Infected email attachments, some downloaded files such as a screensaver, fancy cursor,
or music files from limewire, bittorrent download sites, and some adult sites.
If your computer is slow.
Slower than you remember it being. It could be running a lot of spyware (or adware). Update your anti-virus and spyware programs and run thorough scans of your hard drive (see below for free scan programs). Other causes of your computer running slow are not enough RAM (see the software downloads page for advice). Of course if the computer is too old i.e. 5 or more years old it could be less expensive to replace it than to upgrade the old one. We are professional in our advice whether to upgrade or replace a computer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A common source of computer malware infections is user naivete or ignorance.
Another common cause of infected computers is software updates
that have not been downloaded and installed:
- windows updates
- Java updates
- Adobe reader updates
- MS office updates
- Adobe Flash updates
- browser updates (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.)
Somewhere in the list above belongs "forgetfulness". Or maybe it should be called impatience. As in not scanning a newly downloaded file before opening it. See #3 of Leo LaPorte's six rules for safe computing below.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
| tip :- If you get a pop up box asking you for "money to remove a virus" |
| DO NOT CLICK ANYWHERE IN THE BOX. |
| 1. Make a note of what this virus is called. |
| 2. Use the windows alt tab function to highlight the worm's box. |
| 3. press alt F4 to close the box. |
| 4. Update your anti-virus and spyware programs and run thorough scans of your hard drive (see below for free scan programs). |
Leo LaPorte's six rules for safe computing
1. Do not open email attachments; even if it is from someone you know. If you do get something from someone you know, make sure that they really sent it to you. Email attachments are the number one way viruses and trojan horses get into your email. You might also want to turn off HTML email in Outlook and other programs. HTML emails are just as dangerous as rogue web sites, and can spread infections just by previewing them.
2. Do not click links in email. That link could lead you to a phishing site, or the link may lead you to install malicious software. Copy and paste links into your browser, or type them in by hand instead. Another reason to disable HTML email - the HTML hides the real destination of that seemingly innocuous link.
3. Do not download files from places you aren't absolutely sure are safe. Stick with the well known sites. Teenagers who use filesharing software like BitTorrent, Azureus, Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster, and Limewire, often unwittingly download spyware and trojans. If you must, quarantine all downloads then scan them a few days later with an updated anti-virus.
4. Update your OS regularly! Turn on automatic updates in OS X and Windows. Apply all critical updates immediately. Criminals often create hacks within 24 hours of Microsoft's patches (these are called zero day exploits), so you need to protect yourself the day the patches appear.
5. Use a firewall. The best firewall is a hardware router - the kind you use to share an internet connection. Even if they are not billed as firewalls, they are, and they're quite effective. I also recommend turning on your operating system's firewall - even if you have a router - but I don't recommend third-party software firewalls. They cause more problems than they solve.
6. Never run as an administrator in any operating system. Administrators have way too many privileges that malicious people/code can take advantage of. Run as a limited user as much as possible. Windows Vista, Linux, and Mac OSX allow you to run a majority of features, but with some additional safety, as a limited user.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note: as with most anti-virus programs, after you download any file from the internet to your hard drive, you can right click on the newly downloaded file's name and in the menu you should see "scan with Microsoft Security Essentials"
Maximum PC magazine rates the free MS Security Essentials anti-virus quite high, 8/10.
Note: click on "Download Now (3.86MB)" (as of 2009Sept19)
We have the paid version of this program in stock. It checks for problems in real time. You pay once for a lifetime licence.
We like Malware Bytes and use it a lot.
Note: click on Download button beside "SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition"
www.openDNS.com
"OpenDNS is the single best solution for parents
seeking to protect their kids from inappropriate Web content."
Rick Broida, PC World - and it's free.
OpenDNS has protection for every level of user.
Lots of schools use openDNS.com.
www.mywot.com
WOT is an add-on for your internet web browser. It will put a green, amber or
red dot beside most websites your search engine locates eg. google.
I find WOT to be a little too paranoid. I sometimes check its red dot
results with the www.virustotal.com website listed below. You will need to download
a different add-on for each web browser you use. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.
http://www.virustotal.com
www.virustotal.com uses 41 different AV programs to check a file you upload. So when you're not sure of a file being virus free even though your AV says it is, this is a good website to use. The virustotal website also has a place to enter an URL website sddress to check it for malware.
Virustotal.com also checks URL's = website addresses.
Some AV programs return a false positive - it says a file is infected, although you are pretty sure it's not infected. So www.virustotal.com will use 41 AV programs to scan the file for you. I have seen safe virus free files give 3 false positives in 3 different AV programs. The other 38 AV programs scanned the file as clean. The file was clean.
Businesses and serious computer users should back up their computer onto an external hard drive. There is much more to be said about computer safety. About half of our computer service business is repairing infected computers!
