 Protect
yourself from SPIES
Don’t forget to check your computer periodically
for Ad software (often pop-ups) that you have received onto your computer,
unknowingly, and Spy programs that report back to advertisers what you
look at on the Internet. Many times, a “cookie” is placed on your
computer and can be “seen” by other computers/servers to let them know
that you were looking at a certain page.
Cookies are little files that collect information
and give it to servers out on the wide world web. You can set your
browser to not accept cookies or to ask before accepting cookies.
My recommendation is to set it to “ask before accepting.” This can
be a real annoyance at times, but it will avoid cookies you don’t want.
Why would you want a cookie? If you do
online banking, deal with eBay and other similar sites, watch your stocks,
or take educational courses on the Internet, you will need to enable cookies.
Passwords, user names, lists of purchased stocks or bonds can all be in
a cookie. If you fill out a 3 page form to sign up for a weekly service,
you don’t want to fill it out each week. A cookie can store the information.
A cookie CAN be a good thing.
When you order something on the Internet, make
sure you read everything very carefully. If you order a free program,
it often comes with spyware. If you order a product, often there
is a default check mark in the box “it’s OK to send me information about
other products.” This results in torrents of advertising e-mail and
pop-ups.
I’ve had people say, KCnet gave me lots of
pop-ups. Well sir, those pop-ups came from e-mail messages or from
sites you have visited on the Internet. Yes, you were connected to
KCnet when you got them. But they did not come from KCnet.
They came from cleverly designed web sites and e-mail messages you received
from advertisers. That’s why we supply free software to remove this
nasty stuff.
I use both Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and
Destroy. If I run Ad-Aware first it usually picks up all of the items and
then when I run Spybot it doesn't find anything. If I run Spybot first
it gets most of the items but not all and Ad-Aware gets the rest. We recommend
running the programs often. Between these and a good anti-virus program,
I have no problems.
Ad-Aware and Spybot are free. There are
also free anti-virus programs, such as AVG. An anti-virus program
should be run every time you start up your computer (if you are on the
Internet). You should connect to the home site of the program, download
any new virus descriptions, and allow your computer to be scanned for viruses
– EVERY TIME. This can be set up to operate automatically and I highly
recommend an automatic setting. It will slow your computer down until
the scan is complete, but you will not destroy your hard drive by running
a virus on your computer.
Microsoft has what most think to be the best
of the Anti Spyware programs, Microsoft Anti Spyware Beta. (Free
at this time) It is a Beta version, still in testing, only works
with XP though.
And if you are really hyper about security,
I would also recommend that after closing from a secure site one should
refresh the home page and clear cache/Temporary Internet Files. That
takes any reference to the secure site from a hacker’s view.
If you are interested in any of these programs,
use your search engine to find them, or go to www.download.com
and look for them or call the KCnet help desk and ask about them.
The pictures are of a pre-school class who
stopped in to "trick or treat." We didn't trick them, we treated
them to wrapped candy. KCnet staff talked with the little gremlins
and goblins and helped them pick the best goodies for their treat bags.
The witch is Technician Roxanne Fryer; the hippie is Receptionist Evelyn
Rhine; the Green Bay Packer Lineperson is a Pre schooler chaperone.
As usual, the kids were darling!
Until next week...
KCnet Board Of Directors Officers:
President Bill Raco, Vice President Bob Rolley, Secretary Jon Ahrens,
Treasurer Don Miller and Past President Judy Yoho. Other members
of the board: Carolyn Carl, R. Keith Kelly, Paul Korn, Donna
Lannan, Amy Lapriola, Tom Livingston, Ray McGill, and Rich Wykoff. |