PC tips - 4. Anti-virus

Written by KB2BSL

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The Anti-virus that may have come with your computer is not free.

Most likely, the antivirus software that came with your computer will stop working after a period of 30 to 90 days.

Most people think they are covered for life and ignore the warning messages that the program is expired. It is important to have a antivirus/anti malware scanner on your computer. It is also important to test it so you know how it works and what the alerts look like.

I personally recommend the following commercial products:

ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 www.eset.com

Norton Internet Security 2010 or Norton AntiVirus 2010 www.norton.com . I do not recommend any Norton product prior to their 2010 release.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 2010 www.webroot.com for spyware/malware only.

I no longer recommend AVG or McAfee for home use (McAfee NAI enterprise is OK though).

I personally recommend the following “free” products:

Avira AntiVir personal edition (Adware, but ads are shown only during updates), read everything carefully or you could end up buying it. www.free-av.com

Microsoft Security Essentials (Youalreadypaidforitware) is my personal favorite. On many occasions it was able to remove the nastiest spyware/malware I hope you never see! Your computer MUST be able to pass Windows Genuine validation to install. www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Your Bank, ISP, university, or employer may also be able to provide you with “free” Anti Virus security software.

Test your antivirus/malware software and know how it works.

You can download the harmless Eicar test virus from www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm. It’s good to know how you software will alert you should you run into a real virus.

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