Basic Prevention

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least spell out the basic virus and malware prevention advice that provides the foundation for the more advanced techniques you will learn by subscribing to our Newsletter. We couldn’t list them all here because of the ever changing malware cat and mouse games. The steps below are not presented in any particular order.

Use a Firewall

Most malware and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) come deceptively bundled with other programs that you may have downloaded and installed on your PC. But some spyware can actually be placed on your computer remotely by hackers. Installing a 3rd party firewall or at least using the basic firewall that’s built into Windows can provide some measure of defense against these hackers.

Keep Your Software Updated

I know that Microsoft recommends that you keep Automatic Updates turned on, but I say NO!. Some updates, particularly Service Packs may not install properly if you already have malware or virus infections. Window Updates may also not install properly if your AntiVirus and/or 3rd Party Firewall is enabled. Updating Windows with malware infections or enabled security software may even cause your computer to crash…imagine that! So my advice is to do your homework first about what updates are pending to be installed, and prepare your computer for the update so you don’t break it when you are trying to make it run better. I set Windows Update to notify me when updates are available but not to automatically download and install them. I set aside time every few days to manually install Windows Updates.

Adjust Security Settings for Internet Explorer

You can adjust your Internet Explorer Web browser’s security settings to determine how much-or how little-information you want to accept from a Web site.

Microsoft recommends that you set the security settings for the Internet zone to Medium or higher. (If you use Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and you use Internet Explorer to browse the Web, your browser security settings for the Internet zone are set to Medium by default.)

To view your current Internet Explorer security settings:

1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools and then click Internet Options.
2. Select the Security tab.

Install top-tier AntiVirus and AntiSpyware Programs

If money is an issue, you could install Microsoft Security Essentials to help protect your computer from spyware and other unwanted software. It’s available as a no-cost download for Windows XP SP2 and higher. Otherwise we recommend you download and install SUPERAntiSpyware or MalwareBytes-AntiMalware. They are both actually pretty inexpensive. For AntiVirus, we strongly recommend ESET Nod32.

Be Street Smart when Surfing the Internet and Downloading

The best defense against spyware and other unwanted software is not to download it in the first place….Prevention!

* Only download programs from Web sites you trust. If you’re not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, Google the name of the program to see if anyone else has reported if it contains spyware or not.
* Read all security warnings, EULA license agreements, and privacy statements provided with any software you download.
* Never click “Agree”, “OK” or “Cancel” to close a Window for a suspect program. Instead, click the red “x” in the corner of the Window (make sure the cursor is an “arrow” and not the “hand”) or press (Alt + F4) on your keyboard to close a Window. If a drive-by download starts, use Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del) to end Internet Explorer.
* Be wary of popular “free” music and movie file-sharing programs, and be sure you understand all of the software packaged with those programs.
* Use a Standard User Account (Vista, Windows 7) or a Limited Account (XP) instead of an Administrator account.