Keeping your computer safe - virus, spyware and adware safety
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Let's coin a cliche - online safety begins at home. Or rather, it begins with your computer. Keeping your computer free from viruses, spyware and other nasties is the first and most important step, not only for online shopping, but for protecting your data and your files.
Keeping your computer safe from nasties involves at least four essential elements:
Anti-virus protection
Firewall protection
Spyware and Adware protection
Sensible browsing and download practices
Anti-virus - keeping your computer healthy
A study in 2005 found that if your computer is not protected by an anti-virus software, you have a 50% chance of being infected with a virus after just 12 minutes online! Computer viruses can cause havoc in your computer system, including wiping files and data, stealing personal details (including passwords and bank accounts) and cause other destruction.
Spending any time online, even if it is just to receive email, without an anti-virus software is asking for trouble.
If you have an antivirus software - you must keep it updated. New viruses are released on daily basis and without regular updates the antivirus software is useless. Good anti-virus companies will release virus definitions updates at least once a fortnight. If the software you are using is not updated regularly - you may want to switch.
Listed below are several great antivirus packages that are either free or inexpensive.
AVG antivirus is one of the best solutions and is our personal favourite (we are using it and love it). Grisoft provides a completely free antivirus software version for private use as well as inexpensive business, network and server versions. The definitions are updated regularly, the software does not slow down your system and is very easy to use.
ZoneAlarm(R) Internet Security Suite 6 from Zone Labs
This is another excellent solution, providing an inexpensive all-round protection with anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware and email protection. Stand-alone antivirus or firewall can be purchased and there is a free version of firewall available. Although we have not used this software, it has excellent reputation and reviews.
Firewalls - keeping the nasties out
A firewall is a software designed to keep unauthorised users (eg hackers) out of your system and to prevent installation of malicious software and other nasties. You should have a firewall and keep it running at all times while you are online. Not doing so is like leaving your front door open for anyone to enter!
Windows XP, with Service Pack 2 installed has an in-built firewall. If you do not have another firewall, the Windows firewall will provide some protection, but it is better to have a strong firewall on your computer.
Below are some recommendations for reputable firewalls that are either cheap or free.
ZoneAlarm(R) Internet Security Suite 6
Zone Labs provide a free basic firewall, but the full Security Suite is the best solution for an all-round protection - with a very strong firewall, as well as other state-of-the-art protections. This would be the first choice for firewall.
Lavasoft has recently released a firewall software. The company has an excellent reputation for anti-spyware and privacy protection products and, although we have not tested this firewall, it has great reviews.
AVG also have a firewall software and, if their antivirus is anything to go by, it should be an excellent product.
This is another excellent firewall. There is a free trial to check it out and the software itself is very inexpensive. It has some very useful features, including comprehensive traffic logs and a lock-down feature for your PC.
Spyware and Adware
If you browse the internet for any length of time, chances are you'll pick up spyware or adware nasties. While some adware may do no more than track the sites you visit and flash annoying pop-up advertisements on your screen, some spyware can cause serious damage - stealing your details, passwords and the like.
Therefore, if you shop online, spyware and adware removal software is a must. You should run the software at least once every week and keep it updated. Because no spyware detection program is completely effective, it is a good idea to have at least two or even three spyware detection programs and run them regularly.
Fortunately, some of the best spyware and adware detection tools are free.
Spybot Search & Destroy from Safer Networking
This software is a must. It is completely free (no catches, no strings attached), effective, easy to use and frequently updated. It runs very quickly, does not bog down the system and will find most nasties. There is also real-time protection built in, for extra security. We are using it - so this is a personal recommendation!
This is another great spyware detection software. Ad-Aware Personal version is completely free and will be sufficient for most users. More advanced versions (including real-time protection) are available for a small charge. The spyware definitions are frequently updated. Again, this is a personal recommendation - we are using this software and love it.
This award-winning spyware protection software is super-powerful, it picks up stuff other programs miss. Plus it features a real-time spyware protection, which is hard to beat. The software comes with 30 days free trial, but then you have to pay for the licence (which includes free upgrades). But the software is very cheap and the protection it provides is well worth the small fee.
Sensible browsing and downloading practices
Even with the best anti-virus, firewall and spyware protection, it is important to adopt risk-minimisation practices while online. These include, for example, not opening email attachments if you are not sure about their source or content, not downloading anything from unknown sources, avoiding spyware riddled websites, such as porn sites, keeping your internet security options at a level appropriate to the websites you are visiting and always, always, having your firewall and anti-virus real-time protection turned on.
Just like in the "real world" the key is always common sense.
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