Ask Leo! #346 - Why hackers hack, why files get locked, what happens to email sent to the wrong address and more... - Confident Computing

The Ask Leo! Newsletter

*** New Articles

Why do my files get locked?

How come my files (not locked files to run the computer) get locked and how to scan them or delete them?

Files can get locked for many reasons; the most common being that some other program simply has the file open for some reason.

In this video excerpt from a recent Ask Leo! webinar, I'll discuss some of the ramifications of locked files, how to tell who's doing the locking, and what steps are appropriate to deal with it.

Continue reading: Why do my files get locked?
http://ask-leo.com/C5213

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Why do hackers hack and spammers spam?

In today's newsletter, you said that there are active botnets and infected machines on the internet that are tirelessly searching for unprotected machines. Upon finding one, they will gain entry and install malware.

Since I feel the constitution allows me to ask one inane questions a day, this is it: Why? Why do these scums of the earth want to infect simple, personal computers with some type of virus or malware?

I can understand that there may be ways to get personal information and items like that, but I don't understand why dirtballs try to infect computers with a virus just so said computer crashes or doesn't run correctly. So again, why would they want to do this stuff?

In this excerpt from Answercast #9, I explore the reasons hackers work so tirelessly to hack into computers and wreak havoc in the internet world.

Continue reading: Why do hackers hack and spammers spam?
http://ask-leo.com/C5207

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How do I block trojans and the man sending them to me?

I keep getting Trojan spyware. I clean them through Immune Protect. A man from Utah is sending these Trojans. How do I block the Trojans and that person?

Repeatedly getting trojans or any form of malware simply shouldn't happen, regardless of where they're coming from. To resolve this, we need to drop back to basic security principles.

In this video excerpt from a recent Ask Leo! webinar, I discuss the steps that you can take to stay safe.

Continue reading: How do I block trojans and the man sending them to me?
http://ask-leo.com/C5204

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Answercast #9 - Why hackers hack, startup and shutdown messages, clean systems, unwanted emails and more...

Continue reading: Answercast #9 - Why hackers hack, startup and shutdown messages, clean systems, unwanted emails and more...
http://ask-leo.com/C5202

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*** Last Issue's Articles

*** Word o' the Week

Port 25

Port 25 is the default port that your computer communicates with when you're connecting to a remote email server to send an email. Port 25 is the SMTP mail-sending port.

Port 25 can sometimes cause problems while working remotely. Many hotels and other facilities intercept mail being sent to any mail server on port 25 and redirect it through their own mail server. They can also impose a cap on the amount of email that you send.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Leo Recommends

Thunderbird - A Free, Open Source, and Powerful Email Client

Mozilla's Thunderbird is my choice for email. I use it all day every day, and I can heartily recommend it as an often more powerful and capable replacement for mail programs like Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail and many other desktop email applications.

The feature list is long, but I want to call out some of my favorite features and some of the things that personally draw me to Thunderbird and cause me to make it my recommendation for almost anyone using a desktop email program.

Continue reading: Thunderbird - A Free, Open Source, and Powerful Email Client
http://ask-leo.com/C3451

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

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