ANTIVIRUS & SPYWARE

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688

Summary:
Keeping your computer in top shape is an important aspect to an online business. Why? Without it, you are not in business, or your business will come to a complete halt. There are simple things that you can do to keep your computer safe and running at top-notch speed.

Keywords:
Computer Maintenance, Utility Software,operating system

Article Body:
Keeping your computer in top shape is an important aspect to an online business. Why? Without it, you are not in business, or your business will come to a complete halt. There are simple things that you can do to keep your computer safe and running at top-notch speed.

Your Computer
You can keep your computer in top shape if you maintain it properly. Clean the inside of the unit and make sure that your have enough fans in your unit to keep the components cool. Fans can help extend the life of your computer.

Operating System
If you are going to be doing business on-line, I would recommend XP Professional, this operating system is more robust than the home version.

Utility Software
AntiVirus software is a necessity if you work online. You can go with the free AntiVirus software, although there is no guarantee that they will always be diligent in keeping the antivirus definitions current. Or you can go with the paid AntiVirus, such as Norton antivirus, or CA Associates EZ AntiVirus. Whatever you choose, no protection is definitely online suicide whether you have an online business or you surf the net.

Without any security, I would not do any personal transactions online. Why? You would be a sitting duck for keyloggers — which are hackers that attach a program to catch your log-in info.

I would also run an Adware Program along with your antivirus software, such as Ad-Aware SE Personal, which is free. This will hold you for awhile, but later you may want to move up to the paid version.

One last free option is to scan your computer with an online tool called ShieldsUP. ShieldsUP will scan your system for any possible backdoors in which hackers can get in. Just go to Google Search and type in ShieldsUP for a free scan.

Daily Computer Maintenance
You can manually keep your computer clean and running by doing the following:

Open up your Internet Explorer, hit Tools, hit Internet Options, and go to the Temporary Internet Files. Here you can delete cookies and files online and offline. In addition, go into History, right under the Temporary Internet Files, and clean that as well.

Or you can get a neat program that does a lot of window washing for you. It’s called “Free Internet Window Washer”, and as the name implies it is free. However, they do accept donations to keep their expenses down. This little program washes system files, MS Office programs, Internet Temporary Files for Mozilla FireFox, Internet Explorer, Netscape and Opera, and more. You can grab a free copy by going to my tools section and hitting the “Internet Tools Section”.

Hard-Drive
You know your hard-drive will not last forever (in most cases, it can last about 5 years if you are lucky), so it is always wise to have a back-up hard-drive piggy-backed to the main if the main drive fails. Or, you can have all the information on another computer and run Norton Ghost to upload the info from one computer to the new hard-drive.

Back-up Data
It is always wise to backup your data and software programs, in the event your computer crashes and you have to reload everything from start to finish again. Your back-up data will save you time.

Important data, such as transactions should not sit on your desktop. You should keep them offline to protect yourself from hackers, should one get through to your computer.

It can happen. It’s scary to see a search box pop up in front of you, and it ask’s “what do you want to look at next”! If you see something on that order, shut down your computer to get them off-line, and increase your security — or find out where the hole is in your security system. Such as, turning off a portion of your security and forgetting to turn it back on? Trust me, it may happen once, but after that, it will not happen again.

These tips, though simple, should give you a beginning to protecting your computer and keeping you aware and secure whether you are online or offline.

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374

Summary:
Everyone seems to be asking these days: why is my computer so slow? Well, the answer to that question is usually that its loaded with programs called spyware and adware. Spyware and adware are programs installed, usually without your permission, on your computer so companies can show their advertisements, log what sites you visit so they know what products youre interested in and record keystrokes on your computer so they know what youre talking about. Below are 3 easy ste…

Keywords:
computer,internet,computer beginner,computer newbie,spyware

Article Body:
Everyone seems to be asking these days: why is my computer so slow? Well, the answer to that question is usually that its loaded with programs called spyware and adware. Spyware and adware are programs installed, usually without your permission, on your computer so companies can show their advertisements, log what sites you visit so they know what products youre interested in and record keystrokes on your computer so they know what youre talking about. Below are 3 easy steps to take to start protecting and eliminating your spyware and adware problem on your home computer.

First, stop using Internet Explorer! I know you may be shocked, but Microsofts internet browser has more holes in it than Swiss cheese! The best alternative is Mozillas Firefox, available for free download at Mozilla.org. After installing the browser, it will automatically transfer your bookmarks/favorites and settings over to Firefox. Also, please make sure Firefox is your default browser. Using Firefox will reduce the amount of spyware and adware on your computer by 75%.

Secondly, download these two free programs: Spybot (safer-networking.org/en/index.html) and Ad-Aware (lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/). These two free programs will search throughout your computer, find the spyware and adware and allow you to quarantine and delete it. To be completely safe, be sure to run and update both of these programs twice a week. This will get rid of all spyware and adware currently on your computer and bring your protection level up to 95%.

Finally, be sure to use a firewall. A firewall is just what it sounds like, a wall between your internet connection and your computer. If you have a high speed broadband connection, a firewall is a must. Most Windows XP systems have a built in firewall that you can simply enable (check Microsofts help files if you dont know how) but if youre looking for more protection but dont want to pay, simply download Zone Alarms free firewall at tinyurl.com/7cn6a . Zone alarms firewall may take awhile to configure, but it is worth it in the long run. With a properly configured firewall, your protection level is now at 100%.

Good luck and be safe!

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656

Summary:
One of the biggest threats that computer users are facing today is the probability of a virus invasion. It is possible that your own PC might have been infected with a virus that you have downloaded unknowingly from the internet, or copied from other removable storage Medias like floppies or compact discs. While some viruses are capable of doing extensive damage to your system, some may be completely harmless but simply annoying. Whatever the problem is, its always best to t…

Keywords:
virus, viruses, computers, spyware, antivirus

Article Body:
One of the biggest threats that computer users are facing today is the probability of a virus invasion. It is possible that your own PC might have been infected with a virus that you have downloaded unknowingly from the internet, or copied from other removable storage Medias like floppies or compact discs. While some viruses are capable of doing extensive damage to your system, some may be completely harmless but simply annoying. Whatever the problem is, its always best to try and remove these malicious applications (manually or using anti-virus software) before they can cause any harm, and without deleting sensitive and important files on your computer.

There is no one set of instructions you can follow to deal with a computer virus because all viruses are different. There may be variants but each variant may behave differently and independently. The steps mentioned here are general remedies that may be used if ever your system is infected with a virus.

Active and inactive viruses:

A virus is usually located in a file, and it can be in one of these two states: active and inactive. When the infected file has not been executed, the virus is in an inactive state, and is not necessarily harmful. In such cases it is enough to delete the file. When the infected file begins execution (when started by user, by operating system, or by another program), the virus changes its state from inactive to active, and begins to perform harmful activities on the system.

Identify the virus:

There is a webpage for every virus that has ever been identified by anti-virus companies, that explains how the virus executes itself, and usually how to remove it and disinfect the system. Heres one useful resource available for identifying viruses on your computer:

The Symantec Antivirus Research Center Online Encyclopedia or the McAfee Virus Information Search Center (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html): Try using these virus search engines to locate information about the virus on your computer. The Symantec search is capable of identifying viruses according to the symptom experienced by the system (such as the subject line of the email message that contained the virus or the error message the virus causes on the computer), but its best if you know the name of the virus beforehand. Also remember that different computer viruses produce different “symptoms”.

Using Anti-virus Software:

Once the virus has been identified, the best thing to do next is to run an anti-virus software, scan and clean the system. If you have anti-virus software on your computer (most users do), make sure the software is up-to-date.

Most anti-virus software run periodical, scheduled or manual scans on your computer according to preference, and if fully updated, will promptly identify any malicious activity or files on your system. You then have the options of deleting, quarantining or analyzing the virus depending on the type of antivirus you employ. If youre not too acquainted with the software, the only recommendation is to immediately delete the file, thereby eliminating any threat posed to your systems security.

Protect yourself from future threats:

Once you have removed the virus(es), it would be a good time to make sure your computer is protected from future threats by following these simple steps:

1.Make sure the anti-virus software on your computer is always up-to-date

2.Run real-time protection if your anti-virus has the feature (most anti-virus software do)

3.Do not download or run any suspicious or unrecognized email attachments or file from the internet

4.Always run your anti-virus and scan any removable storage Medias before using them

Contact technical support:

If you cant solve the problem yourself, you should contact technical support immediately by phone or email. Every anti-virus company has one. They will be able to help and guide you. Do not take any drastic steps, like formatting any of your drives, if you dont have prior experience.

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414

Summary:
This is a review article to remove spyware

Keywords:
Spyware, remove spyware, spyware removal, spyware removal programs, stop spyware, anti spyware

Article Body:
In order to remove spyware from your pc you will need a program that can detect search and destroy those unwanted programs. Once you remove the spyware program you can feel safe and free to surf the net.

Many spyware programs can disrupt the normal operation of your computer. Most spyware programs will slow your system down because it is taking the time to log each and every one of your keystrokes. This log is then programmed to be sent off to a some one else’s computer. They will then review your keystrokes for passwords and personal information. This is done so that they can steal your credit cards numbers and use your personal information to their advantage.

If you suspect you are infected the first thing you want to do is to remove spyware right away. There are some good programs out on the net that will do this. Some remove spyware programs can be evil and cause even more problems for you.

Spyware is a problem and there is always some one with bad ethics writing the software so they can take advantage of you. It is very important to protect yourself against spyware before you get infected. Sometimes it is hard to remove them once they have been downloaded to your pc. Some remove spyware programs that are reputable can prevent spyware from being downloaded before it is to late.

I have noticed that many sites that offer free services are infected with spyware and even more so adware. I will be discussing adware in another article. Your internet experience can be very fun and enjoyable if you have the right protection so that you can freely surf the internet knowing that you are protected. Make sure that if you do have a remove spyware protection program installed on your computer that you check for updates often. This is very important as new spyware programs are written all the time. The removal spyware programs are good at keeping up with the new ones.

I have just tried out a new spyware program that works very well against the remove spyware battle. There are so many programs to choose from some good and even some very bad. I tend to stay with one that I know works the best.

Please visit some of my sites Spyware Removal Software and Remove Spyware

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557

Summary:
This article is about Spyware removal

Keywords:
Spyware, remove spyware, spyware removal, spyware removal programs, stop spyware, anti spyware

Article Body:
Spyware are programs that automatically download to your computer when you enter an infected website. The files are downloaded in different ways. When you enter a web site that has these types of programs on them they will automatically download to your pc the minute you enter the site. Many times you don’t know they are downloading onto your computer. In order to remove spyware, you will need spyware removal software.

Another way these programs get downloaded to your pc is when you are downloading files or software from a site that has these files. I spent the past 16 years as a systems analyst for a very large company. From this experience I have found that it is helpful to have some sort of spyware removal software on your computer.

It is quite common that many sites that offer free downloads infect your PC with spyware. Once a spyware file is downloaded to your PC it monitors your activity as well as were you go on the web, all your keystrokes, and many other things. The information that the spyware file gathers gets automatically sent off to its host site without your knowledge.

Adware infections are very similar and can slow your computer down the same as the spyware. You may suspect your infected by adware when you keep getting redirected to other sites and receive tons of pop ups.

Spyware programs, once loaded on your computer can really slow your pc down to a snails pace. Sometimes they cause such problems that you can no longer even use your pc. Proper removal of the spyware is crucial in order to clean up your pc.

It is important to choose reliable spyware removal software that will effectively remove spyware and these unwanted spyware files from you computer. It is also important to make sure you have the most up to date spyware removal software on the market.

When choosing what sites to go to on the web you should be safe and carefully choose what site you are directing yourself to. Popular big name companies and such are usually very safe sites to visit. Remember not all sites that offer free software are sites that will infect your computer. However I have noticed that many sites that do offer free stuff to download like games, movies, and free software are many times the source of these spyware files.

Surf the Internet safely and be careful what sites you surf and buy your self a good spyware protection program. One program I have had great success with over the years is NoAdware. The software will remove adware and spyware from your pc. I will post another article soon with a review of the NoAdware spyware removal software. If you would like to see the software please visit my website. If your computer is infected your only choice is to remove spyware files from you computer. If the spyware stays on your computer it will slow your pc right down and in some cases it will prevent you from surfing. Some of these programs make instant changes to your computer settings and also your browser settings.

Please visit some of my sites Spyware Removal Software and Remove Spyware

Recent studies show that 9 out of 10 PCs are infected with Spyware

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654

Summary:
Internet connections are infected with Spyware or other types of information-gathering Malware.Supportcave.com offers free antispyware software programs, helping computer users to protect their computers as well as their personal privacy.

Keywords:
Spy Sweeper, spyware, spyware removal

Article Body:
Spy Sweeper named PC Magazine’s Best of the Year 2004 for
antispyware

The very best AntiSpy program on the market -

Webroot Spy Sweeper. Webroot Spy Sweeper was named best
spyware remover 2004 by PC magazine and praised for it’s
efficiency, speed and userfriendlyness.

Spyware and malware are large problems for Internet users today
and can be both annoying and a real threat to you and your
computer. There exist a number of different spy and malware of
which some are relatively friendly and only spies on your surfing
habits, while others like the Trojans can be used to corrupt your
hard drive or steal your usernames and passwords. A Trojan can
even be used to steal your identity by extracting all necessary
information from your computer.

You may think that ad ware might not be that bad, that it is good if
the ads are chosen to fit your interests. This might be true if the
spy ware didn’t have a number of other negative effects, such as
an increased amount of pop up ads, unexplained home page
changes, strange results when searching the web and the fact
that your computer are being slowed down by the spy wares.
These are all very common results and symptoms of spyware and
ad ware. More unusual problems connected with spyware and
Trojans are the corruption of the hard drive, the loss and exposure
of private information and login information and in a worst case
scenario, the theft of the identity of the owner of an infected
computer.

Spyware is a large treat to the security of your online privacy.

There are however steps that you can take to avoid suffering the
negative effects that spy- and ad ware can bring, and start
protecting you computer and building an Identity Theft Protection.
The first of these steps are to get a good antispyware and
antiadware program able to remove spyware. There are a number
of different spyware removers available and two of the most well
known might be Ad Aware and Spybot which are both good
programs. The best available program that is designed to remove
spyware and adware is however at the moment SpySweeper
which was chosen as the best spyware remover 2004 by PC
magazine.

Spy Sweeper can scan your computer 30% faster then other
available products and successfully remove spyware like
CoolWebSearch. Spy Sweeper also uses a system monitor that
automatically discovers spy ware and prevents installation of
spyware on our computer. Spy sweeper is effective for spyware
and adware removal.

The active shield uses System Monitoring to in real time prevent
new spy- and adware programs from being installed on your
computer. This fact combined with the fact that Spy Sweepers
uses a constantly updated database of all available spy- and ad
wares means that this adware remover can clean your computer,
ridding it of any and all spy- and ad ware. Once it has cleaned your
computer it can keep it clean and assure that your computer stays
clean from ad- and spy ware.

By keeping your computer free from spyware and adware Spy
Sweepers also protects your information and keeps your identity
safe. Spy Sweepers prompts you to update it if it has been to long
since it was last updated.

If spy sweeper finds a spyware it will immediately quarantine the
spyware and disable the spy wares functionality until you can
decide whether to delete the file or try to clean the file from
spyware elements and return the file to its original place on your
hard drive.

If you have a problem with Spy Sweeper despite its highly user
friendly and automated design you will have access to an excellent
customer support where experts answers any question you might
have.

Spy Sweepers deserved the title PC Magazine’s Best of the Year
2004 since it can do everything the alternatives can do, but better
as well as faster then the alternatives.

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The Trojan horse is something out of ancient history that we still use in conversation today. For example, when we call something a Trojan horse we really mean that it is something that is good looking but has an evil intent. A Trojan horse virus is also something that looks good on the outside but has a very evil intent on the inside. Although they have only been around for a short period of time, they have earned a more prominent place in our lives than the wooden Trojan ho…

Keywords:
trojan horse

Article Body:
The Trojan horse is something out of ancient history that we still use in conversation today. For example, when we call something a Trojan horse we really mean that it is something that is good looking but has an evil intent. A Trojan horse virus is also something that looks good on the outside but has a very evil intent on the inside. Although they have only been around for a short period of time, they have earned a more prominent place in our lives than the wooden Trojan horse from the distant past. Here are some of the first Trojan horse viruses that were encountered.

The first Trojan horse virus that we will discuss is known as the pest trap. It is also more commonly known as Spy Sheriff, and has infected millions of computers around the world. This Trojan horse virus is also classified as malware in that it does not destroy any part of your computer, but it does cause some malicious pop-ups to appear. Most of the times these pop-ups will appear as warnings stating that you need to install some type of software in an attempt to trick you into purchasing that software. Once Spy Sheriff is installed on your computer it is very difficult to remove. If you try to delete it through normal means it will simply reinstall itself from hidden infected files on your computer. Antivirus and anti-spyware software will usually not be able to detect this program. It is also impossible to remove by doing a system restore as it affects the components which operate this feature in Windows.

Sometimes these Trojan horse viruses can come in packages that are seemingly harmless. This is the case in the net bus Trojan horse which was actually software that was meant to be used to remotely control windows from another computer. Because of some problems with the software it was used to hack into several computers. One of the most notable cases was that of a professor in which thousands of child pornography pictures were downloaded to his work computer. Whenever the pictures were discovered it was assumed that he had downloaded them knowingly. Although he was eventually acquitted of the crime, the negative affects on him were long-lasting.

Another problem virus that has had far reaching effects is the Vundo virus. This virus uses a lot of Windows memory at various intervals and also has many pop-ups that tell you that you are missing important system files. It has also been known to cause many messages to appear which tell you that you must install certain various security software, of which many are viruses themselves. This virus is a bit easier to remove than most, as there are many automatic programs written to help you with the process.

There are many different ways that a Trojan horse virus can infect your computer. One thing that all Trojan horse viruses have in common is that they cannot be activated unless you activate the file in which they are hidden. That is why it is so important never to open a file that you are uncomfortable with as it may open the floodgates and allow many different viruses to come in.

Protect your self from Anti-Spyware frauds and download a genuine Anti-Spyware program for free

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564

Summary:
Protect your self from Anti-Spyware frauds and download a genuine Anti-Spyware program for free Learn more about how to avoid getting bogus Anti Spyware, and choose a high-quality Spyware remover and download it online for free.

Keywords:
totally free spyware removers available

Article Body:
There are a lot of different types of Anti-Spyware programs out there. You will not only have to decide whether you want a Spyware blocker or a Spyware remover or a program that combines these two features. You must also decide if your want to pay for the Anti-Spyware program or if you prefer a free program. When it comes to Spyware Removers, some are very expensive, some comes with a small fee and there are also totally free spyware removers available. Most computer users choose to begin with one of the totally free spyware removers available online. Some are lucky enough to find the one of superior totally free spyware removers available on the Internet today, and will stick with this totally free spyware remover. Other chose to upgrade one of the not-so-good but totally free spyware removers available, to an enhanced but more pricy version of the program.

By starting out with one of the totally free spyware removers available online, you can try out several totally free spyware removers to find out which one is most suitable for your. Totally free spyware removers available off-line is hardly ever heard of, since it would be too expensive to distribute them. Instead, the programs available on the market today is found online where you can download them directly to your computer - easy and convenient. Despite the enormous amounts of online advertising about this type of programs online, it can be hard to actually find a totally free spyware remover available online. When you read the fine print, you will usually find out the products marketed as totally free spyware removers available online is actually not at all totally free. Sometimes the program it self will be totally free, but the necessary updates costs a lot of money. Since all spyware removers need to be updated regularly to learn about new types of Spyware, such programs will soon turn out to be not-at-all totally free spyware removers available online. Other programs claims to be totally free spyware removers available online, but are only free during a trial period - sometimes for just a few days. As soon as the trial period is over, you will have to buy one of their not-at-all totally free spyware removers available online. The third kind of bad totally free spyware removers available online are those that are so basic that they offer hardly any protection at all against new and clever Spyware.

You should also be aware, not all sites with totally free spyware removers available online are run by sincere Anti-Spyware companies. When the public knowledge about the potential dangers connected to Spyware programs grew, the computer users started to install spyware removers to combat the Spyware. The companies that gain from Spyware countered this by offering phoney spyware removers available free online. These false totally free spyware removers available online will not at all protect your computer from Spyware. Instead, a lot of them will even install Spyware on your computer and start sending information back to their owner. False totally free spyware removers available online can seem great, but will actually do more harm than good once you have installed them. Always use a critical eye when you check out a web site that offers totally free spyware removers available online. Only download free spyware removers from web sites that you know have a good reputation.

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512

Summary:
Spyware is tracking software that is secretly planted on your computer, and used to gather information about your browsing habits. Adware is advertising that comes loaded with freeware and shareware programs. When you use adware-supported programs, you will see ads popping up happening all over your computer screen at regular intervals. Both adware and spyware have tremendous nuisance value and must be done away with as quickly as possible.

You will be surprised to know th…

Keywords:
GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC

Article Body:
Spyware is tracking software that is secretly planted on your computer, and used to gather information about your browsing habits. Adware is advertising that comes loaded with freeware and shareware programs. When you use adware-supported programs, you will see ads popping up happening all over your computer screen at regular intervals. Both adware and spyware have tremendous nuisance value and must be done away with as quickly as possible.

You will be surprised to know that the distribution of online advertisements via spyware and adware is a massive $2 billion industry (Source: Webroot Software, Inc). Both adware and spyware are hostile pieces of software that require a fitting reply from the average Internet surfer.

According to statistics published by the National Cyber Security Alliance, more than 90% of all PCs are affected by spyware. Spyware is programmed so craftily that it slips through firewalls and anti-virus software. Once it gets into the system and begins its act, there’s hell to pay your personal and confidential information is compromised along with your computer’s performance. But there’s a little bit of good news Spyware programs do not self-replicate like viruses and Trojans, and hence removal becomes an easy task once they are caught.

Typically, spyware gets installed on a system in three ways:

1. In most cases, spyware gets into the computer when a user installs it unknowingly. This is because spyware may come bundled with a freeware/shareware program. Once spyware gets installed, it begins collecting data from the user’s hard drive and passes on the data to its author, either for his own use or for selling the information to a third party. Many peer-to-peer sharing programs have spyware and adware built into them, and you should think about the consequences before downloading and installing them.

Before downloading any freeware/shareware program, it is important to read the license agreement. Most license agreements of such software explicitly state that adware/spyware comes bundled along with their software. Unfortunately, most Internet users do not take the time to read and understand these agreements. Some of these agreements include special opt-out boxes, using which the user can stop the spyware from being included in the download. So, remember to pay extra attention to the license agreement the next time you download freeware/shareware.

2. Another method of planting software is by tricking the user by simulating Microsoft Windows pop-ups and prompts. No sooner does a user click on these simulated prompts, the spyware/adware gets installed on his system. This occurrence is common amongst users of Internet Explorer. Anyway, the latest version of Internet Explorer does make life a little more difficult for these hackers.

3. Finally, developers of spyware design it in such a way that it attacks the vulnerable security areas of the browser/operating system, and manages to worm its way into the system. You have to be careful before visiting websites that allow you to download music free of charge or other websites with explicit and objectionable material, because every page on such sites is armed with adware/spyware waiting to worm into your system.

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616

Summary:
Notebook computers bring a tremendous convenience to personal computing. Just sit within range of a wireless hotspot and you can connect to your office or home network, access your email, and complete important projects for work. However, roaming from one unsecured wireless network to another can leave your computer vulnerable to malicious software attacks.

Keywords:
virus scan,spyware,virus protection,laptops,notebooks

Article Body:
Notebook computers bring a tremendous convenience to personal computing. Just sit within range of a wireless hotspot and you can connect to your office or home network, access your email, and complete important projects for work. However, roaming from one unsecured wireless network to another can leave your computer vulnerable to malicious software attacks.

Spyware and Viruses

If you are connected to a wireless network without its own firewall, hackers can easily intercept the signals you send and receive across the airwaves. Malicious individuals can also install spyware and viruses on your computer.

Spyware refers to an application designed to track a computer user’s internet activities, keep note of sites visited, and gather other information. The term, “spyware,” can also refer to any non-viral malicious software, including software that takes over your internet connection, pops up unwanted advertisements, or even blocks your internet connection. A tracking program is technically labeled as spyware only if the computer user does not consent to the download or installation.

Spyware collects information and sends it back to the spyware controller. The owner of the spyware program usually sells gathered information to marketers. For instance, spyware can get a computer user’s email information, using that information to bombard the user with advertisements and spam. Spyware is also known as “malware” (Malicious Software), as it can be used to aid identity theft and fraudulent activities (some spyware programs mine credit card information and other sensitive financial information). Keylogging programs, used to steal credit card information and passwords by monitoring everything a user types, fall under the umbrella of spyware/malware.

Viruses are another type of malicious software. A virus is a piece of code that attaches itself to a program, a file, or your boot sector. These malicious programs are called viruses because they work much like a viral infection they spread to other files, programs, and even computers, and they are designed explicitly to damage your files and destroy your applications.

Protecting Your Notebook from Spyware and Viruses

Protecting your notebook computer from spyware and viruses protects you against fraud and protects your privacy, too.

The first thing that you need to do is install a secure web browser. Internet Explorer is particularly vulnerable to unauthorized scripts which could be run and installed on your computer without your knowledge. Instead of using Internet Explorer, you can try using Mozilla Firefox, one of the most secure web browsers around. Firefox will always inform you about any download or installation, inform you about suspect sites, and update your browser automatically to continually improve security.

Aside from using Firefox, it is important that any computer user install a personal firewall to block unauthorized access attempts. For Windows XP users, Comodo Personal Firewall is a free option (there is an Alpha version of Comodo Personal Firewall Version 3, which adds Vista support, but this would not be a stable option until they reach the final release). Even the best firewall can sometimes allow spyware through, however, so scan your computer with a free program like Spybot: Search & Destroy or Ad-Aware SE, two of the very best anti-spyware programs available. You should not neglect to install anti-virus software, too. If you have an anti-virus program you already use, stick with it, but the free home edition of Avast and the open-source (free) anti-virus product ClamWin are two excellent options. Be sure to keep your security software updated (most programs will automatically update themselves, but they will sometimes prompt you for your permission) to give yourself the very best protection against malicious software.

This article may be republished freely as long as this copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the bottom.

Copyright 2007 MALIBAL, lLc