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Spyware Spyware
Spyware
Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering
information about a person or organization without their knowledge
and passes it on to third parties.
We are all faced with the daunting task of dealing
with spyware, it truly is the root of all evil. With so many
different types of spyware to deal with, where do we begin?
There is mail ware, ad ware, drive by ware, high
jacker's, pop up, cookies and the list goes on.
So how do we arm ourselves against this stuff on the
web?
One word ......education
Totally avoid the following: free tool bars, free
local weather apps, free music apps to download music, free cute
mouse and icon converters, free screen savers. Don't click anywhere
inside of a pop up window, always click on the X on the top right of
the screen. Some pop up ads are coded so when you click on "no" it
actually will load the applications in the background without your
knowledge. scary huh?
Is there a common denominator here?.... "free".
There is a reason why it is free. These companies
want information from you and you are leaving the back door open to
let them take whenever, whatever they want.
Spyware track's where you go in the web, what type
of software and hardware you have, etc. Very intrusive software and
most of the time you don't even know it.
There are many spy ware app's out there to help
protect and immunize your system. (Spybot, Spy sweeper, Giant and Ad
ware SE)
We have found that once a certain amount gets on
your computer, you're in for a ride.
Spyware can literally choke your system, severely
slowing down your computer, not allowing you to get on the web or
even allowing you to boot-up.
So be careful of free,
the old saying if it
to good to be true, it probably is!!
Article written by :
Shon Gibson
President
Doctor PC Inc.
Q: should I download and
install service pack 2 for windows XP
A: Many of you are
experiencing problems with service pack 2 for windows XP SP2
(service pack 2) is literally a double edge sword. One one hand,
every one complaining about how unsecure windows is and it's
variability's, so Microsoft cracks down hard on these issues, now we
are all complaining about it to secure. The true fact of the matter
is nothing is to secure. Security and anonymity on the web is
already a major issue and will continue to be so.
So here is the deal, if you
have a system already set up, programs, printers, scanners ect
already installed, maybe even a home network don't install SP2, just
continue to keep up on all your critical updates and regular system
maintenance.
Windows service pack 2 is such
a major upgrade to you existing system is will most likely cause you
some problems. If you just had a new system built or reinstalling
windows, by all means install SP2, you will notice some small
differences in your browser and firewall issues but all in all it is
a good move.
Q: I down loaded something
from the internet, where is it?
A: Windows, by default looks to the "my documents"
folder. Unless you specifically chose a different folder, it should
be there.
Q: My Windows XP machine
keeps crashing, how do I fix this?
A :Keep in mind that
windows XP both pro and home is a brand new operating system, so it
is bound to have bugs. Microsoft has released their service pack for
XP. To get the latest
operating system fixes, and the service pack 1 (SP1), go into your control panel and click on
"windows updates". This will then download a small
utility on your computer to see what you need, then it will proceed
to give you current information on what updates are available.
Warning: By doing
this, it is by no means a fix all, Microsoft is still working
on the bugs in XP
Q: My computer keeps freezing, how do I
fix this?
A: This is a good question, with
a lot of possible answers,
(1) If you are running Windows 95 /98, you may have too many
applications running in the background, when this happens it
takes a lot more RAM and system resources to run both windows
and all the background programs.
(2) Your computer needs more RAM. Windows 98 requires at least
64 MB of RAM just to run Windows, we normally suggest running
at least 128 to 256 MB RAM in a 98 machine, no need to
put more than 256 in a 98 machine.
(3) Windows system files may be corrupted, causing a freeze or
there is something wrong with the registry, in either case it
would be a good idea to have a qualified technician look at your computer.
E-mail us if you have
any questions.
If you are running a 2000/XP machine, normally it is a RAM
issue as well. These operating systems require more RAM
than the previous operating systems.
Microsoft has releases and service packs for version 6
get it here
We strongly recommend downloading these service packs, it
fixes a lot of bugs and will help protect you against the viruses
that Norton/MacAfee cannot catch due to security flaws in
the browsers.
If you have a question you
would like to see posted, e mail us
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