Safer Searching Is Here

Safer Searching Is Here

Once in a while I come across a need to use several virus removers on any one of my computers. This comes from heavy use of the internet as I research and surf for business as well as personal information. Being a regular user of the internet exposes me to a higher risk of having something get into my computer that is undesirable and hard to get off the system. This can include viruses, malware, spyware, phishing, dialers and other things.

In extreme situations I’ve found myself formatting the whole machine and reloading all the data and operating system and drivers. A lot of work? Oh, you better believe it. Doing this is one way to waste a entire day. It doesn’t matter how expensive your anti-virus software is, from time to time something manages to slip through and get into a machine.

The best defense in these matters is to think ahead of the problems. If you are running Windows, log onto the Microsoft website and in the Microsoft search box type ‘anti-virus’ then hit enter. Download the latest security fixes for these purposes. Be careful downloading the entire service pack 3, … if you have a computer with a AMD processor in it, you don’t want to download the entire service pack 3 because it will cause you to reload your machine. If you install the XP Service Pack 3 on a computer with a AMD processor, your machine will shut down and restart repeatedly without control. You will be forced to go into the bios menu and change the boot device to boot from a CD so you can boot from your Windows disk. Booting from the windows disk will give you the option to fix your existing installation or reloading Windows. I usually reload Windows to make sure I’m not leaving any buggy area’s on the system. This also reinstates the systems integrity as a fresh install. In the case of it being a machine with a AMD processor, after I reload windows, I turn off the Windows automatic updates to prevent the machine from loading service pack 3 again during automatic updates. In my hobby repairs on computers over the last ten years, I’ve seen this happen over and over again. AMD processors and service pack 3 don’t get along together.

I should mention if you format your drive(s) because of virus, malware, or spyware reasons you should always do the full format, not the quick format. If you are doing terabyte drives, this could take a lot of time but its worth it. After your operating system and drivers are reloaded, use a drive scrubber to erase all the free space on your drives before you start loading all your secondary software and programs. Doing this will ensure any virus you formatted over can’t be brought back up by other malicious software. Remember, … erasing your free space is done ‘after reloading the operating system and drivers’ and ‘before installing your programs and data’. Erasing the ‘free space’ does not erase the operating system and drivers you just reloaded.

The most popular Microsoft updates for XP are the new time change for daylight savings time, security updates, DirectX, Internet Explorer updates and upgrading to the latest Windows Media Player. A popular upgrade in software not provided by Microsoft is ‘Java’, but make sure you get this from the Java website and nowhere else. This will ensure you are getting the virgin Java product without being adjusted by any other sources. Your Windows firewall should always be on.

In April of 2009 I was graced with the ability to find a search engine that is a defensive search engine. I found it, tried it, tested its claims, and now it is my default search engine. It impressed me that much. The search engine I’m talking about is called Cyber Defender and exists as a search engine that helps you defend yourself from the harm of using the internet. Cyber Defender is the name of a very reputable anti-virus software company. Now that I’ve discovered they offer a free defensive search engine for everyone to use, I respect them even more. This goes to show that there are some big companies out there that actually care and want to be part of safe internet use. Cyber Defender’s search engine watches for spyware, viruses, phishing scams, and identity theft concerns. If you try clicking on a site that is actually a hidden problem of some sort, … this search engine gives you a warning before allowing you to proceed and gives you the chance to back away without getting infected by completing the connection to the site in question. I think this is just great. Click the link in this paragraph, you may wish to save it as your default search engine.

Now, along with a defensive search engine such as Cyber Defender, try partnering it up with a defensive ‘web browser’ such as Firefox. With these two utilities working together you have definitely strengthened your internet defenses.

A word about cookie erasers. Websites you visit leave data on your computer called cookies. For perfectly innocent and harmless websites this is okay because they serve a real purpose and may speed up your access to that site the next time you visit it. However, as with anything else some bad can come as well as the good. Other cookies that come through may have sneaky or ill intent regarding your computer data. Cookie erasers can be very effective in helping your privacy, ‘but’ they can also cause problems if you frequent websites that require secure logins such as databases or online banking. Email services usually wouldn’t be affected other than they will ask for a password every time you log in. Online banking and corporate databases on the other hand may be affected a little more than that by cookie erasers. For these services if you use a cookie eraser, you may be asked your backup security questions every time you try to log on, in addition to your password. Cookie erasers can be a great benefit in privacy. Make sure before you use them that you aren’t committed to accessing websites with really sensitive security features.

Another quick item to mention is broadband internet that is always on, in some ways isn’t always good. This is the type of internet that you get from a cable company, not a dial up service. Its not the ISP’s fault by no means, … it’s the fault of malicious people that use the internet. If you have a internet connection that is always on, another way to protect yourself is to unplug the ‘power cord from the wall outlet’ if you are going on vacation or doing anything else that won’t require you to be on the internet for long periods of time. Personally, I don’t plug mine in unless I’m on the internet. Once I’m done with the internet, I unplug it until my next internet visit. Doing this can help prevent internet criminals from seeking out your computer and reading your computer contents without you knowing it. Yes, this does happen.

Reporter Joseph Toth
Washington Micro Bank BBS