PC Safety Guide :)

[omgMooter]

So, i'm a pretty big dork when it comes to keeping my PC tidy and safe. SO! i decided to write up a guide for the forums because i find many people i know aren't aware of some threats or ways to keep their computer nice and safe!

Content:
1- Spyware, Malware and Viruses
2- PC Maintenance
3- Tips
4- Common Mistakes
5- Helpful Links


1. Spyware,Malware and Viruses

Well first of i'm gonna explain what all of these are.

Spyware: Is something that usually sneaks it's way into your computer without your knowledge(through ads usually). Most of the time they tend to track down your searches and other various thing, these are usually not very harmful. However there are some that do more dangerous things such as keylogging.

Malware: Some people may disagree with me but i separate this from viruses and spyware. Malware is a program that disguises itself as something useful for your computer but is actual very harmful. They are usually disguised as Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware software. I left a link to some programs i feel people should look at in order to spot them.


Example of a common malware

Virus: The "big guys", viruses are a type of malicious program that can copy itself and infect a computer. They usually can travel from computer to computer through networks, infecting computers as it goes. They tend to be much more dangerous then spyware and malware as they can cause more damage to a computer.

2. PC Maintenance

Good PC maintenance is Key to keep your computer running fast and smooth. Lots of people tend to shy away from doing this because they don't like to take the time or are not sure what their doing. All i have to say to that is DONT BE SCARED! it's actually pretty darn easy!

So here are a few things you can do to keep your computer safe! (In no particular order):

1. Keep your PC, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Virus up to date.
2. Run Disk Defrag atleast 1 time a month.
3. Clear out your temporary files.
4. Run weekly Spyware checks.
5. Run weekly Virus checks.
6. Delete old programs that you never use.

Windows Disk Defragmenter


You can find a list to free high quality security software at the bottom of this post.

3. Tips

Here are a few useful tips to always keep in mind.

• Try to avoid web ads as they are known for containing spyware.
• ALWAYS!! double check any website you visit as there is sadly quite a few websites that disguise themselves as another website and lure people in with similar URLs.
• ALWAYS!! do your research on the OFFICIAL website for anti-virus and anti-spyware programs malware usually attempts to get people this way by making a similar site or similar name of the program.
• Don't click on pesky pop-up ads or any Ad that appears while web browsing stating that your computer may be in danger.

Example of a bad case of pop ups

3. Common Mistakes

Everybody makes mistakes, the same applies to people using computers. so here is a list of stuff i hear that are false and i think are worth letting people know the truth.

• "Macs cannot get viruses" - False! they do, with the high popularity of Macs they are appearing more frequently too.
• "Never buy an anti-virus software, it's not worth it" - False! While it's nice to not have to buy something there is usually a MUCH higher quality program out there if you are willing to spend a few bucks. However always do research before buying.

4. Helpful Links

NEW!Microsoft's List of Trusted Security Software
Mozilla Firefox - An excellent web browser
Spybot Search & Destroy - Perhaps one of the best Anti-Spyware in my opinion
Comodo Anti-Virus - An excellent Anti-Virus prorgram
CCleaner - A program used to delete all those useless files left behind, also fixes certain registry issues.
List of common Malware


I Thank everyone who read this wall-o-text. I will try and update it whenever i feel it is needed!

[ebony]

nice guilde

[EaTCarbS]

wooo me liek. me sticky liek sticky note.

[omgMooter]

Thanks for the sticky sticky is fun!

[omgMooter]

Was wondering if this can be tossed elsewhere then off-topic ?

[burningforce]

another good malware detector is malwarebytes...

Malwarebytes.org

they have a free version and a pay version. not sure what the difference is between the two, but the free version works fine for me

[omgMooter]

Did some research and apparently the full version only enables realtime protection, scheduled scanning.

So unless you're terribly lazy the free version would be the best bet! Although even if you're using Malwarebytes make sure you have an anti-virus

[Unca]

If you use Mozilla Firefox as your browser, I highly recommend both the AdBlock and NoScript add-ons. AdBlock allows you to block images and some ad frames that run Flash animations. NoScript blocks any scripting from running until and unless you green-light the originating URL.

One thing you learn very quickly when using NoScript, is the extent to which websites pull content from other sites. So that when you are visiting site A (the site you intended you view) you also get content from sites B, C, D, E, and so on... whether you intended to or not. There is a benefit to this, in terms of providing linked content and targeted advertising. But this also means that if site C happens to be loading a virus-stricken Flash animation, your computer might be infected even though you took what you assumed were the right precautions.

The downside is that this blocks ad content for websites, which can hurt their revenue flow. I don't have anything against ads or targeted ads, but as someone who has to deal with malware at work all the time, I can't justify allowing the risk. Some sites will ban users who run ad blockers, and some forums will automatically ban users who so much as mention them (and I'm kind of hoping this isn't one of those forums, heh). So those are things to consider when using ad blockers.