Clients often ask me about the difference between malware, a virus or a trojan.  I found this excellent article in PC Magazine that spells out the difference PC Magazine Article.

 

 

As the holiday season approaches I am getting quite a few calls about malware infections on PC computers. The people who create these are aware that there will be a large increase in people searching on line for holiday gifts and they create websites and emails to try to get people to take advantage of deals and bargains that have malware attached.

There are however some simple ways that you can protect yourself and have a happy holiday season..

1. Make sure your Antivirus and Malware protecting is up to date in running.
2. Do not click on links in emails unless you know they are legitimate. Just because they came from someone you trust, does not mean that your friend actually sent it, or if they did, that they know that they know where the content came from.
3. Stay away from website where you do not know the company behind it. Some of these are not legitimate.
4. Sites or emails offering something for free generally have a hidden cost.
5. Be extremely careful of programs from download sites, often these contain unwanted gifts.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Jon
My Personal Geek