Triona's Tech Tips

The next time your computer gives you an error message, take a second look.

Because it may be a phony web pop-up, trying to convince you that your computer has an error. These pop-ups look remarkably like regular system alerts, but they’re really Web ads trying to get you to click and infect your computer. The notorious WinAntiVirus scam (aka Winifixer or the Smitfraud trojan) uses this ploy to convince you that your computer is at risk unless you install their purported product.

Other Web pop-ups may try to get you to click on seemingly legitimate ads or offers. It can be extremely difficult to tell the difference between a real ad and a fake one, or even between a real Web site and a malicious clone. You can test your Web savvy through the McAfee SiteAdvisor spam and spyware quizzes, which will show you just how deceptive these phony pop-ups can be. (I also recommend you install the SiteAdvisor plug-in for your browser.)

Worse, there’s the practice of clickjacking, which allows a malicious program to force your browser to click any link. This means you could get infected without any interaction on your part.

How can you protect yourself? Be sure to run the latest version of your antivirus software (see the Windows Help and Mac Help sidebars for suggestions). Windows users, don’t use Internet Explorer, try Mozilla Firefox instead. Using IE can increase your risk of infection. I also strongly recommend that you not click on web pop-ups, ever. Use Firefox’s pop-up blocker or a similar tool to keep the pop-ups away, and ignore the ones that do slip through.

Next month we’ll go over my Holiday Computer Gift Guide. If you have any computer questions, click Comments below this article, and be sure to sign up for the email version of Tech Tips for bonus tips and product reviews.

Planned obsolescence is the idea that computer manufacturers deliberately design hardware to force customers into continual replacement.

Does planned computer obsolescence exist? If not, recent manufacturing quality (or lack thereof) certainly leads to that impression. I am positive that computer printers made fifteen years ago last longer than those made today. Cases in point: the high percentage of ancient HP LaserJet printers I encounter, bless their little electronic hearts. On the other hand, newer printers of all brands, especially the low-end models, seem to suffer a less-than-two-year lifespan.

Computers are the same. That $500 PC… well, you may get what you pay for in a few years. Then again, you could buy a $5,000 PC and have the same experience. In general, Macs seem to resist planned obsolescence more readily, perhaps because Apple’s stranglehold on the Mac hardware market limits competition. Even so, design decisions like the Intel Macs force customers to invest in new hardware.

Sometimes you have no choice but to follow the industry’s “rip and replace” mantra. A recent flaw in the wireless security protocol WPA may soon mean that if your wireless access point is more than a few years old, you will have to replace it or risk being hacked. But it’s not always feasible to spend yet more money on another piece of equipment when you feel like you just bought the one you have.

What can you do? Don’t worry if your computer isn’t the latest and greatest. If it does what you want, fine. If it’s slow, try software repairs before resorting to a new system, or see if you can upgrade rather than replace. Not only will this curtail planned obsolescence, but it’s better for your budget as well as our ewaste-encrusted planet.

Next month I’ll share with you the biggest secret in the tech world, Should You Buy PC Or Mac? If you have any computer questions, click Comments below this article, and be sure to sign up for the email version of Tech Tips for bonus tips and product reviews.

All users of Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows and Mac should update to the latest version.

Malicious PDF files take advantage of flaws in the Acrobat Reader program to infect your computer. The current version of Acrobat Reader is version 9. Even if you already have this version, check to make sure it is the latest revision. Those of you who have the full version of Acrobat should use Adobe’s Update Manager to check for updates.

Click here to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader for your computer, and be sure to sign up for the email version of Tech Tips for bonus tips and product reviews.

Attackers are using real headlines in an attempt to fool email users into clicking links to virus-delivering web sites.

Using data-mining techniques, attackers insert real breaking-news headlines into spam email messages designed to get you to “click through” and unwittingly infect your computer. These spam emails may mimic the look of Google Alerts or other news services, or may simply contain a real headline plus a link to a malicious site. Once you click, your computer may be infected with a virus or Trojan horse.

One way to see if a link is legitimate is to mouse over, but NOT click, the link, then look in the status bar of your email program or web browser to see where that link goes. For example, if the alert pretends to be from Google but it goes to somewhere other than google.com, it may be fake.

Your best bet is to avoid clicking on any emailed news link, and instead going to the news site manually by typing the address, then clicking the link to the article.

With elections there is plenty of breaking news, so be sure to watch out for this scam.