Keeping Spyware Out
By Cate Eales
Appeared February 5, 2009 on castanet.net
Besides finding and removing spyware from people's computers, I try to
help people keep the spyware out. Here are two ways you can protect
yourself from spyware.
How to avoid dangerous websites and downloads
If you spend more than about twelve seconds on the internet, you will find
yourself bombarded with ads for products purporting to clean your
computer, protect your computer, and speed up your computer. Some of these
products are really good, but how do you know?
Lots of really harmful software is distributed from really
professional-looking sites, and some excellent software is available from
sites that look home made. So that's no way to tell.
Searching for a particular program in Google or Yahoo! might help, but
really clever bad guys write glowing reviews of their malicious software.
So that's not always a good indicator either.
Luckily, there are several good, free tools you can rely on for advice.
Mcafee Site Advisor
tests website for spyware, spam, viruses and phishing, and warns you by
displaying rating icons. It works with Internet Explorer and Firefox. You
can learn more about how it works and
download it here.
I have been using another, similar tool called
Web of Trust, or WOT.
Several readers suggested I try WOT, and I am impressed. Like Mcafee Site
Advisor, WOT displays status icons, and warns you before you visit a
potentially risky website. You can download the add-on for IE and Firefox
here. Once you do
that, you can (optionally) create a free account and rate websites
yourself.
click to enlarge picture
AVG Anti Virus users will be familiar with the
LinkScanner, which also displays coloured icons to indicate whether a
site is safe or dangerous.
Of these three options, I prefer WOT. I found the AVG LinkScanner
noticeably slowed down browsers on PC with less than 1 GB of RAM, and I
like to be able to participate in the WOT ratings. Whatever your
preference, I recommend some form of web security.
Choose "Custom" instead of "Typical" when
installing software
Now that you've found a good program and downloaded it from a safe
website, you're ready to install it...safely, right? Well, hang on a
minute. There's another way that spyware and malware and "annoyanceware"
can get into your computer, and that's during the installation process.
We all have a habit of clicking OK, OK, OK, OK ALREADY! during software
installs. Do that one time too many, and you'll have unwanted tool bars in
your browser, and popups all over the place warning you about potential
infections.
Sadly, a "Typical" install often means "Sure, go ahead and install that
MyWebSearch toolbar, and the weather bug, too." If you have a choice
called "Custom," go for that and just say no to the unwanted extras. And
when you do find a program that doesn't try to sneak this stuff past you,
consider rewarding the author with a donation.
Do you need spyware/malware/virus removal? Do you need help with
your computer? With your printer/camera/music player? Do you
have a virus or a spyware problem? Do you have a new computer and
now you're wondering how to get the files from the old one over to the new
one? I'm here to help you and your computer get along! To ask a question,
make a comment or suggestion, or schedule a visit, email
cate@rlis.com. You can read previous columns
here. If you'd like to
subscribe to this column by email,
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Links
Mcafee Site Advisor
http://www.siteadvisor.com/
Web of Trust
http://www.mywot.com/
AVG Free LinkScanner FAQ
http://free.avg.com/faq.num-1241#faq_1241
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives
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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible
and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric,
and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions,
helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware
eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image
management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management.
Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your
comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit
the Real Life Internet Solutions website at
www.rlis.com.
©
Cate Eales 2009 – All Rights Reserved
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