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August 20, 2008

Best Spyware Removal Tool - 3 Secrets to Help You Choose the Best Spyware Remover

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

If you are one of the 90% of Internet users that are infected with spyware and you are looking for advice on what the best spyware removal tool is, here are 3 secrets to finding and selecting the most effective and proven spyware remover.

1. Spyware Database - make sure that the antispyware software you choose scans your computer against a spyware database. This basically means that every file on your computer is compared to a database of known spyware files to determine if that file is spyware or not. Most free spyware removal tools do not use a spyware database but rather they depend on observation of your files and registry to look for strange or unknown files. This can lead to false positives and the antispyware software might also end up deleting a legitimate file. You’ll also want to check the size of the database that the software uses with obviously the larger databases being the ones that will detect and clean the most spyware.

2. Real Time Protection - unfortunately most Internet users wait until after they already have an infection before looking for an antispyware program that can clean it. However, what is as important, if not more important is finding a program that scans your computer in real time. In other words, the software runs continuously in the background while your computer is on and it constantly checks the files and websites that you access for spyware. This is far superior to simple detection and removal because it will stop spyware before it has a chance to infect your computer.

3. Reputation - this is something that can be overlooked but is vital when looking for the best spyware removal tool. There are a large number of rogue antispyware programs out there which disguise themselves as being legitimate, but which actually further infect your computer. So you’ll want to do research on whatever software and company you are looking at to ensure that they have a solid reputation within the industry and also check to see if the company has won any awards or received recognition for their product as many technical publications hand out “best of” software awards each year.

Unfortunately, spyware has become a common occurrence for a large majority of Internet users, but if you follow these 3 simple rules when researching the best spyware removers, you’ll stand a much better chance of finding a proven and effective spyware removal tool that will keep your computer clean for years to come.

End your spyware frustrations forever! Find out what the best spyware removal tool is by visiting the Best Spyware Removers website. For a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

Free Spyware Removal - Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Free Antispyware Software is a Lie

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

Being a computer professional, I get asked all the time about free spyware removal and what free antispyware software that I would recommend and my answer is always the same - none.

That’s because everything you’ve been told about free spyware removers - that they work just as good as paid software, that they offer sufficient real time protection, that you can use two or three free tools and remove all spyware from your computer just the same as if you used one paid tool - is a lie.

But it’s what you haven’t been told that is the most important distinction between free antispyware programs and paid programs, and that is the huge difference in detection methods.

Almost all free software uses outdated and ineffective scanning methods. They simply look over your folders and files and look for abnormalities, unknown files, or files that might have changed recently and then in future scans they rely on historical observation of those same files and folders to determine if a spyware infection is present.

The problem with this type of scanning methodology is that the program simply doesn’t really know whether or not the files it has pegged are, in fact, spyware. While they do get it right a majority of the time, you will also frequently see false positives - meaning that a file that it thinks is spyware is actually a legitimate file. This is primarily because by partly relying on simply seeing file changes, the software sometimes views updates and service pack files that are applied to your operating system or applications as spyware only because the file has changed, disregarding the fact that the file should have in fact changed.

The other major problem that free spyware removers face is simply a lack of effectiveness. Spyware has become increasingly dynamic in nature and therefore can embed or hide itself within files and folders very easily, avoiding the simplistic scanning of free tools.

A far better option when looking for top antispyware programs is to look for tools that scan your computer against a spyware database which is kept up to date by a team of technical programmers. This is why it is worth it to pay $30 for spyware removal software because that money is used to pay those programmers to keep their spyware database maintained and up to date. This is important because you are ensured that you are protected against even the most recent spyware threats that have only become active within days or sometimes hours.

Additionally, scanning against a database is a much more effective method of scanning because each file on your computer is compared against spyware definitions, or actual inactive spyware files, to determine an infection rather than relying on simple observation.

So the next time someone tells you that free spyware removal tools such as Search and Destroy or Windows Defender are adequate to clean your computer, you can tell them that you’ve been told the truth about free antispyware software and that they’re much better off investing a mere $30 to keep their computer clean.

Don’t fall for the free spyware hype! Find out what the best spyware removal tool is that will end your spyware frustrations for good by visiting The Best Spyware Removers. For a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

August 19, 2008

How To Get Rid of Spyware Forever - One Crucial Thing You Must Do To Get Rid of Spyware

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

Let’s face it - if you own a computer you probably will get infected with spyware at some point. In fact, industry experts estimate that over 90% of all Internet users will get infected with spyware. But there is one very important thing you can do to get rid of spyware forever, and that is invest in top of the line antispyware software.

I can predict with probably about 95% certainty what happens to most Internet users with regards to getting a spyware infection and then trying to clean it from their computer.

First, more than likely you are not currently running any antispyware software on your computer and if you are, chances are that it is something that you downloaded for free which means that it really isn’t that effective anyway so right off the bat you are asking to be infected with spyware.

Next, you’re probably one of the majority of people who have downloaded something free off of the internet - be it either music or movies from a sharing network such as Kazaa or Limewire or some type of shareware or freeware software. So not only are you asking to be infected by not running antispyware software, but by downloading freebies off the internet without that protection you have increased the likelihood that you will get infected by spyware by over 300%.

Last, when you do get infected, you’ll most likely get on the Internet and try to find some type of free spyware removal tool (if you aren’t using one already) which does a really poor job of detecting spyware so you might end up cleaning some of the infected files off of your computer but you will never be completely clean if you are using free antispyware software.

So at this piont, even though you may have cleaned some spyware off of your computer you’ll not really be much better off than when you didn’t run any software at all. Also, I guarantee that you’ll get infected again and over time the amount of spyware that cannot be removed by the free software will continue to grow until it completely takes over your computer.

However, if you are one of those people who are just plain frustrated of having to deal with spyware infections on a regular basis and sick of trying to work on a computer that runs painfully slow, then here is the most crucial thing you can do today that will get rid of your spyware headache forever -

Go right now and spend the measly $30 to get a proven and effective spyware remover that will completely clean your computer of spyware and keep it that way. It is absolutely worth the small investment in software to protect a much bigger investment - your computer.

The only other question you need to have answered now is - what is the absolute best spyware removal tool available?

To find out what the best spyware removal tool is you’ll want to visit theBest Spyware Removers. For a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

Free Spyware Removal - 3 Reasons Why Free Antispyware Software Isn’t Worth the Price Tag

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

Chances are good that you’ll get infected with spyware - approximately 9 out of every 10 Internet users will get infected. Yet free spyware removal is all the rage these days, even though free tools will never completely remove spyware from your computer and they certainly won’t protect you from future infections.

Here are 3 reasons why free antispyware software isn’t even worth the free price tag:

1. Free tools do not scan your computer against a spyware definitions database.

This is probably the single most important feature you should look for when deciding what spyware remover to use. This is because of the dynamic nature of spyware today - it is constantly downloading new files and applications and therefore you need robust antispyware software that scans your computer against a database which is updated frequently to protect against zero day threats. Free tools cannot allocate resources to create and maintain a database of this nature because they are, after all, free.

2. Most of the time, free spyware removers only offer you limited removal capabilities

This is nothing more than a marketing ploy that has been used for years - offer the stripped down freebie in an attempt to lure you to buy the full product. Lab tests have proven that free spyware tools only remove between 50% - 70%of spyware infections so if you come to rely only on free software, you’ll be constantly fighting the spyware battle. My advice is to skip the freebies altogether and instead you can usually scan your computer for free with full spyware software versions to determine if an infection does in fact exist, and if it does you can then purchase the software which will allow you to go ahead and clean the infections.

3. Limited support

Most of the time, you get very little if any support from the manufacturer of the free spyware remover. If you are lucky, you might be able to reference an online list of FAQs or a knowledgebase, but more often you are left to try and sift through any number of spyware and virus related forums or online groups and you might find someone who can help you should you need it - but that is highly unlikely. You are much better off spending $30 to get antispyware software for which you can access a team of technical support specialists to assist you.

All things considered, if you suspect you have been infected with spyware you are ultimately facing two choices - you can rely on free spyware removal that doesn’t scan against an up to date spyware definitions database, has limited removal capabilities, and doesn’t offer any type of support or you can skip dinner at McDonald’s for one night and get yourself a spyware remover that will completely clean your computer and will also keep your computer protected for years to come.

End your spyware frustrations forever! Find out what the best spyware removal tool is that will get rid of all your spyware infections and keep your computer free of spyware for good. For a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

Trojan Vundo Removal - Does VundoFix Actually Work?

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

If you get infected with Trojan Vundo, removal of it often becomes a very difficult task. You will probably find that a lot of people will suggest that you can get rid of it by downloading and running VundoFix, but does it really work? You might be surprised to learn the truth.

Vundo is one the most common spyware infections making its rounds onto computers all over the world, and it is also one of the most difficult to get rid of. It consists of a Trojan downloader that will download and display popup advertisements over and over again but it has also been known to download and install more malicious files that can cause much more harm to your computer. If you suspect you are infected with this pesky spyware, what should you do?

Many people will tell you (most of which are unqualified to be offering spyware removal advice) that you can do any combination of the following things - install and run Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware, and if that doesn’t fix it there is a tool written specifically to remove Vundo called VundoFix that is supposed to do the trick if the others fail.

The only problem with this type of advice is that it never works.

Go ahead and check your favorite spyware or security forum or group and look and see if anybody has successfully completely removed Vundo using any or all of the above recommendations. I guarantee you will not find one. You will find someone who thinks he may have gotten rid of it, but lab tests have proven time and time again that simple free spyware removers and Vundofix do not completely eliminate this frustrating Trojan downloader because they cannot stay current with its dynamic nature - it is constantly changing and downloading new files so you’ll simply be left fighting a never ending battle.

What you need is a spyware removal tool that does 2 things:

1. Is proactive in scanning your computer with real time protection

2. Scans your computer against a spyware definitions database that is frequently updated

Using antispyware software that does not incorporate these two crucial features will only prolong the agony you are experiencing trying to completely rid your computer of Vundo.

So if you get infected with it or suspect you might be infected with it, remember that Trojan Vundo removal can be one of the most difficult tasks you partake in, unless you follow my advice and use a spyware remover with the two features listed above - you’ll be glad you did.

End your Vundo frustrations forever! Find out what the best spyware removal tool is that will get rid of Vundo and keep your computer free of spyware for good. For a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

August 14, 2008

One Simple Reason Why You Should Be Terrified of Spyware

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

Are you somebody who is not worried about spyware? Do you think that it’s really no big deal, other than having to deal with annoying popups and a slow computer? You may be making a huge mistake.

Unfortunately, spyware has become much more malicious in recent years and if you don’t take the proper steps to remove it from your computer and keep it off, you could very well become the next victim of identity theft.

The FTC estimates that over 9 million people fall victim to identity theft each year and the number is continually growing. Why? The answer could be summed up in one word - spyware.

Here are a couple more stats that will blow your mind:

There are now over 6.5 billion internet users and industry experts estimate that over 90% of them will get infected with spyware. This is because hackers have recognized and are capitalizing on a disturbing trend - over 80% of those users are not running antispyware or antivirus software on their computer.

What this means is that it has become relatively easy for hackers to not only find security exploits, but often they don’t have to because there is nothing running on a user’s computer to identify and stop any type of spyware or malicious software from installing itself onto your computer. What happens after the software is installed is what you should be terrified of.

While there are a large number of spyware and adware programs that are nothing more than a nuisance, there is also a growing number of malicious spyware that is written for one purpose and one purpose only - to log your keystrokes, monitor your activity and ultimately to steal your identity.

Unfortunately, Internet users are not properly educated on the risks of spyware and viruses and most believe that they can get away without using any type of antispyware or antivirus software. But the reality is that spending a mere $30 now to protect yourself can ultimately end up saving you thousands of dollars in legal and consultant fees when you are trying to get your identity back after it has been stolen.

You also need to be aware that there is software out there that claims to be antispyware software, but in reality the software is nothing more than a spyware installer and actually will download and install more spyware onto your computer. To protect yourself from these types of situations, make sure that you do some additional research on the vendor and software before making a purchase or downloading it. Also, a good rule to follow is to find a company that has earned a reputation in the industry though various awards or recognition.

So if to this point you have not been worried about getting a spyware infection, you should be. Spyware has become alarmingly more malicious in recent years and has become the top method for hackers to steal your identity. It is because of this that you’ll want to take the necessary steps to protect yourself when online, and most importantly that means using reputable and effective antispyware software.

Want to know what the best spyware removal tool is? Visit the Best Spyware Remover website to find out and for a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

August 12, 2008

Antivirus Software Information: How To Isolate a Problem

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — datguygabe @ 12:00 am

Most computer users know what antivirus software is, but have no idea how it works. Knowing how it works is key to choosing the right virus protection for your system.Following is an overview of how antivirus software works.

Antivirus software is basically computer programs that protect your system from malicious or damaging software. The name antivirus software has its genesis in the fact that it was originally designed to fight computer viruses. Now, it has evolved into a more sophisticated, all encompassing virus protection program. It targets phishing attacks, destructive worms, Trojan horses and a host of other malware that can destroy your system.

The 2 Methods Used by Antivirus Software to Protect Your System

Antivirus software uses two different approaches to protect your system: (i) scanning files and (ii) targeting suspiciously behaving files from computer programs that may be infected.

Scanning: Scanning can be explained by the law enforcement analogy of police lineups. Basically you match a perp (a suspect) to a photo. To explain, when antivirus software scans a hard drive, for example, it is referred to as the virus dictionary approach.

It is so named because it is looking for a match between a file on your hard drive and comparing it to a dictionary of known viruses. If any piece of code in a file on your hard drive matches the known virus in the dictionary, then the antivirus software swings into action, taking one of the following three actions:

Repair the File: The antivirus software will try to repair the infected file by removing the virus; or

Isolate the File: The antivirus software will attempt to provide virus protection by making the file inaccessible programs. This keeps the virus from spreading; or

Delete the File: The antivirus software will delete the file, which is arguably the most drastic form of virus protection.

The dictionary approach requires computer users to constantly download updated versions of their virus protection software. This is because new entries (ie, viruses, malware, etc.) are constantly being added to the dictionary.

Dictionary based antivirus software usually starts working when a computers operating system either opens, closes, emails or creates them. However, a user can set up their system to be constantly monitored by scheduling the antivirus software to scan files on a consistent basis. This can be daily, weekly, monthly, etc. In short, however often they want.

The Suspicious Behavior Approach: The suspicious behavior approach to virus protection is different from the dictionary approach. It monitors all of the programs on a system instead of attempt to identify known viruses.

For example, if one program tries conduct a suspicious activity like writing data to an executable program, the antivirus software will alert the user to this and inquire about what steps it should take, if any.

One of the advantages often cited of using the suspicious behavior approach for virus protection is that it offers protection against new viruses. Remember, with the dictionary approached, the virus has to first be identified and listed.

To use another law enforcement analysis, this is like staking out a suspect because of his behavior. Even though he hasnt done anything yet, the actions he has taking alerts you to the fact that he might be up to something.

Antivirus Software Information can be best utilized by seeking out Software products and understanding their functions. Sometimes downloading Free Antivirus Software is the perfect utility in understanding the volume of viruses that could threaten your system or perhaps have already invaded your computer

August 11, 2008

Best Antispyware Software - 5 Things to Look for When Comparison Shopping

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

If you are looking for the best antispyware software, the task of comparing so many different options and features can be quite daunting. You definitely want to be sure you have done your homework and are picking the best option, however how do you really know whether you will have made a sound decision?

Fortunately, there are some key distinctions to look for that will help you greatly when shopping for the best antispyware software.

Here are 5 things to look for when doing comparison shopping:

1. Free vs. Paid - there really should be no debate here. Free antispyware tools are simply not as effective as those that you might have to pay $30 or so dollars for. The main difference is the method of scanning and detection - paid tools use a spyware database and free tools do not. Basically, scanning your files and registry against known spyware in a database is a much more proven and effective method vs. just simply looking for strange files that may or may not be spyware, which is what free tools do.

2. Real time protection - make sure that any antispyware tool that you are looking at is capable of real time protection, meaning the application is always running on your computer and is constantly scanning files and websites that you access in order to be proactive and stop an infection before it happens.

3. Automatic updates - make sure that you can download updates for free from the software vendor and that they are easily installed and updated within the software you choose.

4. Backup/Restore - this is very important because if by chance the software does inadvertently remove a legitimate file, you’ll need to be able to get that file back so the ability to perform a backup before scanning and having the capability to restore any files if needed after a scan becomes a must have feature in any antispyware software.

5. Reputation - this is something that my often be overlooked when comparison shopping but you’ll also want to look for antispyware software that is established and that also has a solid reputation within the industry. This means you should look for recognition either in the form of testimonials or even perhaps awards that the software and/or vendor have won as many different technology publications release a best of list each year.

While there definitely is a large number of choices available when it comes to shopping for the best antispyware software, if you follow the above guidelines you’ll stand a very good chance of making the right choice and going with software that is proven, effective and reliable.

Want to know what the best spyware remover is? Visit Paul’s Best Spyware Remover website to find out and for a limited time you can also download his free report - “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

Top 5 Ways You Know You are Infected with Spyware

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

We’ve all heard of or read about the horror stories of how spyware has ruined somebody’s PC or that they had to eventually reload their entire computer because of it, but how do you really know if your computer is infected with spyware?

Here are the top 5 tell tale ways that you’ll know your computer is infected with spyware.

1. Your computer is inundated with popups.

When you are on the internet and you keep getting pop up after pop up and you just can’t seem to close them fast enough, that is a good sign you have a spyware infection. However, the real tell tale sign here is that you are getting all kinds of popups even when you are not actively on the internet and you don’t have your internet browser open. If you are seeing this on your computer, you likely are infected with spyware.

2. Your computer is painfully slow

The most notorious spyware symptom out there - when you try and do anything on your computer and you feel like it might be easier to watch paint dry. It gets even more fun when you try to close the programs you have tried to open but you can’t - and then your whole computer locks up.

3. Your browser’s home page is different and you can’t change it back

This is one of my favorite symptoms - when you open up your internet browser and instead of seeing MSN, Comcast, or whatever your home page is set to you instead go right to some shopping site or free software website. That is a dead giveaway that your computer is infected with spyware.

4. You have programs installed that you don’t remember installing

Every once in a while you should open up your Control Panel, go to Add/Remove Programs and if you see things like 123SearchAssistant or ShopWithMe or Casino Client, then you should uninstall these immediately as they are spyware.

5. You see additional icons on your desktop that you know you didn’t put there

Again, just as with step 4 above if you see strange icons that appear on your desktop, NEVER click on them. Most of the time they’ll try to entice you with a free trial offer or something to that effect, but 99% of the time these unwanted icons mean that you are already infected with spyware (not to mention that clicking on the icons will most likely lead you to downloading more spyware). Delete these unwanted items from your desktop and empty your recycling bin and then run an spyware scan.

If you have spyware that has infected your PC, most of the time you’ll notice something different on your computer such as the new icons or strange homepage. However, other times you’ll have no idea that spyware is installed on your computer and that is when it becomes the most dangerous. The only way you can truly find out whether or not your computer has become infected with spyware is to run a proven and effective antispyware program.

Want to know what the best spyware remover is? Visit the Best Spyware Remover website to find out and for a limited time you can also download a free report entitled- “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

5 Tips to Avoid Spyware and Keep Your Computer Running Fast

Filed under: Spyware and Viruses — pmcdonald @ 12:00 am

Are you a regular internet user? Do you have an email account? If so, there is pretty good chance that you’ll get infected with spyware at some point and with the number of spyware and adware programs increasing every day, the chance of your computer being brought to its knees by one of these nasty little buggers is becoming more and more likely.

Thankfully, there are some things you can do (or not do) starting today that can help drastically reduce the chance you’ll get infected with spyware.

1. Don’t open any email attachments that you don’t know who it is from.

I know you’ve heard this one before but this is one of the most important things you can do if you want to avoid spyware infection. If you have any suspicion at all of an email attachment not being legitimate, the best thing you can do is to simply not open it up. Even if it looks like it is from your best friend or a family member, there are spyware programs out there that can read your contact list or address book and generate fake emails to everyone listed.

2. Don’t click on the Pop Ups that say “You have spyware - Click here to scan!” or anything similiar.

These pop ups are designed to trick you. Instead of actually scanning your PC for spyware, what really happens is that when you click on the link in the pop up you are essentially clicking on a link that will install spyware on your PC.

3. Pornography is a big no-no

Pornographic websites comprise the largest portion of the internet pie by sheer number of sites, and 9 times out 10 when you visit a pornographic website you are asking for spyware to be downloaded and installed on your PC.

4. Stay away from Bit torrents

Without even going into why stealing is not only wrong but also illegal, there is simply no way to know if what you are trying to download is actually what you are getting when you are downloading bit torrents from p2p sharing newtorks such as Kazaa and Limewire. Many times, you’ll open up the file you downloaded and it won’t work and you may just shrug it off and search for another one, but what really happens is that evne though you think nothing is happening when you clicked on the download spyware is being installed on your computer in the background.

5. Get Yourself a Good Antispyware Program

Did you know that there are programs out there that scan the internet for computers that are connected so that they can target them for a spyware download? The reality is that no matter how diligent you are when surfing the internet and going through your email inbox, spyware can still find its way onto your computer to make your computer miserably slow. The only way that you can truly keep spyware off of your computer is to run an antispyware program that not only allows to scan and clean your computer, but also runs in the background and offers Real-time protection.

Spyware is all over the internet and your inbox and with each passing day, spyware hackers are becoming more devious in the way that they entice you to download their nasty software. By exercising some caution, avoiding activities and websites that are known to install spyware and most importantly, getting yourself a good antispyware program you can avoid the headaches of trying to work on a spyware infested computer.

Want to know what the best spyware remover is? Visit Paul’s Best Spyware Remover website to find out and for a limited time you can also download his free report - “PC Protection - Keeping Your Computer Clean and Your Identity Safe”.

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