We often get asked why a PC is sluggish or how did the pop-ups start appearing. In nearly every case, FREE downloads were installed, bringing advertising software called Spyware with it. Examples of programs that have Spyware are Hotbar, Gator and Weatherbug. Many pop-ups are from brand names that you may have trusted in the past. These free products also plague system resources by taking disk space, CPU time and Internet bandwidth. Weatherbug is the prime example of stealing Internet bandwidth.
 
Nancy Reagan’s comment in the 1980’s on a different subject is good advice for this problem – “JUST SAY NO!” when the pop-up appears. We all know it is hard to ‘JUST SAY NO!” as many of the advertisements and their free products or services sound so good. Remember that nothing is free. The latest gizmos and “need to have” products carry all types of advertising baggage including Spyware and viruses.
 
The next time you have the option of installing the latest free toolset, do not install it. To take it a step further, go into the Control Panel – into Add/Remove Programs – and uninstall any of these applications that you know are indeed the result of free downloads. Whether it is with your business PC’s or with your home PC (where the problems are often very serious), make sure your fellow associates or your family members are aware of what can happen. While you will find more information on the Spyware problem in the next article, you can “JUST SAY NO!” to avoid this serious problem.

Technology moves very quickly when it comes to new viruses and making updates available to protect against these new threats. With “automatic updating” available for many products, many users do not even notice when the PC’s virus information is being updated. Even though most products are providing a “hands off” approach to updates, a little more “elbow-grease” is needed for virus removal after detection.
 
One of the problems that a user faces is what to do when a virus notification pops up on the screen. Sometimes the wording of an alert is cryptic. Sometimes a user might ignore the warning, just close the box and continue working. Some server based Anti-Virus software applications have an auto-email feature that notifies an administrator of virus activity. These E-mails can also be very hard to understand and leave users unclear as to what actions were taken by the software.
 
Below are steps to take when alert messages appear after a virus attempts to do its thing:

1. First, all users should be told to contact their administrator or support any time a virus alert pops on the screen.

2. Usually the pop up lists the virus, the infected file and location, and what action was taken against the attack.

3. The user/administrator should look at the action to see if the virus was cleaned. If cleaned, the antivirus software fixed the problem and no further action is needed. If the program was UNABLE TO CLEAN, it will try to QUARENTINE the file (move the file to a different location to prevent further damage). If the software tells you that it was UNABLE TO QUARENTINE, then you need to take immediate action. Notify the administrator or contact Copeland Data Systems so that the virus can be manually cleaned up. Until a virus is cleaned up, it will continue to run and to do whatever damage that it was designed to do.

Ignoring virus alerts can be devastating to network and machine performance, and it can cause instability and data loss. If there is any confusion about what should be done when an alert occurs, contact CDS and we can advise on what needs to be done. 

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), Spyware is programming that is put into your computer to secretly gather information about you and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get into a computer through a software virus or through installing a new program. Often Spyware is installed without the consent of the user, as a “drive-by” download, or as the result of clicking some option in a deceptive pop-up window.

You may start to notice evidence of Spyware on your machine when screens POP-UP, most of the time at random, with different advertising messages. Also you may notice that your PC is slowing down as you open new windows or programs and taking longer to boot up each day.

Spyware can be controlled by using an Anti-Spyware software application. You can purchase Anti-Spyware software to help you manage these over the Internet. Some of these applications are available as a “base product” free of charge and work well. Two products, Ad-Aware from Lavasoft) and Search and Destroy from Spybot, both work well. You can go to the web sites and review these products and download if you want. The sites are http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ for Ad-Aware and http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22262,00.asp for Spybot.

Just a few months back, it was recommended that Spyware be checked (by running an Anti-Spyware application) on a monthly basis. This is no longer adequate as new Spyware could be installed on your machine each and every day without your knowledge. Today, weekly checks are needed for many PC environments in the office. For home machines where a lot of Internet activity is present, checking for Spyware every day or two may be required.

This Spyware problem will get worse before it gets better. The software is becoming more and more sophisticated everyday. You need to take a few minutes and use Anti-Spyware to help keep your PC cleaned up and effective. Also “JUST SAY NO” to free downloads when these opportunities become available. Share this knowledge with others who use your PC at home or are on the network at work. The more proactive you become on this issue, the less problems you will have.

Client Spotlight

	Business Software, Networking ...
	Frey Electric

Founded in 1945, Frey Electric has built a reputation for providing quality work in the electrical construction, communication and service industries. The work that Frey Electric produces is evident to most of us in Western New York. We are familiar with their work on projects such as the Buffalo Airport, HSBC Arena, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Ralph Wilson Stadium and Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Their commercials are seen on television.

While we may think Frey Electric is only for the “big guys” with big needs, they actually have three separate divisions, Residential, Commercial and Industrial. They handle all size jobs and service calls – from a new build to finding a problem with a specific outlet.

Due to their business focus, Job Costing is critical to their operations. Their integrated software focuses on managing the Labor, Materials, Sub-Contracting and Payment aspects of a job. Ken Jaskier, Controller of Frey Electric, says, “CDS has been able to handle all of our hardware & software needs, from basic PC installation to network management and assisting us with the development of specialized reports and applications.”

If you would like to learn more about Frey Electric Construction Company, you can visit them online at www.frey-electric.com or call 716-874-1710.