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Question
when I logged onto IE today, a popup came on my screen and it looked like an official microsoft message from system doctor 2006 and requested that I download something to make my pc safe and get rid of viruses, etc. Since my pc has been acting funny lately; i.e. slow and lots of unwanted popup ads for online dating sites and the like, I thought about it. I do not feel this is a legitimate site and may not have a connection to microsoft, so I X'ed it out. Did I do the right thing and how do I stop these things from appearing if they are truly not legitimate?
You did the right thing, congratulations.
There is an easy way to prevent this sort of attack. IE is notoriously vulnerable to attack and it is hard to protect it no matter what Internet security suite you buy. However, if you quit using IE except for the Windows Update site, and use the free Firefox browser instead, your computer will be far safer. You can get Firefox and other free, super secure programs from www.mozilla.org . This foundation is headed by Mitch Kapor, a legendary pioneer of the computer revolution.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | thank you very much. I am now going to try to install Firefox; I have heard good things, but was reluctant to change. Now is the time. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Carolyn Meinel
Expertise
I cover Windows, Linux, TCP/IP and Ethernet security questions. I do not cover Mac, smart phones, or other networking issues.
Experience
Books by Carolyn Meinel: wrote a chapter for The Hacking of America book (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567204600/happyhacker)
My article Code Red for the Web for Scientific American was reprinted in the book Best American Science Writing 2002 (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060936509/happyhacker). My book The Happy Hacker: A Guide to Mostly Harmless Hacking is now in 4th edition with a Japanese edition (see http://happyhacker.org/hhbook/).
Organizations
IEEE, AAAS
Publications
See a list with some online links at http://cmeinel.com
Education/Credentials
MS, Industrial Engineering, The University of Arizona
Took a course in computer forensics at the University of Texas at Austin/
Past/Present Clients
DARPA, SAIC, Palmer Labs
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