This notice is for Windows users (Windows95, Windows NT, Windows XP). Mac users - pay attention, too!
Microsoft has just release a BETA version of their own SpyWare detection and removal program. I highly recommend taking the time to go install it on your own PC today.
You can find the link at the main Microsoft web page:
http://www.microsoft.com/
or
copy and paste this address (URL) into your browser.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
SpyWare is a hidden program that can infect your computer just from visiting infected web sites. Unlike SPAM, which you can control pretty well today with programs like MacAffee and Norton Anti-Virus software, SpyWare is much harder to detect and remove.
Spyware is VERY nasty. It will slow down your computer, it will change your default settings, it will remove features from you browser and general computer settings, it will corrupt the smallest files in the Registry, and eventually, it will make you hate your computer!
Often, the only effective solution is to REINSTALL WINDOWS !! That's not fun and since most of use never trust our own backups (you DO have a backup, don't you ?), reinstalling the operating system can cause you to lose months of work, email, and addresses.
Microsoft Windows operating system and Internet Explorer (the core browswer software that is built into Windows and can never be removed) has always been very vunerable to virues and spyware attacks. It's not easy to detect, it's difficult to remove, and it's very hard to repair what gets changed or damaged. After an attack, your PC may never work the same way again!
This is NOT a problem on an Apple computer or UNIX computers, but it's not impossible for them to get the same problem. Internet Explorer versions that run on these other computer systems is safer, but it still can be exploited. Be very careful.
And, since it's the start of the new year, take a week-end to clean up your PC, orgnanize your most important files, and backup your email, your email addressbook, and your favorte web site addresses (you can export them as files and then burn them to a CD or DVD disk).
My rule of thumb - always be ready to restall everything from scratch. For me, with current backups and a lot of experience, that takes me about 10-15 days to completely recover my PC !!
If you use that PC for business, you need a much better, faster, reliable Disaster Recovery Plan.
Microsoft has just release a BETA version of their own SpyWare detection and removal program. I highly recommend taking the time to go install it on your own PC today.
You can find the link at the main Microsoft web page:
http://www.microsoft.com/
or
copy and paste this address (URL) into your browser.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
SpyWare is a hidden program that can infect your computer just from visiting infected web sites. Unlike SPAM, which you can control pretty well today with programs like MacAffee and Norton Anti-Virus software, SpyWare is much harder to detect and remove.
Spyware is VERY nasty. It will slow down your computer, it will change your default settings, it will remove features from you browser and general computer settings, it will corrupt the smallest files in the Registry, and eventually, it will make you hate your computer!
Often, the only effective solution is to REINSTALL WINDOWS !! That's not fun and since most of use never trust our own backups (you DO have a backup, don't you ?), reinstalling the operating system can cause you to lose months of work, email, and addresses.
Microsoft Windows operating system and Internet Explorer (the core browswer software that is built into Windows and can never be removed) has always been very vunerable to virues and spyware attacks. It's not easy to detect, it's difficult to remove, and it's very hard to repair what gets changed or damaged. After an attack, your PC may never work the same way again!
This is NOT a problem on an Apple computer or UNIX computers, but it's not impossible for them to get the same problem. Internet Explorer versions that run on these other computer systems is safer, but it still can be exploited. Be very careful.
And, since it's the start of the new year, take a week-end to clean up your PC, orgnanize your most important files, and backup your email, your email addressbook, and your favorte web site addresses (you can export them as files and then burn them to a CD or DVD disk).
My rule of thumb - always be ready to restall everything from scratch. For me, with current backups and a lot of experience, that takes me about 10-15 days to completely recover my PC !!
If you use that PC for business, you need a much better, faster, reliable Disaster Recovery Plan.
