Newsletter November 2006
The most effective treatment for spyware is prevention. That begins with knowledge and understanding. Hopefully, this information has been a starting point that will help you be aware of the cause of pop-ups. We like to advise our customers to “surf safe.” In other words, avoid web sites that are suspicious or offer “free” goods or services. There is a reason they are free. We call such sites “rogue” web sites. To some degree, knowing in advance, which link will take you to a safe destination is a lot like predicting the stock market – it is hard to know in advance if you are picking a winner. Visiting sites of established organizations is definitely a safe practice. Visiting sites that do not have a recognized product or service contain some risk. Our best advice is to use common sense when visiting web sites.
Beyond initially understanding what causes pop-ups and avoiding rogue web sites, there are several stronger prevention methods available. Some of the more cost conscious options include removing software installation permissions on business computers, installing web browsers other than Internet Explorer, or expanding threat scanning features that are built into most corporate anti-virus software packages. A more aggressive solution is for an organization to invest in hardware solutions with advanced control features that have the ability to filter rogue web sites. All of our customers that have chosen this solution are happy with the results. Unfortunately, spyware in its current form and use remains an under developed threat. In time, it will become more and more invasive and harder to treat. There is no doubt that we all agree spyware is not in the best interest of any business network.
In closing, I cannot help but [coyly] smile as the next question “pops up” for discussion: Is there any good news for computer users that are plagued by pop-ups? Yes. There is!
- First, if you believe that you might have spyware on your PC you should send an email to support@cnwi.net and report it to the Convergence Service Desk. The Service Desk is tooled to eliminate spyware infections and our technicians will triage the issue in a manner most appropriate. Keep in mind, that due to the nature and complexity of spyware, we may need to ask for your help. We will definitely need access to your computer while we repair it. Your patience while we work to clean the infected computer is also requested.
- Second, if your situation persists after we clean your computer talk to your management team. We can have a Technical Service Consultant discuss various alternatives that will help.
- Third, keep in mind that we are here to you with the best solution possible.
Thank you. We love our customers and want to put smiles on your face.
If you would like to receive more information simply contact us.
What People Are Saying
- “It was awesome to just call and the service tech right there accessed my computer and quickly fixed my printing issue. Within 5 minutes I was back online and going again. Excellent teamwork and support!!”
- Marv Broadbent, DeaMor Associates