McStyles Software

With every invention known to benefit man, there is always a counterforce trying to destroy or take advantage of its benefits to the user. By now, if you’ve ever used or owned a computer, you’re aware that you have to constantly protect yourself from viruses.

Many viruses are written by computer hacks just to see if they can break or mess up a system. Other viruses are mistakes written by programmers when they are trying to update certain internal programs on your system. The Windows operating system has developed this problem with its newer software but usually, they send you a notice or a software patch to correct the problem.

Every system should have some type of anti-virus software that’s on it and it should start-up with your system so that it can detect any problems right away. If you are using the Internet, virus protection is a must.

Viruses are broken down into different categories but the most damaging virus is the ones that have the .EXE extension. These viruses are deadly because they get inside the internal code of your computer system, known as registers. Once they infiltrate the registers, then your system is history.

There are other viruses called worms, which is just as obnoxious as .EXE viruses. There are other viruses that create folders that hold spy ware programs which can take control over your keyboard strokes. Regardless of the type of virus program, they all can be a headache to deal with and if you don’t catch them in time, they can be a headache to get rid of.

You have to keep up with the viruses as they are developed by intruders so your software packages should have the latest virus definitions to fight these malicious creatures. I have tried several programs, and like ZoneAlarm the best. Get Comprehensive Antivirus Protection with ZoneAlarm Antivirus

Most viruses come through attachments and downloads from the Internet. Many people don’t use the common standard of file recognition. The file recognition rule states that if you are not aware of what the extension or document is; do not download it at all.

An attachment can be a document, .EXE file, JPEG file or even a music file. These files can be small in nature but also very powerful because once you open these files, they can have an adverse impact on your system that you may never recover from.

A great example is the “Typhoid Mary” virus which was an email attachment that attached itself to address books of users in Microsoft Outlook, Eudora or any other email client. The purpose of the virus was to infect these address books and attach itself to emails that were sent out from the system. That means that if you sent an email to a person in the address book and they received it then their address book became infected also. The rule is to never trust a suspicious email which in the subject line looks odd. You should delete that email immediately. You should have a virus scanner to run through all emails as they go out and come into your system.

Downloads are another issue that can give a system problems. If a site is telling you to download software to view a web page, don’t do it at all. The file may contain a certain virus that can embed itself into the applications part of your system and make applications real hard to open and use. Some of these viruses ca record your computer IP or keystrokes and steal personal information that you don’t want to be known to hackers.

Unless you really know the company that the software is coming from, do not download software from the web. The best bet is to leave it alone and go with a reputable company that you know have safeguards and security certificates regarding the download of software.

When dealing with attachments and downloads, take extreme care so that you don’t damage your system.

There’s nothing worse than getting on the internet and using your browser only to get 10 pop up windows in a row. It seems like someone on the other end is controlling your windows and what you see. If you do have that problem, then somewhere along the way, a spyware program that throws pop-up ads on your screen was downloaded or your system was infiltrated by a hacker.

These spyware programs install themselves into your system when you download file-swapping programs. These programs can also track and record keyboard strokes that you use and depending on where you go on the internet, it throws pop up ads into your browser. Spyware can find holes in your browser and will not let you see the site that you want to view until you answer their pop up ad. How annoying and time consuming!

Some spyware programs will develop a folder in your Windows Program Folder called “Common Files”. Even if you go to delete these files from the folder, they seem to multiply or stay there. That’s because they have embedded themselves in the Windows System registry and in other unknown places through your directory. To get these files out, you have the clean the registry, reload it and get rid of the spyware programs all at once!

ZoneAlarm has a spyware protection program that is very efficient. If you don’t have this or another Anti-spyware program (and you should), Ad-aware is a good program that scans your files to find spyware. Now there are two versions, the one that is free that provides limited protection and the program that you pay for that gives you full protection. Stopzilla is another good program that sweeps the folders and the registry of where these programs hide themselves at.

The average user doesn’t have time to clear out 15 pop up windows. Go and check your internet suite package to see if you have the spyware protection on and if not, make sure that you initialize it to stop those annoying pop-ups!

Most of us have been in relationships that haven’t been too good. Somewhere, something got in the way (sometimes it’s another person) which caused everything to go haywire, If you’ve ever had the feeling of things in your life not being in sync, losing sleep and wondering about what got in the way, you try to find out what it is and patch it up before it’s too late and everything is lost.

I won’t break out into a love song but the same goes for your computer system.

Operating software has come a long way in the last twenty years. It has allowed the average computer user to do dynamic things that were unthinkable 15 years ago. Any software can be penetrated and there are holes within the software, especially in Windows and Microsoft programs. Microsoft has online updates and has a routine that can scan your system and automatically update your computer.

You should not ignore these critical updates. Microsoft has a set of engineers that purposely try to hack their own software to see where security holes are so that they can recommend security updates. I know that most people ignore their update flash because they don’t have the time to download the updates, they are in a hurry or it might interfere with the game of Solitaire that they are playing on the computer.

You should run the Windows update program once every week and if Microsoft provides you guidance to run a special program you should run it.
After you run the programs, you should make a backup or rescue disk. This is a lost art because people have become so comfortable with their systems and they don’t think their data can be destroyed. You must have a backup disk available if you want to put your data back on the system after a crash.

Windows XP has a great restore program and I recommend that you study it. If you have a crash that isn’t too drastic, the restore program will actually ask you questions, provide you a restore point (which is primarily a past date) and the system is automatically restored to that point. Keep in mind that it’s good after a restore to run virus protection routines manually.

Your virus protection software also has the option of creating restore disks too.

Patch up your system so that nothing comes in and tears it apart!

Many computer users don’t understand the categorization of computer viruses. They are many different viruses and these viruses are generally found in three categories. Some people say that their computer got hit with a Trojan Horse, b32 Worm, Phyllis, or Bomb virus but these operate differently and aren’t the same as many users think that they are. In any event, you want to try to protect yourself as much as possible against any type of program that can do harm to your computer.

The most common and basic categorization for viruses is pretty simple. The computer virus has been around for years, even in the old ARAPNET programs that the government would use before the internet became part of the public sector for all to use. A computer virus, attaches itself to a program or file, much like we carry germs from a cold or flu, and spreads that virus from one computer to another. I’m starting to think that we as humans have many similarities to a computer!

Well, if you’ve ever had someone spread a cold in your office or home, you know that it can leave an infection. If you have children, then you know if one child gets it, the other child, depending on how strong their immune system is, may not be far behind in catching the same virus, be it cold, strep throat or sore throat.

Computer viruses have a range of effects. Some are not so bad while others can be damaging. It’s like the difference between a cough and rheumatic fever. That’s the range of computer virus classifications.

You have to watch out when you get an executable file (a file with an extension of EXE). This means that the culprit or virus is lurking somewhere in the jungle of programs that you have on your precious system but the virus cannot effect your system unless you open it. If you open it, then chances are if you do not have virus protection software, the virus will spread to other programs, including your emails and email attachments.

Anti-Virus software is the remedy for computer viruses and usually wipes them out with ease. I think I will go run my anti-virus program so that I can be a good example of keeping the germs out of my computer. Hope that you will do the same!

Back in 1974, the funk group, the Ohio Players made a song called “Funky Worm”. What inspired the group to write this song may have been prophetic vision or just plain luck. The “Funky Worm” was similar to what a worm virus does to a computer system

The Funky Worm was a bad concept. The “worm” had the ability to render destruction while being cool and hidden at the same time. Whoever at the internet association must have been a band member of the Ohio Players or a big fan of the group.  Anyway, a computer worm is one bad thing to have on your system.

A worm is a sub-class of a computer virus and they usually spread from system to system. This is the difference. A computer virus usually needs the help of a person (many times through ignorance) to spread amongst computers. A worm does not need that assistance; therefore, that’s why it has its name.

A worm actually has more knowledge of public transportation than the average American citizen. You see, your computer has ports that send data and transmissions out to other computers. Worms hang out at the port like bums trying to get a ride from New York to Florida via these “roads” or “lines of transportation”. It doesn’t even have to pay a fare. Why drive (like a computer virus) when all you have to do is stand at the port and get on the next thing smoking to South Beach?

A worm can duplicate itself on your system so that means that it has the capability to send out children that look just like it! Once again, it seems like these viruses and worms go straight for the email address book. Worms can use emails to send a copy of itself (uninvited of course) to every person that you have in your virtual phone book. Therefore, they have a guest that they don’t want either!

Worms can also crash web servers by duplicating themselves. It can stop geographical systems to stop working. They wreak havoc on system memory and if you are on the internet, take up bandwidth. Worms are definitely BAD!

Again, good virus protection software can catch a funky worm any day of the week. The key is to keep your subscription updated.

Is it by chance that the Ohio Players had this in mind when they wrote that song?

The only thing good about SPAM is that you can have it with anything. It’s really good with potatoes, grits (if you’re Southern) rice or on a piece of bread cooked real good. SPAM has been around for years.

So it baffles me that the computer gods would define something good as SPAM as unwanted, unsolicited email that can include viruses and that is malicious. I’m stumped at that one.

Unsolicited email is also a problem and they can hide viruses too. All of a sudden, you are retrieving your email and you get a subject line called “Cup Cake Brown”. Now who in the world would address themselves as “Cup Cake Brown?” Then all of a sudden, you see these weird characters that look like this:

&866*)*-

Or you’ll see a statement in the subject line that looks like this:

You Need to Do This

Fear not computer user…you are being SPAMMED!

What happens in this case is that software programs are built to emulate and randomize email addresses. If the software is in the ball park of what your email address is, then you automatically get send email that you do not want. This is annoying because some e-mail clients don’t really focus on defeating the problem.

All e-mail clients are installing SPAM controls into their software. Some are weak and some are okay. Usually, web-based SPAM programs included with Yahoo and Hotmail will send your SPAMMED email to a Bulk Mail folder so that you can inspect it before deleting it. E-mail clients, such as, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express have routines that you can customize to keep unwanted email out of your system.

Opening these emails will cause a boat load of problems and actually sink your system. There is a federal law against SPAMMING that if you get caught, you can be fined or face heavy jail time if you a ruining someone’s data. SPAMMING is a serious offense.

You also have to watch out what you subscribe to on the Internet. Again if the company is not reputable, don’t sign up for newsletters or emails unless you know the company has a reputation and is viable. Don’t let SPAM email turn your stomach!

The question is, “can you be tracked down on the internet?”

Your IP address is no secret. It’s a basic part of internet communication protocols to send your IP address whenever you connect to another site, request a web page, chat, play an online game, etc. Without your IP address, the computer on the other end wouldn’t know where to send the reply.

But that doesn’t mean that Evildoers can find your house if they know your IP address. Each time you go online (if you have dialup) or each time you start your computer (Cable or DSL) you are assigned an IP address, randomly selected from a pool of IP’s assigned to your Internet service provider (ISP).

So a person MIGHT be able to get a general idea of your geographic location, based on your IP address, by doing a lookup on the WHOIS database, but that will only tell them the physical location of your ISP — not YOUR home address.

And if you use a large regional or nationwide ISP, the IP lookup probably reveals nothing of interest. For example, if you are an AOL subscriber, your IP address lookup will show the location as Dulles, Virginia — regardless of where you live.

There is an exception to every rule. If a stranger calls your ISP and wants to know who was using a certain IP address last Tuesday, the ISP will tell them to go away. But if an officer of the law hands your ISP a court order to reveal that information, they must do so. Your ISP’s logs will enable them to determine which customer was using a certain IP address on a certain date & time, and they must reveal that information if a court has found probable cause for criminal activity.
But for the truly paranoid (or the criminally inclined) there are ways to surf the web anonymously. There are services that will act as a proxy between you and your ISP, and they claim that your information cannot be subpoenaed because they do not store it.

What About Email Addresses?

The same concepts apply to your email address. The part that follows the "@" sign is your ISP’s domain name. And given the domain name, one can determine the ISP’s physical location, but nothing personally identifying about the email user without a court order.

Web-based email accounts are not truly anonymous, either. Even if you don’t provide your real name when signing up, they can capture your IP address and track you through your ISP if necessary.

A “cookie” obtains information sent by a web server to be stored on a web browser so that it can later be read back from that browser. This becomes useful for having the browser remember specific information about a visitor to a particular website. The cookie is a text file that is saved in the browser’s directory and is stored in RAM while the browser is running. The cookie may also be stored on the computer’s hard drive once a user logs off from that website or web server.

Cookies can tell a web server if you have been there before and can pass short bits of information (such as a user number) from the web server back to itself the next time you visit. Most cookies last only until you exit your browser and then are destroyed. A second type of cookie known as a persistent cookie has an expiration date and is stored on your disk until that date. A persistent cookie can be used to track a user’s browsing habits by identifying him whenever he returns to your web site.

Persistent cookies are stored in different places on your system depending on which web browser and browser version you are using. Netscape stores all its persistent cookies in a single file named cookies.txt on your computer. You can open and edit this file with a text editor and delete any cookies that you don’t want to keep or delete the file itself to get rid of all of your cookies. Internet Explorer stores persistent cookies in separate files named with the user’s name and the domain name of the site that sent the cookie.

One use of cookies is for storing passwords and user ID’s for specific websites. On sites with personalized viewing, your web browser will be requested to utilize a small amount of space on your computer’s hard drive to store these preferences. That way, each time you log on to that website, your browser will check to see if you have any pre-defined preferences (a cookie) for that unique server. If you do, the browser will send the cookie to the server along with your request for a web page. Common uses for which companies utilize cookies include: on-line ordering systems, site personalization, and website tracking.

Cookies have some beneficial things. Site personalization is one of the most beneficial uses for cookies. You must have also seen in some websites that when you log in (using a User ID & Password), there is an option for ‘remember me when I visit next time’; that’s possible because it stored your password and id on your machine in a cookie.

No matter where you go on the web, someone is trying to infiltrate your system. From web sites placing simple logon cookies, to paid advertising tracking your movements on the web, to malicious software that is designed to record your keystrokes and discover passwords, Spyware and Adware have together become a big problem.

Many of these programs are simply dangerous and seriously threaten your online privacy and identity. Even the simple and supposedly benign Adware programs can cause you serious problems.

Spyware is any program that installs itself onto your computer with the intent to spy on your activity. This can be recording your online searching habits, or whatever you type on your keyboard. Adware is not much better. It is designed to watch what you do online, where you go, which terms you search for and then report this to the ad agency that runs the program.

Many, if not most, advertisers on the internet will try and place a cookie or other small program on your computer. Many will add code that will track that cookie as it hits different pages. The code may be designed simply to gather anonymous data, or it may be trying to send ads to your browser that the advertising company thinks you will be more likely to respond to.

Whatever the case, the Adware or Spyware is using your computer to do its tracking. This means that part of your computer’s power and CPU cycles are being diverted away from the activity you are trying to perform. Your computer is being used by someone else instead to track your movements. These programs can literally slow your computer down to a crawl, or make it crash altogether. They can fill your computer up with trash files, open unwanted popup windows, use up the space in your internet cache and generally just make working on your computer a nightmare.

Luckily there are several easy solutions to the problem. Spyware and Adware are not the same thing as a computer virus or Trojan Horse. Although a computer virus can install spyware on a computer, you will need different tools to remove a computer virus and to keep your system clean from Spyware and Adware. There are several good Spyware/adware programs on the market.

Good programs are Ad-aware from Lavasoft and Spy Sweeper from Webroot Software although there are several others. You can easily find both of these by doing an internet search for Ad-aware and Spy Sweeper or simply do a search for spyware.