What Is Spyware & Adware and What Is Malware

Has your computer been been running more slowly recently? Has it been crashing? Do you get pop-up ads for no apparent reason?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have fallen victim to malicious types of programs called "malware", a term which includes both adware and spyware.

Adware (advertising software) is a type of program which delivers ads to your computer screen. These adware programs run in the background whenever your computer is on.

This can be annoying because the ads pop up from nowhere, and often contain offensive images, but can also cause conflicts and potentially crash your computer.

There are several ways these programs can get into your system. In some cases you find a shareware program which, for example, delivers up-to-date weather reports to your computer. You download the program and install it, and while it does give you weather reports, it also watches what websites you visit and based on the profile it builds about you delivers targeted ads to your computer screen.

In other cases, the adware program is a completely separate program which is attached to a a program you choose to install. This is almost universally the case with file-trading programs (see my article on file trading risks).

Many adware programs also get installed just by visiting certain websites, as the sites are designed to take advantage of security holes in your web browser, especially those in Internet Explorer.

An even bigger problem is that many of these hidden programs are also spyware — spyware gather information from your computer.

Most commonly they monitor web sites you visit, but some spyware programs are what is known as "keyloggers," which is short for "keystroke loggers." These programs literally record everything you type into your computer, harvesting passwords, credit card numbers, and social security numbers.

This personal information can then be sent off without your knowledge and can be used for identity theft, potentially embarrassing you or even robbing you of thousands of dollars and your good name and credit.

Having spyware on your system is like inviting a stranger into your home and never noticing as he snoops through your drawers, writes down your credit card numbers, and watches your every move.

Most Windows PCs with internet access turn up one or more of these programs lurking unseen. I would personally estimate 80% or more of the Windows machines I look at have adware or spyware installed. According to Symantec, maker of Norton Internet Security, it may be 91% or more. In most cases, the computer users have absolutely no idea their machine is infected.

Fortunately, there are ways to clean up your system if it is infected, and ways to protect yourself from future infections. There are a number of anti-spyware programs out there, but be warned: many of them are scams which actually install more spyware and adware on your system!

Most people find the easiest way to learn how to get more out of their computer and be safe at the same time, is to be shown, step by step, how to do it. Aside from spyware, there are a lot of threats to Windows users that can be very complicated.

But it can be a lot easier than you think with the right help.

My free computer tips email newsletter explains a lot of this in plain English articles, plus when I made my easy computer lesson CDs, I made a big point of including a lot of my quick, easy step by step video lessons on making it easy to protect your computer whether it's a Mac or Windows PC.

Take a look if you feel you need more help.

File Sharing & File Trading - Risks You Should Avoid

Most people who were following the news a few years back have heard of Napster, the music-trading network that was shut down as a result of legal action taken by the recording industry, and which has since been resurrected as a legal music download site.

Not everyone knows that Napster spawned a host of similar programs such as Kazaa, Grokster, and Limewire, and more (many which have come and gone) most of which allow people to trade not just audio files, but virtually any type of file over the internet.

There are now millions of people in the United States alone who are running file trading software on their computers; many do not know the risks involved. These programs usually share virtually every type of file — including everything from compressed .zip or .sit files, to Word and Excel documents, photos and video, and even financial data.

Right now there are thousands if not millions of computers — maybe even yours — sharing personal documents with the world without the owner of the computer realizing it. Maybe because your child or grandchild has installed the software without telling you, or because the software is set up to share the entire hard drive, or both.

This is the electronic equivalent to going to a public place with a box full of personal letters, photos, bank statements, and other private information, dumping it on the ground, and walking away. Except anyone in the world could see your files, not just your neighbors.

Aside from the risk of exposing personal information to strangers, there is also the risk of downloading a virus or a backdoor program which allows people to take control of your computer remotely, and the problem of adware and spyware.

Adware and spyware are malicious programs which come with virtually every file trading program. They slow your computer down while spying on you and filling your computer screen with popup ads for everything from refinancing your home, to Viagara, to pornography, problems I cover in more detail in other articles.

It's also important to realize that most file trading, especially if it involves downloading music, movies, or computer programs, is illegal. To be more specific, file trading or file sharing is not illegal in of itself, but the things that are being shared are being shared illegally because it breaks copyright laws.

I'm not making a judgment of whether this is right or wrong -- that's none of my business -- but if you or someone you know is doing this, the recording industry is still suing people like crazy for illegally downloading music and other copyrighted material.

There are legal alternatives to file trading programs such as Apple's iTunes Music Store (Mac and Windows compatible). It does cost money to buy music online, but it is often cheaper than buying CDs at a store, and a lot cheaper than being sued for thousands, or having someone steal your identity by downloading financial documents off your computer.

Just something to think about.�

What is Spam & What Does Spam Stand For - Tips to Avoid Email Spam

I find a lot of people asking me questions like "What is spam?" "What does spam stand for?" In this article, I'm going to explain the term spam where it comes from (what it stands for) and give you a few tips to avoid email spam.

Do you hate spam? I’m not talking about the food, but the seemingly endless stream of annoying commercial emails that flood most people’s inboxes. The content of the messages range from mortgage rates to enlarging various body parts, to pornography, and their numbers grow every day — up to 500 percent in the eighteen months prior to March, 2003. As of April, 2004, over eighty percent of all email was spam. Since then, it's risen as high as 95%!

Spam is named after a classic skit from Monty Python's Flying Circus, which took place in a diner where everything on the menu had spam in it. During the whole skit, a chorus of vikings keeps chanting a song about spam, drowning out conversations.

Yes, it's a little random (that's Monty Python for you) but it's very funny. Years later, the skit reminded someone of how email in your inbox can get lost in all of the junk mail (the conversation gets drowned out by "Spam! Spam! Spam!"), so they started calling junk email "spam" and the name stuck.

It can be hard to avoid getting your email address on somebody’s list. It’s not uncommon for many people to receive 50 to 100 pieces of spam in a single day -- some people get hundreds a day! -- and the problem is growing worse.

Fortunately there are ways for individuals to reduce the amount of spam they get. Here are a few good tips:

• Never try to unsubscribe or ask to be removed. Those emails may include a link or a reply address to unsubscribe, but 95% either simply don’t work, or you confirm to the spammers that they have a live one.
  
  
• Never order anything advertised in spam, visit the website, or in any way respond to the ad. Every order or inquiry encourages the spammers to send thousands of more ads.
  
  
• Try to avoid entering your email address on dubious websites as much as possible, and if you do, consider getting a second email account with Yahoo mail or a similar service and enter that address instead of your main email. Most websites offering contests, joke lists, free greeting cards, etc. harvest and sell your email address.
  
  
• Never sign an online guestbook. As an experiment a while back, I created a new email address and entered it on about five guestbooks. Within 24 hours I was getting spam, and it grew to dozens a day within a week.
  
  
• Try to avoid opening an unsolicited ad while connected to the internet -- this can alert spammers that they have a live address, so if your email application has a “work offline” option, often found in the file menu, select it before opening suspect emails, or disconnect from the internet entirely.
  If you use a web-based email service like Yahoo Mail, check your mail options for a setting to turn off graphics in emails, or to display mail in plain text only. This keeps the spammers from knowing you've opened the message.
  
  
• Avoid forwarding emails to large numbers of people: Not everyone realizes that when you forward a message, the email addresses of everyone who receives the message is visible to every person who reads it.
  
  If any of the recipients is a spammer, or if one of a friend's computer is infected by certain viruses, they can harvest all of those addresses, including yours.
  
  If you do send an email to multiple recipients you can avoid revealing email addresses by entering addresses in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) area instead of To or CC — this will hide the list of addresses from everyone else.
  
  You should also copy and paste just the message into a new message window rather than hitting the forward button — this trims the message down and protects the privacy of others.

As for dealing with the spam you already receive, most email programs allow you to create “filters” or “rules” that move incoming email into a specified folder or even right into the trash.

Setting filters up can be complicated, but the newer versions of many email programs, including Mozilla Thunderbird and Mac OS X Mail make it much easier. The programs have a free spam blocker built right in, and recognize patterns in spam, and use your address book as a white list of legit senders.

Any spam that shows up in your inbox can be marked (and automatically deleted) with a click, and the more spam you mark, the better the program gets at automatically taking care of them so you end up seeing a lot less junk than you used to.

Many internet providers also provide a free spam blocker which filters email before it gets to your computer. The problem with this is that they often block legitimate mail and you may never know about it. Because of this, I recommend using filtering software on your own computer, such as the above mentioned programs.

Ultimately, spam is a fact of modern life, and isn't entirely avoidable. If your current email address is about to collapse from the amount of spam you get, you might be forced to get a new one. After that, if you follow the tips above, you'll have a good chance of keeping it under control.

How Does Wifi Work - Wireless Internet Access Comparision & Security Explained

Not too long ago, most people hadn't heard of wireless Internet access, but these days, it's commonplace.

There are two basic types of wireless Internet connections. The first is through a cell phone network, which is used by a growing number of people for browsing the web and checking email through smart phones and PDA devices such as a Blackberry or an iPhone.

This works pretty much anywhere you get cell reception.

If you're using a computer to browse the web or check your email, it's more common to use a Wi-Fi connection -- what most people think of as wireless internet.

It basically works like a portable phone in your home. You have the cradle that you plug into the phone line, and the handset works anywhere within range of the radio signal it's sending.

This is exactly how a wireless router works -- the router is hooked up to an internet connection, and broadcasts the signal to a wireless card in your computer (or sometimes a little device you plug into the computer).

So the router is like the portable phone's cradle, and the wireless card is like the handset.

Does that make sense?

There are a lot of advantages to using wireless internet. Using wireless internet lets you put your computer in a different room of the house from where the internet connection is, or roam from room to room if you have a laptop. It also lets you have more than one computer share the internet connection.

And of course, if you have a laptop, you can take it with you during the day or on a trip, and can find a lot of places where you can use the internet, often for free.

But there are some risks to using wireless internet. Using wireless internet can open your computer up to a lot of possible risks.

Whenever you connect to a router, either through wires or wirelessly, you are connecting to a network, which is then connected to the internet (which is just a very very big network).

With a wired network, if someone wants to join the network, they have to plug in. With wireless networks, unless the network is protected by security, anybody nearby can connect.

From time to time, I use a program to "sniff" out unprotected networks. There are many programs like this that anyone with a little knowledge can download for free. I simply drive around town with my laptop in the passenger seat running the program, and it constantly looks for any open networks.

When my computer finds one, it beeps at me and I can get instantly in with a couple of clicks.

This is something called "Wardriving" and people do it all the time. Most are doing it just to check their email quickly while on the road without having to pay at an internet cafe, but some are doing it for more sinister purposes.

Leaving your network open is just as dangerous as keeping filing cabinets full of personal or business information sitting open on the street next to a sign reading: “Take what you want.”

With a traditional wired network, a person needs to physically plug in a cable inside your home or office to get into your network. With a wireless network, unless it’s protected, anyone within range can get into your network with a click of a mouse. Once they’re in they could:

• Use your internet connection for free
  
  
• Look at the contents of your hard drive and read, change, or delete email, pictures, Word documents and other personal files, business information, and confidential client information including social security numbers, credit card numbers, etc.
  
  
• Use the information collected about you or your customers for identity theft. This could cost you thousands of dollars in lost credit and time rebuilding your name, or thousands more if a customer sues you for giving out their information
  
  
• Send spam (junk email) to thousands or millions of people while making it seem to come from you
  
  
• Take control of your network, locking you out of it and the internet (both email and web pages)
  
  
• Install a virus, worm, or a backdoor program giving them control of your computer
  
  
• Do illegal music trading over the internet, drastically slowing down your connection and making it look like you are the file trader. The recording industry is currently suing file traders for an average of $3,000 per lawsuit
  
  
• View porn sites, including potentially child porn, which could get you arrested if it's traced back to your network.
  

You must realize by now how important it is to act now to protect your network. If you don’t you risk losing your name, your reputation, and even thousands of dollars. Fact is, if you have a wireless router (most routers sold these days are wireless even if you aren't using them wirelessly) and you just plugged it in and started using it then 99% likely you are not safe.

Your home or office wireless network should always have "encryption" turned on, which is like a home security system that only gives access to someone with the right password. They're not impossible to break into, but they make it too hard for most people.

If you use your laptop in a public network like at an internet cafe or other public wireless hotspot (whether or not you have to pay to use it), you run many of the same risks, especially if you don't have a firewall turned on, aren't using good enough (or any) antivirus software, and more.

Understanding all the important factors in protecting your computer's security is absolutely critical these days. Most people using computers are in danger without even knowing it. Make sure to educate yourself and keep yourself safe.

One way to do that is to subscribe to my free computer tips newsletter, or go one step better and learn from my easy computer tutorial CDs that show you step by step the basics of using your computer and keeping it secure from a variety of threats.

Computer Worm & Virus: A Definition and Important Information To Understand

It seems these days you can't go more than a week or two at most without hearing about a new worm or virus spreading on the internet. While you probably have a general idea what they are, you may wonder where they come from and what the difference between a virus and a worm is.

Both viruses and worms are very similar, for the most part. They are malicious pieces of software which cause a variety of problems for computer users including: causing your computer to constantly restart so it's impossible to use, emailing your personal documents to strangers, erasing your documents or your entire hard drive, or even using your computer to send spam.

The main difference between a virus and a worm is that a virus requires a person to run it for it to cause problems, while a worm spreads and causes damage without human intervention. So in other words, for your computer to be infected by a virus, you generally need to do something, like open and run an attachment to an email, while with worms your computer can be infected even if you don't do a thing.

Many viruses and worms take advantage of the frequent security holes discovered in many Microsoft programs and operating systems (Windows). Microsoft regularly releases patches to fix these holes, but many users don't know about them or don't know how to apply the patches, which leaves them vulnerable, and the patches can take weeks or months to come out.

For example, in 2003 a group of people discovered a vulnerability in Windows which worked as follows: one computer would send a special request to a second computer over and over and over, thousands of times in a second. Now the second computer was supposed to ignore those requests because they weren't coming from an authorized computer.

However, due to a bug (or programming error) in some versions of Windows, if enough requests happened fast enough, the second computer would essentially throw its hands up in the air and say "whatever you say next, I'll do!" and whatever instruction that computer was given next, it did it.

So all someone had to do was write a worm which would make those thousands of requests, the vulnerable computer would say "tell me what to do" and the worm would say "install me," and the infected computer would go on and do it to the next computer, which would do it to the next one, over and over and over, causing the worm to cascade accross the world, infecting thousands of computers in minutes.

Microsoft, recognizing the problem, created a software "patch" which sealed the security hole. A month after the patch was released, someone created and released the MSBlaster worm. Because millions of Windows users hadn't installed the patch, their computers got infected, and suddenly they found they couldn't use their PCs for more than five minutes without the machine restarting.

People who used Macintosh computers, and other computers not running Windows had a natural immunity to this and most other worms and viruses. There are well over 100,000 known viruses and worms for Windows, and fewer than 70 (yes, only seventy) for Macintosh, by comparison. In fact, those Mac viruses only affect very old Macs, and there is just one virus that runs on current Macintosh computers (ones running OS X) and that virus isn't considered a real threat because of the built-in security of OS X.

If you run Windows, as you must realize by now, it is absolutely essential for you to keep your computer patched with the latest security patches as soon as they come out -- although to be fair, Macintosh users should also install any security patches for their OS, for just because there aren't any viruses for OS X, it doesn't mean it's impossible for one to be written!

Beyond that, it is an incredibly bad idea to run a computer without having current, up-to-date antivirus program such as Norton Antivirus installed and running on the computer. When I say current and up-to-date, I mean that there is essentially a list of viruses that gets updated as often as every day. If your computer's antivirus software doesn't have the current list, it can't protect you against viruses and worms. So if you have a three year old copy of McAffee antivirus, you are not safe.

Even if you have a 1 month out of date copy, you're still not safe!

Then there's the question of whether you're even using the right antivirus program in the first place! In 2006, tests revealed that the top three most popular antivirus programs -- Norton, McAfee, and Trend Micro, had a staggering 80% failure rate at detecting the latest threats!

It seems that the virus and worm writers are using those three programs to check to see if the programs find the new virus. If the programs detect it, the virus writer keeps working on the virus until it gets through undetected. And then he releases it "into the wild," where it infects all the PCs using those three programs.

The best option right now seems to be a program called Kaspersky, which consistently ranks as the best antivirus program to use, with a success rate of 99.6% at protecting your computer!

Protecting your computer from viruses, worms, and the many other threats can seem complicated and time consuming to a lot of people. But don't make the mistake of ignoring the problem; protect yourself, or you could end up regretting it.

If you need a little help, take a look at my Safe and Easy Web & Email CDs that come as part of the bundle of CDs I have for Windows computers. They lay it all out, step by step, so you can easily protect yourself and avoid problems.

10 Good Tips About How To Use The Internet Safely part 4

10 Good Tips About How To Use The Internet Safely part 4

In this article I'll continue with tip #7, which really is two good tips in one:

Internet Safety Tip #7) Use a strong password, and don't use the same one for everything

This is classic blunder I see people making over and over again: they use a really simple password, and they use the same password for everything.

Passwords are like keys: they unlock your email, your bank account, your computers' files, etc. just the same way a key unlocks your post office box, your home, etc.

Would you use the same key to lock your home, your car, your post office box, a safety deposit box, and everything else you need to lock up to keep safe or private? I would hope not.

Yet this is exactly what people do every day with their passwords. Don't make this mistake yourself, because obviously, if someone gets just one of your passwords, they have the key to your entire electronic life -- which can be a lot these days!

The other part of this is choosing *strong* passwords.

What do I mean by that?

A weak password is a regular word that can be found in the dictionary, your name, your phone number, your child or pet's name, and so on.

I remember one time about 11 or 12 years ago I was working on a laptop at the computer store where I worked.

I turned it on, and the owner had wisely set a password that made it impossible to even start the computer up without it.

I turned the laptop on and was surprised to find a screen with the owner's name and address printed on it (so it could be returned if lost) and right below this I was supposed to type in a password.

I was surprised because password locking your computer wasn't very common back then, and the owner hadn't bothered to tell me that there was a password on the computer when she brought it in, so I figured I was going to have to call her up and maybe play phone tag to try to get the password.

On a hunch, I typed in the first thing that came to mind -- her name, which as you recall, was printed right there on the screen.

Guess what? I got right in. My very first guess, and I had complete access to her computer!

Of course, I'm honest and was trying to help her with her computer, so no harm done in this case, but I hope you can see how it could've been a big problem for her if her laptop had been stolen and someone wanted to steal her personal information off it.

A strong password is nothing like a regular word; it should be at *least* six "characters" long, and should be not just letters but a mix of letters and numbers. And even better, it should have other symbols mixed in, and should be a mix of capital and lower case letters.

So "1ye6Ab9uua4b" is a very strong password, while "janet" is not.

Now if you're thinking "well, who would try to guess my password? Why would they target me?" then you're making another common mistake.

These days, computer attacks aren't (usually) targeted -- criminals use computer programs, sometimes running on dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of computers under their control to try to break into thousands or even tens of thousands of computers or more, all at the same time.

Imagine a burglar who could make a thousand copies of himself and try to break into every house in a town at once. All it needs is one unlocked door or one with a flimsy lock (bad password) and it's all over for the victim.

So protect yourself at home and on the Internet with a strong password, and use a different one for everything.

If you have to, keep a cheat sheet with your passwords, but don't leave it taped to your monitor or "hidden" under the keyboard, especially if people can get into the room where the computer is.

Now these tips go beyond the Internet, really, since it's now common to have passwords for our computers (although most people make the mistake of never setting a password for their computer in the first place!)

I go into the importance of a password on my "5 Common and Costly Computer Mistakes and How to Avoid Making Them Yourself" CD which comes free as one of the amazing ** 10 free bonus CDs ** (an $885.41 value) that I throw in for FREE when you order my easy video computer training CDs off my website right now.

Another one of the CDs you'll get shows you step-by-step how to add a password to your computer to keep your privacy and important files safe. You'd be surprised how many computers I see get messed up by guests just trying to be "helpful", let alone what could happen if someone was trying to snoop around on purpose.

Protect yourself, learn computer basics, and make the computer easier and more fun at the same time by ordering my easy lesson CDs before the price goes up in early February.

You can do this by going to my website. Just click on to

http://www.worthgodwin.com/windows-computer-how-to-training/

If you have a Windows PC (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.).
Or Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) go to:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/apple-mac-os-x-how-to-training/


I'll continue with more of the 10 tips about how to use the Internet safely in a separate article.

until next time, enjoy,

Worth Godwin

P.S. Remember, you'll get 8 easy CDs, plus another TEN (10) free bonus CDs if you go and place an order right now. And the price goes up soon!

The links to my site again are...

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) go to:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/windows-computer-how-to-training/

or Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) go to:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/apple-mac-os-x-how-to-training/

10 Good Tips About How To Use The Internet Safely part 3

10 Good Tips About How To Use The Internet Safely part 3

This article continues my list of 10 good tips about how to use the Internet safely.

In the previous article, I talked about the importance of having a good firewall installed, as well as the right antivirus program (and to make sure that it's "activated" and actually protecting your computer).

So let's go on to the next item in our list:


Tip #5) Don't install software at random, especially if it's advertised in a pop-up ad

This is an important one.

It's a pretty common experience for people to be browsing around when a window pops up out of nowhere inviting you to install a piece of software. You might also see a similar ad that appears as a banner on a webpage.

There are a lot of variations, but the general gist is that they try to entice you into downloading and installing some program that you really shouldn't be installing.

One very common way of doing this is by either immediately warning you that your computer is infected with something, or by asking you if you want a free scan, and then saying the computer is infected.

Either way, they try to dupe you into installing software. The software you install is usually some form of "malware" (a general term that includes malicious software like spyware and adware) designed to steal information off your computer, or to hijack your computer in some way.

In other cases it may not infect your computer per se, but it claims the computer is infected and says the only way to clean it up is by paying for the program.

This used to be something that was only a worry for Windows users, but as I was writing this I learned that people have just started seeing similar popup ads for a program called MacSweeper, which works just like the programs I just described.

This would make the very first program like this for the Mac, and unfortunately, I'm sure it won't be the last.

So generally distrust anything that tries to get you to install a program, especially if it's in a popup ad, or any ad on a "questionable" site such as adult sites, sites for downloading movies or music illegally, etc.

If you see something that seems like it might be legit, remember you can always type in the exact name into Google or another search engine and see what the results are. Chances are, if it's a shady program, you'll see lots of pages warning you about it!


Tip #6) Use a router, don't just connect directly to cable or DSL

This one's pretty simple. If you're on a "broadband" (fast) connection to the Internet, like DSL or cable, then you should avoid plugging your computer directly into the cable modem or DSL modem.

Instead, you want to get a router.

A router is a device that is designed to plug into your Internet connection and share it among one or more computers. A variety of companies make them, including Apple, Netgear, and Linksys.

If you're concerned about wireless security and one of your neighbors or someone parked on the street trying to get into your computer, you can always buy a non-wireless router.

The reason it's a good idea to get a router is because all routers contain a hardware firewall (as opposed to the software firewall I mentioned in the previous article in this series).

This adds an extra layer of protection between your computer and the Internet, which keeps it safer.

If you do get one of the wireless routers, which are more common these days, then do make sure you turn on the wireless security -- without it, anyone within range can use your Internet connection and often can even get into your files!

Most routers these days come with software that helps you turn on this security, but if you need to, get help from someone who knows what they're doing to set it up right.

If you're on the Big Island, feel free to contact me and set up an appointment for me to come out and set yours up for you and give your computer a checkup to make sure you're safe.
I'll continue with more of the 10 tips about how to use the Internet safely in a separate article.

until next time, enjoy,

Worth Godwin

P.S. As you may know, I've put together a special package of *18* of my easy lesson CDs -- with a value of over $1,593.74! -- for a very low price that will be going up soon.

This bundle of CDs is absolutely the easiest and most affordable way to learn to make your computer safer and easier, and to help you feel more confident and natural using your Apple Mac or Windows PC.

Just go now to one of the following addresses, depending on whether you use a Apple Mac or a Windows PC.

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) go to:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/windows-computer-how-to-training/

or Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) go to:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/apple-mac-os-x-how-to-training/

10 good tips about how to use the internet safely

10 good tips about how to use the internet safely - Part 1

In this article I want to go over the first of 10 good tips for how to use the Internet safely -- there's a lot to cover, so I'm going to break it up into multiple articles.

Before I go on, let me just clarify that the Internet includes *both* web pages, and email, as well as other things such as instant messaging (chat programs like iChat, MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, etc.) and so on.

Many people think the Internet just means web pages, so I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page (excuse the pun) before I went on and gave you these 10 good tips about how to use the Internet safely.

These tips are not meant to cover every possible Internet safety & security tip, but they cover a lot of the most important things.

You'll find that if you have my special report audio CD "5 Common & Costly Computer Mistakes and How to Avoid Making Them Yourself" that there is some overlap between this article and the important information on that CD, but I've found that not only is it helpful to repeat important information, but you always get more out of it the more ways you learn it: i.e. reading it, vs. hearing it, vs. watching it.

So here are the first few of 10 good tips about how to use the Internet safely:

Tip #1) Use the right web browser.

This is a huge blunder that unfortunately most people are still making! A web browser is, of course, the program you use to view web pages. Examples include Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple's Safari.

The vast majority of people out there are using Internet Explorer (the blue 'E' icon) to go to web sites. This is a very bad idea!

Microsoft is the same company that makes Windows, and they include Internet Explorer with every copy of Windows -- this is the reason most people use Internet Explorer, NOT because it's the best option.

One of the single best things you can do to increase your Internet security if you use Windows is to stop using Internet Explorer -- go to Mozilla.com and download their free web browser Firefox.

No program is perfect, and it doesn't guarantee your Internet safety, but it is a big help. Internet Explorer is full of bugs and security holes that can make it possible to get your computer infected just by visiting a website!

Mac users should also stop using Internet Explorer if they're still using it, but this is more to do with the fact that IE hasn't been updated for the Mac for several years, and so it just doesn't work with a lot of modern web pages anymore.

If you have an Apple Mac, then either use Safari (which comes on all Macs made in the last few years) or if you have an older Mac and can't get Safari, you should download Mozilla Firefox for Mac from Mozilla.com (it's free).


Tip #2) Install security patches & updates

This is a very important one which, fortunately, happens pretty automatically on most computers made in the last few years.

If you use Windows, the security updates or "patches" (think patching a hole in a program like patching a tire to fix it) come as "Windows Updates" which on most PCs running Windows XP or Windows Vista, get downloaded and installed automatically these days.

You may see a little "word bubble" like a word bubble in a cartoon or comic book pop up from the system tray (the group of icons to the left of the clock on the bottom of your computer screen) from time to time on your computer that says updates are available to install.

You should make sure to install these right away when they come out. These updates (at least the security ones) are being released because there is a specific threat to your computer which needs to be taken care of.

Click the bubble and follow the prompts to install the updates, then restart the computer when it asks you to.

If you have an Apple Mac, then these security updates are called "Software Updates". Most Macs are set up to automatically check for new updates every week or so, and then it prompts you to install them if they're available.

Unfortunately, many people don't bother, or they have their computer set up so it doesn't check for them. Don't do this!

When there's an update, you should install them to better protect your computer. Just click through the prompts, and enter your computer's password when it asks, then restart when it says to.

If you don't see a window appear every so often that's called Software Update, then you can check for them manually by going to the Apple menu and clicking "Software Update..."

This is getting kind of long, so I'll continue with more of the 10 tips about how to use the Internet safely in separate articles I'll post later.

And by the way, I realize that reading something is not as easy as seeing it done, which is one of the ideas behind my easy video computer training CDs.

If you'd like to *see* step-by-step how to protect yourself by doing the things I talk about in this article, plus get dozens and dozens of more quick, easy lessons that make your computer safer and easier to use, then you might want to click one of the links below to find out more...

All you have to do is click one of the following links, depending on whether you use a Apple Mac or a Windows PC.

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) click this link to get easy Windows computer lessons

and Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) click this link to get easy Apple Mac computer lessons

until next time, enjoy,
Worth Godwin

P.S. Those links again are:

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) click this link to get easy Windows computer lessons

and Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) click this link to get easy Apple Mac computer lessons

Study reveals more than half of computer users who think they are protected against online threats are dead wrong

Back in December, Verizon published a study they'd had done, surveying how protected people thought they were on the Internet, versus how well protected they actually were.

The results were disturbing -- it seems 92% of people thought they were safe, but in fact, 59% were actually vulnerable to a variety of threats!

Now understand something -- a lot of people have a very narrow view of "safe" and "not safe" and tend to think that if they don't order stuff online, that they're OK no matter what.

This is not the case.

First off, ordering from a reputable website is not really very risky in itself -- in fact, there's a very valid argument for the idea that it's actually a lot *safer* than ordering from an 800 number, or handing your credit card over to a server at a restaurant!

Why is that? Well, in the examples of a restaurant or an 800 number, you're usually giving your credit card number over to someone you don't know, who could easily write the number down and use it for themselves.

I've also heard of more than one case where someone working at a restaurant used their cell phone camera to take a quick picture of the front of a card to steal the number!

But of course, when you're ordering from a website, in most cases no person ever even *sees* your credit card number, and I've never heard of a greedy or dishonest machine.

So the risks they were talking about in the study really have very little to do with ordering stuff off the Web.

One of the biggest problems reported in the study is that a *lot* of people either have no antivirus software on their computer, or it's there, but no longer working.

You see, many computers come with a "trial version" of a program that works for 3 months, then if you don't pay to activate it, it stops protecting you. Or people buy the protection once, then it runs out after a year, and again they're not protected.

If you've listened to my special report audio CD "5 Common & Costly Computer Mistakes and How To Avoid Making Them Yourself" then you know all about this.

If you don't have this CD, it comes for free as one of the *eight free bonus easy computer lesson CDs* you can get for just the price of a single visit from a consultant (but only if you take advantage of my special offer before the end of January 5th).

What you also know if you've listened to my "5 Mistakes" special report, which they didn't even mention in this study, is that the antivirus programs most people are using have an up to 80% *failure rate* at detecting and removing the latest viruses and worms!

So even if you *do* have current antivirus software (such as McAfee, Trend Micro, or Norton) then you're *not* really that well protected from viruses and worms!

Again, if you've listened to my "5 Mistakes" special report, you know this, and know I recommend a very good program called Kaspersky to use instead.

Now Mac users have a lot less to worry about, at least at this point, when it comes to threats like viruses and worms, but there are still a lot of potential threats out there that can affect your computer, your privacy, and your security if you don't know about them no matter whether you use one of Apple's Macs, or a Windows PC.

A few of the ways your computer might not be as secure as it should be include:
- not having your computer (Apple Mac or Windows PC) firewall program turned on (not to mention using the *right* firewall program),
- not getting your security updates done
- not backing up your computer correctly
- having your account settings wrong
- and a lot more than I can cover in this email, or in a dozen more like it

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well if that's true, then a video (movie) is worth a million. That's why I created my easy video computer training CDs -- with the video lessons, I can *show* you the steps and make it easy to follow in a way that's just not possible by email or in a book!

As you might know, I'm running a special for the next few days to celebrate the New Year (not to mention the anniversary of my computer lesson CDs, which I started a second business and began developing 2 years ago this month)

If you want to easily make your computer safer and easier to use, then you really should stop by my website and at least see what I'm offering here.

And remember, like all of my CDs, they come with a full 1-year, 12 month, 365 day no-hassle money back guarantee: return them any time in that year for a full refund. You sure won't get that if you hire a consultant!

All you have to do is go to one of the following addresses, depending on whether you use a Apple Mac or a Windows PC.

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) click this link to get easy Windows computer lessons

and Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) click this link to get easy Apple Mac computer lessons

before the price goes back up!

You'll be glad you did.

Worth Godwin

P.S. Remember, this special price and special package of CDs are only available to get so much for so little for a couple more days!

P.P.S. Those addresses again are:

Windows PC users (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) click this link to get easy Windows computer lessons

and Apple Mac users (owners of an iMac, iBook, MacBook, etc.) click this link to get easy Apple Mac computer lessons

Computer Security Tip: Is Your Computer A Zombie?

A virus with more power than all of the greatest supercomputers in the world put together, and it could be on your computer now

Here's a scary thought.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about the "Storm Worm" that has been flooding everybody's inboxes with fake "ecard" and "greeting card" messages that try to lure you to a malicious website so it can infect your computer.

Well the problem is far worse than I ever imagined.

According to recent reports, the Storm Worm is currently infecting as many as TEN MILLION computers around the world.

These computers are infected so that they can be slaved together into what is called a "zombie net". If this makes you picture a scene from a horror movie, with thousands of the living dead shuffling after a helpless victim, in a way, you're not far off.

Zombie nets, also known as "botnets" are computers just like any other, but they've been infected with a virus that makes the computers remote controlled by some unknown person or group of people.

In most cases, these zombies can be infected without the computer's user having any idea it's happening, and the computer can remain infected for weeks or months!

And yes, if you are using Windows, it's very possible your computer could be infected right now and you'd have no idea.

If you're using a Mac (Apple), since there are currently NO worms or viruses that infect the Mac OS, you're safe. But you should keep reading because I'm about to reveal a tip that can help protect you in the future if there ever is a virus or worm for Mac.

The tip I'm going to share in a moment also can help protect Windows AND Mac users from common scam emails like phishing scams.

So these Zombie Nets are used by criminals to launch attacks on web sites, steal information, and other criminal activity.

So yes, that means that if your PC is infected, you are (in a way) aiding in committing crimes. Fortunately, you're not going to be arrested, but you should do what you can to protect yourself anyway.

The more we fight back against these criminals, the safer we all are!

The way it stands, whoever is behind the Storm Worm -- and authorities don't know who it is, or if they do, they're not letting on -- has a vast army of computers at their command. The army is so powerful, that as I mentioned before, they can out-think the world's greatest supercomputers!

The way that the Storm Worm emails try to trick you into infecting your computer keeps changing -- they're doing this to make it hard for people like me to tip you off and protect you.

The most recent ways they've been luring people in is by claiming that there is a video of you on YouTube.com, or by sending out fake "registration details" emails.

The registration details welcome you as a new member of a service you've never heard of or signed up for, and want you to log in and update your login information.

This is very similar to the common "phishing scams" which try to trick you into giving away personal information through fake emails from places like eBay, PayPal, or others. The only difference is they're trying to get a program (virus or worm) onto your computer instead of getting you to type in personal information like passwords or social security numbers.

Here's a tip to recognize most or all of these scam emails and Storm Worm emails.

Take a look at the bottom edge of the window you're reading this article in (this should work for those of you reading this in a regular email program or if you're reading it on a web page). You should see an area (probably just a solid color with no information in it right now) called the "status bar".

If the window just stops with no bottom border a few millimeters tall, then look in the View menu above and look for a menu option called status bar. If it's not checked, click on it to activate the status bar. If you accidentally turn it off, just go back to the View menu and click the option again.

Now that it's turned on (if it wasn't already) take a look at it again and put your mouse pointer over the following link:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/

You should see the address http://www.worthgodwin.com/
appear on the status bar. It matches what the address above says, because this is a legitimate email.

(Note: if you're a Mac user running the Mac OS X Mail program -- the one with the postage stamp icon -- then this may not show up on a status bar, but a little "tool tip" that appears hovering over the link itself)

A scam email or Storm Worm email would normally show a weird address on the status bar that just has numbers in it, like 27.98.143.21 or something like that. Numbers separated by dots.

When you see something like that, where the status bar shows just a bunch of numbers instead of a real address, 99% of the time you should avoid clicking on the link.

until next time, stay safe, have fun, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin

Hurricane blues - using a UPS to protect your system during storms and more

Note: I wrote this for my email newsletter August 13th, 2007, the day before posting it here.

As I write this, it's a bright and sunny day outside, with nothing to hint at the fact that we're under a hurricane advisory. Hurricane Flossie is bearing down on us and could hit tomorrow or Wednesday, so people are scurrying around all over the island stocking up on bottled water, food and other supplies.

But there's one thing they should have that most of them probably haven't thought of.

It's called a UPS -- not to be confused with the shipping company of the same name -- which stands for "Uninterruptible Power Supply", and it's an important thing to have to protect your computer even if you're not being threatened by a hurricane.

Let me explain what a UPS is, and what it does.

First off, let me back up a step and make sure you know what a surge suppressor is, since the two things are related.

A surge suppressor is a power strip with a bunch of power sockets in it that is designed to "take the bullet" for your computer if there is a "power surge".

In other words, the electricity that comes into your house is supposed to be at a certain level. Sometimes, like if there is a lightning strike, or the power goes out (like a blackout) and comes back on again, there is a "surge" of power.

Imagine a huge wave coming in on a beach -- normally the waves are within a certain level, and so are safe. But if a huge wave comes in (like a tsunami or tidal wave maybe, but not necessarily that big even) it can be dangerous.

So if a big surge of power comes up the line for whatever reason, if you don't have a surge suppressor to "suppress" the extra power, it can fry your computer's circuits -- or a TV or any electronic device for that matter.

So it's absolutely essential to at least have one of those to protect your computer and other electronics. And when you buy one, remember that power surges can come up phone lines and even cable lines (like if you have Roadrunner or other cable internet) and fry your machine that way. So when shopping for a suppressor, get one that covers everything.

So a UPS is like a surge suppressor, but it does even more to protect your computer.

A UPS basically is a big surge suppressor that has a battery inside it.

Because of this, if the power goes out, an alarm goes off (in case you didn't notice the lights go out, or it's daytime) and you have several minutes to save what you're doing and shut down the computer safely.

Every UPS is labeled with a number measured in VA -- the higher the number, the longer the power lasts. I suggest getting one that is at least 650VA.

The other benefit a lot of people don't know about that you get from having a UPS is that if you live in an area (like here on the Big Island) where the power grid is, shall we say, less than reliable, you get protection from brownouts.

Brownouts are when the power level falls but doesn't go away, so it's one step below a blackout. This can often happen without the lights dimming or anything visible happening. But it can still hurt your computer if this keeps happening.

Getting a UPS will protect you from the gradual damage done by brownouts, which you can think of as hurting your computer (or TV, etc.) the way that erosion gradually wears away at a beach.

So if you have a UPS you're protected both ways. For $100 or less, that's a good buy.

Oh, and one last thought -- another nice benefit of having one or more UPSes in your house is if the power goes out, you can plug a light into it and not have to sit in the dark!

This works best with fluorescent bulbs, of course. Since they use so much less electricity than an old fashioned "incandescent" bulb, the battery in the UPS lasts a lot longer.

A lot of times, if your TV and cable box (or cable modem for that matter, if you use cable internet) is hooked into a UPS too, the cable still works in a power outage -- so you get TV to entertain you, or maybe even the Internet!

So get a UPS or two to protect your electronics, and maybe even give you something to do on a dark night when the power's out.

until next time,

Worth Godwin

What A Firewall is and Why You Must Use One

As you may know, a firewall is a protective barrier for your computer, which acts to shield it from threats on your local network and the internet. It's kind of like a security system for your house. Where I live in Hawaii, many of us leave our doors unlocked all the time, and never have a problem.

Unfortunately this is a really bad idea on the internet – when your computer is online (which if you have high speed internet like DSL or cable, is all the time) it's as if the entire world is next door to your "house," so unfortunately you have to act as if your neighbors are all criminals, since someone in Nigeria can get to your computer just as easily as someone in Captain Cook, Hawaii.

Your network or internet connection (an internet connection is also a type of network connection, it just connects you to the world instead of one or more computers in your home or office) is actually split up into what are called "ports" -- imagine a house with many many windows, some open, some closed -- many ports have a specific purpose, like port 25 which is usually used for sending email.

What a firewall does is seal off all the ports that aren't needed, just leaving open the ports you need to send and receive email, browse the web, and so on.

If the other ports are left open, that increases the ways a person or a program (such as a worm) can just stroll right in, just like if you leave the doors or windows open in your house.

If you have a router (which is a device used to share a DSL or cable connection with more than one computer, or to make your internet connection wireless) then there should be a firewall in the router. This is what's known as a hardware firewall (since it's part of a piece of equipment), as opposed to a software firewall, which is a program on your computer.

Some people assume that having a router with a firewall is enough to protect your computer, but while it will help, you really need to have a software firewall too.

Windows XP & Vista, as well as Mac OS 10.2 and higher both have a software firewall built into them. Earlier versions of Windows and the Mac OS do not. If you have Windows XP with service pack 2 installed, or Windows Vista, then the firewall is almost definitely on.


Different kinds of software firewalls.

There are two general types of software firewall: you can think of them as "active" and "passive" firewalls.

In other words, a passive firewall just sort of sits there, and blocks the needed ports to keep things out and that's about it. An active firewall on the other hand, does the same thing, but also sort of sits up and pays attention to what's going on inside your computer, and gives you control over what programs can get out.

So if you have a piece of spyware on your computer that's trying to "phone home" to report in on what information it's collected about you, the active firewall can block it to protect you. And the byproduct of this is you're safer.

Both the Windows XP and Mac OS X firewalls are passive.

This is a lot less of a risk for the Mac, since there are no malicious programs infecting those systems (at time I'm recording this, there are a small number of programs like this written for Mac, but they're not circulating or infecting computers). You definitely need a firewall on a Mac to protect from outside attacks, but a passive one, at least for now, is enough.

On a Windows machine, a passive firewall is not enough, since there are thousands of malicious programs including worms, trojans, and spyware which, if they're on your computer, will try to sneak information out of your computer.

So if you're just using a passive firewall like the Windows firewall, you can fall victim of so-called malware without even realizing it.

You see, what happens is this; a piece of malware will get onto your system and usually does one of three things: either it invites more malware in, opens a "back door" for someone to come in and snoop around, or it collects information about you and sends it out to persons unknown.

An active firewall will let you control what programs can get out to the internet, not just what can get in, which is very important.

To go back to our security system metaphor, if you have a passive firewall it's kind of like locking your doors and windows -- it does make it much harder for someone to break into your house or office from outside.

Unfortunately, the thieves are really smart, so they sneak someone inside when you're not paying attention and that person hides himself somewhere and then opens a door or window to let his buddies in, or rifles through your belongings and hands them through the window to someone outside.

If you have an active firewall, it's like a security guard is constantly patrolling inside the building, and only allows you or people you trust to use the doors and windows. If a stranger has gotten in, he's held until you can decide if he's OK or not, or his hands are tied so he can't steal anything.

Does that make sense?

So what do you need to do?

Well, if you're running any computer, you absolutely must have a firewall or you run the risk of someone hacking into your computer, or allowing a malicious program in. Macs are safe enough with a passive firewall, but because of the thousands of worms, viruses, spyware, etc. a Windows machine is still very vulnerable without an active firewall.

Windows users have a lot of options, like buying Norton Internet Security, (which includes not just Norton Antivirus but also Norton Personal Firewall), or using Zone Lab's ZoneAlarm.

One option I recommend is ZoneAlarm – even the free version is a really great product, and can protect your computer very well.

A better option is Kaspersky Internet Security, which aside from being arguably the very best antivirus programs around, also has a good firewall program built in.

Do not rely on the Windows firewall as it does not give you enough protection. Keep in mind active firewall programs do need some configuration to block and allow the right programs.

The firewall program usually asks you if you want to allow or block a program (and you can usually allow it or block it once or always) the first time a program tries to connect to the internet.

If it's something like Outlook, Firefox, or any other legit program that needs to connect to the internet, you want to allow it. If you're not sure if a program is legit, the firewall usually tells you the name of the program it's asking you about, so you can type it into Google and look it up.

Chances are, if you see a lot of search results talking about viruses or adware, then you should probably block it and try to get it cleaned up.

Setting the firewall program up the right way can be a little tricky, especially for a lot of more basic computer users, which is why I make it easy in my video course on easy and safe internet. I show you how to install the free version of Zonealarm, and exactly how to use it, step by step.

Mac users who want a little more security than the built-in
OS X firewall program provides, can check out a program called Little Snitch. This is an active firewall program, like Zonealarm. The demo version of Little Snitch is a free download, which works on a trial basis.

Using a firewall is a vital part of keeping your computer, and all the files on it, secure. Don't make the mistake of running your computer without one.

Email Hoaxes May Have You Fooled

I recently got an email from a client who forwarded a message on to me and I don't know how many other people. The subject was:

"Fwd: PLEEEEEEASE REEEEEAD! IT WAS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA TODAYSHOW"

In the message it talked about how Bill Gates was testing out a new "email tracking program" and that he wanted you to forward the message on to as many people as you could, supposedly to keep people from switching away from using Internet Explorer (which is a very good idea by the way -- and is something I talk about on my special report "5 Common Computer Mistakes and How to Avoid Making Them Yourself" -- but how forwarding the email to a bunch of people would stop people from doing this is beyond me).

In exchange for forwarding the email, Bill would supposedly send you up to $245 for every person you sent it to, and even pay you for the people that it got sent to after that!

It sounds nice, and the email throws around a lot of important sounding names like Bill Gates & Microsoft, AOL, and others, and talks about how "my brother's girlfriend" got a check, and other details that are there to help convince people.

But of course, it's all a big hoax.

If you sit down with a calculator, it's pretty easy to figure it out. Let's say you forward the email to 10 people. That'd give you $2,450. So far, that sounds pretty believable. After all, Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world.

But if those people each sent it to 10 more people, that would be 100 more people Bill would have to pay $245 for. So now the total is something like $245,000. But hey, Bill can still afford that!

But if those 100 people then sent it on to another 10 people each. That's another 1,000 new people Bill would have to shell out $245 each for. So suddenly the total is (I think -- this is a lot of zeros and my calculator is starting to smoke) $245,000,000! Even Bill Gates would have to think about it before writing a check that big, at least when he's not really getting anything out of it.

And if that 1,000 people each sent it to another ten, well, the number is too big to fit on my calculator's screen. And it's more money than even Bill Gates has, and we all know he's a billionaire!

So applying a little common sense to these things can go a long way to keep you from getting fooled. Of course, there's no real risk in the Bill Gates hoax, or any of the dozens of variations that have floated around the Internet since 1997 when a bored college student dreamed up the original.

But the same tactics are used by scammers out to get your money, like the Nigerian 419 scams or phishing scams, which have cost a lot of people a hell of a lot of money. Those scams come through email too, and are a lot worse than the harmless prank I just told you about.

So protect yourself with a little knowledge, and stay safe. My articles will help with that, plus the valuable info you can find at www.WorthGodwin.com

Beware the "Storm Worm" - It Could Be Lurking On Your System Right Now

I want to write you to warn you about an email threat that has been going around a LOT recently -- unless you're very lucky, you've probably seen this one.

This one is a pretty big risk, but like a lot of the computer threats these days, they can so sneaky that you'll never know they're happening. Let me tell you how to know if you might be at risk from it.

It's called the "Storm Worm", and it's been going around since January of 2007, but has gotten a lot worse since the beginning of June of '07.

It has a lot of variations, but the way it's been working recently is you get a piece of spam (junk email) in your inbox that says that you've received a greeting card, or an ecard, or something similar from a someone. Sometimes it's supposed to be from a friend, sometimes it's supposed to be from a company like Hallmark.

Whatever exactly the subject line reads, the email tries to get you to click on a link to view the card.

If you get an email like that, do NOT click on the link!

If you have clicked on a link in an email like that, I strongly suggest you get it looked at by a professional, because your computer could be infected even if you don't see any signs of it, and even if your antivirus software doesn't see it.

Fortunately for Mac users, you don't have to worry too much, because at the time I write this (August of '07) there still are no viruses or worms for Mac.

But you should still be wary of emails like this just in case, because we can't assume that Macs will always be safe -- although it's probably a safe bet that they will be a lot safer than Windows PCs for the foreseeable future!

What the Storm Worm "greeting card" does is infect your computer and make it part of something called a "botnet". This is a growing problem these days.

A botnet is a network made up of infected computers that -- without the user even realizing it -- will do things like send out spam and viruses, or group together to attack web sites.

This is done for profit by criminals who hire virus writers to do their dirty work.

So if an unexpected email comes from an unknown source, be careful! And be especially suspicious if the link in the email starts with a bunch of numbers instead of a regular website name.

I cover tips like this in a lot more detail on my easy video computer training CDs, where I'm able to show you a lot more than I can fit into these articles.

So take care, keep reading, and make sure to learn more about your computer -- make it a top priority -- not only will it keep you safe, but it will help you have more fun too!

By the way, remember, when it comes to computers, what you don't know *can* hurt you, so keep reading my emails. Also, if you haven't tried out my easy video lessons for Mac or Windows you really should take a look. You get plain English lessons that are easy to follow, and each lesson is short enough to fit into even a busy schedule, and they all come with a full guarantee. The video lessons let you see every step, every click of the mouse, while you hear me explaining every step in plain English.

I've got a pretty incredible deal going on right now, which you better take a look at before I change my mind. Find out more at:
www.WorthGodwin.com