Use Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software.


Why bother doing this? A recent AOL/NCSA study found that 8 out of 10 computers connected to the internet were found to be infected by spyware after being scanned, but only 53% thought that they might have spyware on their PC.  At the end of June 2005, the Internet Storm Center estimated that a new unprotected Windows PC survived about 30 minutes before becoming infected.  A 6-month study released in July 2005 by UK anti-virus vendor Sophos found that a new unprotected Windows PC has a 50-50 chance of being infected by a worm within 12 minutes of being connected to the internet.


Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on all computers and keep it up-to-date

  Look for software that automatically downloads the latest definitions and programs from the Internet, or does not rely exclusively on definitions or patterns but also detects


Do not install more than one vendor's Anti-Virus software package.

  This class of software is tightly integrated with some aspects of the operating system:  different vendors' anti-virus applications can conflict with one another. Most vendors recommend against installing more than one antivirus application on the same PC.

  Several Anti-Virus software vendors offer free on-line virus scanning services at their web sites.  This type of service is useful, but it is a "one-time" detection:  unlike permanently installed anti-virus software, it does not provide "always-on" protection after you perform the scan.  Because it is not permanently installed, you can perform free on-line virus scans from multiple vendors without much risk of an adverse interaction.


Unlike Anti-Virus software, Anti-Spyware software may be combined to provide a "layered defense" against spyware.

  At the time of this writing (July 2005), there is no known adverse interaction among Microsoft's free beta Anti-Spyware, LavaSoft's Ad-Aware® SE Plus edition, and SaferNetworking Spybot-Search&Destroy.


Use caution when purchasing Anti-Spyware software on-line, especially in response to email or pop-up advertisements claiming that your computer is infected and offering to clean your PC for "free" or at a special price.  Click here to see an example of an Anti-Spyware program that claims to detect a massive infection on your computer when the claimed threats do not actually exist on your computer.

  If you get a pop-up advertisement offering anti-virus or anti-spyware software, never click anywhere within the window, including buttons or links like "close" or "no": doing so could actually start the installation of malicious software on your computer.  The safest way to close most pop-up windows is by clicking the operating system control to close the window:
     In Windows XP, this is a red square with a white "X" in the upper right corner of the pop-up window title bar.
     In Windows 98/Me/2000, this is a grey square with a black "X" in the upper right corner of the pop-up window title bar.
     In Mac OS X, this is a red circle with a black "X" in the upper left corner of the pop-up window title bar.

  Sometimes the pop-up advertisement can disable the browser control which closes the window, and even prevent you from selecting any other browser window. If you cannot find the close control on a pop-up window, the only safe way to close the window may be to force the browser to quit, thereby closing all of the open windows.
     In Windows XP or 2000, do this by simultaneously pressing the [Control] + [Alt] + [Delete] keys to bring up the Task Manager, select the Applications tab, highlight your browser application (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer) and then click the End Task button.
     In Windows 95/98/Me, do this by simultaneously pressing the [Control] + [Alt] + [Delete] keys to bring up the screen of running processes ... close "iexplore.exe" ...
     In Mac OS X, do this by simultaneously pressing the [Command] + [Option] + [Escape] keys to bring up a process manager with a list of running applications. Highlight your browser and click the "Force Quit" button in the dialog box.

  Some Anti-Spyware software is not reliable, while others masquerade as Anti-Spyware software but do nothing to protect your PC and may actually attempt to defeat your installed Anti-Spyware and Anti-Virus applications.

  An authoritative source of info about Anti-Spyware software is the Spyware Warrior site.  The Spyware Warrior site also maintains an up-to-date listing of known Rogue/Suspect AntiSpyware and Web Sites: this list can help you identify whether the anti-spyware software you may have already purchased is actually providing any worthwhile protection.

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