Prevent screen from shutting down in Windows

If your Windows 10 computer is having problems connecting to a wireless network and it takes too long to respond and only keeps on displaying the “Checking network requirements”, then you’ve come to the right place as this place will walk you through fixing the problem. There are two things that can happen when your computer connects to a wireless network. Windows can either connect to the wireless network successfully or return an error message that says, “Cannot connect to the network. However, if none of these things happened, and it only remains at the “Checking network requirements” message, then it could be due to obsolete or incompatible drivers in your computer, particularly the network adapter drivers. To fix this problem, you can try to update or reinstall these drivers, reset the TCP/IP, or run the Network Adapter troubleshooter, as well as reset the Network. For more information, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to update the Network Adapter drivers by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand them.
• Look for the Broadcom Network Adapter and right-click on it, as well as other network adapters that have an exclamation icon, and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the problem.

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly. To reinstall the network adapter drivers, refer to these steps:

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Option 2 – Try to reset the TCP/IP

As you know, the TCP/IP or the Internet Protocol is the most important thing if you want to use the internet on your computer. That’s why if it ends up getting corrupted, you need to reset the TCP/IP to fix the problem. To reset TCP/IP, refer to these steps:

• In the Windows start the search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
• Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, execute this command: netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt
• Once it’s done, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then check if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Run the Network Adapter troubleshooter

To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.
• Restart your computer.

Option 4 – Try to perform Network Reset

You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
• Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
• After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.

HP Printer Spooler Not Running - What is it?

If you have the HP printer, then you may come across this error. HP Printer Spooler not running errors does not mean there is anything wrong with your printer. It indicates printer driver issues.

Solution

Error Causes

There can be multiple causes behind the HP printer Spooler not running error code such as:

• The poor or unsuccessful printer driver installation
• Invalid registry entries

Though this is not a critical error code as it does not pose serious damage threats to your PC, however, it is advisable to resolve it as it can cause you a great deal of inconvenience especially if you want to take out printouts every now and then.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some ways you can try to resolve HP Printer Spooler Not Running Error on your system: 1. Reinstall the HP Printer driver on Your System

• Simply go to the control panel and then click on the Device Manager option
• Once you click it you will see details pane with a list of devices. Now simply click on the printer, to reinstall the driver software.
• Double click on it to open the properties dialog box
• After that click on the driver tab and then click update driver

Once you update the driver, try using the Printer to see if it works. Sometimes you may come across a pop-up displaying the following message: ‘Driver installed correctly, Device is ready to use however, you may not see the printer under the printer’s pane. This triggers registry issues. 2. To resolve registry issues, install Restoro on your system. This is a highly functional registry cleaner integrated with a powerful antivirus. It helps resolve registry issues, malware, and guarantees system optimization. This feature-filled tool is the answer to all your PC-related issues. Restoro is a next-generation PC repair software that extends outstanding usability and helps PC users resolve errors efficiently. Its simple navigation and user-friendly interface make it so easy to use that even novice users can also work around it and repair issues without any hassle or difficulty. It’s a smart and intuitive in-built registry cleaner that wipes out all the unnecessary and obsolete files on your hard disk. This includes junk files, internet history, invalid registry keys, and files from the uninstalled old program versions. Sometimes the files from the uninstalled programs hamper your ability to update new program versions thus leading to unsuccessful driver installation. Nonetheless, all such files are removed in seconds with this helper and you are then ready to reinstall the driver. This registry cleaner cleans the clutter from your hard disk and optimizes your system's speed, lowering your PC boot time significantly. Total System Care can be used on all Windows versions To fix the HP printer spooler not running error on your computer, simply click here to install Restoro. Run it to scan for the error and fix it in seconds. Once the issue is resolved, update the printer driver. You’ll see the driver will be updated successfully and the HP printer will also appear in the printer’s panel. By installing Restoro on your system, you can also resolve several other issues like privacy errors triggered by malware and virus infections. With this tool, you will not have to download and run a separate anti-virus on your system.

There are many times when you have to change the ownership of a folder or a file so that other users can use them as well or if you want to transfer files to them, or an old account has been removed and all the files need to be assigned to a new user. Windows 10 keeps all these files locked under the account by default which created a folder or file. So unless a user is an admin or if the file belongs to that particular user, other users won’t be able to access or edit the file. So if you want to change the ownership of a folder or a file, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can do that.

To get started, make sure to follow the instructions provided below carefully.

Step 1: First, you need to open File Explorer by tapping the Win + E keys. Once you’ve opened it, navigate to the folder or file that you want to change the ownership. Step 2: Right-click on the folder or file and click on Properties and then go to the Security tab. Step 3: From there, click on the Advanced button located at the bottom right part of the window to open the Advanced Security Settings of the folder or file. Step 4: As you can see, the current owner will be listed with the Change link available next to the “Owner” label. Now click on this link to open the Select User or Group window. Step 5: After that, click on the Advanced button once again and click on the “Find Now” button to see the list of all the users as well as groups that are available in the computer. Step 6: Then select the user you want to give ownership to and click on the OK button and then click the OK button once more to save the changes made. Step 7: This will take you back to the Advanced Security Settings window but this time, the owner will be changed to whoever user you’ve selected. But you’re not done yet as you still have to check two additional options to help you completely transfer the ownership of the sub-folders as well as the files. You have to check the checkbox of the following options:

• Replace owner on sub-containers and objects
• Replace all child permission entries with inheritable permission entries from the object.

Step 8: After that, you need to click the Apply and OK buttons to confirm and save the changes made. This will completely transfer the ownership of the file. However, there is still one last thing you have to do – you have to go back to the Advanced Security Settings window to remove the access of any other user on the folder or file. Once you’re there, remove the existing user to make sure that the only assigned user has the access to the folder or file.

What Is Sndvol32.exe Error?

Sndvol32.exe is actually an important part of the Windows operating system. Responsible for managing the sound-card volume and running programs properly, the problem occurs when error messages appear. The user will be unable to listen to music on the system. Usually, Windows XP users encounter the Sndvol32.exe error.

Solution

Error Causes

Sndvol32.exe error can be caused by any one or several of the reasons listed below.

• Accidental deletion of the DLL file from the system
• Damage to the DLL file due to spyware or virus infection
• Improper removal of software
• Unintentional overwriting on the DLL file by a mismatched version
• Obsolete hardware drivers
• Several obsolete/invalid registry entries
• Corrupt registry entries

Regardless of what triggers the Sndvol32.exe error, it is of utmost importance to take immediate measures to fix the problem and to keep it from occurring again.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you are looking for ways to fix this error manually, the Windows functionality of System Restore will come into play in this particular scenario. In case the error is caused by a damaged or corrupt file, performing System Restore is an ideal choice as it will allow you to not only get a fresh copy of the operating system, it will be possible for you to remove the error at the same time as well. The procedure for performing System Restore is outlined below as follows.

• Click on the Start menu and type ‘System Restore’ in the search box.
• When the icon for ‘System Restore’ appears, click on it.
• Now type ‘Restore’ in the search box that appears on the start menu.
• The window for the System Restore center will now appear.
• Now you have two options. You can either opt for “Recommend Restore” which is the case where the system itself will choose a restore point for you or you can select “Choose a different restore point”. Users are advised to choose the latter option as it is more customizable.
• Users can now select from a list of restore points that have been created before. If you observe closely, you will realize that one of the restore points is prior to the occurrence of the Sndvol32.exe error.
• Click on the restore point. Once you have confirmed your selection, your system will restart and it will roll back to its previously selected restore point.

One recommendation is to perform the system restore in Windows Safe Mode. This is just to ensure that the System Restore is performed smoothly and any potential problems are kept at bay.

Hello and welcome to How To Speed Up PC Startup where we will explore how to make your PC boot-up system faster. When your computer gets older, you'll see a decrease in your PC's load time. This can be very annoying and frustrating, especially if you're not accustomed to exercising patience. Your computer's boot time does not need to be sluggish, even if it's old. While there are reasons why your computer is acting up and giving you the 'slow' sign, there are ways that you can optimize how fast your PC starts up at the beginning. Once you start speeding things up, you’ll never look back!

Start With your BIOS

You may need to tweak your PC’s start-up menu. Since the majority of issues encountered on your PC might not be related to the software running in the back end, you can focus on your computer's hardware. The ideal way to speed up your PC startup is to access your computer's BIOS when booting up. This can be accessed by holding the DEL key or whichever button is used to tap into your BIOS. You can change where your computer boots from. You can opt to put your hard disk right at the top which would elude searching for CDs and other storage media devices when your PC starts up.

Tweak Startup Programs

There are many programs that execute when your computer starts up. These programs normally run in the back end. Most times back-end programs are unnecessary and do not contribute to the productivity or performance of your computer when in use. Instead of allowing these programs to execute when your PC boots up, why not disable them?  By deactivating these programs, you'll be reducing the amount of CPU usage which will accelerate your PC performance. Additionally, there are some installed programs that you never use. Instead of leaving these programs to occupy needed space on your computer system, you can uninstall these to create more room on your computer. This actually increases your PC startup speed.

Put Malware on a Leash

Malware and spyware can cause problems for your start-up. A slow computer is an indication that your computer is plagued by malware. This affects your computer's boot time and whether or not it'll startup as quickly as you intend it to. If your computer gives you the 'virus alert', you need to download an antivirus program that will be able to eradicate all virus threats. Be mindful of where you download antivirus programs since many of them are viruses or have viruses attached to them. Some viruses are tough on your computer. This means that if an antivirus works for your best friend, it may not work for you. Since malware differs in functions and the havoc they cause, it's best to know what you're up against by doing research.

Clean Your Registry

You should also clean out your registry. The fewer unused registry keys you have lying around on your computer, the faster your computer will go. Getting a good registry cleaner from a clean source can help tremendously, but be careful; registry cleaners have the potential to be very dangerous so make sure you backup everything on your computer and only download registry cleaners from a reliable source. By implementing the above tips, you'll see quick improvements when using your computer.

As you know, the internet has changed the world immensely. Nowadays, JavaScript is pushing the modern web ahead. One of the things that make these experiences with the internet seamless and with less clutter is redirection. It is often used on web pages and there are times when a user is prompted about them and most of the time, we barely notice them. However, there are also instances when things can go wrong with redirects as they could become a loop that could mess things up. And since the browser takes a lot of system resources, redirection can result in a poor user experience. That’s why in this post, you will be guided on how you can stop these automatic redirects on browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, on your Windows 10 computer. To get started, refer to each one of the options provided below to stop automatic redirects in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

Option 1 – Configure the browsers to stop pop-ups and deceptive contents

There are a lot of browsers with built-in settings that allow users to stop pop-ups and deceptive content. To configure these settings, refer to these steps:

• Microsoft Edge:

  • Click on the three horizontal dots icon or the menu button.
  • Next, click on Settings and select Privacy & Security from the left side navigation.
  • After that, scroll down on the right-side panel and look for Block pop-ups and Windows Defender SmartScreen and then turn their toggle buttons to On.

• Google Chrome:

  • Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots icon for the menu located in the top right corner of the browser.
  • Next, click on Settings and scroll down until you see the Advanced option. Click on it to open the Advanced Settings.
  • Now scroll down until you reach the Privacy and Security section and look for the Safe browsing option and turn its toggle button to On.

• Mozilla Firefox

  • Open Mozilla and click on the three horizontal lines icon for the menu button located in the top right corner of the browser and click on Options.
  • Next, go to the Settings section and click the Privacy & Security tab and scroll down and then click on Permissions.
  • From there, make sure that the Block pop-up windows checkbox is checked.
  • Finally, scroll down until you reach the Security section and make sure that the checkbox for the Block dangerous and deceptive content is checked.

Option 2 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS

To stop redirects, you can also reset Winsock and the TCP/IP as well as flush the DNS cache. To do so, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
• After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.

1. netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
2. netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
3. ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache

• Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.

Option 3 – Edit your Hosts File

• Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
• Go to System32/drivers/etc.
• Open the host file using Notepad.
• Delete all the suspicious entries.
• After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.

When you upgrade or update your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly got Error 0x8024a206 while trying to install the updates, it is due to a rouge update that was downloaded or because of some corrupted component in Windows. In case you don’t know, any file downloaded by Windows is verified for its integrity and if the files don’t pass the integrity test, then Error 0x8024a206 will most likely pop up during the Windows update or upgrade.

Option 1 – Reset the Windows Update components to the default

You have to stop a couple of services such as BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and Windows Update Services. And to do that, you need to flush the contents in the SoftwareDistribution folder. The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. Aside from that, it also contains all the Windows Update History files and once you delete them, you will most likely lose the Update history. As a result, the next time you run the Windows Update, it may result in a longer detection time.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 2 – Re-register DLLs related to Windows Update

DLL files, also known as Dynamic Link Library, are parts of applications that are separated from the core program so that they can be used again as well as independently be updated. The DLL files are loaded into memory and then used. Note that they have to be registered with Windows so they can be loaded. So if they’re not, the main program will fail. And this is the same with the DLL files related to the Windows Update. Thus, you need to register them in order to resolve Error 0x8024a206.

• In the Cortana search box, type “command prompt”.
• From the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that execute the commands listed below one after the other and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you key in each one of them.
  • regsvr32 JSCRIPT.DLL
  • regsvr32 MSXML3.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUPS2.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUPS.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUAUENG.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUAPI.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUCLTUX.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUWEBV.DLL

Note: You also have the option to run the commands together via a batch file. Simply create a batch file by copying all the commands in a notepad and then save it as “WURegisterDLL.bat”. After that, run the batch file and it will execute the commands all at the same time. Then you have to restart your computer and see if it has fixed the Error 0x8024a206.

Option 3 – Run the System File Checker

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Error 0x8024a206. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter.

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows Update Error 0x8024a206. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Creating a System Restore point is definitely a must especially when you are about to make some changes to your computer. This will help make sure that the system settings and files can go back to an earlier point, should something go wrong, without affecting any personal files. However, there are cases when creating a System Restore Point does not go smoothly and you encounter an error that says, “The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process the specified operation ( ox8004230F )”. Aside from creating System Restore Point, you can also encounter this error when you create a system image or backup. According to reports, this error pops up when the required services are not running or not properly responding. And to fix it, there are several recommendations that will be provided in this post to fix the Error 0x8004230F when creating System Restore point in Windows 10. You can try to check the Volume Shadow Copy Services status or run the VSSADMIN tool. You could also check the status of the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service or create System Restore Point in a Clean Boot State. For more details, refer to the provided options below.

Option 1 – Try checking the status of the Volume Shadow Copy Service

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• From the list of services, look for the Volume Shadow Copy service and double-click on it.
• After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start) and then click on the Start button underneath it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
• Now try creating a System Restore Point again and see if the error is already fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try to run the VSSADMIN tool

In case you don’t know, the shadow copy provider is sensitive and some other backup, disk cloning, etc. can make it malfunction. To fix this, you can run the VSSADMIN tool by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Next, execute this command to check if you have other third party VSS admin providers: vssadmin list providers
• After that, if it finds any, you need to disable them but if it does not find anything, then proceed.

Option 3 – Try to check the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service status

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• From the list of services, look for the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service and double click on it.
• After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start).
• Once done, click Apply and OK to save the changes and then try creating System Restore Point again.

Option 4 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State

It is possible that some third-party program installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the ox8004230F when you try to create a System Restore point. Thus, you can try to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to perform the task again.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer has restarted try to create a System Restore Point again and if it now works, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

In today's modern world many households have internet access, most of the connection nowadays is done via Wi-Fi or wireless but there is a high probability that you have also a few devices connected via cable. There are of course many disadvantages and advantages between cable connection and wireless connection.

The main advantages of a hard cable connection are of course faster speed and stability compared to Wi-Fi. But if we look into the cables themselves there is also a big difference between them. Not all cables are the same and quality as well as speed vary a lot between them. Choosing the right cable is essential in order to make a maximum of your internet and we have some great tips and explanations of what cables do so you can make the right choice and enjoy your full internet potential.

Not all cables are the same

Cheap cables and expensive ones are not the same no matter what everyone tells you. The old proverb you get what you pay is true and more expensive cables will be made from better materials and will have a higher transfer rate.

Quality network cables are separated into different categories with proper markings and when buying one you should always look for these markings on the cables themselves, do not buy cables that do not have markings since they will often provide lower transfer rates or will not be shielded from outside influences resulting in packet drops and instability in a network.

Categories and what they mean are:

• Cat-5 with a maximum speed of 100Mbps, typically unshielded.
• Cat-5e with a maximum speed of 1Gbps, available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
• Cat-6 with a maximum speed of 10Gbps for runs under 55 meters (around 180ft), available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
• Cat-6a with a maximum speed of 10Gbps, shielded.
• Cat-7 uses a proprietary GG45 connector rather than the standard RJ-45 connector seen on other cables for speeds of 10Gbps, shielded.
• Cat-8 with a maximum speed of 25Gbps (Cat-8.1) or 40Gbps (Cat-8.2) at a distance of around 30 meters (around 100ft), shielded.

Unless stated, these standards are typically rated at their quoted speeds for a run of around 100 meters (around 330 ft) and use a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. Each generation of cable is designed to be compatible with the generations that came before it, so it’s possible (for example) to use a Cat-6a cable with a router that only supports speeds of 1Gbps.

Shielded cables

When purchasing higher quality cable you might not be able to choose if you have shielding or not since some standards like Cat-6a, Cat-7, and Cat-8 are always shielded. But if you do not have the need for these and you are satisfied with Cat-5e for example you can choose.

Shielded cables are a little more expensive but they will provide you with a coating that will eliminate interference from outside waves making cables more reliable. Of course, if the cable will go through a room that does not have many radio waves or some other interferences then buying a shielded cable is a waste of money.

Cable platings

Usually, there are two types of connector platings on connectors, silver, and gold, and people usually think that gold is much better but there are major differences between silver and gold platings and truth to be told there is no better one, both are different and should be considered depending on your need.

Silver plating will provide you with faster speed since its conductivity is larger than gold, but gold is slower on the oxidation front so its life span is longer. On the other hand, if your cables are always connecting and disconnecting gold will be first to be scrubbed off from the surface since the gold coating is much thinner.

Overall if you would only connect cable once and have slower internet than cable capacity gold is the way to go, in another case if you would use the cable as always connecting and switching and your internet plan is the same as cable transfer capacity you might want to go with silver one.

Cable material quality

Network cables are made from copper, your standard conduction material but even here there are differences in quality and therefore the chance of pocket losses over it. More quality less loss and more stable connection and this will depend on the purity of copper that is used in the cable itself. More purity in copper, more stability, simple as that.

Conclusion

So as you can see, there are a lot of different things that will influence your pick of proper network cable but the overall best advice is to get one that will fit well into your needs and setup. pair it up with your router and your internet plan since just simply buying something that you can not use is really a waste of money.

Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms. 

So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?

What is phishing?

Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.

Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.

Phishing techniques

E-mail phishing

This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.

For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.

Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.

SMS and social media phishing

Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.

Voice phishing

Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.

Spear phishing, whaling and BEC

Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.

Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.

BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).

In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.

What can you do?

There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:

• Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
• In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
• If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them. 
• Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
• Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
• Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
• If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
• Always examine first-time senders in detail.
• Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
• If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
• If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.

Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.

This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.

Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.

Summary

Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!