Inside Spyware: Part 3 Only You Can Prevent Spyware and Adware
Only You Can Prevent Spyware and Adware
In Part Two of our in-depth look at spyware and malware, we learned how to identify and remove spyware. If you've found and removed these unwanted pests from your PC — or if you've been fortunate enough to have never encountered them to begin with — now would be a good time to talk about how to keep your system clean.
Ninety percent of avoiding spyware is education and common sense. If you've experienced spyware infestations or attacks in the past, chances are you're still vulnerable unless you've since made changes in your policies, your online behavior, or in the way you detect such vermin.
Safe E-Mailing
You should know by now that opening spam or any e-mail from persons unknown or with an unexpected attachment is unwise. In addition to viruses, RATS (remote access Trojans) and other programs can be present in e-mail attachments. Web sites advertised in unsolicited e-mail can try to plant dialers or other types of pests on your computer.
If you use Outlook or Outlook Express for your e-mail, there are settings you can adjust to make your e-mail safe from spyware and viruses. The Preview Pane, which lets you view e-mail while keeping your mailbox on the screen, has been a cause of concern among e-mail users, especially if scripting or ActiveX remains enabled. There have been reports of viruses, such as the KAK-Worm, spreading by automatically opening e-mails. Malicious content like the KAK-Worm exploits security holes in the software, so enabling or disabling the Preview Pane is not the ultimate issue. Keeping up with patches and security fixes is a better long-term solution.
To disable the Preview Pane in Outlook, click on the View menu. For more information on securing Outlook and Outlook Express, read this article.
Safe Surfing
There's a lot to see on the World Wide Web, but you can't always be sure where it's coming from. If you visit Web sites that are not published by well-known publishers, it's even more important to regularly scan for pests. Pay close attention if you visit Web sites that advertise "too good to be true" deals or feature pornography.
Be careful what you download. Read all dialogue boxes carefully and close anything that looks suspicious. When closing dialogue boxes or pop-up advertisements, be sure to use the proper "X" to close the window. The Web is full of ads that feature mock "Xs" or "Close" or "OK" buttons within the ad. Clicking on them actually clicks on the ad itself. If you're not sure how to safely close a window that has opened in your browser, right click on the window in your Windows Taskbar (usually at the bottom of your display) and click on "Close."
Certain ads that appear online attempt to pass themselves off as security alerts or messages from tech support (these are called FUIs, or Fake User Interface ads). If you're using a computer within an organization, communicate with your tech support staff if you're unsure whether a message is legitimate, and familiarize yourself with how tech support communicates with the computer users in your organizations.
