Spyware!

Ok, so if you’ve ever come across a spyware/virus problem with your computer, then you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to get rid of. It slows down your computer, creates unwanted pop-up’s, and is just plain annoying. Furthermore, a virus such as a Trojan can pose serious threats to your computer and your personal files. Trojans are basically backdoor’s into your computer, where hackers/hacking scripts can retrieve personal information such as your credit card number, passwords, and those pictures from that night with the Scandinavian transsexual midget that you don’t want anyone to see.

There are plenty of ways you can prevent spyware effectively and virtually free of charge. First, make sure you have virus protection at all times; a good free one is AVG antivirus. If you chose to go a more expensive route, the best right now would be Symantec, such as Norton Antivirus, preferably the corporate edition if you can get your hands on it (a better interface, less processes, etc.)

I would also recommend using a browser other than Internet Explorer. Again, there are plenty of internet browsers out there, but the best/most-used browser is Mozilla Firefox. Firefox can help a tremendous amount with spyware hassles; there are very few instances of spyware attacks with this browser. It includes a ton of built-in features such as pop-up blockers and a plethora of different extensions that you can download, and you don’t have to have all of those unneeded toolbars like IE has.

Now there are a couple of programs that are excellent at ridding and preventing spyware. The best ones to use would be Spybot, Adaware, and Windows Defender, all free and very user-friendly. Personally the combination of Spybot and Adaware has kept my peers, clients, and myself very satisfied. If you keep all of these programs updated and run a weekly scan (at least), you shouldn’t run into any spyware problems.

If you do happen to get infected, viruses/spyware can be removed with the help of the programs above, or with tools such as SmitFraudFix. This requires a bit more computer-savvyness, but still allows removal without modifying your registry through regedit. Using regedit to fix problems is very effective if you have experience with it; however I would not recommend using regedit to modify your registry as there is risk of deleting a registry key that may be significant to a certain file, program, or your operating system(unless you know what you’re doing).

With the use of the programs listed above, and basic common-sense, you should be able to keep your system spyware-free, no matter how much pr0n you look at daily. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be a smart user; being a click-happy maniac on the internet will only dig the hole for you. Also, keeping these programs up-to-date is a must (as well as your Windows Updates), since the software’s programmers find new viruses every day that they need to add to the “naughty list” to keep you from becoming infected. In the future I’d like to discuss some tips and programs to keep your computer “clean” in terms of unneeded programs and registry keys, startup processes, and temporary files. Questions and comments, please!