November 2006
You are currently browsing the articles from Safe Computer written in the month of November 2006.
This month’s article is one of the things I still find comes up as a frequent question, “what’s the difference between Viruses and Spyware”? I will try and clarify that here. One of the biggest slowdowns of a PC is caused by viruses, adware or spyware as it’s often called. Before you can benefit from any other optimisation tips or improvements you really need a system relatively free from those pests.
A virus is a piece of malicious software code written to cause some kind of damage to a computer system or network or even the Internet itself. Viruses spread, similar to their biological namesake, from one machine to another and can spread havoc wherever they go. They are most commonly spread by sharing files with others or through email attachments where they can be set up to send themselves to all the addresses in your email address book.
Adware is usually dowloaded and installed along with some other program without your knowledge and unlike a virus doesn’t spread by itself. Very often you click “OK” without reading the terms and conditions and by doing so you agree to have the files installed. An example is you see a “free” program on offer that you think might be useful and download it without thinking. Even some anti-spyware programs install adware and the website earns money from the ads that are clicked on.
The catch is that the extra files introduced are used to determine things like your surfing habits and the data is used to serve up popup ads or redirect your browser to a page other than the one you wanted. Some of the programs can be used to install keyloggers which can send back information about passwords and bank details etc. Adware is not a security problem it is more an annoyance especially when you have ten different programs trying show ads. The amount of computer resources it uses up slows your system to a crawl.
Spyware is more malicious and evil intentioned and is designed to steal something from you. It can be downloaded by visiting the wrong types of websites or along with other files the same way as adware. Spyware can often be hard to remove as it can continually recreate itself and hide somewhere on your hard drive.
Programs such as trojans can be used to allow access to hackers at a later date. From the story of the Trojan horse where the Greeks hid inside the wooden horse left as a peace offering and were wheeled in to the fort by the Trojans themselves. Then at night the Greeks crept out of the horse and opened the gates and let the enemy in. Trojans and adware unlike viruses don’t spread themselves.
It is wise to run more than one spyware checker as no one system gets rid of them all. You can never be certain you have every one removed because new ones may not have been discovered and the Spyware program doesn’t recognise it yet. I use the two free ones “Spybot” and “Adaware” and I also use http://www.pcsandthings.com/CounterSpy.htm which comes from a reputable company that specialises in removing spyware.
Sometimes people say to me “doesn’t my anti-virus software remove spyware”? Well the answer is most don’t and even if it does I always find a specialist product works best. Beware also of bogus spyware scanners available on-line which actually install their own spyware once they have removed their competitors. Sometimes you run a free scan and it finds all sorts of nasties but you will have to sign up and pay to remove them. I have even seen it that they find things that don’t exist or try to frighten people into believing they have lots of spyware when all they have are advertising cookies.
Cookies are small text files that websites leave on your system so that when you return they can customise the page that loads or they can count you as a returning visitor. They are harmless and most of them are useful. They can be easily removed by deleting them in your browser settings.
So you need to be running a suitable and up to date antivirus program and one or more Spyware checkers.
More tips can be gotten from my website at http://www.pcsandthings.com
About the Author
Dave tries to make your computing experience a bit less stressful and helps you to speed up your computer with free tips at www.pcsandthings.com
Written by mellow on November 30th, 2006 with no comments.
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The Internet is full of information and data, we can use it at work and at home, for increased productivity or for a great source of fun. Unfortunately, the Internet has also many dangers inside. I’ll try to explain the basic things that can be done to keep away those dangers from your computer.
To keep you from troubles if you are connected to the internet you need: the latest service pack for the operating system and all hotfixes that were released, one antivirus that must has the latest database for virus signatures, one firewall to protect for brute force attacks or various exploits and one antispyware and antitrojan program. There are some programs that combine the antivirus, firewall and antispyware capability. Also, if you work a lot with emails, you might need a powerful email client who can provide anti-spam protection, because even if most of the spam mails don’t contain viruses, you might get them in such a large numbers that sorting them might become very difficult.
Of course, the most important thing is that no antivirus or firewall can protect you better than you can. What I’m trying to say here is that by watching what programs you run, what websites you visit and what emails you open, you can prevent most of the dangers. Another thing that can very helpful is doing periodic backup of your important files, because if a virus infects or deletes your files, you will need those files back. And by backing up your files, you can recover quickly in case that you need to reinstall your operating system, or, even worse, in case of hard drive crash.
In the end, I hope that this short guide gave some information that will prevent a few viruses and trojans from spreading. Because, that’s what most of viruses and trojans do : they spread, and if one of you gets away from such a virus, this means that many more were saved, because the virus could not get any further to others, maybe other one, but, much more likely, other thousands or even more. So, keep yourself away from viruses and help others do the same thing.
For more information on security related topics visit our website: http://www.securitysoftwarezone.com/
Eugen Blaga – Security Consultant at Security Software Zone
About the Author
Security Software Zone, comprehensive source for Free Downloads, Experts Reviews and Latest Security News
Written by mellow on November 30th, 2006 with no comments.
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You decide to make an online purchase from a reputable Internet site, so you add the items to your virtual shopping cart and head to the checkout. You enter your billing address, your credit card number, your card’s expiration date, even your card’s 3-digit authorization number. Without even knowing it, you could have provided an identity thief all of the information he or she needs to rack up charges on your account if your computer is infested with a type of spyware known as keyloggers.
Keylogger software keeps track of every letter, number, or symbol you type. Then, the information is transferred from your computer to a third-party. While keyloggers are bad enough, they are only one of over a dozen types of spyware being used by hackers and identity thieves today. What’s worse is that your computer could be infected at this moment, and you may not even realize it. In October 2004, America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance conducted a survey about spyware. Eighty percent of respondents found spyware on their computers and 89% of those individuals never knew it was there.1
While some spyware is relatively harmless, other examples can leave you vulnerable. For example, in August 2005 Sunbelt Software discovered a spyware scheme using a program known as CoolWebSearch which was allowing information from a user’s computer to be sent to a central collection point without his or her knowledge. The type of information collected included Internet activity, credit card numbers, instant message conversations, travel plans, and more. Thousands of people were potential victims of identity theft thanks to this one program.
Now how do you stop yourself from being sucked into a spyware scam? There are two answers to that question.
First, you should install anti-spyware software on your computer. This type of software can detect spyware and can help you eliminate it from your system. However, you need to realize that even the best anti-spyware software is not full-proof because identity thieves and hackers are always revising their spyware so it won’t be detected. Keeping your anti-spyware software up-to-date can help reduce this risk.
Second, you need to practice safer Internet behavior. For example, only download programs from trustworthy web sites and never agree to install anything on your computer unless you know specifically what it is. Keeping your Internet Explorer updated is also a good idea because security weaknesses in the browser are often used by spyware to gain access to your personal online activities.
The bad news is that spyware is only one method of stealing your identity. If you want to learn how to protect yourself from spyware and other methods or if you’ve been a victim of identity theft and need to know what steps to take now, you need to read Identity Theft: A Resource Guide from PCSecurityNews.com. The ebook is available at http://www.PCSecurityNews.com?ht=xgaa06.
About the Author
Author Howard Goff teaches how to reduce the risk of Identity Theft in his e-Book “Identity Theft, A Resource Guide”. He also has more than 15 years of Internet involvement and 3 years of specialize experience in the security industry. He founded http://www.PCSecurityNews.com in 2003 where he offers advice and Spyware Removal (http://www.pcsecuritynews.com/spywareremover.html?ht=xgaa06) tools to hundreds of thousands of people.
Written by mellow on November 29th, 2006 with no comments.
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How safe is your computer? Could you be in danger of getting a virus on your system? Just how real is the danger? What steps should you take if any?
While visiting with a one of my students, I became aware that her anti-virus software was over seventeen months old and had never been updated. Upon informing her that she should update her anti-virus software regularly, she was totally surprised. Furthermore she had no concept how essential this was to ensure her system’s safety. Therefore I thought it wise to write about some of the precautions you should take to avoid becoming infected with a computer virus.
While there are many ‘virus’ hoaxes, and please do not pass any of these hoaxes on as these may actually contain viruses, computer viruses do pose a very real danger. Therefore I’ve listed a few preventative measures that you should take to ensure computer safety.
1. Do install an anti-virus software program and update it often as there are new viruses discovered everyday. I update my anti-virus database daily. At least weekly should be a goal. If you are not updating perpetually, it is like having an insurance policy and never paying the premiums. In no time at all it would be worthless.
2. Be wary of email from strangers. Never open an email with an attachment from a source that is unknown or suspicious. Virus containing emails can be very persuasive in the subject line. Do not let your curiosity be aroused.
I prefer an anti-virus program that has the ability to check all email sent and received. If you update it often, this should keep you safe, although nothing is 100% secure. There are good programs that offer a free version for personal use. These programs generally allow continual updates. Some may require that you register again at the end of year, but the software and updates will still be free.
Two such programs are:
AVG anti-virus, Free edition http://grisoft.com
Free avast! 4 Home Edition http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
For more options and reviews on programs you can do a search on google for free anti-virus.
3. Do exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Be sure to download from well known and reputable sources. Ascertain that your anti-virus software is set to scan files while you are downloading. I have that feature enabled in my anti-virus program and it scans all files when I am in the process of downloading, and it has on occasion prevented me from downloading a file that was infected or posed a potential danger. These programs work so take advantage of the security your anti-virus will provide by using all of the safety features.
4. New viruses creep upon a daily basis. It is important to back up your important files regularly. CD’s and DVD’s hold a large amount of information. Take advantage of this and store your valuable information and computer programs on these removable disks. In the event that a virus should ever invade your system and your files become corrupted you will be able to replace them with your backup copies.
5. Lastly apply the little rule, ‘When in doubt do without’. If you are uncertain, whether it is with an unknown source in your email or a web site that offers a download, then best not to take a chance. No email message or free software is worth the damage to your computer files and the time and expense of repairing your PC. Do not be fooled, computer viruses do affect everyone.
The Internet offers us an array of software, services, entertainment and education that is beneficial. There is no reason to fear the web, it can be safe and secure. Yet it would be unrealistic to assume that there is no danger of computer viruses. There are unscrupulous persons who desire to do you harm. By observing these few guidelines you can minimize any threat of a virus attacking your computer.——————————————————- Doran Roggio teaches others computer safety and maintenance. At http://doranunlimited.com she provides lessons, PC tips, freeware, mp3s, cool sites, ebooks biz info, hosting, all to improve your PC and Internet experience.
About the Author
Doran, writer and entrepreneur provides lessons, resouces, tips, freeware, biz info, ebooks, mp3s, and more to improve your PC and Internet experience. http://doranunlimited.com
Written by mellow on November 29th, 2006 with no comments.
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It is not so noticeable like spam and virus assaults to the systems. Spyware could be destructive and cause financial losses.
Spyware is almost an invisible software programs that collects and transmits personal or company’s important data through the Internet without being noticed. The transferred data could be used for smashing up your company’s credit or might hard hit its profits. Spyware is also commonly acknowledged as Adware, Malware, Sneakware and Snoopware.
Entry point of Spyware: It could enter your network by auto-download software that automatically downloaded to your network, even without user’s acknowledgement. It could also enter with software, which is downloaded by user that includes Spyware program. Most common entry of this software is pop-ups, which appears while opening any site. The pop-ups are very attractively designed to allure user to click it.
The Spyware software is not even blocked by firewall programs, as user itself allows it, of-course, due to unawareness. Similarly, the usual antivirus programs are also unable not block it, due to they don’t seem as wicked as viruses.
Safeguard against Spyware: User should completely read and understand the license agreement before downloading any software. Avoid downloading unknown and fallacious software from the internet. Keep away from clicking pop-up that put forward mouthwatering offers.
The constant use of anti-Spyware software: Often use of anti Spyware could prevent entering such harmful programs to your network. The best precautious step is that, a user could apply to block Spyware access via gateway security solutions like the NetApp Internet access and security (IAS) solution, which stops admittance to Web sites offering Spyware.
There are several anti-spyware programs available out there. These programs search and eliminate Spyware and adware. They can detect and sweep off huge number of adware files and modules. Some of these programs also clean program and web-usage path from your network that is very helpful if the system is shared. There also some free downloadable software on authentic sites like www.1888softwaredownloads.com, www.download.com, www.mcafee.com, www.spywareinfo.com, www.all-internet-security.com, www.tucows.com etc or you can use keyword “free antispyware download” in search. So be precautious while downloading any software from the net. Make sure you do not download or acquire anti-Spyware program without checking its authenticity. It doesn’t happen often, but when it enters would create immense destruction.
About the Author : Allen Brown is a freelance writer for www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances for www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com .
About the Author
Allen Brown is a freelance writer for www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances for www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com.
Written by mellow on November 29th, 2006 with no comments.
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Everyone who uses their home computer to access the Internet needs an Anti Spyware program to protect their privacy. Find out more about where you can find advanced Anti Spyware programs that are absolutely free for home users.
Spyware is a diverse group of software programs that are undesirable for the computer user, since they transmit information to the Spyware owner without the computer user's knowledge or consent. The easiest way of keeping your personal computer free from spyware, is to visit one of the many websites that offers free spyware removal for home use. Since the programs are available for free, you can feel free to try out several free spyware removal for home use before you make up your mind.
Since all users have their own personal needs and requirements, you might have to try more than one free spyware removal for home use before you find the one that is perfect for you. You can also browse through some of the many online guides where consumers have rated different free spyware removal for home use. Do not choose a free spyware removal for home use if it is complicated to download or install. There are several free spyware removal for home use available that are very easy to obtain and manage, so you don't have to tolerate a lot of hassle just because the program is free.
A free spyware removal for home use should not only be able to scan your computer and remove any detected Spyware, it should also alert you every time an attempt to install a spyware program on you computer is made. You should also be able to set the program to automatically block such attempts without bothering you.
As of 2005, a vast majority of the persons who use a computer at home are running one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Home users are therefore typically more vulnerable to Spyware infections, since almost all Spyware programs have been developed to target computers using Microsoft Windows operating systems.
If you are currently using any of the Microsoft Windows operating systems on your home computer, you will benefit a lot by downloading and using free spyware removal for home use. Attacks on Linux or other UNIX platforms are much more uncommon. There is however a few Spyware programs designed to infect UNIX platforms, so even a UNIX user can benefit from free spyware removal for home use.
Programs that offered free spyware removal for home use began to appear in 2000. Steve Gibson of Gibson Research was the pioneer that created the first free spyware removal for home use - OptOut. He was soon to be followed by Lavasoft and a programmer named Patrick Kolla that created their own free spyware removal for home use. The public began to notice the problem with spyware and the need for free spyware removal for home use in 1999, when a very popular game, Elf Bowling, turned out to be a form a spyware.
Elf Bowling had spread rapidly among Internet users who appreciated the humorous game, and now they abruptly found out that Elf Bowling had actually been sending private information about them back to the creator of Elf Bowling, Nsoft. The interest in free spyware removal for home use grew, and eventually several other companies, such as Webroot and Sunbelt Software, launched their own free spyware removal for home use. Today, there are numerous variants of free spyware removal for home use available online from the pioneer companies as well as from newer companies and private programmers.
Many of the old Anti-Virus producers, like McAfee, Symantec and Sophos
, are today offering free spyware removal for home use as a part of their Anti-Virus solutions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New forms of malicious Spyware and Adware are constantly created and in order to protect your computer from infestations you must choose a high-quality program and keep it updated. Supportcave.com offer a selected number of the very best free spyware removal for home available for immediate online download
Written by mellow on November 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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The Twelve Days of Spyware
On the first day of Spyware,
A Sender Forger sent to me
A SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the second day of Spyware,
a Phisher sent to me
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the third day of Spyware,
Webforce sent to me
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the fourth day of Spyware,
A Homepage Hijacker sent to me
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the fifth day of Spyware,
Advertising Software sent to me
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the sixth day of Spyware,
A Hacker sent to me
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the seventh day of Spyware,
A Dialer stealer sent to me
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the eighth day of Spyware,
A free download sent to me
A lil program that stole my chatroom logs,
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the ninth day of Spyware,
A Drive By Download sent to me
Xupiter,oh joy,
A lil program that stole my chatroom logs,
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the tenth day of Spyware,
Grokster sent to me
Gator,oh NO,
Xupiter,oh joy,
A lil program that stole my chatroom logs,
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the eleventh day of Spyware,
DoubleClick sent to me
Lots of Ad Cookies,
Gator,oh NO,
Xupiter,oh joy,
A lil program that stole my chatroom logs,
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email.
On the twelfth day of Spyware,
Malware sent to me
A unbootable computer,
Lots of Ad Cookies,
Gator,oh NO,
Xupiter,oh joy,
A lil program that stole my chatroom logs,
A huge Phone bill,
A Keylogger that stole my Identity,
A hundred annoying Popups,
A Homepage of Sleeze,
A unauthorized Bank Charge,
A Nigerian Email Scam,
And a SoBig Virus in a Email!
Stay Safe Online and Happy Holidays to you and yours.
About the Author: Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware. He also runs the SpywareBiz Blog at http://spywarebiz.com/blogs/297/ He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association) Doug can be reached at spywarebiz@comcast.net. Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum
Written by mellow on November 27th, 2006 with no comments.
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As you are aware, vandals are at work creating new computer viruses all the time. We mostly hear about the big, awful, scary viruses on the news and we hurry to take the appropriate action, but the large majority of infections are quiet and anonymous. We should give these little termites no less attention as often time they are doing much damage before they are even detected. Their effects run from mostly benign to potentially fatal to their unwilling and unwitting hosts. There are two different approaches to dealing with them: Prevention and Cure.
Preventing virus infection begins with guarding the portals of contact. Do not open suspicious e-mails or attachments without scanning them first. Most anti-virus programs have a right-click option to scan a selected file for viruses, which makes scanning easy. When you download software, eBooks or other items, always save to a file, then scan the file before opening. If you bring in data or software by floppy disk, CD or other portable media, the same rule applies; always scan it first!
Getting a good firewall can help in keeping viruses at bay, but there are too many ways to hide them in regular data or software transfers for a firewall to catch them all. A firewall can help, but don’t count on that alone. Sooner or later, viruses are going to get through your defenses somehow, and you will need to turn to cures.
When and if that day comes, you could lose most of your files before you know that there is a problem! So prepare well in advance by backing up your files for easy recovery. Set up your computer with a small hard drive (4-10giga) for your C: drive and a much larger hard drive for all your data. Use your C: drive for programs only. Keep copies of your software purchase receipts, registration and activation codes and setup info in a file on your data drive. You can always download them again, if you can give the seller your purchase info to show that you already bought. Almost all virus infections will be in the program section of the C: drive, so scan it daily. This won’t take much time since you have arranged for it to be relatively small. Then scan your (larger)data drive once or twice a month.
Back up your data files frequently. If you cannot backup everything, at least backup the crucial information that would be difficult or impossible to replace. CD and DVD burners are a good way to do this backup, as are removable hard driv es. You require a good anti-virus programs to go after the viruses and either quarantine or (preferably) destroy them. There are many anti-virus solutions being touted and hyped out there. Some are good, most are not. Here is how to find the good ones:
1. Look for programs that offer both active and passive protection. Active protection means that part of the program remains memory-resident, actively watching for potential incoming viruses. When they detect a virus they can sound an alarm and give you a series of options for dealing with it. Passive or on-demand protection will let you ask for a scan of specified areas when you want it, but it waits for you to ask.
2. Select your anti-virus software based on the recommendations of independent testing agencies. Checkmark (by http://westcoastlabs.org), http://AV-test.org and PC World magazine are among the most respected independent testers of anti-virus software. For ratings of anti-trojan software, check with Anti-trojan – Forum. Use more than one anti-virus and anti-trojan program. Very few detect all problems, but what one program misses, another may seek and destroy.
3. Keep your anti-virus programs up to date. There is a running battle going on between virus writer-disseminators and virus catch-and-destroy experts. New viruses are found; new anti-virus program patches to find and destroy them are usually ready within hours or days. Until your software is updated, you are still vulnerable to the new viruses.
Consider using anti-virus software on your personal computer, consider using an Internet Service Provider or e-mail service that includes server-side anti-virus and spam e-mail filtering as a third layer of protection.
In summary, the urgency was best said by Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab Virus Research, in a November 23, 2005 article posted in Security News, said, “The number of new viruses and Trojans is now increasing every day by a few hundred. (Our) virus lab receives between 200 and 300 new samples a day.” That is not a misprint. He said 200-300 per day so we must be sure to keep ourselves aware and make the necessary changes in a timely manner to stay ahead of these viruses. Be assured, it is an ongoing battle!
So, get good software, run it often and update it often.. stay alert to new developments! The struggle between new viruses and better anti-virus software is ongoing, and developing steadily.
About the Author:
Sintilia Miecevole at http://www.fmlasoftware.com provides information or resources from software, software downloads, software services and computers to virus software and more. Be sure to visit http://www.fmlasoftware.com for further information.
Written by mellow on November 27th, 2006 with no comments.
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Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to ask them how to remove a virus? Or have you spent hours online trying to figure out how to remove spyware, only to find out that you did something wrong and now your computer won?t boot? I know your pain and frustration with just trying to use your computer without worry. As a computer technician at ARCH Computing Services, I know how hard it can be to pay someone to remove viruses and spyware. In fact that?s how I started in the computer business. I didn?t want to pay someone to fix the problems that I usually caused. A little voice in my head told me ?I can build a computer, it doesn?t look that hard!?
Six years later, and a lot of dead computers in the beginning, have placed me where I am now. Let me tell you, it?s a full time job, even when I?m not at work. There is always some new technology being developed, and of course security is a never-ending battle with new viruses, trojans and spyware daily.
The internet is full of how-to information. You can learn everything from how to make the perfect loaf of bread, tune your car, or remove a virus. Making a loaf of bread seems to be easy, and it probably is. Even if you end up making flat bread or burnt bread, you?re not out a lot of money or in too much trouble. On the other hand, if you try to tune your car and break a spark plug or put the wires back incorrectly, it could end up costing you a lot more to fix it. All you wanted to do was save a few bucks and do it yourself. I?ve burnt bread and I?ve tried to fix my own car. The bread was thrown in the trash, the car I ended up taking to an auto mechanic and having it fixed right, which of course cost me much more than money, it cost me time.
You must be wondering what my point is. Yes, removing a virus or building a computer isn?t really that hard of a task?if you live and breathe computers like I do and others do (we affectionately call ourselves Geeks). Let?s take a look at the following scenario.
James is a real estate broker, and a damn good one. He makes his living helping people find the best buy for their dollar. As a result James keeps an extensive client list on his computer.
Somewhere along the line he manages to pick up a nasty Trojan. His anti-virus software caught it but was unable to clean it. He does some research online and finds a site that explains how to remove the Trojan. After following the instructions he reboots his PC only to find that his machine will not boot. In frustration he goes to another computer and looks up information on boot problems and finds out that the best thing he can do is reformat his hard drive and re-install his operating system from his backup. Oh, by the way, he hasn?t done a backup in over 6 months. By this time he has spent 4 or 5 hours trying to fix the problem, and now has the daunting task of re-installing his operating system without any backup?
The moral of the story here is that he literally wasted hours that he could have spent making a sale or helping a client purchase a house or land. Is the above scenario a little extreme? In some ways it is, but it doesn?t fall too far from the truth. Many of the clients I see with virus or spyware problems have tried everything they can to remove the problem, only to find out they spent hours with no results, and often come out worse than they were. By the time they come to see me they are frustrated and just want it fixed. Unfortunately, this does cost them money that they didn?t want to spend in the first place, and more importantly in this day and age, it costs them more time. Time is the great equalizer. If James had been able to make a 10% percent commission on a $200,000 house, spending the 65 to 100 dollars to clean his computer wouldn?t have seemed very significant.
Nine times out of ten an infected computer does require a reformat and re-install. I don?t say this lightly. It is usually much easier to backup and start over than spend hours trying to find every little piece of nastiness that was installed on your computer.
About the Author: Eric Graves is a Senior Computer Technician at ARCH Computing Services, Inc. He is currently completing his BS in IT Management and his MS in Computer Security. http://www.archcomputing.com
Written by mellow on November 27th, 2006 with no comments.
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People buying packaged software should be aware, that may be getting more than they were hoping for, from the software being purchased. The added piece of bonus software bundled with their purchase may contain spyware. People get attracted by the bonus attached to software, which appears as getting more for the money, but in the case of a software purchase, does anyone want spyware, as a bonus? Of course, if people knew that the bonus included spyware, they would not want that bonus. However, it is almost impossible for a software buyer to know, if the bonus software contains spyware, which usually shows up only after it has been installed into a computer.
The installation of spyware into a computer may be part and parcel of the software received with the purchase. Spyware will monitor, all of the surfing activity, of the person using the computer, on which it has been installed. The monitored information is then transmitted via the internet, to the company that developed the software. The collected data is vital information, much needed and used by marketing companies or by marketing departments. Personal information is stored in databases and is often sold to third parties. The new software may infect the computer with dangerous spyware, which appeared as a useful bonus to the buyer. The bonus software packaged with the main program is known as software bundling.
Spyware makes use of a unique tracking number that is also unique to the particular computer and its user when installed. After installation of the software, it beings to transmit the users surfing activities. The information collected may include sites visited, product searches made or information sought by the user.
Spyware poses a great risk to computer users and can lead to identity theft, being bombarded by advertisements, a sluggish computer and even to financial losses, if personal information gets into the wrong hands.
Software buyers must read and understand all of the features of the software and pay particular attention to any free bonus software that may be packaged with the main software program being purchased. It is important to note that not all bonus software includes spyware.
It is recommended that a computer user have a program installed that can detect and remove spyware. A spyware scanner will show if any spyware exists in a computer and spyware if any, can then be removed. A free spyware scanner is available at http://www.DeleteSpyware.net
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About the Author
Julian Pereira enjoys the internet and has devoted his attention on computer privacy issues and spyware in particular. His website can be viewed at http://www.Deletespyware.net
Written by mellow on November 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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