Recent Comments
Comment by Karen on Try a Free Online Photography Class (November 22, 2022 06:37 PM)
Another great place to find online courses, such as photography is your local library. Their online site probably has access to one or more online lea...
Comment by Norman Rosen on Time to Break Up With Your Phone Company? (November 22, 2022 04:04 PM)
After 20+ years with Verizon, I switched to Ting, the other company Consumer Reports recommends; and I only wish I had switched sooner. I have no comp...
Comment by Nadine on NINE Tips For Online Holiday Shoppers (November 21, 2022 07:48 PM)
What about the coupons that pop up when using Edge browser, I get those all the time when shopping and I've saved money using those. But since you di...
Comment by Lucy on NINE Tips For Online Holiday Shoppers (November 21, 2022 06:39 PM)
Great to have all these options in one spot ... Thank you Bob. We have been successfully using CamelCamelCamel for a while after you recommended it p...
Comment by Allan on NINE Tips For Online Holiday Shoppers (November 21, 2022 06:18 PM)
Any tips for online CHRISTMAS shoppers?...
Comment by James Rowlett on Time to Break Up With Your Phone Company? (November 21, 2022 03:54 PM)
We have been CC customers for years and enjoy the exceptional customer service. We maintain good coverage up and down the east coast having one phone ...
Comment by Peter Oh on [TIPS] Trouble Seeing Your Computer Screen? (November 20, 2022 01:01 PM)
In short that means that about 40% of the general population are "managing" (with some difficulty) to read PC monitors. No surprise here, but only a f...
Comment by Ryan Zelenski on Time to Break Up With Your Phone Company? (November 20, 2022 12:47 AM)
Thank you so much, Bob! I have been a long time reader and enjoyed the august (synonym for “great”) help over the years. Consumer Cellular had th...
Comment by Ryan Zelenski on Time to Break Up With Your Phone Company? (November 20, 2022 12:09 AM)
Thank you so much, Bob! I have been a long time reader and enjoyed the help over the years. Consumer Cellular had the 2nd highest rating with Consuner...
Comment by Keith on Want Safer Internet? Just Add Onions (November 19, 2022 09:12 PM)
I use Duckduckgo to search. I find their privacy ratings for websites to be very revealing. Seeing the personal info that just Youtube collects and se...
Viruses Articles
Malware and Spam: Why Do They Exist?
Philosophers have pondered the nature of evil for ages. Perhaps you also have wondered how a medium meant for information sharing has become a minefield of privacy and security risks. Spam, viruses, ransomware, identity theft, data breaches, phishing, malicious links and other cybercrimes have become commonplace. Who does this stuff, and what the heck is wrong with them? Let's take a look at what motivates the miscreants who menace millions on the Internet...
...Is Your Flash Drive Infected?
Security research firm Sophos found malware on two-thirds of fifty USB flash drives that had been lost aboard Australian trains. That might suggest that you should avoid computing on Australian trains, but the broader lesson is that USB flash drives are highly vulnerable to malware infections. Here's what you need to know, and how to protect your computer from viruses that may lurk on flash drives...
...Where Do Viruses And Spyware Come From?
Several thousand new viruses and spyware programs are detected every day by security analysts. Have you ever wondered who creates these plagues, and why?
...Virus Alert - XP Total Security 2011
Somehow I got a virus called XP Total Security, and I can't get rid of it. It blocks my security software, and it won't let me download any new anti-virus tools. It's even asking me for money... how do I get rid of this thing?
...Should You Call The Geek Squad?
My computer is running really slow, and I think it might have a virus. There's also a ticking sound inside the computer. I'm not very technical, so I'm thinking about calling the Geek Squad. Do you think that's a good idea?
...How Does a Virus Spread?
I love your site and your Tourbus Newsletter! I would like to know how a virus propagates over a network? If you get a virus on one computer - do other users on the network have to do anything to get infected? Is there a good way to protect against this?
...Free Virus Scan
My computer has been acting strangely... at times it's very slow and I'm getting lots of popups. I'm afraid I have a virus, and the anti-virus software that came with my computer has expired. Can you recommend a good (and preferably free) virus scanner?
...How can I avoid computer viruses?
When I wrote in a previous article that You CANNOT get a virus just by opening or reading your email I fully expected it would unleash a torrent of emails in response. I knew this would happen, because Ask Bob Rankin readers are generally smarter and better-looking than the rest of the online population. Read on for Virus Prevention 102 -- even more information on virus prevention and the merits of anti-virus software.
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