Protect Your Notebook From Spyware And Viruses
Author: Tim Childree

Notebook computers bring a tremendous convenience to personal
computing.  Just sit within range of a wireless hotspot and you
can connect to your office or home network, access your email,
and complete important projects for work.  However, roaming from
one unsecured wireless network to another can leave your
computer vulnerable to malicious software attacks.

Spyware and Viruses

If you are connected to a wireless network without its own
firewall, hackers can easily intercept the signals you send and
receive across the airwaves.  Malicious individuals can also
install spyware and viruses on your computer.

Spyware refers to an application designed to track a computer
user's internet activities, keep note of sites visited, and
gather other information.  The term, "spyware," can also refer
to any non-viral malicious software, including software that
takes over your internet connection, pops up unwanted
advertisements, or even blocks your internet connection.  A
tracking program is technically labeled as spyware only if the
computer user does not consent to the download or installation.

Spyware collects information and sends it back to the spyware
controller.  The owner of the spyware program usually sells
gathered information to marketers.  For instance, spyware can
get a computer user's email information, using that information
to bombard the user with advertisements and spam.  Spyware is
also known as "malware" (Malicious Software), as it can be used
to aid identity theft and fraudulent activities (some spyware
programs mine credit card information and other sensitive
financial information).  Keylogging programs, used to steal
credit card information and passwords by monitoring everything a
user types, fall under the umbrella of spyware/malware.

Viruses are another type of malicious software.  A virus is a
piece of code that attaches itself to a program, a file, or your
boot sector.  These malicious programs are called viruses
because they work much like a viral infection – they spread to
other files, programs, and even computers, and they are designed
explicitly to damage your files and destroy your applications.


Protecting Your Notebook from Spyware and Viruses

Protecting your notebook computer from spyware and viruses
protects you against fraud and protects your privacy, too.

The first thing that you need to do is install a secure web
browser.  Internet Explorer is particularly vulnerable to
unauthorized scripts which could be run and installed on your
computer without your knowledge.  Instead of using Internet
Explorer, you can try using Mozilla Firefox, one of the most
secure web browsers around.  Firefox will always inform you
about any download or installation, inform you about suspect
sites, and update your browser automatically to continually
improve security.

Aside from using Firefox, it is important that any computer
user install a personal firewall to block unauthorized access
attempts.  For Windows XP users, Comodo Personal Firewall is a
free option (there is an Alpha version of Comodo Personal
Firewall Version 3, which adds Vista support, but this would not
be a stable option until they reach the final release).  Even
the best firewall can sometimes allow spyware through, however,
so scan your computer with a free program like Spybot: Search &
Destroy or Ad-Aware SE, two of the very best anti-spyware
programs available.  You should not neglect to install
anti-virus software, too.  If you have an anti-virus program you
already use, stick with it, but the free home edition of Avast
and the open-source (free) anti-virus product ClamWin are two
excellent options.  Be sure to keep your security software
updated (most programs will automatically update themselves, but
they will sometimes prompt you for your permission) to give
yourself the very best protection against malicious software.

This article may be republished freely as long as this
copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the
bottom.

Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc


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