Internet

Tools to Protect Your Computer

As any parent of teenagers knows, or if you’re a blogger or WAHM, we spend a tremendous amount of time on the internet, – downloading plugins, using Skype, spending time on Twitter, Facebook, in forums and chat rooms.

My computer will be one year old shortly.  It’s amazing how much data accumulates in that short time!  My Dell Inspiron 530S was a birthday gift from my brother.  I really like it and recommend that if you’re looking for one, check out the Dell coupons for any special deals.

An important thing to know is how to protect yourself while on the computer. Criminals have found ways to steal your information especially when you thought that you were safe. One way to thwart them is to employ anti-spyware and malware tools to protect yourself when you’re on the Internet.

Computers have become such an important part of our daily lives.  We do everything from order pizza to shop for household appliances online. With that level of traffic and financial information floating around, it’s no wonder criminals have turned their attentions to the Internet. Fortunately, so have software manufacturers.

No one wants to be the victim of identity theft or fraud. Even though it may not be your fault, the burden of proof always falls on you and the red tape is nothing short of monstrous. So, do all that you can to protect yourself as well as family and friends while they’re online.

One way to do that is to arm your computer with anti-spyware and malware tools. Spyware constitutes programs that hide within other programs, hence the name “spy.”

Here’s how it works: You’ll go to a site and download a program. The program may be hiding another program within to track how you use it. This is a non-lethal spyware program. It was probably employed by the site for statistical purposes.

Then, there are other spyware that, when downloaded, will go in and rewrite certain things on your computer without your consent. If you’ve ever downloaded something and then your home page changed, it was probably courtesy of a spyware or malware program.

Both of these are mild examples compared to what usually happens. Even the mild spyware you don’t want. If someone has to do something behind your back to get you to try it, steer clear. More lethal spyware will search your files and retrieve financial information.

Anti-spyware tools and programs seek out these dastardly additions and eliminate them. A well-protected computer will have both antivirus and anti-spyware installed for a wider net of protection. Spyware tools, like antivirus can be obtained for free or paid for.

Shop Around

Know what you’re buying. Be sure that free programs offer you adequate spyware protection. Sites like STOPzilla and pctools offer free spyware tools for you to use. These tools work behind the scenes in real-time and on schedules to detect spyware. They also clear your browsing history and prevent pop-ups all over your screen. Spyware also lets you know if a site in your search results is dangerous for you to visit.

Paid spyware offers a few more perks but make sure that you actually need those perks for your system. If you choose to pay, find software with multiple user capabilities so you can arm all of the computers in your home. Some good companies are Avast and AVG.

In the past, I’ve let my readers and forum friends know that I really like Avast, which has a free version.

My favorite malware program that I recommend to all my forum friends is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.  I run the program at least once a week, and it does the job for me.

Protect yourself from the beginning. Use anti-spyware tools to prevent and remove spyware that threatens your computer.

If you have any tips you’d like to pass on, let me know.

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