Fighting Off Viruses: Advancements In Antivirus Software Suites

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Remember how it used to be, prior to the introduction of downloadable and Internet programs? Remember those, "good old days"? The computer virus scene then was comparatively simple. Since the main source of virus transmission was floppy disks, it was far easier to isolate and eliminate any sources of infection. It also, used to take a while for a virus to fully infect the computer and slow down the system, but today's viruses are much faster. Antivirus software, that was available at that time, was usually able to find and get rid of viruses before they were able to weak too much havoc. Plus, computer users who exchanged floppy disk?s, usually knew that they needed to scan them before installing their contents in order to protect themselves.

Due to the Internet, much has changed. With the Internet connecting many potential hosts, viruses could move among them like lightning. Floppy disks were no longer the sole point of entry; a user had to worry about emails and their attachments, instant messaging, as well as, files shared over peer-to-peer networks or downloaded from the Internet. Modern viruses are able to come from many different places, reproduce independently, and capitalize on the weak spots of a system or program. Potential new threats have increased with technology advances, like the convergence of computers and other mobile devices.

How to Protect Your Computer

Fortunately, protecting your computer against the latest viruses is much easier with the improvements that have been made in antivirus software programs. Antivirus software is an integral part of a computer's defense against malicious software, such as viruses and bad programs. This software can help to defend your computer against viruses, which can enter your system through e-mail, servers, or by simply surfing the internet. This software also provides a centralized control feature, to deal with deploying, updating, and configuring your settings.
Every computer user should carefully follow a simple procedure to protect them against virus threats:

1. Examine your computer's existing security system.Because these new viruses can infiltrate your system in so many different ways, you'll need a number of different antivirus programs to combat them all. Computer users need to be absolutely sure that all parts of their systems, including areas such as connectivity services, are secure. For the best security system, you'd want a comprehensive system that has features like antivirus protection, a firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. The virus will have a harder time getting into your computer with this type of system working and fighting for you.

2. Never install antivirus software, unless you are sure it comes directly from a reputable source.

It is vitally important for you to update your antivirus software regularly so that you are protected against the viruses that are unleashed on a daily basis. Learn how to use the real-time scan feature, and set it up to start each time you start your computer. This will give your computer automatic protection, scanning it each time you turn it on.

3. As a general practice, scan every new program or file even if it comes from a source you consider trustworthy. If you received binary, Word or Excel documents from an unknown source, especially via online chat or as an email attachment, exercise extreme caution when attempting to open them.

4. Schedule and perform regular system backups to ensure that you do not lose any vital data due to a possible system corruption. There may be no other option for recovering your information if your system is compromised.

5. Recommended Antivirus Software:

There are a number of antivirus software applications available today. You can identify the best program for your needs, if you just do a bit of research. Often you can download a trial version of the program so that you can try it out. But keep in mind that uninstalling some anti-virus programs can prove to be difficult. To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to establish a System Restore point prior to installation. The following programs are notable for their affordability, support services, effectiveness, and intuitive interfaces.

6. By giving you long-term support and downloadable updates, the Shield Pro 2005 ? can deliver comprehensive protection against viruses and hackers. When a virus does hit your computer, the Shield Pro 2005 ? will make sure that you have a patch for it in three hours, and a complete fix within five hours. Your computer can be set up to update virus definitions each week, and then it will run a complete scan with the new definitions.

7. One program, BitDefender 9 Standard, defends your computer by protecting its interaction with other computers, through its Peer-2-Peer and e-mail defense mechanisms, as well as virtual environment heuristics. This offers extra security against newly-released viruses, by scanning for pieces of code that do not match any released virus signature, but are nonetheless malicious.

8. Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is easy to set up and navigate. Three levels of protection are available for the user to select from. It can be set to update as often as once per hour, but is guaranteed not to disrupt your computer. You will also get two-tier email protection and 24 hour technical support, with this program.

9. PC-cillin Internet Security protects the user from viruses and other dangers that abound on the web, including worms, hackers, and Trojans. Spyware is detected, removed and spam is blocked. It also protects you from identity theft since it blocks phishing and pharming attempts.

10. AVG Anti-virus Free Edition, a free downloadable antivirus program, received praise for reliability. Previously, free readily available anti-virus programs have been viewed as unreliable. However, one of the best free anti-virus programs is Grisoft's AVG. Though AVG isn't available for servers it is still a reasonable selection for home computer users. You can try it for free, and you have no obligation to buy anything!

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