knowallfree: يناير 2011

الجمعة، 14 يناير 2011

How To Apply For Credit

So you need to apply for a new credit card. Well, have you thought about applying for it online?

All of the major credit card issuers, and most of the minor ones, now allow you to apply via their websites. This offers a number of advantages compared with the old method of filling in a paper form and sending it by snail mail.

One big advantage is speed. Your application will be instantly received by the card company and at least some of the processing will be handled automatically.

Admittedly the card issuer will want to make certain checks with credit reference agencies to ensure that you are creditworthy, so you shouldn't expect an immediate yes or no. However, the waiting period between applying for the card and getting approval for it is likely to be as much as a week less compared with the traditional method of application.

Another big advantage of applying for a credit card on the Internet is that it is very easy to research the best credit card offers. Nowadays there are hundreds of different credit cards available, all offering different combinations of terms and incentives. It is very important to study the market carefully, therefore, rather than simply filling in the first application form that arrives in your mailbox. Independent credit card comparison sites such as http://www.finest-credit-cards.com make this easy by listing all the best current credit card offers, updated daily.

Once you have found a card you are interested in, go to the issuer's website and study all the details of their offer. Check in particular for low introductory rates, cashback offers and balance transfer deals. If you are happy that this is indeed the card for you, look for a button labelled "Apply Now" or similar. Click on this and a new page should open, with an online application form ready for you to fill in.

The details you will be asked for are just the same as when applying for a card by mail. They will include your full name, address, telephone number, occupation, annual income, and so on. You are also likely to be asked some security questions, e.g. your date of birth, social security number and mother's maiden name. These are used to help prevent fraudulent applications.

Once you have completed the form to the best of your ability, click on Submit, and click again to confirm your application if requested. If you have omitted any information or filled in any parts of the form incorrectly, you will be asked to try again. Otherwise, you will see a message that your application has been received. All being well, you will then receive approval of your application within a few days, and the card itself shortly after that.

0% Credit Cards

First of all, no credit card is going to offer 0% financing forever. Let’s just make sure that is understood that at some point after you activate your 0% APR credit card, usually 6 months, your APR will increase to whatever your credit rating dictates. If you were approved for a 0% credit card offer, then your rating is probably pretty good and your APR should be competitive.

There may be fees associated with your credit card during and after the introductory period, and we will take a look at them here:

Annual Fee – If your card has an annual fee, then there is no way you are going to get around it. The fee will be applied to your card either the second billing cycle after you receive the card, or the first billing cycle after your intro period. Annual fees are not as common as they used to be, and range anywhere between $15.00 to over $100.00 depending on the card. The terms and conditions will clearly define any annual fee that may apply.

Minimum Finance Charge – This is fairly self explanatory. Regardless of how much balance you leave on your credit card at the end of any billing cycle, there will be a minimum finance charge. This charge differs from card to card, but is usually around $1.00. If you have an APR of 11%, and you leave a balance of fifty cents on your card, you will be charged the minimum finance charge, in this case $1.00.

Transaction Fees For Balance Transfers – Obviously this only applies if you have made a balance transfer, but many consumers apply for 0% credit cards for the specific purpose of transferring a balance to a new card to avoid finance charges for a limited time. There will almost always be a fee applied the moment the balance transfer goes through, as well as a minimum fee. An average transaction fee is around 3% of the total amount transferred, and a common minimum fee of $10.00.

Late Payment Fee – Another self explanatory fee, this is applied anytime you make a late payment. As it relates to 0% Credit Card intro offers, if you make a late payment to your creditor, then you owe the late payment fee and your APR immediately increases to either its normal rate, or its default rate which will be much higher. The fee itself is usually determined by the amount of your current balance. An example would be “$15.00 if the balance is up to but not including $250.00; $39.00 if the balance is $250.00 and over.” This of course can differ between issuers.

Over-the-Credit-Limit Fee – This fee has become very rare in today’s market, but it’s still there. If you somehow manage to charge more than the limit of your card, which is difficult to do now that all purchases are checked electronically, then you will be assed a fee for doing so. This fee ranges around the $35.00 area, but can be much more.

International Transactions – Anytime currency is exchanged through the use of a credit card a conversion fee is levied. This means if you are on vacation in Italy and make a purchase using your American credit card, there will be an additional fee added to the transaction. This fee is usually around 3% of the dollar amount of the purchase. Don’t let the word International fool you though. You can get hit with this fee through internet purchases as well if the seller takes payment in anything other than US dollars.

None of these fees are so exorbitant that they look malicious, but they should be avoided if at all possible. Every fee you incur lessens the value of your 0% credit card and could possibly increase your APR to something you would not want.

Yearly Fees

The annual fee, or membership fee, is an amount charge card companies levy for the right to use or carry their card. This fee is payable whether you actually use the card during the year or not. Annual fees range from an average low of $25 to as much as $100 or more.

Annual fees were first popularized by prestige charge cards such as American Express and Diner’s Club. These annual charges were called Membership Fees. The charge card companies justified these fees because card holders were required to pay their balances in full every month and the companies earned no interest from the balances due.

The annual fee made the leap from club cards to the ordinary bank card in 1980 after the U.S. Government imposed a temporary moratorium on the solicitation of new customers for bank card companies. This was done in the hopes of cutting runaway inflation. The card issuers saw this as a chance to earn more money from their existing customer base who suddenly found themselves without any options thanks to the hastily passed government initiative.

After the moratorium was lifted, card users left the fee in place with a justification that annual fees kept interest rates low because it provided a way for the banks to offset losses from fraud and the rising number of personal bankruptcy claims. There was little outcry from the public and business went on as usual.

The first sign of trouble on the horizon came in 1990 when long-distance giant AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) entered the credit card industry with the hopes of offsetting their declining long distance revenues. Looking to raise the visibility of their new card in an already crowded marketplace, AT&T made a big advertising splash with their “No Annual Fee Credit Card!”

The response from consumers was overwhelming and the panic spread quickly through competing banks that were seeing their long-time credit card customers defect to upstart AT&T. That one incident, which bankers still call “The Big Scare”, marked the beginning of the end of the annual fee for most people.

Today, American Express still charges their membership fees although some of their interest-bearing products come fee-free. Most banks issue fee-free credit cards to their customers with high credit scores and save the fee-based offers for lower scoring customers and customers with scores so low that they can only qualify for secured cards.

Balance Transfers

A balance transfer is an option offered by many credit card issuers which enables the card holder to use their available credit from one card to pay off the balances due on one or more other cards. Usually the interest rate on the amount borrowed is lower than the rate of the cards that are being paid off by the balance transfer.

Balance transfers are really nothing more than a consumer loan made to a customer who is already pre-qualified by the lender because of the credit card relationship that exists. Since the card issuer is already open to exposure for the maximum amount of the card holder’s credit line anyway,

it makes financial sense for the card issuer to entice the cardholder to run their balance up as high as possible.

A balance transfer offer is the perfect way to entice the card holder. Most balance transfer offers will come with an artificially low introductory interest rate, such as 1% or 0%, for a fixed period of time. After that time period the interest rate will rise to whatever was permitted by the terms of the offer.

Some offers will come with a fixed interest rate for the lifetime of the balance transfer payment period, subject to the usual penalty clauses for late payment, etc.

Although some card holders receive fee-free balance transfer offers, depending upon their credit experience with the card issuer, as well as their overall credit score, most balance transfer transaction require the card holder to pay a fee. This fee could be a flat-rate or a percentage of the amount borrowed. Typical offers these days are running 3% of the amount transferred per transaction, or $5, whichever is greater. Some offers cap the transfer fee at $50.

Consumers who pay close attention to the fine print, and who are diligent about paying the balance transfer balance off during the promotional interest rate period, can reduce their monthly expenses by transferring high interest credit card balances to the lower interest card offering the balance transfer option.

Consumers who do opt to take a balance transfer should not run up more debt by using the credit cards that the transfer was used to pay off. This defeats the purpose of paying off the balance to begin with and will quickly place the debtor in a position where they are no longer able to make their payments.

Top Credit Score

Do you often have too much month left at the end of your money? While you strive to pay your monthly bills on time, computers are keeping a close watch on your performance.

Automated programs keep score on your payment punctuality, and other financial information, which have a direct impact on your ability to qualify for a loan, and the interest rate you will be offered. A score of 700 or better can provide the lowest rates, while a score of 620 or less can mean the highest rates, or possibly no loan at all.

3 Primary Factors That Influence Credit Scores:

Late Payments - Not considered late until 30 days past the due date. 60 or 90 day late payments are more negative than a 30 day late. The age of late payments can influence credit scores. Recent late payments are considered worse than older ones. More serious issues include: consumer credit counseling, collections, bankruptcy, and foreclosure.

Outstanding Debt - Having a large number of open accounts can reduce your credit scores. Another issue is the ratio of your credit limit compared to the current balance. Using 75% of your credit limit is a greater risk than using 25%.

Account History – Older credit accounts can have a positive effect on credit scores, as long they are not delinquent. Having recently opened accounts could reduce your scores. Also, multiple inquiries indicate a possible new account, which may cost a few points.

Incorrect information can sometimes appear on a credit report. If you believe there is a potential error on your credit report, you are entitled to dispute the accuracy of the information. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to challenge inaccurate information by contacting the reporting agencies, and the company who reported the information. Under the FCRA, they are responsible to correct any errors on your credit report free of charge, and within a specific time limit.

The credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and Transunion, are required to investigate your dispute within 30 days of reporting the potential error. They will contact the source of the derogatory information and try to confirm the record. Providing documentation to support your claim, if you have any, can also expedite the process. If the credit bureaus are unable to confirm the derogatory information from the source, the item must be removed from your credit report, which can improve your score.

Cards And Rewards

A lot of credit card companies offer incentives to people with large debts. These include 0% balance transfers, 0% purchase rates and long term low interest rates on balance transfers. But people who clear their balances regularly do not benefit from these rewards. After all, if they pay off their balances each month, they are not paying interest anyway. So how can these people gain something from using their credit cards? The answer lies in credit card reward schemes.

What Are Credit Card Reward Schemes?

Credit card reward schemes are schemes that offer bonuses or incentives to people when they spend on their credit card. These schemes are usually linked to the amount spent, so this is a good option for people who put their monthly spending on their credit cards. There are a number of credit card reward schemes to choose from.

Earning Nectar Points With Your Credit Card

One of the best known reward schemes is the Nectar points scheme. This started as a loyalty card scheme, with Sainsburys, Debenhams and BP as the principal players. There are now a number of retailers who accept and issue Nectar points. There is also a branded Nectar credit card (run by American Express) which allows card holders to earn Nectar points when shopping for a range of goods with the credit card. Card holders who also have a Nectar loyalty card can earn up to 4 points for every pound spent. These points can then be used for shopping, entertainment, travel and more.

Other Credit Card Points Schemes

Many other credit card companies also offer their own proprietary points schemes. Again, these allow card holders to collect a set number of points for every pound spent. These points can then be used to claim discounts on food, wine and travel; travel insurance; clothing; high street discount vouchers; or exchanged for cash. Many credit card companies also give cash back rewards. These consist of a rebate of a certain percentage of the amount spent on a credit card per month or year. There is usually a cap on the amount of the rebate.

Reward Yourself For Travelling

Another common points scheme is the air miles scheme. This allows card holders to earn a set number of miles linked to the amount they spend on the credit card. Card holders can have separate air miles accounts or can gain more benefit by applying for one of the many credit cards that offer air miles as their reward. With air miles credit cards, credit card holders can also benefit from balance transfer rates and other incentives. Many air miles credit cards also offer additional discounts or upgrades on travel products.

Other Credit Card Reward Schemes

In addition to these credit card reward schemes, there are credit cards that offer specific incentives to consumers. These include earning money to help with the purchase of a car. Credit card holders can also consider using their credit cards to give to charity. There are a number of charity credit card schemes backed by major banks.

Business Credit Cards

One of the advantages of using a credit card to finance your business operations is the ability to extend and effectively manage your business cash flow. Business credit cards with salient features such as low interest rates are considered the ideal card for businesses and their employees.

The interest rate is also called the annual percentage rate (APR). It is the cost of maintaining the unpaid balance of your account past a given grace period. Simply put, it is the price of doing business with your card company over time. The principle here is that the lower the APR, the more beneficial it will be for your business.

As with most major banks, a grace period is usually 30 days from the date of your purchase in which your company may pay for all its purchases without incurring any interest and additional bank charges. Subsequently, the unpaid portion of your account is then transferred to the next billing cycle for which your business will be responsible, with the corresponding APR and other finance charges.

The key here is to compare your own business billing and collection cycle with that of your card's APR. If your business billing cycle collects its receivables after the 30-day allowable grace period, it would be best to get a business credit card with lower APRs to enable you to carry your unpaid balance longer without suffering exorbitant interest rates and other bank charges synonymous with unpaid debts. However, should your business collection cycle end before the 30-day grace period, it would be more prudent to secure a business credit card with regular APRs or fixed APRs, since your business is capable of paying off its obligations within the specified time.

In any case, try to look for business credit cards that offer cash back guarantees and other rewards programs for prompt credit card payment so as to maximize the usage of your business cards.

Credit Reports

If you’ve been wondering what’s in your credit report, you’re probably way over due for a look at your credit history and score. But with so much information packed into each credit report, it can often be frustrating trying to decipher all of the codes, abbreviations and numbers within them. If you’re not sure how to read your credit report, you’re not alone. It can be tough trying to figure it all out, so keep reading to gain a better understanding.

For your convenience, many credit reports list personal information, credit history, public records and inquiries in different columns. This will make it easier for you to read and understand them. If you’re not sure what FICO means, it stands for Fair Isaac Corporation and it’s the most popular scoring system used by lenders.

You can expect to see your full name, address and social security number listed on your credit report. As you skim this information, check to see if everything is correct. As you go down this page, you will also see previous addresses listed along with your date of birth, phone number and employer name.

Check the public records section of your credit report if you have had credit problems in the past, such as collection accounts and bankruptcy. Don’t forget to go through this section, because if any of the listed information is false, your credit rating could be greatly affected. . The credit history portion of your credit report will contain a list of all the credit accounts you’ve ever opened and closed. They will detail if you have paid on time or been late and might offer remarks, such as “pays on time” or “pays 30 days late.” The three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion have tried to make reading credit reports easier on consumers by making their information less complicated.

Anytime you have applied for a line of credit in the past, it has been detailed in the inquiry section of your credit report. Review this section to see just who has been asking for a copy of your credit report. If you see anything suspicious, report it, but keep in mind that anytime you apply for an apartment, personal loan or credit card, your credit has been run.

It might take you a few tries to fully comprehend your credit report, but you’ll get there. The important thing is that you are keeping track of your credit history and rating and that is a wise investment for your future.

Credit Card Tips

The day you open a bank account is a very significant day. It's the day you take your first steps towards financial responsibility. It's also the day that your credit report is created – and unlike your bank, your credit report will be with you for the rest of your life.

Your credit report consists of financial data stored with a credit reference agency. Equifax and Experian are the largest and best known. Your credit report will affect whether you can get loans, credit cards, mortgages and other financial products. It will affect credit in retail outlets as well. That's why it's very important to keep your credit report looking good. Here are some tips to help you get a good credit score.

Keep On Banking

Banking history is an important aspect of any credit report. It shows financial responsibility. Banks check your credit too, so if you have a cheque account, an approved overdraft, a savings account and a credit card from your bank, lenders will increase your credit score. What's more, the longer you stay with the same bank, the better that portion of the credit score gets.

It can be tempting to change bank accounts to take advantage of preferential interest rates or account incentives. The best approach is to keep and use your original bank account, even if you manage the bulk of your finances elsewhere.

Be Responsible

Responsibility comes in many forms. Credit checkers score older people more highly than young ones. They also score homeowners more highly than tenants. People who are living at home will not score well on this aspect of the credit file. Lenders are hoping to see the profile of a responsible citizen. Someone who owns a home is less likely to disappear and leave bad debt behind.

Another aspect of being responsible is being on the electoral roll. This means that your local authority has a record of where you live. It also makes it easier for lenders to look up your address details. If they can't find your address, they may hesitate before lending money.

Make sure you have a telephone at home. This is a sign that you have successfully passed a credit check and that you have paid your bills on time. Lenders will see this as another way of showing responsibility.

Manage Your Credit

Another key way to improve your credit rating is to get some credit. This can be a store card, credit card, loan or other form of credit. Whichever you choose, the trick is to manage it well. That means making payments on time and in full, no defaults, no arrears and definitely no CCJs. Managing existing credit well looks good on your credit report and makes you a good risk for further credit.

Good credit history, responsible banking and traceability will help to improve anyone's credit report. And if you have got bad credit there are still many loan and credit products available to you. If you manage those well, then you could be on your way to a better credit report.

Card Applications

A bank credit card is an extremely incredible and convenient piece of plastic with which one can purchase goods and services. An average American now holds up to eight bank credit cards. In order to qualify for a bank credit card, the applicant must be eighteen years of age and should have a good credit history.

U.S. banks offer various types of bank credit cards. After choosing the appropriate bank credit card, the consumer needs to submit a duly completed bank credit card application. An application and processing fee must also be paid along with the application. An individual can apply for a bank credit card online or through the phone. U.S. banks usually send bank credit card applications by ordinary mail, since the consumer is required to sign the applications upon receiving them. When bank credit card applications are transmitted online, there are more chances for fraud.

Most bank credit card applications include personal information about the consumer such as name, age, date of birth, marital status, applicant's current and previous addresses (only when the current address is less than two years), e-mail address, driver's license number, and social security number. To enter the employment details of the applicant, fields such as occupation, employer, position, household income, and source of other income are available. Bank account information is also included in the bank credit card applications. Moreover, the applicant needs to specify whether he is a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. If necessary, the details of the co-applicant/spouse are also required to be entered in bank credit card applications.

If the applicant is a student, in addition to the basic personal information, bank credit card applications have fields for entering student status, school name, graduation year, major, and campus telephone.

Once the bank credit card applications are completed and submitted, the bank will verify the details by contacting the consumer in person or through the given telephone numbers. The bank issues bank credit cards only when the consumer proves to hold a good credit record.

Get A Bank Card

A bank credit card is a financial tool that can act as a form of revolving credit. A consumer, who uses a bank credit card, must pay back the money after a period of time, along with some interest. Sometimes, the bank waives interest charges when the balance is paid completely each month.

Any U.S. citizen who is above eighteen years of age is eligible to obtain a bank credit card. Despite this, many banks issue bank credit card only after opening a bank account. The consumer needs to maintain a good credit history and his income must meet the bank's criteria.

Most of the U.S. banks verify the details written in the consumer's credit card application form before issuing the bank credit card. This is usually done by contacting the consumer in person or by telephone. Some banks even assign agencies to check the consumer's credit history. It is always advisable to have a copy of the credit report from any of the major national credit bureaus before applying for a bank credit card.

When the application is approved, the bank sends a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that serves as the key to obtain cash from an ATM. A PIN is a highly confidential number known only to the consumer; it is unique to every bank credit card. In most cases, the consumer can obtain a bank credit card within ten business days upon approval of the application.

With the advent of online banking, it is very easy to apply for credit cards online. It is a more secure method, as it protects the consumer's personal financial information. Some U.S. banks provide additional benefits such as insurance, credit card protection, rebates, and discounts along with the credit card.

Even when the consumer has bad or a damaged credit, it is possible to obtain a secured bank credit card; to do so, the consumer is required to open and maintain a savings account to act as collateral for the credit line.

Credit Card Debt

People know the fact that debt accumulated by spending on frivolous items is bad and research has also found that people tend to underestimate the extent of their borrowing. In financial website Bankrate's survey, 58% of respondents claimed to pay off in full their credit cards every month, which is in contrast to studies that show the number is closer to 40%. Surprisingly, only 3% of respondents believed that other people paid off their bills in full.

A study by an American economist on the competition in the credit card market also found that, despite assurances to the contrary, three quarters of consumers pay finance charges on their outstanding credit card balances.

Actually, debt may not just be related to money problems but emotional issues as well. Some depressed people may use credit and shopping as a means of overcompensation. They feel depressed and they don't feel good. They hope that shopping will make them feel good. Thus, in a simplistic way, they're 'fixing' their problem, but the fact is, it leads to even more trouble.

It may also be used to make up for certain traits one may be lacking. For instance, if a person feels that he isn't very capable, he may try to make up for that through credit spending. Society enjoys a higher standard of living today and people are used to getting what they want even though they can't afford it and this kind of habit leads to disaster.

In a study titled "Consumer Response to Changes in Credit Supply", two US researches analyzing several hundred thousand credit card accounts and found that increased liquidity triggers immediate and large jumps in spending and debt. On average, debt rises by about $40 in the month in which a credit line is increased, more than $180 in the two months after an increase and more than $350 in a year. Each extra $1,000 of liquidity is translated into a $130 increase in an individual's debt.

The research also found that many people seem to 'aim' credit card use. Say, if a consumer is originally using 60% of his $5,000 credit limit and when his limit is increased to $6,000, he might increases his spending to raise the utilization rate back to 60%. Thus, it causes more debt and more interest to pay.

Another research program by an American non-profit financial centre Myvesta's survey reveals that a quarter of Americans don't even review their credit card statements each month. It's natural for human beings seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. In a materialistic and hedonistic world, pleasure is often linked to buying something. Thus, as long as they don't face the bills, they can carry on spending and deriving pleasure. For them a credit card is a tool for spending; whether they have money or not to spend is a separate issue.

When you are consuming, you are not thinking about the payments and when you are paying, you do not know what you are paying for!

If you are taking on a long term or large debt that can't possibly be paid off in the near future, it is smart to factor in all the things that could happen in that time period. As we all know, economies can decline which leads to changes in interest rates and value of assets and threaten jobs. People always just see what is happening today and they always ignore the future.

Usually, the person is already in debt but it is still under control until something bad happens. Once the income is gone, the person can't afford to make monthly payments and the excess gets rolled over. Then, due to compounding interest, the debt grows and grows. In conclusion, consumers should be entirely rational about debt and when it comes to spending.

To Use Or Not To Use

Nowadays it is becoming a trend to keep more than one credit cards in the wallet. Most of us have several plastic cards in our pocket leading us in the serious financial bind that is unrecoverable in most of the cases. Although these credit cards save our butt when we are in trouble sometimes when we need money for some unexpected expenses but if you use them carelessly then you are in trouble in no time.

All this happens because of marketing capability of those credit card companies.

They advertise what people want, the 0 apr credit cards. Most of the people have an impression that zero depicts that you will not have to pay anything but that is not true. Usually, there are hidden clauses that the 0 apr credit cards are for a limited period or amount after which there is heavy interest. When it comes to end of year, we all end up paying huge bills that include interest on the purchases and use of credit card.

Our mailboxes are loaded with many such advertisements. The common question would be, how many have you got today in your mailbox? Now it’s upon you to read the advertisement or to throw it in trash. What I want to express is that the credit cards should be used wisely and not be used to spend money carelessly just because you don’t have to pay at the moment. If you use these 0 apr credit cards wisely then it could be the best opportunity for you. You must use the credit card where it is really needed to limit your purchase on credit. Try to pay by cash at most of the places and don’t stick on your 0 apr credit cards for all your expenditure. Avoid struggling with the monthly credit card payment. There are only very few people who can pay all monthly credit card payments in time. Credit card count for such customers who are unable to pay for their monthly credit card payments as most of us are. Then these companies offer such 0 apr credit cards for some emergencies in the end of the month to increase their sales as some people take it to pay their monthly payments.

If you are looking for best options to have such 0 apr credit cards then you can find the best deals on the internet. Just hop online and surf various websites with different options and select the most suitable offer for you. If you are unaware of websites supporting the offer then use Google search engine to find loads of websites. Remember the 0 apr credit cards are for your convenience and not to spend blindly ending up in big credits.

Instant Credit Card

Getting a credit card used to be a time-consuming business. You'd have to ring or go into your bank, fill out a lengthy form and wait for quite a while before you got a reply. Although many people are still using that method, there's now a quicker way, thanks to the Internet.

How Do I Find An Online Credit Card Application?

Most card issuers now offer online application for their credit cards. Finding one is as simple as doing an Internet search or visiting that company's website. In addition, there are several credit card comparison sites that allow users to select cards that match a range of features and then apply. Credit card applicants are required to be UK residents and over 18.

Most online credit card applications now have a summary box which gives details of the rates that apply to purchases, balance transfers and cash advances, the interest free period, fees and charges, how interest is charged and how payments are allocated. There is also a link to the detailed terms and conditions. Once you've read these, it's time to fill in the application form. Here is the information that most credit card applications ask for.

Cardholder's Name And Address

To start with, you will need to give your name. This is usually your full name – no hiding that unwanted moniker from the credit card companies. They will also ask about marital status and your date of birth. Credit card companies also ask for your mother's maiden name for security purposes. Applications are only taken from the principal cardholder. This means you can't apply for a credit card on someone else's behalf. However, you can add an additional cardholder at the time of application or later.

You will also need details of your address and postcode. If you have lived at this address less than three years, you will also need to give your previous address and postcode. In essence, you need to show a three year history of where you have lived. Other contact details required include a phone number and an email address.

Home Ownership And Employment

Most companies want to know whether you own or rent your home and some may ask about the size of your mortgage payment. They will also want to know your occupation and employment status. Ideally credit card applicants should be working more than 16 hours a week.

They will also require annual income and bank details, including how long you've been with the bank. Finally, you'll have to list the types of credit cards you already have (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, store cards and so on).

All of these help credit card companies establish what level of credit risk you are and what credit rating you have.

Other Credit Card Services

Many online applications forms offer you the chance to take up additional services such as payment protection insurance, travel insurance, household insurance and much more.

You will also need to have details of any cards that need to be transferred to your new credit card.

Once you've completed all these details, you simply need to wait a short while for a response. Some card issuers respond within a minute. It's worth knowing that there will be some cases where they will ask for additional information before issuing a credit card.

Credit Repair

First Frank and Janet thought it was a simple error. Their mortgage had been recently sold to a new company with a new servicing company. As with the prior lender, they had sent in their mortgage payment by way of a personal check between the first and the fifteenth of the month and the payment had been posted with little event as being received as agreed.

Around the 20th of month, a rather cryptic call was received on the answering machine stating the payment had not been received and a late charge would be applied and charged and that they needed to make a payment immediately.

Ok Frank and Janet reasoned that the payment might have been lost in the mail. Things happen, although it was the first time in two years that a payment was late. Frank and Janet has some credit challenges three years ago and found it necessary to entertain a sub prime loan to buy the house that they currently resided. Thus they were dealing with a sub prime lender and all that goes with it. Quickly, Frank and Janet called customer service and were able to make a check debit on line for the payment plus a late fee right out of their checking account. The late fee of 5% amounted to $62.50. Frank told the mortgage-servicing representative that they would put a stop payment on the check and instructed them to flag the account and not deposit that particular check (with #10224 check number dated on the 2nd of that month) as he was going to put a “Stop Payment” on it. After the call they called their bank and put a “stop payment” on that check. This cost them $25. Five days later another call came in from the mortgage servicing company stated that they had deposited the mailed check and it came back resulting in a $50 charge for the transaction since it hadn’t gone through. The conversation went nowhere as there wasn’t a record anywhere.

Frank and Janet looked at each other and collectively rolled their eyes while verbally reviewing what had transpired. Frank asked Janet rhetorically, “Can you believe this”? Next month rolls around and this time Frank and Janet make a special effort to send the mortgage payment in close to the first of the month. Around the 20th of the month, Frank and Janet received another call from the mortgage servicing company indicating again, that the payment had not been received and that there would be another late charge. The discussion became extremely heated with Frank leading the charge. Frank demanded to speak with a supervisor regarding the second time around of the mishandling of the monthly mortgage payment. The supervisor was not of much help claiming the check had not been received. Frank and Janet were determined that they would not put another “Stop Payment” on this check at a cost of $25. Not getting any satisfaction, Frank told the customer service supervisor that he would call back in seven days to see if the check had been received and posted. Seven days later, Frank called and the check had been received and posted but there would be a late charge that would apply. Another $62.50 late charge would apply. Frank and Janet were frosted beyond belief but at the same time relieved that the check had arrived. What could be going on they wondered.

The next month Frank and Janet decided to send in the mortgage payment a week before the 1st giving the mortgage servicing company plenty of time to receive and post the payment well within the time frame. On the 20th of that month a call was received from the mortgage servicing company stating once again the payment had not been received. Frank and Janet were beside themselves. This time Janet demanded to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor explained that the check had not been received. Janet pressed the supervisor further, “Has this been a recurring problem with other borrowers?” There was a long pause of silence from the supervisor followed by, “Uh…no…I don’t think so.” Janet wasn’t satisfied with any of the answers and what was going on with this new mortgage servicing company and was determined to get the bottom of these “phantom late charges”. Adding insult to injury, the following month a thirty-day late was reported to the credit bureau. Frank and Janet engaged in their own spirited credit repair campaign.

Immediately, after getting off the phone with the supervisor Janet and Frank went on line and started researching the company for any information that might shed some light on what was happening. It was found a series of stories and articles about complaints regarding this servicing company. A ton of new service business had been added without the staff to handle it. Check and payments were stacked up and untouched. Problems and complaints mounted. State and Federal agencies were suing with massive fines to be levied. Frank and Janet decided to send bank checks by certified mail return receipt. This was cheaper than $62.50 a crack and could now prove ready receipts of their payments.

Cash Back

Around the 20th of month, a rather cryptic call was received on the answering machine stating the payment had not been received and a late charge would be applied and charged and that they needed to make a payment immediately. Ok Frank and Janet reasoned that the payment might have been lost in the mail. Things happen, although it was the first time in two years that a payment was late. Frank and Janet has some credit challenges three years ago and found it necessary to entertain a sub prime loan to buy the house that they currently resided. Thus they were dealing with a sub prime lender and all that goes with it. Quickly, Frank and Janet called customer service and were able to make a check debit on line for the payment plus a late fee right out of their checking account. The late fee of 5% amounted to $62.50. Frank told the mortgage-servicing representative that they would put a stop payment on the check and instructed them to flag the account and not deposit that particular check (with #10224 check number dated on the 2nd of that month) as he was going to put a “Stop Payment” on it. After the call they called their bank and put a “stop payment” on that check. This cost them $25. Five days later another call came in from the mortgage servicing company stated that they had deposited the mailed check and it came back resulting in a $50 charge for the transaction since it hadn’t gone through. The conversation went nowhere as there wasn’t a record anywhere.

Security Benefits

Introduction: DNS security threats and mitigations

Because of the open, distributed design of the Domain Name System, and its use of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), DNS is vulnerable to various forms of attack. Public or "open" recursive DNS resolvers are especially at risk, since they do not restrict incoming packets to a set of allowable source IP addresses. We are mostly concerned with two common types of attacks:

Spoofing attacks leading to DNS cache poisoning. Various types of DNS spoofing and forgery exploits abound, which aim to redirect users from legitimate sites to malicious websites. These include so-called "Kaminsky attacks", in which attackers take authoritative control of an entire DNS zone.
Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Attackers may launch DDoS attacks against the resolvers themselves, or hijack resolvers to launch DoS attacks on other systems. Attacks that use DNS servers to launch DoS attacks on other systems by exploiting large DNS record/response size are known as amplification attacks.

Each class of attack is discussed further below.

Cache poisoning attacks

There are several variants of DNS spoofing attacks that can result in cache poisoning, but the general scenario is as follows:

The attacker sends a target DNS resolver multiple queries for a domain name for which s/he knows the server is not authoritative, and that is unlikely to be in the server's cache.
The resolver sends out requests to other nameservers (whose IP addresses the attacker can also predict).
In the meantime, the attacker floods the victim server with forged responses that appear to originate from the delegated nameserver. The responses contain records that ultimately resolve the requested domain to IP addresses controlled by the attacker. They might contain answer records for the resolved name or, worse, they may further delegate authority to a nameserver owned by the attacker, so that s/he takes control of an entire zone.
If one of the forged responses matches the resolver's request (for example, by query name, type, ID and resolver source port) and is received before a response from the genuine nameserver, the resolver accepts the forged response and caches it, and discards the genuine response.
Future queries for the compromised domain or zone are answered with the forged DNS resolutions from the cache. If the attacker has specified a very long time-to-live on the forged response, the forged records stay in the cache for as long as possible without being refreshed.

For an excellent introduction to Kaminsky attacks, see An Illustrated Guide to the Kaminsky DNS Vulnerability.

DoS and amplification attacks

DNS resolvers are subject to the usual DoS threats that plague any networked system. However, amplification attacks are of particular concern because DNS resolvers are attractive targets to attackers who exploit the resolvers' large response-to-request size ratio to gain additional free bandwidth. Resolvers that support EDNS0 (Extension Mechanisms for DNS) are especially vulnerable because of the substantially larger packet size that they can return.
In an amplification scenario, the attack proceeds as follows:

The attacker sends a victim DNS server queries using a forged source IP address. The queries may be sent from a single system or a network of systems all using the same forged IP address. The queries are for records that the attacker knows will result in much larger responses, up to several dozen times¹ the size of the original queries (hence the name "amplification" attack).
The victim server sends the large responses to the source IP address passed in the forged requests, overwhelming the system and causing a DoS situation.

¹See the paper DNS Amplification Attacks for examples, and a good discussion of the problem in general.

Mitigations

Until a standard system-wide solution to DNS vulnerabilities is universally implemented, such as the DNSSEC² protocol, open DNS resolvers need to independently take some measures to mitigate against known threats. Many techniques have been proposed; see IETF RFC 5452: Measures for making DNS more resilient against forged answers for an overview of most of them. In Google Public DNS, we have implemented, and we recommend, the following approaches:

Securing your code against buffer overflows, particularly the code responsible for parsing and serializing DNS messages.
Overprovisioning machine resources to protect against direct DoS attacks on the resolvers themselves. Since IP addresses are trivial for attackers to forge, it's impossible to block queries based on IP address or subnet; the only effective way to handle such attacks is to simply absorb the load.
Implementing basic validity-checking of response packets and of nameserver credibility, to protect against simple cache poisoning. These are standard mechanisms and sanity checks that any standards-compliant caching resolver should perform.
Adding entropy to request messages, to reduce the probability of more sophisticated spoofing/cache poisoning attacks such as Kaminsky attacks. There are many recommended techniques for adding entropy, including randomizing source ports; randomizing the choice of nameservers (destination IP addresses); randomizing case in name requests; and appending nonce prefixes to name requests. Below, we give an overview of the benefits, limitations, and challenges of each of these techniques, and discuss how we implemented them in Google Public DNS.
Removing duplicate queries, to combat the probability of "birthday attacks".
Rate-limiting requests, to prevent DoS and amplification attacks.
Monitoring the service for the client IPs using the most bandwidth and experiencing the highest response-to-request size ratio.

In addition, Google Public DNS' prefetching system, which we developed to improve performance, provides fringe security benefits. It allows us to:

Strictly prioritize prefetch traffic above user traffic, thereby rate-limiting traffic to nameservers.
Partition caches according to the type of traffic, preventing attackers from writing garbage entries to the prefetch cache; and preventing the prefetch system from reading poisoned delegations from the user cache.
Keep enough popular names in the cache to satisfy most user queries, continuing to serve users even when under attack.

²Google Public DNS supports EDNS0, which means that we accept and forward DNSSEC-formatted messages; however, we do not yet validate responses.

Implementing basic validity checking

Some DNS cache corruption can be due to unintentional, and not necessarily malicious, mismatches between requests and responses (e.g. perhaps because of a misconfigured nameserver, a bug in the DNS software, and so on). At a minimum, DNS resolvers should put in checks to verify the credibility and relevance of nameservers' responses. We recommend (and implement) all of the following defenses:

Do not set the recursive bit in outgoing requests, and always follow delegation chains explicitly. Disabling the recursive bit ensures that your resolver operates in "iterative" mode so that you query each nameserver in the delegation chain explicitly, rather than allowing another nameserver to perform these queries on your behalf.
Reject suspicious response messages. See below for details of what we consider to be "suspicious".
Do not return A records to clients based on glue records cached from previous requests. For example, if you receive a client query for ns1.example.com, you should re-resolve the address, rather than sending an A record based on cached glue records returned from a .com TLD nameserver.

Rejecting responses that do not meet required criteria

Google Public DNS rejects all of the following:

Unparseable or malformed responses.
Responses in which the query ID, source IP, source port, or query name do not match those of the request.
Records which are not relevant to the request.
Answer records for which we cannot reconstruct the CNAME chain.
Records (in the answer, authority, or additional sections) for which the responding nameserver is not credible. We determine the "credibility" of a nameserver by its place in the delegation chain for a given domain. Google Public DNS caches delegation chain information, and we verify each incoming response against the cached information to determine the responding nameserver's credibility for responding to a particular request.

Adding entropy to requests

Once a resolver does enforce basic sanity checks, an attacker has to flood the victim resolver with responses in an effort to match the query ID, UDP port (of the request), IP address (of the response), and query name of the original request before the legitimate nameserver does.
Unfortunately, this is not difficult to achieve, as the one uniquely identifying field, the query ID, is only 16 bits long (i.e. for a 1/65,536 chance in getting it right). The other fields are also limited in range, making the total number of unique combinations a relatively low number. See IETF RFC 5452, Section 7 for a calculation of the combinatorics involved.
Therefore, the challenge is to add as much entropy to the request packet as possible, within the standard format of the DNS message, to make it more difficult for attackers to successfully match a valid combination of fields within the window of opportunity. We recommend, and have implemented, all the techniques discussed in the following sections.

Randomizing source ports

As a basic step, never allow outgoing request packets to use the default UDP port 53, or to use a predictable algorithm for assigning multiple ports (e.g. simple incrementing). Use as wide a range of ports from 1024 to 65535 as allowable in your system, and use a reliable random number generator to assign ports. For example, Google Public DNS uses ~15 bits, to allow for approximately 32,000 different port numbers.
Note that if your servers are deployed behind firewalls, load-balancers, or other devices that perform network address translation (NAT), those devices may de-randomize ports on outgoing packets. Make sure you configure NAT devices to disable port de-randomization.

Randomizing choice of nameservers

Some resolvers, when sending out requests to root, TLD, or other nameservers, select the nameserver's IP addressed based on the shortest distance (latency). We recommend that you randomize destination IP addresses to add entropy to the outgoing requests. In Google Public DNS, we simply pick a nameserver randomly among configured nameservers for each zone, without any consideration of response time. Latency is not a consideration because we serve most traffic with responses that have been prefetched , so slow nameservers don't contribute to latency.
If you are concerned about latency, you can use round-trip time (RTT) banding, which consists of randomizing within a range of addresses that are below a certain latency threshold (e.g. 30 ms, 300 ms, etc.).

Randomizing case in query names

The DNS standards require that nameservers treat names with case-insensitivity. That is, the names example.com and EXAMPLE.COM should resolve to the same IP address³. However, in the response, most nameservers echo back the name as it appeared in the request, preserving the original case.
Therefore, another way to add entropy to requests is to randomly vary the case of letters in domain names queried. This technique, also known as "0x20" because bit 0x20 is used to set the case of of US-ASCII letters, was first proposed in the IETF internet draft Use of Bit 0x20 in DNS Labels to Improve Transaction Identity. With this technique, the nameserver response must match not only the query name but the case of every letter in the name string; for example, wWw.eXaMpLe.CoM or WwW.ExamPLe.COm. This may add little or no entropy to queries for the top-level and root domains, but it's effective for most hostnames.
One significant challenge we discovered when implementing this technique is that some nameservers do not follow the expected response behavior:

Some nameservers respond with complete case-insensitivity: that is, they return the same results for equivalent names with different cases in the request; but they do not match the exact case of the name in the response.
Other nameservers respond with complete case-sensitivity (in violation of the DNS standards): that is, they match the exact case of the name in the response; but return different results for equivalent names with different cases in the request (typically NXDOMAIN)!

For both of these types of nameservers, altering the case of the query name would produce undesirable results: for the first group, the response would be indistinguishable from a forged response; for the second group, the response could be totally invalid.
Our current solution to this problem is to create a whitelist of nameservers which we know apply the standards correctly, and to only apply the case randomization technique in requests to those servers. We also list the appropriate exception subdomains for each of them, based on analyzing our logs. If a response that appears to come from those servers does not contain the correct case, we reject the response. The whitelisted nameservers comprise more than 70% of our traffic.

³RFC 1034, Section 3.5 says:

Note that while upper and lower case letters are allowed in domain names, no significance is attached to the case. That is, two names with the same spelling but different case are to be treated as if identical.

Prepending nonce labels to query names

If a resolver cannot directly resolve a name from the cache, or cannot directly query an authoritative nameserver, then it must follow referrals from a root or TLD nameserver. In most cases, requests to the root or TLD nameservers will result in a referral to another nameserver, rather than an attempt to resolve the name to an IP address. For such requests, it should therefore be safe to attach a random label to a query name to increase the entropy of the request, while not risking a failure to resolve a non-existent name. That is, sending a request to a referring nameserver for a name prefixed with a nonce label, such as entriih-f10r3.www.google.com, should return the same result as a request for www.google.com.
Although in practice such requests make up less than 3% of outgoing requests, assuming normal traffic (since most queries can be answered directly from the cache or by a single query), these are precisely the types of requests that an attacker tries to force a resolver to issue. Therefore, this technique can be very effective at preventing Kaminsky-style exploits.
Implementing this technique requires that nonce labels only be used for requests that are guaranteed to result in referrals; that is, responses that do not contain records in the answers section. However, we encountered several challenges when attempting to define the set of such requests:

Some country-code TLD (ccTLD) nameservers are actually authoritative for other second-level TLDs (2LDs). Although they have two labels, 2LDs behave just like TLDs, which is why they are often handled by ccTLD nameservers. For example, the .uk nameservers are also authoritative for the mod.uk and nic.uk zones, and, hence, hostnames contained in those zones, such as www.nic.uk, www.mod.uk, and so on. In other words, requests to ccTLD nameservers for resolution of such hostnames will not result in referrals, but in authoritative answers; appending nonce labels to such hostnames will cause the names to be unresolvable.
Sometimes generic TLD (gTLD) nameservers return non-authoritative responses for nameservers. That is, there are some nameserver hostnames that happen to live in a gTLD zone rather than in the zone for their domain. A gTLD will return a non-authoritative answer for these hostnames, using whatever glue record it happens to have in its database, rather than returning a referral. For example, the nameserver ns3.indexonlineserver.com lives in a gTLD zone rather than in the indexonlineserver.com zone. If we issue a request to a gTLD server for n3.indexonlineserver.com, we get an IP address for it, rather than a referral. However, if we prepend a nonce label, we get a referral to indexonlineserver.com, which is then unable to resolve the hostname. Therefore, we cannot append nonce labels for nameservers which require a resolution from a gTLD server.
Authorities for zones and hostnames change over time. This can cause a nonce-prepended hostname that was once resolvable to become unresolvable if the delegation chain changes.

To address these challenges, we created a "blacklist" file containing exceptions for which we cannot append nonce labels. The file is populated with hostnames for which TLD nameservers return non-referring responses, according to our server logs. We continually review the exceptions list to ensure that it stays valid over time.

Removing duplicate queries

DNS resolvers are vulnerable to "birthday attacks", so called because they exploit the mathematical "birthday paradox", in which the likelihood of a match does not require a large number of inputs. Birthday attacks involve flooding the victim server not only with forged responses but also with initial queries, counting on the resolver to issue multiple requests for a single name resolution. The greater the number of issued outgoing requests, the greater the probability that the attacker will match one of those requests with a forged response: an attacker only needs on the order of 300 in-flight requests for a 50% success chance at matching a forged response, and 700 requests for close to 100% success.
To guard against this attack strategy, you should be sure to discard all duplicate queries from the outbound queue. For example, Google Public DNS, never allows more than a single outstanding request for the same query name, query type, and destination IP address.

Rate-limiting queries

Preventing denial-of-service attacks poses several particular challenges for open recursive DNS resolvers:

Open recursive resolvers are attractive targets for launching amplification attacks. They are high-capacity, high-reliability servers and can produce larger responses than a typical authoritative nameserver — especially if an attacker can inject a large response into their cache. It is incumbent on any developer of an open DNS service to prevent their servers from being used to launch attacks on other systems.
Amplification attacks can be difficult to detect while they are occurring. Attackers can launch an attack via thousands of open resolvers, so that each resolver only sees a small fraction of the overall query volume and cannot extract a clear signal that it has been compromised.
Malicious traffic must be blocked without any disruption or degration of the DNS service to normal users. DNS is an essential network service, so shutting down servers to cut off an attack is not an option, nor is denying service to any given client IP for too long. Resolvers must be able to quickly block an attack as soon as it starts, and restore fully operational service as soon as the attack ends. The best approach for combating DoS attacks is to impose a rate-limiting or "throttling" mechanism. Google Public DNS implements two kinds of rate control:
- Rate control of outgoing requests to other nameservers. To protect other DNS nameservers against DoS attacks that could be launched from our resolver servers, Google Public DNS enforces per-nameserver QPS limits on outgoing requests from each serving cluster.
- Rate control of outgoing responses to clients. To protect any other systems against amplification and traditional distributed DoS (botnet) attacks that could be launched from our resolver servers, Google Public DNS performs two types of rate limiting on client queries:
  - To protect against traditional volume-based attacks, each server imposes per-client-IP QPS and average bandwidth limits.
  - To guard against amplification attacks, in which large responses to small queries are exploited, each server enforces a per-client-IP maximum average amplification factor. The average amplification factor is a configurable ratio of response-to-query size, determined from historical traffic patterns observed in our server logs.
  If queries from a specific source IP address exceed the maximum QPS, or exceed the average bandwidth or amplification limit consistently (the occasional large response will pass), we return
- (small) error responses or no response at all.
- done.
http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/security.html

What Every Web Programmer Needs To Know About Security

This submission contains slides that complement each of the chapters in the book "Foundations of Security: What Every Programmer Needs To Know" for use by instructors and students alike. The slides cover secure design principles, common web application vulnerabilities, an introduction to cryptography, and much more!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

All slides (4.2 MB zip)

http://code.google.com/edu/submissions/daswani/index.html

Security Awareness tools

Security is one very important parts of the company. Not all the employees understand the implications of lax security. The employees become negligent after some time and start taking this security issues for granted. They don't take care of small things which can become hazardous for the company. To keep the employees up-to-date and make them understand the implications of negligent security, the employers should give Security awareness tools like various courses to its employees.
The employees should understand the importance of security measures and to explain the importance of security awareness to the employees. The methods to reduce risk in the company and the emerging security threats that could potentially harm the organization. The employees at the higher levels of the company have a higher chance of being directly exposed to security threats on a regular basis. An effective, focused security course will help in training the employees. The employees at higher level are at higher risk to becoming the target of a social engineer and unsuspectingly add to a security breach.

The training courses make the employees aware of the critical security problems like detecting and reacting to potential threats, the identifying physical security vulnerabilities, and the importance of basic security precautions. It is not a simple task to develop a training program. Everyone thinks that they know the basic of training and they will follow them. The only problem is that they slowly grow out of these habits and don't follow any basic security procedures. With time it becomes difficult to follow these steps and it becomes their habit to be negligent. It would prove very dangerous for the company's security.
The Security awareness tools make us more alert and attentive to even a small security measure. The small problems faced by the employees should be taken into consideration during the training session. It would be like a revision of the security steps, but it would be worth it. This training will make the employees to know when to use the defense systems and to be aware from where danger is going to come. Anticipating security breach by being aware is the best way to avert security problems.
The security course make the employees focus on the security and safety at a time when it is reliant upon developing security system. This course focuses on the honest assessment of the vulnerability in a given environment or condition. It will make you prepared to face any threat and to overcome that threat.
The course is versatile way to keep the employees up-to-date in the security measures. If anything point is repeated again and again, then there are chances that it won't slip their mind. Just to make them remember the basic security needs and steps it is necessary to give them a refresher course and what better than this course. The security course will surely make them understand the better points of safeguarding the company and keeping it secure for you. The best way to keep your company free from predators and thieves, it is in your best interest to have this course.

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How to gain information security training?

Information technology (IT) has rapidly developed in recent years and has now penetrated into many aspects of business. Though IT offers many advantages to people, there are also some disadvantages. Never in the history of computing has the number of hackers in the society been so high nor the techniques used for hacking been so advanced, than in the present day. A new branch of criminal and civil offenses has been introduced into the law, pertaining to data protection and cyber security. Many sunrise companies now employ teams of IT security professionals in order to protect their own data. This means that there is a high demand for IT security professionals.
Companies require the help of IT security professionals because the implementation of simple security systems has proved to be inefficient in some cases. This is because professional hackers have now gained knowledge on vulnerabilities of this common software. A hacker may be able to compromise with simple security software, if he/she puts a significant effort into it.
Basically, there are two types of Information security training; those security courses which are offered by the company to its employees and those courses which are offered though universities, academies and other IT institutes. Courses which are offered by the company are only available to its employees and are usually free of charge or at a lower cost. Even though the provision of these courses is cost ineffective to the company, there is a high potential for future advantages to the company (as their networks and data will be more secure). These courses mainly consist of basic data protection concepts and contain little or no advanced data protection concepts.

A person can also gain IT security education by enrolling in a security training course offered by an IT institute. The advantage of going through this avenue is that it is more flexible. The person will be able to choose from a wide range of courses, depending upon his/her personal preference. There are two entry level security certifications that are accepted internationally. These are the Security+ certification and the GIAC-GSEC certification. In the United Kingdom, becoming a member of the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP) is also advisable for an IT security professional. After gaining a basic entry level certification, the person should then move on to perform a more advanced security course. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is considered a medium or senior level IT security course. After gaining a CISSP certification, one will then have to choose a particular field of study for advanced level IT security training. The available fields of study are; Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (pertaining to information security architecture), Information Systems Security Management Professional (pertaining to information security management), Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (pertaining to information security engineering) and Certified Information Security Manager (pertaining to information security management).
Even though these courses will provide a person with thorough Information security training, it should not be a stopping point. Hackers are finding new ways to compromise with information systems and so IT security professionals should also be able to rapidly retaliate with suitable new counter-measures.

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Need for Advanced Security Training

There has been an increase in the need of security at all levels. Even homes need security systems. The commercial places or offices need more security and for that reason they keep professional people for maintaining security. The professional security people are adept at handling all the security concerns with ease. The threat of insecurity looms large in all fields. To take care of this threat there are better and modern methods for upgrading the security systems.
The security system that was earlier suitable for any commercial or office place is not suitable now and so people are switching over to advanced security training to keep the security up-to date. There is a need in every part of the world for superior quality security training. There is need for keeping the security of companies managed by its internal staff who are trustworthy. They should be given proper training so that they have the latest knowledge and information about security.

It is being acknowledged by everyone that there is need for a better system of security. To improve the system of security there should be better and latest training. To safeguard the interest of the company it is needed that the best levels of security and protection have been provided for the internal network of every company.
You can find many programs that would teach the staff about improving the security system of the company. These training programs are necessary for keeping the security in perfect condition and order. There are many facets in the advanced security training. Teaching the security staff about latest developments has become necessary. There are many aspects in these securities trainings like the penetration testing, attack of web applications, exploit writing, wireless auditing and general penetration testing. These features are some of the aspects which will be covered during these advanced security training courses. People who get these training get better idea about the latest security system.
There is a large potential in this field and those who have taken the latest training will stand to gain. It would be better for their career and future after learning these processes. The level knowledge with regard to security is necessary so that there is better security management in improving at all times and you should be aware of this new knowledge. There will be theoretical as well as practical training in this field to improve the overall awareness of this field. This training program gives full learning process to the people who are undertaking it. There are exams also held and a certificate provided to the qualified personnel.
The course that teaches the further aspects of security training process has a proper lab for everyone and a proper business network is made available to the student in order to practice all the theory which has been imparted during the classroom sessions. There would be practical problems given to the student, which has to be solved by the students.
The whole training programs aims in giving better education on security measures to the students.

Advanced Security Training by various companies

There are a lot of companies that are providing training on the security systems. Security has become a major concern for all of us. There are dangers of thefts everywhere. With internet it has become much easier to break into any system and get password and the username. Decoding of files is also not a problem. To get the latest security and vigilance system a person has to keep the employees who have the latest training in security systems.
The security personnel to be up-to-date in their knowledge and experience should keep themselves abreast of all the development that is taking place in this field. Many times it is necessary for these personnel to enroll themselves in the advanced security training to learn the latest in security business. There are numerous companies that provide certifications on security training and management. These certificates are recognized by people all over the world. There is a lot of hard work needed to earn the advanced security certifications. Those who have worked hard and managed to get this certification have found a new upward graph in their career as security personnel.
Security has become such an important concern that many companies would like to have the best of experts in the field of security as a part of their staff. The certificate provided by the companies providing the training is valuable to the person regarding information security management. Any person cannot get this knowledge only by reading a book.

Different types of companies existing in different parts of the world are now recognizing the need for better quality security training or advanced security training. All the major information about the company's security system and all its internal operations are made available to the security personnel so that they understand all the finer points and intricacies of the system. The training to safeguard all these factors are needed to ensure that the most superior levels of security and protection have been provided for the internal network of every company.
During the training of the person the course offers specialized areas of training that include all the latest news and information of the security systems installed in the company, how to keep a check so that no internal information reaches the wrong hands and there is no breach Management is also taught in the training programs that the level of network security management is also at the top-most level. Network thefts are very common and this aspect is also covered in this course. All the areas of security is covered in the training program from the conventional forms of security to the latest and modern form of network security.
Security training is also taken up with full-force by these personnel and they make the security system of any company impregnable. It becomes very secure as the advance level of training gives the latest and the best possible experience and knowledge to the people undertaking it. The scope in this field is very wide as security is needed by even smaller companies Training in security education will surely be good career choice.

Top 30 Killer Home Security Tips You Can’t Do Without

Exterior Security Make sure garage, shed and property gates and fully secured after every use. Purchase more secure locks if necessary. Expensive gardening equipment should be security locked away such as lawn mowers. Be sure all garage doors are locked when leaving the house If you have a door connecting the garage to the house it should be solid wood or metal and secured with a strong lock and dead bolt.
Your garage door should be fitted with a strong security lock which is preferably secured to the floor. Get into the habit of always locking your car door when you come home at night. Bicycles and motorbikes should be secured or locked away safe. If you own ladders make you these are all secured or locked away.
Don’t allow drain pipes to be used to gain access to upper floors. Shrubs, trees and bushes should all be pruned so the burglar cannot hide. Install exterior security floodlighting that works with a motion sensor. Be sure any outdoor lighting is switched on in the evening.
So an emergency service can find your house in an emergency, make sure your house number or name is clearly visible Imagine you have locked yourself out – how easy could you break in? Fix any weaknesses that can allow an easy entry for the burglar.

Exterior Door Security Your external doors should be of solid hardwood or metal construction. Glass panels should be reinforced. Fit a peep hole for viewing visitors. Fit a deadbolt lock into the frame of the door. Always make sure exterior doors are locked, even if you go out for a couple of minutes and especially at night. Give extra keys to a neighbor you can trust and never hide them under the front doormat or in a flower pot.
Window Security Check for rotting window frames and replace if necessary. Secure every window in the house with a high security window lock. Consider security window bars if you think your windows could be smashed in order to gain entry.
General Security Around The Home Use interior timers for your lamps. This will give the impression someone is at home. Use a security safe for all your valuables or deposit them in a bank. Keep firearms security locked in an appropriate firearms cupboard. This should be fitted with a trigger guard lock. Keep an up to date inventory of all of your possessions.
Take digital photos of your possessions and valuables and burn the photos to DVD. Put the DVD in a bank safety deposit box. Have emergency telephone numbers next to your telephone. Make sure your whole family is aware of an evacuation procedure in the event of an emergency such as a fire. Let trusted neighbour know that you are going on vacation so they can watch over your property.
Security mark all valuable items such as your computer, TV, Hi-Fi etc… with an appropriate identification mark as recognized by your local police. Cancel deliveries and papers when on vacation And of course, activate your alarm system when leaving your property.

The importance of information security training

Information security training is one very important as well as sensitive aspect which needs to be dealt with in the right manner by all companies who work using large volumes of data on a daily basis. Some of this data and information which they are handling on an everyday basis could be of a very sensitive nature and the consequences of this information reaching the wrong hands could also prove to be fatal. Many companies could end up suffering from severe losses if any confidential and sensitive information pertaining to the company is made available to the wrong people. Sometimes the security measures which have been undertaken in order to protect the sensitive data and information are so weak that they can be easily circumvented by any expert hacker. Due to all these security concerns, a lot of companies have decided to make information security training, a mandatory point on the learning curve for all their employees.
The main purpose behind conducting these information security training programs is that all employees will be well qualified to provide the right amount of security and protection for all the sensitive and confidential information which is being handled by the company. Apart from protecting the data and information, they will also be taught as to how they should deal with trespassers who try to gain access to this information and use it for the wrong purposes and also try to destroy it in certain
instances. Network security, secure software development, vulnerability, penetration testing and digital forensics are some of the topics which will be covered as a part of the information security training program.
Cyber security is also another important aspect of these information security training programs. This subject will also prove to be very useful for all the employees who handle sensitive data in the company. The main reason for this subject being given such high priority is that employees will become well equipped to handle any kind of security breach which is likely to take place with regard to the sensitive and confidential company information. They will also understand the various methods which can be adopted to breach the security firewalls which have been created. Auditing in information technology, forensics and hacking are some of the other aspects which will be dealt with during the cyber security module of the information security training sessions.
Penetration testing is one of the most important aspects which will be dealt with under network security. This will help in finding out the exact level of vulnerability by finding out all the loopholes which are present in the current security arrangements which have been created in order to protect all the confidential and sensitive information being handled by the company. Every single shortcoming in the existing security systems will have to be exposed in order to provide the right kind of security systems which will be adequate to protect the data required by the company. All the possible methods of hacking will also have to be explored in order to secure all the sensitive data and information in the right manner to keep it safe.

Security Services In Ncr

Security personnel are not police officers, unless they are security police, but are often identified as such due to similar uniforms and behaviors, especially on private property.

Services provided by any Security Company deals in, the prevention of unauthorized activity or entry, traffic regulation, access control, and fire and theft prevention and detection. These services can be broadly described as the protection of personnel and/or assets. Other security services such as roving patrol, bodyguard, and guard dog services are also included, but are a very small portion of the industry.

Employees of private security companies are generally referred to either as "security guards" or "security officers", depending on the laws of the state or country they operate in. Security companies themselves are sometimes referred to as "security contractors.

AVS Guards takes pride for its ultimate solution in the fields of security services and provides a blend of specialized services which includes Uniformed Guarding Services; we have proven ourselves with our best "SECURITY SERVICES IN NCR" region.

The company was established in 2005 by specialists in this field with years of experience for fulfilling the aim of providing security and detective services all over the country. The company is dedicated for delivering new standards of security and, surveillance support that far exceed the expectations of our clients.

With the endeavor to be a pioneering service provider, we possess progressiveness and productivity in all our operations for effectively securing your tomorrow and today.

Our experienced personnel have extensive experience in handling complex and sensitive case and let the work done by most conscious way.

The success of an organization depends corely on employees. An unsuitable employee is loss in terms of time and productivity. A dishonest employee can also indulge in theft and fraud. A disloyal employee can leak out confidential information to your business rivals and competitors who can then steal a march over you.

AVS offers operational support and training to organizations that require a high level of investigative expertise and discretion including: .........

• Corporate Security
• Industrial Security
• Bouncer Services
• Detective Services
• Residential Security
• Banks / ATM's

AVS works for organizations that require a high level of investigative expertise and discretion Security Services in NCR:

• Corporate Offices
• IT's /BPO's
• Educational Institutes
• Housing Societies
• Financial Institutions
• Healthcare Industry
• Shopping Malls / Multiplexes
• And Other Industries

Security is a feeling that gives confidence. A place featured with innovative security salutations fills the environment with lots of peace and employees work with additional concentration because they are safe. Our aim is to offer services that make your work place safer and ideal for any working procedure. For any further clarification feel free to contact info@avsguards.com.