Anti Free Microsoft Software Virus Article

Insulating your PC against computer viruses

There's no doubt about it, computer viruses are a scourge on the internet community. These virus programs are written by people who just like to hack their way into other people's computers and destroy their data. It's hard to understand the mindset of someone who wreaks havoc with another person and never even knows who the victims are. Whereas a so-called worm works its way through your system, eating up your resources, computer viruses are written to destroy your data. So how safe can you be against the many viruses out there, looking to attack? Here are a few pointers to help you safekeep your data.

Computer viruses may enter your system from a variety of ports. They commonly enter through your browser, your email, a download or even through .ftp access, running in the background where you will never know what's happening.

The hackers are always looking for a hole in your operating system's security, which is why you are constantly being reminded to download the latest update, plugging newly discovered holes. When you receive notification that a new update is available, jump on it. Otherwise, you may be the next victim of a computer virus.

It's long been publicized that you should never open an attachment to an email from a source you don't know. Some people mistakenly think that if the file attached is not an .exe format, they can come to no harm. This is a myth. An .exe file can be disguised, so that what appears to be an innocent text file on your email reader is in fact a cloaked .exe, ready to take over your system. If you're not expecting that email with an attachment, delete it, empty your email trash bin and then empty your system recycle bin.

One email attachment exception is the .zip file. Zip files are encrypted and must be extracted before you see the content files and they are still not open. In this case, you're pretty safe.

How many times do you unthinkingly download files, simply because they're free? You've got to be especially vigilant with downloads. If the file is in an .exe format, don't take a chance. On the other hand, .pdf files are generally safe. These files require a reader, such as Adobe Acrobat. The reader, downloaded separately, does not allow any system commands to be executed, nor does it allow writing to or deleting of files. Nonetheless, with any download, always view the security certificate verified by an independent third party, such as Verisign. The security certificate shows that the file(s) have been inspected and are encrypted. The date must be current, not expired.

Computer viruses can be fatal to your PC. A firewall provides reasonable assurance of the security of your machine. Unfortunately, there's always another hole to be found by the hacker. No precaution is ever failsafe, but if you are cautious, skeptical, and proactive with system updates, your chances of acquiring a computer virus are as low as they go.

Getting Rid of Spyware

No matter where you go on the web, someone is trying to infiltrate your system. From web sites placing simple logon cookies, to paid advertising tracking your movements on the web, to malicious software that is designed to record your keystrokes and discover passwords, Spyware and Adware have together become a big problem.

Many of these programs are simply dangerous and seriously threaten your online privacy and identity. Even the simple and supposedly benign Adware programs can cause you serious problems. Spyware is any program that installs itself onto your computer with the intent to spy on your activity. This can be recording your online searching habits, or whatever you type on your keyboard. Adware is not much better. It is designed to watch what you do online, where you go, which terms you search for and then report this to the ad agency that runs the program.

Many, if not most, advertisers on the internet will try and place a cookie or other small program on your computer. Many will add code that will track that cookie as it hits different pages. The code may be designed simply to gather anonymous data, or it may be trying to send ads to your browser that the advertising company thinks you will be more likely to respond to.

Whatever the case, the Adware or Spyware is using your computer to do its tracking. This means that part of your computer’s power and CPU cycles are being diverted away from the activity you are trying to perform. Your computer is being used by someone else instead to track your movements. These programs can literally slow your computer down to a crawl, or make it crash altogether. They can fill your computer up with trash files, open unwanted popup windows, use up the space in your internet cache and generally just make working on your computer a nightmare.

Luckily there are several easy solutions to the problem. Spyware and Adware are not the same thing as a computer virus or Trojan Horse. Although a computer virus can install spyware on a computer, you will need different tools to remove a computer virus and to keep your system clean from Spyware and Adware. There are several good Spyware/adware programs on the market.

Good programs are Ad-aware from Lavasoft and Spy Sweeper from Webroot Software although there are several others. You can easily find both of these by doing an internet search for Ad-aware and Spy Sweeper or simply do a search for spyware. Search

Computer security and registry cleaning