1. How to Avoid Spyware By Hottman Computers & Consulting Co www.HottmanComputers.com

2. 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 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,16 25608,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,16 25608,00.asp  PC Magazine - Identity Theft: What, Me Worry? http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,15 22469,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,15 22469,00.asp

3. Do I have spyware & what now! PC Magazine March 2, 2004 issue 11 Signs of Spyware http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1524266,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1524266,00.asp Spy Stoppers http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1522489,00.asp great article that reviews some 14 different software packages. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1522489,00.asp

4. Getting rid of spyware  Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.dewww.lavasoft.de Instructions on web site www.hottmancomputers.com www.hottmancomputers.com  Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3 (new version) www.spybot.infowww.spybot.info  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

5. How to avoid Spyware  PC Magazine has an article with the same title http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1522568,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,17 59,1522568,00.asp

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. Change browsers  InfoWorld Enterprise Windows “You know you’ve got a browser problem when…” http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/09 /28enterwin_1.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/09 /28enterwin_1.html  InfoWorld security adviser“Dropping Internet Explorer http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/16 /29secadvise_1.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/16 /29secadvise_1.html InfoWorld security adviser “The worm that wasn’t quite” http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/02 /27secadvise_1.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/02 /27secadvise_1.html

11. Choices  Are the Browser Wars Back? How Mozilla's Firefox trumps Internet Explorer. http://slate.msn.com/id/2103152/ http://slate.msn.com/id/2103152/  Mozilla organization http://www.mozilla.org/ http://www.mozilla.org/  Mozilla  Firefox

12. 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.

13. 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

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