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View Full Version : Spyware pages pop up


N0help4u
Aug 21, 2008, 06:09 PM
When I go to look for a website to answer a question here
I will Google it and find a site that looks interesting and click on it
Too often I am getting a page that turns into a spyware page that windows.
It is scan.on-line-security.com check and it looks like a windows security page and automatically starts running a green scanning type thing. I keep trying to click out of it but it never lets me. I am afraid I am going to end up with a virus. I don't know how unsafe this site is. I also have no idea what websites are going to turn into this either.
The one site was suppose to be a government site for grants and even ended in .gov until I clicked on it.

vingogly
Aug 22, 2008, 05:33 PM
When I go to look for a website to answer a question here
I will google it and find a site that looks interesting and click on it
Too often I am getting a page that turns into a spyware page that windows.
It is scan.on-line-security.com check and it looks like a windows security page and automatically starts running a green scanning type thing. I keep trying to click out of it but it never lets me. I am afraid I am going to end up with a virus. I don't know how unsafe this site is. I also have no idea what websites are going to turn into this either.
the one site was suppose to be a government site for grants and even ended in .gov until I clicked on it.
The green scanning thing is probably a display intended to scare you into buying whatever software they're selling. Here are my recommendations:

1. Use Firefox rather than Internet Explorer for your everyday browsing; only use Internet Explorer for trusted sites that won't display properly in Firefox.

2. Install Ad-Aware Free and Spybot Search & Destroy and run both at least once a week (both are free).

3. Run Windows Update at least once a week and install all security updates.

4. Be sure to enable the Windows software firewall (I'm a Mac user, but I think this comes standard with Windows).

5. Install antivirus software. I'd suggest avoiding Norton Antivirus, and using the free AVG package or the commercial McAfee package.

6. Turn off HTML display in your email client, and download and scan all attachments for viruses before opening - even if they're from someone you know.

7. Avoid freeware unless it's from a trusted source. If you don't know whether the source is trustable, ask here.

Do all the above and you'll drastically reduce the probability of getting infected.