How Should I Protect My Windows PC from Malware and Viruses?

Bitcoin – Secured Way of Collecting Cash

Several anti-virus programs is said to be a vital element of Windows setup but Windows has been transformed and the threat scenario has been changed. Some may be more prone to threats while other may be less sensitive to them. Some may tend to take the risk while other may require protection of their important information and all this needs to be considered.

Maximum of the main AV products began when several viruses had been written by amateurs who were keen on being noticed. Presently the malware have been written by experts who are on a money making spree and are not interested in viruses which duplicate themselves, their delivery mechanisms are websites and emails.

 They are not keen on showing off but would prefer to have their malware hidden. Their interest lies in the collection of financial information together with passwords and much more though there are also some in ransomware. They are aware that they can threaten people in making payment for something of great value, such as their personal files, financial information family photos, etc. With the development of Bitcoin a secure way of collecting the cash has been implemented.

Security Against Ransomware – Offline Backup

The best security against ransomware is an offline backup of all the important data. Several of the main AV products began when Windows together with its major browsers had been uncertain which is not the same now. Bill Gates, Microsoft cofounder had launched the Trustworthy Computing Initiative in 2002 making security the uppermost priority of the company.

TCI methodologies and training had transformed the way Microsoft had designed and created software where the results had shown a dramatic reduction in infection rates in Windows PC. Windows 10 presently comprises of a huge display of security and threat mitigation technologies wherein the main threats to Windows user is from the third party programs like Oracle Java together with some Adobe software.

Besides this there has also been a great boost in the security of web browsers especially Google’s Chrome as well as Edge of Microsoft. Chrome is said to be strongly sandboxed that tends in assisting in protecting the underlying operating system from web-based threats. `Bug bounty’ program run by Google pays researchers around $100,000 for every exploitable hole they find in Chrome or Android and has paid last year, over $3 million thus making Chrome much more secure.

Safe Browsing Structures

Additional security developments are from `safe browsing’ structures that tend to blacklist websites hosting malware. Google Safe Browsing has now been part of Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi and Apple’s Safari while on the other hand Windows 10 is said to have its own built-in SafeScreen filter.

In case of any doubt regarding a website the same can be manually checked at Google’s website. The outcome is that the users of Windows 10 are not like users of Windows XP as long as they have their software updated.

It comprises of updating browsers together with third-party software utilising a free tool like Flexera’s Personal Software Inspector – PSI, Patch My PC or Kaspersky software Updater. Anti-virus companies have begun protecting susceptible operating system together with browser code though we may have reached a stage where the weak anti-virus software tends to do more harm than good.

Problems in Back Rooms – Became Public

Last November, problems which had been debated in back rooms had become public when Justin Schuh, Google Chrome security expert had launched a tweet storm against well-known Bulgarian AV expert, Vesselin Bontchev. Schuh had tweeted that `you misunderstand your own ignorance. AV is my single biggest impediment to shipping a secure browser’.

The essence of the several complaints of Schuh was that AV programs messed the security of the other programs despite the fact that they had been written apprehensively. He had tweeted that `you ignore all security best practice, piling dodgy format parsing and other unsafe code in the kernel and expects it’s possible to make an AV that is not more harm than good, but none of you are even trying’. Robert O’Callahan, the former Firefox developer had sounded in with a positive blog post – Disable Your Antivirus Software (Except Microsoft’s).

Programmers usually don’t talk regarding these issues since they require the cooperation of the AV supplier when the AV tends to cripple or crashes the software. Users are informed to turn off their AV since they would be at fault should something corrupt should take place which leaves only one option.
 As Schuh tweeted later that `browser makers do not complain about Microsoft Defender since there is a huge amount of empirical data display which is the only well behaved AV’.For the purpose of security:

First Windows 10 with Windows Defender, the SmartScreen filter, cloud based heuristics as well as basic telemetry all of which are related to security, in turned position. With that you could possibly be secure.

Second  Windows as standard user and not as an administrator wherein running as a standard user could eliminate around 90% of threats.

Third  ensure that Windows together with all the software of the PCs are updated. Several of the malware tend to exploit security holes which have been patched already, sometimes many years ahead. For the purpose of extreme security purpose, you could run Google Chrome or a Chromium-based browser like Vivaldi.

Fourth ensure that you have good backup of all the important data. Besides this in addition to normal PC backups you could use FreeFileSync to copy main data folders to an external hard drive daily which get backed up later to a second EHD. Blu-rays are also another choice since they cannot be encrypted to ransomware.

Fifth, you could run periodic scan in ensuring that your anti-virus program has not overlooked anything. Microsoft tends to do this with its MSRT – Malicious Software Removal Tool, before the installing of main updates while Kaspersky provides a good substitute. Free online scanners are also available from several AV companies inclusive of Bitdefender, Trend Micro, ESET and F-Secure.

Sixth, one should be aware that Windows 10 offers good refresh, reset and recovery choices and if these don’t do as needed then it may wipe your hard drive and you may have to reinstall Windows 10 from the start from a DVD or a thumb drive.

Swarms of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles Test New Dogfighting Skills

Hummingbirds, dragonflies, bats, bees, cockroaches - around the world, autonomous mini robots are being worked on, which are not only to perform specific tasks but also to interact in groups as far as possible. We can go through a lot of Technology News that buds over online and also through tech magazines.

Unmanned aerial vehicle is an important addition to manned aviation. Compared to the use of robots in the industry, which carry out dangerous or monotonous activities to assist the worker, the unmanned flying pilot relieves the crew of dangerous or monotonous missions. Possible scenarios are flying in disaster areas, inspection of supply lines (overhead power lines, oil pipelines), traffic monitoring (flying between high-rise buildings) or in bad environmental conditions (fog, storm).

Missions to be undertaken by unmanned aircraft in the future are typically complex and therefore require a wide range of capabilities. For this reason basic research is necessary on several subject areas. The Unmanned Aircraft Division of the DLR Institute of Flight Systems Technology meets this complexity by carrying out research in the following fields.

Flight control and mission control solutions with highly uncertain system and environmental characteristics, Sensorfusion and environmental awareness with camera and laser as a sensor in flight control, System solutions for extremely small footprint.

The goal is the simple and safe operation of an unmanned aircraft in unknown terrain. For this purpose, necessary intervention by the pilot is to be minimized by a high degree of automation of the overall system. In addition, the department is concerned with the simultaneous operation of manned and unmanned aircraft in a common airspace, hardware and software development as well as admissions aspects.

The applications and the associated methods are focused on modern aviation and spacecraft with the different subsystems and support processes. Research on the unmanned aerial vehicle continues to include areas that are located outside the traditional aerospace themes.

Their research results have resulted in development and evaluation capabilities that make the department an attractive partner for industry, government agencies and other research institutions outside the aerospace industry. A number of experimental unmanned aerial vehicle is available to the department to carry out the research. In addition to a fleet of unmanned helicopters of different sizes, it is also possible to use automatically controlled surface aircraft and parachute load-bearing systems for research purposes.

It is already impressive when Honda's humanoid robot Asimo slowly rises up a flight of stairs. But what fascinates the viewer is probably primarily due to the endeavour to construct a being in his own image. In fact, Asimo is dumb, is controlled from a distance, and if he does not recharge the after 40 minutes, he falls asleep.

But even if creatures such as Asimo still dominate the coverage, robotic researchers have long since found new models for their designs. For a long time, they did not have to search for it: After the principle of trial and error, Mother Nature finally produced enough successful creatures. And, by the way, has three important lessons.

• Specialization is efficiency. 
•  It does not depend on the size. 
•  Intelligence is not a question of the brain volume.

Efficiency through specialization

Among other things in the world of social insects it is part of everyday life that the inhabitants of a colony share the work. Depending on the role a specimen is to fill, it often possesses an extremely deviant physique. Nor is science so far as the nature where workers and queens are born with the same genetic equipment.

In the EU-sponsored Swarmanoid project, which runs until spring 2020, more than 60 autonomous robots are to work together to fulfil different tasks. Foot bots roll on the ground and possess special sensory abilities. Hand bots can climb vertical surfaces and manipulate objects, while the camera-bearing eye bots are raised by four rotors.

The possibility to observe the world almost unrecognized from above, of course, makes the military of this world listen. And so the robotic bat, which the US Army has developed within the framework of the COM-BAT program of three US universities for tens of millions of dollars, specializes in this task: it is to look at the world in stereo, Serve as a flying hornpot, sniff out gases and detect radioactivity. The bat is about 15 centimetres long still quite large. As she sails through the air, she recharges her battery via a miniaturized wind turbine and solar cells.

Students Develop Products to Assist Disabled Veterans

Sweet news for brothers and sisters who are physically challenged living with strong will to face the world of challenges. Daily we can able to go through lots of Technology news while we take a look on Google. The students from the Detroit University and Lawrence Technological University exhibited five innovative systems for addressing the necessities of physically challenged veteran in a staging before veterans at a well renowned Medical Center in Detroit. The students of LTU take a part in this great effort were BME majors. They have started this wonderful program functioning by VA hospital patients in 2009. LTU linked up in this program as a co-worker on the assistive projects in 2014. And this great project of LTU has been overseeing by Mansoon Nasir, the assistant professor of Biomedical engineering.

The students intended the devices as capstone senior design ventures and their exertions pencilled admiration from the veterans who were their clienteles. These students are planning to make those products in profit making production.

The presentations comprised of:

·
 The Under Pressure Bed:
A novel method to treat pressure ulcers (bedsores), this gadget is a pad that comprises of eight chambers that a individual in a wheel chair sits on. The chambers expand and devalue under a controlled program, altering the position of a person recurrently, and as a consequence averting pressure ulcers. The gadget is expected to cost a Grand.
·
StretchPro: 
This excellent product which is based on an automatic jack that supports an individual by means of limited leg agility bask his/ her legs, refining the agility. The group has having some plans to make the device more innovative so they are still continued to work on the gadget, making it weightless and cheap. The retail cost is estimated to be around $200.
·
Walk & Lift: 
The real boon for a multiple sclerosis patients: This gadget was designed for a multiple sclerosis patient who is having complications in lifting their feet off the ground o'er a few inches. The cane is having a cloth and latex foot support that pops out of the nethermost on the impetus of a knob, permitting a person to fit the strap round their foot and lift their leg – for instance, into a car, or on a chaise longue. The cane is made up of carbon fibre combined and the weight of this gadget is below a pound sterling, and is expected to retail for just $150.
·
Squeaky Kleen: 
It is a handy bath for an individual who lies in a wheelchair. This gadget can be located in any place, entails of a malleable or aluminium structure as well as bath draperies, as well as having a tiny electrically powered propel to clean up the water from the end of the bath. It’s expected to cost around $600. It as well having a heat sensing shower pate to avert scorches in parts of the body an individual in a wheelchair might not be capable to sense.
·
A fine Grip: 
It is an electronic glove that can help a physically challenged individual who is having the limited hand movement to hold things. It is having the combination of a glove, actuator, and sensors as well software.

Tech United Builds New, Superfast and Really Strong Soccer Robot

The robot soccer’s world champions of 2016 has been incorporated actually robust and powerful 8 wheeled robot platform. “These powerful new platforms are going to rock the playground at the imminent Portuguese Robotics Open,” the sources said. It is the most anticipated technology news for the Robotic enthusiasts that this great robust automaton as going to first appear in the crew at the World RoboCup in Nagoya. An outstanding datum is that the undercarriage of this automaton will also be carrying out self-directed tough work in infirmaries.

This soccer robot band may have been capped world victors last year however the specialists distinguished a couple of feebleness: their chief adversaries were that bit faster and fared to shove to the side the Eindhoven automatons a little too simply. The team consequently got unruffled by the Drunen-based corporation SMF Ketels to improve an entirely new platform, that comprises of eight afore the existing three wheels. The well balanced system of eight wheels not only offer the robot loads of and rapidity, they correspondingly make it great firm and pilotable at extreme speeds.

As a matter of fact, the Football robots are an ideal learning tool to teach students various concepts of computer-assisted visual perception and automation. There are two major innovations we can find this challenge: the game is planned to play on artificial grass rather than carpet and it can be played next to large window surfaces, so that sunlight can fall directly onto the field. The artificial grass is a great challenge for the running movements of the robots. The variable lighting requires new solutions for the exposure control of the cameras and for image processing.

Other enhancements that ought to benefit Tech United to a fourth world award this year take account of the software structural design. This was set upon its dome last year to facilitate the automatons to answer back well to rivals and to the game surroundings. Crew coach Lotte de Koning said they are going to challenging it out this year particularly for the duration of the dead-ball status quo like open kicks, and formerly for the entire game. It will take a couple of years afore it has seasoned.

Over the long-gone year the automatons have turn out to be cleverer in defence and in capturing passes. Since the computer in the head of the robot is about as powerful as an average smartphone, it is a challenge to make the codes as short as possible. Despite their limited computing power, they must be efficient and can regulate the complex behaviour and the perception of the wireless and autonomous robots. The speed at which a kicker moves across the field is also programmed.

This robust 8-wheel undercarriage is the end result of the European Ropod venture, where the TU/e takes part in consort with SMF Ketels, the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and KU Leuven, amongst others. The goal of Ropod was to grow within your means, friendly automaton tumbrils that are capable to unconventionally and docilely execute passage chores in infirmaries, for example moving beds in the hospitals.

The new-fangled robust machine will be tried out for the first in this year’s primary contest, the Portuguese Robotics Open from April 26 to 30. The posse will be observing whether the robot is capable to execute unconventionally, and it would also come to be unblemished unerringly how fast the machine is. The expectation of this team is that the machine to be about four times faster than its prototype.

NASA Tests Next Generation Passenger Planes with Fat Test Dummies

NASA/FAA – Guidelines for New Airplane Crash-Worthiness

NASA in association with FAA have come together for a petrifying drop testwhich will be making way for guidelines for new airplane crash-worthiness. The scientists have strapped ten dummies of different body formsinto model of a regional jet fuselage dropping itt straight down at a speed of 30 feet per second.

 Moreover they also involved baggage in the cargo and though human would probably not withstand severe injuries in the situation, the bags got ragged right through the floor. The test had been piloted at Langley Research Centre of NASA in Virginia as part of the effort of Federal Aviation Administration – FAA, in order to consider the reliability of new planes which contains non-metallic parts.

Martin Annett, crash test engineer of NASA had informed that they were working with the FAA to update the necessities essential for the testing of next generation airframe concepts, particularly those which could comprise of composite materials. The scientist had examined what could have occurred to the structure of an airplane and the humans on board, should an accident take place. In order to do this, they released the fuselage cut-out from a height of 14 feet.

Collecting Data on Regional Jet-Sized Aircraft

Joseph Pellettiere, chief scientist and technical advisor for crash dynamics for FAA informed that they have been looking on collecting data on regional jet-sized aircraft and its performance especially metallic planes.

He further added that this way they could improve a regular baseline data which could be utilised in comparing with new and novel designs which could use changed materials. They then equipped ten dummies with transducers for testing the loads as well as strains on their bodies buckling them into conventional airplane seats.

The dummies had been designed to imitate actual travellers representing a variety of body categories. As per NASA, eight of the dummies were said to be 50th percentile males that had been exhibited after the average man in height, mass and proportion.

One is said to be a 95th percentile male and is designed to be heavier as well as taller than 95% of men while the tenth is a 5th percentile female of around five feet tall and 110 pounds. Together with the setting of the dummies with transducers, the engineers had also connected instrumentation in the model cross section of the fuselage also which enabled them to view how it held up under the effect.

Data Recorder to Measure What Occurred During Crash

Moreover they also placed baggage into the mix. Annett commented that one thing which was unusual in the test was that they had included baggage in the cargo hold which was an actual unclaimed baggage from an unclaimed baggage centre in Alabama.

They wanted to see how the luggage would interact with the subfloor separating it from the dummies. Justin Littell, test engineer of NASA also commented that they had put a data recorder in one of the bags in order to measure what occurred to it during the crash.

The engineers had dropped the cabin onto two feet in one trial. With the use of a technique known as full field photogrammetry, the camera was capable of capturing distinct deformations of the craft, created on black dots that had been painted around the tube.

Recording 500 frames per second, the camera followed each of the dots showing the changes. Though, the dummies received a `good jolt’, the researchers informed that they probably would have made it through all right.