Your Expert Guide to Desktop Security Software

The logic of most internet users would be to find a free antivirus software before buying any antivirus software. Of course! Why buy when you can have one with no cash out? However, you get what you ask for, so to make sure you get an antivirus that will work well, and also be free to use, here are some of the necessary features you should look for in the free antivirus software.

Does it have real time scanning?

This means as you work or play on your computer while being online, will the antivirus program work as well? Will it be able to detect incoming files or applications that contain dangerous viruses?

Does it have on-demand access and scanning? Can you pre-schedule scans?

For instance, when you open an email from a person who sounds like someone you met, but you are not sure, will the antivirus be able to detect a malware as you open the file? Also, can you schedule scans when you want, or do you follow its schedule?

Does it have a Heuristic scanning feature?

This means your antivirus should be able to figure out new threats based on what it knows, even before the updates are installed?

Can it go through your compressed files and find viruses sneakily hiding there? Often you will find out, a lot of malware tend to effectively bury themselves under a pile of files, making it extremely difficult for manual detection. Many times, the only way to find these threats is through a good antivirus program.

How well can it protect when you are online?

Can the software check the websites prior to your visiting them, and can it detect danger from instant messaging?

Article Source: http://goo.gl/FmnBY

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Die-Hard Norton Antivirus User No Longer

Actually, it started a few days ago. Nothing definitive, but definitely something "not quite right" as I used one program or another or surfed online. Of course the first thing I did was scan my hard drives. Nothing wrong (according to the 2006 version of Norton's Antivirus program).

But still the lagging and odd this and that persisted. Running out of virtual memory at the drop of a hat, on and on, problem after problem. Scan, scan, update, scan, scan. Never one little thing did 2006 find.

In reverse, I also ran my spyware sweeper from my Zone Alarm Pro (and before you think that was my problem, it's not - these two programs had been working quite harmoniously on my computer for years, the problems only started AFTER I upgraded to Norton's 2006 version!). And... each time Zone Alarm found spyware and typically things that Norton, if working correctly, SHOULD HAVE ALSO FOUND.

Hmmmm... So, having spent the extra bucks and also had Symantec ship me a backup disk, I started the (now) unthinkable. I uninstalled everything - both Norton and Zone Alarm for good measure.

At around 8:30 p.m. last night the fun began.

By 3:00 in the MORNING, after repeatedly trying in vain to get Norton to fully install on my computer, and with only my lowly Zone Alarm Pro to protect me against the bitter outside world - in total disgust and RAGING ANGER I turned everything off and went to bed.

Five hours later, I was at it again.

Only this time, I was SO smart! I headed straight to ZoneLabs never giving Norton another backwards look.

I called the wonderful folks at ZoneAlarm, received some OUTSTANDING support, help (and sympathy which I sorely needed by then), and upgraded to ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6.5.

I did my homework. I read around. C/Net has actually moved Norton way down the list (it might even be past McAfee at this point), and clearly proclaimed ZA's Antivirus program superior.

As a current customer, it's an easy upgrade to the ZA Security Suite - and a financial savings to boot.

Fully installed on my computer SURE ENOUGH there was a big bad bundle of trouble that ZA caught - the first time around (!) - and fixed and eliminated. Since spyware checking also comes with this suite, along with a bunch of other things, I ran that, too. A total of six spyware sneaks eliminated.

I am a paranoid individual when it comes to me and my computer. I don't want you to get the idea that I wasn't updating or wasn't scanning or using Norton's Antivirus 2006 properly. I was. The rotten part is I THOUGHT it was protecting me. It wasn't. Glitchy, nasty, stinking rotten program - and it takes a lot for me to say that... I've been using Norton for years. However, if you currently have 2004 or 2005 on your computer my advice is DO NOT upgrade it to 2006. It's like a bad beta program that should never have left the shelves without a lot more research.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/Xcnfw

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Install Antivirus Security Software

A lot of people in the antivirus industry were afraid that Microsoft was going to kill the antivirus market. This hasn't happened yet, despite the fact that Microsoft is performing OK in independent antivirus tests.

But Microsoft's is but one free antivirus product; there are many other brands as well. What are the free antivirus products and can we trust them?

Initially, free software was always associated with Open Source Software: tools made by smart geeks; not very pretty, but working well.

Instructions

1. Choose an antivirus program. Popular programs available for purchase on disc include McNorton and McAfee. Online programs include Trend Micro and AVG. These are are available from their websites (see Resources) as free or charged editions.

2. Check for viruses. If your computer is already infected by viruses it may block the installation of the software. Use an online virus scan, such as that from Trend Micro (see Resources), to check for the existence of such viruses before you begin installation.

3. Remove any other antivirus software from your computer's hard drive. To do this, enter the Control Panel menu and open the "Add/remove programs" window. Scroll through the list and delete any remnants of previous antivirus software.

4. Close all programs. Ensure programs are closed and not just minimized. If there are icons or items listed on the taskbar at the bottom of the computer, close them by right-clicking once on the item and then left-clicking once on the "Close" option on the drop-down menu that appears.

5. Insert the software disc or run the downloaded file for your antivirus program. Follow the onscreen prompts to install the software including selecting the file destination and agreeing with the licensing requirements.

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Provideing Security to Your PC Through Antivirus

As technology advanced, and computers got empowered from just computing devices, the threat also increased for corruption or theft of data. Many fraudulent and treacherous people using the ability of programming languages, developed malicious code which could perform a task harming your computer in one way or the other. Also that code was capable of replicating itself. These snaps of code came to be known as Computer viruses. Initially they were just programming errors but later on seeing the potential of damage they can create, people started making them deliberately. Thus totally a new breed of applications was developed to provide security to computers called Antivirus software applications.

The inception of anti-virus software applications goes back to 1971, where Bob Thompson of BBN Technologies developed an experimental self-replicating program called Creeper. Now, Creeper affected a lot of computers there to the extent that it had to develop another program called Reaper to delete it. So you can say that, not technically, but yes Reaper was the first anti-virus. Slowly and steadily as programmers got powerful, more and more deadlier and damaging viruses came into the market and with the flourishing of internet the infection of viruses spread like a tsunami. But simultaneously even the anti-virus applications got powerful enough to curb them down and provide security to the host computers.

Several big names came up in the market with their products as antivirus software applications. But products like AVG, McAfree, Kaspersky, Avast, Notron, Avira, BitDefender, etc. gained a considerable appreciation and worked very nicely against viruses and other malicious content. Even the technology of scanners used in antivirus applications saw a great deal of development. Today we have Quarantine technology to keep viruses in a secured vault rather than deleting it completely because if the virus has bonded itself with some crucial system file then it will delete that too along with it causing the system unwanted damage. We also have Sandbox approach to run unknown code. There were also viruses and malicious programs which decorated themselves as antivirus programs like WinFixer, MS Antivirus etc and infiltrated the systems. But they couldn't last long as all good anti-virus programs have a regular update system where they constantly update their virus definition files providing maximum security against even the freshly detected viruses.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/Haq0J

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How Anti Virus Software Will Keep Your Computer Healthy

For most people, they do not care how the internal workings of their computer works, as long as it gets the job done. They do not want to know about the memory, or how many bits and bytes is in something. They just want to be able to email their mother pictures of her grandchildren. So when it comes to securing the computer from outside threats, they tend to shy away from overly complicated solutions. They want a quick and easy fix or they will ignore the problem until it starts to affect the computer from doing its normal everyday operations. But making sure your computer is secure from black hat hackers does not have to be complicated. With a few software installations, you can have your computer run safe and secure in no time.

The first thing that you should know, is what you are protecting your computer from. This is pretty easy. In laymen terms, you are securing your computer from viruses and other malware that will seek to corrupt it. When we say corrupt it, what that means is that it will put some kind of program onto your system that will make your computer do things that you do not want it to do. Things such as read the data that you put into it and then send it to someone else. Or it might have data that the program comes with and turn your computer into a delivery system. The deliveries will be things such as spam or maybe even other viruses. They could also use your computer to attack other computers on the internet in what is called a DDOS attack. So for these reasons, you want to make sure that your computer is protected in the latest anti virus security.

You can download anti virus from several different venues. You can use a name brand such as Norton or Macaffe. Or you can use a free version such as AVG. No matter which one you pick, make sure that you get it from a reputable web site. There are a lot of web sites that will try to get you to download fake anti virus software. Make sure the site that you get it from is legitimate. Download.com is a good resource but there are others. So once you download the software, install it on your computer. After you finish the install, run a scan on your computer. You want to make sure that any malware that was on there before you installed the software is now gone. Now that is taken care of, just let the software run every time you turn on the computer. This will mean that you are pretty well protected.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/BxRdV

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How to Temporarily Disable the Norton AntiVirus

The process of temporarily disabling Norton Antivirus is quick and straightforward. If you wish to disable all Norton Antivirus components in your system, you might need to consider disabling other related programs like Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall, if applicable. Both of these contain a built-in Norton Antivirus component.

Instructions

Disable Norton AntiVirus

Launch Norton Antivirus. Double-click on the Norton Antivirus icon from the system tray, adjacent to the clock on the bottom-right corner. If this does not apply, locate the Norton Antivirus icon on your desktop.

Click on "Options" and select the "Auto-Protect'' tab. Locate the check box that corresponds to the "Load Auto-Protect at Startup" option. If the check box is checked, click on it to leave it empty (disabled). Click on the "OK" button to confirm the action.

Go to Windows system tray, located on the bottom-right corner of your screen, adjacent to the clock. Right-click on Norton's small icon. A drop-down menu displays. Select "Disable Auto-Protect."

Select the duration, from the list of options, that you wish to keep Norton Antivirus disabled. Confirm the dialog box as necessary. A bubble message will display in the Windows system tray, alerting you the antivirus has been disabled.

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The Best Internet Antivirus Security Software

There are a number of anti-virus solutions on the market, and choosing the best one for your needs is essential. The best anti-virus security software offers enhanced technology to block unwanted viruses, spyware and other malicious programs, while also offering privacy and parental control options. Although many opt for the free anti-virus software available online, it is important to know that they do not offer the same level of protections as the paid applications do.

BitDefender Antivirus

BitDefender, rated a top choice by PC Magazine, is one the most effective anti-virus software solutions available. BitDefender offers real-time protection against viruses and other malware programs. Additionally, it blocks websites from trying to steal your credit card information and other personal information. What makes this product even better is its optimized scanning capability that scans your files in half the time than previous versions and other anti-virus solutions. BitDefender also gives parents stronger parental control by allowing them to view all websites their children visit. This anti-virus software offers free technical support.

Kaspersky Antivirus

Kaspersky Antivirus offers in advanced level of protection against viruses, spam and spyware. Kaspersky also fights against identity theft and phishing scams, while providing advanced parental controls and privacy protection. Kaspersky works quickly by scanning only files that have been changed since your previous scan. It also has a plug-in that is compatible with both Internet Explorer and Firefox that lets users know if a website has any links to sites with adware or other security risks. It also offers free technical support in the United States.

Norton Antivirus

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Norton Antivirus is one of the most recognized names when it comes to anti-virus solutions. As a leader in anti-virus solutions, Norton protects against Trojans, viruses, spyware and more. Its advanced technology looks for threats not recognized by average anti-virus scans. Like many other anti-virus solutions, Norton protects against identity theft and optimizes performance. What is unique about Norton is it uses technology that determines the threat level of files by looking at several factors including the source, age, popularity and digital signature.

Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper

Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper fights viruses, Trojans, spyware, adware and rootkits. The software is the PC Magazine Editors Choice for stand-alone anti-spyware in 2008. It has become recognized as one of the best anti-virus solutions available. Webroot is easy to use and can be customized to have a minimal effect on your computer. The multi-layered approach of combining the anti-virus and spyware programs is necessary to keep your computer safe. What is unique about Webroot is its ability to detect before it has a chance to impact your computer.


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