Anti-Virus

Internet Tip

Can My Camera Get a Virus?

by on December 31, 2008


As with any computer media, it is possible for your camera memory card to get infected with a computer virus if you connect your camera or your memory card to an infected computer at a friend or relative’s house. When you return home, it is then possible to infect your own computer by attaching the camera or the card to your system. Learn more about how to keep your systems safe from Ask Leo.

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Internet Tip

How to Choose an Anti-Virus Program

by on May 27, 2008


When choosing an anti-virus program for Windows, the independent Virus Bulletin’s testing and review program provides invaluable information about which programs pass muster. The top 100 antivirus programs (along with those that didn’t make it) are found in this VB100 summary ( . To view the test results, you will need to register. Registration is free.

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Best Defense Against Phishing

November 7, 2007

The best defense against spoof (fake or phishing) emails is to be educated and informed about how to spot them. eBay has a good tutorial on how to protect yourself, as does Stop-Phishing.com from the University of Indiana. Number one tip: when visiting a site in response to an email that asks for some web [...]

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Gmail and Executable Attachments

August 14, 2007

In an effort to combat the spread of computer viruses, Google’s Gmail does not allow you to send or receive executable files even if they are in a zipped format. Although many blogs have reported ways around this, most of these violate Google’s terms of service, and your Gmail account could be terminated. The simplest [...]

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E-Card Spam

July 31, 2007

In recent months, e-card spam infected with a virulent computer worm has increased. How do you tell the difference between a valid e-card and a virus? Never open a greeting card sent from an unnamed friend, neighbor, classmate, schoolmate, partner or family member. Two things to look for are whether you know the sender, and [...]

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Tracking Internet Activity

May 18, 2007

Ever wondered why your Internet connection is busy while you are not doing anything on your computer? It could be a dozen benign reasons (such as an email program checking for email) or it could be malware. Netstat is a free program included with most versions of Windows and Unix that displays all open Internet [...]

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Ransomware

May 9, 2006

A new virus that encrypts your computer files and demands $10.99 for a key to unlock your data arrived last month. Dubbed “Ransom-A, “the best way to avoid getting infected is to keep your anti-virus software up to date and to scan your system regularly. Learn more about ransomware at Yahoo! News.

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Free Windows Anti-Virus

November 15, 2005

For free anti-virus protection on a Windows desktop, radio and television personality Leo Laporte recommends AVG. For more of his Windows safety tips, read Must Have Security Apps.

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Windows Security Updates

September 2, 2003

In addition to keeping your anti-virus software updated, in the war against computer viruses, it is important to keep your operating system up to date with all the latest security patches. To update your Windows computer, visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and following the instructions to Scan for Updates. For more specific information about the Blaster virus, try [...]

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