General Information
Spyware
Spyware is a generic term for many different kinds of malware (malicious software). Some are fairly friendly like tracking cookies, but there is malicious code out there that really has no other motive than to steal. That might be your identity, or the use of your computer, and/or your social security and credit card info.
If you see popups you did not ask for, or your browser gets hijacked, or your PC is slowing down and your CPU is busy inexplicably, you have a good chance your PC is "owned" by someone other than you. Computers that are "always on" are now often used to send spam, send viruses, or are part of a network of "zombies" that are controlled by the bad guys and used to attack another site.
Don't download search assistant programs (toolbars), desktop screensavers or wallpapers from unreliable sources, coupon/rebate offers or Internet optimizers, and never click on anything within a pop-up to close it; instead close it by clicking the X in the corner or by using the Alt F4 key strokes.
Virus Information
Viruses, unfortunately, exist and it is always good a measure to scan your PC for viruses regularly. The easiest way to scan your PC is to go into the Start Menu, Programs, McAfee Virusscan, Virusscan. Select the drive you need scanned (i.e. C:, A:, etc.). Click on Scan now and let the program do its thing. If McAfee finds a virus, it will provide you with some information. McAfee will tell you the name of the infected document and tell you what the name of the virus is as well and it will let you know if it was successful or not. If the infected document cannot be cleaned, please contact us with the virus name, the infected document name and reason that it could not be cleaned.
Spam
You’ve Got Spam: How to "Can" Unwanted Email
(This article is from the Federal Trade Communication website.)
Do you receive lots of junk email messages from people you don't know? It's no surprise if you do. As more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages to pitch their products and services. Some consumers find unsolicited commercial email - also known as "spam" - annoying and time consuming; others have lost money to bogus offers that arrived in their email in-box.
Typically, an email spammer buys a list of email addresses from a list broker, who compiles it by "harvesting" addresses from the Internet. If your email address appears in a newsgroup posting, on a website, in a chat room, or in an online service's membership directory, it may find its way onto these lists. The marketer then uses special software that can send hundreds of thousands — even millions — of email messages to the addresses at the click of a mouse.