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Anti Virus Software

June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The internet has changed the mode of communication. Practically everything from paying bills to communicating with loved ones is done on the web today. So it is no surprise that with the growth and popularity of the web comes a growth of invaders. There have been decades of issues that involve virus dating back before the Love Bug which was a virus that swarmed around the internet and crashed many computers. So how do prevent security breaches and viruses? First you must know what to look for. Here are a few tips to help against spam.

  • Be aware of the email monster: The best place to find spam is in your email inbox if you don’t have your spam filter on. chain emails can cary viruses, other email messages can lead to fraud. Some people pretend to be the government, or charities asking for donations and either way you will be ripped off.
  • Downloads can lead to disaster: Downloaded content, be it music or data files, can hold any type of virus that can change settings or completely destroy your computer.
  • Web pages: Some web pages can hold instantly downloading viruses as soon as you open them, so its a good idea to be cautious about what sites you are searching for.
  • Social Media Sites: There are even viruses inside social media sites, sometimes these won’t actually damage your computer but they can damage your reputation by sending out false emails that are offensive or racist to your entire contact list.

 

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers Tagged With: , ,

Should You Pay for Antivirus Protection?

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Antivirus protection is one of the most important things to have for your computer system. It provides key protection for your computer, to ensure it is not vulnerable to third party viruses, spyware and other malicious threats.

Screenshot of ClamTk 3.08 running on Ubuntu 8.... 

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Paying for It

There are free antivirus programs available. Others cost a significant amount of money. How can you tell if you should pay for a program or not? Here are some tips to help you to make that decision.

  • Free programs often have fewer features than paid programs. Consider the benefits of using a program to aid with email protection from spam, for example, which may be a protection only available through a paid antivirus program.
  • In some cases, a free program can be okay, especially if the Internet connection is not constant or you are not using it often. If there is a constant connection, the benefit of having a program is clear. Without it, anyone can enter the system through a vulnerable point and take advantage of the user.
  • For a business, especially businesses using cloud computing methods or storing customer data, having an in-house, paid antivirus program is essential. The level of help is ideal in this higher-end product.

If you are considering the benefits of a free antivirus program or a paid one, remember to compare the specific features of each product before making a decision about which one is right for your specific needs. Most of the time, you can get a free trial of a program to help you to make the decision about whether or not the more expensive version fits your needs better, or offers improved benefits to you.

 

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Security Tagged With: , ,

Can You Have Too Much Protection?

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are lots of anti-virus, and anti-spam programs. But there is such a thing as too much. For the anti-spam and anti-virus programs all you need is one. Two is one too many for your computer system to handle. There are a few reasons why you only need to stick to one. Once you have picked the anti-virus and anti-spam program you like, stop. Don’t download any more than one. The main reason why is that two different anti-virus programs don’t play very well together.

When you run a typical scan, one program will detect the other and treat it as a virus. This causes problems for you, the programs you have downloaded, and for your computer. In other words, it can turn into one giant headache. So, instead of detecting and getting rid of real viruses, you are stuck with a program alarm on a virus that does not exist. Fixing it usually involves uninstalling one of the programs. If you pay for more than one, you are throwing your money away.

Two anti-virus programs can also cause conflicting reports. One report will say one thing and the other might tell you something totally different. This is a side effect of having two anti-virus programs. The question then comes up. Which one is right? The answer is not as clear as it seems. The headache is in trying to figure out which one needs attention and which one can be ignored. It can lead to some basic confusion which would only be solved by uninstalling one and running the scans again.

Yes, there is such a thing has having too much protection. So, don’t forget to deactivate and uninstall your old anti-virus before installing a new one onto your computer system. Otherwise, you will wind up with an enormous headache dealing with both programs.

Filed Under: Emails, Internet Tagged With:

Catching Viruses While Surfing

January 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Web surfing is a serious business for many people. Whether you are surfing for information, business or pleasure, the opportunity to catch a virus exists. Oftentimes, it comes out of nowhere when you are on the hunt for a specific piece of information or click on certain websites. Most times, your anti-virus software will catch it before it does any real damage. However, there are times when even the best software can’t protect you from new creations. To keep yourself safe while surfing, you should follow a few rules that will give you the best shot for avoiding viruses.

Anti-virus updates are crucial. Viruses and worm are ever evolving projects that appear frequently. While it is impossible to catch and protect against them all, your anti-virus software is striving to keep up with the new releases. It is their job to protect your system. They can’t do their job correctly, if the anti-virus is working with old software. Old software can’t catch the new and upcoming viruses.

Don’t enter sites that are flagged. There are some sites that will generate a red flag. This is your anti-virus telling you not to proceed forward. It is a warning that you may suffer adverse effects if you enter it. It could also contain a virus that will disable your anti-virus software and completely dissolve your protection. Avoiding the website is your best bet. Also, run your anti-virus scan immediately afterward to make sure you haven’t caught anything in passing.

The anti-virus software is your best defense against catching a virus while surfing. You must keep it up to date and current. Be aware of when it expires so you are not caught without protection. Not every site can be trusted. If the red flag appears, don’t ignore them. They are imparting information that you could potentially suffer damage.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Emails Tagged With: ,

How Viruses Sneak Through To Your Email

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Viruses are a nasty production of those who are testing the limits of technology. These little code creations have the power to wreak major havoc on any computer system they have access to. One of the easiest ways a computer contracts such an infection is through email. The unsuspecting recipient of such emails open them up with disastrous consequences. Usually, the clean-up takes hours of time scanning and lots of frustration. In addition, the virus can just completely shut down your entire system with no hope of recovery.

The virus email is a very sneaky creature. It often disguises itself as a friend or family member. Sometimes, it hides behind humor, a sob story, a must have product, or an urgent message. It tries very hard with convincing words to get the recipient to do exactly what it wants them to do. Click on the link. Once you do, it commences its attack and there is no stopping it without a good anti-virus program.

But not all anti-virus programs can stop it. Sometimes, it targets the anti-virus and disables it with a single blow. Then it sneaks into the system to wreak havoc. The attack on the anti-virus system can go unnoticed until it is really needed and then the program fails. At that point all that can be done is a shutdown before things get worse and a reboot in safe mode to try and get rid of the coding before it steals any vital information or before it extensively damages the motherboard.

The most simplistic protection to avoid these types of viruses is actually at your fingertips. Don’t click on them. It is very easy to delete them with a simple click. The best protection is avoidance. So when you are faced with an unknown email sent from a friend, just don’t click on it.

Filed Under: Emails Tagged With: ,

Antivirus Software Concepts

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Antivirus software is a form of protection for computers to be used to prevent, identify, and remove a variety of computer viruses including Trojan horses and worms. Some antivirus software also prevents and eliminates forms of malware such as spyware and adware.

Identification Techniques

There are a variety of ways an antivirus software can be utilized to recognize viruses and malware.

  1. Signature-based detection: the most common technique an it identifies viruses and malware by compares the aspects of a file with a dictionary made up of signatures from harmful software. It searches an entire file in separate parts to detect viruses that have embedded themselves into current files.
  2. File emulation: implements a program into a virtual environment and monitors the actions of the program. Based on the actions, this technique can identify if a program is harmful and then the technique can perform the necessary disinfection steps.
  3. Heuristic-based detection: typically used to detect unknown viruses.

Topics of Concern

    • Effectiveness: Since technology is constantly advancing and reaching new limits, concerns over the effectiveness of antivirus software and its ability to keep up with the advancement of malicious programs is questioned. Many studies have show that the effectiveness of antivirus software decreases against unknown attacks. Also, new viruses are often written by professionals of criminal organizations, which makes them more complex and not as easily to detect.
    • False Positives: When antivirus software deems a normal file as malicious it can lead to serious issues. It can immediately remove or quarantine the identified files and result in certain areas of an operating system or applications unable to be used.
    • Unexpected Renewal Costs: Many license agreements of commercial antivirus software have a section that states a subscription will be automatically renewed at the cost of the purchaser. The users credit card will be automatically billed without authorization. Most antivirus software requires users to unsubscribe up to 90 days in advance of the expiration of the current subscription.
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Benefits Of Antivirus Programs

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Not everyone is an expert when it comes to knowing how to protect your computer from outside threats. Neither do most of us know what to do when our computer begins to experience problems, we have not seen or heard of before. Only a percentage of the workforce is a master at computers and they are the only ones who can keep up with any types of PC problems. Often we end up clicking on a website, or downloading an attachment that we do not think much about. In reality those are the attachments that will harm our terminal in more ways than we can imagine.

Antivirus programs are almost like a god sent, for people who are not too familiar with how their computer works. For most of us, as long as the computer turns on and we can perform our everyday activities, we don’t ask for anything more. If your computer gets infected with a virus, not only will you lose valuable information, but you will also notice how slow your PC runs. In your case, it is important to install and maintain some sort of an antivirus program. Antivirus programs usually work in the background and block any unwanted programs from being installed. Even when you need to install a program for your use, it will review and ask for your permission before installation. This way if you are not aware of what to install, you can choose to cancel. Antivirus programs also work in your favor and delete viruses that are already installed on your computer. A simple virus scan, once in a while will help you review and delete anything that will harm your computer.

While there are several other benefits, these are just a few to keep in mind, when it comes to determining whether you should install antivirus programs on your computer. Consult with a professional if you are unsure of what to purchase.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers, Security Tagged With: , , ,

Email Attachments and Virus Scans

December 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Endpoint antivirus software

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Email attachments come in many forms and unless you are sure of what the attachments consist of, there are several risks to opening them.  Some attachments you are aware of come from friends, family and work, and often these are the ones you will open first.  Just because you know the person sending the email and know the attachment may have been created with a safe program like open office, does not mean that the attachment is safe.  Often hackers will disguise the emails so that it seems like its coming from a known person. Do not be fooled by what you receive and, if for any reason, you are in doubt be sure to call the person sending to clarify. Opening an attachment can bring about a lot of problems for your computer and your personal information.

Hackers will do just about anything to gain your trust so that you will open an email and then try to view the attachment. It only takes a matter of seconds for certain viruses to install and it takes hours to clear them off your system. The damage done can be hard to handle and especially if you have confidential or financial information stored on your computer, which is the first thing that will be transmitted. In any case, it can not be stressed enough, how important it is to know where the attachment is coming from. Sometimes it can be in the form of a document and other times it will be in the form of a video or audio file.

Luckily most email service providers, as well as computers, have virus scans installed that will scan the attachment before downloading. In most cases, the virus scan will warn you if there is any danger in downloading, but there are times too when these attachments can bypass the virus scan. Installing a virus scan is your first priority and if you are unsure, make it a point to consult with a tech support first.

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