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Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Safe in a Crazy World of IT
Let's face it. Technology is getting better day by day. of course, you do not want your personal information being stolen and files modified in a way that you didn't want it to be modified. Even worse, you do not want your system to be compromised in a way that would render your personal computer or corporate network to be shut down.
During servicing, and most IT technicians working the security field would agree with me, many customers either have no anti-virus software or out-of-date definitions running on their systems. This would present a threat to the system as it is unprotected viruses and other malware that try to invade your system.
The Microsoft Windows family, namely XP and Vista now, would face the largest number of threats as it simply has the largest market share. Mac and Linux users haven't much to worry about, but as the statistics would have it, malware writers are already taking the step into the Mac and Linux world.
According to an alert issued Monday Oct 30 2007, by Intego, a company that sells anti-virus software for the Mac, a number of Mac user forums are being spammed with links to video porn sites that prompt Mac users to install one of these magic codecs. Intego says the trade-off is hardly worth it, as Mac users who agree to install the software don't get to view any additional racy material, and yet they're left with a nasty little rash on their machine to boot.
Let us do a quick run down of the most readily available anti-malware software available, both proprietary and free.
Anti-Virus
Whilst most users simply use their PCs for home use, listening to MP3s, reading email and checking the emails, it is still vital that users have anti-virus on their PCs. Who wants to deal with a PC that is unable to start every now and then? Here, the most well-known anti-virus software will be reviewed and recommendations will be made.
Now, if you have got the cash, you'll probably be shocked to hear this. AVG anti-virus 8.0 has beaten names like Trend Micro, McAfee and Norton in the test run and conducted by TopTenReviews. With a clean and easy to use interface, small footprint and excellent detection rate, it is little wonder why it is the most downloaded security software on the Internet. If you are looking to save costs or whether you are just a home user, download the latest AVG Anti-Virus software from http://free.avg.com/.
On the other hand, if you are willing to spend the cash on something that you would like to feel more reliable with then check out Kaspersky's Anti-Virus 2009 or BitDefender 2009 and notably NOD32, which has a super small footprint on your system. More details on these software and other related software can be found at www.pcmag.com .
Anti-Spyware
Whilst virus corrupt your data, spyware attempts to steal it. Sounds familiar?
According to TopTenReviews.com, your best bet at getting a free anti-spyware prgram would be SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition. With a look at it's review, it seems like such a powerhouse that I personally tried it on an old laptop. The results i got were more than enough for me to uninstall Spybot Search and Destroy 1.6 for good.
For those with the cash to spare, you would be looking to get a copy of Spyware Doctor for your PC or network. PC Tools Spyware Doctor has the resources to remove all traces of spyware and even prevent it from downloading. For more details of the Anti-Spyware software, head on down to www.pcmag.com for reliable reviews and free software availble.
Let's face it. Technology is getting better day by day. of course, you do not want your personal information being stolen and files modified in a way that you didn't want it to be modified. Even worse, you do not want your system to be compromised in a way that would render your personal computer or corporate network to be shut down.
During servicing, and most IT technicians working the security field would agree with me, many customers either have no anti-virus software or out-of-date definitions running on their systems. This would present a threat to the system as it is unprotected viruses and other malware that try to invade your system.
The Microsoft Windows family, namely XP and Vista now, would face the largest number of threats as it simply has the largest market share. Mac and Linux users haven't much to worry about, but as the statistics would have it, malware writers are already taking the step into the Mac and Linux world.
According to an alert issued Monday Oct 30 2007, by Intego, a company that sells anti-virus software for the Mac, a number of Mac user forums are being spammed with links to video porn sites that prompt Mac users to install one of these magic codecs. Intego says the trade-off is hardly worth it, as Mac users who agree to install the software don't get to view any additional racy material, and yet they're left with a nasty little rash on their machine to boot.
Let us do a quick run down of the most readily available anti-malware software available, both proprietary and free.
Anti-Virus
Whilst most users simply use their PCs for home use, listening to MP3s, reading email and checking the emails, it is still vital that users have anti-virus on their PCs. Who wants to deal with a PC that is unable to start every now and then? Here, the most well-known anti-virus software will be reviewed and recommendations will be made.
Now, if you have got the cash, you'll probably be shocked to hear this. AVG anti-virus 8.0 has beaten names like Trend Micro, McAfee and Norton in the test run and conducted by TopTenReviews. With a clean and easy to use interface, small footprint and excellent detection rate, it is little wonder why it is the most downloaded security software on the Internet. If you are looking to save costs or whether you are just a home user, download the latest AVG Anti-Virus software from http://free.avg.com/.
On the other hand, if you are willing to spend the cash on something that you would like to feel more reliable with then check out Kaspersky's Anti-Virus 2009 or BitDefender 2009 and notably NOD32, which has a super small footprint on your system. More details on these software and other related software can be found at www.pcmag.com .
Anti-Spyware
Whilst virus corrupt your data, spyware attempts to steal it. Sounds familiar?
According to TopTenReviews.com, your best bet at getting a free anti-spyware prgram would be SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition. With a look at it's review, it seems like such a powerhouse that I personally tried it on an old laptop. The results i got were more than enough for me to uninstall Spybot Search and Destroy 1.6 for good.
For those with the cash to spare, you would be looking to get a copy of Spyware Doctor for your PC or network. PC Tools Spyware Doctor has the resources to remove all traces of spyware and even prevent it from downloading. For more details of the Anti-Spyware software, head on down to www.pcmag.com for reliable reviews and free software availble.
Posted by Salvagers Blogger @ 11:21 PM
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