How To Maintain Your Privacy Online

by: John Pachecus

Nobody wants their private information all over the internet. If a hacker gets a hold of some of your personal information, it can ruin your life. Did you know that many websites collect your personal information without your permission and without you even knowing it?

They collect this information for a variety of reasons. They like to get information and send you spam, adware, and junk mail. Sometimes hackers can get this personal information and use it for identity theft or to infiltrate your computer. But I know you are wondering “how do they get my private information through the Internet?”

It is actually quite easy. First of all, every computer has an IP address. When you visit someone’s website, the website owner can track you through your IP address. All IP addresses are logged into the website’s server. You IP address can give away details many private details like, where you live.

It can be quite a scary thought, but there is a solution. The solution is an anonymous proxy server. So, what is an anonymous proxy server? An anonymous proxy server is a machine that is between your computer and the server you are accessing to view the web page you want to look at. They provide the best privacy and hide your IP address so you can surf anonymously and securely. No one will even be able to tell that you are using an anonymous proxy server!

FindProxy.org is one of the best tools for hiding your identity from online scammers. It is your guide to private online surfing. They have a huge list of fresh proxy servers. The best thing about Findproxy.org is that they are 100% free and that they are always up to date. Being updated frequently is very important because eventually all proxies get blocked.

source:www.articlecity.com/

No Comment | Posted in » adware, Hacker, IP address, junk mail, online scammers, spam, website’s server    

Effects Of Spyware On The Computer

by: Arvind Singh

Spyware has a lot of side effects of the registry. One of the greatest drawbacks is the slowing down of the system. This process will continue until the registry is cleaned with a registry cleaner.

If you have browsed the Internet for a substantial number of hours it is guaranteed that you have downloaded some sort of Spyware to your system, albeit inadvertently. That is the reason it is called Spyware. If it made itself known it would not be spying. Spyware is not illegal software. It is downloaded with the 'permission' of the user. Once the Spyware downloads and installs itself it begins, first of all, to consolidate itself on the machine. It does this by entering its information in multiple parts of the registry. These entries can only be removed with Spyware removal utilities and there are many free anti Spyware and Adware removal tools available to do a satisfactory job for you.

Effects On The Registry

A lot of add-on Internet Explorer tool bars are also Spyware. They constantly monitor the users browsing habits and the type of software that is installed and run on the computer. At times this may be helpful to the user as the relevant advertisements are directed to the browser. However, in the long run this Spyware will definitely slow down the system to a crawl. This malicious software must be removed from the system as soon as possible with free Adware and Spyware removal tools. Spyware is constantly making entries to the registry. This makes the registry grow out of proportion. Since the system has to refer to the registry multiple times in a session, the registry has to be scanned from the beginning every time. Considering that the registry has tens of thousands of records it may take a very long time to scan and locate the information being sought. Spyware keeps adding junk to the registry and this slows the system down.

Removal Technique

Spyware can be removed from the Computer with the use of anti-Spyware utilities. However, these utilities will only uninstall the Spyware from the operating system. The anti-Spyware utilities are not designed to go in to the registry hives and make changes. Going into the registry and removing the entries is very specialized operations and cannot be clubbed with some other software or program. Removing the Spyware entries from the registry is very important. Because once the Spyware determines that the exe file has been removed it will kick in from the registry and reinstall the exe from the Internet site it came from initially. Therefore removing the entries with a registry cleaner is very important. Free Microsoft Spyware removal tools and PC registry Cleaner are good software that can remove all redundant and bad entries from the system registry.

Qualities Of A Good Registry Cleaner

A good free Spyware removal utility will have three facilities such as a registry backup function a restore function and a scan and repair function. It is important that the spyware cleaner make a good backup of the registry just in case the system fails to function properly after the computer clean up

source:www.articlecity.com

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5 Steps to Remove Spyware for Free

by Mark Neal

I will give you some very useful tricks and tips to remove Spyware and Viruses for good! Follow closely:

Steps to Remove Spyware, Viruses, and Adware

1. There are many types of software available today that claim to remove spyware off our system, but which one REALLY does the job? What you need is software that not only will remove spyware, but TOTALLY removes it for good and keeps it off. After searching for the best of the best, here is THE BEST: Panda Online Scan. Why? It does not constantly run on your system, slowing it down and using bunches of memory! In other words, it runs from Panda on the web, then searches your whole system, will remove spyware and other bugs, then gives detailed info on the bug and tells you how to keep it off your system! Here is the address to get started:

http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/scan.html

It only installs a few plug-ins to run on your system, and no full installation!

2. Check your system services and systray items! The biggest mistake people make is never checking what programs are running in the background or memory of the system. A key step to remove spyware from your system is knowing this. Without knowing these things, you probably have bugs running on your system, and never know it! Why? They like to hide! Download and install a program called HIJACK THIS. It tells you exactly what is running and what is not running so you know exactly what might be hiding behind closed doors! Here is the address for this:

http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/hijackthis.html

3. Shutdown the SYSTEM RESTORE! (Windows XP)

Spyware and Viruses attach themselves to your system's restore files. This is an easy way for them to hide, even after you reinstall Windows! Right click on 'MY COMPUTER', then click on 'Properties'. Look for a tab on top called 'System Restore', and click there. Check the box that says 'Turn off system restore on all drives'. Click 'APPLY', then 'OK'. That's it!

4. Use an Anonymous IP address when surfing the web!

This is a huge step in keeping bugs off your system forever! Bugs get onto your system and retrieve info about you by capturing your IP address. Your IP address tells everyone who you are, where you're located, your system info, what kind of Windows you use, your browser, etc. An anonymous IP hides your IP by using an Anonymous address and makes you invisible to everyone, including Spyware and Ads! Here is an address to a good proxy list:

http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/proxylist.html

Please follow these instructions carefully for Microsoft Internet Explorer:

a) Scroll down on the page from the above link. On the list, look at the numbers listed under IP:Port Host name. Make sure the uptime on the right is at least 97 to 99 %.

b) Go to the Control Panel in Windows.

c) Open up ' Internet Options'.

d) Click on the 'Connections' tab on top.

e) Click on 'LAN Settings'.

f) Put a check-mark where it says PROXY SERVER.

g) In the Address box, copy and paste the IP address listed on the proxy list (for example: 148.244.150.58 - These are the numbers shown BEFORE the ':' (semi-colon).

h) Copy and paste the port number into the PORT box (for example: '80' - the number immediately after the semi-colon).

i) Click OK, and OK again to close, and close everything.

j) Go ahead and open up your browser and try surfing the internet to test.

Thats it! You are now surfing invisibly!

For the Firefox browser:

a) Open up the browser and go to 'TOOLS' then 'OPTIONS'.

b) Go to 'GENERAL' on the left, then click the 'Connection Settings' button below.

c) Choose 'Manual' proxy config from the choices.

d) Check the 'use the same proxy' checkbox.

e) In the 'HTTP Proxy' box, copy and paste the anonymous IP, and the PORT number in the PORT box (remove the zero first).

f) Click OK, then OK again to close.

g) Now test your browser by surfing the web.

You are now invisible.

**note - if your browsing gets super slow or has a problem, look for another IP and Port number on the list and try again. Most of the time the proxies from Mexico work best. Happy surfing! The free proxy list can be found here:

http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/proxylist.html

5. Download and install the new FIREFOX browser!

Please get rid of Microsoft Internet Explorer on your system! It is like a pipe that feeds Spyware, Ads and Viruses onto your system. There are just too many holes there letting everything in. Mozilla is a fairly new company that introduced a new breed of browser that blocks popups, and tries hard to keep these bugs off your system. It has very few or even NO holes or pipes to let the bugs in! Many people use it for this very reason, and it has a great look, better speed, and lets you change the theme of it! Awesome! Here is the address:

http://www.stopspywareforfree.com/firefox.html

Well that about sums up how to remove spyware in 5 steps. Follow them CLOSELY and you will see how great it is to surf virus free Forever! Guaranteed! See more article at:

A website that specializes in providing computer and other related Information, Advice and Resources.

source:www.goarticles.com

No Comment | Posted in » adware, FIREFOX, free proxy, IP, popups, spyware, viruses    

Beginners Guides: Browser Hijacking & How to Stop It

If you though Pop-ups were annoying, just wait until your web browser is hijacked! In this guide, PCstats shows you how to regain control and kick out the hijackers,
Kung-fu style... - Version 1.0.0

Browser hijacking is one of the web's constant dangers. Whether it arrives in the form of a flood of obscene pop-up windows assaulting you after a mistyped URL, or malicious code taking over your browser completely, chances are good that every Internet user will be subjected to this practice in some form.

Fortunately, avoiding a browser hijacking is not impossible if you stay aware, and take a few simple precautions. Take the metaphor of locking your car doors while you are out for a drive as an example. If your browser keeps redirecting you to www.somerandomsite.com and you are here looking for ways to cure what ails you, we'll cover that too.

To sum it up, this PCstats Beginners Guide will show you how to avoid and defeat these annoying and potentially embarrassing attacks on your computer, starting with seven preventative measures;

1. Use common sense
2. Use and update an anti-virus program regularly
3. Use antivirus 'auto protection'
4. Keep an anti-hijack 'toolkit' for emergencies
5. Change your Internet Explorer security settings
6. Try an alternate browser

What's a browser Hijacker?

This term covers a range of malicious software. The most generally accepted description for browser hijacking software is external code that changes your Internet Explorer settings. Generally your home page will be changed and new favourites will be added that point to sites of dubious content. In most cases, the hijacker will have made registry changes to your system, causing the home page to revert back to the unwanted destination even if you change it manually.

A browser Hijacker may also disallow access to certain web pages, for example the site of an anti-spyware software manufacturer like Lavasoft. These programs have also been known to disable Antivirus and anti-spyware software.

Most browser hijackers take advantage of Internet Explorer's ability to run ActiveX scripts straight from a web page. Generally, these programs will request permission to install themselves via a popup that loads when you visit a certain site. If you accidentally give them permission to install, IE will execute the program on your computer, changing your settings. Others may use security holes within Internet Explorer to install themselves automatically without any user interaction at all. Worse, these can be launched from popup ad windows which the user has not even intended to view.

As well as making changes to your home page and other Internet Explorer settings, a hijacker may also make entries to the HOSTS file on your system. This special file directly maps DNS addresses (web URLs) to IP addresses, so every time you typed 'www.pcstats.com' (as an example) you might be redirected to the IP address of a sponsored search or porn site instead.

Some browser hijackers may also install themselves onto your computer system as legitimate programs, leaving an entry in the 'add-remove programs' list in the control panel. There are many faces of broswer hijacking, and to combat the situation, you have to be aware of all the tricks and loopholes that make this scourge possible. Browser hijacking isn't necessarily a virus, and isn't necessarily adware, so stopping it isn't necessarily best left to software monitoring programs either.

No Comment | Posted in » adware, hijacked, pop-up    

Top Tricks for Safe, Smart Downloads

Plus: Download and play videos, and unclutter your machine's system tray.

By:Steve Bass

The Hassle: I download lots of free software, but I'm worried about picking up adware. What do you suggest?

The Fix: Fire up your standard defensive shields (firewall, antivirus, and antispyware); then add an extra coat of armor. I recommend giving Cyberhawk Basic a try. Unlike antivirus software that checks for virus signaA-tures, Cyberhawk watches for and blocks suspicious behavior as it occurs.

But Cyberhawk doesn't play well with all computers, so I have two alternatives that thwart malware by running your browser, e-mail, and instant messaging apps in a protected sandbox. That way, you can end a session and easily reverse potential damage to your system. GreenBorder Pro with SafeFiles throws a border around your browser and puts downloaded files into a special folder, so that you can run them in a protected session. At $30 per year, it's not dirt cheap, but you do get a 15-day free trial. Or try Sandboxie, a free but complicated tool that quarantines downloads and their installation routines in a sandbox until you decide they're not harmful. Warning: Be sure to try each program separately.

The Hassle: I'm an avid downloader, but I hate downloading files one at a time.

The Fix: You need a download manager. FlashGet is a remarkable free tool. Click a link to download a file, or just copy the link into the clipboard, and FlashGet pops up to perform the download. Even handier: Drag and drop multiple links onto the program's floating dropzone. The default setting can download ten files simultaneously and resumes the transfer if it's disrupted midstream by, say, a browser or unlikely (ha!) PC crash. If you have a manager but it won't work with Firefox, use FlashGot.

Quick Tip: Have you ever happened across a site loaded with zillions of images or videos that you wanted? Forget download managers: The tool you need is WinHTTrack Website Copier; it saves an entire Web site to your hard drive.

The Hassle: Is there a good way to download YouTube or Google video files?

The Fix: Many sites contain Flash-based streaming videos that are yours for the taking. Just use the Web-based toolsat KeepVid.com or VideoDownload.com. Both sites have links you can add to your browser's toolbar to handle drag-and-drop video downloading. For multiple YouTube videos, download TubeMe. To watch the files, use VLC or FLV Player--or convert the videos into AVI files at the Online FLV Converter site.

Clear Away Clutter With WinPatrol

WinPatrol is a must-have tool: It helps keep your system tray free of clutter and warns you when a program insists on loading at system boot-up. The latest version--WinPatrol 2007--has Delayed Start, a smart feature that lets you delay launch of nonessential programs for up to an hour after the system boots, so Windows loads faster. That's ideal timing for applications such as backup programs. Also new is a right-click function that opens the startup program's folder in Windows Explorer. WinPatrol Plus costs $30 (and I promise you, it's worth the money), but there's a free version as well. Compare the two versions.

source:about.com

Contributing Editor Steve Bass writes the Tips & Tweaks blog and is the author of PC Annoyances, published by O'Reilly. Contact him at hasslefreepc@pcworld.com.

No Comment | Posted in » adware, Cyberhawk, download, system tray, unclutter    

How Safe Am I Without An Adware Removal Tool?

by Paul Buckley

Has anyone ever asked you, why would you need an Adware Removal Software? You see Free Adware Removal being promoted so frequently that it is only natural to ask yourself, why? The reason is simple. At this current time where product marketing is so brutal, most retailers, be it an info product, or physical product, are willing to pay huge sums of money just to know what you are looking at online.

The online marketplace is becoming so huge so quickly that many, if not all, free softwares are embedded with some sort of Adware or other. Tell me, would you like your bought items being tracked shamelessly by Adware? Do you like the adware to display web based advertisements? No? Then go grab yourself a Adware Removal Software and protect your privacy!

To those who have to go through the adware removal process, there are some guidelines and steps that can simplify the task. Removing adware is similar to removing computer viruses. In order to remove adware, the first step is to identify what it is he or she has to deal with. Adware Tool, like computer viruses, affects computer systems in different ways and creates or modifies different registry variables and values, and also does annoying things like display web based advertisements!

But Why Do We Need To Remove Adware and Spyware?

Adware Tool is a potential threat to all your personal data when you access the internet. Adware Tool is free software that is installed onto your computer with your permission and does very helpful things like helping you fill up online forms!. In exchange for carrying out this task the installed Adware Tool will track your computer usage and display web based advertisements. For most of the time people who use Adware Tool have legally opted into this.

It does not even sometimes come from what you would think would be the most likely candidates: porn sites or gambling sites & other illegal material. You can quickly see what a nuisance this Adware Tool can be particularly if you end up having a lot of these Adware Tool downloaded to your computer. It helps to download a spyware and Free Adware Removal tool that also contains an adware shield of some sort that is running in the background and blocks the download of a new piece of spyware before it occurs.

Spyware is No Small Matter!

You can actually get an online scan without buying or paying for any software. Everyone should eliminate spyware and adware from your hard drive for your computer privacy protection by using a Free Adware Removal tool.

Be Very Careful Online

There are many Free Adware Removal on the Internet; It is not hard to find one either. So it is best that you go get yourself a reputable Adware removal program and do a quick scan on your system. Adware is dangerous.

About the Author

How serious is identity theft? Protect yourself, get Adware Removal and protect your online security.

No Comment | Posted in » adware, Adware Removal tool, spyware    

Top 6 Standalone Spyware Scanners

From Mary Landesman,

It's not just viruses that plague today's Internet users. Spyware surreptitiously monitors your computer and Internet use, while adware can bombard your PC with unwanted advertising. Both pose a drain on your bandwidth and can lead to loss of security. Following are a selection of the best dedicated adware and spyware scanning tools to ferret out these often hidden menaces. If you go the standalone route, make sure you back it up with antivirus software and a firewall.

1. McAfee VirusScan

McAfee AntiSpyware 2006 is no longer sold as a standalone product, but don't despair. McAfee VirusScan (2006) includes the same stellar protection. In our tests, both products nabbed 98% of running processes associated with adware and spyware, effectively neutering the infestation. At $39.99 for both stellar spyware protection and a top-notch virus scanner, McAfee VirusScan (2006) is a steal.

Read Review

2. Webroot Spy Sweeper

Spy Sweeper removed 100% of the miscreant BHOs and Toolbars in our tests and stopped 84% of the active processes associated with adware and spyware. Spy Sweeper is a standalone spyware scanner and not a full-fledged Internet security suite, thus it is best used in conjunction with antivirus and firewall software.

3. Sunbelt CounterSpy

Sunbelt's CounterSpy removed 90% of the miscreant Browser Helper Objects (BHOs) in our tests. Sporting above average detection for only $19.99, CounterSpy offers inexpensive protection, an easy-to-use interface and US-based tech support.

4. Windows Defender

Windows Defender is offered free and, like CounterSpy, sports above average detection rates. The product is still considered beta and tech support is not provided. Despite these setbacks, it can provide a good second opinion. However, Microsoft AntiSpyware and CounterSpy should not be installed on the same system, as they both share common components.

Vendor's Site

5. Spybot Search & Destroy

Free for personal use, Spybot doesn't have stellar removal rates. It does, however, provide TeaTimer and SDHelper which are extremely effective at preventing adware and spyware from gaining a foothold on your computer. So while you may not want to rely on it for detection and removal, you may want to install and activate it alongside other protection to help keep your system spyware-free.

Vendor's Site

6. Hijack This

Another free utility, Hijack This isn't a traditional spyware scanner. It will, however, provide a full report of what's active on your system. Experienced users can peruse the report, identify the miscreants, and use Hijack This to disable the unwanted loading (or do so manually). Less experienced users can save the Hijack This log and send it to a more savvy friend for advice.

Vendor's Site

source:about.com

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The High Price Of Things That Are Free

by Webhosting Reviews

This is particularly true with the case of unwanted adware and spyware that some of us unknowingly download and infect our systems with. Adware and spyware are programs that are unwittingly installed into our computers because they come bundled with some freeware and shareware programs that are downloadable from the Internet. Computer and Internet users are usually careful about installing suspicious programs that may contain viruses and worms that can disrupt the computer's system.

This is why spyware and adware use deception to get individuals to downloading them either because they are intricately bundled into legitimate parent programs and sometimes, spyware and adware can even masquerade itself as security or computer optimization software to trick one into installing these unwanted programs http://www.stocks8.com

However, in some cases, one doesn't even have to install anything to get the computer system infected with spyware and adware. Simply browsing and visiting certain sites can launch an attack. These adware and spyware programs can be launched due to vulnerabilities in your Internet browser's security. This way, spyware and adware can automatically infect your system without you having to download anything. This is especially true of earlier versions of Internet Explorer because it is intricately connected to the Windows operating system.

For this reason, it is important to free yourself from security and privacy risks by equipping yourself with adequate spyware and adware protection.Spyware and adware at the very least can cause you annoyance from unwanted pop up advertisements that can erratically appear on your computer monitor. In moderate instances though, your privacy can be greatly compromised since spyware can track your Internet habits. However, severe cases can mean a serious attack on your security against identity theft and fraud.

While you indeed should be wary of free programs, there are some free spyware and adware protection programs that you can use manage your Internet risks properly. There's Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot S&D, IE-SPYAD, Spyware Blaster, HiJack This, XP-AntiSpy, and X-Cleaner are some of the more popular free spyware and adware protection programs. Before trying out some other free spyware and adware protection program though, you should make sure of its legitimacy.

There are rogue spyware or malware that are disguised as security software. Before trying these out, you should do your research and ask around for recommendations. Dependable and secure free spyware and adware protection programs however are vital protection needed in every computer. These free spyware and adware programs work in two ways. The first is by providing real time protection by proactively preventing new spyware and adware from infecting your system.

The other type of protection provided by free spyware and adware programs is the detection and eradication of existing spyware and adware that is already installed in your computer. Not all free spyware and adware protection programs are created equal. Some of the free spyware and adware protection programs mentioned above can only do one type or protection and some can do both. It is better to get a free spyware and adware protection program that can do both for better value and risk management.

No Comment | Posted in » adware, freeware, malware, protection program, spyware