4 Ways to Remove/Avoid Adware & Spyware without Spending a Dime
Adware and spyware have reach epidemic proportions. They have turned
into malware due to their viral and very aggressive behavior. With the
threat of identity theft and financial fraud looming on the Internet,
adware and spyware can be more than just annoying. Here are four
methods to remove or simply avoid adware and spyware without spending a
dime on the latest "anti-virus" software.
1. USE Firefox. If you don't use the Internet much, than perhaps you
don't know much about Firefox. All you need to know is that it is a
browser that works REALLY well and has great security features.
2. Do NOT USE Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is like Swiss
cheese. It is open to the world by default. Microsoft is continually
releasing patches to fix all the flaws in the Internet Explorer 6.X and
lower versions of the browser. Although it can be "secured" by
increasing the security it may loose much of its functionality once set
to maximum security with certain exploitable features off.
3. Use a software or hardware firewall (not just Window XP Service Pack
2's firewall). This may sound expensive and hard to do but it is not.
If you have a DSL or broadband cable connection your Internet Service
Provider (ISP) may have given you a DSL/Cable router with a firewall
built in. All you have to do is turn it on. This may require you to
take a few minutes to read the manual.
If your ISP did not give you a DSL or Cable broadband router with a
built in firewall you can spend anywhere from $20 - $60 (or sometimes
even cheaper with a mail-in rebate) to get a router. If you have DSL
you will need a DSL router. If you have Cable broadband ISP you will
need a Cable Router. Brands such as Linksys have built in firewalls and
a feature called NAT, Network Address Translation, which is very
effective since it hides your real IP address from the Internet. All
routers come with instruction on how to hook them up. If you want to
keep you computer security free, just use a free software firewall.
4. Remove Spyware/Adware with free Anti-spyware, anti-adware software.
Lavasoft's Adaware and Spybot Search & Destroy are two excellent
methods of cleaning your system for free. Majorgeeks.com is a popular
and trusted freeware site that has these and many other excellent
spyware/adware cleaning and malware prevention tools (including free
downloadable firewalls).
The best method is to use ALL of the above. Being proactive by surfing
with a decent browser and getting a firewall is important, but it also
helps to know about a couple of good anti-adware/spyware applications.
If you get hit with a really nasty bit of malware that can not be
cleaned with Adaware or Spybot, find yourself a geek. There are many
great forums on the Internet dedicated to doing nothing but finding and
cleaning such malware. Chances are if your system is infected with it,
hundreds of others before you have been infected and have already
figured out how to get rid of the malware.