FUN STUFF (Mainly for computers) ..... (Well, I enjoy it anyway !!!!!!)
Here are 5 FREE ways to improve your PC's protection:
1) No one antivirus package by itself can be 100% effective against all viruses, worms, and
Trojans, 100% of the time. It makes sense to use two different tools from time to time, so they can
double-check each other.
2) If you discover a virus, worm, or Trojan on your system, most of the major antivirus sites
(like http://www.symantec.com ) offer free
step-by-step instructions for removing the
pests. Better still, many also offer free automatic pest-removal tools. For example,
see
the free Worm/Virus removal tools halfway down the page on the right at:-
3) Although they may also catch other kinds of evil software, antivirus tools focus mainly
on viruses.
Other free software tools may be better at seeking out other forms of malicious software on
your PC:
For example, PestPatrol ( http://www.pestpatrol.com/promo/langa/0506.asp
) has a free
download that searches your hard drive for something like 25,000 kinds of spyware, hacker
tools, and other unwelcome additions. And Ad-Aware ( http://www.lavasoft.nu/ ) has a free
tool that detects and removes "spyware" (This is really scary for those paranoid about it)
that can covertly gather information about your online activities and secretly send it to a
distant web site.
Once your system is clean of all types of malicious
software, keep it that way by running the tools
listed above
periodically. Then, do the following:
4) You can help prevent nasty software from ever making it onto your system in the first place
with a good, free software firewall such as ZoneAlarm
(My personal reccomendation)
( http://www.zonealarm.com/ )
or Sygate Personal Firewall ( http://soho.sygate.com/products/shield_ov.htm )
5) Help ensure that any evil files that do make it onto your system are nipped in the bud
before they can do any harm with good antivirus software. You can download a free full-blown
antivirus software package from http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_index.htm
Check this one out ... courtesy of "The Langa List".
When you see this after surfing ....
WARNING: Privacy Protection Software NOT DETECTED
Your Internet habits are being recorded.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRIVACY PROTECTION SOFTWARE!
The page then shows you the contents of your C:\ folder. It looks scary-
-- as if that site somehow could read the contents of your hard drive!
But it's just a variation on a scam we've exposed before at
http://www.informationweek.com/841/langa.htm . The scam page really just
issues a "file://c:/" command to your browser, which then locally (and
harmlessly) displays your hard-drive contents. Nothing is sent to or
from the remote site; the process is entirely self-contained within your
PC. You can accomplish the same thing a lot less mysteriously simply by
typing "file://c:/" in the address bar of your browser. Go ahead: Try
it!
The site owners figure you'll be scared when you see your hard drive
contents displayed on what appears to be their web site. They then play
off that fear by trying to get you to buy something called "Internet
Eraser Pro," which is very nearly another scam: This piece of, er,
software costs $100, but is really just a glorified version of the
totally FREE cleanup techniques spelled out at
http://www.langa.com/cleanup_bat.htm .
Check out all the computer "Myths and "Virus's"
(scroll past the "bookmarklets" thing)
or
"The Langa List"
This is a great "read" all sorts of techy stuff ... also some real plain facts about your computer.