It’s riskier than ever to get on the Internet. Cybercriminals use tricks to get you to click on infectious Web links in e-mail, social-network postings and even search engine results.
Simply navigating to a well-known, legitimate Web site can result in what’s known as a “drive-by download,” the stealthy installing of a computer infection onto your PC’s hard drive.
The endgame for cybercriminals: take full control of your PC and use it to help carry out online thefts and scams. It’s essential to keep your anti-virus protection current and to regularly install all Microsoft, Adobe, Apple and Java security patches.
But that’s not nearly enough to stop many of the latest infections. The good news: There are new software tools that can help you clean up and repel the latest cyberattacks. Many of them are free. Most require patience to learn how to use. Be prepared to sacrifice convenience for added security, as using these tools will add steps to your ongoing use of the Internet. Here are four of the newest tools:
SlimWare Utilities
What it does: SlimComputer and SlimCleaner work together to boost overall computer health and performance. “We can help identify malicious programs that are hooked into your operating system that you may have picked up over time,” says Chris Cope, SlimWare founder and CEO.
How it works: SlimWare keeps track of your applications. It makes special note of apps configured to launch on start-up and run in the background, as well as programs set to run in your Web browser. It then guides you through deciding whether to disable each program.
What you gain: Disabling browser toolbars, instant-messaging programs and unnecessary software updaters (apps that periodically prompt you to update or upgrade games, media players and the like) can dramatically boost PC performance, says Cope. SlimWare also helps identify and eradicate apps that…