In the early nineties, it was completey safe to use the internet as there was less of a threat from computer viruses. Today there are over 2000 new virus threats discovered per day. These cyber nasties are often known by a variety of names, such as, viruses, trojan’s, spyware, worms, hijackers, rootkits, etc.
These programs can harm your computer productivity, watch your Online habits, steal your logins and passwords, and also even obliterate your Windows operating system. Your computer can be left completely ruined. These attacks on your PC can be somewhat likened to terrorism and it’s a shame that, any unprotected computer is a target and needs to be protected.
How are viruses contracted? One very common way is through email attachments and email links. These email can be addressed from an unknown sender or someone you know and trust. How is that, you ask? Although your friends and family would not deliberately send you an infected email , their infected computer could possibly use their email address list to send out an infected email. If you are not expecting an attachment along with the email, sometimes it’s wiser not to click on it. If there is a link somewhere in the email, hover the mouse over the link and read the link address in the lower left of the email message to see where it is going to take you. If in doubt, don’t click on the link, as it may take you to a dangerous website.
The majority of the viruses and spyware, we get rid of, are contracted by downloading free music, movies, software and games, using what is called, a P2P or peer-to-peer program. There are 20+ free P2P programs that exist, such as, Limewire, Ares, uTorrent, BitTorrent, and eMule, to name just a few. When you use a P2p software to download free “stuff”, you might be downloading “free” viruses too. Also, a P2P program allows others access to your computer to upload what you have downloaded. If you have one of these P2P programs on your computer, we recommend uninstalling it while your computer is still healthy.
WARNING: If you see message boxes, of unknown origin, soliciting a response from you or a new antivirus scanner on your desktop, DO NOT click on any messages or buy any antivirus products from it. Your computer is being compromised and is at the beginning of the infection process. Turn your computer off and call your favorite computer repair technician.
Want to find out more about antispyware, then visit my site on how to choose the best antispyware software for your needs.