Advice for a Secure Navigation on the Internet
Have your Anti-Virus/Anti-Adware/Anti-Spyware software always updated before starting to surf the Internet.
Have your browser pop-up blocker always enabled when surfing the Internet.
Before downloading anything from any website, search the web for opinions and reviews about what you are about to download. This can really save your computer from threats and harms that can make your computer crash.
Steps that you can take to help identify and to help protect yourself from deceptive (spoofed) Web sites and malicious hyperlinks at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833786.
Viruses and Parasites
What is a virus?
A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.
Since 1987, when a virus infected ARPANET, a large network used by the Defense Department and many universities, many antivirus programs have become available. These programs periodically check your computer system for the best-known types of viruses.
Some people distinguish between general viruses and worms. A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs.
Antivirus program
A utility that searches a hard disk for viruses and removes any that are found. Most antivirus programs include an auto-update feature that enables the program to download profiles of new viruses so that it can check for the new viruses as soon as they are discovered.
See a list of antivirus and antispyware and free online scanning tools at http://www.zialingua.com/?cat15-tools.
What is a parasite?
Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.
Spyware
Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about email addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.
Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today.
Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer’s memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware’s home base via the user’s Internet connection. Because spyware is using memory and system resources, the applications running in the background can lead to system crashes or general system instability.
Because spyware exists as independent executable programs, they have the ability to monitor keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop other applications, such as chat programs or word processors, install other spyware programs, read cookies, change the default home page on the Web browser, consistently relaying this information back to the spyware author who will either use it for advertising/marketing purposes or sell the information to another party.
Licensing agreements that accompany software downloads sometimes warn the user that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested software, but the licensing agreements may not always be read completely because the notice of a spyware installation is often couched in obtuse, hard-to-read legal disclaimers. More at DOXdesk.
Adware
Adware differs slightly in that it will also run advertisements on your computer. The ads usually appear as pop-ups, banner ads, or even as plug-ins for your web browser. Some Adware programs will change your homepage, add bookmarks, and/or add invisible links to websites that you might be viewing (Browser Hijacking).
Adware and Spyware have a lot in common with viruses, in that they can be very hard to remove from your system. Usually these programs are capable of re-installing themselves once deleted.
These programs can infect your computer in many different ways. Clicking on a banner, closing a browser window, saying “No” or “Cancel” to prompts, and many other actions can install these programs without you even knowing.
While looking around for a good anti-Adware and anti-Spyware program for your computer you must be careful as some of these programs are actually Spyware in disguise.
Spybot Search & Destroy Anti-Spyware tested as worthy downloadable at http://www.safer-networking.org/.
To prevent from parasites to install on your computer, and invasive cookies to track your personal and sensitive details, and tedious pop-ads, also have the pop-up blocker function enabled in your internet browser.
