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Is your computer doing more than you expect it to do? Probably! Yet another reason
why it may seem that web site pages are loading slowly: Is that there is software on
your computer that is designed to obtain and send your personal information to its
makers. While connected to the internet, your pc could be sending a continuous data
stream to one or more unethical advertising companies.
How?
Remember those free programs you installed and did not read the fine print? Or you
know that cute little cursor on your pc that suddenly appeared out of nowhere
when you where viewing a website, you know the one that looks so harmless? Today a
program could be installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent,
simply by visiting a website that supports this kind of practice. Not only could you
have programs on your pc doing this, but you could also have numerous little
spies in
your temporary internet files that are capable of installing programs such as these.
That is one reason we recommend you clean them out on a
semi regular basis.
These programs leave backdoors open for hackers and they can add Trojan horses
into your system. They include auto install and auto update features, they can
disable or bypass your uninstall features, they can monitor your keystrokes on
or off line, scan files, access your word processor and chat programs, change
your homepage, display advertising content while online or offline, they can read,
write and delete files, and they do this while sending information back to the
marketing companies. Many of these programs, can not be deleted from your system
by normal methods, they leave residual components behind that will continue to
monitor your actions and they will try to reinstall themselves.
What
to do?
First and foremost, we highly recommend that
if you have Internet Explorer 6 you
follow the following steps.
With Internet Explorer 6 Open:
Click the tools menu. Then select Internet Options. Click the Security Tab.
Click the box that says Custom Level. Scroll down to: "Installation of desktop items"
Click the circle that says "Prompt". Scroll down to: "Software Channel
Permissions"
Click the circle that says "High Safety"
Then click the "OK box", this will return you to the Internet Options security tab,
again click the "OK box". (This will cut down on some of the immoral
installs).
To prevent access to particular sites thru
Internet Explorer:
With Internet Explorer open, click on tools, then internet options. Click on
the Security tab, then click on Restricted sites once to highlight it,
click on the sites button. Add the sites you wish to restrict access to by
typing them one by one into the top box and then clicking the add button.
See the image below, it includes some sites we blocked due to spyware issues.
When you are done adding, click "OK" and then "OK" again.
To Prevent an exploit of Windows Messenger
service, which will resolve a
particular type of advertisement pop-up from occurring, (Windows 2000 & XP),
TURN OFF the Messenger service by following these steps:
Click Start, and then point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click Administrative Tools.
Double-click Services.
Double-click Messenger.
In the Startup type list, click Disabled.
Click Stop, and then click OK.
Highly recommended: you could also download and install a Free copy of
Adware
or Spybot
these programs can not only scan your system for these programs,
but they can safely remove them as well. Please note that spybot
search & destroy may
be better suited for more experienced users, but it is our preference as
it can immunize your system and be set up
to block known spy ware
from loading to begin with. (These features are available after
updating,
so install and then update the program before scanning).
Finally,
we also highly recommend you get and install a firewall such as
Zone
Alarm. You can obtain a free version of this program that will alert you of any
program on your machine that attempts to access the web, and you can then stop it
dead in its tracks!
Tutorials
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