I have been around computers for years. I even teach on Introduction to Computers class at a four-year university. Despite my knowledge of computers, I was not immune to the problems that viruses^ and spyware can do to a computer. My computer was attacked and it was so bad I ended up replacing my hard drive. Does that sound scary to you? If so, I apologize. At the same time, I hope that my experience can benefit you.

While many computer users are familiar with the term virus, not as many understand the term spyware. Simply put, spyware is software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without your premission. Here are a few things that can happen if you get spyware on your computer.

* Pop-up advertisements will appear even when you are not on the internet.

* Your home page (the page that comes up when you first open your internet browser) changes all of sudden and you don’t know why.

* A new toolbar appears and you can’t seem to get rid of it.

* Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.

* Your computer crashes a lot when it never used to.

Just reading the above list should be enough to encourage you to read on and do what you can to prevent viruses and spyware from attacking your computer. Below is a list I compiled of things you can do to protect yourself from viruses and/or spyware. Following these suggestions doesn’t mean you will never have a problem. However, it should lessen the chance of it happening.

1. Everyone should have good anti-virus software on their computer. This is especially true it you use the internet. I use PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 on my computer. Before that I used Norton’s Internet Security. Both are good but only work well if used properly. If you are a beginner computer user, I would recommend Norton over PC-cillin. However, PC-cillin is a good program for those who are more advanced computer users. It requires a little more patience to set up and a better understanding of computers than Norton’s does.

2. While it is nice to have Internet Security software, one must make sure it is turned on and that it is updated weekly. New viruses are being created daily and if you don’t update your anti-virus software weekly your computer is open to attack by new viruses.

3. Make sure you have a good firewall and that it is turned on. A firewall helps protect your computer from outside attacks. Again, a good Internet Security program such as Norton’s and PC-cillin come with a firewall. However, remember they only work if they are turned on.

4. I use two free programs in addition to PC-cillin to give me a little extra protection from spyware. I run these programs once a week to ensure that my computer is free from spyware. The two programs I use are:

SpyBot – Search and Destroy

Spyware Blaster

Both these programs can be downloaded for free at www.downloads.com

5. I use a free program that checks for advertising trackers and lets me get rid of them. You can download a copy of this program at www.downloads.com. The name of this program is:

Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal

There are a few other things I would like to mention concerning viruses and protecting yourself from them.

a. When you receive an email from someone you don’t know and it has an attachment. Never open the attachment. Often times these attachments can have viruses in them.

b. If you receive an email from someone you know with an attachment and you weren’t expecting it, don’t open the attachment. Contact them first to make sure they sent it. Sometimes a virus can send out emails without the person even knowing.

c. Be careful when you are downloading software or programs off the internet. Often spyware software will install during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

d. Be careful when you use a file from someone else’s computer. If someone gives you a disk, even if it is your best friend, run a virus scan on the disk before opening any files. It is possible for the file to have a virus without the person knowing about it.

I hope these tips will prove helpful to you. If you have good protection and exercise caution you have a much better chance of getting through your computer life without the headaches of viruses and spyware. However, remember there is no guarantee that it will never happen to you.

^A computer virus is a program that invades your computer system, hides there, and replicates itself. Viruses spread when you launch an infected application or start up your computer from a disk that has infected system files.”

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Today the trend has been changed. We are using monitoring software at home. From office to large enterprise monitoring softwares are now largely used. All these purpose is to safeguard of personal and business matter.There are lot of monitoring softwares now. May be you are also using one of these softwares. But are you sure that this monitoring software is spying you rather than serves you and sends all information as keystroke to the remote location ? Who knows ?

Keylogging spyware (such programs are usually called simply “keyloggers”)has very much in common with legitimate monitoring software. These programs spy — they log keystrokes and mouse clicks, make screenshots, compile a neat log-file and send it to the person who installed (as a rule, remotely) this program on your or somebody else’s PC.

The very principle is often the same. Actually, the technology applied in monitoring software is a dual-purpose one. It is neither good nor bad — numerous things can be used for several purposes, not all of them permissible. A knife is a typical example — while we are cutting bread with a bread knife, somebody stabs his neighbor to death with a dagger or stiletto.Identity thieves do know how to use both kinds of this software for their nefarious purpose. I am not going to talk about moral issues, but if there is an opportunity, there always will be one to use it.If these programs are so closely related, how to tell which is which then? Well, there are two specific program functions that are typical only to programs that spy.First, it is possible to carry out preliminary configuration of the monitoring module (it is usually called client, agent etc.), getting a compiled executable file as a result. This file, when installed, doesn’t display any messages or create windows on the screen. It ” ;hides its

Second, spy software always has built-in means of remote installation; as a rule, the pre-configured module (agent) is installed into the target PC remotely. Then the files with obtained information are sent via local network or emailed to the person who installed the spy program.Remove these functions — and you will get a monitoring program instead of spyware. If it is impossible to pre-configure the monitoring module and install it remotely, it is not spyware. If you should have administrator privilege to install the program, it is monitoring software. (Person with administrator privilege installs major software products, and in case of a home computer, it is usually the person who owns the PC). Nevertheless, there are some vendors who advertise monitoring products with “remote deployment”, i.e. function of remote installation. In fact, nothing distinguishes these programs from malicious keyloggers. Some of them are actually Trojan Horse programs, which can be sent by email disguised as, say, a greeting card.

Many users feel that it is impossible to install a surveillance program without physical access to their PCs. Unfortunately, they are mistaken. And security experts confirm– remote deployment of surveillance software is sharply on the rise. Researchers from Websense Security Labs in their “Security Trends Report” call such programs “commercial keyloggers” and caution users against them: ” These commercial keyloggers may be marketed as products that allow you to spy on your spouse or watch your children?s online activities. They are often used as packaged attacks designed to capture keystrokes to gather online banking passwords, login credentials, Social Security Numbers and other identity-related information”.No wonder that both security experts and vendors now see keyloggers no matter whether they are commercial ones or those cybercriminals write themselves as a grave t

Keyloggers can be also included into freeware and shareware. Trojan programs, viruses and Internet worms often contain keyloggers, too. Security experts w arn that information-stealing programs are already relatively common and predict the further rise of unlawful use of such software. That is why it is so important to apply special anti-keylogging protection.Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC, an independent software developing company. The company’s R&D department created an innovative technology, which disables the very processes of capturing information, such as keylogging, screenshoting, etc. The company’s anti-keylogging software doesn’t detect spy programs or information-stealing Trojans one by one it brings all the “spies” to a standstill.

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For removal of spyware Trojan, usual anti virus software are not always effective. Especially for those Trojans that partially or fully disable the anti virus tools, it is impossible to detect the malware and remove that from the system. So, even if you are having an anti virus software installed in your computer you are not always protected from the malicious spyware, adware and Trojan virus.

Trojan horses are created by the black hat hackers or crackers with different objectives. Mostly they are delivered to the victim’s PC through other downloads, mostly through freeware and MP3 and movie downloads. Trojans are used to erase, overwriting or copy data from the infected computer. It can also corrupt and encrypt files, upload and download files through the internet connection of the infected computer adding the cost of use to that user. Trojan can also steal passwords of bank accounts and credit card numbers by logging the key stokes that is used for criminal activities. Trojans are even circulated for collecting email addresses and then spreading spam emails. Trojan horse poses the threat of installing other malicious software like spyware, adware and porn dialers. Trojans are also used to remotely administrate the infected computer without even the knowledge of the user. Removal spyware Trojan software can protect you from all these threats.

Some of the most commonly found Trojan horses are Atwinda, AudioDoor, Autocrat, AutoPWN, Autograph, AutoSpY, Avanzado, Avone, Ayan Bilisim, Azrael, BD Blade runner, Crazy Daisy, Connect4, Donald Dick, Theef, Twelve Tricks, VMLFILL and so on. Everyday different new Trojans are being created and delivered with various levels of threat. An effective removal spyware Trojan tool can protect you from any Trojan threat as the software regularly updates its Trojan database and effectively detects the Trojan from the computer and removes it. So, with Trojan removal software installed in your system you stay protected.

With the increasing number of Trojan virus in the World Wide Web you can never be sure of the security of your system. Without an effective tool for removal spyware Trojan, you have to format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and other application, once your PC gets infected with the deadly Trojan or spyware. Using the facility of internet, you can easily download the anti trojan program and can make you computer insect free for long-long time. So, make sure you get protection from the malware with anti Trojan software.

Total Internet ProtectionThe internet super highway is full of all kind of viruses, malware, spyware, trojan horses and worms. You may not believe it and I?m quite sure the next time you purchase your new computer and forget to install some type of protection, there is a realistic chance that you will arrive at another opinion.Make no blunder, malware’s and viruses are active and ready to exploit your computer. The long-established types of internet pest, spyware and viruses and Trojan horses, are very much still out there. We have not even mentioned the attacks of the spammers, phishers and online predators. Naive bystanders are moving enormous amounts of money transactions, business intelligence online, personal information and that attracts criminals. Luckily, the security software manufacturers have developed the newest versions of their best products, the internet security suites.Internet security suites aspire to give you an impenetrable defense, guarding you from almost all terrorization of your computer found on the internet super highway. These security suites can stop practically all the threats all on one software program. Anti malware, anti spyware, anti virus, anti spam and anti phishing threats are stopped by security suites.In addition, security suites include parental controls, content filtering, firewalls and keylogger detection. What you have at your disposal is an online suit of body armor that is as strong as a bulletproof vest that can stop and work in opposition to any of the mentioned internet threats.Features to consider:? Firewall protection ? does it work? Spyware detection and removal? Keylogger detection and removal? Easy to install? Simple to setupThis all sounds just great, however there is a price to pay for all this protection built in one software program. Many of these programs can be bulky with lots of software code, control panels, settings, menus, and buttons to figure out what they do. With all these options available, these programs can at times become bloated and may seem to slow the computer down. The result? Many of computer users will shy away from running these applications and security software suites or may just turn down the protection, so that eventually there is not any protection left.That brings us to the new breed of software security suites. The top programs today are much easier to operate and are user friendly without sacrificing protection of your computer. These programs have the ability to run without your computer crawling page to page and slowing down to a frustrating pace. Many of these programs will allow you to click just a few buttons to make it easy to set up and operate.Top Internet Security Suite Software ProgramsPC Security ShieldZoneAlarm Pro Suite

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Getting stubborn adware and spyware off your PC can be frustrating. However, there are steps you can take to make the process easier and more effective. If your system is heavily infested, you’ll need access to a clean computer to download the necessary tools. If you don’t have a second computer, ask a friend to download the tools for you and burn them to a cd. If you plan to use a USB drive to transfer the downloaded files, make sure both your computer and your friend’s computer have autorun disabled .

1. Disconnect from the Internet

Close all open browser windows and applications (including email) and then disconnect your PC from the Internet. If you can access the back of the computer, the easiest thing to do is just remove the phone line or cable connecting the PC to the modem or router. If the back of the computer isn’t easily accessible, you can remove the ethernet cable or phone line from router or modem.

2. Try a Traditional Uninstall

A suprising number of applications labeled as adware and spyware have fully functioning uninstallers that will cleanly remove the program. Before moving on to more complex steps, start with the easiest route and check the Add/Remove Programs list in the Windows Control Panel . If the unwanted program is listed, simply highlight it and click the Remove button. In Windows Vista, the Add/Remove Programs feature is listed in Control Panel as Programs and Features . After removing the adware or spyware via Control Panel’s Add/Remove Programs, reboot the computer. Make sure you reboot after the uninstall, even if you aren’t prompted to do so.

3. Scan Your Computer

After you’ve disconnected from the Internet, removed any adware or spyware listed in Add/Remove Programs, and rebooted the computer, the next step is to run a full system scan using an up-to-date antivirus scanner. If your scanner will allow it, scan the system in Safe Mode . If you don’t have antivirus installed, select from one of these free antivirus scanners . If prompted, allow the scanner to clean, quarantine, or delete as appropriate.

4. Using SmitFraudFix

Much of today’s spyware is delivered via the Zlob family of Trojan downloaders. The free SmitFraudFix tool does a good job of removing many variants of Zlob-related adware and spyware. For download and usage instructions, see: SmitFraudFix Removes Zlob and Other Pests .

5. Get Clear Access to the Problem

While scanning the system in Safe Mode is good practice, it may not be enough to thwart some malware. If the adware or spyware persists despite the above efforts, you’ll need to get access to the drive without allowing the adware or spyware to load. The most effective means to get clean access to the drive is to use a BartPE Bootable CD . Once you’ve booted to the BartPE CD, you can access the file manager, locate the installed antivirus and rescan the system. Or, locate the offending files and folders and manually delete them.

6. Undo the Residual Damage

After removing the active infestation, you’ll need to make sure the adware or spyware won’t simply reintegrate itself when the computer is reconnecting to the Internet.

Before reconnecting, reset your browser start and home pages. Ensure your HOSTS file hasn’t been hijacked. Make sure undesirable websites haven’t been added to your Trusted Sites Zone. 7. Preventing Adware and Spyware

To avoid future adware and spyware infections, be discriminating about what programs you install on your PC. If you see an offer for a program that seems to good to be true, research it first using your favorite search engine. Make sure your Web browser security is up to snuff, keep your system fully patched, and follow these adware and spyware prevention tips .