PROTECTION 101
You should proactively protect your computer from viruses and spyware. The software below has been successfully tested and used by me; however, I do not guarantee or endorse the following products. Usage will be at risk of the user.
AVG Anti-Virus FREE Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements). AVG Anti-Virus Free
Trend Micro's free HouseCall service is a no-frills virus scanner. The service loads quickly and lets you clean or delete any infected file it finds. The browser displays a list of drives on your machine, allowing you to select which ones to scan. A separate window displays progress reports and lists infected files for treatment. HouseCall isn't fancy, but this one-trick service gets the job done quickly. PC Magazine, 4 out of 5 Stars House call free online virus scan
Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer with other users. Modules chosen for removal can be sent directly to the included file shredder, ensuring complete elimination from your system. For advanced users, it allows you to fix registry inconsistencies related to adware and to malicious program installations. The handy online-update feature ensures that Spybot always has the most current and complete listings of adware, dialers, and other uninvited system residents. Spybot S&D
Microsoft Windows Update - Get the latest updates available for your computer's operating system, software, and hardware. Windows Update scans your computer and provides you with a selection of updates tailored just for you. Microsoft Windows Updates
Mozilla Firefox - the new Firefox Preview Release empowers you to browse faster, more safely, and more efficiently than with any other browser. Join more than 4 million others and make the switch today —Firefox imports your Favorites, settings and other information, so you have nothing to lose.
“Beware of spyware. If you can, use the Firefox browser.” - USA Today
“Better than Internet Explorer by leaps and bounds.” - FORBES
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Anti-Spyware (WILL NOT WORK WITH 95,98,ME) - Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) is a security technology that helps protect Windows users from spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Known spyware on your PC can be detected and removed. This helps reduce negative effects caused by spyware, including slow PC performance, annoying pop-up ads, unwanted changes to Internet settings, and unauthorized use of your private information. Continuous protection improves Internet browsing safety by guarding more than 50 ways spyware can enter your PC. Participants in the worldwide SpyNet™ community play a key role in determining which suspicious programs are classified as spyware. Microsoft researchers quickly develop methods to counteract these threats, and updates are automatically downloaded to your PC so you stay up to date. Microsoft Spyware Tool (beta1)
Spyware - A technology that assists in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, "spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties." This is also known as "adware".
Virus - a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer; "a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance" It also can be defined as a piece of programming code inserted into other programming to cause some unexpected and usually undesirable event, such as lost or damaged files. Viruses can be transmitted by downloading programming from other sites or be present on a diskette. The source of the file you're downloading or of a diskette you've received is often unaware of the virus. The virus lies dormant until circumstances cause its code to be executed by the computer.
