Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Surf the web, see an ad, get a virus

cNET, a web division of CBS, documents how simple it is to get a virus if you use Windows to surf the web.  Web servers from Yahoo, Google and other webvertising companies automatically delivered ads that looked for Windows and out-of-date software, and infected computers automatically:
Users don't need to click on anything to get infected; a computer becomes infected after the ad is loaded by the browser, Avast (Ed. note: A trusted antivirus company) said.
Solution: Get Ubuntu Linux. I just installed the latest version on my PCs, and it automatically found everything in my Lenovo ThinkPad and HP Pavilions, found what space was available for Linux, and left my Windows intact; when I boot, I have a choice of Linux or Windows.

Linux can automatically connect to the Windows side of the hard drive, and use pictures, movies, movies and Office files you created or downloaded previously. It can even run World of Warcraft. Updates are automatically offered, and downloaded when you're ready, also for free.

Free is a very good price for an operating system and all the programs which work on it, and when it protects you from viruses, all the better.

No comments: