PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SPYWARE

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SPYWARE

(And From Websites That Generate It)

If its not one thing, it’s another. That is one of those ridiculous phrases that pretty much goes without saying. Like "wherever you go, there you are." But, in this case it seems appropriate to me.

Here is what I mean. Computers on the Internet are almost constantly bombarded with viruses and other malware - so everybody uses antivirus software to protect themselves. Email inboxes are constantly flooded with pathetically useless spam - so users employ anti-spam programs and techniques to protect themselves. As soon as you think you have things under control you find out your system is swamped with spyware and adware programs silently running in the background monitoring and reporting on your computer activity. Hence, "if it’s not one thing, it’s another."

The more benign spyware and adware simply monitors and tracks the sites you visit on the web so that companies can determine the web-surfing habits of their users and try to pinpoint their marketing efforts. But many forms of spyware go beyond simple tracking and actually monitor keystrokes and capture passwords and other functions which cross the line and pose a definite security risk. Then you have, as they say at the Pentagon, a "situation."

How can you protect yourself from these insidious little programs? Ironically, many users unknowingly agree to install these programs. In fact, removing some spyware and adware might render some freeware or shareware programs useless. Below are 5 easy steps you can follow to try to avoid or at least detect and remove these programs from your computer system:

1. Be Careful Where You Download: Unscrupulous programs often come from unscrupulous sites. If you are looking for a freeware or shareware program for a specific purpose try searching reputable sites like download.com or my personal favorite - majorgeeks.com.
2. Read the EULA: What is an EULA you ask? It's the End User License Agreement. It's all of the technical and legal jazz in that box above the radio buttons that say "No, I do not accept" or "Yes, I have read and accept these terms." Most people consider this a nuisance and click on "yes" without having read a word. The EULA is a legal agreement you are making with the software vendor. Without reading it you may be agreeing to install spyware or a variety of other questionable actions that may not be worth it to you. Sometimes the better answer is "No, I do not accept." Even if you don't read a contract you can legally be held to it!
3. Read Before You Click: Sometimes when you visit a web site a text box might pop up. Like the EULA, many users simply consider these a nuisance and will just click away to make the box disappear. Users will click "yes" or "ok" without stopping to see that the box said "would you like to install our spyware program?" Ok, admittedly they don't generally come out and say it that directly, but that is all the more reason you should stop to read those messages before you click "ok".
4. Protect Your System: Antivirus software is a little misnamed these days. Viruses are just a small part of the malicious code these programs protect you from. Antivirus has expanded to include worms, trojans, vulnerability exploits, jokes and hoaxes and even spyware and adware. If your antivirus product doesn't detect and block spyware you should check out a product like INVISUS PC Security System which I sell on YourTechMall! It is not just one product, but really a total suite of PC protection systems. I own one and wouldn't trade it for the world! By the way, I don't get paid to say that - but if you want to buy one, Click here YourTechMall link....
5. Scan Your System: Even with antivirus software, firewalls and other protective measures some spyware or adware might eventually make it through to your system. A Scandanavian company, Lavasoft, has a spy/adware program available for free for personal use. AdAware will not monitor in real time, but you can manually scan your system periodically to detect and remove any spyware. Another excellent choice is Spybot Search and Destroy which is also available for free.

If you follow these five steps you can keep your system protected from spyware proactively and detect and remove any that does manage to get into your system. It’s that easy!