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Security
It was most likely infected by
downloading music or video or a program from
an unsafe website or clicking on an
attachment to an email or a picture or even
clicking on an unsafe website.
This might have happened because of
something you intended to do or it might
have happened without you being aware.
Let's begin by clarifying. Viruses
can look and act like spyware and spyware
can look and act like a virus. So
let's be more specific.
- Spyware secretly collects
information for internet businesses that
operate in a criminal manner. It
can change your web browser's home page
and search settings, popup ads, and make
it difficult or impossible to change
them back.
- Dangerous downloads appear to be
safe but can run malicious programs.
- Drive-by downloads can download and
run spyware, viruses, or even take
control of your computer all without any
action on your part other than visiting
a website.
- Phishers trick you into giving
confidential information to a fraudulent
web site. I had one that posed as
a bank site but took me to a completely
different site in Canada. Firefox
informed me that the site was
fraudulent.
- Keyloggers record your key presses
for passwords, financial information and
more.
- Viruses interfere with your
operating system. They
also are spread from computer to
computer.
The best way to prevent them is to never
visit an unsafe website or open an email
attachment. But, no one is going to
take those measures so here are some
excellent tips that will keep me from having
to arduously remove a virus or spyware
infestation.
- Always use the best Internet
Security product. I recommend
Norton 360.
- Always keep your operating system
and other programs up to date.
These include your email program, your
web browser, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash,
Sun Java, and other programs that you
may use on your computer.
- Do not use file-sharing programs
such as Limewire and Bearshare.
Besides exposing you to viruses and
spyware, it is illegal and immoral and
unethical to use music or video that
you have not paid for.
- Do not visit porn sites. This
is a multi-billion dollar business and
you become part of the problem by contributing to the porn industry
every time you visit one of those sites,
in addition to opening your computer to spyware
and viruses. If you cannot stop
visiting porn sites, install parental
controls and have someone else set the
password.
- Do not visit hacker sites.
Hackers routinely offer free software that
contains virus or spyware files.
Why else do you think they would offer
it for free?
Buy the software you need from a store
or a legitimate website.
These are some basic things you can do.
They will save you money in the long run.
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