3 easy steps to avoid viruses and other malicious attacks

Whether you have just bought a new PC, or have had one for a while, viruses and malicious software will always try to find a way to “invade” your computer.
Regardless of the version of Windows you have installed on your system, virus programmers are always finding new ways to break the security of your operating system, which can have devastating results…
Step 1: Anti-Virus
The firs step in ensuring your system's security is installing a good anti-virus software on your PC. It is crucial that your anti-virus is up-to-date at all times.
A lot of people tend to ask: “There are many anti-virus software programs on the market today. How do I know which one I need?”
Great question. Although there are many anti-virus and Internet Security software available, it is very important to know the facts about a few programs such as the most popular: Symantec Norton Anti-Virus, and McAfee Security Center. “Why?” You may ask? Simple. Because, these names are the most marked anti-virus programs in the world today.
Since Symantec and McAfee are “considered” to be the top leading names of Internet Security, the efforts to breech their security are higher than other anti-virus developers.
The fact is, Symantec and McAfee are the most targeted of all the Anti-Virus programs available today. They are aware of it, yet they continue to advertise and bribe computer magazines and companies into informing the public that they are the top-leading companies in virus protection.
“So which programs should I use then”, you ask? There are lots of effective programs (some of them are even FREE), to choose. I personally like Avast! Antivirus (www.avast.com), AVG (www.avg.com), and Kaspersky (www.kaspersky.com). They get the job done, and use a fraction of the resources that Symantec and McAfee use.
When you install Symantec or McAfee Internet Security (antivirus, anti-malware), you will notice an approximate 30% drop in speed. Why? Because Symantec and McAfee use a significant amount of background resources, which require more system memory and CPU usage. Avast, AVG, and Kaspersky, on the other hand – don’t.
OK, so you now have an anti-virus software installed and it’s up-to-date.
Its time to move to step 2.
Step 2: Understanding Malware and Spyware
This step is essential for anyone who wishes to avoid malware attacks.
What is malware?
Malware, short for malicious software, is software designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner's informed consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, invasive, or annoying software or program code. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software. Malware is not the same as defective software, that is, software which has a legitimate purpose but contains harmful bugs.
How do you get malware? Malware enters your PC via the Internet. Web servers can get hijacked, too. If you use your Internet browser, typically Microsoft Internet Explorer, and visit a site on a compromised web server, you are vulnerable to certain types of malware. You know how much spam is affecting your email experience. Spam, and downright malicious html (email looks like a web page) can contain attachments or code that will attempt to go through a security hole to install its program(s).




Hijacked Browser:
Instead of going to your normal start page, Internet Explorer goes somewhere else; frequently these are pornography or gambling sites. Often, your system - and you - are overwhelmed by literally dozens of Internet Explorer windows throwing themselves at you. The Computer Support Group is aware of currently unpatched vulnerabilities from websites you may visit which can put secret programs to run on your computer. Often, your system becomes a spamming zombie or worse, hijacked to the point where your computer is actually acting as a web server, providing a website for pornography.

How to get rid of Malware?
If you believe your home PC is infected, I suggest you acquire and run these programs – Spybot Search & Destroy, and Ad-Aware. Both are currently available for download and installation from www.filehippo.com. You may search there for the programs. Both programs have an update feature you should use before scanning your system. Most items found in scans are cookies. Cookies are generally not malevolent and some save our usernames and passwords for trusted sites. Others contribute to tracking you on the Internet. It is generally safe to remove every single item found during the scan, but of course I cannot guarantee it'll work flawlessly on your computer. Sometimes Spybot will not be able to remove all spyware/adware, in which case it will suggest you restart your system. Then it will automatically run again. Occasionally you may wish to run both Spybot and Ad-Aware to maintain peace of mind. Keep those programs, and run them (after doing an update) as often as you feel necessary.
Keeping up with Microsoft updates, patches and fixes is a bit of a chore, and in many cases quite a lengthy process for a user with a modem connection to the Internet. Frequent visits to http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp will reveal which updates you should have to patch the numerous holes in Microsoft products. Windows 98 updates cannot be automated. Clicking on the Start button will reveal the Windows Update.

Step 3: Tweaking your Web Browser
So we know where malware and spyware comes from. Here are a few tips on how to avoid them completely.
There are two very popular web browsers – Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox. Here is how you can tweak your web browser to avoid malware and spyware breech as well as enhance its performance.
Internet Explorer:
If you have not yet downloaded Internet Explorer 8, I suggest you do so before proceeding forward. You can get IE 8 from Windows Update. Here are some tweaking tips for IE 8:
When IE 8 is up and running, select Tools, from the top right menu and click on Internet Options. A new windows will pop displaying several tabs. In the General (first) tab click on Setting. A second window will appear. Under Temporary Internet Files, change Disk Space to 50, and under History, change days to 7. Click OK to close the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings window.
Back in the General tab, click the Delete button. A new window will appear. Check all boxes and click the Delete button on the bottom of the window. This will delete all temporary Internet files from your browser and can take several seconds. By deleting all temporary files, you are freeing your hard drive from unwanted data. Whenever you access a website, your web browser (IE, Firefox, etc,) will store its contents (images, text, etc) in a temporary folder, so the next time you access the same page, the content and images will load faster. The stored data can slow down your browser which outweighs its benefits.
Next, select the Security tab and click on Reset all zones to default level.
If this option is not available, manually select each zone (the icons on the top), and set each one to Default.
Next, select the Privacy tab, and click on the Advanced button.
The Advanced Privacy Setting window will appear. Make sure there is a check next to Override automatic cookie handling.
And underneath Third-party Cookies, Block should be bulleted. Leave Always allow session cookies unchecked. Click OK to close the Advanced Privacy Setting window.
Finally, select the Advanced tab in the Internet Options window, and under Settings, scroll down to the Security category, and check to box next to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed. You will be prompted that the settings will take affect after IE is restarted. Click OK, and OK again to close the Internet Options window. Close Internet Explorer. The next time you use IE you will notice a significant increase in speed and performance.

Mozilla Firefox:
If you have not yet downloaded Firefox 3.5, I strongly recommend you do so before proceeding forward. You can download the latest Firefox browser from www.getfirefox.com. Here are some tweaking tips for Firefox 3.5:
When you have Firefox up and running, select Tools from the top menu, then click Option. A new window will appear displaying several tabs.
In the Main tab, you can change the default home page.
Select the Privacy tab, and change the browsing history from 90 to 7.
Now, under Accept cookies from sites, uncheck Accept third-party cookies, and finally check the box next to Clear history when Firefox closes.
Select the Security tab, and uncheck the box next to Remember passwords for sites. That will prevent guests or strangers logging onto your online bank account with your user name and password saved on the browser…
Click OK to close the Options window. Click on Tools from the top menu again, and select Clear Recent History. The Clear recent History window will appear. Click on the Details button and check every box. Click the Clear Now button. Close Firefox browser. The next time you use Firefox, you will notice a significant increase in speed and performance.

Another excellent tool to maintain your PC is CCleaner (www.ccleaner.com). CCleaner detects and fix system errors as well as old or unused registry files, which can cause conflicts and slow down you system. CCleaner is FREE!

For question or additional articles contact Isaac Simchon – isimchon@gmail.com