How to protect your computer from hackers, spyware and viruses

This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment and I’ll add them on!

1. Install Anti-Virus Software - This should not even have to be listed, if you don’t have anti-virus software installed, you’re asking for trouble! And if your reason for not installing anti-virus software is because it’s too expensive, then that can reason can be shot down because there are several free anti-virus programs out there that are considered better than commercial software packages. Here are two of the most popular ones:

AVG Anti-Virus - Very good and completely free.

Avast Anti-Virus - Almost on par with AVG.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus - Not free, but one of the best detection rates.

2. Update All Software - Installing an anti-virus program by itself is not enough. There are hundreds of new threats that are found daily and the anti-virus programs release updates regularly to combat the new threats. Make sure you anti-virus program is set to update automatically so that you don’t have to rely on your memory to do it. Also, this goes for all the software on your computer. The most important software to keep up to date is your Windows operating system. It is essential to have Automatic Updates turned on and set to download and install updates automatically.

3. Install only Trusted Software - If you’re not sure what a piece of software does from it’s name, then don’t install it. Also, don’t install anything you didn’t intend to install in the first place. Sometimes programs will ask you to install other programs during the install of the first application. Be careful of that because it’s usually spyware. Install software from big names sites only, such as Microsoft or Adobe.

4. Avoid P2P File Sharing Software - If used with great caution, P2P software is quite useful for movies, songs and software, but if you’re not very technically savvy, you might end up downloading a song that has a keystroke logger attached to it that will send anything you type to some other computer over the Internet. It’s almost impossible to tell that this is occurring unless your anti-virus or anti-spyware programs pick it up in their scans.

5. Delete Unknown Emails - If you receive emails from random people’s names, do not bother to open the email, just delete it. If you have any doubts after reading the name and the subject, it’s probably not someone you know. Never download or open attachments unless you are sure it’s from someone you know. Give the person a call quickly and ask them if you’re not sure. Most large companies that you create online accounts with will not send you attachments unless you specifically ask for them through their web site. Also, be wary of any emails from sites pretending to be banks, auction sites, etc asking for you to verify bank account info or address info. No bank ever does that.

6. Do not click on Ads - Avoid clicking on ads if you can. Especially those ads where something is flying around and if you shoot the duck, you win some prize! Ads have become more sophisticated in that they try to make the ad interactive so that you’ll be tempted to play it like a game.

7. Run Virus Scans Regularly - If you’re not in the mood to scan every day, at least run a scan once a week. Actually, setup a schedule for your computer in your anti-virus software to run a scan late at night or whenever you don’t use your computer and that way you won’t be bothered with a slow computer.

8. Be careful what you attach to your computer - This is a more common way to transfer viruses than you might think. Everyone now has a USB flash stick that they carry around on their key chains, ready to snap into any computer. But who knows what your viruses are on your friends computers and what accidentally got transferred to their USB stick. A lot of virus programs will auto launch right when the USB stick is put into the computer, so you don’t even have to open or download any of the files to be infected.

9. Avoid Shady Web Sites - If you need to look at porn, then make sure you do it in a virtual environment. You are DEFINITELY going to get some virus or spyware if you browse porn sites on your computer. Virtualization basically allows you to run programs like Internet Explorer in a virtual environment that does not effect your current operating system. If you want to find out more, search for “Virtual PC” or “VM Ware” in Google. Otherwise, simply avoid going to shady web sites!

10. Turn On or Install a Firewall - If you’re running Windows XP, make sure Windows Firewall is turned on. A firewall prevents hackers from gaining access to your computer by limiting the number of ports that are open to the public. Also, when buying a wireless router, make sure it has a built in firewall. Having a software and hardware firewall is better than just having one or the other.

11. Secure Your Wireless Network - Most wireless routers are set to no security when you install them. Be sure to log into the router and at least set the basic security that requires a password. There are stronger encryption options, but if you don’t understand those, then simply set a password on the router, otherwise anyone can connect to your home network and access everything.

12. Use a Complex Password for Login - This means that you should already have a password to login to your computer. Not having a password at all is not a good idea. Create a password for all user accounts and make sure it’s complex. Complex means it should have numbers, upper case characters, lower case characters, and symbols. This makes it way more difficult for a hacker to get into your computer.

Computer Error Solutions

Having error messages on your pc such as a "systemroot system32 atmfd dll failed to load" error is quite annoying. Many times it comes from nowhere, just as you are about to shut down your pc, and the second you get it you probably find yourself trying to figure out how to get rid of it. Keep following this quick article and i'll show you a quick way how you can easily fix it.

Before we discuss how to solve these problems, remember one thing - it doesn't matter how complex computers are, most problems can be identified and repaired. It is important to understand what dlls are. These files are part of any software; they include information which is necessary for any of your installed applications to be able to run. Problems related to these files usually appear after installing a new software ver. over an existing installation of the same software, and right after the removal of program(s). Once there is a small problem during installation/reinstallation/un-install, then this is a good reason to believe why you start noticing these concerning system malfunctions and error messages.

Luckily, most of these problems are 'fixable' even if you know nothing about fixing computers - you can at minimal effort remove a "systemroot system32 atmfd dll failed to load" error by running a recommended Windows registry repairing program. These tools focus on scanning your Computer and repairing a wide range of problems including 'broken' DLLs. The most recommended way to try and fix these annoying errors can be done by installing one of these utilities and letting it scan your pc - most of them offer free scans.

Before spending more of your time on frustrating web searches, or hiring someone to 'clean' this "systemroot system32 atmfd dll failed to load" error, It is advised to get one of these registry fixing applications and let it quickly check your system's dlls, identify and eliminate the problem(s) that you've encountered (keep in mind that there are several hundreds to several thousands of dlls in any windows system). Try it right now - most of these applications not only provide free system scan, but completely free repair (limited for specific problems), so you might get lucky and be able to get rid of this problem and even repair other 'hidden' problem(s).

Ways to make extra money

I obviously haven't tried all of these methods, but when possible I've tried to link to an example of the opportunity actually making money. You should be able to find something here that fits you and your skills.

1. Delivering pizzas (TheHappyRock). If you have a car and a decent driving record, then you qualify for this easy extra-money maker. You're likely to get some free pizzas, too.
2. Waiting tables (Serious Eats). This is the perfect job for nights and weekends. That's when all the big tips are made anyway. Pick the nicest place in town.
3. Bartending (The Beck Office Blog). Even better, I think, than waiting tables is tending bar at nights in a busy bar -- typically at least $1 for every drink you serve.
4. Teaching swimming lessons. If you're a good swimmer, you might be able to pick up a weekend swim-teacher gig at your local recreation center. Keep in mind that some places may require a special certification or that you be a lifeguard.
5. Car valet. If you hook up with a for-hire car-parking service (the type hired out for fancy neighborhood parties) you can make some nice cash tips in just a few hours at night and on the weekend, when parties are held.
6. Create Web sites (glblguy). Businesses will pay you to take them online.
7. Blogging (ProBlogger). This isn't quick money, but you can make decent money with a little luck and a few months of solid, consistent effort. Believe me, it can be tough and a bit time-consuming, but it can be done.
8. Write an ebook (Daily Blog Tips). I hesitate to put this one in here because an ebook by itself usually doesn't make money unless you're an excellent marketer. What a great ebook can do, though, is act as a sales lead to one of your other online businesses.
9. Design Web logos (Logos For Websites). If you're good with Photoshop and can work quickly, you could make some decent cash with this online business.
10. Rewrite poorly written ads. Search the ad listings at eBay and Craigslist for big items like cars. E-mail the seller and offer to rewrite the ad for a 1% commission.
11. Write reviews (Bible Money Matters). Many Web sites will pay you a little cash to write product reviews. If you're knowledgeable and can write fast, this may work for you.
12. CashCrate. There's some money to be made with CashCrate by completing the free offers, but the real cash comes from the referral program.
13. Freebie trading (ChristianPF). Freebie trading is a real moneymaker. But it takes a special person to master the techniques and be consistent with the process.
14. Freelance writer. Right now Elance.com is looking for more writers. Set up an ad and start offering up your fast writing skills.
15. Sell digital photos (Digital Photography School). Take nice pictures. Get them up on the Web at a broker or microstock site. Make some money. It's not as easy as that, but those are the basics.
16. Sell yourself online (I Wear Your Shirt). Get creative and sell you and your time online in a fresh, new way.
17. Sell micro ad space online (The Million Dollar Homepage). Start a Web site and sell tiny ads. Can this be duplicated? Or can you take the concept and make it fresh?
18. Start an online store (Gather Little by Little). Setting up an online store is extremely easy with sites like Amazon, eBay and CafePress. Once you learn how to market that site, you can begin making some cash.
19. Focus group participant (Paying Off My Future and Bargaineering). Researchers need people to help them develop their results. Become a member of a focus group in your area and get your share of their research funding. Call your local university or museum, or look in your local paper for opportunities.
20. Sell bottled water (Neville's Financial Blog and katekashman). Buy bottled water in bulk and sell it for a dollar where there are a ton of people -- parks, festivals, concerts, etc.

How to Communicate Effectively

•Choose the right moment and the right place. If you need to discuss something in private with a person, make sure that the choice of venue is private and that you do not feel uncomfortable about the possibility of being overheard. On the other hand, if you need to make your point before a group of people, ensure that the location is somewhere that your discussion will be audible to all who are present to ensure that you engage each and every person in the group.
•

The 3 points are even more important when you are presenting a speech to a large audience
Organize and clarify ideas in your mind before you attempt to communicate them. If you are feeling passionate about a topic, you may become garbled if you haven't already thought of some key points to stick with. A good rule-of-thumb is to choose three main points and keep your communication focused on those. That way, if the topic wanders off course, you will be able to return to one or more of these three key points without feeling flustered.
• Stay on-topic. Make sure all facts, stories, allusions, etc, add to the conversation/debate. Again, refer to the three key points. If you have already thought through the issues and the essence of the ideas that you wish to put across to others, it is likely that some pertinent phrases will stick in your mind. Do not be afraid to use these to underline your points - even very confident and well-known speakers re-use their key lines again and again for major effect.
• Be clear about the purpose of the communication. For example, your purpose could be to inform others, to obtain information or to initiate action. You need to know this in advance.
•

Effective eye contact and engagement can enhance communication for both parties
Articulate. Articulate talk is talk that gets remembered because people instantly understand what it is that you are saying. To be most effective at articulating your message, there are some key considerations:

Solution of Child Labor

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
2. States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, States Parties shall in particular:

• Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admissions to employment;
• Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of employment;
• Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective enforcement of the present article.

Child labor: The child has the right to be protected from work that threatens his or her health, education or development. The State shall set minimum ages for employment and regulate working conditions.

Pakistan’s energy crisis: short and long-term solutions

Pakistan is in the grip of a serious energy crisis that is affecting all sectors of the economy and the various segments of the society. As the situation stands to-day, there are hardly any immediate solutions to resolve the issue. A change of attitude and a change of life style is needed at the national level which should be triggered by the ruling elite and followed by all segments of the society that have access to electricity. At best there could be some short and long-term solutions to the crisis but they need immediate planning and execution with an enormous investment. None of the previous rulers of the country solved the issue due to which the energy crisis kept on increasing regularly.

State of energy resources

Pakistan has a deficit of fossils or hydrocarbons sources of energy and to cover up the deficit, it depends upon importing crude oil at an enormous cost from its meager forex reserves. The need of crude oil is on an increase because of an improved life style which has necessitated the use of vehicles and cars for transportation. Import of oil at around $110 per barrel, increases the trade deficit and the current account deficit. It makes fiscal management a difficult task which affects the government as well as the people.

Contrary to the deficit of fossils or hydrocarbon resources, Pakistan is rich in hydro resources of energy. According to an estimate the country has enough resources to generate approximately 40000 mw of hydro-electricity. However, presently it only generates 8000 mw of electricity against an installed capacity of 11327 mw. In addition the country can generate electricity with the help of wind and solar energy which has not yet been exploited to meet the energy deficit. Nuclear energy is yet another source of energy and at present PAEC produces 472 mw. It is far less than what PAEC should have been producing to meet the energy deficit.

Three major electricity generation agencies presently operate in the country. They have a total installed capacity of around 19522 mw. Their installed capacities are as follows: WAPADA: 11327 mw; KESC: 1756 mw and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), 5977 mw. PAEC produces 472 mw as stated earlier. Thermal power accounts for 64 per cent of the total installed capacity, hydro-electricity accounts for 33 per cent and nuclear power plants account for 3 per cent. Thermal power is mostly produced by burning either natural gas or imported oil. The country is yet to switch over to coal from the indigenous source of energy that is estimated to be the third largest in the world with a reserve of 33.0 trillion tons.

The Energy market has been changing according to the demands of power consumption. The Prices of energy raw materials also kept changing. According to an analysis, in the fiscal year 1990-91 hydropower accounted for 45 per cent of all electricity produced in the country but it was reduced to 26 per cent with a 10-year period. The share of thermally generated electricity increased from 54 per cent to 71 per cent during the same period. Needs of most of the commercially used oil are met by imports whose prices have skyrocketed during past five years and as such the cost of power generation through oil has increased.

Current Financial Crises Reasons

The bloodletting in the financial- services industry will accelerate in coming months, with job cuts doubling to about 350,000 worldwide by mid-2009, said Brian Sullivan, chief executive officer of search firm CTPartners.

Reductions on that scale would be equivalent to 20 percent of the global workforce at financial companies before the credit crisis began, said Sullivan, whose firm has worked with Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Banks, brokerages and funds have eliminated about 170,000 positions worldwide.

``This is the financial equivalent of World War II,'' Sullivan said in an interview in Hong Kong. ``It's unprecedented. You're seeing a seismic shift in the population of banking.''

Banks are racing to cut jobs from New York to Sydney as frozen credit markets cause revenues to tumble and the financial industry tries to digest almost $1 trillion of writedowns and losses. The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression will reshape the investment banking industry, as firms lose the ability to use leverage to boost returns, Sullivan said.

``Without the massive leverage that's been in the system, the business of some of these big investment banks simply isn't going to be there,'' he said. ``You'll go back to the investment banks of the 1960s and '70s.''

CTPartners is shifting headhunters from banking to industries such as pharmaceuticals and clean energy as demand for finance professionals dries up, he said. The company is the world's sixth-largest executive search firm, Sullivan said.

Major Econimic Issues

In recent years, Pakistan has faced severe macroeconomic imbalances, declining economic growth, rising poverty, and poor social indicators. During the 1990s, the fiscal deficit and the current account deficit as a proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) averaged 6.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively (compared with the 1980s average of 7.0 and 3.9 percent respectively). The average economic growth rate decelerated from 6.5 percent in the 1980s to 5.4 percent in the first half of the 1990s, and to 3.6 percent in the second half. The incidence of poverty increased from just over 20 percent in the late 1980s to 32 percent in 1998/99.

Crisis management of public finances and external balances dominated the economic policy agenda in Pakistan during the 1990s. However, despite all efforts, and three International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes between 1988 and 1999, little progress was made in addressing the macroeconomic imbalances. The result was a decade of stop-go stabilisation policies, with the attendant negative impact on growth, but without the desired improvement of macroeconomic fundamentals. The imposition of economic sanctions following the nuclear tests of May 1998 further exposed the vulnerabilities of Pakistan’s economy.

Chronic fiscal and external deficits resulted in the accumulation of large domestic and external debt. Total debt (both domestic and external) equalled 100 percent of GDP at the end of June 1998, and interest payments on the public debt accounted for 47 percent of the Government’s total expenditure. Of Pakistan’s ‘twin’ debt problems the external debt is the more critical issue for short-to-medium-term economic management. In fiscal year (FY) 1998, debt servicing exceeded 50 percent of export earnings, and even after debt rescheduling, debt servicing in FY2001 was over 35 percent of export earnings. By end June 2001, Pakistan’s external public sector debt, at $32.8 billion1 amounted to 55 percent of GDP, having grown at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent throughout the 1990s. The net present value (NPV) of public external debt was estimated at 260 percent of the value of total exports of goods and services at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2001.

Major Economic Issues

A. Aggregate Growth

Despite the Government’s best efforts and the successful implementation of the IMF’s Standby Arrangement (SBA), investors’ confidence has still not been restored; the investment rate has plummeted to the lowest level since the 1950s. The falling investment rate has adversely impacted the economic growth rate, which averaged 3.5 percent over the last three years. As a result, given Pakistan’s high population growth rate (2.2 percent), real per capita income increased only marginally over the three years. In dollar terms, per capita income declined from $473 in FY1998 to $429 FY2001 because of the sharp depreciation in the Pakistan rupee.

Economic growth in FY2001 is estimated at 2.6 percent compared to 3.9 percent in FY2000. The deceleration of the growth rate was primarily due to the drought-induced reduction in the agriculture sector’s output, which posted a negative growth rate of 2.5 percent, as well as a reduction in hydroelectric power generation. The drought caused a loss in national income of about 2.0 percent. Non-agricultural GDP grew by 4.3 percent, as against 3.1 percent in the previous year. During the three-year period, average growth rates in all sectors have been low and there are wide year-to-year fluctuations as well.

Table 1: Growth Rates of GDP

Item	1980s	1997-1998	1998-1999	1999-2000	2000-2001(P)	Average 1988/99 to 2000/01
Real GDP (at factor cost)	6.5	3.5	4.2	3.9	2.6	3.5
Agriculture	5.4	4.5	2.0	6.1	-2.5	1.8
Industry	8.2	6.1	4.9	-0.1	4.2	3.0
Services	6.7	1.6	5.0	4.8	4.4	4.7

Source: Economic Survey, 2000-20001, Economic Advisor’s Wing, Finance Division, Government of Pakistan, 2001.

B. Population, Employment and Poverty

The population growth rate is estimated to be 2.2 percent and total population at 140 million in 2001. The urban population, according to the 1998 census, is 33.4 percent of the whole but this is generally assumed to be an underestimate. A large number of areas, urban in nature but not in the purview of any municipality or corporation, are excluded from the urban population. The 1998 census also shows an increase in the share of females in the population, from 46.4 percent in 1981 to 48.4 percent in 1998, which may be a sign of some improvement in gender status.

Pakistan’s labour force is growing at a rate of 2.4 percent. With the declining rate of economic growth, the capacity to generate employment has also fallen. With an employment elasticity of around 0.4, the growth in productive jobs during the last three years may have been no more than 1.4 percent per year. As a result, about 1.5 million people may have been added to the ranks of the unemployed. The unemployment rate in 1998-99 was already around 6 percent, and this did not take into account the very large number of workers who were not fully occupied. Unemployment in urban areas was higher (8 percent), and, while gender-desegregated data are not available, some surveys show that the unemployment rate is higher among females than males.

Falling growth rates, accompanied by rising income inequality and increasing unemployment, have resulted in increasing poverty during the 1990s. Whereas the proportion of the poor estimated in various studies shows variation, in 1998-99 roughly one third of the population was below the poverty line, based on a minimum consumption requirement of 2550 calories per adult. The number of people living below the poverty line in terms of a minimum income of $1 a day was 31 percent in 1996. In terms of $2-a-day poverty line, the proportion of the poor in 1996 was 84.7 percent. Since 1998-99, economic growth has slowed further, the fiscal squeeze has intensified, development spending has declined, and the country has experienced a severe drought; therefore, the incidence of poverty in Pakistan today is likely to be significantly higher than it was in 1998-99.

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