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Security and Protection For Your PC After It Has Been Infected and Cleaned

sparksspace | Wednesday, February 27, 2008 | 1 comments

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You say to yourself "Now what can I do to Prevent this happening again??" Here are some general instructions to Protect your System from another attack. Please take note of the tools that may prevent the fix from working. Please familiarize yourself with each instruction and when your PC is clean make sure you are protected by following these instructions:

Clean out temporary files:
- Start | Run | type cleanmgr | OK
- Let it scan your system for files to remove.
- Make sure Temporary Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Recycle Bin are the only things checked.
- Click "OK" to remove them.
- Click "Yes" to confirm the deletion.
Clean out System Restore points for Windows ME and Windows XP:
You need to reset and re-enable your System Restore to remove infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in System Restore are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only way to clean these files (You will lose all previous restore points which are likely to be infected):
- For Windows ME:
  - Right-click My Computer and then click Properties.
  - On the Performance tab, click File System
  - On the Troubleshooting tab, click to select Disable System Restore
  - Click OK twice.
  - Restart your computer.
  - Repeat steps 1-2.
  - Clear the check mark in Disable System Restore check box.
  - System Restore is now be active again.
- For Windows XP:
  - On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.
  - Click Properties.
  - Click the System Restore tab.
  - Check "Turn off System Restore".
  - Click Apply, and then click OK.
  - Reboot your PC.
  - Repeat steps 1-3.
  - UN-Check "Turn off System Restore".
  - Click Apply, and then click OK.
Remember to keep your PC up-to-date:
- You Need to keep Windows and Internet Explorer up to date even if you are using another browser for surfing the Internet. Internet Explorer is an integral part of Windows and therefore if it is not updated, you are at a much greater risk of infection from Malware.
  - To get all the Latest Security Patches to protect your computer from the Malware and Spyware please go to: Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer Updates for the critical updates.
- If you are running Microsoft Office, or any portion thereof, go to the Microsoft Office Update site and make sure you have all the cirtical updates installed
- Microsoft responds with patches when it becomes aware of an insecurity in any software it markets, so please check the Microsoft Update Site for patches that have been posted for any Microsoft Software you have on your PC.
Do you have an anti-virus program? Is it up-to-date with this week's virus definitions? If it isn't, then it is essentially useless. If you don't have an anti-virus program, there are two anti-virus Programs available for free that give good basic AV protection:
- AVG Free with email protection.
- avast! 4 Home Edition with email protection.
- Avira AntiVir® PersonalEdition Classic
In this day and age having a Firewall is an absolute necessity. There are two free Firewalls that are available:
- ZoneAlarm Free - Easy to setup. A tutorial for ZoneAlarm Free can be found here.
- Sygate Personal Firewall - A little more complicated Firewall to set up.
- COMODO personal Firewall -Complete protection from Hackers, Spyware, Trojans and Identity theft.
The following tools & programs should be installed after your computer is completely clean. All of these tools and programs can interfere with the tools we use to fix your computer. If installed, it may take much longer for your computer to be repaired and these tools and programs will have to be disabled before your computer is fixed.
Three free programs which we recommend for running on a weekly basis to find any bad files or cookies that you may have downloaded inadvertently are:
- Ad-Aware SE Personal by Lavasoft.
  - Install Ad-Aware SE Personal according to the instructions found here.
- Windows Defender by Microsoft - One of the best new programs out there to kill Spyware. (requires Genuine Windows Check).
- Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4 by Patrick Kolla.
  - Install Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4 according to the instructions found here.
    Note: There are many settings in the Advanced Section of Spybot S&D that, if activated before your computer is fixed can prevent the fix from working, leaving the Malware on your PC.

For More Real Time Protection You Can Install The Following Tools after your PC is Clean ,What is Real Time?
Real Time protection means that the tool scans for spyware in every file you open and then prevents Malware from being executed if it is detected on your computer. Some also have download and Active X protection.Some of these tools make identical entries in your Registry, but they do not conflict when run together.

Please consider using an alternate browser. Mozilla's Firefox browser is fantastic; it is much more secure than Internet Explorer, immune to almost all known browser hijackers, and also has the best built-in popup blocker (as an added benefit!) . If you are interested, Firefox may be downloaded from here: http://www.getfirefox.com/
The Google Toolbar blocks many unwanted pop-ups in Internet Explorer. (install in non-sponsored mode to prevent tracking for statistical purposes)
Download Spyware Blaster to prevent the installation of Spyware in the first place. A tutorial for Spyware Blaster can be found here.
Another excellent program is SpywareGuard. It provides a degree of real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition to SpywareBlaster's protection method. A tutorial for SpywareGuard can be found here.
IE-Spyad puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone so you'll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren't actually innocent at all and prefer to download it.
Use the MVPS Hosts file which replaces your current HOSTS file with one that can block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the Server that supplies these little gems.
Use WinPatrol by BillP Studios for multiple Spyware file detection and deletion.