What Are The Top 5 DDoS Protection Techniques?

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Experts in the cyber world agree on one thing and that is the alarming simplicity and massive dangers of distributed denial of service attacks. These attacks, also known as DDoS attacks, come in many forms and have taken down websites of large organizations including banks. This is extremely dangerous not just for the organization that is under attack but also the different users and clients that access the websites or online services of such an organization. Therefore it is imperative to take adequate steps to protect a websiteto withstand and deflect such DDoS attacks. There is a vast range as far as techniques of DDoS protection go but here is a list of the best of these techniques. 

1. Going with geographical blocking. This may seem like a rather big and extreme step to take but has had its benefits for quite a few websites. Essentially, geo-blocking works when a network identifies a particular region or country that is sending most of the “bad” or dangerous traffic to their site. This network or website will then take steps to block off the entire region or country. This eliminates all traffic that originates from these countries and therefore needs a lot of thought before being implemented.


2. Using SYN Proxy - whenusing a SYN attack mode, DDoS attacks use multiple computers to transmit SYN packets by replicating otherwise genuine IP addresses. The receiving server adds these packets to a central data structure of its own but since these are false packets or false commands, the network is unable to respond to these data packets and therefore cascades into failure. By making use of SYN proxy protection, a network can deploy a kind of gateway appliance that resides in front of the actual server. This mechanism waits until the false IP address responds with the right kind of acknowledgement and only then forwards connection requests to the actual server.


3. Investing in robust IT infrastructure - one of the ways in which DDoS can be mitigated is to invest in extremely superior IT infrastructure. If an organization has enough bandwidth that can help it sustain and deflect DDoS attacks then it can survive rather easily. Basically this means that an organization has more muscle power by way of processing power and network bandwidth that will prove mightier than any level of DDoS attacks.


4. Limiting connections - one of the ways in which DDoS attacks work is by causing a server to crash because they can overloaded it with requests for connections. One of the ways in which such an attack can be countered is by limiting the requests for new connections and giving the server time to digest and process pending requests before moving on to new ones.


5. Dynamic filtering - considering the fact that the landscape of DDoS attacks is constantly changing and attackers are evolving to newer and more lethal methods, DDOS prevention services should also go through this kind of dynamic growth. Dynamic filter helps in deflecting such bad traffic by creating a short span filtering rule. This rule can be eliminated once a specific time duration has lapsed.

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James is a writer and blogger with 5 years experience.

Worst Microsoft Products Till Date

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Microsoft has given the world a torrent of products that changed the way we used computers. But with its shimmering success and appreciation comes the line of products and criticism that marks precipitation on Microsoft’s timeline. This article sums up few of the Microsoft products that failed to ingrain computer users.

Windows Me

The old Windows Millennium Edition made people curious at its launch and before people could totally adapt it, Windows 2000 was out and people had no affection to stick to ME. And before people could get comfortable with Windows 2000, market was gushed with Windows XP. Windows ME failed to turn out remarkable. A lot of users criticized ME for being unreliable and unstable. Some also named ME as “Mistake Edition”.

Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer 6’s “least secure web browser” tag and slew of other flaws stabbed Microsoft directly in the chest planting a foot towards its downfall.The security glitches grew so high, that in 2004, US advised computer users to switch to any other web browser to avoid thousands of malwares,viruses, Trojans and worms to breach into your computer through IE6. Because of the severe loopholes in the browser, Internet Explorer’s market share dropped from 82% to 49% in a matter of one year.The browser became a huge target for noobhackers. Other than its weaknesses over security, compatibility was another major issue with IE6.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista was launched in 2007 as a successor of Windows XP.The OS was designed keeping the internet generation in mind leveraging ease of media and file share between home computers. But even after its new approach, swishy UI and other widgets, the OS turn out to be a headache. Early users were frequently troubled by problems of not detecting printer, media files and compatibility issues because the OS was not totally equipped with right drivers. People with older computers who made the switch complained about the processor-hungry Vista making their computer sluggish. Vista quivered Microsoft’s reputation of building solid operating systems.

Microsoft Office Assistant

Windows OS and Microsoft Office Suite are most people’s companion at home or work. Therefore, Microsoft decided to aid Office user very seriously. Microsoft Office Assistant, commonly known as Clippy, is a disturbing pop up, that pops whenever you create a new Word document and postulate user as they start typing with a request to help for which millions of users cried NO.Users find it rather an unhelpful interjection. From Windows XP onwards, Microsoft decided to switch this feature off by default.

Zune

Zune was launched in 2006 as an attempt to kill Apple’s “ongoing boom”, the iPod. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as planned. Zune was completely overshadowed by the 5year veteran iPod within its first week of sale. Despite of its extreme marketing campaign and several improvements with time, still Zune was not able to secure any good grade neither fans nor critics.The device is available only in Canada and US.

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-Authored by Sarah Bruce. Sarah is an SEO analyst and a Technical Support Specialist. Do visit MyTechGurus for further assistance or any Tech Support related issues or visit our channel on Technical support to help yourself. MyTechGurus is an Independent Remote Technical Support company.

Sneak Preview of IBM's Next Generation Flexible Nanocircuits

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One can trust International Business Machines (IBM) to come up with the very latest in technical wizardry. This time around the computer technology behemoth has developed a next generation cutting-edge nanocircuitry that’s primed to transform device operation radically. 

The nanocircuitry, which has been formulated by a highly experienced in-house research team, boasts a unique flexible characteristic and is touted to be an incredible 10000 times slimmer than ordinary paper. 

A roundup of this exciting and novel invention:

 

Development Team

Scientists Stephen Bedell and Davood Shahrjerdi - affiliated to IBM’s Thomas J. Watson research facility located in Yorktown Heights, New York - deserve the credit for creating the flexible nanocircuits. 

Detailed Properties

•  Each nanocircuit is composed of a one-of-a-kind combination between plastic and an exceedingly thin sliver of silicon wherein the sliver is “cut and pasted” onto the plastic component. The method through which this combination is achieved is known as the Controlled Spalling method. 

•  As mentioned earlier, this sliver of silicon is one- ten thousandth the slenderness of a standard sheet of paper imbuing the entire nanocircuitry with great tractability and sophistication. 

•  Flexibility is the key facet of the nanocircuitry armed as they are with a mere 6-milimeter curvature radius. The extreme amenability also makes the nanocircuitry highly amorphous as well as capable of being molded onto various other substances for practical use. Flexibility also accords the circuitry transferability properties entirely bereft of size restrictions. 

•  Since the nanocircuits need only 0.6 volts to activate, they hold superlative productivity and energy-saving attributes. 

•  When one considers that a single nanocircuit can accommodate up to 10 billion transistors, the immense strength and robustness of the framework can also be appreciated. 

•  The all-round refinement makes the nanocircuits exceptionally light as well allowing them to kept one atop the other for power-hungry functions. 

 

Real-World Applications and Advantages

•  The comprehensiveness of the nanocircuitry make them usable across a wide range of fields including computers, business systems, home electronics, power generation, medical science, state utilities, space exploration, and many more. 

•  Since the nanocircuits are highly malleable, they can be incorporated in all kinds of devices - independent of shape, size, and configuration. 

•  Devices belonging to the home electronics and healthcare spheres will derive noteworthy benefits. For instance – nanocircuits may be easily be entrenched in a new-age tablet computer that is extremely small and light. Also, a medical device carrying inbuilt nanocircuitry may be placed near a patient’s internal organs to monitor his or her vital signs. 

•  The superb potency and resilience of the nanocircuits will prove greatly vital to augment the sustenance of current devices without power problems getting in the way. 

•  The low weight of the nanocircuitry is crucial and will not only make products like laptops, tablets, and nanocircuitry-equipped vehicles extremely light, but will also render enviable energy preservation. 

•  One of the chief methods used to create the nanocircuits, the Controlled Spalling method, has outstanding auxiliary applications as well. For example, the method may be used to better lighting systems by discarding weak thermal lighting substructure (usually made of sapphire) and inserting a potent, nanocircuitry-armed lighting mechanism in its place. In this technique, sheets engendering light and warmth are separated from the sapphire substructure and cast against a highly heat-receptive conductor, usually an industrial-grade metal. 

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Outlook 

As discerned from the above discussion, the practical prospects of the flexible nanocircuits are virtually limitless. The best part is that IBM’s invention has provided a sharp impetus to other technology companies spurring them to invent newer, lighter, speedier, and more energy-efficient products. Truly - the faster this knowhow is imbibed, the better the mutual value the world will derive. 

This is a guest post by Jena Branch of Buycox.com, a site that offers savings and current information on cox cable packages.

Advantages of Broadband Internet For Businesses

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As a business owner you try to keep costs as low as possible. However, your internet connection is one area where being frugal is not a good idea. Spending a little more for a broadband internet connection is not an added cost, but is an investment that can make your business run more smoothly. Here is a look at some of the advantages that broadband internet access can provide to your business.

Access to Information

The internet is filled with information that a business owner can use in a variety of ways. By using broadband, you can more quickly access the information needed to grow your business. For example, you can use broadband to quickly find the best deals on materials for your business. You can save time and money by quickly running background and credit checks online on prospective employees and customers. No matter what type of business you operate, having a fast broadband internet connection will allow you to access the information needed for your business to succeed.

Online Communications

A broadband internet connection will allow your business to take advantage of web conferencing and other online forms of communication to stay in contact with customers, employees and others. By using web conferencing, you can have face to face conversations without having to travel to distant locations. This means less travel costs and less time away from work. Broadband will also allow you to more quickly send written materials to distant locations in a higher quality form than is possible with fax machines.

Online Applications

As a business owner you probably need to use a lot of different software packages to run your business. For example, many business owners use software to track inventory, process shipments and to keep business records. Though internet access is not an absolute necessity to complete these tasks, having a fast internet connection can help you to take full advantage of what these software programs can do. For example, you can use your broadband connection to share files with employees and contractors and you can use online backup storage to avoid losing data in the event your computer hardware fails.

Payment Processing

Whether it is processing credit card transactions, validating checks or clearing any other type of transaction, broadband internet can help you to get those transactions completed quickly and reliably. By completing transactions quickly, customers will not end up waiting in line which can help to improve customer satisfaction. Having broadband will not only help you to process payments from customers at your business location, but also customers making purchases from your website or other eCommerce sites.

Providing Wi-Fi

If your business is a retail operation or one with a lot of public contact, providing wireless internet is a great way to get people in the door and to spend more time at your location. The longer that people stay in your business, the more likely they are to spend money. With broadband you can easily provide Wi-Fi without slowing down your internet connection so that you can quickly process their purchases and put money in your pocket.

Online Marketing

Whether a business is a coffee shop or an industrial supplier, the business needs to market its products and services online. Online marketing is an inexpensive way to reach customers through traditional advertising means as well as social media. By having broadband, you can upload pictures, advertising copy and other large files quickly to keep your marketing campaigns fresh and to keep your sales growing.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 

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Laura runs her own business and the internet is vital for it to operate.  Luckily there are lots of broadband deals available in the UK so she was able to find one that suited her business’ needs.

What to Do If Your Broadband Connection Goes Down

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A wireless broadband connection is one of the best things ever invented. Having a wireless signal allows you to take your computer or mobile device wherever you want without having to disconnect from the Internet. This means that you can watch TV in the living room while you check your Facebook page or type your paper in your room where it is nice and quiet. However, what happens if you were to lose your broadband wireless connection? What steps can you take to ensure that you still have an Internet connection?

Make Sure That There Is Nothing Wrong With the Modem in the Computer

Most computers and mobile devices have a modem built into them. This allows you to connect to the Internet automatically as soon as you turn your mobile device on. If your computer is not connecting to the selected network, it could be that the modem inside your computer is not working. Attempt to troubleshoot the issue by running a network test on your computer. If other devices in your home are connecting to the Internet, you can be sure that there is a problem with your specific device. Make sure that you have the right network password and restart your computer to see if that helps.

Check the Router to Make Sure It Is Working Properly

If there are no issues with your computer, you should next check the router to see if there is an issue with your wireless signal. Unplug the router, wait roughly 10 seconds and then plug the router back in. This should allow you to get your signal back. While your router is not going to last forever, there is a greater chance that the Internet connection simply crashed. Many wireless broadband users have reported to their Internet provider that they have had intermittent crashes. The good news is that these issues should only last for a few minutes before resolving themselves.

You Can Always Hardwire an Internet Connection

If all else fails, you can always hard-wire a connection to your computer. All you have to do is connect an Ethernet cord to the back of your computer. The other end of the Ethernet cord will plug in to the back of the router. This will allow you to have a broadband connection even if you are not able to get a wireless signal. The only downside is that you are not going to be able to use your computer at a distance longer than your cable. You should prepare yourself to either move your laptop or move your router to a more convenient location. 

Wireless broadband allows you to use your mobile device or computer wherever you want. However, you can never be sure that your signal will work when you need it to. When your wireless signal is down, it is important to understand why it is down. Fortunately, it can be easy to troubleshoot your wireless issues and get back to using your computer wherever you want to.

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Eric Underhill acknowledges in this article that even broadband services like those from tesco broadband can sometimes let us down.

A Quick Guide to Choosing an Internet Browser

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Choosing your Internet browser is an important decision, because it will directly affect your web-surfing experience. Browsers make an impact on how fast websites are downloaded and how you view them on the screen. Your browser keeps your bookmarks for you, and it can store personal data like passwords. Each type of browser has thousands of extensions you can download that offer helpful tools to make your life easier. With broadband internet providing so many options online you want to choose a browser that’s high quality, and everyone will have a different preference depending on their needs. Here are some considerations to help you decide.

Internet Explorer

Windows computers come standard with the Internet Explorer browser, and it is the browser the most people use (often because they do not bother to try or download another). Internet Explorer isn’t the best browser to use, however, because it is prone to catching viruses, and it often runs slowly. There are a lot of customization options to play with, but they are not very intuitive. On the plus side, Internet Explorer does usually work well with Windows. There aren’t as many extensions available as with other browsers, but that is changing as more are developed every day.

Safari

Mac computers come standard with the Safari browser. Most Mac users enjoy the Safari browser, because it works well enough on their computers. Safari is not extremely popular for Windows users, however, because it isn’t as fast or as customizable as others. If you use the Internet for very simple browsing and simple tasks, Safari is a fine choice. If you do a lot on the Internet at once, Safari is often slower than other browsers. There are fewer extensions available for Safari, so it may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a lot of add-ons or extra security features.

Firefox

The Mozilla Firefox browser is increasing in popularity, especially within the web design community. Firefox is also open-source, so there are plenty of extensions, and many add-ons offer extremely helpful tools for web designers and developers. You can customize a lot, and it has the most memory of any browser, meaning it’s very quick and ideal for performing complicated web tasks. Firefox is also very secure, with many security extensions available.

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Chrome

Google’s browser Chrome is very fast and user-friendly. It’s a popular choice, especially for people who use Gmail, Google Docs, and other Google products, because it is easy to integrate everything. It has a very streamlined appearance, and there are many extensions available. Because Google Chrome is open-source, there is a high number of user-generated add-ons to choose from. Google Chrome also gets high marks in security. You generally cannot go wrong with this browser.

All of these broadband internet browsers have fantastic options and many people use multiple browsers for different tasks. Each one has different uses depending on your needs so pick one that's perfect for your most common internet uses. 

Sam Jones, the author, finds broadband incredibly useful but thinks that it could be easier to use many websites and browser features.

Razer Shows Off 'Edge' Windows 8 Gaming Tablet

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Razer has announced the launch of Razer Edge gaming tablet at the CES in Las Vegas. At the heart of Razer Edge Tablet is the 10.1 inch display making it one of the most comfortable for playing games. Edge runs on Windows 8. It has the feeling of a laptop plus it has the ability to play any games, even those made for laptops, personal computers and exclusive gaming consoles. Razer Edge is powered an Intel Core processor and the graphics are by Nvidia. The processor is i5 and has 4GB of RAM to give all the power required for a tablet. Included is also a 64 GB solid drive. There is also another instance of the Razer running on Core i7 CPU and RAM capacity of 128 GB which can be upgraded to 256 GB SD.

Though powered by impressive hardware, you will need to have lots of add-ons to get a rich experience. The Pro version can be bought with the Gamepad controller package with analog sticks and feed back for vibration. However, the cost is a little on the higher side. You can also add peripherals like for example a keyboard and what appears to be like an illuminated key. In addition there are 3 USB ports and a HDMI port for connecting the device to High Definition television. The original battery fitted to Razer Edge has a meager life time and requires frequent charging. Battery life can go down further if you attach a keyboard or other peripheral devices. If you want extra battery life, then the only option is to buy some additional equipment.

It may be remembered that Razer Edge was originally introduced as Project Fiona and it is only now that it has been renamed. The Edge is typically a low to midrange device. In form factor, the Edge is at least two times as thick as the iPad but weighs proportionately lesser for its size. So users get a feel that it is a light device. Much though has gone into the designing of the Edge and that can be gauged from the fact a lot of time has been spent on understanding user needs. What you may not like about the design is that the device cannot be opened for making upgrades. In simple terms it means you get stuck to specifications for the lifetime of the device.

One of the major selling points in favor of the Edge is not focused on gaming alone. In fact, it has functionalities that help to be used as computing device. So you just be able to use it for accessing email and browsing the internet as well. Performance wise too, the Razer Edge has been found to be satisfactory. Most user who tried the device think that that the underside of the device heats up when used for playing high end games, though none said it was unbearable.

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There are some downsides to the Edge besides the high price and the full complement of additional equipment it needs for gaming. When the device is on your lap you sure will find it comfortable, but when you have to handle it can be troublesome with the other peripheral device, and that was very much evident at the CES. The Edge can also be connected through the Bluetooth, giving it wireless abilities. On the whole, however it is more or less a decent solution for those who are looking for a device for gaming as well as for computing. Since the gadget provides enough connectivity ports, those who have other attachable devices with them already can choose the Edge and save substantially.

Randy Collins likes writing articles related to Technology News, Gadget Reviews and How To. He also does guest posting for buycharter.com - a site that offers savings and current information on charter internet.

Evaluating 'SnagIt 11' Features-Rich Screen Capture Software

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There are no two ways about it. SnagIt 11 is the most complete screen capture program there has ever been made. It is crammed with features, it is flexible and combines the traditional image capture that we’re used to with screen capture with video capture functions as well. The new version has all the easy use tools of the previous functions and it adds a nifty feature where even as you record a screen video you can also catch audio output. 

SnagIt opens with a dialog that has a hard-to-miss red button that takes the screen shot and smaller buttons that are settings options. We’ve already established that it comes with tons of features and here’s some of what you can do- you can choose to have or not include a mouse pointer in the captured image, you can create a timed countdown before you capture an image and you can decide if you want to open the captured image immediately in the SnagIt editor. 

SnagIt lets you do a traditional image capture, record a screen cam video or scrape text from documents and web pages. Do remember that you need actual documents for the scrape method and scanned images from printed pages will not work. Apart from the red button, you can also use the PrtSc key or a key that you might like to use to capture a screen image. 

One you’ve captured an image, SnagIt’s editor lets you make changes. You can add text call outs, borders and arrows. Save the image in Adobe.SWF format and you can add hotspots that work as hyperlinks too. We especially like the Blur tool. While making screenshots of Internet applications, this tool lets me cover the email ids and other information you’d like to keep private in a screenshot. While you can preview video in the editor, you can’t make modifications per se so special effects and so on are out of the question. 

If you don’t want to take a screen shot of the entire screen, you’ll be happy to know that SnagIt comes with a few ‘profile’ capture options. A pair of cross-hairs will let you maneuver your mouse to select those portions of the screen you need captured. The cross hairs include a menu, toolbar, window and any screen element you need as you pass over it. Double-click or enter for your selection to get captured. 

Other profiles include those where you can record video that can then be sent to ScreenCast or insert screen capture into Word neatly tied in with a border. If you need more border options, you can download them from the app. This will let you send a screen capture to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or post a video capture on YouTube. Video format has been updates from AVI to MPEG-4. You can even save a video or image to an FTP site. But this doesn’t apply to Secure FTP so we don’t recommend that you try this one out. 

You can use keystrokes for some of the functions on SnagIt. For instance Shift F9 starts video capture and Shift F10 stops the same. Please remember to go to the Tools menu and disable or change the keystrokes in the Program Preferences tab of the application to avoid any confusion with MS Word that shares similar commands. 

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We just have one issue with SnagIt 11. That it continues to have a feature that lets us reverse the changes make to a saved image in one shot. Right now we need to press Control Z over and over again to do this and it’s a pain. If the creators could work on it, that would be great. 

But this is a minor issue. SnagIt is a beautifully created, dependable and well executed and executable app that delivers every time. 

This is a guest post by Nathan Brown of buyatt.com, a site that offers savings and current information on what is uverse as well as att.com services. 

Smart Phone Users, By The Numbers

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This infographic shows how many people in the world are fond of smartphones and this shows a figure of 1 Billion active users among the 7 Billion estimated populations. As time goes by, the demand of consumers are getting higher and continuous creation of different operating systems are also very competitive. Android’s 25 Billion downloads was reached by Apple and 6 months later, Android reached the same number. This shows how these devices are influencing the present generation. In the age group of 16-29 years old individuals, 95% of them have phone and only 85% are from age group 30 plus. Among these results, smartphone owners in America have higher percentage rate for age group 25-44 years old and the lowest are from 13-17 years old. When Android and iOS operating systems were not out yet, RIM was highly used in EMEA as well as in Japan, NoAm and ROW but not in China. Next to this is the Microsoft but is not used in Japan. Symbian was also highly used in EMEA and ROW but lower in Japan and China. The number of smartphone users can easily get higher with all the new and hi-tech operating systems available and it is not impossible to double the number of active users in few years. 

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An infographic by the team at CouponAudit
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