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Articles
Spyware, adware, malware, pop-ups, etc. are fast becoming as big a threat to your business' computer systems as viruses, if not bigger. These softwares degrade the performance of your computers, your network, and your internet connection. They waste your money by wasting your computing resources and employees' time. Worse, some malwares can render a computer completely unusable, secretly allow remote access to hackers, or steal private information from you, such as passwords and credit card numbers. Removing these malwares, and repairing the damage they do, can add up to hundreds (in many cases thousands) of dollars in consulting fees and lost productivity.
Unfortunately, avoiding these softwares can be difficult- often they trick you into installing them, or seduce you with nifty freebies, come bundled with other legitimate software, or, in a few cases, silently and invisibly install without your knowledge when you visit a website.
There are, however, steps that can be taken to prevent malware infestations on your computers, which I can help you with- just call. These include blocking network communications from your systems to online advertising conglomerates, websites that host known malware, pornography, revenue-generating search engines, and the like, enhancing general computing security policies on your network, and installation of software utilities similar to antivirus scanners, that can block malware installation and prevent changes to system settings. Also many of the well known antivirus programs now offer editions which are meant for installation on business networks and include malware protection- I'd be happy to help you decide if this might be a good solution for you, and to help you purchase and install such a solution.
In the meantime, use the advice below to limit your risks.
The simplest way to avoid the threat of viruses and malware is to not provide Windows workstations for workers who don't have a true necessity for them in the first place. Many staff members can get their work done with only a terminal. An amazing amount of heavy-duty work can be done effectively on computers with alternative operating systems like bsd, Macintosh OS and linux- these are largely more immune to malware and viruses than Windows and are often cheaper to purchase and maintain than Windows workstations too!
Where you must use Windows, here are some fundamentals which you can start practicing right now to protect your computer:
- use the "Automatic Update" and "Windows Update" to keep your Windows computer patched with the latest "critical updates" from Microsoft
- do not login as "Administrator" or under an account with administrator privileges, except to do computer maintenance
- password protect all accounts on all computers
- do not go to any website, or click on any link, unless you are familiar with, and trust the content there
- never install any software that is not necessary for you to effectively use your computer as a business tool- Webshots, Comet Cursor, Incredimail, etc., are good examples of softwares that are not necessary for business use of a computer, and which many experts consider spyware/adware/malware
- always have a high-quality antivirus scanner running on all your computers, and always keep them subscribed and updated with the latest virus definitions. I recommend Symantec/Norton Antivirus
- never use file sharing / file downloading programs such as kazaa, napster, and limewire
- remember: your work computer is a business tool, not a stereo, video player, painting, fish tank, or video game machine
- call me for help implementing these practices and policies, and for implementation of further measures that can be taken to protect the integrity and security of your computers and network from both viruses and malware
For further research, some sources of great information regarding malware and computer security include:
Related News
General Malware Information
Anti-Malware and Related Softwares
Learn More About Linux
- linux.org - the semi-official linux home page
- linux.com - VA Software's linux site oriented to new users, and business oriented users
- debian linux - my linux distribution of choice, completely volunteer operated
- Red Hat Linux - the first major commercial linux vendor; when people think "linux", they often mean "Red Hat"
- Novell - yep, that Novell; they have recently taken over the major linux distribution known as SuSE, as well as Ximian (a desktop software maker) and are fast becoming a major linux player
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