August, 2004¹
(Some previous months still online.)

The Price of Scumware

Two recent vintage PCs sit in our shop, victimized by scumware. Both are in near-new condition, physically. Both were abandoned by their owners, who found it more economical to buy new PCs than to repair and/or replace software ravaged by scumware.

Scumware -- viruses and parasitic software or spyware -- is everywhere. It's transmitted by email, by instant messages, by downloaded software, and even just by visiting websites. You can't avoid it, but you can protect yourself against its onslaught.

Firewall.  The first step is to erect a barrier or firewall between your PC and the Internet. The best firewall is a hardware firewall such as those found in network routers. If you access the Internet via cable modem or DSL, it's simple and relatively inexpensive (about $50) to install a router between the modem and your PC. Available at most office and computer supply stores, routers also allow you to connect additional computers to the Internet via cables or by WiFi. Major manufacturers are Linksys, NETGEAR, and D-Link.

Second best are software firewalls. A basic, better than nothing, firewall is built into Windows XP/2000. (Search for firewall in the Help and Support center available from the Start button.) A good, free firewall is distributed by Zone Alarm, which also makes "pro" shareware versions. Reliable firewalls are often packaged with antivirus software and available separately from antivirus software manufacturers (see below).

P.S.  Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP includes an upgraded firewall that is turned on by default. It has just (August 2004) become available from Microsoft using the Windows Update facility (Internet Explorer > Tools > Windows Update) or by turning on Automatic Updates (My Computer > right click > Properties > Automatic Updates). It's a big (80 MB download) so dial-up users should request SP2 on a CD-ROM. Either way it's free and a must-have. In addition to the upgraded firewall, it includes major security changes for Internet Explorer.

Prevention & Removal.  There are many effective antivirus packages from reputable companies such as Symantec, McAfee and Computer Associates, even trustworthy freeware packages from Grisoft and Avast (free for individuals; corporate licenses available). All are capable of detecting, removing, and blocking viruses. Antivirus software should be set to for real-time monitoring (files, email, removable disks, downloads) and to run a full scan once a day.

There are also well-designed software tools for detecting and removing scumware. Free tools include Ad-Aware SE Personal and Spybot Search & Destroy (good product, terrible name). Pest Patrol is one of the better-rated shareware (try before you buy) products. Our recommendation for effective scumware blocking is Ad-Aware SE Plus -- or SE Professional for the truly nerdy. These shareware products, which you can order from Installations Plus+, stop scumware before it gets installed on your PC. If you opt for freeware, be sure to run anti-spyware scans at least once a week.

Update, Update, Update.  None of the antivirus and none of the anti-spyware programs are worth much if you neglect to update their definition files regularly. New scumware appears daily, so daily updates are a sensible precaution. But it's not only the medicine that should be kept fresh, it's the patients, too. Use the Windows Update facility to check for patches, fixes, and modifications to the operating system, browser, email software, etc. installed on your PC. Windows XP/2000 should be set to do this automatically.

Fight or Switch?  The hackers who write scumware don't target less popular operating systems, browsers, office suites, email software, or instant messaging systems. They can't be bothered. That means you may be able to avoid scumware by switching to minority software for some applications. But remember: the less popular software may be harder to use, less versatile, more problematic, and sometimes more expensive. There are, afterall, good reasons for the lack of market penetration.

For Switchers.  Some quick recommendations for no and low-cost alternatives:

• Try Knoppix, a Linux distribution that boots from a CD (no installation, no changes or damage to your existing setup), to see if you can live with an alternative operating system.
• Don't try uninstalling Internet Explorer -- it's really an integrated part of Windows -- but give open-source (freeware) FireFox a spin. It's the current browser from the Netscape/Mozilla camp, and a good IE alternative. But realize that most webpages are written for IE, and some won't work in anything else. That holds true for my favorite, the Opera browser (freeware and shareware versions), which boasts many features not found in IE, including a robust email client.
• Speaking of email software, Eudora (freeware/shareware) is an easy switch from Outlook Express and again provides the bonus of additional features. Even safer: use a webmail interface to handle email. Many POP3 accounts now have one. If yours doesn't, try Mail2Web or a free Yahoo! or Hotmail account to collect your POP3 email.
• Not married to Microsoft Office? Try dating Open Office, a free, open source suite that is compatible with and includes most of the features of MS Office, and adds a few neat features of its own.
• Finally, for instant messages, try Trillian (freeware/shareware), which communicates with the AIM, IRC, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo! networks in a single interface -- without ads.

If you liked this column, try the PC News Digest, by the same writer.

Alert me by email when you post a new PC Tips column.

1. PC Tips is an irregularly-issued column produced by Installations Plus+ for those of its clients who don't pretend to power user status.  You are welcome to submit suggestions for future columns to the PC Tips Suggestion Box.

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• The October, 1999 PC Tips on Ripoff or Repair?
• The November, 1996 PC Tips on Laser Printers
• The December, 1996 PC Tips on Buying a Personal Computer
• The January, 1997 PC Tips on Computer Viruses
• The February, 1997 PC Tips on Deleting Files and DLL Problems
• The March, 1997 PC Tips on the "Hole" in Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Windows Error Messages
• The April, 1997 PC Tips on Frequently Asked Questions and Their Answers
• The May, 1997 PC Tips on More Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
• The June, 1997 PC Tips on Summer Safeguards
• The July, 1997 PC Tips on Modem Update and Free Speech & the Internet
• The August, 1997 PC Tips on "Windows 93", the World Wide Wait, and an H-P Printer Problem
• The September, 1997 PC Tips on Summer Safeguards, Windows 95 Registry, and Software Upgrades
• The April, 1998 PC Tips on Modems (56.6 kbs, ISDN, Cable), Scanners, Free Email
• The May, 1998 PC Tips on Backups: A Special Report
• The June, 1998 PC Tips on Installing New Software
• The July, 1998 PC Tips Am I Ready for a Website?
• The August, 1998 PC Tips Email Etiquette
• "Highway Robbery," Nathaniel Wice's TIME Digital Magazine undercover investigation of sleazy computer "salesmanship", which appeared in the November, 1996 issue
• "Does Not Compute," Michael Maren's New York Magazine article on selecting a PC repair shop, which appeared in the November, 1996 issue

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