Tag archive for "malware" | Sarsfield Technology (page 2)

4 Keys to Avoiding Malware

From annoying to destructive, malware is a bane to any computer system and the person who uses it. The benevolent Wikipedia defines malware (short for malicious software) as: “software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent.” The good news though, is that there are simply ways to avoid getting infected by malware. Clearly having the right anti-virus and security installed and up to date is critical – that’s where we help. But it’s also important to know how you can make a difference. Here are few simple tips to help you keep your system malware-free: 1. Never click indiscriminately These days, there are ads and pop-ups, designed to induce a PC user to click on them. From sexy models to seemingly too-good-to-be-true offers and promotions, many web advertisers are counting on people’s curiosity and the impulse to click away. The thing is, many of these ads lead you to unsecure sites filled with malware. 2. Cancel Autorun. When you plug in a portable hard disk or flash drive, you computer automatically opens a window with preset options to enable file viewing for that drive. Immediately opening a flash drive allows infections to access your system, so cancel the window and scan first before opening the drive or any file inside it. 3. Never open suspicious emails. Unsolicited email is always best unopened and deleted immediately. If you don’t know who sent it, send it straight to the trash bin and delete it forever. 4. Only download if you must and only from trusted sites. Installing peer to peer downloads may be a great source of free music, media and software. But it’s not only piracy and is probably prohibited by your company policy – it’s also a fertile breeding ground for files embedded with Trojans, worms, and other forms of malware. Download files only when necessary and only do so from legitimate and trusted sites. You make the difference Your behavior online plays a big factor in making your PC and your system malware free. Especially if you’re on a network, failing to exercise caution not only compromises your system, but everyone else who’s connected to the same network. A simple click on a wayward link or ad can cause your whole company to be bombarded by spam, so always be careful in what sites you go to and what files you open and download. If you’d like us to come in and talk to your staff about this and other safe-computing habits just let us know.

Protect Yourself from Adware and Malware

While the internet is a vast resource for all sorts of information, data, and other useful thingamajigs, there are aspects of it that aren’t so desirable. Viruses, for instance. They wreak havoc in your system, destroying files, crashing the operating system – generally making life much more difficult. But if you thought that viruses were the only nasty thing out there that you need protection from, think again. Adware (advertising software) and malware (malicious software) are types of harmful software called “spyware” that are not usually covered by anti-virus scans. While viruses affect your system directly, spyware runs in the background and transmits information about you through the ’net, which can be used a number of ways ranging from annoying to downright illegal. These dangers are often unnoticed by users since they don’t directly affect the computer’s operation the way viruses do. What’s more, many people confuse them with viruses, but they’re very different and should be handled differently. Lots of spyware can also slow down your computer, so it’s important to have anti-spyware programs installed on your computer to keep it free from these harmful invaders. There are many free spyware scanners and removers on the internet – simply download and install one, and then run it on a regular basis. Scanning for adware, spyware, and malware takes approximately the same time as doing a virus scan. Also, remember to update your scanners so that you have current definitions and less chance of overlooking new threats. Finally, we recommend that you refrain from visiting and downloading from unfamiliar websites since they could serve as hosts for both spyware and viruses.