Detangling the Web--Beware Spyware

Written by Matt McGovern


Did you know that most major Web sites--some of them popular and respected Web sites--download unwanted spyware on your computer when you visit?

At its most benign level, spyware is used by Web sites to track your browsing and purchasing habits. Taken a step further, spyware might even capture personally identifiable data and credit card information.

* SPYWARE IS NOT THE SAME AS A VIRUS

A misconception for many is that anti-virus software protects from these unwanted intrusions. But that's notrepparttar case. Just as a "virus" inrepparttar 107597 real world is different from a "bacteria" or "parasite,"repparttar 107598 same can be said of a virus inrepparttar 107599 cyber- world. It's NOTrepparttar 107600 same as spyware.

Anti-virus software protects against KNOWN computer virus attacks. A virus is best described as malicious programming code intended to replicate itself and in so doing render a user's computer system or network inoperable.

Spyware is something different. It's meant to stealthily co-exist with your computer's system and program files, tracking and reporting information through your Internet Explorer browser--usually without your knowledge. Like a parasite, spyware infectsrepparttar 107601 host with hooks into your computer's registry and system files--hooks that you most likely don't know about.

* TOUGH STUFF

At it's most insidious, spyware parasites can actually hijack or take over your Web browser--making it non-responsive to your commands, and forcing you to sites against your will.

Recovering from a spyware infection can sometimes be a daunting and frustrating task. But luckily there are resources available to help guard against getting infected by this silent menace.

Computational Philanthropy - The World Community Grid

Written by Martin Winer


Have you ever wondered what your computer does when you're not there to provide it with stimulation? On Windows, it runs a process calledrepparttar 'System Idle Process'. Doesn't sound very intellectually challenging does it? As far as an intellectual challenge, let’s not flatter ourselves either: To our computers we move atrepparttar 107596 speed of molasses in winter.

Well what if your computer could be running software that benefited humanity in its ample spare time? That is preciselyrepparttar 107597 taskrepparttar 107598 World Community Grid offers your computer when you aren't using it.

Currently,repparttar 107599 World Community Grid is looking to dramatically shortenrepparttar 107600 Human Proteome Folding Project. This is a project that could take years even onrepparttar 107601 most powerful supercomputer. The answer is to take advantage of parallelization (using many computers at once) to dramatically shorten this computational time.

Many of us have heard ofrepparttar 107602 Human Genome Project that recently completed a map of all human genes. In order for that information to be useful, scientists seek to understand howrepparttar 107603 proteins that those genes code for are formed in a process called protein folding. It isrepparttar 107604 shape of proteins that determine their bio-chemical properties. Knowledge of protein folding could, one day, be used in dramatic treatments of all diseases.

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