How to Avoid Adware

When asking small internet-based business owners about the most challenging part of the job, you are likely to get many different responses.  Quite a few will admit that making sales is the hardest - some might contest that marketing in general gives them the blues.  Almost all of them will contest that network security is the biggest issue. 

While things have certainly changed for the worst, this wasn't always the case.  A few years ago, the biggest threat facing internet users were viruses and worms distributed via email attachments.  Although both of these infections proved to be quite devastating, numerous programs were readily available for home computers and workstations, capable of quickly detecting and removing them.  

Modern times has delivered more deceptive infections such as adware.  Instead of instantly crippling your system, these programs would prefer it to stay running.  Adware coders are able to make a profit by taking advantage of any vulnerability they find in your security settings, all while faltering the performance of your computer, secretly installing updates and thieving personal information.  

Adware often moves in stealth mode, installing itself with freeware, shareware and even a few commercial programs.  In order to present you with these targeted advertisements, it collects data from your system and forwards it to a remote server.  More often than not, adware causes major problems.  Aside from being a tremendous distraction, these programs are known to accumulate very quickly.  In no time, you may be bombarded from every direction with pop-up ads, often so many that normal computer activity is impossible.  This often prevents you from installing an anti-adware solution to eradicate the problem.  When this occurs, all you can do is completely reinstall the operating system, possibly losing data if it was not backed up on a storage medium.

Regardless of what some of these programs claim to be, adware typically causes more harm than good.  For this reason, it is important to take the proper security precautions to keep these nasty infections away from your computer and out of your network. 

Below we have provided a few tips to help you avoid adware and several other security threats:

Put up a firewall: Firewall products have become recommended in the world of computer security and often come included as features of anti-virus software.  This component will help to prevent third-party intrusion and report any attempts made to enter your system.  Several will also notify of outbound communications, a factor that will help to determine if you have adware or spyware on your computer. 

Malware solution: Overall, malware is the greatest threat to internet users as it is the parent category to infections such as adware, spyware and computer viruses.  Where a virus scanner may fail, a malware scanner is more likely to detect adware and several other harmful items. 

Change browsers: While Microsoft is a powerhouse name in computer products, their Internet Explorer web browser is vulnerable to various exploits, especially adware.  Other browsers such as Opera and Firefox have proven to be much more secure.  This may be a good option even if you're running a Windows operating system. 

Adware is abundant in cyberspace and more than likely, it's trying to make its way to you.  Knowing how this avoid this infection can save you time and money on maintenance, and spare you lots of frustration in the future.

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With the advent of wireless Internet, more and more computer users are entering the world of cyber space.

Yet, while these users are well aware of the importance of the protection of their computer when hooked up to regular internet providers, they are often oblivious to the fact that the same cyber dangers, and in fact even more, exist in the world of WiFi.

What you may not know is that same Internet connection that makes it possible to check your email from the comfort of your bed also makes it easier for hackers to access your personal information.

It is for this reason, the sharing of the wireless Internet connection, that protecting your computer when wireless is even more important than ever before.