Computer Training Service
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deborah@cybersig.com
The Nasties Page
Spam ~ Pop Up Ads ~ Viruses ~ Hoaxes ~ Spyware ~ Web Bugs
Why do I get all this junk mail?
E-mail is cheap to send and the bulk e-mailers are willing to send tens of
thousands of e-mails to get one customer. Many of these companies also
make money by selling your email address as part of a list to other bulk
e-mailers.
How did they get my address?
You never subscribed to their service, or never visited their website, but they
may have purchased or acquired your email address by buying a list, harvesting
email addresses from news groups, forums, chat rooms, mailing lists that you
have visited for legitimate purposes. They may have also obtained your email
address through the use of spyware or web bugs
How do I stop them from sending it?
In truth, you can not stop them, but there are ways to deal with the volume
of unwanted mail. You may want to subscribe to a free web e-mail service
such as Yahoo or Hotmail. This means that you would have two email
addresses -one that you only use for friends, family and business and the second
one (Yahoo or Hotmail or other) that you use in situations where you need to use
an email address but are not really looking forward to getting regular
correspondence from the party. The disadvantage of this method is that you
now have two accounts to check regularly, and maintain.
Never click on the "remove" instructions or link in an unwanted, un-requested email. This verifies that your email address is active and will result in your getting even MORE junk mail.
Solution: I have found that the best way to deal with this flood of junk is by using Gmail. Gmail effectively filters most of the spam before it ever reaches your inbox. You can have your existing email account forwarded to Gmail so that you don't need to "change email addresses".
For more information about spam visit Spam Abuse Net
What is a Virus?
Computer viruses are programs written that have no "good intent". They
are designed to do a number of different things none of which are helpful to
you.
What do viruses do to my computer?
Viruses may simply increase themselves by emailing copies to everyone in
your address book. They may send information from your computer to other
places (think about your personal information or financial records!), they may
destroy some or all of the information stored on your computer. They may
cause your computer to work slowly, improperly or stop completely. They may
permit the virus writer to take control of your computer.
How do I get infected by a computer virus?
The most common way of getting infected is via e-mail. You can also
get a virus from a diskette, from downloading a program, or from just viewing a
web page set to deliver a virus. The vast majority of viruses received by
email were passed on accidentally by a friend or business associate. Many
times they did not even realize that their computer was infected.
How can I prevent or avoid getting infected?
The best way is to run a good anti-virus program and keep it up to date.
The program should be set to automatically scan incoming email which is the most
common way to get infected. The program should also be set to
automatically update it's virus definitions.
I am currently recommending AVG Professional Single Edition from Grisoft It costs $38.95 for a two year subscription and can be downloaded from the link above. (grisoft also has a free version available, but you will need to manually update the virus definitions and scans cannot be scheduled as easily as with the Pro version.)
Norton Anti-Virus is still an excellent program although it has slipped from my number one position due to the increased memory requirements and associated PC performance degradation.
The program should be set to automatically scan incoming email which is the most common way to get infected. The program should also be set to automatically update it's virus definitions.
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What should I do if I get a virus? It is important to have a good back-up program so that if you do get a virus, you have not lost your information. When you get the information from your antivirus program that a certain file is infected by a specific virus, you should write this information down before taking any action. Then you should try to Fix or Repair the file using your Antivirus software. If this is unsuccessful I recommend deleting the file using the Antivirus software. I recommend then using one of the websites such as Symantec or McAfee to look up the virus that you were just infected with to learn more about it and determine if you need to take any additional action. You can use the links on the left to go directly to Symantec's website and get more information or download removal tools. |
What is a hoax?
A hoax is an e-mail messages written with one purpose; to be sent to
everyone you know. The messages they contain are usually untrue. The hoax
writers goal is basically to trick everyone.
Are Hoaxes harmful?
Sometimes. There have been a number of hoaxes warning about some
undetectable virus and giving instructions to delete a file on your computer-
the file happens to be a normal part of all Windows systems. Hoaxes have
been perpetuated that scammed people out of money in the name of September 11
victims.
How do I know that something is a hoax?
The best way to find out is to type some key information into a search
engine like Goggle and check the results.
More Information can be found at Hoaxbusters Symantec Hoax Page and the Urban Legend Reference Page
What is spyware?
Programs that gather information about you and your computer system without
your knowledge. These programs secretly gather information about the user and
send it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a
computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program.
Spyware is created for the benefit of advertisers or others that wish to collect
information about you without your knowledge.
How does spyware hurt me?
Besides violating your privacy, spyware can slow down your computer, change
your computers settings, stop other legitimate programs from working or stop
your internet connection from working properly.
How do I avoid getting spyware on my computer?
If you download free programs that have advertising banners you may pick up
spyware. Even if you uninstall these programs the spyware often remains
with no obvious signals that it is there. New techniques can place spyware on
your computer without any action on your part.
You can check your computer and remove these spyware programs by downloading and running a free program called Ad-Aware. Another free program that I recommend to check for and remove spyware is called Spy-Bot. These programs catch different spywares, so you may wish to run both of them.
I have been running Microsofts new antispyware program and am quite impressed with it. If interested you can read more about it and download it free of charge at this address. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
More Information can be found at SpyChecker
These are the boxes that pop up when you are browsing the web that are advertising. They are annoying, and often designed to be difficult to close. Unlike some of the other items listed on this page, they are not harmful to your computer, but are incredibly annoying. A great free solution to this problem is to install the Google Toolbar.
What is a web bug?
A web bug is a tiny (usually invisible) part of a picture on a website or in an
email whose purpose is to provide information about the people's computers that
view that image. They can report the IP address of your computer and
whether or not you read their email.
Are web bugs harmful?
It depends on your definition of harmful. Even though they are used by
legitimate companies, I do not appreciate my every move being tracked and
recorded by advertisers. Web bugs also help to increase junk targeted
e-mail (spam) which I feel is the main reason to consider them harmful.
How can I avoid web bugs?
There is a product available called
Firetrust Benign
that will protect you from web bugs in
your email as well as from email viruses etc. This product can only protect you
from email-not from web graphics etc.
For more information and details regarding web bugs visit The Privacy Foundation