Kable24
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I got this from another site and figured some people on here need to read this.
People talk about spyware a lot, these days; to many, it's a problem as serious as computer viruses, if not more so. Because it's a more recent subject, much of the available information about it is confusing and sometimes contradictory.
Due to that, many users simply give up - they accept spyware as something unavoidable, and "solve" the problem by formatting their system from time to time. Which, let's admit it, is not only bothersome, but also makes no sense at all. Things should - and can - be better.
There are many guides and articles about spyware, but some are too technical for most users, while the rest of them are simply "buy and install that anti-spyware program". Such a program can be used to remove existing spyware, but what most people don't know is that it is possible to have a completely spyware-free computer, without spending a cent, simply by following the next 3 suggestions:
1. Do not use Internet Explorer
To a great many Windows users, this suggestion will seem to make no sense. "How do I access the Internet, then?"
Without going into a lot of detail, Internet Explorer (IE) is a web browser, usually just referred to as a "browser". It's a browser - meaning, it's one of them, there are others. IE, which has been a part of Windows for some years now, is a browser which has a large history of security problems, which are lessened by keeping Windows up to date (see suggestion 2), but not completely eliminated.
A lot of spyware installs itself, without knowledge or authorization by the user, through Internet Explorer. Merely using it to browse the Internet tends to make a PC become infested with spyware in a short time.
IE has only two valid uses: downloading another browser, and updating Windows (once again, see suggestion 2).
Which other browser should you use? Personally, I recommend Mozilla Firefox, but Opera is also an excellent, secure and easy to use browser.
Warning:
Some programs add features to Internet Explorer, but continue to use it internally, and, therefore, keep all of its security problems. A few examples of those are Avant Browser and Netcaptor. For security reasons, it's much better to use browsers completely independent from IE, such as Firefox or Opera.
2. Keep your Windows updated
Many users don't really understand the need for software updates. After all, when you buy an appliance, such as a washing machine or a TV, it doesn't need "updating".
Unfortunately, modern computer software is a lot more complex, and the Internet is, often, an hostile environment. Therefore, quite frequently, security holes in a popular piece of software are discovered, and must be fixed by the software maker, through updates.
The most important example is the operating system itself, in this case Windows. It's vital that you keep it updated, since most attacks take advantage of security flaws that have been already fixed in the latest updates. In particular, some spyware installs itself through those flaws.
The easiest method is, simply, to have automatic updates enabled. This way, Windows periodically "talks" to Microsoft, and automatically installs new updates as they become available.
The most recent Windows versions have automatic updates enable by default, which is a good thing. However, many users, without realizing the need for updating your system, disable automatic updates for some reason. It's important to check if they're active, and, if not, they should be.
The simplest way to do it, and which works with the various Windows versions, is to go to Windows Update (with Internet Explorer - here, and only here, you have to use it). One of the initial pages there tells you whether you have automatic updates enabled or not, and tells you how to enable them if they're not.
3.Do not install "dubious" software
This suggestion will, at first, seem ambigous - after all, what makes something "dubious"?
In this case, there are three possibilities:
1. legitimate software which was tampered with, altered, to include something dangerous
2. something dangerous, which pretends to be legitimate software (think of it as "having a false label")
3. software which is dangerous itself
In the first two cases, the way to avoid trouble is simple: only install software downloaded from the maker's site, or from official "mirrors", and not from other places (especially peer-to-peer networks).
The third case is more complex, because the maker himself is dishonest. There isn't a "magical formula" to determine whether a piece of software is trustworthy or not, but the following tips may be useful:
* the word "free", in this case, doesn't mean much. It may be really free and unencumbered, without "small print", or it may be "supported by advertising", which is usually a synonym of "includes spyware".
* "open source" software is, usually, safe.
* anything related to Internet Explorer (in particular, toolbars for it) is potentially dangerous. Besides, if you're following suggestion 1, you won't need any of that.
* as a last resort, ask a more technically inclined friend about a piece of software you aren't sure about.
Source: http://sites.dehumanizer.com/spyware/en/
People talk about spyware a lot, these days; to many, it's a problem as serious as computer viruses, if not more so. Because it's a more recent subject, much of the available information about it is confusing and sometimes contradictory.
Due to that, many users simply give up - they accept spyware as something unavoidable, and "solve" the problem by formatting their system from time to time. Which, let's admit it, is not only bothersome, but also makes no sense at all. Things should - and can - be better.
There are many guides and articles about spyware, but some are too technical for most users, while the rest of them are simply "buy and install that anti-spyware program". Such a program can be used to remove existing spyware, but what most people don't know is that it is possible to have a completely spyware-free computer, without spending a cent, simply by following the next 3 suggestions:
1. Do not use Internet Explorer
To a great many Windows users, this suggestion will seem to make no sense. "How do I access the Internet, then?"
Without going into a lot of detail, Internet Explorer (IE) is a web browser, usually just referred to as a "browser". It's a browser - meaning, it's one of them, there are others. IE, which has been a part of Windows for some years now, is a browser which has a large history of security problems, which are lessened by keeping Windows up to date (see suggestion 2), but not completely eliminated.
A lot of spyware installs itself, without knowledge or authorization by the user, through Internet Explorer. Merely using it to browse the Internet tends to make a PC become infested with spyware in a short time.
IE has only two valid uses: downloading another browser, and updating Windows (once again, see suggestion 2).
Which other browser should you use? Personally, I recommend Mozilla Firefox, but Opera is also an excellent, secure and easy to use browser.
Warning:
Some programs add features to Internet Explorer, but continue to use it internally, and, therefore, keep all of its security problems. A few examples of those are Avant Browser and Netcaptor. For security reasons, it's much better to use browsers completely independent from IE, such as Firefox or Opera.
2. Keep your Windows updated
Many users don't really understand the need for software updates. After all, when you buy an appliance, such as a washing machine or a TV, it doesn't need "updating".
Unfortunately, modern computer software is a lot more complex, and the Internet is, often, an hostile environment. Therefore, quite frequently, security holes in a popular piece of software are discovered, and must be fixed by the software maker, through updates.
The most important example is the operating system itself, in this case Windows. It's vital that you keep it updated, since most attacks take advantage of security flaws that have been already fixed in the latest updates. In particular, some spyware installs itself through those flaws.
The easiest method is, simply, to have automatic updates enabled. This way, Windows periodically "talks" to Microsoft, and automatically installs new updates as they become available.
The most recent Windows versions have automatic updates enable by default, which is a good thing. However, many users, without realizing the need for updating your system, disable automatic updates for some reason. It's important to check if they're active, and, if not, they should be.
The simplest way to do it, and which works with the various Windows versions, is to go to Windows Update (with Internet Explorer - here, and only here, you have to use it). One of the initial pages there tells you whether you have automatic updates enabled or not, and tells you how to enable them if they're not.
3.Do not install "dubious" software
This suggestion will, at first, seem ambigous - after all, what makes something "dubious"?
In this case, there are three possibilities:
1. legitimate software which was tampered with, altered, to include something dangerous
2. something dangerous, which pretends to be legitimate software (think of it as "having a false label")
3. software which is dangerous itself
In the first two cases, the way to avoid trouble is simple: only install software downloaded from the maker's site, or from official "mirrors", and not from other places (especially peer-to-peer networks).
The third case is more complex, because the maker himself is dishonest. There isn't a "magical formula" to determine whether a piece of software is trustworthy or not, but the following tips may be useful:
* the word "free", in this case, doesn't mean much. It may be really free and unencumbered, without "small print", or it may be "supported by advertising", which is usually a synonym of "includes spyware".
* "open source" software is, usually, safe.
* anything related to Internet Explorer (in particular, toolbars for it) is potentially dangerous. Besides, if you're following suggestion 1, you won't need any of that.
* as a last resort, ask a more technically inclined friend about a piece of software you aren't sure about.
Source: http://sites.dehumanizer.com/spyware/en/
IE is going to delete internet porn! NOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
