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Spyware -- viruses-- will you be too scared to use the Internet?

Spyware -- viruses-- will you be too scared to use the Internet? rickcastinelle.jpg
by Rick Castellini, MCP Special to PRIME Spyware infections (unwanted programs that cause computer slowness, pop-ups, etc), on Windows based computers continues to skyrocket. The average computer user suffers from this plague far more than a more technically savvy user. As more and more people get connected to the Internet, the ratio of technically savvy users drops and thus the increase in spyware infections. Savvy users aren t any safer Many people equate younger computer users with techno knowledge, but the opposite seems to hold true. Young computer users know how to use the technology, but don t understand how it works or how to stay safe with it any better than an older computer user. My most common computer help call usually starts like this: My computer is extremely slow. Or it can start like this: Something keeps popping upon my computer and I can t do anything. And my favorite call goes like this: My computer won t do anything. These calls come from computer users of all ages. Don t become a statistic! Before a virus hits, I suggest you search www.HelpMeRick.com for the word spyware or prevention and you ll learn how to keep your computer running clean and problem free so you never have to utter any of these phrases. However, if your computer does become infected, it can bring on feelings of helplessness, anger, frustration, bewilderment, and a sense of being violated. And unfortunately, you might have been doing all the right things and just made one small misstep. The problem then becomes how to figure out where the miscue took place. It could have happened through something as innocent as clicking a link from friend in an email, or from not paying attention to a search result you click on, or falling prey to a social engineering trap where you are tricked into thinking that something is legitimate when it is not. By the time I arrive on the scene, the computer user typically has forgotten the exact time and/or steps that led to the computer s current condition. At this point, I begin to wonder whether: 1. Microsoft will ever tighten the reigns on Windows enough to help stop this plague before it enters the computer (as have the makers of Linux and Mac computers), 2. If all these infections eventually lead to decreased use of the Internet out of fear of being infected, or 3. Users simply put up with it and consider the problem worth the risk. Avoid the hassle Has your computer ever been infected with spyware/adware? How long did it take you to get it fixed? Did you have to employ extra help -- either through a computer shop, guru, or telephone tech support? How much did it cost you, if anything? Did it make you use the web less? Bone up on security prevention tips and keep your computer safe so you never have to answer these questions. Rick Castellini is an author, computer consultant, and hosts a nationally syndicated computer radio show. Visit his web site at www.HelpMeRick.com for new tips every week and sign up for his free weekly email newsletter.