Mike Hall: Mike's Computer Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 15, 2012 --

Most of the time when I have a system maintenance issue and I tell them that they had malware on their system they invariably will ask “what is malware? ” Malware is short for “malicious software.” Microsoft defines Malware as “any kind of unwanted software that is installed without your adequate consent.” Part of the Malware classification are viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Spyware and Adware are also added usually without you knowingly giving consent or at least no knowing what you are giving consent for. They are also software, but it comes in the form of various forms of advertising. Spyware and Adware sometimes change configuration settings on your computer, and for the most part are just annoying. However, there are variations that can track the keystrokes on your computer to see what sites you visit and some that can track passwords typed and send them to the creator. This is one of the reasons why it is a good idea NOT to use the same password for everything and to change them frequently.
Signs That You Are Infected With Malware

The most obvious sign should go without saying, but if your computer is running slower than normal, you may be infected. Some other signs are;

1. You have a new toolbar show up in your browser that you didn’t install, and you can’t uninstall it.

2. Popups- If you have popups all of a sudden telling you that you have a virus, guess what you do, THAT is it. Companies use these to scare people into buying their virus removal software. Don’t fall for it, click out if you can. If you can’t, you may already be infected.

3. Your computer freezes for short periods of times, quits responding, or locks up completely and you have to re-boot.

4. All of a sudden your browser’s home page has been changed, and you didn’t do it!

5. Your computer shuts down unexpectedly for no reason or you have trouble connecting or staying connected to the internet.
How To Prevent An Infection

There is no sure fire way to prevent and infection any more than there is a sure fire way to keep from getting a cold this winter, but there are things you can do to make it less likely that you will have a sick computer.

1. Make sure you have your firewall turned on. Leaving your firewall off is just like leaving your front door open all the time on your house. Your computer most likely has one installed, just make sure it is on.

2. Make sure you have virus protection software installed and in the monitoring mode and run a scan a minimum of once a month. There are several free ones out there that are just as good as the expensive ones. I recommend AVG free version.

3. Make sure you have an anti-malware program installed and run a scan once a week. Again, there are some very good free ones out there. I recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or Spybot Search and Destroy.

4. Install a system maintenance program to keep the bugs out of your system. These will clean out your history files and cookie files and keep the clutter in your computers closet cleaned out. A good free one is Glary Utilities.

5. When signing up for things on the internet, read the fine print. You may be giving permission for them to install a toolbar.

6. Don’t open e-mails from strangers, this is a quick way to get infected.

7. When downloading items, make sure it is from a reputable source. Stay away from torrent files, they are frequently infected with viruses.

8. Be aware that game sites and adult sites are very good sources for picking up viruses. Make sure you are on a reputable game site like AOL Games, or Games.com, etc. Adult sites are like public swimming pools, use at your own risk.

9. If your computer starts acting weird shortly after loading new software or downloading something, you have probably been infected. Uninstalling that item may fix the problem, but not always!

10. Monitor what other people are doing when they are on your computer. I have a strict DO NOT DOWNLOAD policy on my computer when others ask if they can use it.

If, by chance, you did all of the above and still got infected or think you have been, or you have a computer question. Mike’s here! Call me at Mike’s Computer Services, 864-621-8068, or visit my web site at Spartanburgcomputerrepair.org. Click on “Got a Quick Computer Question” and ask away!

Have a Great Virus, Adware, Spyware, Malware free Day!

Retrieved on January 15, 2012 from www.microsoft.com/security/resources/malware-whatis.aspx

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