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How to thwart the Barbarian Spyware!

by: Doug Woodall

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
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

Circulated by Article Emporium

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Top 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Computer Viruses
by: Jim Faller

As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their computers at school, home or in the office it�s only a matter of time before they encounter a computer virus. Here are our top 10 steps to protect you from computer viruses.

Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.

Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run.

Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for �off hours� like 2AM when you aren�t likely to be using your computer.

Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.

Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep their documents in the �My documents� folder. This makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives.

If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, Kinko�s, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.

Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren�t expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren�t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer.

Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.

Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan the program before you install it on your computer.

Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don�t accept invitations from people you don�t know and never click a link from someone you don�t trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.

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