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Anti-Virus

Posted by admin

We all know what viruses are. Most of us know how they spread, and we know that virus makers are getting more and more clever all the time. Virus makers are starting to get large fines and prison time for viruses that cause excessive damagem which is a good thing because they can cost corporation millions of dollars in labor controlling viruses on large networks.

There are a few simple rules that one can follow to minimize the risk of virus infections on your PC without spending a dime:

  • Don't use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express for email, Mozilla Thunderbird is free.

  • Never, never, never click on an email attachment even if from someone you know, unless you were expecting it and know exactly what it is

  • Run an anti-virus on your PC at all times (which does not have to cost anything as you will see)

  • Freeware is all fun, and there is some great stuff out there, but be careful, many of the "free toolbars" from rogue places are simply spyware...don't use them.

  • Keep all software on your computer, most importantly the OS, updated with all the current patches to make sure it's as secure as possible.

Simply following those rules will cut your likelihood of being infected by 99%. There are many anti-virus apps to choose from, way to many to mention here, but I will mention a couple common commercial AV apps, those being Norton and MacAfee. There is also a very good free app, AVG from Grisoft, which I have been using for about a year now and it is a great AV app, and much lighter on your system resources than Norton, MacAfee and many others.

When shopping for AV apps, be aware, no matter which you choose or look at, it is just like anything else, you will find people are very polarized in their preferences, and you will find somebody with a horror story about every one. So don't let one story about Norton turn you against them, cuz there will also be one with a story about MacAfee and one about AVG and every other maker out there. Personally, I have been using AVG for year and haven't had a single virus problem in that time at all...not one.