December 9th, 2006
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The net is full of software packages to prevent, clean and remove Spyware & Adware from you PC. Most of these packages cost a substantial amount of money to purchase and keep up to date. If you’re anything like me, the last thing you need is another monthly subscription to pay.
So what to do then? Top sources all agree that Spyware & Adware are some of the leading causes of computer problems today, and they are right. An infected computer can become almost useless. Often times it is near impossible to remove all traces of the infection short of reinstalling your operating system.
And don?t forget about Identity Theft and Data Loss. Reinstalling your operating system won?t help if your credit cards, bank account and other personal information has already been stolen. As scary as it is, anything on your computer that is not backed up could be gone in an instant if your computer is infected with Spyware.
Subscription services and software packages are only one layer of defense against Spyware & Adware. These remedies are not always up to the task of providing complete protection, so there needs to be multiple layers, the first and most important one being an informed user.
Most Spyware & Adware infections can be prevented by having an understanding of the nature of these attacks, and staying up to date with new methods of exploitation. Keeping informed is not as difficult as you might think. Finding an up to date website that is easy to read and understand is key. Armed with the knowledge of what actions can lead to infections, your risk decreases exponentially.
So get informed and stay that way. You might be surprised how easy it is and the positive effect it will have on the overall security of your computer.
-Dave
About the Author: D. David Dugan is the president of DD&C ( http://www.dugancom.com ), an IT Consulting and Solution Providing Organization, and is personally involved in updating http://spyware.dugancom.com.
Written by mellow on December 9th, 2006 with no comments.
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Most people are scared of computer viruses, but few actually know what they are. Some people even believe that computer viruses can be transferred between computers just by putting them near each other, or by using a CD-ROM that was once inside an infected computer (both things are impossible). You’re right to be scared of viruses, but you can protect yourself against them a lot better once you know what you’re up against.
To put it simply, a virus is any piece of software that makes its way onto your machine in secret, without you wanting it there, and then attempts to transmit itself to other machines. Contrary to popular belief, viruses aren’t necessarily destructive or even annoying – some do little more than pop up messages, and some do nothing at all.
Today, there are many different ways for viruses to spread. You can get them from emails, if you open an executable attachment (they will then re-send themselves to your entire address book). You can get them from Microsoft Office documents, if you let a rogue macro run. You can get them from the web, if you follow a link from someone’s IM (and then the viruses will IM itself to all your friends). You can even get them over the Internet without doing anything at all if you don’t let Windows update itself regularly, thanks to the many security holes found every month.
You should realise, however, that viruses don’t just come out of nowhere – they are not accidental like bugs or crashes. For a virus to exist, someone somewhere has to have sat and actively created and developed it, just like they would with any other program. Sometimes virus creators are caught and arrested, but the nature of the Internet makes them difficult to find.
About the Author
John Gibb is the owner of Virus protection resources , For more information on virus protection check out http://www.virus-protection-resource-and-guidance.info
Written by mellow on December 9th, 2006 with no comments.
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The Differences between Viruses and Spyware
A lot of people who are new to computing and especially to the internet usually lump both viruses and Spyware together. However, both viruses and Spyware are two completely different entities. To protect yourself from both, here are some common definitions and ways to protect yourself.
A virus is a piece of malicious code that is sent indiscriminately across the internet or passed around on saved media such as data CD’s, data DVD’s and floppy discs. A virus works similar to its real world counterpart, by placing snippets of code into applications and programs and contaminating the original programs so they no longer work properly. The best and easiest way to get rid of a virus is to use a virus scanning software that will search your entire computer or media and find viruses which are then destroyed. Some virus scanning software is free, while others charge a nominal fee.
Spyware is a type of program that is downloaded unknowingly with another program. While most downloadable software companies don’t include Spyware, there are many downloadable programs that not only include a program that was initially intended to be downloaded but a secret program that keeps track of your online movements as well as sends information back to an online database about your online and computing habits.
Some Spyware can cause your computer not to run optimally and there are few Spyware programs that can actually find and send personal and private data to an online database without you knowing it. To combat Spyware there are certain programs that will seek out and find Spyware on your computer and destroy it. Some of these programs come with virus scanning software and most are extremely inexpensive. So to be safe, protect yourself from Spyware and viruses.
About the Author
Jay is the web owner of http://www.dsl-in.com DSL, a website that provides information and resources on DSL, DSL Service, and DSL Service Providers. You can also visit his website at: http://www.dsl-service.us DSL Service
Written by mellow on December 9th, 2006 with no comments.
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