For those who might have missed the videos...

If you're in business and you have a Web presence you absolutely
MUST fully appreciate the importance of getting volume visitor
traffic to your website. A Web site without traffic quite simply
has no value at all, it might as well not exist.

THE REASON YOU HAVE A WEB PRESENCE IS COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT!
Visitor traffic is everything, regardless.

And the widely acknowledged world expert on the generation of
visitor traffic is John Reese, the guy who produced and narrated
those videos and made them available for free.

Videos one and two were both excellent -- full of useful traffic
generating tips, but video three was nothing short of superlative.
I have in the past paid quite a bit of money for online business
educational material that was far less valuable than those free
videos.

Unfortunately if you missed watching them it's too late, as the
links are now directing to Reese's "Traffic Secrets 2.0" page. They
may make a comeback, but I doubt it, as the real meat is in his new
"Traffic Secrets 2.0" course.

As I said a week or so ago, what I learnt from the original
"Traffic Secrets" version 1 a couple of years back was largely
responsible for my own online success, and back then I paid 2.5
times as much as this significantly expanded and updated v2 is
being sold for.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:
If your business has an online presence, or if you aspire to
self-employment via an online business, then anything John Reese
produces is essential reading.

**** NOW, FOR THE LATE NEWS FLASH...

If Reese has an equal in traffic generation and Web business
strategies in general, it's a guy called Frank Kern.

No time here for getting into Kern's history and successes --
although the former is very interesting and the latter almost
mind-boggling.

The important points are that when Kern speaks at a seminar it's
invariably a very high-priced event and even other highly
successful online business experts stop to listen. Further, his own
courses are always very expensive -- like in the realm of $10,000
expensive!

The final piece in today's matrix is that John Reese and Frank Kern
are very good buddies in the real world, so it's no surprise that
they help one another out occasionally. And so it is now...

Kern is giving away two DVDs of his own stuff to ANYONE who
purchases his pal's "Traffic Secrets 2.0" course-- but there's a
time limit on the Kern bonus.

THE CUT-OFF TIME IS MIDNIGHT, JULY 16TH.

So if you're the type who reads e-mail every few days I'm afraid
you're going to miss out on some very valuable extra material.

At the very bottom of this e-mail I've pasted the description of
the material that's on Kern's DVDs. This is the description exactly
as I received it in an e-mail from Frank.

OK, that's it Affiliate. Do or don't, it's up to you.
There's no panic to purchase "Traffic Secrets 2.0", other than the
fact that delivery of the package will be much quicker if you get
in early.

But if you want Frank Kern's DVDs, which I wouldn't miss out on for
anything, best you act now.

I bought my copy as soon as the doors opened, so maybe I'll see you
in the closed-shop "Traffic Secrets 2.0" community discussion forums.

Get the full story on "Traffic Secrets 2.0" here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1eIgW.4NNVZTAn&b=A3bAya2gw6jQgplih_Cnbg

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS Other than order before the deadline, you don't need to do
anything special to get Frank's DVDs. Reese's fulfilment
house is going to send them with all orders placed before
midnight, July 16th, so lock in your rights to this
invaluable bonus material now...

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1eIgW.4NNVZTAn&b=A3bAya2gw6jQgplih_Cnbg

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1eIgW.4NNVZTAn&b=eLdG7QwrmccM.D7lFbOMZQ

The descriptions that follow are a direct cut & paste from the
e-mail I got from Frank Kern:

----------------------------------------------------------
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET
----------------------------------------------------------

DVD #1: Core Influence (approx 2 hours).

This is the most important content I can possibly give you. MORE
important that *any* marketing stuff, sales stuff, or anything
else. Period.

On this DVD, I show you the most powerful exercise I've ever done
(by pure chance, by the way.)

This one exercise is responsible for me living in a multi-million
dollar home at the beach and living a life I honestly thought was
reserved for celebrities and world leaders exclusively.

No kidding.

Plus, out of all the stuff I've put out for almost 10 straight
years, this has been the most raved about and well received by
EVERYONE who's seen it.

The best part is, I show you every step of the process so it's easy.

Trust me. It's big. REALLY BIG.

DVD #2: Mass Control Does Denver (approx. 2 hours)

This is exclusive footage from a sold out $5,000.00 per person
workshop that Jeff Walker hosted.

I attended that workshop ...and decided to speak at the last minute
(as in 20 minutes before I walked on stage.)

During that (now infamous) speech, I laid the entire groundwork for
what would later become MASS CONTROL.

In fact, this DVD is the reason I released Mass Control. The
feedback and response was so great that I knew it would be a huge
hit (which it was).

So there you have it.

----------------------------------------------------------

Remember, midnight July 16 is the deadline to get that invaluable
bonus material included in what is already a must-have package:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1eIgW.4NNVZTAn&b=A3bAya2gw6jQgplih_Cnbg

----------------------------------------------------------

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zKycDKxszA==

Monday, July 14, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 3 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is Part 3 of your computer and Internet security course.

This article is titled :
PhishyTales - How to spot an eMail scam".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1p45vZyFU_ZTAn&b=Mp0fHgiWB1kcHbQaDj16Ow

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed either of the previous
parts you can still get them here:

1. "The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1p45vZyFU_ZTAn&b=3F8.ktRwKvD8UCArj1YdVA

2. "Adware & Spyware Protection":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1p45vZyFU_ZTAn&b=GBRHgg6W7Z5KFi6KJeJyLQ

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1p45vZyFU_ZTAn&b=4nC2lhPNciiC0M8VThj6QQ

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczEzMTA==

Friday, July 11, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Affiliate, an update...

------------------------------------------------------------------
As a subscriber to one of Bill Hely's books or services you are
eligible to receive his occasional notices on topics of interest.

Affiliate, an out-of-sequence update on three points...

POINT #1:
---------

I've had a couple of messages from people unable to connect to the
Internet after applying the DNS patch that I urged on you in my
recent weekly newsletter. This is not a problem with the patch per
se, but with some DNS-dependent applications that are installed on
those computers.

Most reports around the Web are from people who use ZoneAlarm as
their firewall. If that applies to you then...

tch tch tch dear reader -- you haven't been reading the right things!

ZoneAlarm is not one of my recommendations for Hackers Nightmare
members, although it is discussed briefly in Chapter 17.

In that chapter I give my reasons for abandoning ZoneAlarm some
time back, followed by a recommendation for an alternate product.
That recommendation is in turn superseded by a notice in the
"Recent Updates" section of the member's page, for what I consider
to be a firewall superior to both of the above, one that you'll
soon forget is installed -- and that's as it should be for a
consumer product.

If you have ZoneAlarm installed and have been affected by the
Microsoft DNS patch, you need to check this out:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=9J_lhRKYvok9BchawTH47w

An all-round better solution would be to uninstall ZoneAlarm and go
with the recommendation in the "Recent Updates" section of the
member's page.

For the technically inclined there are quite a few places where you
can get more in-depth information on the DNS exploit. Here is a
starting point:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=Bkcmeg_Z6PdIBk5QCTkg_g
I'm just giving that URL for the curious and capable -- you don't
need to know any of this stuff if you just follow my recommendations.

But unless you're a technical whiz with specific knowledge of the
exploit *YOU DO NEED TO INSTALL THE MICROSOFT PATCH*.

POINT #2:
---------

I have frequently nattered on about what a great printing utility I
think ClickBook is, and how pretty much every one of my print jobs
goes through it.

If you haven't taken a look at ClickBook yet, now would be a really
good time, because *UNTIL JULY 31 ONLY* every ClickBook purchase
includes a Bostitch Long Reach stapler at no extra cost. A pretty
good deal when you consider that this popular device sells
separately for $39.95.

A Long Reach stapler is essential if you're going to use ClickBook
to print booklets. I bought one quite some time back when I had to
pay for it separately, and I can verify that it's a good solid
unit, as you would expect from the Bostitch name.

The stapler takes standard #56 (12.7mm by 6mm -- 26/6) staples
which are readily available anywhere, but you can also add a box of
5000 to the shopping cart for just $5 when you purchase ClickBook.

And by the way, I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before,
but the latest version of ClickBook can also produce PDFs.

I have several PDF creators installed. Some are excellent and some
don't work that well at all. The ClickBook PDF creator doesn't do
any of the super tricky stuff, it just produces PDFs reliably and
without fuss. This feature adds a lot of value to what is in my
mind an already invaluable product.

ClickBook + Stapler :
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=MQXIFINNFXjsByaCwd.K6g

Add 5000 Staples for $5 :
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=nE2pz8RnELQqv1dZueUd7g

POINT #3:
---------

And finally...

Trainer, mentor and Internet business success story John Reese is
about to release a third video in his amazing free educational
series. I pointed readers to the first video a couple of issues
back, and there's been a second one since then.

If you're fed up with crap videos spruiking someone's "latest
product" or "greatest secret", join the club -- but Reese doesn't
fit into that mold. These videos are chock full of solid advice and
useful content.

If you missed the first two videos in the series follow this link
(you really need to follow the whole sequence starting from #1):
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=Z.0auZ1Mg7JC2obXvkf00A

Incidentally, apparently some people had problems viewing the
previous videos due to their size, which in turn was due to the
high quality of the production.

Commendably responsive to feedback, Reese quickly released
alternate video files in a smaller size. If for some reason you
couldn't or can't view the main videos, try the link under each
which offers the same video in a smaller version.

If you've already seen videos 1 & 2, here's the link to the latest:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=U4DxlxCPacdyY.m5Fdp4dw

And as they say in the cartoons: "That's all folks!"

Thanks for your time Affiliate -- I'm off!

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS Questions and comments welcome. We read every e-mail
and always respond to suggestions and questions.

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1cGBDH28VVZTAn&b=_jG0SZUWwg7T3h9knbT2Fw

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zKzsHGwMbA==

Thursday, July 10, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Extremely Important Alert...

Hi Affiliate.

First up, a critically important news flash.

** THIS IS VERY SERIOUS -- IGNORE AT YOUR PERIL **

If you don't follow the technology press you may be unaware of
this, as it has been largely ignored by the popular news media.

I know, sounds like an April Fool's joke, right? But I assure you
it's no such thing.

One excellent precaution against that sort of ploy is to type your
bank's URL into the browser's address line, rather than follow a
link to get there.

It's no exaggeration to say that, left un-fixed, the resulting
chaos would effectively ruin the Internet as a useful resource.

Now they've done their bit, it's up to you...

***********************************************
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST APPLY ALL AVAILABLE UPDATES
TO YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY.
***********************************************

The Hacker's Nightmare contains everything you need to know about
patching, so don't delay -- bring your Operating System up to date
NOW.

If you want to know more of the story just do a Google search for
the phrase:
Internet critical DNS flaw
Just like that, don't enclose in quotes. You'll get plenty of
articles but they'll all read much the same.

-----------------------------------------------------------

THE GOOD NEWS: I've finally finished editing and correcting my
latest book "Spam Warfare: Home & Small Business Edition" and it
was my intention to pre-release it into The Hacker's Nightmare
Member's Area today. Then, subject to any amendments engendered by
feedback from members, it would be released for sale to non-members
within the week.

THE BAD NEWS: Right at the very last minute I discovered there may
be a supply problem with one particular hardware product. If that
turns out to be correct it will mean either the complete revision
of one chapter or pulling that chapter completely. This product
would only be relevant to business operators, and the book is still
highly relevant and just as useful without it. But until I discover
exactly what the situation is and what action I have to take, it's
on hold. I'm hoping it won't take more than a few days to sort out,
but now we've got the weekend coming up to add another couple of
days to the wait.

-----------------------------------------------------------

For the past couple of weeks I've been looking at Registry
cleaners/optimizers.

Although I've never had any problems with, or complaints about, the
Registry cleaner that is discussed in both my books "The Hacker's
Nightmare" and "Seven Steps to a Clean PC", as time marches on new
products appear and I like to reassess periodically to see if
something better is available.

I discovered a very likely candidate and have been testing it
fairly thoroughly on three of my PCs, two of which are running
Windows XP-SP2 and one Windows 2000, all patched right up to date.

Despite daily use for almost a fortnight it's never given me even
the slightest hint of trouble, and it consistently finds and fixes
more Registry anomalies than its predecessor. It's also cheaper, a
no-brainer to install, and dead easy to use.

In short, I've jut about decided that this is my new Registry
Cleaner. I'll show you what it is in a moment, but there's an
interesting little story here that illustrates how you can be put
off a good product through misinformation.

One of the things I do when I'm testing a product, especially
software, is to run a lot of Web searches to see if others are
reporting problems and under what circumstances.

One thing you always have to remember when you're researching
products via Web searches is that, no matter how good a product
might be, you will always find (a) some people who will knock it
for any of a number of reasons, legitimate or otherwise, and (b)
some people who are knockers with a vested interest.

With the (a) group you can usually spot if they're the sort of
people whose problems are most likely to be self-inflicted. I don't
mean that in a disparaging way, just that inexperience can result
in inappropriate actions and unreliable results.

The (b) group is a bigger obstacle to the researcher, because often
they can sound like they know what they're talking about, and yet
be sprouting complete nonsense which, unless you detected it, could
turn you away from just the thing you're searching for.

Overall I found no reports of problems with this Registry cleaner
that would give me pause, but there was one particular batch of
comments I came across that is the topic of this story.

I stumbled across a review of this Registry cleaner at the PCMech
website. The reviewer, obviously no beginner, came to the same
conclusion that I was rapidly forming -- that this was a quality
and reliable product worthy of attention.

And that's when the fun started, because this was a blog-type
article where site visitors could add their own comments.

I won't comment on the comments, I'll just send you there to have a
look for yourself. It's a real education in how easily people can
be misdirected by misinformation, and how difficult it is to help
some people.

There are so many comments there now that you may be tempted not to
bother, but I would ask you to at least spot read a few and then
head to the very bottom where you will see two long contributions
from me. They are clearly marked: "Bill Hely said:"

My posts are followed by a couple of rather harsh responses to the
free advice I offered to a number of people who clearly needed to
be steered in the right direction.

Just goes to show how hard it is to help some people.

When will I learn?

As the cynical old saying goes: "No good deed goes unpunished".

By the way, I don't suggest YOU start using this Registry cleaner
just yet. As one of my subscribers you get more help than that.
I'll be preparing an article on this product which will contain
some useful safety hints. I anticipate being able to give you the
all-clear in next week's newsletter, if not before.

Now here's the URL to the dog-fight:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1gjLeUsHVVZTAn&b=zDMLVRnyBqKFC79.Kjg8Pw

-----------------------------------------------------------

That's it for this week Affiliate.

Again I'm sorry for the ongoing delays with "Spam Warfare" -- I
know a lot of you find spam a real burden, and I do have the
solution for you. If it looks like dragging on too long I may
release the book into the member's area as-is with a warning that
the contents of one chapter may be in doubt. But as I said, that
chapter only affects businesses.

And PLEASE... don't delay in getting those patches applied to your
Windows. It's really important.

Until next time, Stay safe! And remember...
The human brain is the first line of defense;
keep it engaged when online.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1gjLeUsHVVZTAn&b=CyNt7lKvIanpXMgrjgUH1Q

PO Box 164, Clayfield, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtEa0zKzsLBxsDA==

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 2 is ready for you.

Hi Affiliate.

Here is the second part of your computer and Internet
security course.

This second article is titled "Adware & Spyware Protection".

You may read the article online, save it to your computer or
print it out, whichever you prefer.

Here's the link:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jSkDFyBU_ZTAn&b=rh1b_CxKQf.SVGHq.UtX5Q

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: "The Hacker's Nightmare"
- "How to keep hackers, worms & other germs out of your PC"

PS If for some reason you missed the first part, you can
still get it here:

"The Anti-Virus Conundrum":
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jSkDFyBU_ZTAn&b=76XDVbdPbNH2GmQtobV8dg

FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE & SUPPORT PLEASE USE THIS FORM:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ml13p&m=1jSkDFyBU_ZTAn&b=tIkH9OjOMjfyUigxdDItIg

PO Box 164, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD 4011, AUSTRALIA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?LBzMjKxMtCxM7ByMzCyMtGa0jAwczExMnA==

security enabled network

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Has your AV been speed-limited?

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 7 is ready for you.

Friday, July 25, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 6 is ready for you.

[The Hacker's Nightmare] The Internet DNS threat (REPEAT)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] URGENT ALERT

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Concealing Your IP Address...

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 5 is ready for you.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 4 is ready for you.

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Hot Tips for Real Productivity Gains...

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] News Flash for Business Subscribers...

Monday, July 14, 2008

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 3 is ready for you.

Friday, July 11, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Affiliate, an update...

Thursday, July 10, 2008

[The Hacker's Nightmare] Extremely Important Alert...

[PC Security Course] Affiliate, Part 2 is ready for you.

promotion writing

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