I’m writing this article from inside my car, in a car wash. I bought all the extras, plus the undercarriage wash so that I’ll have time to tell you what I need too. Why I am in a car wash you ask?

Well, thanks for asking… let me tell you. It’s because of the spyware… It all started last week. I saw the ad pop up that said that I had won a free new IPod. Seriously, who can resist a free IPod? So, after I filled out the 2 surveys I clicked on that button that said it would make my computer faster… BAM! Kick it up a notch huh? Well, not exactly. Now my computer is running slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter… in the winter… in Alaska.

So, here I sit in the car wash so “they” don’t find me… ya… the spies. Can you think of a safer spot? I didn’t think so. Not only am I enclosed in my car, in a building, but I’m also covered with soap and that’s got to be worth something. Anyway, I’ve got the spyware on my computer and now I bet it’s letting in all of it’s other spy friends, from all over the globe.

So, what do I do now to get it all off of my computer? Well the soap doesn’t seem to be doing a thing but I do have some other options.

Spyware Cleaning Options:

1. Spybot Search and Destroy (make sure it is the safer-networking.org link) http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html
   • This is a nice little program. Download it, Donate to keep it free, install it, and then do what the prompts say. It will get your computer “fairly clean” in no time.
2. AdAware (click on the Free version) ( www.lavasoft.com )
   • Good 2^nd option. I like to run them both… but then again I’m the paranoid one writing this from the above said car wash.
3. Bit Defender Online Scanner (or paste this link into your browser: http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/# )
   • This one seems to take care of it all… viruses, Trojan horses, Spyware, Adware, you name it. Try the online scanner but make sure that you change the 2nd action to “quarantine” not delete (just in case it is something that you did want).
   • Currently Bit Defender is ranked in the top ten of many antivirus/antispyware articles!

If those don’t work you might go find a professional and let them take a gander, which would be the most prudent thing to do.

You could always take it to a car wash if, but it doesn’t seem to be helping mine… uh oh.. here come that final blower thing. I’ve got to go, until I get this Spyware all removed I’m going to have to go into hiding. I can’t afford anymore car washes.

Good luck, stay clean. Air Dry Done. … Got to go.

Last Links

Bit Defender Online Scanner (see above)

AdAware (see above)

Spybot Search and Destroy (see above)

Microsoft: What is Spyware (decent article on what spyware is and isn’t)

Going deeper: What is Spyware (very nice, concise article on spyware)

Sometimes I wonder if I have enough time for all of this. I bet you wonder the same thing, and that’s why we are here. To Help You Out! Yep you.

How?— By giving you -Simple, quick, and effective advice on keeping your techno-world safe.

You bring the questions and we’ll bring the answers! What a deal huh.

Let’s get started–

There are 3 basic things you need to protect your computer, especially if you have it plugged into an Internet connection 24/7.

1. A Firewall.

A Firewall is just a piece of software that you load on your machine to keep people out. Think of your computer as a big house with lots of doors and windows. Now some of these doors and windows need to be open so that you can see outside your house, maybe check the weather, and so on. You also need a mail slot that allows mail to come in, maybe a doggie door for your pouch and so on. Computers are similar. They need places open too, email, website traffic, and the like. Each one of these “openings”, these virtual doors and windows, has a number associated with it called a port. Port 25 = sending mail, port 110 = receiving mail, port 80 = web traffic.

• Simply put, firewalls close up and lock down all the extra ports that you don’t use so that people can’t gain unauthorized “entry” into your safe little computer house. Make sense? Good.

2. Anti-Virus software

• Nobody wants a virus especially if it makes your computer sick. Basically there are a lot of reasons people write viruses. The biggest ones are to challenge themselves and then gain a reputation. There are rare cases when they get financial gain from a virus (one that harvests info from your computer that is then sold) but most of the time it is just to say that they did it.
• What to do? Get a good antivirus software that doesn’t slow down your computer.

3. A knowledge of good and evil (in the techo-world)

• This one is tougher. How are you suppose to know what is good and bad?
• First of all, be slow to click and quick to research.
• Be a little paranoid for now but don’t stay that way.
• Learn from this site and others how to be net-savvy.

Resources: My favs as of 2008

1. Firewall: Comodo Pro http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

2. Antivirus: Bit Defender

http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Products/showSolutions/1/

3…Knowledge: This site. For faster knowledge check out the bundles. They’ll get you up to speed quick!

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