How to protect your computer from viruses and spyware!
Posted on March 7, 2007 at 12:44 am
I guess this post might hurt my business of fixing slow computers and remvoing spyware, but I guess I just can’t help but want to tell people how SIMPLE it is to keep your computer virus and spyware free!!! I browse tons of web sites every day and have not had a single virus problem or spyware issue since my Windows 98 computer!!! WINDOWS 98!!!! All you have to do is follow a couple of common sense rules and get some free software to keep an eye out for the extra crafty evil programs out there that might get you even if you don’t do anything!
Rule 1: INSTALL all security updates and patches from Microsoft!!! You MUST do this or your computer will defintely be attacked just by virtue of being connected to the internet! If you’re not sure how to do this (though Windows will assail you with messages left, right and center if they are not turned on), here’s how…
Go to Start, click on Control Panel and click on “Switch to Class View” in the upper left hand corner to get to the simple view. Click on Automatic Updates. If you don’t even see an icon called Automatic Updates, you are really in trouble. The first thing you need to do then is go to Microsoft.com and click on Security & Updates and then click Microsoft Update. This will at least get you the software to be able to download updates automatically!
Once you click on Automatic Updates icon, you’ll see a couple of self explanatory options. Choose Automatic (Recommended) because unless you are in a corporation there is really no reason to not automatically install the updates!
Rule 2: Download the latest drivers for your computer. This step is unforunately not as simple as the last one, but it will go a long way in keeping your computer safe and working WELL. Drivers help the hardware talk to your software, so the more updated the drivers, the better the two can communicate and the less you have to deal with crashes or freeze ups. Also, they sometimes plug up security holes.
In order to do this, you need to go to the manufacturer’s web site for your computer. For example, if you go to Dell.com, you’ll see an icon for Support & Downloads and then Drivers and Downloads. Choose your model and you’ll get a list of drivers for each piece of hardware on your computer (hard drive, display, mouse, audio, etc). Download the files and install them! You should do this step every 6 months to a year because the drivers are being updated for years after your computer has been sold.
Rule 3: Install the latest updates for all of your applications. If you have Office installed, follow the above steps to get to the Microsoft website, but this time choose Office Update. Your computer can still be taken over simple because you have these other applications installed. Programs like Office and Windows Media player integrate so much into the operating system that if those programs can be hacked into, the whole system can be hacked into!
Go to the web site for each software manufacturer and see if they have any new updates or patches to their software. Usually programs like Adobe have auto update software that will automatically detect newer versions and ask you to download them. Make sure to do so!
Rule 4: This rule is the most common and often most mentioned, however it is essential to do the first three steps because otherwise your are not completely protected. You should have three pieces of software on your computer at all times: an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware program and an firewall applications. There are of course tons of products, the most well known being Norton and McAffe for anti-virus, SpySweeper & Spyware Doctor for anti-spyware and Norton Internet Security for firewall protection. These are all commercial products and work well, but there are many free products now that work just as well.
For anti-virus try out AVG. This program has gotten a lot of great reviews and it’s completely free! For anti-spyware try Windows Defender, AVG Anti-Spyware, or Spyware Blaster. For a firewall, you should get Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. There is a small fee for this software, but it is worth the price. If you want free, go for Comodo Firewall.
I really like Spyware Blaster because it enables protection for Internet Explorer, which can be a whole post in itself, by add thousands of web sites to the Restricted Sites list in IE. So if you somehow get redirected there or get there by accident, IE will block the web site unless you manually approve it.
There are a bunch of other programs out there that you can use to protect your computer and someone has come up with a great list explaining each program! Check it out at http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm#2.
» Filed Under Computer Tips
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If you want to protect your computer from invasion, LEARN HOW IT WORKS. NO amount of updating and “security” software will protect you from stupidity and ignorance. 99% of “viruses” are installed by the user, and spyware is almost always mentioned in EULA’s (which you didnt take the time to read). If you dont have the time, or ability to learn about your very complex scientific device, then hire someone to make sure its set up properly. Othewise, get used to having a broken, or infected computer.