Today,on most internet user’s computers, we have the
ability to employ software, along with our
intelligence, to prevent viruses and spyware.
To put this article into proper perspective, we’ll use
Medieval defense tactics.
This is accomplished by 3 methods. First, a firewall…
‘The Castle Moat’ so to speak. A firewall can’t see
inside your computer beforehand though, so if any viruses
or spyware were present before the firewall was installed
then its of no use. Of course, its extremely good at preventing new
attacks.
Second, a anti-virus program…. ‘The Castle Drawbridge!
They will not provide much help with spyware, but good
virus protection is as desirable as one of Avaris’s
dreams! One drawback can be the updates, of course.If
you’ve just updated Wednesday night and a virus hits the
next day, then you may not be protected till next
Wednesday night, and by then it may be too late. If you’re
smart, you will have signed up for email alerts with
the provider, or even better, you’ll have a anti-virus
program that has a real time update feature. I get the
tingles when I see that little pop-up saying a update
is available and click here. Its downloaded ,installed,
and updated in about 20 seconds! A new virus or Trojan or
God forbid, a new keylogger can hit the internet and spread
in a matter of days, and I’m sure this must make the definition
writers lives a living hell. I have great admiration for
them as they could have been wealthy doctors, but they have
chosen to help us… the end users. (moment of silence here)
Last, we have anti-spyware programs,’The Flaming oil’! (my favorite).
Their update features are like the anti-virus programs,
so you have to be as vigilant with this method of defense
too as you would be with the others. I’ve heard there are
people out there that don’t even know when their
updates run, or even if its configured to do so! I
refuse to believe this sordid rumor!
So you’ve got your defenses set up, you’re looking good.
But the best defense is a good offense, attack!
That’s what some organizations do. They prowl the net
looking for websites that harbor drive-by downloads,
URL Re-Directing and such. When they find them, they
shut them down, or report them so effective protection
can be manufactured. These people have my sincere
thanks for what they do. With identity theft on the
rise and Websense reporting that the average computer
has 28 items of Spyware on it, we need all the help we
can get. Oh sure, you’re saying not my computer !
Well, lets discuss those little boxes that you click
“I Agree” to when you download something. Do you read
the entire statement? This is one way spyware has
become so rampant, because so many downloads have extra
software included in them. These can be harmful to
your computers well being. KeyLoggers, popups, adware, malware…
Need I go on?
So my idea is that we need these shining knights from the
castle to journey forth on a quest. They will be
little robots or spiders like the search engines use.
They will be given absolute power over harmful
programs they find. They will be like Gort in the
movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.
Dell recently reported that 12% of their calls were
for spyware damage, Microsoft says half of their
reports of system crashes are caused by spyware. These
calls cost these companies millions of dollars in
revenue, which they then pass the costs of onto us,
the consumers.
Who knows, if viruses and spyware ever get controlled,
the average computer may only cost a dollar!
About the author:
About the Author: Doug Woodall has a web site at http://www.spywarebiz.com
There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware.
His Website is recognized by Learning Fountain and ISafe
Doug’s Articles have earned him Trusted Author Status at ImpactArticles.com
He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association)
Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum
Permission to copy ok as long as about author info remains with article.
Copyright 2005 SpywareBiz
Written by mellow on October 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Spyware.
Computer Viruses are Bad Luck
by: Maya Pinion
OK, so you caught a computer virus and your system is all screwed up and you’re frustrated and angry and upset. Bad luck.
Here’s something that might make you feel better …
The universe has true balance. And if a computer virus causes bad luck for the user it can also cause bad luck for the person who launched it.
Computer virus creators are usually very young and do not realize, or care, that they are causing harm to others. They just think it’s cool. What they don’t realize is that when a virus is launched it also unleashes a mystical power into the world, a malevolent thing that does bad things and makes victims of other people.
What these teen and pre-teen computer terrorists also don’t realize is what goes around comes around. The universe will get them. Sooner or later. Payback time. They cause you bad luck, bad luck will befall them. What goes around comes around. If they launch a virus, causing bad luck for millions of people, in return, that can unleash and focus millions of bad vibes, BIG bad luck, back at them. That could mean serious bad luck for the launcher of a virus. Perhaps their mother will finally become totally disgusted with their attitude and behavior and cease to love them. Maybe they’ll end up in a foster home, too old for adoption. Or maybe they’ll have to run away and live on the streets, with no place to hook up their computer. Or maybe they won’t run away but will get a weird but temporary brain disease that prevents them from using a computer until they’re old enough to use it responsibly. Bad luck for them.
The computer virus. Bad luck for you, worse luck for the one who launches it.
About The Author
Maya Pinion is a New Age writer, contributing editor at News4Net and, for those who wish to discover their true destiny, highly recommends DestinyFinders.com
Written by mellow on October 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Have you ever tried to remove Spyware off your PC only to
find out it never left or it came back? Tired of all those
annoying Popups, Viruses, and Ads on your system day in and
day out? Well, listen closely because the day has come to
remove Spyware programs and Viruses – forever!
I will give you some very useful tricks and tips to remove
Spyware and Viruses for good! Follow closely:
Steps to Remove Spyware, Viruses, and Adware
1. There are many types of software available today that
claim to remove spyware off our system, but which one REALLY
does the job? What you need is software that not only will
remove spyware, but TOTALLY removes it for good and keeps it
off. After searching for the best of the best, here is THE
BEST: Panda Online Scan. Why? It does not constantly run
on your system, slowing it down and using bunches of memory!
In other words, it runs from Panda on the web, then searches
your whole system, will remove spyware and other bugs, then
gives detailed info on the bug and tells you how to keep it
off your system! Here is the address to get started:
http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/scan.html
It only installs a few plug-ins to run on your system, and
no full installation!
2. Check your system services and systray items! The
biggest mistake people make is never checking what programs
are running in the background or memory of the system. A key
step to remove spyware from your system is knowing this.
Without knowing these things, you probably have bugs running
on your system, and never know it! Why? They like to hide!
Download and install a program called HIJACK THIS. It tells
you exactly what is running and what is not running so you
know exactly what might be hiding behind closed doors! Here
is the address for this:
http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/hijackthis.html
3. Shutdown the SYSTEM RESTORE! (Windows XP)
Spyware and Viruses attach themselves to your system’s
restore files. This is an easy way for them to hide, even
after you reinstall Windows! Right click on ‘MY COMPUTER’,
then click on ‘Properties’. Look for a tab on top called
‘System Restore’, and click there. Check the box that says
‘Turn off system restore on all drives’. Click ‘APPLY’,
then ‘OK’. That’s it!
4. Use an Anonymous IP address when surfing the web!
This is a huge step in keeping bugs off your system forever!
Bugs get onto your system and retrieve info about you by
capturing your IP address. Your IP address tells everyone
who you are, where you’re located, your system info, what
kind of Windows you use, your browser, etc. An anonymous IP
hides your IP by using an Anonymous address and makes you
invisible to everyone, including Spyware and Ads! Here is an
address to a good proxy list:
http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/proxylist.html
Please follow these instructions carefully for Microsoft
Internet Explorer:
a) Scroll down on the page from the above link. On the
list, look at the numbers listed under IP:Port Host name.
Make sure the uptime on the right is at least 97 to 99 %.
b) Go to the Control Panel in Windows.
c) Open up ‘ Internet Options’.
d) Click on the ‘Connections’ tab on top.
e) Click on ‘LAN Settings’.
f) Put a check-mark where it says PROXY SERVER.
g) In the Address box, copy and paste the IP address listed
on the proxy list (for example: 148.244.150.58 – These are
the numbers shown BEFORE the ‘:’ (semi-colon).
h) Copy and paste the port number into the PORT box (for
example: ‘80′ – the number immediately after the
semi-colon).
i) Click OK, and OK again to close, and close everything.
j) Go ahead and open up your browser and try surfing the
internet to test.
Thats it! You are now surfing invisibly!
For the Firefox browser:
a) Open up the browser and go to ‘TOOLS’ then ‘OPTIONS’.
b) Go to ‘GENERAL’ on the left, then click the ‘Connection
Settings’ button below.
c) Choose ‘Manual’ proxy config from the choices.
d) Check the ‘use the same proxy’ checkbox.
e) In the ‘HTTP Proxy’ box, copy and paste the anonymous IP,
and the PORT number in the PORT box (remove the zero first).
f) Click OK, then OK again to close.
g) Now test your browser by surfing the web.
You are now invisible.
**note – if your browsing gets super slow or has a problem,
look for another IP and Port number on the list and try
again. Most of the time the proxies from Mexico work best.
Happy surfing! The free proxy list can be found here:
http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/proxylist.html
5. Download and install the new FIREFOX browser!
Please get rid of Microsoft Internet Explorer on your
system! It is like a pipe that feeds Spyware, Ads and
Viruses onto your system. There are just too many holes
there letting everything in. Mozilla is a fairly new company
that introduced a new breed of browser that blocks popups,
and tries hard to keep these bugs off your system. It has
very few or even NO holes or pipes to let the bugs in! Many
people use it for this very reason, and it has a great look,
better speed, and lets you change the theme of it! Awesome!
Here is the address:
http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/firefox.html
Well that about sums up how to remove spyware in 5 steps.
Follow them CLOSELY and you will see how great it is to surf
virus free Forever! Guaranteed!
About the author:
For more tips, tricks, and secrets on protecting your PC and making it run faster and without problems, sign up on our mailing list at: http://www.stopspywareforfree.com
Written by mellow on October 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Spyware.
