-- Windows Update: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Perhaps the best online resource out there is the Windows update site. Here’s where you check your system to make sure it is up to date with the latest service
packs and critical patches. Why avoid updates when getting and applying them is so easy?
-- Sysinternals: http://www.sysinternals.com
Sysinternals is operated by Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, two consummate system geeks. Their free tools and utilities are unique and uniquely
powerful. I particularly like the Autoruns utility, which shows every program scheduled to run when your system starts — even those listed only in the Registry.
-- Google: http://www.google.com
It may seem odd to include a search engine as a cleaning aid, but I find Google very helpful. If I have a question about a file on my hard drive or a process running
on my system, all I need to do is type in the file or process name and I can find information about it. This makes Google a great research tool for tracking down
potential problems.
-- Gibson Research Corporation: http://grc.com
This site includes a number of helpful resources. Perhaps the most helpful online resource is the ShieldsUP! Analysis tool, which is a free security check that
analyzes your system’s weaknesses (as viewed from the Internet) and tells you how to make your system more secure.
-- HouseCall: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
This online virus scanner allows you to check your system for infestations, without the need to install actual anti-virus software on your system. Trend Micro
maintains the site, which also offers various standalone anti-virus products.
-- Symantec Security Response: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/
If you want to find out about the latest virus and security issues for PCs, Symantec Security Response is the place to do it. You can search its extensive database or
you can browse through information about various viruses and threats.
-- SpywareGuide: http://www.spywareguide.com
A great resource for figuring out the latest spyware scams and how they can affect your system. Includes an online spyware scanning tool to help check your
system. Also features information on different privacy and systems tools that can help you protect your system.
-- SpywareInfo: http://www.spywareinfo.com
This site is dedicated not just to education, but to getting spyware removed from your system. It publishes a weekly newsletter that has updates on the latest
spyware threats. I find the online forums particularly helpful because you can post questions and get answers from others willing to help you clean your system.
-- Spam Arrest: http://www.spamarrest.com
This challenge/response tool helps block unwanted e-mail from your inbox. Challenge/response works because most spam is generated by computer and sent
from unresponsive or fake addresses. All incoming e-mail is challenged and requires unique human response before the mail actually makes it to you.
-- Urban Legends Reference Pages: http://www.snopes.com
Did you get the e-mail about the dying child who wanted postcards, the one that told you to delete a file on your computer, or that camel hunting is illegal in Arizona?
These and thousands of other urban legends are cataloged at the Urban Legends Reference Pages. If you receive lots of e-mails containing stories that you
consider passing on to others, visit this site first to see if the story’s true.
