Back in the “Good Ole Days” it was perfectly safe to surf the Web without thinking about dangerous viruses, worms, spyware, hijackers, Trojan Horses or any other similar malicious software. Things are very different nowadays. If you don’t have a decent antivirus software, you might end up with an infested hard disk totally erased. All your valuable information would have gone to Siberia. I’ve seen thousands of people struck with devastating malware; and it’s getting worse as time goes by.
Spyware is a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behavior to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies.
If you see new toolbars in your Web browser that you haven’t intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been “hijacked” (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don’t see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging.
Which is the best application against these vicious malware attacks? I really can’t tell, because there are zillions of anti-virus programs out there; each one saying their programs walk on water. Some of them are viruses themselves disguised as anti-virus programs. Caveat emptor, my dear reader.
After my hard disk crashed several months ago, the company that replaced the bad disk installed a trusted anti-virus and anti-spyware known as AVG Free Edition 9.0.686. Previously I had been using Spybot Search and Destroy with good results. However, I kept AVG to experiment with it and determine if it was worth its salt. I’m glad I did. So far, my computer is clean as a whistle.
AVG Free Edition is a reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware protection for Windows available to download for free. In addition, the new included LinkScanner® Active Surf-Shield checks web pages for threats at the only time that matters—when you’re about to click that link.
AVG Anti-Virus Free has the following features:
- Award-winning anti-virus and anti-spyware.
- Real-time safe internet surfing and searching.
- Quality proven by 80 million of users.
- Easy to download, install and use.
- Compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Caution: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use. Having said this, please install a trusted anti-malware application in your computer. Don’t navigate without proper protection. I’ll say it once more…please protect yourself. Practice safe computing. Good Day.
Spybot (which is not an anti-virus program) should be used in addition to AVG. Spybot looks for other malware and will keep changes from being made to your registry without your authorization. While you can’t have multiple anti-virus programs on a PC, you can run an AV and other malware programs with one.
I have also used and prefer AVAST, over AVG,as a free AV.
Hi Don:
Thank you for your valuable information. I’m sure many will benefit. I guess one additional protection application won’t hurt.
Best Regards,
Omar.-
Use Linux! You won’t worry ever more…
I have had good results with ZoneLabs as a firewall and this hosts file to sidestep most of the worst harvesters:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
A plus is that it greatly speeds up page loading as the browser isn’t waiting on all those popups to clutter the display.
I was on a Unix system before retiring and if Linux (or anyone) gets an O/S working with all the apps I use then I would switch to it. Mostly, no one hacks anything besides MS because that’s where the people are.
Like Willie Sutton replied when asked why he robbed banks, “That’s where the money is”.
jim and nena
fort worth
Hi Jim and Nena:
Thanks for your valuable comments. I appreciate your feedback. Willie Sutton’s remarks are so true.
Take care,
Omar.-
Well jim and nena. Try Ubuntu Linux to see almost of your apps work. Hackers don’t hack linux not because there are no people out there, but because it is robust and secure from the core!