Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
May 14, 2006
Volume 1, Number 48 — Sunday, May 14, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
4. Computer Running Slowly — Adware & Spyware
In the article before this (Computer Running Slowly), I wrote about extra programs running in the background, slowing up your computer.
Sometimes, those programs are malicious. They may want to reroute your searches to their own site. They may want to spy on you. They may want to use your computer to send spam. They may pop up advertising. They may block access to certain sites. Or they may do other things you wouldn't want, either.
Some of them even replace the advertising that you would have seen on a web site.
Why are they doing all of this? Money.
There is big money in Internet advertising, especially when it's done the adware route. They want to show you ads with their affiliate links rather than the web site's affiliate links.
So, they are doing badly to two people -- you and the web site's operator. Web sites make money from advertising, mostly from advertising where someone clicks on an ad and then buys a product. By replacing the web site's ad, or the web site's affiliate code, the adware slime can rob the web site operator of legitimate sales commissions.
As an individual computer user and web surfer, that's a more minor issue to you (unless the web site dies!).
Much more important is that, in order for the adware operator to be able to disrupt the normal flow of web sites, he's installed programming that monitors every web browser communication — in detail — so he can change those ads he desires to change.
So, what can we as computer users do?
First, we have to recognize that this is our problem. Microsoft didn't solve it for us.
Second, we need to install and run some anti-spyware/anti-adware program that runs all the time! We need to prevent the adware infections from occurring, not just try to solve them afterward.
Some of the spyware and adware in today's world is actually installed at a very "low level" in Windows — that is, it is installed such that it actually controls and blocks (or redirects) some Windows functions, in order to hide itself. These are usually termed "rootkits".
Unfortunately, at today's level of cleanup technology for rootkits, cleaning up an infection is long and expensive. Frequently, the more economical route is actually to reinstall Windows. Of course, you need to back up your data first.
So, what's my message? You need to run an anti-spyware/anti-adware program that runs all the time. There are a few of them, almost all are commercial programs.
Microsoft offers their Windows Defender for free for Windows XP. Windows Defender includes both periodic deep scans and always-running functions. But, it is still called a "beta" version. The final version is planned to be included in Windows Vista. Will the XP version die at that point?
I use and recommend CounterSpy, which has the same roots as Windows Defender — they both started from Giant AntiSpyware. Sunbelt licensed the technology first and then, later, Microsoft bought Giant.
Lavasoft provides anti-spyware/anti-adware in their paid versions of their product Ad-Aware. And, many anti-spyware vendors are starting to build anti-spyware/anti-adware functions into their products.
5. Email Links Don't Work
A subscriber wrote me this week about email problems he was having:
I am having difficulty with the attachments on emails. I can not open any attachments sent me nor can I send any attachments.
Do you have any suggestions?
Unfortunately, he did not mention which email program he used. This happens often when asking someone for help, and makes the answer difficult — the answer often depends upon the programs involved.
Even if you're using the ubiquitous Outlook Express and Internet Explorer, you need to mention the program that you use. You should also mention the operating system, as answers may be different between WinXP, WinMe, Win2000, etc.
I could see, from the email headers in the email he sent me, that he sent this email using Outlook Express. That means he probably was asking about Outlook Express. I say "probably" because people may use a different computer (say their work computer) to ask about the problem at home, or vice versa.
These instructions at Microsoft.com are probably what he needed to resolve the problem with Outlook Express: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q329570
If he was using Outlook 2003, there is a different answer: http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/turn-on-email-links-in-outlook-2003.php
Of course, if he was using a different email program (Eudora, Thunderbird, etc.), they could have their own unique answers.
6. My Computer Security Software Recommendations
My Philosophy: Many people want to pick their most economical solution and prefer an all-in-one anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall solution. In concept, that's a great idea. In actual practice, this type of package is not likely to be the best in all the protection categories you need.
Other people want to pick the best of each type program. I'm one of the these folks. You can read about my security software choices here.
So, I've got two types of recommendations below: the all-in-one solutions and my picks of the individual products for people who want to pick a program of each type.
Anti-Virus
For your anti-virus needs (and, yes, you do have anti-virus needs!) I recommend anti-virus software from Trend Micro, Panda Software, Kaspersky or ESET.
Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 offers anti-virus, anti-spam, and firewall for your PC and PDA. TrendMicro provides an easy-to-use product that is from one of the big names in the anti-virus world.
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SAVE $9.95 when you purchase Trend Micro Anti-Spyware and PC-cillin Internet Security 2006
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- Save 60% when you Buy PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 - 3 User package.
Panda Software's Platinum 2006 Internet Security offers anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall and more.
The Kaspersky Personal Security Suite is a program package specifically developed to provide comprehensive protection from all types of malicious programs for personal computers running under the Windows operating system (Win98, WinMe, 2000, XP). This solution prevents the infiltration of viruses, worms, spyware, adware and other malicious programs via potential penetration paths, provides protection against unauthorized access attempts, and includes anti-spam components. Kaspersky claims the industry leading virus detection rates and the fastest virus updates. Kaspersky offers a 30-day free trial on its products.
Each of the above companies also offers a stand-alone anti-virus program.
I'm often asked about several large, popular anti-virus or anti-virus combination packages. Yes, I realize that they are not in my recommendation list, although I could easily use referral links for them, too.
My personal choice is the ESET's small, fast NOD32 anti-virus program, which offers a FREE 30-day evaluation license. I consider NOD32 to be the cream of the crop in anti-virus protection. Unlike some of the others, ESET offers multiple-year licenses also, including updates to the program as well as to the anti-virus signatures.
Read more about anti-virus programs on my web site.
Firewall Software
If you get either the PC-cillin Internet Security or the Panda Software Internet Security package above, you are covered from a firewall point of view.
While the Windows XP firewall is much better than no firewall, don't count on the Windows XP firewall to provide your needs. You need a much better firewall than the Windows XP firewall.
The Windows XP firewall does not control outbound communications originating from your computer -- and you should want to have control if adware/trojans/spyware or even commercial products want to talk to the Internet (Do you want Windows Media Player to call home every time you play something? It does! Many other programs call home when you run them, too.)
If you don't get either of the above multi-function packages, I recommend my choice for a firewall program is Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. You can try the full-featured "paid version" of Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall free for 30 days -- after that, you can register it or it loses the special functions of the paid version. Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall is $19.95 for a non-expiring license for the program and includes one year of their updates subscription.
You may prefer ZoneAlarm Pro or the ZoneAlarm free firewall as alternatives — I used to...
Read more about the need for firewalls in The Internet Versus You articles.
Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware Software
CounterSpy, from Sunbelt Software, has received many kudos from the computer press for its always-running and periodic full system scans. I use CounterSpy on my notebook (my main computer!), my wife's computer and my son's computer. I highly recommend this program.
Panda Software's Platinum 2006 Internet Security also includes anti-spyware. Anti-spyware is one situation where more than one scanner actually is better. Only let one program provide the real-time, always-running protection, but doing periodic scans with two different programs are a better solution to adware & spyware than only one scanner. No one anti-spyware program catches everything. Also, different companies differ in their criteria for classifying programs as adware and/or spyware.
Anti-spam Software
In today's Internet world, the question is not "if" you will get spam, but when and how much. I'm changing my recommendation on anti-spam software. I use and now I recommend PopFile as my first choice.
PopFile uses a different approach to spam than some other programs — it does nothing to reduce spam. It is designed as an email classification tool — you train it to recognize spam and any other type of email that you want to classify. These classifications can help you sort your emails into appropriate folders in your email program.
Mailwasher Pro is my first choice to handle spam before it ever gets into your computer's Inbox. Mailwasher Pro uses on-line Realtime Black Lists mail servers sending spam recently, "training" by you of what you think is spam, and your own "friends" and "blacklist" lists. Mailwasher Pro can even bounce spam messages, as if your email address was not valid, although the usefulness and appropriateness of this is questionable. There is s free version called "Mailwasher," but it omits a lot of the functions of Mailwasher Pro that I consider essential for that purpose — such as previewing the emails safely before they ever get to your email inbox.
Cable/DSL Router
If you have a cable modem or a DSL modem, you need to have another layer of inexpensive protection between you and the Internet. A cable/DSL router isolates your computer from direct connection to the Internet. Your computer can easily request your email, web pages, etc. through the router. The responses come back to the router and are smoothly routed to your computer. But, someone on the Internet side of the router can not initiate a connection to your computer — they can only respond to your request.
Even if you only have one computer to connect to your cable or DSL modem, I recommend that you purchase and use a cable/DSL router because of the protection it can give you against attempts to attack through some flaws in Windows itself.
A router isolates your local network, whether it is only one computer or several, from the Internet by actually making it a separate network. The router gets the "public" IP address and handles all your outbound communications and the responses to them. But, it blocks computers on the Internet side from being able to initiate communications with your computer! This will prevent you from falling prey to many worms that try to attack security holes in Windows itself.
My pick is the Linksys WRT54G 802.11g wireless router (Amazon.com or Buy.com ). If you don't want wireless now, or at any time, the function is easily turned off in the router's menu. You may be able to find a wired (that is, non-wireless) Linksys router on sale. Either way, based on my experience, I recommend Linksys routers. Read more on my Wireless Security web page.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Volume 1, Number 48 — Sunday, May 14, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.
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