Sudbury Computer Repair Blog

There are several options available for web browsers today. How do you decide which one to use?

According to statcounter.com, Worldwide, Internet Explorer has about 56% of the browser market while Mozilla Firefox has 31% and Google Chrome has about 15%.

http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-monthly-200912-201012

While all Internet Browsers are susceptible to viruses, Internet Explorer seems to have more viruses attacking it. Many IT pros agree that this has nothing to do with which browser is more secure but the fact that Malware writers are targeting the biggest population. As the others gain marketshare, the number of viruses targeting them will increase; but for now, using one of the browsers with a smaller market share seems to help.

The biggest deterrent to Malware infections is always good user habits. Be careful what you click on and stay away from the "seedy" side of the Internet. There is a ton of valuable information online but there is almost as many dangerous places. Always be cautious and skeptical when surfing or reading mail.

Be careful when trying to get removed from SPAM lists. Clicking on remove links or replying to get removed can actually increase the level of SPAM that you receive.

SPAMmers get addresses from websites, unsecure mail servers, captured from address books by viruses, etc. They send out millions of pieces of SPAM not knowing what addresses are good and not caring. They know that some percentage will get through. When you reply to a SPAMmer, you are confirming that they have a valid address, that they got through your SPAM filter, and that you read your SPAM. Your address just increased in value and made it to the top of the SPAM list and will be sold at a higher value to other SPAMmers.

If you opted into a mailing list from a legitimate source, you will be able to opt out, otherwise, just hit the delete key. Use a junk E-mail address as opposed to your main one when signing up for things on the web, that way you can delete the address and start over if the SPAM gets too bad and keep your "real" address for friends, family, business, etc. There are plenty of free mail providers that you can use; Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.

That seems to have gotten everyone’s attention.

Distracting Beach Babes is the name of the latest Facebook app/virus. Anyone can write and submit a Facebook app. Facebook does not check apps before they're put up on the site. By the time Facebook realizes that an app is infected, it's too late and thousands of users are infected. Stick with the mainstream apps like Mafia Wars, Farmville, etc. if you must use any apps at all. Don't be the Guinea Pig testing out the cool new apps as that is where a lot of people find problems.

While we are on the subject of Facebook, be careful with links posted on peoples walls as many of those are posted by viruses and will lead you to infected websites. Most importantly, always make sure your antivirus and anti-spyware protection are up to date.

One question I get asked quite often is “Should I buy a Netbook?”. A Netbook is basically a scaled down version of the Notebook Laptop. The low pricetag certainly makes them appealing. They are great devices in some instances but make sure you know what you are getting into before purchasing one. Netbooks have less powerful processors, less memory, smaller screens and smaller hard drives. The upside is they are extremely portable as they are very light and generally have longer battery life.

Netbooks are great for online activities. Checking E-Mail, Web Surfing, Playing Online Games, Instant Messaging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Netbooks generally don’t have the power to do things like Editing Photos and Videos, Watching HD Movies, Installing Office Software, playing PC Games or Multitasking.

Netbooks have a smaller screen size, generally 10 inches or less. They also have a smaller keyboard that some people do not like to work with. You will want to go see one locally to make sure you can work on it before deciding to buy one.

While Netbooks certainly have their place, I would recommend buying a notebook if it is in your budget. If you are looking for a smaller screen, they have ultralight models that do not use the scaled down components. I would go for a 13” ultralight laptop before opting for a Netbook.

Scareware is one of the newer tactics that scammers are using to separate you from your hard earned money. They basically install a fake virus scanner on your systems. The scanner pops up and looks like it is running a legitimate Virus scan. It will come back and inform you that you have several infected files and attempt to scare you into buying their cleaner. They will try to force you to buy their cleaner by holding your system hostage, quite often not even letting you close the window unless you purchase. Do not purchase any of these products. No legitimate program will force you to purchase it this way.

In addition to your system not being totally cleaned, they will be back for additional money in the near future, or worse, they may go shopping with your credit cards. If you purchased any of these Scareware cleaners, contact your credit card company immediately and dispute the charge and cancel the card.

For those of you who run their own Exchange environment, RIM is now offering a free version of their Enterprise software. This will allow you to sync Contacts, Calendar and E-mail over the air.

This is a great move for RIM who had always been known for only being a good option for large enterprises due to the high price tag of their Enterprise software. I have the professional version running at a few customer sites and it does a great job. The express looks pretty similar to the professional version sans the price tag.

Download directly from RIM... http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/business/server/express/