The internet can be a dangerous place to peruse on an unprotected computer. Nowadays, it’s not just unseemly pop-ups that you have to worry about, it’s not only Trojans and viruses, it’s also malware and spyware which, in its more malicious forms, attacks your identity. Of course, there’s Norton and McAfee out there which you can purchase for, generally, upwards of $100–but these tend to highlight on virus protection rather than malware detection and solution. Malware is a (relatively) new phenomenon. It’s the new “hacker’s paradise,” and there’s new forms of it emerging daily. Purchased products like Norton and McAfee do provide updates on their products which will be automatically downloaded daily, but these programs often do not provide all the protection you need on your PC, and they’re very “heavy” programs, ie, their installation slows down the processes of your computer. A full scan can take hours instead of minutes. Frankly, the other problem is that they’re not free, and wouldn’t it just be so aggravating if you paid for the programs and your computer still got infected? Of course it would. I should know, it’s happened to me multiple times before I learned my lesson, and always at the most inconvenient time.
Before I continue into the free and 100% legal programs that can protect your from malware AND viruses, let’s examine the difference between the two. Viruses “spread malicious forms of software” across computer networks, according to cyberdefender.com information. The target of these viruses is to disable your computer, very simply put. They’re very annoying, they can wreck your hard-drives, no fun at all. But malware (also known as spy ware) collects your personal information. It monitors your keystrokes, can collect your passwords, your personal files, even your credit card numbers and social security numbers. Though most malware is designed to collect information that can be distributed to third parties (ie, addresses, email addresses, etc), the more devastating kind (which is growing increasingly less rare) can result in a total identity theft. According to malwarebytes.com, 97% of all computer attacks are from malware or spy ware. But what do viruses and spy ware look like? How can you tell which one your computer has? Viruses, as I said, disable–if your files start to close, if you can’t even get your computer to function, that’s a virus. If, on the other hand, you’re typing along prettily and then out of the blue you can’t click on anything without pop-ups coming up warning you about infected .exe files–that’s malware. If you keep trying to exit out of these pop-up boxes and they still return, or, you hit “OK” and it directs you to a site prompting your purchase of (ironically) anti-virus software–that’s malware. Do not panic! Do not purchase this software that’s being offered–it will fix the problem temporarily (with your $70 credit purchase) but, remember, it’s malware. It’s goal is to collect your private information. These supposed anti-virus programs will remove the signs of malfunction from your computer, but the malware will run stronger than ever. Not a good scenario. Instead, that’s when you put your computer in safe mode with networking and download the following products to rout the spy ware. Or, better yet, download them now and protect your computer from attacks before your system is compromised.
SpyBot and Malwarebytes are two free, effective, swift-running, and “light” programs. Each provide step-by-step instructions for installation; they’re very user-friendly. Downloading one (or both) on your computer will not make it run slower at all, and the scans are equally effective as Norton, but far less time-consuming. These are the programs that the professionals use, believe it or not, and you can download them free on your own. Those “remote recovery programs” you can purchase at Office Depot which put you in contact with a malware specialist–this is what they use — for a fee of $99. Malwarebytes is a program which can be downloaded for free at http://malwarebytes.org . A ccording to the website, it has been in operation for 7 years. And, while there is an upgraded “pro” program which does require a $24.95 purchase fee, it’s hardly necessary. The free version gets things done. The only difference between the “pro” and “free” versions is that the “pro” version schedules routine scanning for you, has “blazing fast scans”, and updates in real time with a “zero-day” policy. Basically–auto updates every day. But for me. at least, I can remember to scan my own computer once in a while, and, even with the free program, it updates itself every time you open it. The free version works swimmingly, and it’s dealt with every malware problem I’ve ever encountered with ease and efficiency.
SpyBot Search and Destroy can be downloaded at http://safer-networking.org . It is always free (unless you choose to order a CD for $39 rather than download it yourself), and it works similar to Malwarebytes. SpyBot is a great program, and it does take donations if you feel the product was worth your while (it is) and would be willing to make even a $5 donation. But, donations are not required, and it is entirely free and legal and made to help. One difference, however, between SpyBot and Malwarebytes is that SpyBot has “allowance pop-ups” as I call them. Basically, if you’re downloading a program from the internet or from a CD, SpyBot opens a small window that asks if, indeed, you really do want to do that. If some program (or some one on a remote computer) authorizes a change, SpyBot won’t let that change take place unless you explicitly approve. This can be great if you’re an internet-surfer — you’ll be surprised at how many things your system will try and download that you would rather it didn’t. Another point to bring up is that both SpyBot and Malwarebytes keep tabs on your temporary internet files and cookies, two places that spy ware is most likely to invade your system. Every time you scan, it clears out these locales, and your computer works fresh and new, with no cost to you.
So, live on the safe side when it comes to the internet. Protect your identity. Don’t delay in downloading one or both of these free, user-friendly, and efficient programs. Prevention is truly the best measure, and it’s much better to protect your computer before it’s infected than to try and recover it once it’s already been attacked. While you will be able to download these programs in a safe-mode with networking on your computer (call your local Staples or Office Depot to speak with a representative on how to do this), your identity can’t be restored, and neither can compromised information be recovered.