Q1. What is spyware?
Spyware is a software program that is designed to steal personal information and to spy on the user's online behavior. It can record keystrokes and monitor the user's online behavior through cookies.
Q2. Why is spyware dangerous?
Spyware can steal personal data like credit card numbers, mother's maiden names, social security numbers, etc. and transmit them to hackers. This information can be very easily misused. This is why spyware is very dangerous and strict precautions should be taken to stay safe from spyware.
Q3. How does spyware infect computers?
Spyware applications often infect computers through other software with which they are bundled. They also spread through infected web pages, peer-to-peer networks, and cracked software. Sometimes spyware also spread through rouge spyware-removal tools, which mimic actual genuine software.
Q4. How do I know if my computer is infected with spyware?
If your computer has slowed down lately or you start seeing unwanted pop-ups or if you see some unwanted programs running in your task manager, it is probable that your computer has been infected. You can check by installing a suitable anti-spyware or anti-virus program and running a complete scan.
Q5. What is the difference between adware and spyware?
Adware is designed to display advertisements to the user whereas spyware is designed to steal and transmit personal details to third parties. Adware programs are not a security risk. However, in many cases, adware and spyware are bundled together.
Q6. What should I do to stay safe from spyware?
There are many ways you can protect your computer from getting infected with spyware:
# Install a suitable anti-virus scanner. For example: Avira Antivirus.
# Install a suitable anti-spyware scanner. For example: Spyware Terminator or Spybot: Search and Destroy.
# Install a suitable firewall. Firewall software prevent unwanted programs from entering your computer from the Internet.
# Always download software from reputed sites like Download.com
# Never download software from peer-to-peer networks and or warez sites or file sharing sites like rapidshare or megaupload.
# Always scan files before opening them.
# Be careful with email attachments. Many virus programs and spyware spread through mail attachments.
# Update your operating system regularly. Apply all the service packs, patches and security updates. Also update your browser to the latest version.
Q7. Is it possible to delete spyware manually?
Yes. It is possible to delete spyware manually. However, it requires lots of expertise. Spyware can be removed manually by using a software called HijackThis. This software generates a log which contains information about the spyware. This can be used to ascertain which spyware has infected your system and what needs to be done to remove it.
Q8. Which spyware removal tool is the best?
This question has no definite answer. Different users have different opinions. However, we believe SpywareTerminator and Spybot: Search and Destroy as the best free spyware removal tools.
Q9. Is it true that Apple Mac OS is more secure?
Yes.There are no known spyware, with a few exceptions, that can attack and infect Mac OS X. This indicates that a Mac is more secure than a Windows based computer.
Source: http://goo.gl/xNeVD
The Truth About Viruses
We've all heard about computer-virus nightmare stories from friends and colleagues. What begins as an innocent-looking email can end up ravaging your PC, wiping out files and destroying your software programs. However, many websites and unassuming files can inflict damage as well, without us ever knowing until the damage is already done.
Even the best antivirus software cannot fully shield a user from the bugs and trojans running rampant on the Web. However, many software packages are designed to ward off new viruses as they are emerging. There are many aspects of viruses people don't know about and before choosing an anti-virus software program, it's necessary to separate fact from fiction.
Do these virus FAQs surprise or scare you?
o A virus can be spread when its host file is replicated. For instance, if you copy a file from a friend's jump drive that contains a virus, your computer can get it.
o A virus does not need permission from a PC's user in order to download and spread.
o Resident viruses do not need a host to spread. These viruses load themselves into memory of a PC's files and transfer control to the host.
o Nonresident viruses look for hosts to infect and replicate themselves.
o Viruses can hide their file extensions from anti-virus programs, making it necessary to stay on top of your security updates in order to outwit the virus.
o Virus signature definitions only protect users from viruses pre-dating their last virus signature update: another reason to run automatic updates whenever possible.
o Heuristic software protection involves protection based on virus' common behaviors, before there is an outbreak.
A virus's capability to wreak havoc is truly extensive, but can be preventable. Every person will most likely come face-to-face with a virus at least once during their computer-usage. This makes it necessary to compare antivirus security and find one to begin protecting you.
6StarReviews is a great place to look for programs like The Shield Pro, which is designed to scan for viruses at high speeds and offers immediate security-breach alerts. Before you fall prey to the next Trojan, consider the benefits of purchasing yourself some security software.
Source: http://goo.gl/sQkHK
Even the best antivirus software cannot fully shield a user from the bugs and trojans running rampant on the Web. However, many software packages are designed to ward off new viruses as they are emerging. There are many aspects of viruses people don't know about and before choosing an anti-virus software program, it's necessary to separate fact from fiction.
Do these virus FAQs surprise or scare you?
o A virus can be spread when its host file is replicated. For instance, if you copy a file from a friend's jump drive that contains a virus, your computer can get it.
o A virus does not need permission from a PC's user in order to download and spread.
o Resident viruses do not need a host to spread. These viruses load themselves into memory of a PC's files and transfer control to the host.
o Nonresident viruses look for hosts to infect and replicate themselves.
o Viruses can hide their file extensions from anti-virus programs, making it necessary to stay on top of your security updates in order to outwit the virus.
o Virus signature definitions only protect users from viruses pre-dating their last virus signature update: another reason to run automatic updates whenever possible.
o Heuristic software protection involves protection based on virus' common behaviors, before there is an outbreak.
A virus's capability to wreak havoc is truly extensive, but can be preventable. Every person will most likely come face-to-face with a virus at least once during their computer-usage. This makes it necessary to compare antivirus security and find one to begin protecting you.
6StarReviews is a great place to look for programs like The Shield Pro, which is designed to scan for viruses at high speeds and offers immediate security-breach alerts. Before you fall prey to the next Trojan, consider the benefits of purchasing yourself some security software.
Source: http://goo.gl/sQkHK
How to Remove Antivirus 360 Popups Quickly and Easily
Tired of the Antivirus 360 fake security popups? You aren't the only one, as Antivirus 360 has currently become the most widely distributed rogue antispyware software on the internet and it has infected tens of thousands of computers across the globe. While the spyware program can be quite difficult to get rid of manually, luckily there is a way to remove Antivirus 360 popups quickly and easily.
Understand, however, that if you are seeing these fake security popups flash onto your computer screen it actually does mean that you are infected with spyware, but the popup itself is the spyware.
The ultimate goal of Antivirus 360, notorious for bombarding computers with fake security alerts, is to scare you into purchasing the full version which is actually bogus antispyware software and will not help to clean your computer and in fact it will download and install additional malware without you even knowing.
Having said that, Antivirus 360 can also cause a whole host of other issues such as a severe slow down of your computer, internet connectivity problems, software issues as well as possibly gaining access to your personal and sensitive information like credit cards, bank accounts, etc. by logging your keystrokes and monitoring your web activity.
This is why it is so critical, if you are seeing Antivirus 360 popups, that you not remove all traces of this dangerous spyware program as quickly as possible and thankfully, there is an easy way to do that.
Because Antivirus 360 is dynamic and can hide deep within your computer's file system and registry, manual removal is near impossible unless you are a trained computer professional.
Therefore, the only viable method for not only removing Antivirus 360 popups from your computer but also to protect yourself from future spyware infections and scams, is to get your hands on a top rated spyware removal tool.
By doing so, you can quickly and easily remove Antivirus 360 popups by performing a scan from within the software and then clicking on remove once the infections have been found. This will help to eliminate any further computer issues that can arise from attempting to manually remove the files and accidentally deleting files that are needed for your computer to run properly.
Source: http://goo.gl/hM82j
Understand, however, that if you are seeing these fake security popups flash onto your computer screen it actually does mean that you are infected with spyware, but the popup itself is the spyware.
The ultimate goal of Antivirus 360, notorious for bombarding computers with fake security alerts, is to scare you into purchasing the full version which is actually bogus antispyware software and will not help to clean your computer and in fact it will download and install additional malware without you even knowing.
Having said that, Antivirus 360 can also cause a whole host of other issues such as a severe slow down of your computer, internet connectivity problems, software issues as well as possibly gaining access to your personal and sensitive information like credit cards, bank accounts, etc. by logging your keystrokes and monitoring your web activity.
This is why it is so critical, if you are seeing Antivirus 360 popups, that you not remove all traces of this dangerous spyware program as quickly as possible and thankfully, there is an easy way to do that.
Because Antivirus 360 is dynamic and can hide deep within your computer's file system and registry, manual removal is near impossible unless you are a trained computer professional.
Therefore, the only viable method for not only removing Antivirus 360 popups from your computer but also to protect yourself from future spyware infections and scams, is to get your hands on a top rated spyware removal tool.
By doing so, you can quickly and easily remove Antivirus 360 popups by performing a scan from within the software and then clicking on remove once the infections have been found. This will help to eliminate any further computer issues that can arise from attempting to manually remove the files and accidentally deleting files that are needed for your computer to run properly.
Source: http://goo.gl/hM82j
Five Tips to Reduce the Use of Antivirus Cleaners
Most persons only use antivirus cleaners, after their computer would have been infected by a virus. Being proactive will reduce the chances of your computer being infected. To be proactive, antivirus software should always be installed on your computer.
If you are one of those persons that uses a computer on a daily basis for personal business, rather than in a corporate business environment, then you will always be at risk of being infected by a virus, or other dangerous malware programs. Malware is a name given to software programs that were designed to be used for malicious intent.
Even in a corporate settings, the chances of your computer being infected by a virus would also be possible, but the chances are minimized tremendously. Corporations use industry standards of protection to minimize the threat of their computers being infected by viruses, and other dangerous programs. During my many years of employment in a corporate environment , within the Information Technology department, steps were in place to minimized our computers from being infected by viruses. Antivirus software were installed on every computer in our environment.
Antivirus cleaners are only used after a computer is infected by viruses, or malicious ad-ware and malware infections. I have included below some tips and guidelines to help in the reduction of your computer being infected by a virus.
(a) If you are using a windows machine with windows XP, or windows vista installed as the operating system, you should always be running the latest security patches and browser updates.
(b) Your computer should always have antivirus software installed that is capable of running in real time.
(c) Your antivirus signatures should always be up to date.
(d) You should always do weekly scans to your computer.
(e) Never open e-mails from persons you do not know.
If you are serious about reducing the use of antivirus cleaners then you should always have antivirus software installed. Having antivirus software installed does not guarantee that your computer will be virus free, but the chances of your computer becoming infected is reduced tremendously.
Source: http://goo.gl/FJOxU
If you are one of those persons that uses a computer on a daily basis for personal business, rather than in a corporate business environment, then you will always be at risk of being infected by a virus, or other dangerous malware programs. Malware is a name given to software programs that were designed to be used for malicious intent.
Even in a corporate settings, the chances of your computer being infected by a virus would also be possible, but the chances are minimized tremendously. Corporations use industry standards of protection to minimize the threat of their computers being infected by viruses, and other dangerous programs. During my many years of employment in a corporate environment , within the Information Technology department, steps were in place to minimized our computers from being infected by viruses. Antivirus software were installed on every computer in our environment.
Antivirus cleaners are only used after a computer is infected by viruses, or malicious ad-ware and malware infections. I have included below some tips and guidelines to help in the reduction of your computer being infected by a virus.
(a) If you are using a windows machine with windows XP, or windows vista installed as the operating system, you should always be running the latest security patches and browser updates.
(b) Your computer should always have antivirus software installed that is capable of running in real time.
(c) Your antivirus signatures should always be up to date.
(d) You should always do weekly scans to your computer.
(e) Never open e-mails from persons you do not know.
If you are serious about reducing the use of antivirus cleaners then you should always have antivirus software installed. Having antivirus software installed does not guarantee that your computer will be virus free, but the chances of your computer becoming infected is reduced tremendously.
Source: http://goo.gl/FJOxU
Virus Alertness Tricks
When talking about computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewalls, it is important to stress that no virus protection system is foolproof. Even top security computer systems have been infiltrated time and again by hackers and computer criminals simply by programming a virus. Files have been deleted, accounts and identities have been stolen, and confidential files have been accessed by these hackers. This is not to say that anti-virus softwares are useless, but to point out that these programs work and perform better with the users' assistance.
Computer viruses are programs that reproduce themselves and infect files and disks. They are spread and transmitted whenever files, disks, or programs are exchanged. Email attachments from known people, like your friends, professors, colleagues, or even your boss, can be virus-laden. The senders themselves may not even be aware that they're sending you a virus. Computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewalls are developed to help you identify the viruses, the infected part of your system, and the process by which the virus can be contained. But as pointed out before, they need your assistance. New programs are developed regularly, and aside from these, there are also new technologies put in use. With the improvements in technology, it is naive and erroneous to assume that viruses remain as they are. They are constantly changing, becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. Most advanced viruses aren't detected until they have brought down and controlled entire systems. Hence, the first trick of virus protection is to subscribe to a reputable anti-virus software. Free software can detect and quarantine simple worms and viruses, but they would be hard-pressed to detect the more sophisticated kinds. Subscription requires minimal fees compared to the degree of protection your computer receives. This is especially advisable to companies and large businesses where several computers are joined in a network. Computers for home use and ones that aren't used for storing sensitive data can do just fine with free downloadable software.
Subscription automatically causes your computer virus protection, anti-virus software, and firewall security to update whenever it is possible. This is an advantage because you can keep up with the rapid sophistication of new viruses. The more updated your software is, the more efficient it is in catching the virus. Free software must be updated or replaced with new versions regularly. It is best to update your software whenever your software site alerts you of newer versions. Aside from these tricks, doing virus scans on files, disks, software disks, programs, and other applications must be second nature to you before opening or downloading. Keep back-up files of the data and files in your computer in case a virus caused them to be deleted. Regular rebooting and "clean up" of your system also minimize susceptibility to viruses. Computer virus protection and anti-virus softwares optimize their performance with your help.
source: http://goo.gl/Cjd1T
