» Computer Security http://www.computersecurity-protection.com Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:47:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Keep Your PC Virus Free For Good! http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/keep-your-pc-virus-free-for-good http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/keep-your-pc-virus-free-for-good#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:47:35 +0000 admin http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/?p=354



Viruses or malware are not just the most common, but also the most dangerous threat that your computer faces on a day to day basis. Nothing else in the world of computers can harm your system as seriously or as constantly as a virus attack. While most viruses slow down your system, cause hang ups and generally make your system misbehave, they have also been known to cause hard disk crashes while spy ware has been instrumental in almost all online fraud and money related scams.

Protecting your computer from viruses can not only save your data, it can also save you a lot of money…which could either be lost to fraudsters and identity thieves or as your computer technician’s fees. You can easily guard your computer against viruses simply by being a little prudent and cautious.
Some simple steps that you can follow to keep your computer virus free for a long long time are:
Be Current: Having your software updated, especially your operating system and anti virus program, goes a long way in keeping you safe from viruses. Since new malware is created and distributed every day, your anti virus program amounts to nothing if it is not updated daily.

Scan Your Hard Disk All The Time: Running a full scan of your computer is not possible every other day, since it takes a long time. However, you should try and run a full scan almost every week. This will generally clean out weak viruses that generally slow down your system. At times, you may also catch a big fish! If you suspect you are already infected, then quickly update your anti virus software and run a scan before you shut down your system. This is important because most well written viruses become immune to scans once you shut down and restart your operating system.

Scan Some More: With most of us using flash drives and external hard disk drives almost all the time, the chances of getting infected are very high. Every time you use someone else’s external drive on your computer, scan it with your antivirus. Make sure that every file you open or install is first checked by your anti virus program. As a corollary, scan your own external hard disks and flash drives after they have been plugged into someone else’s system.

Stay Walled In: All common operating systems ranging from Windows to Macintosh have built in firewalls that protect your computer from invasion. If you have an internet enabled computer, it is essential to keep your firewall turned on at all times to prevent being invaded within minutes. At the same time, it is a good idea to turn off the internet if you are not using it since many persistent viruses keep trying to break through your firewall and some eventually succeed.

Don’t Open Email Attachments: The last celebrity, well known and highly damaging virus, the I Love You worm, distributed itself through email. While all of us are tempted to open email attachments that say—“ Must Watch Angelina Jolie, Never Before Released Pics” or “Paris Hilton Sex Video”, the prudent course of action here is to delete the email from your inbox and then from your trash. Even if these emails are from a source you trust, remember that most viruses today send themselves through email automatically, so delete or at least scan before opening any attachment that comes with a .exe, .com or .vbt extension . Your source will not even know that he has sent you a virus through email. Other things to stay away from are Nigerians promising to share half of their fortune with you, Google and AOL promising to give you $20 for each email forward that you send and any other mails with “ too good to be true” text or attachments. While all of them may not be viruses, many of them are phishing scams you should stay away from.

Stop Using Freeware And Shareware: There are thousands of viruses disguised as good freeware programs that are making the rounds on the internet. Do not be surprised if a free anti virus program that you downloaded from just any site turns out to be a virus that crashes your hard disk. Similarly, downloading through peer to peer applications like Limewire, Bittorrent, Frostwire, Cabos and Kazaa is another way of welcoming viruses into your system. Similarly free music and movie downloads, free porn and free games may often turn out to be viruses, and should be avoided at all costs if you want to remain virus free.

Stop Clicking On Everything: Links on social networking sites often turn out to lead to viruses. Another way through which these malware programs enter your system is through SEO attacks. These programs change search engine result links in a way that redirects users to sites that are virus hubs. Clicking on pop up ads, links on questionable sites and on Facebook, Twitter and Orkut can often invite viruses into your system.
Switch From Windows: If you are using a version of Windows as your operating system, then you are most vulnerable to virus attacks, not because there is anything wrong with Windows as such, but being the most popular operating system in use makes it the most attractive target for virus creators. It is no fun laboring on a virus that can affect only a small number of users when you can create one that will wreak major havoc. Using a Linux or a Macintosh operating system greatly reduces your chances of getting infected to almost nil.

Remember, all these above tips are applicable only when you have a good quality, updated anti virus program already installed on your computer. If you cannot afford to buy one right now, then check out our list of the best free anti virus downloads on How To Make Your PC Virus Free For Free. By adhering to all the rules given above, you can ensure that your computer remains virus free forever.

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]]> http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/keep-your-pc-virus-free-for-good/feed 0 5 Best Free Anti Spyware Programs To Keep Your Computer Safe http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/5-best-free-anti-spyware-programs-to-keep-your-computer-safe http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/5-best-free-anti-spyware-programs-to-keep-your-computer-safe#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:00:30 +0000 admin http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/5-best-free-anti-spyware-programs-to-keep-your-computer-safe



Apart from viruses as we know them, another major threat to all computer users today are spyware programs. Not only do spyware programs keep spying on you and your computer usage, sending back information about your internet usage without your information, but these programs have also been instrumental in many internet scams. By invading your online privacy and sending information about you to their creator, spyware programs make you vulnerable to not just more malware and irritating pop ups on your computer, but also to serious dangers like financial losses and scams.

If you are already using a heavy duty antivirus program like Norton, AVG or McAfee
( Mind you, the paid versions), then in all probability, you and your computer are suitably covered. On the other hand, in spite of having these programs in place, it is never a bad idea to have an updated anti spyware program on your system.  If you are on the lookout for a light and free antispyware program, then some of the best ones available for free download on the internet are listed below. The best part about these programs is that they are light on your computer and easy to use for the technologically challenged.

Spybot Search and Destroy: If running and using complicated software programs is not your specialty, then Spybot Search and Destroy is the anti-spyware for you. Simple and easy to use and light on memory, this is perfect for those who have a basic home based system.

MalwareBytes: One of the most popular free anti spyware  downloads, MalwareBytes specializes in scanning for and cleaning up the latest spyware programs on the internet. However, since a lot of people say that it is not the best cookie tracker, you might want to use it along with another free anti spyware like Spybot or SpywareBlaster etcetera.

Damage Cleanup Engine: This download is recommended because it is good at removing spyware and tracking cookies that have already invaded your disk space and memory. Damage Cleanup Engine removes spyware from your hard disk drives and also cleans up your registry and system files as well.

SpywareBlaster: Spyware blaster runs on Windows and provides browser protection to prevent the installation of unwanted software programs like ActiveX-based adware, spyware, browser hijackers and dialers. It also blocks tracking cookies in both IE and Mozilla Firefox.

SuperAntiSpyware: Another free anti-spyware that is simple to use let lethal to malware. The program has built its credibility on its ability to scan and remove even major threats quickly and easily. Its fans swear by the fact that it often catches infections that other programs miss.

Make sure that you download your free anti spyware only from the source or the website of the creator in order to avoid viruses posing as antivirus/malware/spyware programs. Stay Safe!

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]]> http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/5-best-free-anti-spyware-programs-to-keep-your-computer-safe/feed 0 How To Make Your Computer Virus Free For “Free”? http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/how-to-make-your-computer-virus-free-for-%e2%80%9cfree%e2%80%9d http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/how-to-make-your-computer-virus-free-for-%e2%80%9cfree%e2%80%9d#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:59:40 +0000 admin http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/?p=329



Viruses, malware, Trojans, worms—no matter what you call these things, they remain the bane of all computer owners and users. In case your system gets infected with one, you do not know where the destruction will end. Will the virus simply slow down your computer, send people in your address book copies of itself, or will it crash your hard disk drive in due time or in no time at all? It is because of this reason that having an antivirus program on your computer is an absolute necessity for anyone who gets online. However, if you do not have one, or if your computer has become infected in spite of the software program, then some quick steps that you can take to salvage your computer are:

  1. 1. Run A Free Online Scan: A lot of sites offer free online scans for your computer. You can go to any of these sites to get your computer scanned. These scans are a good option for those with a high speed internet connection but low disk space or RAM. Apart from being free, the benefit of going for online scans is that they generally carry the software to combat the latest virus threats.  If you are already infected, then it is a good idea to run more than just one scan.  Some of the best online virus scans that you can check out are :
  1. HouseCall by TrendMicro – www.housecall.trendmicro.com
  2. The Norton Security Scan— www.security.symantec.com
  3. BitDefender Online Scanner –www.bitdefender.com/scanner/online/free

These programs will scan and remove threats from your computer for free. Not all free online anti virus programs do this, some will just scan and detect threats; but it is always better to go for one that will remove the malware as well.

  1. 2. Install An Anti Virus Program On Your Computer: Not all antivirus programs cost the earth, and almost all good ones offer at least a free or trial version that you can use. If you feel that you are infected, then you should download a free antivirus software and run it on your computer. The top three free anti virus programs that I like are:
  1. Microsoft Security Essentials– www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
  2. 2. AVG –www.free.avg.com
  3. 3. Kaspersky— www.kaspersky.com

It is best to download these programs from the links provided here, because even though a lot of other sites will offer you the same downloads, you might even end up downloading more malware onto your computer if you do not download the antivirus right from source.

These are the instant steps that you should take in order to get rid of viruses on your system. In case there are other programs that are better than the ones I’ve listed, then please do tell.

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]]> http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/how-to-make-your-computer-virus-free-for-%e2%80%9cfree%e2%80%9d/feed 0 Computer Security – How To Protect Your Digitally Stored Information http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/computer-security-how-to-protect-your-digitally-stored-information http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/computer-guide/computer-security/computer-security-how-to-protect-your-digitally-stored-information#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:28:36 +0000 admin http://www.computersecurity-protection.com/?p=46



Today, a lot of information is usually stored on the computer and in many cases, you might not even be aware of the amount of information that your computer might have within itself. Then, protecting this information might be challenging, since you might not know what it is that you are actually protecting. Fortunately, you are not required to be aware of the kind of information that you might be protecting in the system today. All that is required for you to know is that you will have to do a couple of simple things in order to be effectively protected against the perils that you might face while using the computer.

Online Protection

Using Firewalls

If you are not sure what a firewall is, don’t be worried. It is not a very complicated piece of program and with a little understanding you can have it up and running in absolutely no time. To begin with, be familiar that there are commercially available programs and free ones. For personal use, a free firewall can do the job just fine. Look up the different free firewalls that are available online and observe the feature list of them. If you don’t follow the features, then just read the reviews of the programs.

Most of the reviews today are written in layman’s terms and can be easy to follow. Another rule of thumb that can be used is to get the software that has been approved by the most number of people. Hence, in this manner, you should be able to get the right kind of software and have it up and running before you go online. If the security is set to a very high level, then your computer is going to ask you a number of questions when you attempt to do something online. Don’t get worried and just follow the instructions.

Using Anti Spyware

Another trend that picked up in the early 2000s is that of spyware. By definition, these are programs that pretend to be something else and attempt to secretly send information from your computer. It might sound heinous, but many individuals have fallen prey to this kind of program. In fact, you will be amazed at how effective these programs and the stealthy manner in which they send information to an unknown location. Many people realize about this much later and by then, it might have caused a lot of damage.

In order to avoid being in such a situation, you should install an anti spyware program that is capable of running in the background and be able to successfully get rid of any malicious programs. You might be wondering how to identify such programs. However, you don’t have to worry about that since an anti spyware will be able to easily get rid of it for you and inform you about any other issues that you should take note of with the programs that you are using.

Update your existing programs

If you use certain programs regularly or even occasionally, make sure you have the latest version. Many programs have a number of vulnerabilities that are frequently discovered and fixed. Hence, to be sure that you too have a program which is up to date and has all the vulnerabilities take care of, ensure that you frequently check for updates and are sure that you have the latest version. Most programs do this automatically, but in case it doesn’t, go to the help and click on that button, and there should be an option to check for updates.

Offline Protection

Anti-Virus Programs

One of the most critical aspects that you have to tend to on your computer would probably be to install a good antivirus. It is necessary to have a decent anti-virus running mainly because this is one of the fundamental components when it comes to protection. Good quality anti-virus programs are normally pay-per-system kind, so make sure that you invest in one right away, if you haven’t done so. There are a plethora of benefits associated with having a decent anti-virus program running on your system.

To begin with, the most basic protection that it would offer will be against viruses and other such malicious programs. In addition to this, some anti-virus programs are even programmed to protect your systems against some other threats that are known to constantly plague the machines. These might include threats that might even come from online sources. In fact, a majority of the times, it has been observed that the computers often get threats from different places on the internet, which is also perhaps the reason why they behave so strangely after you have visited an unverified web portal. If other people are using your computer, ensure that the anti-virus has been updated and is programmed to get updates for the system.

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