Spyware-Prevention Tip: Beware of the "Button Flip"

Purveyors of spyware will go to great lengths to install their malicious programs on computers. One common and very sneaky technique they routinely employ is known as the "button flip," in which a pop-up or banner ad on a Web page is used to trick visitors into installing spyware.

In a typical button-flip scenario, the user will see an ad that poses a question (such as "Do you want to install program X on your computer?" or "Do you want to register to win $1 million?") and offers both Yes and No buttons. So what's the catch? Both buttons actually install spyware, so even if the user thinks they've made the right decision, they still might have contracted a cyberpest.

To avoid button-flip scams, always close out of pop-up ads by clicking the small "X" in the window's upper-right corner or shut them down by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Delete and using the Task Manager's End Task function. If you need more resources to help you keep spyware of your organization's computers, have a look at TechSoup's Antispyware Toolkit, which features advice and free software that can help you snuff out spyware — or better yet, avoid it entirely.

Do you have other strategies for avoiding and preventing spyware? Share and discuss more spyware-fighting tips in the Community forums.