Post by HeWhoWatches on May 5, 2005 16:48:54 GMT -5
Essentially, it [how paranoid you need to be] does depend on what sort of websites you visit, what emails you open and what files you download. There's no substitute for experience. I can tell a site that allows you to download spyware free software as either freeware or open source, but occaisionally even I get fooled. The worst offenders are probably:
Opening email attachments when you don't know the sender - bad for the viruses, there are some clever ways to fool you into opening them. Easy to spot when you've removed a couple of them [viruses that is].
Porn sites. Spyware and adware on many sites, pop-up windows, diallers, all sorts. Be careful.
Games sites / crack sites - similar to porn sites, often with porn popups.
Peer-to-peer filesharing - Notably, eraly versions of spyware-ridden Kazaa and the lack of antivirus make this a good candidate for messing up your computer.
Spyware / Adware masquerading as free software. My least favourite. Deliberately trying to con you into using something. Not good. Advice: open source is usually safer than freeware, as it usually gives out source code which can be checked by all. With freeware, read reviews if possible and run an anti-spyware check with a few programs regularly.
Advert popups - don't click on the adverts! Many adverts look like real windows dialog boxes. If the cursor turns into a finger over the entire window, it's probably an image and therefore a trick! Google also has adverts that come up when you search for things - learn to disregard the adverts (really that's newbie-style advice so I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence if you know all this already).
Here endeth the lesson.
Apologies for the lecture - You can tell I work in a school.
Opening email attachments when you don't know the sender - bad for the viruses, there are some clever ways to fool you into opening them. Easy to spot when you've removed a couple of them [viruses that is].
Porn sites. Spyware and adware on many sites, pop-up windows, diallers, all sorts. Be careful.
Games sites / crack sites - similar to porn sites, often with porn popups.
Peer-to-peer filesharing - Notably, eraly versions of spyware-ridden Kazaa and the lack of antivirus make this a good candidate for messing up your computer.
Spyware / Adware masquerading as free software. My least favourite. Deliberately trying to con you into using something. Not good. Advice: open source is usually safer than freeware, as it usually gives out source code which can be checked by all. With freeware, read reviews if possible and run an anti-spyware check with a few programs regularly.
Advert popups - don't click on the adverts! Many adverts look like real windows dialog boxes. If the cursor turns into a finger over the entire window, it's probably an image and therefore a trick! Google also has adverts that come up when you search for things - learn to disregard the adverts (really that's newbie-style advice so I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence if you know all this already).
Here endeth the lesson.
Apologies for the lecture - You can tell I work in a school.