Finding Free Antivirus Software by Michelle Bery
The advent of the computer, as anyone can tell you, certainly brought with it benefits of such proportions we could never have previously imagined them. But, as with anything, the good always comes with the bad. The computer, while handing us the world, has also exposed us to the dangers of it. ... For most of us, who store personal, professional, and even legal information on our computers, virus exposure can be devastating. ... Reputable computer and software manufacturers all offer their own variety of antivirus software available for purchase.

AntiVirus Software - Why Your PC Needs It by Rick Hendershot
If your PC is connected to the internet for browsing the web or sending and receiving email, you need antivirus protection. This applies whether you have a dial-up connection or a high-speed connection such as DSL or cable. The very fact that you are connected to a public network along with... ** Protecting your computer against malicious intruders Any time you receive a file from some other source on the web, there is a chance that file will be "infected" with a virus, or will contain an attached bit of adware or spyware.

Maintaining Your Existing Anti-virus Software For Optimal Internet Security by Suzane Naranjo
When you take steps to have good Internet security, you are doing maintenance to prevent infection, such as viruses, spyware, and adware. The following maintenance steps can be taken by anyone who uses a PC running Windows XP or an earlier Windows operating system. ... A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that monitors what information leaves and enters a computer. ... When yours is about to expire, be prepared to renew or get another brand of anti-virus software, with no lapse in coverage.

Anti Spyware Software - What is it and How Does it Work? by Debbie Jacobsen
There are some excellent products available to detect spyware, stop spyware, and remove spyware from your computer. Anti spyware software is designed to do all this plus immunize your computer against the reinstallation of the spyware it destroys - spyware blocking. ... Anti Spyware software will not protect you against computer viruses, and anti virus software will not protect you against spyware. ... Although spyware and adware are not considered computer viruses (mainly because spyware and adware don't replicate themselves) , anti spyware software works much like anti virus software...

Adware and Spyware Blockers by Gary Gresham
The most important things you can do for your computer right now is to install adware and spyware blockers. Everyone is aware of computer viruses and run an anti-virus program to guard your computer against them. But only a fraction of computer users are running any kind of adware and spyware... Adware and Spyware are less noticeable than computer viruses but can be much greater danger to your computer. ... If your computer becomes infected, the results range from minor nuisances such as pop up ads to more serious threats including identity theft.

Hackers And Hoaxes And Spyware, Oh My! by Trina Schiller
Everyone who has an ISP, understands, or at least knows about how hackers use viruses, Trojans and other web nasties, to infect and mess up your computer. No headline news there. (Unfortunately, we still don't understand why they do it, or at least I don't.) But hackers don't have to write... (A keylogger is a malicious program designed to track your every move through monitoring your keystrokes.) He warned everyone to search for a file, ans2000.ini and, "delete the booger." I scan my system every day, with several different virus/ spyware programs, and I never picked up this file with...

Technology and the Pace of Change in our Lives is Becoming More Rapid by Nan Wood
The pace of change is accelerating. In today’s vernacular, the paradigm shift is happening twice as fast. Technology of today, will be obsolete shortly. In the case of information technology, in less than one year, progress is doubling. Information technology covers more than computers, software... They sequenced the SARS virus in one month and now are capable of sequencing a virus in just a few days. ... It took our researchers fifteen years to sequence the HIV virus. ... This is dramatic since the cost in 1990 was $10.00 a pair.

Firewall: Hot Stuff for Stomping out Spyware, Malware and Adware by Christina Bultinck
Firewalls are software programs for your computer that are comparable to exterior doors to your house or apartment since they keep potential intruders out. What is a thief strolled past that open door, when no one was home, and robbed you of anything of value including personal information? ... Without the computer internet security offered by a firewall you could also encounter malicious programs that delete files, steal personal information or destroy computers. ... According to AOL, the average computer that connects to the internet using DSL has a lifespan of two-weeks unless firewall...

Virus or Spyware - What's the Difference? by Dave Fraser
This month's article is one of the things I still find comes up as a frequent question, "what's the difference between Viruses and Spyware"? so I will try and answer that here. One of the biggest slowdowns of a PC is caused by viruses, adware or spyware as it's often called. ... A virus is a piece of malicious software code written to cause some kind of damage to a computer system or network or even the Internet itself. ... Programs such as trojans can be downloaded without you knowing about it and then used by hackers to gain access to your computer at a later date.

File Sharing by Peter Emerson
Depending on the level of information technology exposure you have had, when you hear the phrase, “file sharing,” you may think of exchanging piles of folders, floppy diskettes, CD’s or USB’s. It used to be that the only way that large files could ever be transferred from one computer to another... To address security concerns, programmers and producers of file sharing software have developed virus scanners and procedures for their users to follow. ... They have also released advisories that not only provide tips on avoiding virus attacks, but also warnings on downloading contents with...