Tech Talk : Computer Security
Introducing Tech Talk. Think “Dear Abby” but instead of relationship advice the topic is technology. If you have any questions about software, hardware, internet, programming, web pages, blogs, video games, video consoles, cell phones, money saving technology, local tech resources, security, error messages, virus, spyware, or any other topic concerning technology that you would like answered write to Tech Talk. The questions and answers will be printed and available on “The Contemplation”.
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From the Tech Talk Survey (http://www.soketnetto.com/), this is the part deux of the request for “explanations of viruses vs. spyware, etc & how to recognize if your computer has them/ good virus protection software recommendations”. Last week it was a general overview (http://tinyurl.com/ttvvsspy). This week it is about protection options. Tech Talk is not soliciting or recommending any specific software. Please use this list as research.
The best protection of any computer is to limit your downloads and installs from the Internet. With that said, more and more companies are supplying direct downloads to their software (even though it isn’t cheaper). Having a direct download is only good if you immediately BLS (burn it, label it, and store it). If you do not have the function to BLS the software, do not download; opt for the actual discs.
Most ISPs (internet service provider) offer free protection software; contact your ISP for more information. The main reason an ISP would offer free software is to protect their network. A virus passing through their network has the potential to sabotage their ability to provide quality product and affect their servers.
If your ISP doesn’t offer free software then you are on your own. There are three directions, or combination of the three, you can take: 1) Commercial, 2) Freeware and/or 3) Using the protection software that is included with your OS (operating system).
If you are using included software to the OS this doesn’t include bloatware and foistware (software that comes pre-installed on a computer including time-limited trials basic versions). Included OS protection software would be firewall, antivirus protection, constant updates or security software.
Linux, Windows and Apple computers have the basics installed already: firewall, update function to protect computer and/or access to free protection software.
Windows’ MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) has to be downloaded and installed on your computer (http://tinyurl.com/ttmse).
Apple users keep updating your computer and know how to protect yourself (http://tinyurl.com/ttmacsecurity).
Linux users should be informed and follow a general checklist (http://tinyurl.com/yte2hd).
Whether these OS packages protect you enough depends on your activity. The more you are careless on the internet, torrent tracker, indulgence in casual links, illegal music collector, addicted to enticing ads or a download diva the more protection you need.
Commercial protection software packages are expensive around $80 a year. Your coverage will start immediately on install and you must continue to pay annually for protection or they will stop protecting you (sounds too much like the Mafia).
With commercial software there is a high expectation for complete protection, but there isn’t any 100% perfect software. Users can bypass protection warning, and malicious software is constantly evolving. Luckily your subscription includes free access to updates to protect your computer against the new malicious animal. There is always the possibility to get infected between update, which is why it is necessary to do a full scan weekly and monthly.
There are free software options. If you did any search on the Internet for free computer security software there is not one complete package available and your protection is limited. You would need a firewall, antivirus, spyware, email protection and other individual software installed on your computer. They would take just as much space as one huge package.
If you are going to go with freeware, start with what included in your OS (firewall & updates) and add additional protection. Here is a small list of free anti-virus protection software:
- Google Pack (http://pack.google.com/) win
- AVG http://free.avg.com/ win
- Avast http://www.avast.com/ win
- ClamWin http://www.clamwin.com/ win
- ClamXAV ( http://www.clamxav.com/) mac
- ClamAV (http://www.clamav.net/) linux
- iAntiVirus (http://www.pctools.com/) mac
- Avira (http://www.avira.com/) win
Final Thought: The best computer protection will always be common sense, sorry no download available.
Website Pick
Wolfram|Alpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com/) – This is not your average search engine. Wolfram|Alpha’s is about systematic knowledge immediately computable and being accessible to everyone. This project is to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything.