PC Security

[TomTom]

Due to the great help i got earlier i was wondering if i could have some advice. For years i have been hit with viruses and have had to replace a few computers and lost alot of work in the process.

 

At the moment i have AVG Free Edition and was wondering if that would be enougth to keep my PC from all viruses ect

[Seth]

At the moment i have AVG Free Edition and was wondering if that would be enoug to keep my PC from all viruses ect

 

Not in the least.

 

AVG is highly targeted by the bad guys. Out of the dozen or so computers that my computer shop disinfects each week, about 8 of those are running AVG. The rest are usually Norton and Mcafee. A much better choice would be NOD32.

 

Above and beyond that, you've been getting hit by malware for years mainly because any or all who use the computer, don't know what's safe to click on or download when surfing the net the. I'll elaborate tomorrow for you.

[Dalo Harkin]

If you are looking for a free AV then try AVAST or AVIRA

[maynardvdm]

Hi

 

Here is the links for the one Dalo suggested:

 

Avast

Avira AntiVir Free

Edited August 17, 2008 by maynardvdm

[sean2390]

O.o I use AVG on all my PCs and laptops. Time to spend a few hours changing it all to Avira or something.

[Dalo Harkin]

AVG is reknowned for having major issues, as we have said previous if you want a free AV then use AVAST or AVIRA

[Seth]

Here's part of a sticky I wrote a while back at Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help:

 

Malware is the general term used to describe any type of program that is designed to damage your computer's software, steal personal information, or solicit you with advertisement popups.

 

The Trojan Horse (TH), is by far the most prevalent form of malware that is found on infected systems. A TH is a program that looks beneficial and legitimate, but contains a payload of malicious software. Common TH's are WinAntiVirus, RegCleaner, and DriveCleaner. TH's typically infect a system when a user is duped into installing software from popups and messages that are similar to:

 

"We've detected that your computer has Spyware (or registry errors/traces of porn). Click here to install such and such program to fix the problem".

 

"Check out this cool picture I just sent you"…when using instant messaging programs. Always confirm with the sender that they actually sent the picture.

 

"To view this video, you need to install our codec (or media player)". As a general rule of thumb, if the video can't be played in Window's Media Player, Quick Time, or the DivX media player, then it's likely a TH.

 

TH's can also be found in email attachments, especially if the the file is a .exe (executable). Never open an email if you don't know the sender. Emails may also contain links to "Phishing sites". These are sites that attempt to mimic legitimate sites such as your bank site or Ebay. Fortunately, as we will see later, phishing sites are easy to avoid.

 

The symptomatic epitome of a malware infection is software conflicts, system degradation, a home page hijack, and constant advertising popups that prompt you to purchase their program that will "fix your computer" in one way or another. Yet, the same program is what caused the problem in the first place. The purchased program will not fix your computer, but in most cases, make it worse.

 

There are only two main ways to avoid malware:

 

1) Your knowledge of what to avoid when surfing the net.

 

2) The use of good internet protection programs.

 

Other techniques to avoid malware pale in comparison to the above two.