Fighting Off Viruses: Advancements In Antivirus Software Suites – Part 1
Remember how it used to be, prior to the introduction of downloadable and Internet programs? Remember those, “good old days”? The computer virus scene then was comparatively simple. Since the main source of virus transmission was floppy disks, it was far easier to isolate and eliminate any sources of infection. It also, used to take a while for a virus to fully infect the computer and slow down the system, but today’s viruses are much faster. Antivirus software, that was available at that time, was usually able to find and get rid of viruses before they were able to weak too much havoc. Plus, computer users who exchanged floppy disk’s, usually knew that they needed to scan them before installing their contents in order to protect themselves.
Due to the Internet, much has changed. With the Internet connecting many potential hosts, viruses could move among them like lightning. Floppy disks were no longer the sole point of entry; a user had to worry about emails and their attachments, instant messaging, as well as, files shared over peer-to-peer networks or downloaded from the Internet. Modern viruses are able to come from many different places, reproduce independently, and capitalize on the weak spots of a system or program. Potential new threats have increased with technology advances, like the convergence of computers and other mobile devices.
How to Protect Your Computer
Fortunately, protecting your computer against the latest viruses is much easier with the improvements that have been made in antivirus software programs. Antivirus software is an integral part of a computer’s defense against malicious software, such as viruses and bad programs. This software can help to defend your computer against viruses, which can enter your system through e-mail, servers, or by simply surfing the internet. This software also provides a centralized control feature, to deal with deploying, updating, and configuring your settings.
Every computer user should carefully follow a simple procedure to protect them against virus threats:
1. Examine your computer’s existing security system.Because these new viruses can infiltrate your system in so many different ways, you’ll need a number of different antivirus programs to combat them all. Computer users need to be absolutely sure that all parts of their systems, including areas such as connectivity services, are secure. For the best security system, you’d want a comprehensive system that has features like antivirus protection, a firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. The virus will have a harder time getting into your computer with this type of system working and fighting for you.
2. Never install antivirus software, unless you are sure it comes directly from a reputable source.
It is vitally important for you to update your antivirus software regularly so that you are protected against the viruses that are unleashed on a daily basis. Learn how to use the real-time scan feature, and set it up to start each time you start your computer. This will give your computer automatic protection, scanning it each time you turn it on.
3. As a general practice, scan every new program or file even if it comes from a source you consider trustworthy. If you received binary, Word or Excel documents from an unknown source, especially via online chat or as an email attachment, exercise extreme caution when attempting to open them.
4. Schedule and perform regular system backups to ensure that you do not lose any vital data due to a possible system corruption. There may be no other option for recovering your information if your system is compromised.
5. Recommended Antivirus Software:
There are a number of antivirus software applications available today. You can identify the best program for your needs, if you just do a bit of research. Often you can download a trial version of the program so that you can try it out. But keep in mind that uninstalling some anti-virus programs can prove to be difficult. To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to establish a System Restore point prior to installation. The following programs are notable for their affordability, support services, effectiveness, and intuitive interfaces.
6. By giving you long-term support and downloadable updates, the Shield Pro 2005 â„¢ can deliver comprehensive protection against viruses and hackers. When a virus does hit your computer, the Shield Pro 2005 â„¢ will make sure that you have a patch for it in three hours, and a complete fix within five hours. Your computer can be set up to update virus definitions each week, and then it will run a complete scan with the new definitions.
7. One program, BitDefender 9 Standard, defends your computer by protecting its interaction with other computers, through its Peer-2-Peer and e-mail defense mechanisms, as well as virtual environment heuristics. This offers extra security against newly-released viruses, by scanning for pieces of code that do not match any released virus signature, but are nonetheless malicious.
8. Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is easy to set up and navigate. Three levels of protection are available for the user to select from. It can be set to update as often as once per hour, but is guaranteed not to disrupt your computer. You will also get two-tier email protection and 24 hour technical support, with this program.
9. PC-cillin Internet Security protects the user from viruses and other dangers that abound on the web, including worms, hackers, and Trojans. Spyware is detected, removed and spam is blocked. It also protects you from identity theft since it blocks phishing and pharming attempts.
10. AVG Anti-virus Free Edition, a free downloadable antivirus program, received praise for reliability. Previously, free readily available anti-virus programs have been viewed as unreliable. However, one of the best free anti-virus programs is Grisoft’s AVG. Though AVG isn’t available for servers it is still a reasonable selection for home computer users. You can try it for free, and you have no obligation to buy anything!
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How to protect your computer from popups and spyware
With so many users on the internet, it feels like open season by spyware. Acknowledging the problem and then taking a few simple steps to protect yourself ensures that you are less of a target. Spyware has become a big problem for computer users. They are programs that sit on a computer sometimes collecting sensitive data and net browsing habits.
Spyware programs can sneakily find their way onto a computer when free software is downloaded or when certain websites are visited. They can also be picked up through some peer to peer networks. Once on a computer, they can cause a nuisance by redirecting web searches, installing unwanted bookmarks or bombarding a computer user with pop up ads tailored to other search terms. It can also make computers slower and crash machines. And stored passwords can be stolen by malicious spyware. These are serious concerns for anyone concerned about online security.
According to a recent survey, 90% of PCs are infested with spyware. Each computer has on average nearly 30 spyware programs on them. And the Center for Democracy and Technology knows that there are hundreds of cases out there. Many experts would agree that a push for enforcing a new law is needed for online security.
Computer users are urged to regularly scan their machines with more than one anti-spyware program. It’s always a good idea to use a combination of anti-spyware software. This means that one might recognize spyware that the other may have missed.
Laws to Protect the Consumer
U.S. law makers have voted to introduce harsher penalties for those who spread spyware on people’s computers. The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for two bills which clamp down on spyware programs. The I-SPY Prevention Act of 2005 makes it an offence to access a computer without permission via spyware programs and introduces sentences of up to five years in prison for criminal activity. The SPY Act means that firms need a user’s permission before installing programs onto their computers. The bills would also mean harsher penalties for those behind phishing scams.
Phishing scams are where cyber criminals direct people to spoof websites which look like official bank or e-commerce sites fooling them into giving away confidential information. The two bills now go to the Senate for further consideration. Consumers have a right to know and have a right to decide who has access to their highly personal information that spyware can collect. Although the moves by Congress are encouraging, there are still obstacles to preventing criminal use of spyware such as lack of global enforcement policies as well as the complex details involved in distinguishing different types of spyware.
From January 1 2005, California State introduced the Consumer Protection Against Spyware Act which banned the installation of software that takes control of another computer. Companies and websites also have to disclose whether they will install spyware under the Act.
A Few Simple Steps You Can Take to Staying Safe Online
1) Install anti-virus software. Using a combination of anti-spyware software means one might recognize spyware that the other may have missed.
2)Keep your anti-virus software up to date.
3)Install a personal firewall.
4)Use Windows updates to patch security holes.
5)Do not open e-mail messages that look suspicious.
6)Do not click on e-mail attachments you were not expecting.
By taking these few simple precautions, being online can be a much safer and more enjoyable experience. And total piece of mind.
Copyright 2006 Judy Howard
Why You Should Use a Spyware Removal Software Today!
‘Spyware’ is a form of advertising software that is covertly installed on a person’s personal computer without their knowledge or consent.
Some advertising software today is installed with the consent of the computer owner as a form of payment for the use of a website or program, and these forms of marketing software are usually termed ‘adware’. The difference between spyware and adware is knowledge and consent of the user. Because spyware is added without consent, and often can lead to a number of damaging effects to a computer, spyware removal is a popular subject for computer users today.
The first step in spyware removal is of course determining that you indeed have spyware installed on your computer. Chances are, you do. In a study conducted by America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance in 2004, it was estimated that 80% of computer users across the world have some form of spyware installed on their computer, and 90% of these users are not aware of it.
Some common signs that your computer maybe infected with spyware are ‘pop-up’ advertisements that occur frequently, and sometimes even when you are not on the web. These ads can be extremely annoying to be sure, but spyware can have even more sinister effects to your computer. For instance, it can considerably slow your computer down, add hard to remove toolbars to your browser, change your home page without your knowledge, and cause lock-ups or crashes, resulting in lost data.
The good news is there are a number of spyware removal programs available that will scan your computer to detect spyware elements. If it is determined that your computer is infected with spyware, some of these programs are able to remove the infection.
Many spyware removal programs are available free of charge, though they must be updated regularly. Some programs will allow you to scan your computer for free, but will then ask for payment in order to clean the detected spyware. Personally, I’m a little skeptical of these programs, and stick to the ones that are entirely free of cost. Some good examples include SpyBot, and AdAware.
These spyware removal programs are usually able to get most spyware off your computer. To increase your chances, it is best to run two or even three different programs. You may encounter occasional spyware programs that are especially malicious and will require more complicated measures to remove. Instructions on how to remove these more devious spyware programs are often available in technical forums across the internet, and most stores that offer computer repair are also able to clean spyware as well as viruses.
Software reviews: Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0
Kaspersky Internet Security 7 provides computer users with a complete online security suite. Featuring its award-winning antivirus software, this package also includes a personal firewall, parental controls and protection against spam and phishing emails.
The antivirus feature of the software includes hourly updates – protecting users against the latest threats; as well as cutting-edge heuristics analysis to identify potential malware along with real-time email, IM & p2p scanning so you can be sure your communications are virus-free.
With a teak-tough firewall, potential hackers will have a hard time gaining access to your PC. However, getting maximum protection requires much configuration and may be off-putting for novice users.
Like its stand-alone antivirus product, KIS7 has a very light resources footprint, although its initial scan can take some time to complete. However, subsequent scans check only those files that have changed significantly – speeding up the process thereafter. It can also throttle back on scanning speed whenever the CPU is under heavy load to help alleviate system slow-down.
Offering top-notch antivirus and spyware protection alongside a solid firewall, if you can look beyond the mediocre antispam and parental controls, KIS7 is a sound choice, although may prove daunting for novice users.
Antivirus Software – Protect Your Pc From Malicious Virus Threats
Many computer users have had the unfortunate experience of computer virus infecting their PCs. Make no mistake, these viruses are not the biological ones that spread from one sick person to another, but do have similar traits in that computer viruses are just as contagious, and spread and infect computers very quickly over the internet.
Technically speaking, a computer virus is a form of executable code. These viruses are designed to cause malfunctions on the affected computer. When other computers are connected to this infected machine, the virus replicates itself to enter and infect the other PC.
You might have heard of the Worms or Trojans, which are viruses that are designed to steal important personal information such as your ID or passwords or account numbers etc that reside on your computer. They can also enable the particular virus to gain access into a machine and then hijack control of the infected computer. Other viruses, especially the macro viruses, are designed in such a way that they can delete or overwrite system or data files in the affected computer.
Installing antivirus software is by far the best solution to protect your PC from attacks from these computer viruses. The best known antivirus software are the Norton, McAfee and Panda, which come with features such as inbuilt firewall and direct access to online back up. These antivirus software also have the ability to deactivate the malicious viruses.
The antivirus software protects your computer from virus attacks following two main methods, the first method being prevention, and the second one cleaning. The preventive function involves stopping new viruses from entering your PC, while the cleaning function involves detection and extermination of the old viruses. The protective tasks include such procedures as monitoring emails, P2P downloads and internet connections. On the other hand, the virus cleaning part includes procedures such as scanning of your computer, detecting viruses and then eliminating them from the computer system.
Antivirus software are generally very efficient in dealing with harmful computer viruses. Even so, computer users are recommended to follow certain safety rules to tighten the protection even more:
* A common mistake most people tend to make is to open unsolicited emails that contain virus, either unknowingly or absent-mindedly. Never open such emails if you want to protect your precious data from getting lost once and for all.
* Another precautionary measure involves not opening any attachment sent with an email. Unless you are sure of its source and what it contains, it is usually better to just delete this mail with the doubtful attachment.
* Make sure to also use a personal firewall.
Software reviews: Symantec Norton Antivirus (2008) – Part 1
Symantec has made a name for its business by using the Norton Antivirus System. For several years Symantec has dedicated their business to supplying their customers with the best quality technology. This year, it’s Norton Antivirus 2008.
This Norton Antivirus system a key technological tool is part of a series that encompasses Antispyware, Internet Worm Protection, Rootkit Detection, and Antivirus. Since cyberspace threats are always changing and updating, so is Norton Antivirus to keep your computer running at an optimal speed. This 300 MB program for the Windows XP and Vista is designed for keeping your PC safe by preventing viruses from hijacking it.
Blocking virus-infected emails, protecting out-going emails and instant messaging, blocking spyware and worms, and detecting hidden threats and removing them from the computer Norton Antivirus has added even more features on top of these to the 2008 edition. By building off the previous installment (Norton Antivirus 2007), Symantec has added several new features to make the series better than ever.
New features include faster scans thanks to an improved performance rate, a one-click-away access to technological and customer support, a network map that allows a view of your home network, and a drastic noise reduction while Norton Antivirus toils away (which is nice to those that are frequent computer users).
The significance of the added network monitoring creates a network security administrator out of the user. With Norton Antivirus, the user is able to monitor other computers on their network and the computers’ safety. One can also manage other Norton Antivirus 2008 (or Norton’s Internet Security) installed on the network’s computers. This feature also allows the user to update and run scans on those other computers very useful in a business or families with more than one computer. This feature protects not only one computer but potentially the entire network. However, for this feature to work, the other computers must have Norton Antivirus 2008 installed on them too.
Two other important features for Norton Antivirus users is the new Browser Defender that covers known vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and blocks malicious websites from exploiting them. The second feature keeps malware from instant messaging out of your PC. Avid internet surfers and internet chatters would be hard pressed to find another defense more solid than that of Norton Antivirus 2008.
Returning fans of the
