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Protect Your System From the Internet Evils

by: Daniel Punch

Ads, Spyware and Popups: the Internet is an aggressively commercial place. Internet marketing is hugely profitable; owners of frequently visited websites can make a reasonable living just off a few banner ads placed on their site. Software was quickly developed that would attempt to block these ads from loading and being displayed leaving the Internet free from irritants so the user could just view the information that they were after. Not surprisingly the Internet fought back with ads becoming more and more tricky in their execution.

The Internet pornography industry is often at the forefront of new advertising technologies. It was they who first discovered methods to lock the 'back' button on the browser from allowing users who stumbled (accidentally or otherwise) into the 'darker' areas of the Internet. Then came Internet-hijacking: changing a browser's home page so that every time the Internet is connected the user is instantly taken to a certain site. There are ads that lie dormant in the system and pop up long after the user has moved on from the original site or even after they've stopped using the internet. These people went everywhere they could, and the rest of the Internet world soon followed.

So, how can we keep ourselves safe? Unfortunately, the answer usually lies in having a number of protection programs running in the background at all times which can slow down a computer. This is a lot more positive than having a computer terminally slowed down by the malicious side of the Internet though, so we just have to take the bad with the good.

The first port of call should be an anti-virus program. If you're even vaguely concerned about online security you're going to need one installed. A friend of mine decided that this was a foolish suggestion and picked up almost 100 viruses in a single day. These programs range in price and quality, with more expensive (but very good) packages such as Norton's Anti Virus (or their comprehensive Internet Security bundle) or free programs, such as AVG Free Edition, available from http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Once you have your computer protected from automated viruses it's time to shield yourself from malicious hackers and their kind with a firewall. Windows XP comes with a firewall straight out of the box, with Service Pack 2 offering security upgrades. MacOS also has a firewall. It's often not a bad idea to install a third party one though, as they are generally more customisable and in a lot of cases more secure. A few good firewalls are ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp) and Kerio Personal Firewall (http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html) as well as those offered in the commercial Internet security packages (such as Norton's, mentioned above).

Next up is the Spyware and ad blocking software that was the initial concern. The two major software packages for spyware protection and removal are Spybot- Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html) and AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) although there are alternatives including a recent Microsoft release. (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx).
These threats are often not dealt with by Internet security packs (strangely enough) although some protection is now starting to be included.

Chances are you will have picked up an ad blocker somewhere in the collection of programs by now, but just in case you can make your Internet browsing experience a less commercial affair by downloading software such as Hitware Lite (http://www.rightutilities.com/products/hitwarelite/hitware_lite.htm) or Stop the Popup (http://www.stopthepopup.com/). These programs stop ads before they reach you, leaving you to browse only the information you're after.

Besides installing protection software your best bet is just to be careful with your surfing. Don't open weird emails with strange attachments if you don't know the origins (don't even open the email... often the viruses and Trojans will have an auto open script written into the email itself, so you've instantly opened up your computer by simply looking at the email). Be careful about the sites you visit. Make sure that you're well protected before entering the Internet 'grey' areas, such as ROM, Warez, Appz etc. sites. If you perform a web search and some of the sites that show up have descriptions and titles consisting only of keywords, it's usually a fair bet that you should stay clear of that site. It usually won't have anything useful to offer and may contain hazardous material. With a bit of care you can keep your system going strong and enjoy the Internet safely and relatively ad free.

About the author:
Daniel Punch
M6.Net

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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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