Savvy Duck Alerts

With all the viruses, spyware, security flaws, and other threats constantly plaguing the world of computers, how do you know how you can protect yourself? I'll attempt to help by detailing some of the more common and widespread threats that I've encountered, and I'll provide advice on how to avoid them.

Fun Web Products and My Web Search Many viruses and other pieces of malware can cripple your computer, make it fail to boot, fail to run programs, fail to use the internet, and otherwise cause general mayhem. But what about more benign pieces of malware that don't cause any extensive damage, but cause more subtle problems or perhaps spy on you behind your back or deliver ads when otherwise you would not be exposed to them? Fun Web Products and its companion software My Web Search are arguably examples of this. Click through to learn more about them.

Phone Scam Have you ever gotten an uexpected phone call from a support technician notifying you of a virus on your computer and offering to help? If so, you'll want to read this, because you may have been an unwitting victom of a scam that has been growing more and more frequent in recent months. Learn how it works, what to look for, and what actions to take here.

Vista Antispyware Viruses and malicious programs that defend themselves against removal by the user or by security software are nothing new. However, one particularly effective threat that I have encountered several times presents an added difficulty in that it changes its name and appearance depending on where it is installed, when it is installed, and a certain amount of random chance. I have encountered it most often by the name Vista Antispyware 2012, but it has many other names and can be difficult to pin down. Learn how to recognize and avoid it here.

Mac Defender Mac Defender (also known as Mac Guard, Mac Protector, Mac Security, Mac Shield, and others) is the first widely successful Macintosh malware since Apple released the OSX operating system. The unscrupulous people behind it popularized an official-looking website containing what it claimed was a freely-downloadable piece of antivirus software. However, this software is extremely dangerous in several ways. Read on for more detailed information and prevention techniques.