HELP / FAQ's PAGE
Please browse our help page for assistance on problems you may be currently experiencing. If you recognise any of the following symptoms then click the we recommend link, this will show available solutions with more information and download advice. To cover other possible malicious programme's that you maybe unaware of we also suggest clicking the we recommend link this will give further information with the option to purchase the best current products in order to safeguard future PC use. If you have a problem that you are finding difficult to identify or maybe eliminate then please e-mail us at help@surf-safe.info with as much information as possible, we will respond and hopefully help as quickly as possible, regards all at the SURF SAFE COMPANY.
Index:
| Computer Virus | Trojan | Worm | Spyware |
| Adware | Malware | Key Logger | Pop-up |
| Phishing | SPAM | Scam or Hoax e-mails | |
| Firewall | Pop up blocker | Anti Spyware | |
| How do I keep my child safe | |||
COMPUTER VIRUS - is a small program written to maliciously change the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. It may try to avoid detection by disguising itself as a legitimate program.
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Possible Symptoms
- Computer runs slowly or takes a longer time than normal to start
- Anti virus software indicates a virus
- Computer stops responding when trying to use Microsoft office products or cannot start task manager
- You recently opened a strange e-mail attachment and either dialog boxes appear or a sudden slow down in system performance occurs
- An anti virus program keeps disabling itself or cannot be installed or will not run
- Someone has received e-mails from you containing attached files which you did not send
- New unexplained icons appear on your desktop
- Strange sounds or music plays from your speakers unexpectedly
- disappearing programs
- windows may not re start or restarts unexpectedly or starts with system files missing or stops responding before the desktop icons and task bar appear
- if you have an external modem the lights may blink extensively when its not being used
- out of memory error messages appear even though you have plenty of memory left
- programs that used to run now stop responding or do not install properly
- a disc utility such as Scandisk reports multiple serious disk errors
- a partition completely disappears
If you have any of these symptoms you could have a virus. WE RECOMMEND .
TROJAN - is a program that infects your computer and allows a hacker to run hidden tasks behind your back or allows total remote access to your computer by a third party, BEWARE personal information can be easily obtained once a hacker invades your computer.
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Possible Symptoms -
- ANY STRANGE ACTIVITY which makes you think that somebody else is using or controlling your computer!
- cd/ dvd rom drawer opens and closes by itself
- Screen may blink or invert or turn upside down or display text backwards
- wall paper or background settings change by themselves
- strange printer or mouse or speakers or microphone or modem dial out behaviour
- Ctrl Alt Del stops working
- computer reboots itself
- files are shown to be in use when you are not accessing them
- when you reboot your computer a message says that there are other users still connected
If you have any of these symptoms you could have a virus. WE RECOMMEND.
COMPUTER WORM - a computer program which first seeks and then spreads information normally on a network scale.
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Possible Symptoms -
- Lack of system performance
- system locking up
- slow getting into programs
- decreased connection speed to the internet or disconnected or system tries to dial up without your assistance
- system shuts down on its own
- programs or files mysteriously disappear
- a sudden reduction in disk space
- unexplained hidden files appear
If you have any of these symptoms you could have a virus. WE RECOMMEND.
SPAM - E mails sent by companies offering goods or services. Often companies send thousands of SPAM e-mails hoping that a small percentage will respond and buy there products. Your e-mail address is often sold to other companies who will also SPAM e-mail you with products. Spam e-mails can be annoying and dangerous as sometimes the e-mail is made to look like it came from a bank or other creditable organisation when in fact it hasn’t. See Phishing or click for more details HERE.
Scam or Hoax e-mails - Emails sent to frighten or mislead its victim. Although these emails may seem real enough they are in fact a hoax and can just be deleted without any harm. They normally warn of a new virus or an offer that sounds “to good to be true” There are many hoax's in operation a list of the most common can be seen below:
| !!?UNAVAILABLE!? Mobile Phone Hoax | !0000 Hoax | $800 from Microsoft |
| 3b Trojan | 48 Hours Hoax | A Moment Of Silence Hoax |
| A Virtual Card For You Hoax | ACE-? Mobile Phone Hoax | AIDS Hoax |
| All Seeing Eye hoax | America Online FlashNews Hoax | Antichrist, Anticristo Hoax |
| AOL 83 Minutes hoax | AOL and Intel | AOL Flashing IM |
| AOL Instant Message Hoax | AOL Riot hoax | AOL Year 2000 Update |
| AOL4FREE Hoax or What? | Awareness Virus, | Baby New Year Hoax |
| Badtimes Hoax | Be My Valentine | Be Spooked |
| BestBuy Order Fraud Alert | Bicho7 | Big Brother hoax |
| Blue Mountain Virus | Blueballs Are Underrated Virus | Blueman hoax |
| Bud Frogs Screen Saver Hoax | BUDDYLST.ZIP Hoax | BUDSAVER.EXE |
| Budweiser | BUGGLST | Bugslife Screensaver Hoax |
| California Virus | California.IBM hoax | Cat-Colonic hoax |
| CELCOM Screen Saver | CELLSAVER Virus | CLEANMGR.EXE Warning |
| Coke.exe | D@Fit, | Dana hoax |
| Dear Friends, | Death69 | Deeyenda Hoax |
| Desi1love | Despite Hoax, | Discount Virus |
| Disney Hoax | DR.SIMON.WAJNTRAUBWS | eBook |
| Economic Slow Down Hoax | E-Flu | Elecciones 2000 |
| Elfbowl | EVIL THE CAT Virus | Family Pictures Hoax |
| FatCat Virus | Flashmaster G | Flower for You |
| Foot N Mouth Virus Warning | Forward | Free flight Hoax |
| FREE M & M's | Free Money | Free Pizza Virus |
| Friends Hoax | FROGAPULT | ELFBOWL |
| Frogs and Fishes Hoax | Funprog hoax | Gamma2.exe |
| GAP Email Tracking | Get More Money | Ghost.exe Hoax |
| Gift from Microsoft | Girl Thing hoax | Girls of Playboy Hoax |
| Go Hip | Goldbear Virus | Good Times Hoax |
| Google Trojan Hoax | Got You Hoax | Great Gas-Out Hoax |
| Guts to Say Jesus hoax | Hacky Birthday Virus | Hairy Palms Virus |
| Halloween Virus | Happy New Year Hoax | Hello Dear |
| Help Poor Dog | Hitler | How to Give a Cat a Colonic |
| ICE Virus Mobile Phone Hoax | INFILTER | Information on SARC 'Virus Test' |
| Intel Special Offer Hoax | Internet Flower hoax | Iraq War Hoax |
| Irina Hoax | Jan1st20.exe Virus | Jdbgmgr.exe hoax |
| John Kennedy Jr Trojan | Join The Crew Hoax | JOKE_FLIPPED |
| Kleneu66 hoax | La Bible Des Moines Hoax | Launch Nuclear Strike Now |
| Let's Watch TV Hoax | Life is beautiful hoax | LOC Hoax |
| Londhouse Viru | Lotus Notes Worm | Lump of Coal Virus |
| Macdonald's Screensaver | Macmebig hoax | Manicomium Hoax |
| Matrix Virus | Microsoft Virus | Milk Carton Bug |
| Millennium Time Bomb | Missing Child Hoax | MobilVirus |
| MSN Messenger add a Contact | Multi-hoax | MusicPanel HOAX |
| NASTYFRIEND99 | New York Big Dirt | Nokia Screensaver hoax |
| Norman Virus | Norton anti - virus v5 | Osama vs Bush Hoax |
| Outback Steakhouse | Pandemic | Payback Hoax |
| Penpal Hoax | PHANTOM MENACE Hoax | Pikachus Ball hoax |
| Pluperfect | Pool Party email hoax | Postal Service Email Charge |
| Sandman URL hoax | Sarc Virus Test | Scoutshacker |
| Slavemaster | South Park News Letter | SPARTAN HORSE Hoax |
| St.Patrick's Day Hoax | SULFNBK Hoax | Symantec ASDL Virus |
| T Virus | Tax Return Hoax | The New Ice Age |
| Time Bomb | Tuxissa | UNABLE TO DELIVER hoax |
| Upgrade Internet 2 | Valentine Greeting Hoax | Virtual Card for You Virus |
| W2 Sync Virus | W32.MFG.Tassos@mm Hoax | W32.Torch hoax |
| W32.XPExp.Worm | W32-PrPlCrcl-G | Wait 48 Hours |
| WAZUP Hoax | Welcome to the matrix Hoax | Win a Holiday Email Hoax |
| Windows 98 Warning Hoax | Wobbler Virus | World Domination |
| WTC Survivor Hoax | Y2K7 Virus | Y2KGame |
| Yellow Teletubbies | Your friend D@fit | Zlatko |
| ZZ331 Virus |
SPYWARE or ADWARE or MALWARE - software that invades a computer often changing internet settings, can also flood you with popup’s or expose personal information
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Possible Symptoms -
- slow running computer
- new favourites added but not by you
- increased number of popup ads
- your normal default home page or normal search page has changed but not by you
- increased phone bill charges caused by spyware dialling out a different phone number without your knowledge
- new toolbars added but not by you
- internet explorer crashes
If you have any of these symptoms you could have a virus. WE RECOMMEND.
KEYLOGGER - A key logger is a type of surveillance software which can be considered as software or spyware, that has the capability to record every keystroke you make to a log file (usually encrypted). A key logger recorder can record instant messages, email and any information you type at any time using your keyboard. the log file created by the key logger can be sent to a specified receiver. Some key logger programs will also record and email web addresses that you visit and of course will record any personal details you type on the computer keyboard.
Key loggers as a surveillance tool e.g. XPCSPY, are often used by employers to ensure employees use work computers for business purposes only. Unfortunately, key loggers can and are also embedded in spyware allowing your information to be transmitted to an unknown third party.
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Possible Symptoms -
- slow running computer
- increased phone bill charges caused by spyware dialling out a different phone number without your knowledge
- Loss of disk space
- internet explorer crashes
If you have any of these symptoms you could have a virus. WE RECOMMEND.
PHISHING - Variation on the word fishing sometimes called brand spoofing or carding. An e-mail is sent falsely claiming to be a legitimate company requesting private information from the victim which can then be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the victim to visit a web site where they are asked to update personal information like credit cards, passwords, bank details etc. These requestes are often received as SPAM emails and should be IGNORED. For more information on Phishing click HERE.
POP-UP - A pop-up is a display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears ("pops up") in the foreground of the screen. Pop-ups can be initiated by a single or double mouse click or rollover (sometimes called a mouseover), and also possibly by voice command or can simply be timed to occur. A pop-up window must be smaller than the background window or interface; otherwise, it's a replacement window.
On the World Wide Web, JavaScript (and less commonly Java applets) are used to create interactive effects including pop-up and full overlay windows. This is the source of those very annoying adverts that appear all over your screen when you are infected with adware.
If you have any of the symptoms listed under Adware/Spyware you should protect yourself with an anti-spyware program such as the one recommended in the Safe Surfing Protection Pack.
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE - Anti virus (or anti-virus) software is a class of program that searches your computer for any known or potential viruses and trojans. The market for this kind of program has expanded because of internet growth and the increasing use of the internet by businesses concerned about protecting their computer assets..
If you have any of the symptoms listed under computer virus you should protect yourself with an anti-virus program such as the one recommended in the Safe Surfing Protection Pack.
FIREWALL SOFTWARE - A firewall is a set of related programs, located on your router or running in your computer, that protects the resources of your computer or private network from users from other networks i.e. the internet.
Basically, a firewall, working closely with your modem or router, examines each piece of data sent to/from the internet to determine whether to allow the data through to it's destination. A firewall is often installed in a specially designated computer separate from the rest of the network so that no incoming request can get directly at private network resources.
There are a number of firewall screening methods. A simple one is to screen requests to make sure they come from acceptable (previously identified) computer and Internet Protocol addresses. For mobile users, firewall's allow remote access in to the private network by the use of secure logon procedures and authentication certificates.
If you have any of the symptoms listed under computer virus or spyware you should protect yourself with a firewall program such as the one recommended in the Safe Surfing Protection Pack. With a firewall running you will be prompted when unusual internet access occurs.
POP-UP BLOCKER (KILLER) - A pop-up blocker (sometimes called a pop-up killer) is a program that prevents pop-ups from displaying in a user's Web browser. Pop-up blockers work in a number of ways: some close the window before it appears, some disable the command that calls the pop-up, and some alter the window's source page. One problem with pop-up blockers has been that they cannot always differentiate between an unwanted pop-up window and one that is user-requested. Programs that can consistently do so are sometimes referred to as intelligent pop-up blockers.
To circumvent pop-up blockers, some frustrated marketers are turning to products that detect their presence and convert pop-ups to other formats, such as floating ads (which appear over a user-requested Web page and display for a specified time period before disappearing again). According to Joe Apprendi of Falk eSolutions, whose company offers such a product, up to 30% of paid ad impressions are blocked by browser software. Users may not appreciate the floating ad any more than they did the pop-up version, but they aren't likely to have a program installed to prevent its display.
If you have any of the symptoms listed under Adware/Spyware you should protect yourself with an anti-spyware program such as the one recommended in the Safe Surfing Protection Pack.
CHILD SAFTY - The internet has a wealth of information to aid your child's learning as well as entertainment. However, there are inscrutable people on the web who will take advantage of children.
Using the internet exposes your children to a number of dangers - unsuitable sites including porn, gambling and racism are all just a click away. e.g. imagine your child researching American politics, the official site of the US president is www.whitehouse.gov, however, as many people look for ".com" addresses in this case www.whitehouse.com is a hardcore pornography site! also, 57% of children have come across porn whilst surfing - only 16% of parents think their children have!
There are a few simple rules that should be followed...
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Rules -
- Make sure a responsible adult knows when you are surfing the internet.
- If you get rude or unpleasant emails tell a responsible adult, NEVER reply to the email.
- Never use your real name in chat rooms, use a nickname only.
- If again while chatting someone is rude or unpleasant, then stop immediately and tell a responsible adult.
- Remember you cannot see who is at the other end of a chat room and they may not be who they say they are.
- If you ever get an email or a chat message saying "don't tell your parents". Never reply and immediately tell a responsible adult
- Never open emails, attachments or accept downloads from someone you do not know, they may contain a virus.
- Unless you have a responsible adults permission NEVER give out the following..
- Your real name
- Your home, school or email address
- Your phone number
- A photo of yourself
- Your parents bank or credit card details
- NEVER EVER meet anyone you have met on the internet without a responsible adults permission and even then make sure you have a adult with you.
- If a web site you visit asks you to register, ask permission from a responsible adult first.
- make sure any passwords you use are a mix of letters and numbers including upper & lower case letters.
- Most internet suppliers and the tools in the Safe Surfing Protection pack allow unwanted emails to be automatically blocked.
- Never agree to an online private chat with someone unless you already know the person and a responsible adult has given permission.
The internet is not policed therefore it is up to you to protect yourselves - WE RECOMMEND.