subject: How to ensure Cyber and PC Protection [print this page] How to ensure Cyber and PC Protection How to ensure Cyber and PC Protection
It is no secret that safeguarding one's personal data against spammers, hackers and scammers is a frustrating task. Email and social network hosting companies will readily admit that their main royalties come from sharing account information with third-party marketing companies.
Additional to the spam mail sent form these marketing companies, is the ever present danger of hackers and scammers who have become even more promiscuous in their efforts to pilfer credit card information, and other confidential details.
The sophistication of these hackers is such that they have an organized strategy of accessing your email account information, accessing your email contact list and stealing the user identity and passwords of friends in an attempt to fool individuals into thinking that the product being "pushed" is actually being endorsed by these friends.
Oh, the tricks that they play! Have you ever wondered though, how these cyber criminals are able to gain access to confidential information in email accounts that are supposed to be protected by passwords? This can be explained by two words: adware and spyware. At first glance, these words may seem to refer to a type of harmless software, but they are intelligence-gathering software that, in wrong hands, can breach your cyber security, and damage your computer.
Adware and Spyware explained Both terms are defined as types of viruses that are not in themselves harmful, but can gain access to the computer through a security breach in the system.
Adware is a virus that activates a pop-up window when a link within a website is clicked. As it is bundled with popular recreational downloads like: games, music and videos, there is increased likelihood it will also be downloaded. This is a tool used by certain websites to force visitors into purchasing other merchandise through these sites. Well-known sites for this are: Smiley Central, Zwinky and Bonzi Buddy, where one can expect to see windows pop-up, offering computer screen savers or the opportunity to win jackpot.
Spyware is software designed to allow cyber criminals access to personal and confidential information. The key function of spyware is its ability to log keystrokes made on a computer keyboard, which is how hackers can access bank account, credit card and password data. So now you know!
What action to take Do not, under any circumstances click anywhere in the pop-up window but the X' to close the window- unless perhaps you are desperately in need of a screen saver. Next, knowledge is power: avoid websites that feature these pop-up's. Back at headquarters (your email account, social network/ micro blog community, that is) you can tighten up security by updating your privacy features and changing up your password regularly. That will at least temporarily plug the loop-hole through which the rogues gain entry. It is now timeto rid the PC of the adware and spyware.
With the advice of a technician, anti virus software can be downloaded from the internet or otherwise purchased. There are also free anti-virus downloads available online. Ad Aware is a good example of a free download that detects spyware and other viruses and deletes or quarantines them.
