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#1142864
I have seen this question asked many times already on this forum so I thought I would type a nice lengthy post seeing as im at home ill and cant do much else. So grab a cup of tea/coffee and some biscuits and read on ;)

Here's what I will cover in this thread

Virus Prevention and Anti-Virus Software
Spyware and Anti-Spyware Software
Firewalls and Software + Hardware Firewalls
What to do if you've been effected by any of the above

I hope this helps some of you out there. If you have any questions to ask then please just post a reply - don't be shy ;)


Virus Prevention
Virii, as you may or may not know, can get onto your machine a number of different ways. The most common in this day in ages is probably the internet and the downloading of files and emails, however there are many other ways such as removable media (floppy disks, CD's, zip disks, etc). Believe it or not, common sense plays a big part anti virus (in my opinion) and there are a number of factors to think about before downloading that "patch.exe" for your game, or loading that "install-v1.bat" on that floppy disk you've just put in the drive. Here is a few things to think about:

1) Look at the file name. Is that patch for quake really meant to be called "InstallIt.exe"?

2) Look at where you are downloading it from. Is it really downloading from the website you have visited? Internet browsers tell you where it is downloading from.

3) Is the site you are downloading from well known and/or corporate? There's a big difference downloading files from microsoft.com and joebloggs234.geocities.com.

4) If you are installing/running from removable media, do you know the true source of the disk? It may have been fiddled with between sources.

5) Before you open that "Read this! Love Letter!" email, do you recognise the senders name?

If you follow the above rules, you'll find it helps greatly in preventing viruses (virii) ever hitting your machine BUT it's not the be-all-end-all of being safe. This day in age, files are hacked without the vendor knowing, files are altered and tampered with on the original servers and many can be effected by it. This brings me to my next part...

Anti-Virus Software
There are many different options out there to choose from when it comes to anti-virus software. Some are free, some you pay for, some are good, some are bad. Here I will show you the different options and explain them best I can. Remember people have different opinions and views on anti-virus software and which is best, I can just give my view of things. I am only going to discuss 4 options because I could be here all year telling you about every piece of software out there.

Name: AVAST
Cost: Nothing (Free!)
Link: http://www.avast.com/get/p3QC4CiG
My Rating: 5 out of 5

The worlds most popular free antivirus and rightly. Covers both desktop and mobile devices with advanced security features for mobile phones. Awesome.

Name: AVG-Free
Cost: Nothing (Free!)
Link: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
My Rating: 4 out of 5

AVG Free is one of my favourites, simply because it is free and seems to do its job really well. It automatically updates likes the rest of them to keep you protected with the latest virii however many will say that it doesn't detect some of the really new virii that other pay-for products would. It also has a built in email scanner to help protect you from infected attachments etc.

Name: Symantec/Norton Anti-Virus
Cost: £39.99
Link: http://www.symantec.co.uk
My Rating: 4 out of 5

This is a top notch product which uses next to no system resources whatsoever. It will keep up to date with the latest virii and some versions have a built in firewall (not the £39.99 version) which is explained below. The only bad report I've seen from this is that a few people have nothing but problems with the software and causes them strange errors with other applications etc. -1 point ;)

Name: Kaspersky
Cost: £24.00
Link: http://www.kaspersky.com/
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Ive not really used this program but what I will say is that it is very popular, it's cheap and uses low system resources. It has email protection built in to it, there's new virus definitions every hour to ensure that you are protected against the latest and greatest viruses and has good technical support 24/7.


Spyware
What is spyware you ask? Well, spyware in a nutshell is basically something that monitors your every move and your activity on the computer, it then transmits this data to a third party without your concent. :shock:. Again, if you take the "Virus Prevention" steps as a bible, you should find you have less chance of being affected by this. This is transmitted basically by being included within an application that you have downloaded or a component you have installed. For example, you download some shareware/freeware called "mp3app", when you install it, what you dont see is that it installs some software in the background (spyware) and runs it, without asking you.

Anti-Spyware Software
Like Anti-Virus Software, Anti-spyware software is just a matter of choice. Again, some pick up more things than others and some use less system resources than others. I haven't really had much experience with anti-spyware software (If any moderator or person has, feel free to edit this part or PM me).

Name: Microsoft Windows Defender
Cost: Free
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/securit ... fault.mspx

I have used this in the past and what I will say is that it seems pretty system resource hungry but being microsoft, its probably expected. One thing to note is that it is still in its beta phase (still not finished as a product as is only there for testing)

Name: Ad-Aware
Cost: Varies
Link: http://www.lavasoftusa.com

Although you have to pay for this software, it is widely regarded as one of the best pieces of anti spyware software that you can get. Its full of features, it does its job well and is kept up to date constantly. If you can afford to part with the cash, this is highly recommended. Otherwise, go with one of the other options.

Firewalls
You keep hearing about firewalls right? you might have heard people say "firewalls will stop you getting viruses" which to be honest, its rubbish. With every single computer you get what is known as a port. These are not physical ports, but virtual. A port can have a number from 1 to 10000's, what certain pieces of software do (usually games) is open up a port number so that it can use it to transfer data between the client (you) and the server. Ports are for communication between one machine and another i.e networks/internet. If your computer does not have a connection to any other machine or the internet, you do not need to worry about this section.

What you sometimes get is that "application1.exe" program that you have installed opens up say port number 689. What joe bloggs in Brazil can then do is connect to this port on your computer and communicate to a certain degree with your machine. If "application1.exe" is what is known as a trojan then the damage can be quite substantial. It could allow joe to control your mouse, browse your machines hard drive, log your keyboard strokes, anything! it is scary. What a firewall does is block ports from being opened, unless you allow it. That way, "hiddenapp1.exe" cant open port 450 for hacker X to connect to you.

There are 2 main types of firewalls, there are software firewalls and hardware firewalls. I will now explain the differences.

Hardware Firewalls
Alot of the routers that you buy from a store today have firewalls built into them. Port opening/allowing is usually controlled by a web interface or an application that has shipped with the product. A hardware firewall is generally regarded as better protection against attacks than that of a software firewall, but again, hardware costs money.

*** if anyone has experience with hardware firewalls and can do a quick review of a few products, please PM me, credit will be given thanks! ***

Software Firewalls
There is many options when it comes to a software firewall and like the anti-virus and anti-spyware software, everyone has their own favourite and their advantages/disadvantages. Software firewalls are not as good against certain attacks as a hardware firewall but most see past the point that nobody would be that dedicated to attack your machine.


still typing..bear with me lol
User avatar
By si
#1174833
Cheers Ross :thumbup:
User avatar
By schizophonic
#1174862
For a awesome free virus protection software go to

http://www.avast.com

Its free and its powerful. I use it now. Highly recommended. PC format gave it 89% the other month (thats how i heard about it) Free updates included and is as powerful as Norton.

All totally free!!!
User avatar
By evilowl
#1174877
The best advice I can offer is to keep your PC's upto date with Windows Update - http://update.microsoft.com , and make sure your Anti-Virus definition files are updated often - at least once a week.

Those of you running OSX, then congratulations - you already have a secure operating system! But in all honesty, it can still be improved on. Read this guide http://www.macgeekery.com/tips/security ... x_security and this one for the more advanced users: http://www.sans.org/rr/whitepapers/apple/240.php

Those of you with hardware firewalls built into ADSL/Cable routers should look at http://www.portforward.com/ for help configuring individual models with step by step guides.

For people with small/medium/large networks or individuals who want the very best in AV protection then look no further than http://www.sophos.co.uk

That's about it for the time being.
User avatar
By dexterR
#1262351
Aurora: Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post this, as it`s VERY useful for the less computer-literate amongst us (including me :oops: )

Some of the stuff I knew about, but the info. on "ports" was excellent, and was something I`d heard of, but didn`t really know anything about.

Cheers again for an excellent thread.
User avatar
By steve6747
#1282421
Hi there, i currently work in the IT Security Field and i recommend doing the following:-

1. Fresh install of OS
2. Service pack
3. Any other driver for your computer setup
4. Antivirus software (namely Bitdefender from sources on the net but follow instructions carefully)
5. Spyware Doctor (as above with the location and instructions etc)
6. any other programs you require
7. Norton Ghost Backup to either Seperate Partition on HDD or new HDD or even DVD-R/RW.

then you should be trouble free for normal day to day use

if you would like more information on this then dont hesitate to contact me
User avatar
By jamesmckelvie
#1448122
And use an account without local administrator privelages
User avatar
By marsh
#1578291
AVG now has anti-spyware software available for free. Can recommend highly as well as there anti-virus.

Easy to find, download is on the same page as the antivirus IIRC :D
User avatar
By Skillz
#1578403
AVG isnt free anymore though is it?

I have to manually update it every day as auto updates are only available on the paid for version.

I may have to change this to something more reliable this week.
User avatar
By marsh
#1578406
yeah its still free, there is a commercial version which is better and has to be paid for though.
User avatar
By Rapid 17
#1712870
Skillz wrote:AVG isnt free anymore though is it?

I have to manually update it every day as auto updates are only available on the paid for version.

I may have to change this to something more reliable this week.
I have AVG free and it auto updates every day.

Geoff. :thumbup:
#1836431
I have to disagree with your assessment of Norton. I have found it to be one of the most intrusive and resource hugging AV on the go - in fairness it has always been the Norton Internet Security Suite that I've seen issues with.

I have actually stopped reccomending Norton to people as the amount of people complain that their PC's turn into 486's overnight! :wink: I do however think that Norton Internet Security Suite is one of the most complete solutions on the market and you can buy it online for a non boxed product far cheaper than in the shops. I did however get a really deeply embedded piece of spyware when I had this product on my PC. :bad-words:

I have a great deal of experience with Mcafee Virus Scan (Not the security suite as I use on a corporate network).

I think the basic problem boils down to is that if you know what your doing you can put your own security in place. For the average Joe user, you need something comprehensive that covers your gaps in knowledge.

I personally use Mcafee Virus Scan, windows Firewall for software based, my router as a hardware firewall and an occasional scan with Sypbot S & D to clean up any spyware issues.
#1915129
So whats everybody's recommendation for internet security these days. I'm running Norton but my sub runs out within the week and it really makes the 'puter chug along horrendously. I'm leaning towards AVG or Avast for Anti Virus and Spyware, Zonealarm for the firewall. Yay or Nay?
#2037834
Oh I so don't miss these days, not to mention the evenings doing the scandisk, disk defragment, virus scans, registry cleans, spyware scans, hours scouring the internet to resolve dumb conflict errors. system restore, updates etc etc. Not to mention the evenings where I decided to uninstall any unused programs, then manually delete the dregs they left behind.

I have two Macs, one XP machine and a Vista machine.... the vista machine won't show up on the network... but I'm past caring... it can do what it likes.

Seriously, if anyone is considering a switch to a Mac for any of the above reasons.... you so won't regret it.

Gamers.... I know all the arguments, and you're right. Everyone else... get a mac and find a new karma.
#2130846
Alanok wrote:So whats everybody's recommendation for internet security these days. I'm running Norton but my sub runs out within the week and it really makes the 'puter chug along horrendously. I'm leaning towards AVG or Avast for Anti Virus and Spyware, Zonealarm for the firewall. Yay or Nay?
Started using Avast on my home PC - can't complain! I have the facility to install McAfee Enterprise AV on my home PC but chose Avast instead. Doesn't slow the computer down noticeably, is user friendly and I've found it has picked up some viruses that the likes of McAfee missed.

The Pros:

Non Intrusive
Not noticeable performance decrease - (with dual core processor)
Scanners categorised, i.e. network scanner, file scanner, p2p scanner, etc and you can customise what ones are running.
Very user friendly
Comprehensive
and....... FREE!

Cons:

Not found one yet, however a true measure of an Antivirus tool is actually dealing with or preventing a nasty infection - so won't really know until this happens!

A very good tool to use as a once a month scan as a backup is Malwarebytes. Absolutely brilliant and again free, should always be part of your arsenal.
#2130864
Just because something is expensive, it doesn't mean it's any good & if somethings free it doesn't necessary mean it's bad! These rules are broken by two products in Anti virus programs.

McAfee & AVG! if you use either of these programs it's time to wake up!

The name being metioned alot on here is Avast Home Edition if you haven't got this program running on your machine, now's the time. it's FREE download link

There are lots of Spyware programs out there, some good, some bad. I can recommend you to superantispyware It's FREE download link

All is good advice, but make your choice wisely.

Regards Tiddy :thumbup:

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