How to Stop Internet Monitoring
Being monitored is a normal part of online activity for many people, although they typically do not know it. Any time you use a computer at work, at school or in any public environment, your activities are subject to monitoring. Even worse, if you have downloaded a virus, your activities may be monitored even in situations where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The good news is that it is possible to stop others from monitoring your Internet activity, and all you have to do is follow a few basic steps.
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Instructions
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How to Stop Internet Monitoring
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Use anti-virus software to scan your computer for malicious files. Hackers often use Trojan viruses to slip keyloggers and other monitoring software onto computers. If this has happened, it is important to use the anti-virus to clear away the source before removing monitoring software to avoid the software reinstalling itself.
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Go to the Safer Networking Web site listed in the Resources section. Safer Networking is home to one of the leading free removal tools for cleaning monitoring software off a computer. On the Safer Networking Web site, click the picture of the flag that corresponds to your language.
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Click the Download link in the top right corner of the site. This link opens a page that lists products available for download. Click the Spybot -- Search and Destroy link.
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Click Run. A box will appear when the download starts to ask if you want to run or save the program. Save a copy of the installation file if you expect to reinstall the software; otherwise, run the file to install the program. Restart your computer after the install completes.
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Open Spybot -- Search and Destroy. Double-click the desktop icon created during the installation. Alternately, click Start, then Programs, and find Spybot in the list.
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Click Scan. Scanning searches the files and folders on your computer to locate any spyware or monitoring software. Close all windows before scanning your computer. The scan may take a long time, depending on how many files are present and how long it has been since the last Spybot search.
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Clean and erase any malicious programming Spybot finds. Spybot will present a number of options when a suspicious file or program is found. Users can ignore the program and take no action, clean and delete the file, or quarantine associated files.
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Close the program and restart the computer to clear system memory. Repeat this process every 2-4 weeks to make sure the system stays clean.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are using a work or public computer, it may be illegal to remove the monitoring software they have installed. In this instance, you must accept the fact your activities are being monitored, or elect to not use the equipment.
Resources
- Photo Credit mrebert, Flickr.com Creative Commons License
