Page 689 - Windows 10 May 2019 Update The Missing Manual: The Book That Should Have Been in the Box

Note

And does it work? Do all these tools and patches actually reduce the number of virus and spyware
outbreaks?

Apparently, yes. The years of annual front-page headlines about national virus outbreaks—called
things like Melissa (1999), Blaster (2003), and Sasser (2004)—seem to be over. There will always
be clever new attacks—but they’ll be much less frequent and much harder to write.

Note, however, that built-in security tools can’t do the whole job of keeping
your PC safe; you play a role, too. So heed these tips before you or your

family go online:

Don’t trust a pretty face. It doesn’t take much expertise to build a

snazzy-looking website. Just because a website looks trustworthy
doesn’t mean you can trust it. If you’re visiting a little-known
website, be careful what you do there.

Don’t download from sites you don’t know. The web is full of
free software offers. But that free software may, in fact, be spyware

or other malware. (Malware is a general term for viruses, spyware,
and other Bad Software.) So be very careful when downloading
anything online. Especially free movies and songs.

Don’t click pop-up ads. Pop-up ads are more than mere
annoyances; some of them, when clicked, download spyware to

your PC.

With all that said, you’re ready to find out how to keep yourself safe when

you go online.

Windows Security (the App)

After several decades, Microsoft finally built free anti virus software right
into Windows.

But these days, virus protection is only the beginning. You now have a

standalone app called Windows Security (formerly Windows Defender,