Check Your IE Security Settings

Once spyware works its way into your system, it can be tough to get rid of. Once you have ran all of the utilities, posted all of your logs, and crawled through the bowels of your hard drive, don't forget one last step that is vital to preventing reinfection!

After you have cleaned your system and before you take it out on the Internet again, you need to make certain that your Microsoft Internet Explorer security settings are set to their proper levels. It doesn't matter if you use Firefox, AOL, or MSN to browse the Internet. Internet Explorer is a part of your operating system, and if it is not set up securely, your computer is at an elevated risk for reinfection.

Click on Start and select Control Panels from the menu. Open your Internet Options Control Panel and left click on the "Security" tab. Your settings should look like the graphics on the right. Click on each zone (Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites) and make sure each zone is set to its default settings. To accomplish this, click on the "Default Settings" button. If the button is grayed out, then that zone is already set to its default settings.

This closes the door to many infections as they attempt to reinfect your system. In fact, one of the first things spyware does when it infects your PC is to drop your security settings so it can accomplish the goals of the software author without your knowledge. Checking these settings from time to time will help you keep your computer free of spyware and trojan viruses and eliminate much of the need for time consuming malware removals.