How to Avoid Spyware By Hottman Computers & Consulting Co

What is Spyware  Software that gets installed on your PC that directs ad via pop-ups, collects information about where and what you do or buy on the Internet. Most of it is relatively benign but some are working on identity theft.  PC Magazine - Opting into Identity Theft ,00.asp ,00.asp  PC Magazine - Identity Theft: What, Me Worry? ,00.asp ,00.asp

Do I have spyware & what now! PC Magazine March 2, 2004 issue 11 Signs of Spyware 59, ,00.asp 59, ,00.asp Spy Stoppers 59, ,00.asp great article that reviews some 14 different software packages. 59, ,00.asp

Getting rid of spyware  Ad-Aware Instructions on web site  Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3 (new version)  Both free, found Ad-aware the most effective but often install both  Most often require manual removal from the registry  On occasion but rare, wipe the computer and reload everything new

How to avoid Spyware  PC Magazine has an article with the same title 59, ,00.asp 59, ,00.asp

Other things  Windows update Automatically download critical  Only available WinME, Win2K, & WinXP  Win98 has an alert that needs to be installed. Manually  From the Start button  Within Internet Explorer, Tools, Windows Update  Windows XP install all except Microsoft Windows Journal Viewer Microsoft.NET Framework

Additional items  Delete files in Windows Temp folder Location differs depending on the operating system C:\Windows\Temp C:\documents and settings\username\localsettings\temp (hidden by default) Created a shortcut that will dump these with one confirmation using the deltree.exe

Additional items  Delete Temporary Internet Files  Control Panel, Internet Options, General Tab, middle section is labeled Temporary Internet Files, click the Delete Files button, check the box labeled Delete all off-line Content  Also click the Setting button and change the Check for newer version to Every visit to the page, and change the Amount of disk space to use 100MB (this is a one time change)

Additional items  Spyware and viruses like to hide in the Windows Temp & in the Temporary Internet Files  By deleting these you may rid the PC of some of these.  Some are marked read only or in the case of XP will change the Rights so you can not delete them

Change browsers  InfoWorld Enterprise Windows “You know you’ve got a browser problem when…” /28enterwin_1.html /28enterwin_1.html  InfoWorld security adviser“Dropping Internet Explorer /29secadvise_1.html /29secadvise_1.html InfoWorld security adviser “The worm that wasn’t quite” /27secadvise_1.html /27secadvise_1.html

Choices  Are the Browser Wars Back? How Mozilla's Firefox trumps Internet Explorer.  Mozilla organization  Mozilla  Firefox

Anti-Virus  Keep your anti-virus updated  Run a Live Update weekly Definitions may be automatic Product or other core part of the program will only be updated with a Live Update.  Symantec (Norton) & McAfee have attempted to detect spyware but so far what I’ve seen they are next to worthless.

Safe Computing  Has changed radically  You are not longer prompted before something installs on your computer.  Turn off ActiveX or use a different browser for searching  Banks and many others require Internet Explorer to access but than you know these sites and should be safe

“And Hey – Let’s be careful out there!” Hill Street Blues