Managing
Pop-ups on your Home computer
What are Pop Ups?
There are a number of different types
of pop ups but generally pop ups are
small windows that appear in an Internet
browser when you or your family is using
the World Wide Web.
Pop ups can be grouped as:
- Browser pop ups.
These are the pop ups that
appear when you are looking at web
pages. They often contain
advertising or inappropriate
content.
- Browser pop unders.
Windows generated
underneath the current web page you
are viewing and appear after you
start closing down the windows in
the foreground.
- Messenger Service
advertisements. These
windows appear like real system
messages generated by your own
computer. They may be seen if you
are using Windows 2000 or XP.
- Spyware generated pop
ups. Pop ups created by
malicious computer programs or
spyware installed on your computer.
Pop ups can start appearing for a
variety of reasons such as when
something like a link or picture on a
web page is clicked on or you move your
mouse over a hidden trigger for example.
There are some pop ups, however, that
are legitimate and are used for
meaningful purposes in some websites.
What are the Dangers of Pop Ups?
Your family may be at risk using a
computer that cannot stop pop ups from
appearing. Dangers include:
- Inappropriate content
appearing. Children may be
exposed to pornography, gambling
or other undesirable content. They
may also be tempted with advertising
that is directed specifically at
them.
- Being scammed.
Offers may appear which entice
children to click on links or
pictures in the pop up.
- Privacy concerns.
Pop ups that are generated
by spyware on your computer may be
able to transmit personal
information to others.
- Slowing up the
computer. Pop ups can
cause your computer to run slower,
leading to frustrations and anger.
- Mouse trapping.
When you attempt to close a pop up
another may open and you seem to get
stuck in a loop which you cannot get
out of.
- Freezing the computer.
The computer may become
completely unresponsive, causing you
to turn it off without a proper
shutdown. You may loose other
information you have open.
- Time wasting.
Distracting children from what they
are supposed to be doing.
Anyone who uses the family computer
will face the same problems; children
being the most vulnerable.
6 Things You Can Do to Prevent Pop
Ups
To help your family stay safe, you
can try to prevent pop ups from
appearing. The following will help:
1) Install blocking programs
There are many programs you can
install on your computer which will help
you block pop ups. Use the
NetAlert Technology Toolbox to
locate some safety programs to use.
You may also like to search for 'pop
up blockers' in your
favourite search engine and find one
suitable for your computer.
Remember though, pop up blockers can
not always determine good pop ups from
the annoying ones so you may need to
temporarily allow pop ups to exist on
websites you trust.
2) Download and install a
toolbar
There are many toolbars available
(small programs that attach themselves
to your Internet browser) which have the
ability to block pop ups from appearing
in your browser. Some of the popular
ones include:
Toolbars are generally free and can
be installed quickly and easily.
3) Configure your browser
A number of popular browsers
including Safari, Mozilla, Opera and
Netscape allow you to configure them to
block pop ups. Check the help systems
of these programs to get started.
4) Upgrade to Windows Service
Pack 2
People who are using Windows XP
(pre-installed on many new computers)
may need to upgrade to Windows XP
Service Pack 2 (Windows SP2).
This free upgrade contains many
security features including a firewall
and pop up stopper. For more
information on how you can get this
upgrade, visit:
5) Install security programs
on your computer
To prevent pop ups being generated by
malicious programs on your computer make
sure you install appropriate security
programs.
These should include:
- Anti spyware -
Programs that can remove annoying
pop up messages.
- Anti Virus -
Programs that stop
malicious programs being installed
on your computer.
- Firewalls -
Programs that prevent hackers
(people who can illegally access
your computer) from reaching your
home computer.
Always make sure this software is
up-to-date and is run regularly.
Once again, use the NetAlert
Technology Toolbox to locate some
security programs to use.
6) Use the keyboard to escape
Sometimes you may need to close a
window without using your mouse. You
can press the CTRL and W keys together
to close down any active windows.
This trick is especially handy for
those windows which take up the full
screen.
Things to Tell Your Children About
Pop Ups
You children may be in the situation
where they are confronted with pop ups
when they are on the Internet. Teach
them to:
- Close the window.
Close the window as soon as it
appears on the screen.
- Understand
about inappropriate content.
Tell them it is OK to tell you or
another adult about unsuitable or
annoying content they may see. Pop
up windows can appear through no
fault of the child.
- Not to respond.
If something looks tempting to click
on in a pop up, avoid the
temptation. It is most likely a
scam.
- Avoid entering any
personal information.
Sometimes online forms may
appear asking for things like name,
age and address. These may be
disguised as surveys or feedback
forms.
- Be cautious.
Pop ups can sometimes appear to be a
computer system message - they may
be scams. Try to distinguish the
real ones from the fakes.
- Only accept trusted
sites. Only allow pop ups
to appear from websites that are
trusted. All other times make sure
any pop up blocking software is
turned on.
Sharing this advice with your
children may prevent serious problems
from arising in the future.
Where can I get more help?
If you would like to find out more
about pop ups and how to manage them on
your home computer, contact the NetAlert
Helpline on:
NetAlert Helpline
If you are interested in learning
more about the programs you can install
to help make your computer safer, visit
the NetAlert Technology Toolbox.
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