This season, if you have receive a new computer or new software, check em for the gifts you might not know about. Many computers come with bundled software that includes Adware, Malware and even Spyware. You may not find it until you launch the software program. It may give you a message that says it needs to connect to a site to complete the registration. Make sure you read the entire license agreement. I know of many stories about how a user had to do a complete restore on their new computer just days after getting it. These stories involve the user spending hours on the phone with customer support trying to resolve the problem. In previous years, Dells customer support has been swamped after the holidays with calls from new users asking for help. Before you get online with the new computer, insure the AntiVirus and Firewall is functioning. The computer will probably prompt you that it needs to get updates. Check what the update is before agreeing to the install. Make sure you get the MS updates needed too. If after all this, you still don't know which updates or installs to agree to, there are help sites that provide assistance. Check the products site first, they may have customer support or even a Forum. Visit Spyware Warrior for a list of rogue/suspect Anti-Spyware products and web sites. http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm Test your Firewall at Hacker Watch to make sure you're able to block attacks. http://www.hackerwatch.org/probe/ If you're unsure of a process thats running, check it at UniBlues process library. http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ These are just a few of the help sites out there, there are many excellent sites that can help you. If after all the searching, you still need help, I recommend the Major Geeks Help Forum. http://forums.majorgeeks.com/ It will involve you registering and downloading the Hijack This program, running it and then uploading the log results to the Malware Forum there. They are good people there and will help you get your computer happy. Think you've got it covered? Do the "How safe are you" quiz at Stay Safe Online. http://staysafeonline.org/basics/quiz.html Also a point to ponder. If you're giving instead of receiving, make sure what you give is safe and reliable. Don't forget to create a restore point and maintain backups of important data is my last bit of advice. So after the gift giving, after the clean up, after the nap on the couch, check your computer to insure your online safety. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Once apon a time, there was a young lady who became lost while traveling. She decided to pull over at a rest stop and get online with her laptop to find directions. As she booted up her trusty laptop, she remembered her AntiVirus was about to expire. Well, she thought, I'll just search online for something that will get me by for now. The search engine results offered a variety of results, all claiming to be the best...some even claimed to cure gout! First she reviewed the freebies. FreeAntiVirus4u.com looked good, but wait, here's a review about it that says it's actually Spyware! That won't do. Ah, here's one that's only $ 12.95 and if I download it right now, Wow,I get a Ginsu knife set for free with it! They even cut pipe! But alas, she noticed that it had no online protection and the signatures had to be updated manually. This one won't do either. Goldilocks was beginning to wonder if this was worth all the trouble. After all she thought, I just need a quick look at WolfsMaps.com and I can be on my way to Grandmas, but just then she remembered the website she had been recommended to last week. What a cute dog the websites Company Mascot was! The site stated that a computer could be hacked very easily without proper protection. The thought of losing all of Grandmas recipes stored on her hard drive gave her a chill. The site also said, be it free, cheap or expensive, make sure it works for you! Read the agreement, read the manual, educate yourself in its use, also check reviews for customer satisfaction. Sounds like good advice she thought. Goldilocks now felt purpose in her quest. She would insure her online safety, and then get directions over the hill and thru the woods. Wait a minute, That Website with the cute dog! She was sure it would have what she needed. It just felt....safe, like Grandmas house. After all, her Internet Security was paramount! She had heard horror stories about those wolves lurking online to take advantage of unsuspecting souls. Especially during full moons. (Opps, wrong story) As the site loaded, she gasped! Ah, this is just right! After just a few minutes she found an Anti Virus Product that ranked in the top 4! And it was not even expensive. Happily she downloaded and installed it. It only took her a few minutes to set it up. Before she rebooted to finish the install, she bookmarked the site so she could return later. She wanted information on Anti Spyware Products too. And there was a article titled "Facts about Firewalls" that looked interesting. A few minutes later at Wolfsmaps.com she found where she had made her wrong turn. The way she was going now led to "Wolfsburg" where the "Lil Red Riding Hood Memorial" was. As she pulled back onto the freeway she thought, this would have made a great story! Goldilocks was one of the lucky ones. Many have no idea they are not adequately protected while online. Some suffer incidents of identity theft which is rising drastically. Insure your Online Safety. About the Author: Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware, Viruses and other Online Nasties.