Online virus help in 7 steps

ROCKLAND (March 27): 3. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly. Dealing with anti-virus and firewall protection may sound about as exciting as flossing your teeth, but it's just as important as a preventive measure. Having intense dental treatment is never fun; neither is dealing with the effects of a preventable computer virus.

Why to go for Antivirus Software Programs ?

Anti-virus software protects your computer from computer virus that can destroy your data, slow your computer's performance, cause a crash, or even allow spammers to send email through your account. It works by scanning your computer and your incoming email for virus, and then deleting them.

To be effective, your anti-virus software should update daily with antidotes to the latest "bugs" circulating through the Internet. Most commercial anti-virus software includes a feature to download updates automatically when you are on the Internet.

What to Look For and Where to Get It

You can download antivirus software from the websites of software companies or buy it in retail stores. Look for anti-virus software that:

Remove virus or quarantines it.
Updates automatically.
Anti-spyware Help Software

Installed on your computer without your consent, spyware software monitors or controls your computer use. It may be used to send you pop-up ads, redirect your computer to websites, monitor your Internet surfing, or record your keystrokes, which, in turn, could lead to the theft of your personal information.

Clues that spyware is on a computer include:

A barrage of pop-up ads
A hijacked browser — that is, a browser that takes you to sites other than those you type into the address box
A sudden or repeated change in your computer’s Internet home page
New and unexpected toolbars
Unexpected icons on the system tray at the bottom of your computer screen
Keys that don’t work
Random error messages
Sluggish or downright slow performance when opening programs or saving files.
You can take steps to limit your vulnerability to spyware:

Update your operating system and Web browser software. Your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software “patches” to close holes in the system that spyware could exploit. Make sure to set your browser security high enough to detect unauthorized downloads.
Download free software only from sites you know and trust. It can be appealing to download free software like games, file-sharing programs, customized toolbars, or other programs that may change or customize the functioning of your computer. Be aware, however, that many free software applications bundle other software, including spyware.

Firewalls

Don't be put off by the word “firewall.” It's not necessary to fully understand how it works; it's enough to know what it does and why you need it. Firewalls computer help keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission. While anti-virus software scans incoming email and files, a firewall is like a guard, watching for outside attempts to access your system and blocking communications to and from sources you don't permit.

Some operating systems and hardware devices come with a built-in firewall that may be shipped in the "off" mode. Make sure you turn it on. For your firewall to be effective, it needs to be set up properly and updated regularly. Check your online "Help" feature for specific instructions.

If your operating system doesn't include a firewall, get a separate software firewall that runs in the background while you work, or install a hardware firewall — an external device that includes firewall software. Several free firewall software programs are available on the Internet.

Don't Become a Zombie Drone
Some spammers search the Internet for unprotected computers they can control and use anonymously to send unwanted spam emails. If you don't have up-to-date antivirus protection and a firewall, spammers may try to install software that lets them route email through your computer, often to thousands of recipients, so that it appears to have come from your account. If this happens, you may receive an overwhelming number of complaints from recipients, and your email account could be shut down by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

source : http://waldo.villagesoup.com/financial/story.cfm?storyID=111716

Related News and Articles

Virus Removal Support Services

How to Have an Effective Antivirus Installation

Online virus Info

Wi-Fi users vulneralble to computer viruses

Staying safe from online virus for free

The job of keeping your computer clean and free from threats doesn't have to cost you money. We share some of our favourite free applications as well some tips on how to speed up your PC.

IT IS a sad fact that if you're using a Windows-based machine, you really have to take steps to at least provide a minimum amount of protection from virus and spyware on your computer by installing anti-spyware protection and anti-virus protection software.

Nevertheless, it is still shocking how many users we've encountered who still use their machines without even installing at least an antivirus program, even though there are quite a few good ones that are free to install and use.

The fact is that if you use e-mail, an instant messenger or even web browser (in descending order of severity) you're very likely to get some kind of malware on your machine.

Even I was rudely reminded of this recently when I received a file from a friend via MSN Live Messenger which was a computer virus – as it turned out, my friend had not even sent it and the offending file was being automatically sent by an MSN trojan which infects Live Messenger and sends itself out to all the contacts on the chat client.

The same goes for e-mail clients – these days there are loads of viruses which spread by e-mailing themselves to all the contacts on a user's Microsoft Outlook list, which is all the more dangerous, as it appears like a legitimate e-mail from one of your friends.

Now that you perhaps understand the extent of the problem you're facing when using a Windows machine, here are a few free applications online that you can use not only to protect yourself from virus and spyware, but also to clean up some of that junk on your computer and reclaim some disc space while you're at it.

Part 1: Security, security, security

THERE was a time when Norton Antivirus ruled the roost for antivirus applications, but these days it has largely turned into expensive bloatware, IMHO – I don't mind paying for an antivirus program, but Norton Antivirus is just too expensive by current standards and it slows my machine down more than I would like.

Luckily there are a number of free providers of online virus information applications out there. In fact, some of the best applications on the market are actually provided free.

source: http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2008/3/25/prodit/20549982&sec=prodit

Related News and Articles

Online Virus Removal: Easy and Fast virus removal for you online

Types of Computer Viruses

Online virus info

Virus, worms and trojan horses what are they ?

How to protect yourself when gambling online from the potential pitfalls of hackers, scammers and shady or illegitimate sites.

How to protect yourself when gambling online from the potential pitfalls of hackers, scammers and shady or illegitimate sites.
Over the last five years online poker has been booming. Ever since Chris Moneymaker took out the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event proving anyone can win big, interest in the game has grown at an exponential rate and with the proliferation of poker programs on television this doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon.
As a result of this, hundreds of online casinos have emerged, allowing users to play poker and other games from the comfort of home. Online casinos offer a convenient and easy way to pursue your new-found hobby; however, it can also be dangerous if the right precautions aren't taken. So before you are dealt your first hand, we'll show you how to protect yourself when gambling online from the potential pitfalls of hackers, scammers and shady or illegitimate sites.
Secure your handA lot of the basic precautions are the same ones you should take if you are on the Internet and perform any kind of online transaction, such as shopping or banking. There are a host of viruses, keyloggers, Trojan horses and other malicious agents online that can potentially give people access to your details. This is particularly important to online poker players, who may have significant amounts of money in an online poker account.
The first step is to secure your PC and install antivirus software , and consult any company which provide online virus help. There are a lot of good security options available, ranging in price from freeware applications to online virus help to packages costing several hundred dollars. We recommend a program such , but do some reading of reviews and find a package that suits you. It is also important to continually update the virus definitions from net many companys provide online virus help. when prompted by the software as new viruses and threats appear daily.
You should also use a firewall. A router with a built in hardware firewall is ideal as it provides the most comprehensive PC protection, but a software solution such as the one from is also a viable option.
This protection should also be backed up by using an anti-spyware application such as . By employing three types of security on your PC, you will greatly minimise the chance of viruses or keyloggers finding their way on to your system.
It is also important just to be smart when it comes to downloading any software from the Internet. The aforementioned security measures are great, but they may not catch everything. Downloading illegal copies of programs or visiting suspicious looking Web sites may put your whole PC at risk, as these types of sites are known to be a source of viruses and Trojan horses.
You should also make sure you have a legitimate copy of your operating system and that you keep it up-to-date with security patches. Exploits and loopholes are regularly found that may compromise the integrity of your PC.
Raising the security stakes
Despite having complete and updated software protection, there are still other ways for people to get your information when playing poker online. One of the most common mistakes people make is playing the game online using an unsecured wireless network.
Typically, any wireless Internet is going to be less secure than an Ethernet connection as it is more susceptible to people tapping in to the signal. However, many users may not realise that the wireless connections often used in public places like cafes or hotels offer basically no protection at all. This means anyone with a bit of know-how can listen in on your session and potentially gain access to your details.
We'd recommend sticking with your own personal connection when deciding to play poker online – as opposed to at wireless hotspots – and research to make sure your Internet connection is as secure as possible.

How to avoid e-mail threats

Checking your e-mail has become a dangerous business. The number and types of e-mail borne threats that can cause harm to your computer or your privacy are growing and you will need to take computer help for it.

Q: Can I get a virus just by reading an e-mail message?

A: When all e-mail was sent as plain text, it was impossible to contract a computer virus just by reading e-mail. That's because something - a programme, worm, or other active threat - actually has to run on your computer in order to infect it. When e-mail is sent in HTML format - the same format used to create Web pages, on which all sorts of programmes can run automatically - the possibility that you could receive a virus upon reading an e-mail message does exist. Increasingly today, we all send and receive e-mail in HTML format, which means that we are all the more vulnerable to contracting a potentially destructive computer virus just by reading our mail. There are, however, three ways to safeguard against this. The first is to keep your e-mail programme up-to-date, downloading and applying the latest security patches and fixes. The second is to use a current-generation virus scanner with built-in e-mail scanning, and keep the virus signatures current. Most anti-virus programmes offer automatic scanning of both incoming and outgoing e-mail messages. The third way involves setting up your e-mail programme to allow messages to be read only in plain text format. Most e-mail programmes provide this option. In Microsoft's Outlook programme, for instance, you would open the Tools menu, and select ‘Options.’ Then, from the ‘Options’ dialog box, click ‘E-mail Options,’ and select the check box labelled “Read all standard mail in plain text.” When you do this, any mail that arrives in HTML format is converted into plain text, and any harmful code that might have run automatically is effectively neutralised. Remember, though, that most e-mail viruses are contracted when you perform some action, such as opening an infected attachment or clicking a link that takes you to a site that downloads a virus on to your computer.

So the golden rule of reading e-mail is this: if it looks suspicious, don't open anything attached to it or click any links in it. These days, it makes sense not to click links in e-mail messages at all. Instead, if you think a legitimate source has sent you a message, open a web browser separately and visit the web site on your own.