If you own a domain it is very possible someone might like to buy it from you.   As business people we instruct our IT staff to buy certain domains but do not always end up using them.  If the domain is not a strategic asset then reevaluation is in order.  If the domain is parked and effectively not in use then consider selling the domain.  There are many ways to do this and some companies are in the business of buying and selling domains.   One mans junk domain is another mans treasure as the garage sale phrase goes.  If you go with a company that does this you will probably have quick exposure to lots of potential buyers.  This really depends on the company and we are not here to advise on that topic.  We sell our own domains and don’t have any sales fees.

When you agree to sell your domain to someone you do not know it is a good idea to have a couple of things in place starting with a domain purchase agreement.   This can be a simple document and we will gladly provide one that we use.  Just fill in the form on our contact page and we will shoot it right over.    The basic elements of a contract are required with specific additional clarifications for the current registrar and if you will be giving access to the current registrar account or having to move the registration record to a different registrar.

Sometimes you may want an escrow down payment showing good faith if the purchase price is a significant amount of money, $25,000 or above.  Most domains do not go for anything near that and a couple of hundred dollars is more likely for a domain that has never been marketed or used.

There are escrow companies you can use if you feel the buyer is questionable.  Above all, do not accept a foreign check and immediately give the domain to the seller.  Electronic funds, western union, paypal are going to be less risky than a potentially forged money order.  Anyone can buy a MICR toner printer cartridge and manufacture a check.   Do not give a buyer your bank account number unless it is for this purpose only.  I know some are laughing but this had to be written., do not give out your bank account information.

What if you are buying a domain..

If you are buying a domain you also want the owners name because you may not be dealing with the owner directly.  Payment should go to the entity or person named on the whois records.  A quick search gives you this information including an address to check.   One of the things you are trying to avoid is paying your money and not getting actual ownership of the domain.  We have seen some sellers create documents that amount to a long term lease instead of the sale of a domain.

An insider tip is to have the seller update the whois record by putting some text in the second line of the address field.  This will let you know the seller does have access to the registration record.  The whois could take a couple of days for an update to show up although that is not the usual case.   I would rather wait a couple of days than find out I just sent money and about to experience the loss of that money.  This little test also lets you know the person is technically capable of getting into the account and can make changes.  It has happened where someone wants to sell but does not have a clue about what to do after you pay them.

A written agreement helps for a smooth sale.    We can help if you need it.

If you are one of the many average persons who is or has been attacked and you do not know what is legitimate or not we can give you a list of things you SHOULD NOT click and open

These websites listed here contain either malware, spyware or are generally fake and considered a bad idea to install.

http://spyrobot.org/

http://malwarepro.org/

http://antitrojan-pro.com/

http://www.adwarepro.org/

http://www.spywarepro.org/

http://www.antivirus-pro.org/

and

www.search-and-destroy.com

These guys are just grouped along with the rest of the websites and people you shouldn’t trust out on the internet.  They are actively spamming blogs with fake messages attempting to dupe the unsuspecting public to their website.  Find a good local computer service center if you are unsure and get solid support to avoid additional problems.

As many of you guys know in the tech world the newest threat affecting most of us today is the 2009 antivirus adware/spyware that is going around. Antivirus 2009 is a highly successful rogue antivirus application that installs itself through many other spyware openings or packaged along with well known software cracks.

Threat Level – Medium to High

The spyware as I will call it can affect many portions of your systems including prevent changing of your backgrounds, notifying you that you may be infected with a virus and then upon clicking present you with your savior option of buying their software. This is a commonly used tactic to scare the user into giving up their money to remove the problem. The is generally considered a bad idea and makes people very angry.

As most of us here at DFW Marketing have come up against this ourselves we have compiled a list of useful tools and fixes that can help you in removing your antivirus 2009 threat. 

1st. ComboFix.exe,  a simply tool that seems to scan for a limited threats and removes them. Good – light weight, small and quick to run. Bad – publisher cannot be verified, Ugly – none.

2nd. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, software application that has been growing in popularity since 2004, the application can scan our and remove most of the damage caused by Antivirus2009 but in my experience not all of it. 
Visit the website Here
Download Malwarebytes Here

Article brought to you by 1Call service and DFW marketing

Antivirus applications that we recommend.

With all the different antivirus programs out there how do you know they one you got is the right one. Best for your buck, best for your business, or all around best protection, in this article well be describing some of the current antivirus solutions currently available out there on the market how they are alike and different and then give our recommendations.

First we have the big timers McAfee and Norton antivirus for corporate usage, both perform as advertised, but in this market what makes one stand out from another isn’t all the flashy animations or pretty graphics it’s functionality, manageability, and lightweight. And in those categories Norton corp is the winner.

If your currently a home based user and your looking for an extremely affordable antivirus program a few of your choices are

• Bit Defender Home
• Avast Home
• Trend Micro Home/Small Business

4 Steps, before you go online…. and surf.

According to Microsoft as described in this article there are five steps that one should take before going online(though we will only be covering four). Between viruses, spyware, malware, and trojans the internet is a nasty place and by following the steps below you can help, if even a little bit, protect yourself from it.

1. Make sure that your Firewall is on and protecting you.
   Often times one might have their firewalls turned off or have then opened up like swiss cheese for lack of a better term. If that’s the case you are vulnerable to all the evils on the internet, now is that what you really want ?
2. Get software updates.
   Software updates are a great way of keeping your computer up to date on the latest and greatest, and on all the newest security holes. when you update your software gaps in security are often closed, leaving your over all system typically more secure then it had been.
3. Install antivirus software.
   This is one of the most important steps, Everyone should be familiar with what this program does … it stops viruses from intruding and infecting your computer system. Because a unprotected computer on the internet can be infected within moments of connecting it is highly recommended that you install an anti-virus program before you go online, and then update it as soon possible.
4. Install anti-spyware software.
   Spyware now days sometimes is a larger problem then the viruses of the world, leaving your computer slow, unresponsive, or just plain not working. The helpful thing to do is to pick out a favorite anti-spyware program and just stick with it. Keep it updated and don’t neglect to run a scan every month or so. Below is listed some anti-spyware programs that we here at 1callservice find beneficial.

• spybot
• spywareblaster
• ad-aware