Wipe out 25 web problems

The internet is a valuable resource for work, entertainment and research, but it has become something we take for granted.

We tend to forget how much we rely on the internet until something goes wrong.

Whether it’s a virus infection or a barrage of pop-up adverts, there are many irritating problems that can get in the way and ruin your internet experience.

We are going to explain how to do away with the 25 biggest internet problems, so you can get back to enjoying your internet connection as quickly as possible.

1. Viruses
Viruses are one of the most common problems experienced by anyone with an internet connection. A virus infection can come from many sources, but the most common means of infection are email attachments and infected downloads. It’s easy to take action to avoid virus problems.

The importance of installing anti-virus software cannot be overstated. Virus protection need not cost the earth. AVG Antivirus is free. This program can automatically scan incoming emails for infection, as well as constantly monitor other files as they are accessed. It can also keep itself up to date.

Be sure to scan your computer for viruses regularly - once a week if possible - and scan immediately if you suspect you have been infected. AVG can scan files immediately after downloading them: right-click the file and select Scan with AVG from the menu that appears.

2. Spam
Junk email, often known as spam, is not only an irritation, it is also related to phishing emails. Spam can clog up email inboxes and is particularly annoying for dial-up internet users who have to wait for junk emails to download slowly. One of the easiest ways to overcome the problem is to install spam-filtering software such as Mailwasher. The program makes it easy to filter out unwanted emails.

Many popular email programs include their own junk mail filters. The key to ensuring that these are effective is to train them by marking spam emails as junk and checking the junk email folder to rescue any genuine messages that have been incorrectly deleted. Most email programs also allow you to create your own email rules so that any emails containing a particular word will be deleted.

3. Spyware
Although viruses and spyware are often grouped together as malware, they are different. The effects of a virus infection range from annoying messages to an unusable computer, but spyware is designed to spy on the computer’s users. This could involve monitoring websites visited or recording credit card numbers as they are entered.

Specialist software is recommended to help detect and remove unwanted infections. A good tool is Spybot Search & Destroy, which is free to download. It can scan your hard disk for spyware and remove any infections that are found.

4. Phishing
Phishing scams are designed to trick people into revealing personal information online. Most arrive as spam emails that look as if they come from a trusted source. Many email programs include phishing filters that can spot dubious emails, and the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer alert users to known phishing sites.

To ensure that Internet Explorer’s phishing filter is enabled, click on the Tools button, then Phishing Filter, followed by Phishing Filter Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the list of options and make sure that ‘Turn on automatic website checking’ is selected.

The best protection against phishing is caution. Even if you think an email from a bank or shop is legitimate, don’t click on links it contains, as these may take you to a counterfeit website. Open your web browser and go to the site by typing its address into the address bar. Never respond to an email that asks you to ‘confirm’ an account username or password.