Start the new year fresh and clean and protected

In a couple of posts late last year we talked about how to keep your PC clean in regards to dust & also keeping it clean of unnecessary temp files etc. So to add to these posts it's only appropriate to discuss the importance of having good anti-virus and spyware software.

So to kick things off I'll give a few definitions of some commonly used phrases (definitions from Wikipedia.com).

Virus:
A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or sometimes knowledge of the user.

Malware:
Malware, a portmanteau from the words malicious and software, is designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system with the owner's informed consent, The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

Adware:
Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.

Spyware:
Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer without the owners consent.

Tojan Horse:
Trojan horse payloads are almost always designed to cause harm, but can also be harmless. They are classified based on how they breach and damage systems.
Some examples of the affects are:

• Erasing or overwriting data on a computer
• Upload and download of files
• Phishing for bank or other account details, which can be used for criminal activities
• Deactivating or interfering with anti-virus and firewall programs

Computer Worm:
Worms use a network to send copies of itself to other nodes (computers on the network) and it may do so without any user intervention. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause harm to the network, if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

There are many more types of "virus" and other nasty things out there. But basically as long as you understand that you need to make sure you're protected from them as best you can - you'll be okay.

I've searched around the internet to see what most people are using or what is classified as "the best" out there. There is plenty of great software available out there to use, however a few that we recommend are - Windows Live OneCare, NOD32, AVG.

I've checked out a few IT forum pages to see what they recommend as far as virus and spyware software, and they say that you should have at least one antivirus product and two spyware products. A couple of spyware products recommended are - Spyware Blaster, Spybot Search & Destroy, Spyware Guard (works in real time), and Adaware.

Also, if you don't already have a firewall to protect your PC, it is recommended that you download one. A recommended and popular firewall is ZoneAlarm.

Fire wall definition :
A firewall is an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system.

I know this has been quite a long post already but with all the trash that is on the internet these days, you need to be as protected as you can. There are hundreds of new viruses being created everyday and your virus software should automatically update at least once a week to keep up with the new virus definitions being released.

Finally to top off the list, you should make sure your windows updates are kept up to date. This option is generally selected as automatic so shouldn't be a problem. To check if it is, click on   start < control panel < automatic updates and then select the automatically option and a time that suits you.

I hope this helps to keep you and your computer safe this year. If you would like any further help with this or things related to this then either post a comment or send an email through to us (info@avantgate.com) and we'll be happy to help. To access any of the above mentioned software simply Google it. Some of them are free and others cost a small fee, however it is a worth while investment.

Have a prosperous year!