Internet-security, common sense

An article titled "How Hackers Gain Control of Your Computer", featured on deskdemon.com today, has these suggestions of how to avoid trouble:

1. Make sure you receive the latest Window's updates.

2. Install a good firewall.

3. Install a 'spyware' removal tool and keep it up to date. Scan at least once a week and after being on line for a long time.

4. Install an anti-virus program and keep it up to date. Carry out virus scans at least once a week.

5. Use a Spam Filter to stop dangerous email.

Further actions you can take:

* Don't open suspicious emails, especially if they have attachments

* Be careful downloading free software. Only download from reputable sites like CNet's 'download.com.'

* Switch off your broadband connection if you are away from your computer for a long period of time. Switch your computer and broadband connection off at night. This is especially relevant for wireless network users.

The article is written by Richard Rogers, who is an owner of a number of computer related sites.

Avoiding viruses and Spyware is actually not so difficult. All you need is to use some common sense. When things sound too good to be true, they often are, listen to your intuition! And if you really want a certain thing, read the contract thouroughly! Many use the term Adware instead of Spyware, but they are essentially the same thing, programs serving you unwanted ads, either by spying on your net-behaviour to see what your interests are or just throwing pop-ups on you.
If you sign up on dating-sites, they often send you pop-ups with "extreme adult-material". Not immediately, but after some weeks or months (so you won't understand where they come from).
With e-mail, use spam or junk filters, and don't open any attachments from unknown senders or that look suspicious. Virus scan any attachments you decide to open.

To clean a computer from malicious wares: Go through the programs in your Add/Remove list. If they don't show in the Add/Remove, do a search on the name of a known pop-up sender (look at the addresses of the pop-ups you are receiving), and try deleting them from there. If they are irremovable, then they can be removed with some good program (like NoAdware or an Anti-virus program).
Discard cookies every now and then, and delete temporary files (in Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Options, Delete Cookies and Delete Files) from the browser cache.
Do a Disk Cleanup (Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools). If your system is slow, due to a lot of saving and deleting, this is where you find the Defragmenter too: if it says a defrag is needed, close all other programs and let it run through the night.