The following tips to help protect
yourself from malicious programmers and hackers.
In the world of
Spyware, power is literal power. If your computer is powered
on, chances are it will be scouted out by a Spyware
attacker, and you'll likely become infected with a Spyware
application.
Shut down
your PC when Not in Use
Properly
shutting down an operating system to turn off your computer
does no harm or shock to the system. To protect yourself,
turn your computer off whenever it's not in use. You may
even save money on the power bill!
You should
have one of each:
-
A
Firewall - A firewall is like
a guard who stands at the door of your computer or
private network. This guard will block data from coming
in or going out that does not meet the specified
criteria.
-
Anti-Spyware Software - This
is software specially designed to seek out and destroy
Spyware Adware, Trojans and Worms.
Firewalls, and
anti-Spyware programs are critical elements in the fight
against hackers and spies. By using both you guarantee
yourself the maximum amount of security. And, since most
anti-Spyware products come with optional Firewall software,
they're easy to find together.
Automatic
Antispyware Updates
Make sure your
anti-Spyware programs have automatic update features. If
they don't automatically update, you're likely to forget to
do it yourself and this will leave you open to the latest
threats.
Avoid free
spyware
When it comes to
protecting yourself from Spyware and malware threats, it
isn't the time to be cheap. Not only are the free
anti-Spyware programs on the web ineffective, but they can
be downright dangerous. Some of the worst Spyware programs
in existence disguise themselves as free anti-Spyware
products, exploiting the very users they are supposed to
protect
spyware by
email
Many forms of
Spyware have been contracted by opening a bogus email
attachment. There have even been some programs that could
upload themselves onto victims' computers from the email
body itself, meaning that if users so much as looked at the
email, they ran the risk of infection. Plenty of people fall
victim to bogus attachments, especially if the email looks
like it's from a genuine source.
For the most part, casually viewing email is much safer than
it used to be, but good rules of caution are still needed.
Don't open attachments from people/organizations you do not
know and be wary of official looking emails that ask for
vital information (such as account numbers or credit card
numbers). No reputable organization ever asks for these via
email, only on their secure sites. And remember, when in
doubt, pick up the phone and ask.
