My tank won't Cycle!

[aakaakaak]

Um....I'm a network security guy with a degree and certification for this kind of stuff. I do know the answer. They do it to make money through link hits and/or increase their link count to bump their rankings on google and bing. Some of them direct you to more unscrupulus places that give you tracking cookies and malware.

 

[skjl47]

Hello aakaakaak; Thanks for the reply. So, coin is earned by increasing the number of "hits" and it does not seem to matter to them how they go about it. I was infected last summer and had to have my computer reformatted. The tech suggested to not interact with suspicious pop ups at all and shut down the computer. This is very annoying at the least. I have a regular McAfee antivirus program running now. My big concern is ordering aquarium supplies from places that will only take a credit card. Had my finiancial and personal info been on the computer, it may have been taken. I am not yet brave enough to trust this info on the web.

 

[aakaakaak]

Verisign does a wonderful job of protecting your information. The next time you go to a website the Verisign logo should be clickable. (or at least it used to be. I haven't checked in a while) It should give you information about that particular site's registration and security as viewed by verisign. You can usually trust those sites.

For example, I just looked at Aquarium Supplies, Pet Supplies and Pond Supplies by That Fish Place - That Pet Place. You'll see the verisign logo, as well as a McAfee and BizRate logo at the bottom of the page. While I can't vouch for their products, they are verified secure.

Another option many sites allow for is paypal. This is a highly trusted site you can link to your bank account and, in some cases, use just like a credit card. If I were to buy anything off a site like ebay or aquabid I would use paypal.

Does that help your sense of internet security?

 

[skjl47]

Hello aakakaak; Thanks for the information. It betters my understanding and does give something to look for if I should decide to try it.