How to thwart the Barbarian Spyware!

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...

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Protecting Your Computer from Adware and Spyware

Amanda Huber

Recently, while checking our company web site statistics, we noticed a number of referrals from gambling and pornography sites. Since we are certain these types of sites would not house links to us, we investigated further and determined that some of our faithful visitors may be the victims of adware or spyware.

What is adware?

Adware, in it's most sinister incarnation, is a program that runs on your computer (like a virus) and occassionally pops up ads or redirects your browser to websites you had not chosen to visit.

What is spyware?

Spyware is software that collects personal information from you without your knowledge or permission. The information spyware collects can range from all the web sites you visit to sensitive information including user names and passwords.

How can I make sure I don't get these on my computer?

* Never download programs or files from a website you don't know and trust. * Never open email attachments unless you know what they are. If you receive an email from a friend, but the text is strange and you don't know what the attachment is do not open it. Write to your friend and make sure they sent the email. * Keep an antivirus program running on your computer at all times. You may also want to download Microsoft's Spyware program which can be found free here: http://www.microsoft.com/ More comprehensive articles on adware and spyware may be found here:

http://cexx.org/problem.htm http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars?72460 http://www.adware.info/



About the author: An authority on integrated web databases, Amanda Huber is co-owner of Vulcan Creative Labs, LLC (www.vulcancreative.com) and DeadFred.com, an online genealogy photo archive. She occasionally contributes articles for Dead Fred's e-newsletter Relatively Speaking which help genealogy researchers with more technical aspects of their online tasks.


Adware Installation Stealth Tactics

When adware can't trick you into installing it, it often resorts to a secretive invasion. Find out how to defend yourself. Adware Installation Stealth Tactic 1: Expensive Freebie • How it works: adware may get installed with so-called free software without any mention of it being included anywhere in the software's license or documentation. Or any mention of the bundled software is buried deep within a click-wrap licensing agreement. • How to protect yourself: It's become an endlessly repeated cliché, but it's true: only install software from developers you trust. That doesn't mean you can never...

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The Spyware That Shagged Me

There may be a spy hiding on your computer, and it's not a spy that loves you. Find out how to spot spyware and keep from getting shagged. With spyware's costing the world billions of dollars in computer damage, identity theft, and time spent removing it, many people have just one question: Who are these people who keep falling for a spy? Well, I’m here to tell you who these spyware dupes are, or at least some of them. They’re me. Yes, I admit it: I harbored spyware on my computer for nearly three months. Yes, I knew it was there. But I thought it was the Roger Moore kind of spyware, the dangerous-in-a-good-way...

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