Every time you visit a web site you
disclose a lo of information about yourself for instance this is your
current IP address, it can be used to trace your computer and location
The chances are you're computer is infected, recently
a friend of mine loaded a clean install of Win XP and connected to the
internet without Anti Virus or a firewall and without any MS updates.
His computer was attacked and compromised within 20 minuets. So how can
you protect yourself, first and most important get rid of Microsoft
Internet explorer, it has serious security flaws and is easy to attack,
read more
here
So now you know, change to Firefox there is a link on the left it
is free fast and safe. By upgrading to Firefox you have taken a big
step in the right direction.
Make sure you're operating system is up to date, you
can turn on automatic updates to ensure your system is always updated,
skriptkiddies will scan a whole block of computers looking for computers
that haven't been updated, once they find one it is quite easy to run an
automated script or programme and you have been hacked. They will then
have access to your computer and all the information on it including
passwords.
What is spyware?
Spyware, sometimes called 'adware', refers to small
programs that secretly monitor the sites you visit on the Web.
You can think of spyware as being similar to a computer virus, in that
both are installed on your PC without your knowledge (usually by
downloading a file from email or the Web) and both run invisibly on your
PC, causing undesired effects.
However, spyware is sometimes thought to be less malicious than a virus,
as spyware generally does not seek to delete your files or use your PC
as a means to 'infect' other PCs.
Currently, the main purpose of spyware appears to be to monitor the
sites you visit on the Internet, and hence serve you targeted
advertisements via your Web browser. Apart from violating your privacy,
the detrimental effects of spyware may include a slow-down in your PC's
performance and unexpected disconnections from the Internet.
How can I protect my PC against spyware?
There are two steps you can follow to help keep your PC free of spyware:
* Be careful about what you download: For files attached to email you
receive - do not download them if they come from someone you do not
know, or if you have any doubts as to their source.
For software you download from the Web - read the documentation or End
User Licence Agreement to see if any "third-party software" is included
in the download.
Remember, if in doubt - don't download it! use a good free anti spyware
tool
