Tips for Spyware, Adware and Viruses Detection, Removal and Prevention

Computer protection is everyone's responsibility. It is a necessary requirement for all computer users if they would like to have their systems operating efficiently and securely. But, most of us don't give this much thought until something happens that cause us to think about our most valuable tool.

I have lost hundreds of dollars and wasted my time and energy to get back the lost files and data but no way. So please before you start work at home business using your new computer make sure to install, anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

Proper computer protection is required so that you have an operational network to support your business.

Understanding what can harm your computer and learning how to minimize the risks associated with Internet usage is relatively very important if you want to save time money and keep yourself far from things that may be very traumatic to one person.

So before going any further let’s see...

What Is Spyware? (From Wikipedia)

Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent... more >>>>

What Is An Adware? (From Wikipedia)

Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used. Some types of adware are also spyware and can be classified as privacy-invasive software... more>>>

What Is a Virus? (From Wikipedia)

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. The term "virus" is also commonly used, albeit erroneously, to refer to many different types of malware (a portmanteau of the words malicious and software) and adware (a portmanteau of the words advertisement and software) programs... more>>>

Where Does These Malware Come From?

These malware are increasingly significant problems for many of Internet users. Many people don’t know how these things get on their computers. Learning where they come from can prevent your computer from getting infected.

These software can come from a number of places. Most commonly, it can be installed onto one’s system along with:

1 - A program you want to install – It can be installed along with another program which you did want to install, such as...

• Programs that enable you to download MP3’s for free, some free audios converters and the like, both freeware and shareware.

• Some file-sharing programs.

• Applications that add features to your computer such as smiley faces, weather trackers graphics theme managers, video games, spyware cleaner, etc...

2 – Emails – Spyware and viruses can be delivered via emails. They usually come as file attachments, but they can also load automatically just by opening the email.

3 - Web Sites - Web sites can enable scripts that install spyware on your computer without you even knowing it. Browser developers usually try to combat this with updates, but sometimes users give permission to the installation of the program without even knowing they are doing so.

Malware install them selves with most of these types of applications. Sure there are ethical services that provide quality programs and it’s your job to find them.

What Can Spyware Do On Your System?

Most of the spyware are cookies, and I'm not too concerned about that, I delete my cookies every week or so anyway. Cookies are almost inevitable and most websites use them, and some won’t even work without them, and rarely cause you a problem as they are very easy to clean up or even not accept them at all. But, the threat posed by keyloggers, diallers and Trojans is much greater.

• A keylogger can record anything you type, including your passwords, e-mail messages, credit card numbers, and even your online chats.

• A dialler can cause your PC to dial to access the Internet and you may find yourself paying premium prices instead of your usual local or free-phone number whenever you go online.

• Trojans can embed programs which will open "backdoors" into your computer to allow hackers to steal data or make your computer unusable.

These types of spyware and viruses can prove very costly to people unaware of them.

How Do You Know If your Computer Is Infected With Malware?

Well, for definite, if you’ve never checked before, you can bet your bottom dollar that you have some spyware, adware or virus on your computer.
Here are some common traits:

1. Changed IE favorites.
2. Homepage changes without you changing it.
3. Popup ads popping up even when you’re offline.
4. New desktop icons appear for programs you did not knowingly install.
5. Some Trojans will cause changes to the icons of your normal programs.
6. Prolonged System start-up after a reboot (takes a long time to load user settings).
7. You have to refresh a webpage multiple times before you can see the content.
8. Your pc may seem uncommonly slow or sluggish.
9. A program may not operate correctly. Some examples of this are Windows Media Player will not work. Notepad will not work, Task Manager, MSConfig or Regedit may close immediately after opening.
10. Unexplained loss of internet access (worst case scenario).

How to Prevent Unwanted Spyware, Adware Or Viruses From Being Installed?

To eliminate spyware, adware and viruses you should keep them from being installed on your computer in the first place. You could always just never install anything and never visit websites, but then you might as well throw away your Internet connection altogether, huh?
So what you can do to prevent your computer from being infected with malware?

• Don't connect to Internet before installing an anti-spyware and anti-viruse program.
  
• Use only trusted programs, email and websites that you are familiar with.

• Don't install anything onto your computer unless you know that it’s form a reputable source.

• Don't open attachments from email addresses you don't know.

• Avoid web sites that look tacky. The look and feel of a website is usully a good indicator whether a web site is reputable or not.

A better option might be to turn OFF the install on demand option in windows. This can be done by following these steps:

1. Open a new browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. Click on Internet options.
4. Click on advanced.
5. Scroll down through the list of advanced options and UNCHECK "Enable install on demand".
6. Click OK.

You can also make sure you can still download things that you WANT to download by following these steps:

1. Open a new browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. Click on internet options.
4. Click on security
5. Click on custom
6. Scroll down until you find "Installation of desktop items" and set to "prompt"
7. Click OK

Remember, if your Internet security controls aren't properly set, just visiting a Web site or clicking on a Web ad can install an application. Please note that if any of your programs are set to auto-update, you will need the install on demand option enabled.

How Do You Remove Malware?

Before running spyware, adware or viruses removal tools, clean up your pc a little by hand first, that way the scan won’t take as long and here is how to do it...

1. Open a browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. Click on internet options.
4. Choose delete cookies --> ok
5. Choose delete files --> delete all offline content --> ok

Free Tools And Resources.

Download.com is a great place where you can find the latest free programs, trial version or paid anti-visus, spyware or any other program you want and need.
The two most commonly recommended spyware removers are Spybot Search & Destroy, available here. and Ad-Aware SE Personal, which is available here.

Both of these are free, and they don’t pressure you into paying for a full version, although spybot also immunizes your computer from known spyware without purchasing a "paid version".

A great forum for getting answers about spyware and other related problems can be found here.

Another really good place to find help with computer problems is here.

HijackThis is a general homepage hijackers detector and remover. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. As a result, false positives are imminent and unless you are sure what you're doing, you should always consult with knowledgeable folks before deleting anything. You can get "HijackThis" for free here.

The above-mentioned forums are good places to ask for help with anything you want to keep your system safe.
Make it a part of your regular maintenance routine to scan your system for spyware, adware and viruses and remember that NO tool will be fully effective unless you keep it up to date, so check for updates often.



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