Overview

Solutions in this chapter:

• Cyber Pests

• Pornography

• Erroneous, Mislabeled, and Incomplete Files

• Product Defects

• System Recovery

• Language/Translation

• Disc Backups

Introduction

Software pirates face the same hazards as everyone else when surfing the Internet. However, they are at much greater risk if for no other reason than the sites they visit tend to harbor a disproportionately greater number of viruses and other threats. Though mainly interested in obtaining illicit software, pirates are typically sophisticated computer users. They anticipate unpleasant surprises and take the appropriate precautions.

This chapter discusses the ever-present dangers and what pirates do to protect their computers and their sanity.

Cyber Pests

There are all kinds of nasty pests in cyberspace, which are grouped under the malicious software (malware) heading. These pests are designed to annoy you, damage your computer, or both. Viruses, spyware, Trojans, worms, browser hijackers, scumware, and other cyber vermin are posed to attack, and can wreak havoc on your computer and your patience if you are not prepared. The risk of contracting malware goes way up, particularly when navigating to some of the less savory sites. However, there are specialized programs that can help prevent these attacks, and many of them are free.

The sites that cater to software piracy probably harbor the most viruses and spyware than other sites. Therefore, it is extremely important to have effective, up-to-date antivirus and spyware protection.

The following sections provide brief descriptions of some of the hazards that everyone (including pirates) encounters on the Internet.