> I've recently been through the same thing helping a neighbor. In addition > to the helpful advice everyone else has given, I highly recommend installing > Spybot - Search & Destroy on any Windows machine. >
We are probably leaning a bit to far from the focus of this group -- but as a tech in the trenches years ago; Spybot and Adaware were first comers to the market, but slowly lost their ability to defend a system. Unless things have changed drastically; they seem primarily like a joke. With every friend/coworker/occasional paid side job I explain to users that spyware comes from three places: 1. The internet -- Never click a popup that says "is your system slow", or "your antivirus is out of date, download a new version". The internet is like the sketchy dude on the corner with a sign asking for money and drinking a beer. He will tell you anything for a dollar. Responding to these messages is like inviting him over to babysit. 2. Internet Explorer makes installing spyware impossibly easy. Firefox's default to save, but never execute will protect your ass every time. It makes it clear that the "system scanner" is a program they need to install, and it takes effort. 3. Spyware comes along with many "free" programs. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Ask a techie friend before you install it. (This naturally comes up with a "sooo.. firefox is free ??"). Regardless -- they need to know that when they install FreeCouponPrinter.com's applet, or weatherbug they are OPTING in to popups and spyware. Windows Defender seems to do a decent enough job.. but like anything that becomes popular, software developers target their app to pass those scanners first. Users never update antivirus or antispyware -- and they are poor defenses. Teaching them how it gets on their system is applicable to every platform, and teaching them that IE is bad for security (I say that no one I know who I have setup with Firefox has gotten spyware since -- a fact which combined with rule #3 above, is true -- except the coworker who wanted coupons yesterday.) Once you hook them on Firefox, its just a tumble down the rabbit hole to get them onto OOo, and then Ubuntu. Cheers, Stan
