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This is part three of a three part series about computer viruses and malware. Part one was about the virus problem and, most importantly, how you can’t rely totally on your antivirus software to keep viruses and malware off your computer. Part two was about virus and malware removal. Now that your computer is virus free today I’ll show you how to keep it that way.

There are no silver bullets when it comes to antivirus software. There are far too many threats created every day for any one company to keep up with them all. And even if your antivirus software is good at detecting viruses that doesn’t mean it’s good at removing them. That’s why I don’t believe in paying for antivirus programs like Norton and McAfee. I clean up a lot of virus infected computers and the majority of them have either Norton or McAfee installed. Since it’s possible to get a virus no matter what antivirus software you have installed why pay for it?

Although I don’t recommend paying for any computer security products it is important to have antivirus software installed on your computer. But you must also use common sense and keep your operating system and other software installed updated. Here’s my list of do’s and don’ts:

1. Turn on Automatic Updates in Windows and set them to install automatically. Also insure the Windows firewall is enabled.

2. Install an antivirus program that updates its definitions at least once daily. The free antivirus programs I recommend are AVG Anti-Virus and AntiVir. In addition to installing either one of those I would recommend adding another layer of defense. For this I’ve been using Panda Cloud. It’s light on resources and is good at keeping viruses off your computer.

3. Don’t install any free software from the internet unless it’s from
   www.download.com. Download.com guarantees no viruses or other malware will come along for the ride and they have a huge selection of free software. So before you download that torrent or free MP3 stop and reconsider. Is it really worth a computer infection?

4. If you’re still using Internet Explorer, stop! I recommend using
   Google Chrome instead. It’s faster and more secure.

5. Be careful where you surf on the internet. A vast number of virus infections today are spread by unscrupulous web sites. All you have to do is visit the website and a script can run to infect your PC. The best advice I can give is to be careful where you surf. And don’t click on links in Facebook or anywhere else on the internet unless you know it’s taking you to a safe website.

6. Don’t click on links from MSN Messenger or other instant message programs unless you’re absolutely certain they’re legit.

7. Also use caution when clicking links or opening files in your email messages. Don’t even watch that video someone sent you unless you’ve scanned the file for viruses first.

8. Don’t click on links in emails from your bank or the government that ask you to give any personal information. Call them instead. It’s far too easy for the bad guys to spoof an email address and create a website that looks legitimate so you could end up sending your personal info right to them.

9. If you’re asked to install updates for programs like Java, Flash or Acrobat Reader go ahead and install them. Often they’re fixing security gaps.

I hope you noticed a pattern. The easiest way to get a virus is when you click on a link or open a file! If in doubt error on the side of caution.

The virus/malware business is a very lucrative business so don’t expect them to fold up shop and go away any time soon. It’s their job to infect your computer. It’s primarily your responsibility to keep them off so you have to use caution and common sense.

If your computer is acting strange or your antivirus program tells you that you have a virus then refer to my last post for virus removal instructions.

-Bert

This is part two of a three part series about computer viruses and malware. In part one we talked about the virus problem and, most importantly, how you can’t rely totally on your antivirus software to keep viruses and malware off your computer. There are far too many viruses created every day for any one antivirus company to keep up with so there is no silver bullet. Of course you should still use antivirus software but you also have to use some caution and common sense on the internet.

Today we’re going to talk about virus removal and next week we’ll talk about virus prevention. If you’re wondering why we’re not talking about virus prevention first it’s because most people reading this probably have a virus already or will get one before they’re ready to take any action. Of course I’m not talking about you though! :)

Basically if your computer is doing anything out of the ordinary I would suggest scanning your computer with any of the following FREE anti-virus/malware programs below. It’s best to do this soon after you suspect you have a virus infection because your virus problem will get worse and harder to fix over time. If you wait too long you could lose your internet connection or worse, you may not be able to boot into Windows. At that point you’ll most likely have to pay someone to fix it.

These are my favorite free virus removal tools:

1. Malwarebytes (try this first)

2. SUPERAntiSpyware (try this second)

3. IObit Security 360

After you install the program run the Update so the virus definition files are current. Then run the scan, usually the Quick Scan is sufficient and only takes 10-15 minutes.

After you run any of the above, if it found any threats have the program remove them, reboot your computer and run the program again and insure it doesn’t find anything the second time. If it does, then try the next program in the list. You need to be sure your computer is clean and viruses are like mice, you never have just one. After these scans come back clean it’s a good idea to run a full scan using whatever antivirus program you have installed (Norton, McAfee, AVG, etc.).

Hopefully, after running the above program(s) you’ve taken care of your virus problem. Having cleaned up a lot of heavily virus infected computers I’ve found these programs can totally take care of the problem about 90% of the time.

Stay tuned for next week’s article about virus and malware prevention. Now that your computer is virus free I’ll tell you how to keep it clean. We have four computers in our house that get used almost daily and we haven’t had a virus on any of them.

-Bert

Over the next few weeks I’m going to discuss the virus problem, how to remove viruses and malware, and how to protect your computer from becoming infected by viruses. In today’s first installment I’ll talk about the problem of viruses and malware.

The problem of computer viruses has been evolving since the internet was born. In the past you could only catch a virus or malware by actually opening a file. Now you can become infected simply by going to a web site or opening an email.

There are over 4 million virus threats that are currently flagged by current antivirus programs. And that number increases by over 2,000 new threats every day! Depending on the virus the effects can range from annoying to destructive. The worst infections can delete files on your hard drive, make your computer inoperable, and some malware (keyloggers) can even capture and send your personal and financial information to the bad guys. Even a mild infection can slow down your computer and internet connection, cause annoying popup advertisements and redirect your internet browser’s homepage.

Unfortunately there’s no one program that’s good enough to remove and/or prevent every virus. There are some decent antivirus programs and there are some decent antispyware/malware programs but so far no one has created one program that can do both effectively. Also, some programs are better at virus prevention while others are better at virus removal.

Because of that, the main point I’d like to make today is that it’s primarily your job to keep viruses off your computer. That probably comes as a big surprise to a lot of people but don’t worry, it’s not difficult and we’ll cover everything you need to know. You just have to use the tools that are available, like antivirus software, but more importantly you have to use some caution and common sense on the internet.

The virus/malware business is a very lucrative business, generating about $8 billion a year for the bad guys, so don’t expect them to fold up shop and go away any time soon. And the bad guys can afford to pay their software developers a lot more money than the antivirus companies can.

Stay tuned for next week’s article. I’ve had the opportunity to clean up a lot virus infected computers and I’ll tell you how to do it.

-Bert

It’s amazing how much the world has changed since I grew up in the 70s and 80s. We’ve gone from movies on VHS, music on cassettes, playing Pac Man and talking to friends on hard-line telephones to a world where you can literally be plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today we have the internet, email, texting, twitter, blogs, facebook, video-chat, iPods, iPads, iPhones, ebooks, laptops, netbooks, Wii, Playstation, Xbox, and on, and on, and on… And you wonder why it’s so difficult to get your child’s attention today.  :)

Earlier this year the Kaiser Family Foundation published some incredible statistics on just how plugged-in our children are. I’d encourage you to read the full report at this link but here are some highlights.

• 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week).
• Because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
• TV remains the dominant type of media content consumed, at 4:29 a day, followed by music/audio at 2:31, computers at 1:29, video games at 1:13, print at :38, and movies at :25 a day.
• Three-quarters (74%) of all 7th-12th graders say they have a profile on a social networking site.
• 7th-12th graders report spending an average of 1:35 a day sending or receiving texts. (Time spent texting is not counted as media use in this study.)

Based on the evidence we can’t deny that raising children today is much different than it was even ten short years ago. For better or worse the game has changed and it’s important that we, as parents, adjust as well so we can raise happy, healthy and productive children in this new digital world.

I like the way Dr Tanya Byron, a Clinical Psychologist from the UK, put it:

“The virtual world and the real world do contain risks, and children left to navigate a solo path through either, face many dangers. The trouble is that although as adults we instinctively know how to protect our children offline, we often assume that their greater technological expertise will ensure they can look after themselves online. But knowledge is not the same as wisdom.”

So there you have it. Even if your children know more about this digital world than you do that knowledge does not translate into wisdom. It’s our job as parents to insure our children’s safety both offline and online.

Without further ado I’d like to give you some tools and ideas that can help.

1. The Kaiser Family Foundation found in their study that only about 30% of young people say they have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV, playing video games, and using the computer.  But when parents do set limits, children spend less time with media: those with any media rules consume nearly 3 hours less media per day than those with no rules.

2. Keep the TVs, computers and gaming consoles out of the bedrooms. All of these devices and activities should be done in a community or family room. I’ve never liked the idea of TVs in bedrooms but there’s not much danger in it since the TV, like an iPod is one-way media. But allowing a computer with internet access in a bedroom can be very dangerous since a child can communicate with absolutely anyone in the world at any time of the day or night. That’s scary!

3. If you have children that use a computer to access the internet you need to install an internet filter. Children don’t go looking for trouble on the internet but a simple typo in a search engine or clicking the wrong link can expose your children to things you would never want them exposed to. Here’s some Internet Filtering Software Reviews. They all have different features and some cost more than others. In our house we use an excellent free internet filter called K9 Web Protection so if cost was an issue now you have no excuse. Install a web filter today.

4. If you ever wonder if a movie, game or website is appropriate for your children there’s a great website that gives excellent reviews of all types of media and shows what ages the media is appropriate for. Check out CommonSenseMedia.org.

5. Probably the most important thing you can do is talk to your kids about their media use. Knowing you care is huge so don’t ever be afraid to ask your children who their texting, what games they’re playing, what websites they visit, etc.. And if you don’t understand something about all the new technology just ask your kids. They’d probably be happy to teach you a thing or two.

The game has changed but you can’t lose unless you decide to just put your head in the sand. So get in the game, you can do it and your children deserve it!

-Bert

In celebration of their 15th anniversary, Check Point Software will be giving away their ZoneAlarm Pro software for free!

This offer is only good for 24 hours starting at 6 AM PDT on Tuesday November 18th, 2008.

ZoneAlarm is excellent security software that includes a firewall plus identity theft and spyware protection. Normally they charge $39.95 for this software which includes one year of updates. 

Be sure to click here on Tuesday to get your free copy of ZoneAlarm Pro.

Thank you Check Point Software!

-Bert

A while back I posted about internet scammers  sending email viruses and trying to get your personal information while posing as fortune 500 companies like UPS and Northwest Airlines.

They’re at it again, but this time posing as the Better Business Bureau. They spoof the email address so it looks like the email is really coming from the Better Business Bureau.

Follow these three steps so you don’t fall prey to online email scammers:

1. Install antivirus software that checks your email if you use an email client like Microsoft Outlook. A very good free antivirus program that does this is AVG. Most of the major web based email portals like Gmail and Yahoo mail have antivirus software on their server that checks attachments.

2. Delete email from anyone you don’t know or the subject line seems strange. Don’t even open these email message.

3. Even if an email message appears to come from someone you know or a business be skeptical of it and don’t click any links or open any attachments unless you’re absolutely sure it’s legitimate. Even then, you’d be better off calling them then taking the chance.

-Bert

This weekend we had a house full of children for our 10 year old daughter’s birthday. When they asked to use her computer I was thankful we use an internet filter and didn’t have to hesitate to let them use it.

Anyone who’s ever surfed the web knows how easy it is to stumble upon inappropriate content. Parents have an obligation to protect their children inside and outside of the home.

Thankfully, there are some great applications parents can turn to for help. My favorite, if you have younger children, is K-9. It’s best for younger children because it’s free and doesn’t have all the options that pay programs do. That being said, K-9 is still an excellent internet filter that we’ve been using and promoting for the past couple years.

With K-9 you have 6 different levels of protection and 60 different categories that you can choose to block or not. You can also limit what times the computer can access the internet. You’ll also be able to view the internet surfing history broken down by categories to see what sites your children are visiting.

Blue Coat recently released a new Beta version that runs on Mac’s as well as Windows, it works in more browsers, and more search engines. I highly recommend K-9 and created a video to help parents install and set-up the program.

For older children I’d recommend Net Nanny, CyberPatrol, or Safe Eyes. They’ll run you $40-50 per year but all of them provide great protection and have more options than K-9. CyberPatrol gives you the most options, Safe Eyes is best if you want to install it on more than one computer, and Net Nanny is the easiest of the three for parents to use. Net Nanny also beat its competitors in reviews by a slight margin.

All three of these programs have different features so I’d recommend that you view each of their websites and purchase the one that best meets your needs.

It should be said that no internet filter is perfect and there are ways around internet filters. It’s a well known fact that kids in schools and libraries use proxy avoidance to get around the filters. If you, as a parent, have any inclination that your child is using their computer inappropriately you have two choices. Either you can put the computer in a public place in the house and/or take it away altogether for a period of time. Don’t worry, it is possible for them to live without it..

If you have children that use the internet in your house, an internet filter is essential. Get one today!

-Bert

There are so many different kinds of viruses, trojans, spyware, and adware they’re often all lumped together and just referred to as as malware (malicious software). By the end of 2009 experts predict that there will over a million malware programs trying to disrupt your computing experience and steal your personal information. 

The sad reality is that most people don’t use effective virus protection or follow my 11 steps to protect their computers from viruses and other malware.  Not only are most computers at risk but, until someone’s computer actually gets infected by malware, they don’t even think about it.

If you’re one of those people one day you’ll probably experience one or more of the following signs and symptoms of computer malware:

1. Lots of annoying pop-up advertisements.

2. Dialog boxes popping up telling you that you have a virus or other problems. 

3. New toolbars on your internet browser.

4. Your internet Home Page has changed.

5. New Favorites in your browser that you didn’t put there.

6. Your computer has slowed down or even crashes and restarts on its own.

7. Programs not working or files not opening.

If you ever get a pop-up window telling you that your computer has a virus or registry problem and telling you to buy some program to fix the problem, DON’T! 99% of these are viruses, trojans and adware just trying to sell you software that will just make things worse. All they want is your money.

This is exactly what you need to do if you’re experiencing any of the signs/symptoms above:

1. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. (Save it to your desktop)

2. Close all programs and windows on your PC, including your web browser.

3. Rename the downloaded mbam-setup.exe file to mb.exe to help work around certain malware that will block it from being run.

4. On your Desktop double-click mb.exe to install the removal program. Leave the default settings.

5. Update the program if asked and begin the Quick Scan.

6. After it’s finished running click the Remove Selected button.

7. When finished you can close the program.

If you’re still experiencing problems, run an online scan at Eset.com. 

To keep from getting infected in the future, follow my 11 steps to computer security.

Happy Computing!

-Bert

Since the dawn of the internet there have been people writing malicious programs intent on ruining your computing experience.

In the beginning viruses were like teenagers spray-painting walls. They seemed to arise out of boredom and had no other purpose than to bother you. For the most part these early viruses were pretty easy to get rid of.

As time went on and the internet became more popular the people writing the malicious code had only one thing in mind, using their programs to steal your money.

Recently I read that creating spyware, viruses and trojans is a very profitable business. Seven billion dollars a year is stolen from people like you and me by people who can’t seem to make a living any other way. They certainly aren’t making a positive impact in the world in which they live.

Emailing their destructive code has been their method of choice for several years. They figure, all they have to do is get you to open your email and they win. How much easier is it for them now that they’re able to spoof their email address so it looks like it’s coming from a Fortune 500 company.

In the past couple weeks there have been two very large companies who have put out warnings to not open email from them. First there was UPS who put out the following warning:

We have become aware there is a fraudulent e-mail being sent that says it is coming from UPS and leads the reader to believe that a UPS shipment could not be delivered. The reader is advised to open an attachment reportedly containing a waybill for the shipment to be picked up. This e-mail attachment contains a virus. We recommend that you do not open the attachment, but delete the e-mail immediately.

And just yesterday Northwest Airlines issued the following warning:

Northwest Airlines on Friday warned e-mail users to watch out for phony messages using the company’s name that may be infected with a computer virus. The Eagan-based carrier said the e-mails contain fake ticket confirmation and enrollment information and infect the user’s computer when attachments are opened. The e-mails thank the recipient for using the new service “Buy flight ticket Online” on the airline’s Web site. It states an account has been set up and gives the e-mail user an account number and password.

For a long time email users have been warned about opening email attachments. The first virus I ever encountered was from a friend who emailed me a cool video. I thought it was so cool I forwarded it to my parents. Unfortunately we all got infected with a computer virus… Thankfully it was pretty easy to rid our computers of it and we all learned a valuable lesson.

Unfortunately, people are still learning this same lesson every day and are more likely to have lost some money in the process.

Thankfully, there are some pretty simple ways you can protect yourself.

1. Install antivirus software that checks your email if you use an email client like Microsoft Outlook. A very good free antivirus program that does this is AVG. If you’d rather pay for antivirus software, use Eset’s Nod32. Most of the major web based email portals like Gmail and Yahoo mail have antivirus software on their server that checks attachments.

2. Delete email from anyone you don’t know or the subject line seems strange. Don’t even open the email message.

3. Even if an email message appears to come from someone you know or a business be skeptical of it and don’t click any links or open any attachments unless you’re absolutely sure it’s legitimate.

Sorry that I haven’t had a chance to write in a while. I live in a place where you only have a few months to enjoy the nice weather outside :).

Happy computing!

-Bert

According to Symantec’s recent Internet Security Threat Report  the number of malicious software (malware) detected has surpassed the one million mark. Unfortunately the number of new viruses, trojans and spyware is increasing at an alarming rate, with nearly 70% of the existing malware being created in 2007. Trojan Horses lead the pack of infections by a large margin.

Not only are malicious programs on the increase, they’re also becoming more tenacious. It’s becoming harder for the average computer user to clean up their computer after it’s been infected. In many cases malware quickly multiplies from one infection to dozens, making restoring the computer to a clean state extremely difficult without professional assistance.

In the past the most common way your computer could become infected was by opening an email attachment. Today, the most common way to get infected is by visiting an infected website. Since most people own a computer to surf the internet and email the chances of your computer becoming infected are very high. Panda Security, in a recent test, found that 23% of computers with up to date security solutions are infected with malware. Depending on the source, anywhere from 70-90% of computers that aren’t running a current antivirus program are already infected.

The dangers of an infected computer are scary. Besides the annoyance of pop-up windows and a slow computer much of the current malware is designed to monitor your surfing habits, display advertisements for bogus software promising to remove viruses, and record your login usernames and passwords for sites you visit, including banking and credit card sites. “Increasingly, Symantec has observed that malicious activity has moved away from targeting computers and towards targeting end users themselves. Specifically, attackers are targeting confidential end-user information that can be used in fraudulent activity for financial gain.”

Many people are quick to degrade Microsoft because most malware targets their operating system and web browser. But since 90% of computers in use today run a Microsoft Operating System it’s obvious why they’re the main target. That being said, if you have no intention of insuring your computer is protected from malware you should either buy a Mac or switch to one of the popular Linux Operating Systems, like Ubuntu.

If you continue to use a Microsoft Operating System, like Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, then your only choices are to either insure you’re properly protected or become a victim of malware. Here are some things anyone running a Microsoft Operating System should do:

1. Turn on Microsoft Automatic Updates and set them to install automatically.

2. Insure you have System Restore turned on in case you need it.

3. Back up your important computer files like tax files, resumes, etc..

4. Run antivirus software with current updates. If you’re antivirus definition updates have expired the program is useless. Here are some great options.

Free Programs – Use AGV Free Edition or Avira AntiVir.

Paid Programs – Use NOD32 or Avira Antivir.

5. Run antispyware software with current updates. If you’re running a free antivirus program or your antivirus program doesn’t protect against spyware make sure your running one of these free programs as well. Spyware Terminator or Windows Defender.

6. Consider using Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer for web surfing.

7. Don’t open email from people you don’t know. Even the pictures shown in emails can infect your computer.

8. Never respond to an email that appears to be from your bank or credit card company asking you to go to a website to verify any personal account information. If you get an email like that delete the email and call them using a phone number you have on file for them.

9. Insure you have your Windows firewall turned on, or an even better option is the free Comodo firewall.

10. Don’t install free programs unless they’re from a reliable source like download.com.

11. Don’t use P2P file sharing programs like BitTorrent, Limewire, Morpheus, etc..

The stakes are high when it comes to your computer security and protection. There are now over one million malicious programs out there intent on stealing your identity and financial information, invading your privacy, and destroying what should be an enjoyable computing experience. Following these 11 computer security tips will help you to be safe and not become a victim.

Happy Computing!

-Bert