Are important emails getting stuck in your SPAM folder?

I use Gmail and I think Google is doing a very nice job with their SPAM filter. However, I still occasionally find an important email that's stuck in my SPAM folder. That's why I scan through my SPAM folder every day.  I also happen to have a Yahoo account and I probably find more important e-mails in the Yahoo SPAM folder compared to the Gmail SPAM folder.

When's the last time you glanced through your SPAM or JUNK mail folder?

Removing rogueware on an infected PC

Over the weekend, I had to remove some rogueware on someone's infected PC.  What exactly is rogueware? Is it a virus? Spyware?

Rogueware is also called rogue security software. You may think that your PC is infected, but it's not. You're being told that you need to purchase an anti-virus solution so that you can fix your PC. The truth is that your PC has been infected by rogue security software. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about rogueware:

Rogue security software is a form of computer malware that deceives or misleads users into paying for the fake or simulated removal of malware, or that installs other malware. Rogue security software, in recent years, has become a growing and serious security threat in desktop computing.

So, how do you get rid of rogueware?  First, it's important to recognize that rogueware isn't a virus. Therefore, you can't just "clean" your computer with an anti-virus solution and get rid of the rogueware.

Rogueware is often installed like any other software. The problem is that you probably won't recognize it as rogueware. Therefore, you won't know which application to uninstall. Plus, you may have problems opening the Control Panel if your PC is infected with rogue software.

Over the weekend, I had to boot up in Safe Mode (Windows XP). Then, I uninstalled the rogueware and I rebooted the PC.

I've also gotten rid of rogueware by restoring a PC using an old backup. There are several other ways of removing rogue security software and most of these methods require you to be familiar with Safe Mode, System Restore, or modifying the list of programs that start in the background.

Click here to view a partial list of rogue security software.

Gmail vs. Yahoo Mail

I think most people know that Gmail is Google Mail. On the other hand, I don't know how many people know that Ymail is Yahoo Mail. After all, who calls it Ymail when your email address has "yahoo.com" instead of "ymail.com?" Ymail.com simply redirects to mail.yahoo.com.

Both Gmail and Yahoo Mail are free services. In fact, I have active accounts on both Gmail and Yahoo Mail. If I had to make a recommendation, I would recommend Gmail over Yahoo Mail in a heartbeat. You don't see nearly as many advertisements when you're using Gmail. Also, the SPAM filtering technology is better in Gmail. Notice the embedded text link advertisements within the body of the email messages when you're using Yahoo Mail?

Also, if you end up getting an Android smartphone someday, you'll be glad that you have an active Google Account. Android smartphones depend on your Google Account information for things like Contacts, Calendar, Email, etc. If you use Android, you'll get a taste of some of the cloud computing benefits. Speaking of Android, this operating system isn't limited to smartphones. We're already seeing netbooks and slate tablets running Android.

How to use Gmail as a SPAM filter for your corporate email account

As a consultant, I often work with physicians and other professionals who are looking for easy technology solutions that won't break the bank. This week, I configured a corporate email account to leverage Gmail's SPAM filter. Why? Because Google has a great SPAM filter built into Gmail and this ends up being a free way to add a SPAM filter to a corporate email account.

So, how did I do it? Here's the simple explanation for those who are tech-savvy: forward your corporate email to Gmail, then retrieve your emails using the Gmail incoming mail server. To send emails, use your corporate outgoing mail server. Got it?

Need detailed instructions? Here's how you can use Gmail as a SPAM filter for your corporate email account, and this should work whether you're using IMAP or POP:

1. Set up a Gmail account and make sure that POP or IMAP is enabled (depending on which you prefer).
2. Forward your corporate e-mail directly to your new Gmail account.
3. Assuming that you're using Microsoft Outlook (or a similar email client), configure the incoming mail server using the Gmail information. You'll need to use your Gmail username/password to retrieve your emails. Make sure to type your complete Gmail email address as your username.
4. You'll be using your corporate outgoing mail server to send e-mails. So, in your email client, configure the outgoing mail server with your corporate information and uncheck the box that says "Use the same settings as the incoming mail server." This is where you will enter your complete corporate email address as your username.

At the end, you're using Gmail's incoming mail server (plus SPAM filter) to retrieve emails and you're using your corporate outgoing mail server to send emails.

Upgrade to AVG 9.0 (free anti-virus software)

If you've been using AVG for anti-virus protection, you're probably running version 8.5. At some point, you'll need to update that to version 9, so why not do that upgrade now? AVG will try to get you to purchase their "Internet Security" package, but if you're simply looking for the free version of AVG, I suggest you go straight to the download page on CNET.

Speaking of CNET, their editors give AVG 9.0 (free version) five out of five stars. You can't beat that type of review for a free product.

So what's new with version 9?

Version 9.0 runs and installs faster, delivers new anti-phishing detection techniques and introduces the AVG LinkScanner to proactively screen the Web pages you haven't even visited yet. For added peace of mind, you also get safety ratings for your Google, Yahoo! and Bing/MSN search results.

I use AVG free and it works just fine for me. I've tried other free anti-virus applications including Avira and Avast. I simply prefer AVG.

Is your PC really infected? Don't get tricked!

I've recently noticed that many people are starting to get tricked by web pages that resemble their desktop. They see a window that pops open that says "your PC is infected" and then it appears that something is scanning their computer. The web page that is open looks like your desktop and doesn't look like a standard web page. Before you know it, you're downloading software (that may even be dangerous) and you're either infecting your computer or buying something that you really don't need.

The next time you see something that makes you think that your computer might be infected with a virus or some type of spyware, stop and look at the windows very carefully. You'll probably notice that the screen is actually a web page, not your desktop.

Make sure that you're running reliable (and updated) anti-virus software on your computer. You can get some free options through AVG, Avast, and Avira (among others). Free software continues to remain popular among medical students and residents.

PC World Ranks Internet Security Suites

So, I was browsing through PC World and I noticed that they had ranked Internet Security Suites. A significant portion of the August issue focuses on security-related topics.

So how were security suites rated? I'll list the top 3 first:

1. G Data Internet Security 2010 recieved a score of 91 (superior) and a "Best Buy" stamp
2. Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 got a score of 90 (superior)
3. BitDefender Internet Security 2008 received 87 (very good)

The lowest ranked solution was:

• Comodo Internet Security Pro 3.8 which got a score of 57 (poor)

So, what do you use on your computer?

PC World: 101 Fantastic Freebies

Over the weekend, I was looking for some free anti-spam software and I remembered that PC World has a list of 101 Fantastic Freebies (free software). Since medical students and residents are often very hungry for freebies. Who isn't?

So, whether you're looking for anti-virus software, anti-spam, productivity software, a free file sharing service, photo editing software, or something else, I'm sure you'll find something useful on this list.

View the 2008 list of 101 Fantastic Freebies here:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/143642-16/101_fantastic_freebies.html

Keep in mind that there are multiple versions of this is "101 Fantastic Freebies" list (one written in 2008 and there's also a version written in 2007).