Email worms and viruses are spreading via messages that are sent without your knowledge, and spammers use open relays established by viruses to send their junk mail through innocent computers turned spam zombies — yours, if you're not paying attention.
It is, thus, a command not only of security but also of online etiquette to use current antivirus software, to update it frequently, and to keep up to date with security fixes of your email software.
Use Current Antivirus Software and Keep it Up to Date
Not sure which anti-virus software to choose? Antivirus Software Guide Mary Landesman can help you get the best protection:
Top Windows antivirus products
Top Macintosh antivirus software
Scan Files, Folders, Emails and Entire Computers for Free
In the meantime, additionally and always try these free online virus scanners:
Panda ActiveScan free online scanner
BitDefender AntiVirus Free Online Scan
Trend Micro HouseCall
Kaspersky Online Scanner
VirusTotal (scans individual files using multiple engines)
Windows Live Safety Center Protection Scan
McAfee FreeScan
Symantec Security Check
Authentium ThreatMatrix Free Virus Scan
vineri, 5 martie 2010
Security Basics For Home Computing | About.com
s a home computer user accessing the Internet, whether through a broadband connection or traditional dial-up, you should do the following three things at a minimum to protect your compute:
Install and maintain anti-virus software. There are plenty of great anti-virus software packages available. This software checks for known viruses by scanning your computer periodically. Most will also check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to update the software as well though.
New viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should check the web site of the vendor that makes your anti-virus software to see if there is an update available.
Do not open unknown or suspicious email. Many viruses and worms use what is called “social engineering”. That is, they attempt to trick you into becoming a participant in the process. The latest viruses can “spoof” the sending email address so that it looks like it is coming from someone other than the computer that infected it.
If an email is not from someone you know, it is usually best to simply delete it without looking at it. If the email appears to be from someone you know, you should read the message carefully before opening any attached files. Viruses and worms often have bad English and poor grammar. Consider whether the person you know would really have written that message or forwarded you the attached file. If in doubt, contact that person you know to confirm they truly sent it before opening the attachment.
Keep your computer patched against known vulnerabilities. Almost as often as new viruses are discovered, new vulnerabilities are discovered as well. Many times they are in the operating system (like Windows), but vulnerabilities are also found in tools like your web browser, email software and other 3rd party tools. Left unpatched, these vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to obtain access and control of your computer.
Staying up to date can be difficult. Some vendors, such as Microsoft, have automated utilities that check for updates and notify you. Other vendors may have an email mailing list you can join so they can notify you of any new updates. If your vendor doesn’t offer one of these solutions, you may just need to periodically visit their support web site to check for any new patches or updates.
Install and maintain anti-virus software. There are plenty of great anti-virus software packages available. This software checks for known viruses by scanning your computer periodically. Most will also check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to update the software as well though.
New viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should check the web site of the vendor that makes your anti-virus software to see if there is an update available.
Do not open unknown or suspicious email. Many viruses and worms use what is called “social engineering”. That is, they attempt to trick you into becoming a participant in the process. The latest viruses can “spoof” the sending email address so that it looks like it is coming from someone other than the computer that infected it.
If an email is not from someone you know, it is usually best to simply delete it without looking at it. If the email appears to be from someone you know, you should read the message carefully before opening any attached files. Viruses and worms often have bad English and poor grammar. Consider whether the person you know would really have written that message or forwarded you the attached file. If in doubt, contact that person you know to confirm they truly sent it before opening the attachment.
Keep your computer patched against known vulnerabilities. Almost as often as new viruses are discovered, new vulnerabilities are discovered as well. Many times they are in the operating system (like Windows), but vulnerabilities are also found in tools like your web browser, email software and other 3rd party tools. Left unpatched, these vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to obtain access and control of your computer.
Staying up to date can be difficult. Some vendors, such as Microsoft, have automated utilities that check for updates and notify you. Other vendors may have an email mailing list you can join so they can notify you of any new updates. If your vendor doesn’t offer one of these solutions, you may just need to periodically visit their support web site to check for any new patches or updates.
Best Free Antivirus | About.com
Virus protection is serious business these days. All it takes is one password stealing virus to compromise your bank accounts and other financial accounts and leave you open for identity theft. That is why you need the best antivirus software for your computer. The good news is that the best antivirus software is free for home use and as good as any antivirus you can buy.
Why do these companies give away the best antivirus free? They all have pro versions with more features that they would like you to buy.
All three programs offer Windows versions. Avast is the only one of the three products that has a version for Macs.
1. Avast Home Edition Free Antivirus
I have to crown Avast as the overall best free antivirus for, among other reasons, having excellent virus and spyware detection rates according to antivirus test results from AV-Test.org.
Avast antivirus manages to provide a simple and functional user interface, while also being very customizable and feature complete. The active protection feature monitors seven different ways that a virus could enter your computer, including Web browsing, email, file sharing, and more.
Avast also features scanning on boot up if you choose to do so. That's something you don't want to do on every boot as it takes quite a while. However, if you suspect you have been exposed to a virus or spyware it is the best way to detect and remove active infections.
2. Avira Personal Free Antivirus
Avira is another one of the best free antivirus products, but it is not as full featured as Avast. The free version of Avira doesn't claim to protect against spyware, but I believe there is some crossover between what is defined as a virus and as spyware. If you want to make sure you are covered for spyware you can use something like SuperAntiSpyware which also has a free version.
Avira has an attractive interface, but it needed more tweaking to get things to function the way I wanted than did Avast. According to AV-Test.org Avira rates slightly higher than Avast for virus detection. However, if the spyware tests were run on the free version of Avira the score would be very low since they reserve the antispyware feature for the paid version.
3. AVG Antivirus Free Edition
AVG is the most popular and one of the best free antivirus software products. AVG has a very polished user interface and is easy and comfortable to use. AVG detects both viruses and spyware in the free edition. However, in the test mentioned above the detection rate is a little lower than Avast or Avira.
The main thing that puts AVG last in my choices for best free antivirus is the amount of functionality left out of the free version verses the the paid version of the software. You still get good basic protection, but Avast and Avari cover more of the infection pathways than does AVG.
All three of these best free antivirus choices can be easily installed and uninstalled. You can feel free to try all of them to choose your favorite.
Why do these companies give away the best antivirus free? They all have pro versions with more features that they would like you to buy.
All three programs offer Windows versions. Avast is the only one of the three products that has a version for Macs.
1. Avast Home Edition Free Antivirus
I have to crown Avast as the overall best free antivirus for, among other reasons, having excellent virus and spyware detection rates according to antivirus test results from AV-Test.org.
Avast antivirus manages to provide a simple and functional user interface, while also being very customizable and feature complete. The active protection feature monitors seven different ways that a virus could enter your computer, including Web browsing, email, file sharing, and more.
Avast also features scanning on boot up if you choose to do so. That's something you don't want to do on every boot as it takes quite a while. However, if you suspect you have been exposed to a virus or spyware it is the best way to detect and remove active infections.
2. Avira Personal Free Antivirus
Avira is another one of the best free antivirus products, but it is not as full featured as Avast. The free version of Avira doesn't claim to protect against spyware, but I believe there is some crossover between what is defined as a virus and as spyware. If you want to make sure you are covered for spyware you can use something like SuperAntiSpyware which also has a free version.
Avira has an attractive interface, but it needed more tweaking to get things to function the way I wanted than did Avast. According to AV-Test.org Avira rates slightly higher than Avast for virus detection. However, if the spyware tests were run on the free version of Avira the score would be very low since they reserve the antispyware feature for the paid version.
3. AVG Antivirus Free Edition
AVG is the most popular and one of the best free antivirus software products. AVG has a very polished user interface and is easy and comfortable to use. AVG detects both viruses and spyware in the free edition. However, in the test mentioned above the detection rate is a little lower than Avast or Avira.
The main thing that puts AVG last in my choices for best free antivirus is the amount of functionality left out of the free version verses the the paid version of the software. You still get good basic protection, but Avast and Avari cover more of the infection pathways than does AVG.
All three of these best free antivirus choices can be easily installed and uninstalled. You can feel free to try all of them to choose your favorite.
Free Virus Protection | About.com
Along with the increasing interconnectedness of our computers, the sophistication of the software we use and the speed of the hardware comes increasing threats from a malicious type of software -- the virus. There is no question that everyone needs to protect their computers from viruses, but can it be done without spending lots of money to buy anti-virus software and spending even more money in yearly subscription fees to keep the software up-to-date? In a word, yes!
There are a number of things you can do for free to keep your computer safe from viruses. You can check out the best free antivirus software, but first a few tips on safe computing that you should follow even with good automated anti-virus protection.
Stay Up-to-date: This not only applies to your anti-virus software, but also your operating system, browser and email client. Most viruses take advantage of known security problems in your computer’s software. There is almost always a patch available for the software before viruses appear on the scene that take advantage of the vulnerabilities. If you use Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, Windows Update and Office Update respectively provide an easy way to keep up-to-date with security patches.
Use Common Sense: This may sound harsh, but most virus infections wouldn’t happen if the computer user would think about what they are doing and use a little common sense. If you get a strange looking email message delete it instead of opening it to satisfy your curiosity. If a message, even a normal looking one, has an attachment you were not expecting to receive, don’t click on it to see what it is. Much of the secret to safe computing is smart computing.
Avoid Dangerous Neighborhoods: Just like in the real world, if you go looking for trouble in cyberspace, you are bound to find it. Don’t visit questionable sites like those with pirated software (warez sites), hacker sites, or sites that promise you software keys and other ways to break the law.
Don’t Follow the Crowd: Almost all viruses use flaws or features of Microsoft products. Using alternative software, especially Web browsers and email programs will thwart most viruses. Mozilla is good choice for both Web browser and email client. Using a non-Microsoft operating system such as Linux can also be a good choice for some. These measures won't prevent all viruses but they will greatly improve your chances of not becoming infected with the most prevalent viruses.
Even with the safeguards above, it is still a good idea for most people to use good anti-virus software. Believe it or not you can get top of the line antivirus software free for personal use. Check out these best free antivirus recommendations to get your free antivirus protection.
There are a number of things you can do for free to keep your computer safe from viruses. You can check out the best free antivirus software, but first a few tips on safe computing that you should follow even with good automated anti-virus protection.
Stay Up-to-date: This not only applies to your anti-virus software, but also your operating system, browser and email client. Most viruses take advantage of known security problems in your computer’s software. There is almost always a patch available for the software before viruses appear on the scene that take advantage of the vulnerabilities. If you use Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, Windows Update and Office Update respectively provide an easy way to keep up-to-date with security patches.
Use Common Sense: This may sound harsh, but most virus infections wouldn’t happen if the computer user would think about what they are doing and use a little common sense. If you get a strange looking email message delete it instead of opening it to satisfy your curiosity. If a message, even a normal looking one, has an attachment you were not expecting to receive, don’t click on it to see what it is. Much of the secret to safe computing is smart computing.
Avoid Dangerous Neighborhoods: Just like in the real world, if you go looking for trouble in cyberspace, you are bound to find it. Don’t visit questionable sites like those with pirated software (warez sites), hacker sites, or sites that promise you software keys and other ways to break the law.
Don’t Follow the Crowd: Almost all viruses use flaws or features of Microsoft products. Using alternative software, especially Web browsers and email programs will thwart most viruses. Mozilla is good choice for both Web browser and email client. Using a non-Microsoft operating system such as Linux can also be a good choice for some. These measures won't prevent all viruses but they will greatly improve your chances of not becoming infected with the most prevalent viruses.
Even with the safeguards above, it is still a good idea for most people to use good anti-virus software. Believe it or not you can get top of the line antivirus software free for personal use. Check out these best free antivirus recommendations to get your free antivirus protection.
Free virus protection for your home PC | Avast
New viruses are being found "in the wild" all the time. Further, the speed at which these new viruses spread is increasing all the time. A key problem is not that antivirus programs do not detect such viruses, but the fact that most users do not use any antivirus program at all or, perhaps worse, the antivirus software and / or virus definitions database is out of date.
ALWIL Software, the producer of avast!, decided in June 2001 to help to solve this situation by offering avast! Home Edition free of charge for home users who do not use their computer for profit. To get industry leading antivirus protection for your home PC, download the software, and then register it.
The whole process is very simple: you need to download the program from the avast! 4 Home Download page, selecting the appropriate language. Then you need to install it, which is a mostly an automatic process. Initially, if you don't register straight away, you'll install the trial version, which is fully functional for sixty days. During this period, you can register yourself on the avast! 4 Home Free Registration page, and you will receive your license key by E-mail within 24 hours. Insert this key into the avast! 4 Home product, and you will receive the non-restricted version of avast! 4 Home Edition, including access to the update service (the incremental update of the virus database), for one year. After this period you can reregister to obtain a new free license key.
avast! 4 Home Edition can only be used by home users that do NOT use their computer for profit. If you do not meet both conditions, you should download avast! 4 Professional Edition instead, which may also be trialed for up to 60 days before you will need to purchase a valid license key.
avast! 4 Home Edition is a complete antivirus solution, fully able to find computer viruses, to create and check the integrity of programs installed, to test executed programs and opened documents, to test and check email and other functions. Scanning is also available in the shell extension and screen server.
You can read about avast! 4 Home Edition here. You can get avast! 4 Home Edition on our download page. You can later register it on a special avast! 4 Home Edition Free Registration page, where you can also request a renewal registration. You can also access our frequently asked questions section in case you are having difficulties with your product, or visit the forums where many questions have been or can be answered about the product.
Source of Inspiration:
https://secure.avast.com/web/eng/free_virus_protectio.html
ALWIL Software, the producer of avast!, decided in June 2001 to help to solve this situation by offering avast! Home Edition free of charge for home users who do not use their computer for profit. To get industry leading antivirus protection for your home PC, download the software, and then register it.
The whole process is very simple: you need to download the program from the avast! 4 Home Download page, selecting the appropriate language. Then you need to install it, which is a mostly an automatic process. Initially, if you don't register straight away, you'll install the trial version, which is fully functional for sixty days. During this period, you can register yourself on the avast! 4 Home Free Registration page, and you will receive your license key by E-mail within 24 hours. Insert this key into the avast! 4 Home product, and you will receive the non-restricted version of avast! 4 Home Edition, including access to the update service (the incremental update of the virus database), for one year. After this period you can reregister to obtain a new free license key.
avast! 4 Home Edition can only be used by home users that do NOT use their computer for profit. If you do not meet both conditions, you should download avast! 4 Professional Edition instead, which may also be trialed for up to 60 days before you will need to purchase a valid license key.
avast! 4 Home Edition is a complete antivirus solution, fully able to find computer viruses, to create and check the integrity of programs installed, to test executed programs and opened documents, to test and check email and other functions. Scanning is also available in the shell extension and screen server.
You can read about avast! 4 Home Edition here. You can get avast! 4 Home Edition on our download page. You can later register it on a special avast! 4 Home Edition Free Registration page, where you can also request a renewal registration. You can also access our frequently asked questions section in case you are having difficulties with your product, or visit the forums where many questions have been or can be answered about the product.
Source of Inspiration:
https://secure.avast.com/web/eng/free_virus_protectio.html
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself[1] and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.[2][3]
The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojans, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious and go unnoticed.
The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojans, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious and go unnoticed.
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