Article from the National Enquirer quoting Ben Rothke on issues around computer security and spam.

1. LEARN TO DEAL WITH
BUGS — AND SPAM
There are 400 new computer viruses a month — any one of them could be fatal
P
ROTECT your computer and protect your sanity —
by learning the best ways to vanquish viruses, slam
spam and puncture pop-up ads. More than 60,000
computer viruses have been identified and 400 new
ones are created each month, an ENQUIRER inves-
tigation has discovered.
To find out how you can safely and easily navigate cyber-
space, we spoke to leading experts.
“The danger of viruses is so great that you’d be silly not to
get some protection,” computer consultant Ben Rothke told
The ENQUIRER.
And software tester and consultant Jay Dougherty, who
writes computer training man-
uals, added: “Viruses have
everyone worried these days — SPECIAL
and with good reason.”
Rothke has advised several ENQUIRER SAFETY
FIRST:
Fortune 500 companies on There are
computer security systems INVESTIGATION several
and is the author of good virus
“Computer Security: protectors
20 Things Every Em- and spam
ployee Should Know.” blockers on
The expert noted, the market.
“There are a good 50
to 70 antivirus pro- 2. SurfControl E- program might see those as
grams out there, but Mail Filter ($35) spam so you won’t get them.
there are three I think 3. Mailwasher “It’s very easy to resolve. You
are the best.” They are: (free) simply go into your anti-spam
1. Symantec’s Norton All have Web program and give it instruc-
AntiVirus 2004 ($49.95) sites you can go to tions to let the Britney Spears
2. McAfee VirusScan so you can down- fan club or football e-mails
($29.95) load them — www.us. come through.”
3. Trend Micro’s InterScan m c a fe e.c o m ,w w w. Most Web surfers would also
($35) surfcontrol.com and love to get rid of pop-up ads —
“You can easily install www.mailwasher.net. those annoying product pitches
them yourself,” said Rothke. You can also purchase the that suddenly take over your
“You just go to their software in a computer store. screen.
Web sites — www.symantec.com, And if you use Hotmail or “If you use Internet Explorer,
w w w.u s . m c a fe e.c o m , Yahoo’s e-mail services, I recommend you get a pro-
www.trendmicro.com — they have an options box gram called Popup Begone,
and download the pro- that lets you block put out by a company called
gram yourself. spam for free. MicroSmarts for $29.95.
“You can also Cautioned “You can download it yourself by
buy them at a store Rothke: “The going to their Web site — www.pop
that sells comput- anti-spam upbegone.com. It is very easy to
THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER
er software. They programs install and it’s very effective.
do a really good sometimes “If you don’t use Internet Ex-
job.” have trouble plorer, I would recommend you
A word of cau- identifying download the free Mozilla Web
tion: You should an e-mail you browser, which has almost all the
also download the periodic up- unappetizing, never-ending might not consider spam. functions of Internet Explorer. It
dates when they are offered in flow of unsolicited e-mails, fre- “Let’s say you’re interested in has a built in anti-pop-up pro-
order to have protection quently pornographic. football and you get a weekly e- gram.
against the latest viruses. Here are the three anti-spam mail about it, or you belong to “You can install it yourself
Internet users also have to programs Rothke recommends: the Britney Spears fan club and from their Web site at
deal with spam — an extremely 1. McAfee SpamKiller ($29.95) they send you e-mails. Your www.mozilla.org.”
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