How do you Prevent Spyware? You know that spyware is dangerous and you want to avoid it, but how? Well for starters, you need to have safe browsing habits. Spyware just doesn't appear on your computer, most of the time you invite it in, without even knowing it! There are security holes in your computer that you don't even know about and if they were just patched up, you would be secure. But since you can't see the security holes, how do you go about preventing spyware?

Prevent Spyware

Update Windows

Microsoft has a tool called "Windows Update". I'm sure you know of it. Often times it appears at the worst possible times. But while it may be annoying and take awhile to download security updates, you need to know that they are worth the wait. When Microsoft releases a security patch, it's because a weakness has been found. If you don't download and install the patch, you will still have the weakness. So try to stay up to date with Windows Update and that is a good first step in making your computer as secure as possible.

ActiveX Controls

This is a big one. ActiveX controls are something that Microsoft uses to play media on the internet. While it is supposed to be secure and when working right is very good, if you install a bad ActiveX control from a website, it will have direct access to your computer. When you go to a website it may have a pop-up saying, "You must install this ActiveX control to view this website properly". Sometimes this can be legit, but often times it is bad. Never install a program or file from a website if you are not 100% certain that it is safe. Most of the time you will see a 'signed' certificate. If it isn't from a respected company, don't install it and leave that site.

P2P File Sharing

File sharing programs are very popular. From Kazaa to Gator to Warez, many people use them without knowing the risks involved. When you use a P2P file sharing program, you directly open your computer to another user. Even if you receive the files that you want, you have know idea what else came with it. If you are going to use a file sharing program, keep your connection short, don't connect when you aren't using it, and do a spyware scan right after you finish.

Safe Web Browsing Tips

You saw above that we mentioned some of the trouble with ActiveX controls, but there are other things you should watch out for when surfing the internet. The internet is a big place and it can be easy to find yourself in the wrong part of it. You should stay away from certain types of sites such as low-ranked hacker or cheap porn related sites. Surfing the internet on more respected sites that have a high search ranking is perfectly fine, but there are many websites that are fronts for adware and spyware. Don't install any 3rd party software from a website if you are unsure about it. I often use a rule not to look beyond the 5th page of search results. Because anything you want will already be in the first few pages and you are less likely to run into problems on those sites. And finally, when you use a credit card or send personal data over the internet, be sure that your spyware scanning has been done recently and you have checked for infection. You only want your personal information to be sent to the right place and not grabbed by spyware.

For more helpful information and tips, go to our Computer Security page.