Recognized as being among the most lethal and difficult pieces of malware ever to hit the market Zeus, if not contained, will empty the back accounts of innocent people who leave themselves susceptible to this powerful yet seemingly easy-to-operate piece of software. The Zeus Trojan horse, if it succeeds in a computer, will rapidly find its way to the most sensitive of personal information, such as online bank account details, passwords and credit card numbers, and will cause havoc with the information accessed.

News of the Zeus malware first came to the authority’s attentions in the UK a few weeks ago, through information that the malware’s operators were searching for victims through the social networking sites. The Zeus Trojan horse operates in such a fashion that if it invades a computer it will cause it to forward sensitive and personal data to servers which are under the control of the hackers. Zeus has reared its ugly head in a number of forms already, with the most damaging to date being a false Facebook page that encouraged users to download a tainted software update. Two young hackers who were behind that particular scam were arrested on the 3rd of November in Manchester, and are currently being held under the 1990 Computer Misuse Act and the 2006 Fraud Act pending charges, with details of the arrests only just being released.

Zeus is what is known as a banking Trojan. While it is a measure of the determination as well as the levels of sophistication that hackers are achieving to create fraud on a massive scale, this is one of the first times that an actual web page on a social networking site has been seen to be used to infiltrate the unsuspecting computer surfer’s hard disc.

Trojans are usually distributed as attachments in email messages, yet increasingly more as software downloads masquerading as legitimate programs. Zeus has been set up to utilize a variety of different methods to steal details, including logging key stokes as a user-entered password.

The total number of computers that have attacked at some time or another by a trojan horse is almost impossible to ascertain, but thought to run to several million. The truth is that it is almost impossible to detect the Zeus Trojan software, as it can change its identity during the time that it is in operation.

Zeus often changed in order to avoid detection by anti-virus software.

Zeus is apparently being sold and distributed among the hacker fraternity, and is in great demand due to its low cost, ease of use and sophistication. Hackers buy it in a tool kit form, which can be manipulated to form a unique variant. Once the Zeus hacker succeeds in accessing either a Facebook or MySpace password, they can use the invaded account as a springboard for sending out more attacks to their friends and family. It can spread like wildfire through the entire framework, and there is evidence that it has already succeeded in doing so on several occasions.

Tags: 1990 Computer Misuse Act, 2006 Fraud Act, Anti Virus, anti-virus software, Banking, banking Trojan, Malware, Mcafee, Phishing Scams, Trojan horse, Trojan Horses, Viruses, Zeus, Zeus malware, Zeus Trojan horse

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Alliance & Leicester have won the Business Moneyfacts Award for Best Overall Business Bank and Best Business Current Account provider, yet again.

Moneyfacts – who are they?

Moneyfacts is the leading independent financial information provider in the UK. Since 1988, we’ve been providing impartial information to financial services professionals which has helped thousands of customers get the best deal on their mortgages, savings accounts, credit cards, loans and other personal finance products.

Moneyfacts.co.uk Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Our FSA permissions allow us to introduce you to other regulated firms, but not to sell products direct or to give advice. The products we deal with which are regulated by FSA are investments, mortgages and insurance products. Our other products (personal loans, credit cards and domestic utilities) are not regulated by FSA.

What Moneyfacts Do

Every day, Moneyfacts’ dedicated team of researchers monitor thousands of personal finance products available in the UK. Whether it’s a launch of a new product, a change in its terms or conditions or a withdrawal, our team is on the front line and are in the best place to truly know what’s going on in the financial services world.

Our data is trusted throughout the financial industry. Every major bank and building society in the UK subscribes to our data service for accurate and comprehensive market analysis, and even the Bank of England uses our data too.

We also supply the majority of the national and regional press and many well known financial and consumer websites with Best Buy charts – and our experts are regularly called upon by the likes of the BBC and national press to provide professional comment and opinion.

Tags: Alliance and Leicester, Bank, Bank Accounts, Banking, Moneyfacts

Pity the person who has come of financial maturity of some sort over the last couple of years. Maybe they have just entered the job market, have left home to attend University or just to live with some friends, or are buying a property and looking for a mortgage, started up their own business and looking to open a business account. The list is endless.

With the negative publicity the UK banking system has picked up since the start of the economic turn down (some of which may even be justified) it might be easy to understand why these newcomers to the world of banking might have their doubts and fears. What they need to calm their trepidations is two things:

1. Being a bank account holder is not something that you should ever have misgivings about. The British banking system has been around for hundreds of years, and is as solid now as it has been for all of these years.
2. Relatively recent, yet highly significant developments in the communications field has changed the way that we live our lives in many ways, and the world of banking has benefitted immeasurably as a result of these developments.

Anyone considering open a bank account for the first time, or even switching accounts should know that there is a wealth of information available online on every aspect of banking that they will require understanding how the system operates. If you can learn the difference between a savings account and a current account, how to reduce your bank charges to a minimum, how to cope with an overdraft or without one.

There are many possibilities and you don’t even have to leave your home to discover them. Simply start your online search at http://www.bank–accounts.co.uk/, the UK’s leading web site for all aspects of banking information.

This excellent web site is a goldmine for information of what’s going on in the UK banking scene. You can discover all the current deposit interest rates and other relevant information from the major mortgage banks, among them Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Halifax International, HSBC and the Nationwide Building Society. At http://www.bank–accounts.co.uk/, you will be pleased to discover that banks are friendly people who are pleased to be at your service.

Tags: Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Bank, Bank Accounts, Halifax International, HSBC, Nationwide Building Society

BT customers can continue to benefit from the convenience of paying for and towards their BT telephone services at Post Office branches. The Post Office and BT have extended their long-standing relationship by a further three-year period, from September 2011 to the end of September 2014.

The agreement will enable BT customers to pay for their quarterly bills by cash, cheque or debit card at any of the UK’s 11,500 Post Office branches.

Also, customers can continue to save towards their quarterly bill by making regular payments using their BT payment card in Post Office branches.

John Petter, MD, Consumer, BT Retail said “BT customers have the widest of choice of payment options in the UK, which includes payment at the 11,500 Post Offices around the country where they can pay their bills or make payments towards their next bill via their BT payment card. We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Post Office and give our customers another convenient way of paying their bill. ”

Post Office marketing director Gary Hockey-Morley said: “BT customers enjoy the convenience of paying for or towards their bill at the same time as posting a parcel or buying their foreign currency at the Post Office. We are delighted to extend our long-standing and valued relationship with BT, which allows our mutual customers to continue paying at their local Post Office.”

In addition to paying bills, customers can access a wide range of other services at their local Post Office, such as banking and financial services including free cash access over the counter, travel services including travel insurance, passports and commission-free currency, and mail and postal services.

Tags: Banking, Banking and Insurance, BT, Insurance, Passport, The Post Office, Travel Insurance

The last two years have been tough times for business owners in the UK, and unfortunately not all of them have survived it. With the public drawing in the their belts at an unprecedented rate, and the banks, themselves under a period of restructure, have either been unwilling or unable to provide the levels of credit that they were able to before the slump began.

Businesses that are still around despite the difficult times deserve a round of applause. They have proved a very important point to themselves as well as to the UK business community in general. That they have a right to be there, and are set to reap the benefits as time invariably will get better. Difficult though it may be to believe, quite a number of new businesses have been established during probably the toughest period for the Great British economy since before the Second World War. These businesses are obviously headed by people with spirit, vision and tenacity who had recognized a niche for themselves or a gap in the market that they felt that they could fill, and have succeeded in doing so. And all this without the full support of a bank, who were possibly too tied up with their own problems.

Well the good news for business owners, large and small, is that the banks are coming back. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the UK government to create an atmosphere where banks would be freed of the burdens of their previous mistakes, they are now free to work hand in hand with the UK business community to further their growth. A growth that will get Britain back in business and save and create jobs.

Businesses need banks, and banks need business, not just a source of finance but also for objective advice and guidance on a variety of subjects.

If you run your own business and are looking for some banking information interest rates, credit and credit limits, bank charges, interest rates for your business account, you will find all you need and more on http://www.bank–accounts.co.uk/.

Through this excellent web site you can discover all the current deposit interest rates and other relevant information from the major UK banks among them Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Halifax International, HSBC and the Nationwide Building Society among others.

Tags: Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Bank Accounts, Banking, Banks, Halifax International, HSBC, Nationwide Building Society

Let’s face it. All of us in the UK have had a really difficult time over the last 18 months or so. Unlike most of the recessions, depressions and hard times that this country has experienced in its history, no one has better reported, forecasted and predicted as well as this one has. Yet when it burst on the scene, it came as a bolt of lightning on a clear and sunny day. After the initial panic, financial analysts seem to be popping up everywhere predicting how the financial crisis is going to pan out, and to be fair, they have been mostly correct. We appear now to be just more than half way through the recession and into a period where people have mostly regrouped and preparing themselves to dig in for the final push.

Most people have had time to take a good look at how they managed their banking pre-recession and hopefully have learned from any mistakes that they made. To be honest, the face of banking has changed so much as a result of the crisis, and the banks that you will find today, bear only a passing resemblance to the banks that you knew in 2007. For a start, credit will be much more difficult to attain, and only on specific circumstances and in less flexible terms than before.

We are back to the good old days of mutual fiscal responsibility, In other words, you have to be much more involved in how you manage your financial affairs and don’t expect the banks to subsidise a lifestyle that you cannot afford. Because they won’t.

Instead you will be expected to manage your bank account without the “safety net” of overdrafts or excessive borrowing through credit cards. You will need to live on your income, and manage your current account and hopefully savings account more prudently than you may have done in the past.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to consolidate or reorganize your banking. Take a look around the internet , study and compare interest rates both for saving accounts and overdrafts. Every penny counts in the battle to see out this economic turndown.
It will be well worth your while to start your online search at on http://www.bank–accounts.co.uk/, the UKs leading website for banking information. Providing rates and other information on such major banks as
Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Halifax International, HSBC, Nationwide and the Post Office, you are liable to gain a lot from the experience.

Tags: Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Bank Accounts, Halifax International, HSBC, Nationwide, post office

Let’s be honest, pets are now pretty expensive things and in these times of economic hardship quite a few people are thinking of ways of making their money go further when it comes to their dogs and cats especially.

It’s best not to dwell on all those pets which will be cast out onto the streets, or handed over to the sanctuaries because they cost too much, or they have become a nuisance. That is, unfortunately, an inevitable consequence of hard times, but most owners, thank goodness, understand that a pet is a member of a family and cannot simply be cast aside when times get tough.

So, the best thing to do is think about how your pet, like you and others members of your family, can make savings.

Now, one area which needs a little attention is the vet. It’s likely your pet will need some attention throughout its life. A young puppy, or kitten, will best be neutered and this will set you back anywhere from around £50 to £100.

Vets have recently been criticised by many for being far too expensive, but it’s difficult to see their costs coming down, even during harder times. Consultation charges are also a relatively new part of their charging scheme, maybe to combat the consumer’s choice to get a prescription from the vet and buy the prescribed drugs elsewhere, via say the internet. This can help offset a quite major cost, but don’t expect to be able to do surgery via the web! So, the old debate about whether it’s best to have pet insurance raises its head again. Over the lifetime of a dog, or cat, monthly payments of between £10 and £20 can add up, but with even minor operations costing around £200 payable in one go, pet insurance plans might make even more sense.

Right, so after the vet comes the day-to-day maintenance of your pet, in other words, what it needs to survive and maintain its role of favoured one.

And the next big issue is pet food. Way back when, pets were meant to manage on scraps and a few hard biscuits. Now, pet feeding is almost mirroring the human food industry with manufacturers convincing people that their pets need tasty chicken morsels, or lightly barbecued line caught sardine from the Pacific oceans. And look at the results, with many pets looking as obese as their owners. But it’s not easy to turn away from the persuasive powers of a pet food industry which is worth, in the U.K, a staggering £2 billion. That’s a lot of pet food and a lot of hype.

Experts say that the average pet owner spends £3.50 a week on pet food, but with the manufacturers bringing out new varieties all the time, this is climbing quite dramatically.

So, what happens if you want to save money? You have to buy a cheaper brand, or do it yourself, shunning the bright cans and foil trays.

Firstly, if we’re talking mainly about cats and dogs, it’s worth remembering that they are different in regards their nutritional requirements. They are both carnivores and both need six key components to maintain a healthy life: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and minerals.

But then things begin to differ. Dogs only need around ten per cent of their diet to be protein, whereas cats need nearer 25%. This is why dogs can manage on a vegetarian diet, whilst cats can’t. Both get their calories mainly from the cereal in the pet food, but there is no set, or average intake. It’s been calculated say that human males need something like 2,500 calories a day, females around 2,000, but with so many breeds of cats and dogs, doing so many different things, it’s difficult to provide an average intake.

The only guide is that the more active the pet, the more calories it needs. So be careful if your pet is a couch-potato, because you have to keep a check on their carb intake.

As to food itself, meat products are sourced from the same abattoirs that supply the human food chain. So, technically the same meat that is used for humans, can be used for pets. Although, pet food manufacturers mostly use trimmings, offal and cheap cuts. Obviously, as with most food, the more expensive, the better the quality, or at least that’s how the theory goes.

But that does not necessarily rule out cheap pet food by any means. Experts say that as long as the particular brand of food offers a balanced blend of the components mentioned earlier, then there’s no problem. And as a rule of thumb, the less expensive the pet food, the less percentage of meat is included and the more say cereal is used to bulk it out. This can lead to problems with the pet’s weight of course, as the cereal is unnecessary and creates fat.

And in case you were wondering how to tell if it’s good enough, take a look at your pet’s poo. If the poo contains lots of undigested food and there is lots of it around, then it’s not doing your pet much good at all.

So, cheaper brands might save you money, but just be sure that they give your pet a proper diet and won’t make them fat.

But to take it further and make your own, that requires a little thought. And it comes back to all those individual components again. You have to ensure that the food you are providing for you pet has the right balance, otherwise you will be risking their health.

Off-cuts of meat and fish are favourites of the DIY pet food community, but in order to get the balanced bit right, you also have to offer up vegetables and food supplements.

And it’s recommended that you get some advice from your vet, as well as ensuring that you don’t mess your pet around too much, by offering it at a later stage of their lives when they might be too used to tinned pet food, or change your mind at times when you are too busy to prepare the food and so confuse the animal’s digestive system.

Tags: Pet Care, Pet Guide, Pet Insurance, Pets

There’s on thing you should know straight away about The Pet Travel Scheme, or, as it’s commonly known, Pet Passports, and that’s you should plan well ahead.

Basically, you can’t bring your pet back to the U.K. within six calendar months of its rabies jab. So if you plan to take Fido with you out of the country on your annual hols, say in July, then you have to get it jabbed in January. And if you want to be doubly sure, then get it jabbed in November of the year before.

Right, more of the timing issues later. Let’s get the official blurb out of the way first.

The system which allows you to take your pet out of the country and back again, is The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). But, another thing to note, when it says pet, it actually means a dog, cat, or ferret. Quite why a ferret is covered under the scheme, rather than your pet Orangutan (maybe its too big to get into the child seat), this writer isn’t sure. Maybe it’s because ferrets are particularly keen travellers, or maybe, more sensibly, a dog, cat, or ferret, has a greater chance of projection from the existing rabies vaccine. Anyway, suffice to say that your pet crocodile has to stay at home while you’re enjoying the water park in Malaga.  

The PETS scheme allows pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) to travel to other European Union (EU) countries and come back to the U.K. Some other non-European countries are included in the scheme as well, but for a full list, go to defra website which has all the information.

So, start early if you want to avoid disappointment.

Next thing to bear I mind, it’s not cheap, because as with most Government initiatives, it basically creates wealth for everyone but you and in this case, a recognised vet. And oh yes, just in case you think you don’t have to bother with such a thing as a pet passport and you think hiding Fido under a blanket in the car is a bit of a wheeze, you should bear in mind that’s against the law and both you and your pet could be doing time (although not in the same place).

Smuggling a pet back into this country without it being inoculated, or doing it secretly, is about as heinous crime as you can commit in this country. The U.K is officially rabies free and if you change that situation, then you’ll go down in history alongside Jack the Ripper.

And even if your pet has had the jab and is brought back earlier than the stipulated six months, you’ll be fined personally and then you’ll foot the bill – some hundreds of pounds a week – for your pooch to be incarcerated at her majesty’s pleasure for the full six months. In short, don’t do it.

Right, so you want to take your dog, cat, or ferret on a trip out of the U.K.

You have to book an appointment with a vet who will take you through the process. At the time of writing, the Pet Passport costs around £138 to administer. Expensive, but when it first came out it was around £200, so we can be grateful for small mercies.

Your vet will give your pet an examination and pass them fit for travel. Firstly, if your pet doesn’t have an identity chip, it will be fitted with one. About the size of a grain, the chip is usually implanted behind the animal’s neck and with a receiver, allows the user to identify the dog with it’s unique number. Even if your dog is not going on his hols, this is a good idea anyway, as it allows your pet to be identified easily if it’s lost.

Next, your pet gets the rabies jab. Then you have to wait 30 days before you take your pet back to the vets for a blood test. A blood sample is taken from the jugular (in the neck; not an easy thing for the vet to do, so maybe wait outside) and sent to the labs for testing. The result should be back to your vet in seven days (leave 14 days to be on the safe side, unless its Christmas, when the post usually goes awry and you might have to wait weeks). If the test is positive (i.e. there are enough rabies antibodies in your pet’s bloodstream to protect them against rabies), the you will be issued a pet passport with all the details. This must be taken with you on all the trips – it’s as important as your passport.

And remember, your animal can’t come back to the U.K within exactly six calendar months. It can leave of course, once it has the passport, it simply can’t return for those six months.

And although nearly all animals pass the blood test, it’s not guaranteed and if it fails, it has to start over again, meaning another 37 days at least to see if it has enough antibodies. Some older animals might struggle, or ones that have been ill, so bear that in mind with your timings. But, it shouldn’t cost you the whole £138 again, as the vet should just charge you the cost of the rabies jab (around £60 at the time of writing) and the test (around £30).

So, there you are. Is Fido worth £138, or possibly £198? Depends on you really. Mind you, how much does two weeks in a kennels cost these days?

Tags: Pet Care, Pet Guide, Pet Insurance, Pet Passport, Pets

The biggest problem when buying an off-road as opposed to buying a road bike, is the likelihood of heavy wear and tear. Think about it; bikes thrashed around a competitive race course will have taken a pounding.

Mind you, you might be looking at a MX bike which has rarely left the garage (maybe the owner didn’t want to compete), or indeed a trials bike which most probably hasn’t been thrashed at all, although it might have been smacked against a tree and something knocked askew.

So, you have to look at an off-road bike with an open mind and start from the premise that it has been abused and despite how shiny it looks, it could be hiding major problems.

Also, if the bike has been used for competitions, or fun, and has not been registered, it could be more difficult to check it’s background. And, of course, always be suspicious when offered a too good a deal; don’t end up buying a stolen bike.

Right, so first things first. If you’re offered a bike, or respond to an advertisement, try to find out a little bit about the seller first. If he’s a racer himself, he’ll be enthusiastic and maybe give you a bit of background about the machine, and won’t mind you calling around his house to take a look. If he’s nicked it, then he won’t know much about the bike and will most probably want to meet somewhere dodgy and insist you bring cash. Be on your guard – don’t get lumbered with a stolen bike; it could cost you a visit from the police and a confiscated bike, with no compensation.

And if it looks new and it’s costing you a fair bit, it might be worth getting a HP check done, just in case the seller is still paying off the installments.

So, let’s assume it’s not stolen, nor on HP and that if it is registered, all the paperwork is intact. And if there is no official documentation, ask them for a receipt from their original purchase. Most people do, and should, keep receipts as it’s a way of helping insurance claims. So don’t be afraid to ask for anything that might help prove the bike’s status, including it’s age and original specification.

Also, are you dealing with a private seller, or trader? When telephoning, remember to say I’ve rung about the bike. If he say’s which bike, he’s most probably a trader. If so, then more caution is needed.

Okay, so the paperwork looks right and you’ve confirmed the asking price. Take a quick deckers first at the bike’s general condition. Does your first impression say yes, looks the business? Or does it say hang on a minute, it doesn’t look quite right. First impressions are important, so make sure you listen to your gut instincts.
And if the seller is jabbering on about the economy, or the weather, politely ask him to hang on a minute while you give his bike the once over. And don’t ignore your first impressions about him either. Where does he keep the bike, a garage, or his front room. Does he look like someone who would care for his bike, or someone that would use a sledgehammer to fix it?
So, back to the bike, look for superficial damage. Does it mean that some major damage might be lurking underneath.

Once your first impressions are in, take a detailed look at the bike. Check the forks and the head bearings; if there’s play in the bearings, it’s trouble. Then, how smoothly do the handlebars move through their turning arc. If not smooth, then again, it could be trouble.

Next, check the bearings out in the back wheel and the swing arm. Any play there could again be a sign of trouble. Move onto the rear shocks and check them out by pushing the back end down and see how the shocks handle it. They should resume their natural position smoothly and concisely. If not, they could be shot.

When it comes to the engine, take your time, as this is where a number of gremlins could lurk. See if you can start it from cold; not the owner. If they have warmed the engine up to make it behave better, try and let it go cold again. While it’s running, does it sound sweet, or are there a few knocks, bangs, or tapping sounds? How does the oil look – as it should, or discoloured?

Check out the exhaust for any bad dents, or bits missing, or whether it’s the right exhaust for that bike.

And finally, have a good play with the controls, making sure all the levers work as well as they should and any light and indicator controls do as they are bid.

It may be that the bike has a few problems, many do, but it all comes down to whether you can fix them and what impact they have on the asking price.

All in all, make sure you are comfortable with the purchase and that everything adds up. If it doesn’t walk away and have a think about it.

Tags: Bennetts Bike Insurance, Insurance, Motor Bike, Motorbikes

The Department of Health is urging U.K. holiday makers to check that their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are up to date before they travel.

If they don’t, warns The Department of Health, they could face unnecessary medical costs if they are treated in mainland Europe.

The EHIC replaced the old E111 form and has an expiry date printed on the credit card type piece of plastic. Should the card have lapsed before the date of travel, then travellers will be charged full medical costs if they become ill.

The Department of Health estimates that over half of U.K. travellers do not realise that their EHIC has an expiry date. So the message is check before you travel, as it would be too late when abroad.

Renewal is straightforward, either online, or by phone, and can be renewed up to six months before the due date. Be warned that it can take up to ten days to deliver the renewed card, so people are warned not to leave it too late before they leave.

Log onto the NHS website to get renewal details.

Consumer groups and The Department of Health point out that the EHIC is a superb system, allowing the holder to get the same treatment in any EU, or Swiss hospital, that the locals can obtain. It is free to get the card and once acquired, is easily updated. For everyone travelling in Europe, it is seen as a must-have credential.

It is reckoned that over 28 million U.K. residents hold an EHIC, which replaced the E111 form in 2005, but that over three million are due to expire in March 2009. The EHIC officially entitles the holder to free state provided healthcare, should they fall ill, or have an accident.

But although a superb system, both The Department of Health and consumer groups warn that the EHIC should not be seen as a replacement for travel insurance. It is there to signify that the holder is entitled to a base level of medical cover within Europe. Most importantly, it does not cover transportation costs home in the event of a serious, or debilitating accident, and that can cost a fortune.

Nor does it give cancellation cover should your plane/train/ferry be delayed, provide compensation for lost luggage, or offer personal insurance cover. It also does not cover accidents when ski-ing.

So, be warned, if you haven’t got an EHIC in your wallet, get one. And if you have, check the expiry date, otherwise it could cost you a lot of money in the long run.

Do Just Book It Thomas Cook It!!!

Tags: Holiday, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Holidays, Insurance, Travel, Travel Insurance