Malware is a term used to describe a wide range of damaging software that includes computer viruses, trojan horses, spyware, keyloggers, and other malicious software.
Malware can cause many problems, ranging from a downright annoyance to a serious Internet security and privacy threat: slowing your computer to a crawl, causing your computer to crash, and even having your personal information stolen. The later can lead to identity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada and the USA.
It is good to know that there are some steps to take to detect and at the same time prevent malware. When it comes to this malicious software and other Internet security and privacy threats, an ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure.
- Install anti-virus software: This Internet security software is the first line of defense against malware. If you have do nothing else to help prevent and detect malware, have anti-virus software installed. It is good to know that there is reputable and free anti-virus software available for download on the Internet. Other anti-virus software vendors offer fully-functional free trials. Remember that anti-virus software is only as good as the last update.
- Install anti-spyware software: Anti-virus software detects most, but by no means all spyware. This is why it is essential for your Internet security and privacy to have anti-spyware software installed. There is free anti-spyware software available for download, absolutely free of charge, including Spybot Search & Destroy. All they ask is for a donation. It is important to remember to only download anti-spyware from a reputable source, as there are many “free anti-spyware” programs available for download or “free spyware scans”, that only infect your computer with more malicious software and/or ask you to spend $39.99 to remove the”trojan horse”(they tell everyone they have a “trojan horse”, no matter if you have one or not). This malware, disguised as anti-spyware software can hit you more than just in the pocketbook; it can cause you to become a victim of identity theft.
- Use a firewall: This Internet security software acts as a barrier between you and other computers out there. It helps prevent hackers from remotely installing malware on your computer. At the same time, it prevents any malicious software already on your computer to send personal information from your computer to a cyber criminal. There are free firewalls available for download online, such as ZoneAlarm. Windows XP, Vista, and 7 all include an absolutely free firewall. If you have no other firewall installed on your computer, ensure that it is activated.
- Install anti-keylogger software: Keyloggers are malware which silently records every keystroke you type or even screenshots of your computer screen. Anti-virus software all detects a minority of keyloggers, also known as keystroke loggers. Anti-spyware software does a better job, detecting most keyloggers. You need anti-keylogger software installed to detect and block keyloggers.
- Don’t open an email attachment from someone you do not know: It could very well be infected with malware. A matter fact, even if you do know the sender, be cautious if you are not expecting the attachment. This is because the senders email could be spoofed and/or their email account could be compromised.
- Avoid visiting sites containing pornography, shareware, freeware, warez, file sharing, and the like. These sites are well known for being infected with malware.
- Keep your operating system up-to-date: This will help protect you from the latest Internet security and privacy threats. It is a good idea to set your computer to update automatically.
