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Geekgirl's anti-spyware and anti-virus recommendations

 

80% of home computers in the US are infected with spyware. 86% of those infected have no idea their computer is infected. Unless you know your anti-spyware and anti-virus defences are strong and current, those statistics should scare the pants off you. Without up-to-date protection your computer is seriously at risk: you could lose your files, lose your privacy or give away your financial details.

Here are my recommendations for anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

Anti-virus

PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005
Particularly good for beginner or intermediate computer users, PC-Cillin does the job simply, easily and effectively. This security suite includes a very good anti-virus program, a firewall and (so-so) anti-spyware. I find it makes my computer start up somewhat slowly, but doesn't have the same overall negative performance impact that Norton AntiVirus has. If you have several PCs you want to protect, there's a 3-pack available, which cuts the price to $US30 per PC (instead of $US50).

If you haven't used a firewall before, it takes a little getting used to and you must train it to identify which applications it's okay to let through (such as allowing your anti-spyware programs to update themselves from the Internet) and which to block.

I find PC-Cillin's constant pop-up alerts about Internet "outbreaks" (such as the worm which caused all the recent German spam) annoying. If you do, too, you can turn the alerts off this way:

1. Double-click the PC-Cillin icon in your taskbar tray to open the main program window.
2. Click the Updates And Registration button on the left.
3. Click Outbreak Warning Settings.
4. Remove the checkmark beside Enable Outbreak Alert.

 

Eset NOD32
If you're an experienced computer user who prizes efficiency and control, take a look at NOD32. It has an unmatched record in anti-virus performance and it runs at lightning speed. It's not as easy to use as PC-Cillin, but experienced users will have no trouble with it.

Install and use one anti-virus product only. Using two anti-virus programs simultaneously can cause instability and affect your computer's performance. It's also entirely unnecessary: all you need is one good program.

Anti-spyware

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
This free program is still in beta testing, but it is perfectly stable and provides the best anti-spyware performance of all.

Spybot Search & Destroy
Donationware.

Install and use all these recommended anti-spyware programs. The bad news is: there is no known combination of anti-spyware which detects and stops all spyware threats. Even combining these recommended programs will only stop around 70-80% of spyware. However, if you run all of them, keep them up to date, use the real-time monitoring provided by some of the products, use safe browsing practices and stop using Internet Explorer as your browser (see below) chances are your system will stay clean of spyware.

Ad-Aware
There's a free version called Ad-Aware Personal. I think it's worth paying for Ad-Aware SE Plus or Ad-Aware SE Professional, which catch more spyware and add a bunch of features including a spyware monitor.

CWShredder
This freeware program deals with a whole class of spyware the other products fail to root out. All you need is the standalone version, not the one combined with SpySubtractPRO.

warning

You must keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up-to-date. That means turning automatic update checking on (if it's available in a product) or otherwise checking for updates before each use. With automatic updates on, PC-Cillin frequently downloads more than one update a day at times of high threat, so you can see that running a scan even with a program that's only one week out of date might cause you to miss a bunch of recent viruses. Using out-of-date anti-virus or anti-spyware software is not much better than leaving your computer unprotected.

Browser

Firefox
You have to stop using Internet Explorer as your browser (if you are) and switch. Why? Because Internet Explorer is so insecure it invites spyware infestation. This, despite dozens upon dozens of security updates. Internet Explorer is also shamefully out of date as a browser, so making the switch will not only make you more secure, it will also give you better browser features.

My pick is the freeware Firefox, although you'll do equally well with the Mozilla Suite or Opera. Opera isn't free (well, there is a free version but it includes advertisements), but it does have the best security record of any browser.

Although Firefox and Mozilla have had their share of security patches and alerts, Mozilla.org patches vulnerabilities in both these browsers far faster than Microsoft, and the severity of the insecurities in the two is, on average, far less than IE's problems.

You'll still need to use IE to access a few sites – possibly some banking sites that aren't compatible and certainly the Windows Update site. But use Firefox everywhere else. To smooth the changeover from Internet Explorer to Firefox or Mozilla, read Browse Free.

© 2005  Rose Vines

 

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