Computer Code Tips

Got a great idea for a Web site, but can’t find a decent .com Web address that suits you? Over the past 25 years, more than 95 million .com addresses have been registered by corporations, organizations and individuals. As a result, the pool of meaningful .com names is nearly exhausted. Fortunately there are a few solutions:
If the Web address you want is owned by someone else, you can offer to buy it — but sometimes sales can range from several hundred to several hundred thousand dollars.
Using an alternate domain extension, such as .net, .org, .info and .biz, might help you find the name that you want, but Internet users can easily overlook these target niche audiences.
Perhaps the best way for you to get the Web address you want is with the new .CO domain extension, which launched in July and generated nearly half a million registrations in the first few weeks alone!
Here are just a few reasons why has been such an immediate success:
* It’s Familiar -; .CO is very similar to .com, so it’s easy for people to remember. People around the world already associate “co” with “company,” so it’s easier for them to make the leap from .com to .CO. Also, it’s already used in 20 country-specific domains like England (.co.uk), Canada, (.co.ca), Japan (.co.jp), and others.
* It’s Available -; Since there are so many .CO names to choose from, people all over the world are jumping on the .CO bandwagon. You can search for available .CO domains through registrars such as GoDaddy.com, Register.com, Network Solutions and others.
* It’s Safer -; .CO takes a tough stand on all forms of domain name abuse. They’ve taken steps to protect the rights of brands and trademark holders and have made it harder for cyber-squatters and fraudsters to hide from authorities.
Thousands of major corporations, such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonalds and Sony, have already secured their .CO domain names. Many companies like Overstock.com (o.co) are using .CO to create new content, reach new audiences or offer new services.
It may take a while for .CO to catch up to .com, but at least you can get in on the ground floor and secure the .

The Internet is an important educational tool. With a click of a mouse, kids can find information on just about anything. Unfortunately, children who don’t practice basic Internet safety may expose themselves and their parents to certain risks.
Children can easily stumble upon inappropriate content. Chat rooms have a reputation for encouraging Internet predation, but pedophiles can stalk victims from Web sites like Facebook as well. Many kids don’t realize that anyone can read what they write on the Internet, so they post home phone numbers, addresses, their full names or the names of their schools.
Social networking sites may also expose children to bullying, as peers can send demeaning e-mails, instant messaging and text messages without attracting attention from parents or teachers. Finally, children may download pirated music or movies, or even computer viruses or spyware.
“The Internet is an important resource for kids, if they know how to use it,” says John Goslin, chief technology officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), a non-profit organization that strives to help young people realize their potential. “Parents need to be aware of the potential dangers and create guidelines to help kids avoid them.”
CA Technologies, which serves as the BGCA’s national information technology security partner through its global philanthropy program, CA Together IT, helps keep 56,000 BGCA computers secure. It starts off with security software, including anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware technology, and prevention measures that restrict unauthorized use.
“Software can help prevent viruses, spyware and inappropriate spam messages, and allow parents to monitor and help protect their children online,” says George Kafkarkou, general manager of CA Technologies. “But parental supervision is the best security measure available to kids.”
Parents should know where their children go online and with whom they communicate. Placing computers in a family room can help you keep an eye on their activities. Parents should instruct children not to give out personal information online, even on sites like Facebook, and ask children to come to them if they encounter anything that makes them nervous or uncomfortable.

When global retail giants Target, Home Depot and Sony got hacked and personal information was jeopardized, data security, once again, became a hot topic of conversation.

Of course you know you should do more to protect your identity, but let’s face it, data security is like public health: There’s only so much you can do to shield yourself, and even that is reliant on other people or companies. Unfortunately, as evidenced above, these same entities can obviously be careless with your information.

To this end, when people aren’t careful, the Internet can become a virtual playground for criminal activity. Whether you’re checking email, banking information or doing some online shopping, you have already put yourself at risk of having your identity stolen.

Criminals have developed several ways to obtain personal information from innocent Internet users. According to the United States Department of Justice, cyber criminals can take over an individual’s identity to conduct a wide range of crimes, such as fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, because victims usually don’t become aware of the criminal activity until substantial and irreversible damage has already been done. And while punishable under state law, identity theft remains difficult to prosecute for a variety of reasons.

Enter Gabriel, a set of secure communication apps derived from a U.S. Department of Defense project and created by VirnetX, an Internet security software and technology company.

The software works like this: Gabriel transmits information using automatic virtual private networks with military-grade encryption (think cryptograms).

“Gabriel has been designed and built with personal privacy and security as a foundational principle,” says Dr. Robert Short, VirnetX chief technical officer and chief scientist. “As a result, Gabriel provides uncompromising data security … Users do not have to transmit data to, or store data with, any third party, including VirnetX. Users can therefore rest easy that their data is stored only on their devices.”

Other benefits from using Gabriel include:

• Making free voice or video calls or sending instant messages to other Gabriel members in your network;
• Receiving spamless e-mail;
• Allowing for person-to-person messages that disappear once the session has ended;
• Sharing pictures or files with other trusted Gabriel users in your network directly from your personal device.

All of this is done with other members of your network with the assurance that the trans-missions are secured with end-to-end encryption.

Simply put, Gabriel makes your online communications invisible. Think of it this way: If the criminals can’t see you, they can’t attack you.