Brand New Computer What To Do

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BleepingComputer.com > Security > AntiVirus, Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods

Brand New Computer What To Do

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Braxton View Member Profile	May 7 2008, 07:42 PM Post #1
Member Group: Members Posts: 15 Joined: 12-March 07 Member No.: 117,145	What would you do to protect a brand new computer. its actually a laptop toshiba w/ vista Thanks

frankp316 View Member Profile	May 8 2008, 05:44 AM Post #2
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 501 Joined: 20-May 07 Member No.: 131,989	What came pre installed on the computer?

extremeboy View Member Profile	May 11 2008, 05:18 PM Post #3
Distinguished Member Group: HJT Junior Classmen Posts: 713 Joined: 21-March 08 From: Canada Member No.: 197,892	QUOTE(frankp316 @ May 8 2008, 06:44 AM) What came pre installed on the computer? Yes what was installed when you bought your computer. When I bought my Toshiba Laptop it came only with Norton Anti-virus. Most computers comes with an Anti-virus software but not a anti-spyware software. I don't know about now but before it was usually like that. Anyways after Norton or any anti-virus software gets expired I suugust you download another anti-virus software. Please take a look here: Antivirus, Antimalware, And Antispyware Resources I also Recommend you install Spywareblaster and Spywareguard before surfing on the internet. Here's two tutorials on using and installing Spywareblaster and spywareguard: Spywareblaster Spywareguard Read HERE as well, it tells you some good tips for safe practices. Here's some other tips that you should follow: Practice Safe Internet One of the main reasons people get infected in the first place is that they are not practicing Safe Internet. You practice Safe Internet when you educate yourself on how to properly use the Internet through the use of security tools and good practice. Knowing how you can get infected and what types of files and sites to avoid will be the most crucial step in keeping your computer malware free. The reality is that the majority of people who are infected with malware are ones who click on things they shouldn't be clicking on. Whether these things are files or sites it doesn't really matter. If something is out to get you, and you click on it, it most likely will. Below are a list of simple precautions to take to keep your computer clean and running securely: If you receive an attachment from someone you do not know, DO NOT OPEN IT! Simple as that. Opening attachments from people you do not know is a very common method for viruses or worms to infect your computer. If you receive an attachment and it ends with a .exe, .com, .bat, or .pif do not open the attachment unless you know for a fact that it is clean. For the casual computer user, you will almost never receive a valid attachment of this type. If you receive an attachment from someone you know, and it looks suspicious, then it probably is. The email could be from someone you know infected with a malware that is trying to infect everyone in their address book. If you are browsing the Internet and a popup appears saying that you are infected, ignore it!. These are, as far as I am concerned, scams that are being used to scare you into purchasing a piece of software. For an example of these types of popups, or Foistware, you should read this article: Foistware, And how to avoid it. There are also programs that disguise themselves as Anti-Spyware or security products but are instead scams. For a list of these types of programs we recommend you visit this link: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites Another tactic to fool you on the web is when a site displays a popup that looks like a normal Windows message or alert. When you click on them, though, they instead bring you to another site that is trying to push a product on you. We suggest that you close these windows by clicking on the X instead of the OK button. Alternatively, you can check to see if it's a real alert by right-clicking on the window. If there is a menu that comes up saying Add to Favorites... you know it's a fake. Do not go to adult sites. I know this may bother some of you, but the fact is that a large amount of malware is pushed through these types of sites. I am not saying all adult sites do this, but a lot do. When using an Instant Messaging program be cautious about clicking on links people send to you. It is not uncommon for infections to send a message to everyone in the infected person's contact list that contains a link to an infection. Instead when you receive a message that contains a link, message back to the person asking if it is legit before you click on it. Stay away from Warez and Crack sites! In addition to the obvious copyright issues, the downloads from these sites are typically overrun with infections. Be careful of what you download off of web sites and Peer-2-Peer networks. Some sites disguise malware as legitimate software to trick you into installing them and Peer-2-Peer networks are crawling with it. If you want to download a piece of software a from a site, and are not sure if they are legitimate, you can use McAfee Siteadvisor to look up info on the site. DO NOT INSTALL any software without first reading the End User License Agreement, otherwise known as the EULA. A tactic that some developers use is to offer their software for free, but have spyware and other programs you do not want bundled with it. This is where they make their money. By reading the agreement there is a good chance you can spot this and not install the software. Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently It is important that you visit http://www.windowsupdate.com regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates. Regards, Extremeboy This post has been edited by extremeboy: May 11 2008, 05:19 PM -------------------- With Regards, Extremeboy There are places in us that have no limitations.

quietman7 View Member Profile	May 13 2008, 10:29 AM Post #4
Bleepin' Janitor Group: Global Moderator Posts: 11,061 Joined: 9-July 05 From: Virginia, USA Member No.: 26,513	To protect yourself against malware, be sure to read: • "Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe". • "How did I get infected?, With steps so it does not happen again!". • "Best Practices - Internet Safety for 2008". -------------------- "THE BAD GUYS DON'T NEED A SEARCH WARRANT. ARE YOU PROTECTED?" Microsoft MVP - Windows Security 2007-2008

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