• Malware is any malicious piece of software that resides on a piece of electronic equipment. Anything that is running on your computer that you did not put on, or that you were tricked into installing, can be considered malware. Malware is a group term for anything malicious that can run on your computer, such as viruses, spyware, adware, trojan horses, and rootkits.

1. Virus: Anything that copies and duplicates itself on a hard drive.
2. Spyware: A program that spies on you and potentially sends information from your hard drive to remote locations.
3. Adware: Software that shows advertisements.
4. Trojan Horse: A malicious program that acts as something else to gain access to your computer.
5. Rootkit: Hides services at the kernel level to avoid detection.

In broader terms, malware is anything that connects to the Internet without your knowledge and approval or that displays something unintentional.

• Many people say that Macs are immune to malware; this is not true. Macs are just as vulnerable to malware as Microsoft Windows. Fortunately, protecting your Macintosh computer is not at all difficult. Some great programs to use to protect your Mac from malware are:

• • Norton Internet Security: Norton Internet Security, by Symantec, is one of the most popular security programs available.

• • ClamXav: ClamXav is a free, open-source virus scanner.

• • McAfee Virex for Mac: McAfee Virex is based on the popular virus scan engine of McAfee Anti-Virus.

• Downloading Windows Updates is the most important step a computer user can perform. Downloading Windows Updates not only keeps your copy of Windows current, but it also contains needed fixes for possible vulnerabilities

• To use Microsoft's version of Windows Update you must use Internet Explorer because it needs to download certain ActiveX controls which are only available for Internet Explorer. See the next section if you want to use Mozilla Firefox.

1. Please go to Microsoft Windows Update.
2. Windows Update will check to make sure you have the proper ActiveX controls.
3. If you do not have the proper controls, you will be prompted to install them; please do so.
4. Click the Express button.
5. Windows Update will now begin scanning for available updates.
6. After Windows Update loads it will present a list of available updates.
7. Please click Install Updates.
8. The updates will now download and install, please be patient.
9. After the updates are installed it may ask you to restart your computer. If it does, please click on Restart Now.
10. Your computer is now fully updated.

• Normally if you want to use a web browser other than Internet Explorer, you would be out of luck. But Windiz Updates allows you to use Mozilla Firefox or any other non-Internet Explorer browser to update Windows.

1. Please go to Windiz Updates and click on download and install.
2. A yellow bar will appear below your address bar. Please click Edit Options.
3. Click the Allow button.
4. Then click Close.
5. Go back to Windiz Updates and you should be presented with a pop-up window.
6. In this pop-up window, please click the Install Now button.
7. The Windiz Updates Firefox extension will now install, please be patient.
8. After the extension is installed click Scan your PC.
9. Windiz Updates will now scan for available updates.
10. If it prompts you to allow access to files on your computer, please click the Allow this Site button.
11. Install all the updates you are directed to install.
    • Your screen may flash a couple of times. Don't worry, this is completely normal.

• Now that you have the required Windows Updates, you are ready to take more proactive efforts to secure your computer. Installing Windows Updates alone is not enough to protect your computer from malware.

• AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is one of the best free anti-virus softwares available. It has real-time monitoring and thoroughly scans all files and registry entries of malicious viruses.

1. Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition from here.
2. Please save it to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick the file that you have just downloaded.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Accept to agree to the terms of the license agreement.
6. AVG Anti-Virus will now load files so it can proceed with the installation.
7. When it asks if you want a Standard Installation or Custom Installation, make sure Standard Installation is marked and click Next.
8. On the following screen, click Next.
9. Click Finish.
10. AVG Anti-Virus will now install to your system, please be patient.
11. Click OK when prompted.
    

    Updating AVG (Photo by Mahalo)
12. AVG Anti-Virus will now show a window that states it has been successfully installed. Please click Next.
13. Click the Check for Updates button.
14. Put a checkmark next to "Do not ask for the update source next time".
15. Click Internet.
16. When the update selection window comes up, please click Update.
17. The updates will now download and install to your computer, please be patient.
18. After it updates you will be presented with the first run screen again.
19. Click Next.
20. Keep the default daily scanning selections and click Next.
21. Click Next twice and then finally click Continue.
22. AVG Anti-Virus is now set up and protecting your computer.

1. Download avast! 4 Home Edition from Avast's website.
2. Save this file to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick the file you just downloaded.
4. In the resulting window, please click Next.
5. Read the information presented, then click Next.
6. The license agreement will now display, please put a dot next to "I Agree" and click Next after you have read this.
7. Keep the default installation directory and click Next.
8. Keep all the typical installation guidelines and click Next.
9. avast! will now show you all the program modules it will install, please click Next.
10. It will now install to your system, please be patient.
11. You will get prompted whether you want to schedule a boot up scan, please click No.
12. Click Finish to complete the installation and restart your computer.
13. When your computer finishes booting up, it will ask that you register with them,
14. Please click on the avast@ Home Registration page button.
    

    The license key window (Photo by Mahalo)
15. When the web page opens, please click on I'm a new user and I need a registration key for avast! Home Edition.
16. Please fill out the form and click on Register.
17. You will receive an e-mail from register@avast.com within the next 24 hours containing your free product key.
18. Find the license key in the e-mail and copy it to your clipboard.
19. Right-click the blue icon representing the resident protection in the system tray and choose "About avast!"
    • Or in the simple interface choose 'Help' -> 'About avast!...'.
20. Press the License key button in the lower right corner.
21. Enter (or paste) the license key into presented text dialog.
22. Click OK and your copy of avast! Home Edition is activated.

• Comodo AntiVirus provides powerful anti-virus protection. It is completely free for the life of the product.

1. Please go to Comodo's official site and download Comodo AntiVirus.
2. Save this file to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick on the file that you just downloaded.
4. Click Yes when it asks if you wish to continue.
5. Click the Next button when the installation wizard starts.
6. Click Yes to accept the license agreement.
7. Click Next to keep the default installation directory.
   

   Creating white list profile, remember to click Start upon restart (Photo by Mahalo)
8. Comodo AntiVirus will now install to your system.
9. When you get a prompt that it wants to create a user-profiled white list, please click Install.
10. Comodo AntiVirus will now finish installing, please be patient.
11. Click the OK button at the license activation window.
12. Now click Finish to finish the installation of Comodo AntiVirus.
13. When your computer starts back up you will be presented with a window that wants to create a whitelist. Please click the Start button.
14. This may take several minutes, so please be patient.
15. When the scanning process is finished, please click Finished.

• Anti-malware software is a must. Anti-virus software is a good first step, but most malware is not viruses. Without an effective anti-malware application you leave your computer susceptible to other various critters floating around the net, such as:

• • Spyware: A program that tracks what you do on your computer and the web - and does things without your knowledge on your computer and the web, sometimes with your personal information.
  • Adware: Software that plays advertisements on your computer.
  • Trojan Horse: An application that says it will do one thing, but actually does something very different.
  • Rootkit: Hides things that are installed on your system, and conceals activities of other applications on your system, allowing those applications to do things without your knowledge.

• You can install more than one Anti-malware application. Please be aware, however, that if you have too many Anti-malware applications it may slow down your computer.

• Comodo Anti-Malware is a powerful anti-malware application that offers real-time monitoring for malware. It also scans for more than just files. This means that if a piece of software is infected, but has a different file name, it will still be detected and removed by this program.

1. Download Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware from here.
2. Please save it to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick on the CBO_Setup_4.25.exe icon on your desktop.
   

   Installing Comodo (Photo by Mahalo)
4. Press Accept to agree to the license agreement.
5. When it asks if you have already uninstalled any previous versions, click Yes.
6. Push OK to go onto the next message.
7. Now click the INSTALL button to begin installing.
   • Please be aware that installation may take a few minutes.
8. When it asks to go online to collect the latest database updates, click OK.
9. Click the Next when it appears.
10. Comodo Anti-Malware will now update, please be patient.
11. Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware will now present you with a window that says it has been installed. Please click OK.
12. Comodo BOClean is now installed on your system.

• Spybot Search & Destroy is a very popular spyware-removing program. One of the original anti-spyware applications, Spybot offers a very good real-time protection against malware.

1. Please go to the Safer-Networking homepage and download Spybot Search & Destroy.
2. Save this file to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick on the spybotsd15.exe file that you just downloaded.
4. Click OK to keep the default English language selection.
5. On the next screen, click Next.
6. Put a dot next to "I accept the agreement" to agree to the terms of the license agreement and click Next.
7. On the next screen, click Next to keep the default installation folder.
8. Click Next to keep all the default components in the installation.
9. On the next screen, click Next.
10. On the next screen, make sure that both the boxes under "Permanent protection" have checkmarks next to them and click Next.
    

    Immunizing your computer (Photo by Mahalo)
11. Now click Install to install Spybot Search & Destroy on your computer.
    • Please be patient as it installs.
12. After the installation is complete, please click on Finish.
13. If Spybot Search & Destroy does not automatically open, please doubleclick on the desktop icon.
14. You will be presented with a setup wizard, please click Next.
15. When it asks if you want to search for updates, please click Search for updates.
16. On the mirror list window, please click on Continue.
17. On the next screen click Download.
18. After it is finished updating click OK.
19. Then click Exit.
20. In the Spybot S&D Wizard window click on Next.
21. Now click Immunize this system.
    • Please be patient, this may take a few moments.
22. Please click on Next when prompted.
23. Now click on Start using the program and the wizard will disappear.

• ZoneAlarm Firewall is a very powerful, easy to use firewall.

1. Please go to ZoneAlarm's site and download ZoneAlarm Free Edition.
2. Save the file to your desktop for easy access.
3. Doubleclick on the zaSetup_en.exe file that you just saved.
4. After you doubleclick the file, it will ask which version of Microsoft Windows you are using.
5. If you are using Windows Vista, please put a checkmark next to Vista.
6. If you are not using Vista, then please keep the dot next XP/2000 and click Next.
7. Make sure there is a dot next to "Download and Install" and click Next.
8. ZoneAlarm will now download to your computer, please be patient.
9. After ZoneAlarm downloads, it is now ready for installation by clicking the Next button.
   

   Clicking the Next button (Photo by Mahalo)
10. On the next screen, please enter a valid e-mail address so you can register and download future ZoneAlarm updates and then click Next.
11. Put a checkmark next to the "I accept the terms of the preceding License Agreement" and click Install.
12. The ZoneAlarm window will disappear momentarily. Do not try to re-launch the program, it is operating correctly.
13. Please fill out the survey by marking the appropriate choices and click Finish.
14. You will get a window that asks if you want to start ZoneAlarm now, click the Yes button.
15. Click the No Thanks button when it asks if you want to try ZoneAlarm Security Suite.
    • Security Suite is, as the name implies, a security suite created by ZoneAlarm. Although it has a free trial, it is a pay program.
16. On the next screen, ZoneAlarm says it will scan your computer so it can auto-configure the necessary configuration.
17. ZoneAlarm is now installed on your computer and after a restart will protect your computer.
18. Click Finish to restart your computer.
19. When your computer restarts you will be presented with a Getting Started window, please watch the video and then after click Finish.
20. ZoneAlarm is now configured for your computer and protecting you.

• The best way to protect your computer from malware is to avoid malicious websites. Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to see the difference between a legitimate site and a malicious one.

• WOT is a free browser extension that works on both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. When you attempt to visit a site that has suspect content, the extension will alert you before you enter the site and/or download anything from the site. WOT has a similar rating system to McAfee SiteAdvisor.

• • Red: Sites that you want to avoid. These sites most likely contain malware or have some other type of scam. Avoid at all costs!
  • Yellow: Sites that you may want to avoid. It is up to you whether you want to stay on this site or not.
  • Grey: Sites that have not yet been analyzed. These are sites that could be good or bad; use your best judgment.
  • Green: Sites that are okay to visit. These sites have absolutely no malicious intent.

• McAfee SiteAdvisor is a useful Mozilla Firefox extension and Internet Explorer add-on that uses a database of sites to analyze web pages and determine whether the page is safe to visit. It does not however, prevent you from going to the website if you choose to ignore a warning. To interpret what McAfee SiteAdvisor is telling you look at its logo (either in your toolbar or down by your clock) and check if it's:

• • Red: Sites that you want to avoid. These sites most likely contain malware or have some other type of scam. Avoid at all costs!
  • Yellow: Sites that you may want to avoid. It is up to you whether you want to stay on this site or not.
  • Grey: Sites that have not yet been analyzed. These are sites that could be good or bad; use your best judgment.
  • Green: Sites that are okay to visit. These sites have absolutely no malicious intent.

• This step is for experienced users only

• Setting up a Hosts File is one of the easiest and most effective ways to avoid malware download sites.

• Please note that the below instructions are not for Microsoft Windows Vista, for instructions for Windows Vista, please see here:

1. Please go here and download the MVPS Host file.
2. Please save this Zip file to your desktop for easy access.
3. Please doubleclick on the Hosts.zip file on your desktop.
4. Now click on Extract Files and follow the wizard that you are presented with by clicking Next and finally Finish.
   

   Doubleclicking on MVPS.bat (Photo by Mahalo)
5. The files have now been extracted to your desktop.
6. In the resulting window, please doubleclick on the mvps MS-Dos Batch File.
7. In the resulting command prompt window, please click Enter on your keyboard.
8. The host file is now installed on your system and will block most harmful websites.
9. To test that it works, please go to http://www.doubleclick.com. It will give you an error message saying it cannot connect to the website or that your browser cannot display the page.
10. The host file has been installed at C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts.

• Whether you paid for protection software or you downloaded it for free, please make sure to run the Eicar Anti-Virus test file test to make sure you can detect malware. Then run a Firewall Leak Tester to make sure that malware is not able to get into your system in the first place. Now you know you're protected against malware!