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Malware Protection Guide |
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Windows Updates
Microsoft releases critical and recommended updates on every second Tuesday of the month and it is vital that these updates be installed as soon as they are released. Why? Because every second Tuesday of the month is "Christmas" for hackers and malware writers. Why? Because information about the vulnerabilities is published at the same time as the updates are released and this information is like dynamite for those who want to exploit it. From the moment this information is made public, hackers and malware writers are in a race to write code and get it onto as many unprotected PCs as possible before the security holes are blocked up. Those who are slow to update become targets. Don't be one of those targets. Turn on Automatic Updates from the Control Panel and leave it turned on so that your PC is protected as quickly as possible.
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Free Software
Believe it or not, the best software is usually free. Yes, some of what gets paid for can be good too but it is rarely any better than the best free stuff and often it is worse. The two most popular commercial anti-virus applications, for example, are large bloated installations that will both slow down your PC whilst providing no more protection than the best free application. Why throw good money down the drain for something bad when you can get something better for free?
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Anti-virus
I recommend Avast. It is a free download but you will need to register for a "key" to keep it working for longer than sixty days. By providing an email address you will be sent a key in an email which will keep Avast working for fourteen months. At the end of this time you'll need to apply for another key. I know what you are thinking. Sooner or later thay will start charging for it. Well that may be but I've been using it for a couple of years now and it is still free. Avast have pay-versions of their software for businesses and make their money this way. They say that the home version (for use on one PC) will always be free and I've no reason to distrust people who write such excellent software.
New virus definitions are usually released overnight and if it is set to update automatically one gets used to a small box popping up from the System Tray each morning accompanied by a reassuring voice announcing that your virus definitions have been updated. Beyond that, you will not even notice that it is running. It is not one of these programs that constantly reminds you that it is there with unnecessary notifications.
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Anti-malware
I recommend three small applications with small "footprints" for this. All monitor in real-time and just sit quietly in the background protecting your PC. They will never bother you unless they find something.
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Anti-malware as easy as 1-2-3
BOClean and ThreatFire are both free and easy to download, install and update. They both provide rel-time protection against browser-hijacks (taking over your Homepage etc) but function in slightly different ways. Both leave a small footprint and do not hog CPU power. They'll just sit there in the background without bothering you until they detect a real threat.
Spyware Blaster is also free and looks for malware signatures. Once installed it just needs to be updated every now and then (I do it about once a month). Install it then click on "Update" from the menu on the left. Then click on the "Protection" tab and then "Enable all protection" from the Quicktasks list. There - easy-peezy.
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Scanning
All the files that you download should be scanned in the background in real-time if you are using these recommended applications however double checking never hurts.
Scan all files when you have finished downloading them for extra protection. This is especially true when you have downloaded packed files (eg ZIP files) and packed files nested within packed files (eg a ZIP file in a ZIP file).
Avast Anti-Virus adds a right-click (context menu option) to "Scan" an individual file or folder for viruses and a-squared is a free malware scanner that will alert you to the presence of trojans, dialers, bad scripts, spyware and other malware. A-squared also adds a context menu option when you right click on a file.
To be safe use both scanners on individually downloaded items. |
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Firewall?
Windows has a firewall that can be turned on from the Control Panel. It only monitors incomming traffic but if you have installed all the applications outlined above then this firewall is perfectly adequate. The advantage of using it is that it will never bother you. The disadvantage of using it is that it does not inform you about any of your own programs accessing the internet. In almost all these cases, programs require access to the internet for legitimate reasons. Automatic updater subroutines and live Windows processes are running all the time and will periodically check for updates and access the internet for a variety of reasons. These legitimate programs usually have strange names that rarely reflect their parent applications and when a more sophisticated firewall is used that alerts of their presence the majority of orninary users can be easily and unnecessarily alarmed.
By its very nature, a firewall that monitors outbound traffic needs to be looked after and will contantly be allerting the user to a particular application will be trying to access the internet. I do not recommend that the majority of ordinary people using such a firewall. If you are not a computer geek then using one just means that you will be constantly bothered and unless you know what the subroutines are in the first place it will be hard to decide what action to take. |
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Firewall - If you do decide to use one
As already stated above, Windows firewall is perfectly good enough for the majority of users. If you do decide to use another firewall however then do remember to turn off the Windows one from the Control Panel. Running two firewalls together is never a good idea.
Commodo Free Firewall is one of the best third party firewalls. It is a "learning" firewall and so if you should decide to install it you will be bothered by it very much at first. It will be constantly asking you if you want to allow certain programs to access the internet. By ticking a "do not remind me again" box when permission is granted or refused, it will learn and in time will become much less of a pest. If you don't understand what a specific program does when you are asked then a simple Google search for the executable file will usually provide enough information upon which to base a decision. Most users have neither the inclination nor the time to learn about these sub-processes however and in case I have not made myself clear - don't install such a firewall unless you are prepared to learn a little bit about what is going on with your PC "under the hood". |
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ABOVE ALL PLEASE REMEMBER - DON'T PANIC!
Make sure that you install Windows Updates the moment they are released and do make sure that you update virus definitions for Avast or any other anti-virus software that you are using on a daily basis.
If you follow the advice on this page then your PC is unlikely to become infected. Please also bear in mind that nine out of ten people who jump to the conclusion that they have a virus as a result of a slow PC are wrong. There are many reasons for a slow PC.
Major Geeks is a great source of information and software downloads.
For further information please see these pages:-
Slow PC? Think you already have a virus? More protection info.
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