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Reclaim Your PC from the Internet Spies

by: Jason Frovich

Most Internet users recognize the need of protecting their computers against viruses, as the vast majority of us sooner or later become painfully aware of these nasty little programs when they shut down our PC, spam our mailbox or delete our files.

Viruses are, however, not the only malicious software programs out there. The newest addition to the evil software family is the so called Spywares and a good anti-virus program or firewall is not enough to safeguard against these clever programs.

Spywares are known by many names such as adware, trojans, malware, browser hijackers etc. The thing they all have in common is that they will transmit your personal information to companies and individuals who have an interest in knowing about your surfing habits, online purchases, credit worthiness, interests, web searchs, chats, birth date and even your credit card number. The list goes on and on, since Spywares are constructed by promotional companies who need to know as much as possible about the online consumers to target them effectively. By ewes dropping on you online, these companies hope to be more successful when sending out promotional materials.

Spyware usually enter your PC by piggybacking on other software downloads. Every time you use downloaded or otherwise shared files, including Freeware, Shareware or p2p sharing programs, you stand the risk of unknowingly infecting your computer with Spyware. Even confirmed virus free music files, films and computer programs can have Spyware stowaways. Once inside your computer, they will hide, monitor all your actions and promptly start telling your secrets to anyone willing to listen.

Contrary to most viruses the Spywares actually make an effort not to be observed. Since they won�t cause obvious harm such as deleting important files or shutting down your computer, they can thrive in your PC for years without you noticing, sending out massive amounts of information about all your online habits.

At a first glance, you might find this annoying but essentially harmless. Why not let the companies send me promotional material about things I am actually interested in? Spyware is however far from harmless, since the infiltration by Spyware not only let the companies know about your latest online search, but also much more private matters such as credit card details, online purchases of medicine and your private e-mail correspondence with family, friends and business partners.

There are even examples of how this massive gathering of personal information has led to an overall loss of privacy and stolen identities. In the computerized world of today it is not hard to imagine the amount of damage and personal suffering the fraudulent use of a persons� identity can cause.

It is obvious to anyone that we must start combating the Spyware programs, but the best way of doing this is not to panic and pull the plug on your PC, never go online again and keep five feet away from all Freeware. There is a much better solution: Support Cave

About the author:
Supportcave.com offers new and enhanced Spyware Removal Software. Not only will these programs effectively check and clean your computer from Spyware, once installed they will also shield your computer from future Spyware intrusions and browser hijacks - before the malevolent software even have a chance to enter you PC!

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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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