Greetings --
You seem to think that anti-virus software should protect you from
your own deliberate carelessness. It won't, can't, and shouldn't.
Scumware, spyware, and adware does not simply ".... somehow get onto
the computer," nor are all such intrusions the results of deliberate
attacks. Such programs are most often installed by unwary and
uniformed computer users who thoughtlessly click pretty links or
download and install the "brightest and shiniest" new, "free"
utilities and games without bothering to read the fine print in the
accompanying license agreements, which explicitly give these
unscrupulous utility/game distributors permission to install
additional "features," or checking to see if this new utility/game
comes from a legitimate source. Another great source of this malware
are email attachments that many people open and execute without a
thought, simply because the subject line is "catchy," or it claims to
be from someone they know. The installation of scumware (a collective
term for adware and spyware) is also part and parcel of using some
peer to peer file sharing programs, Kazaa being the leader in this
field. In plain language, all too many people do not practice "safe
computing."
Firewalls and anti-virus applications are important components of
"safe computing," but they cannot, and should not, protect the
computer user from him/herself. These programs cannot prevent the
computer user from deliberately, if unknowingly, installing such
malware. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and every computer
user to be fully aware of the potential consequences of clicking
download links and license agreement buttons.
Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH