The first order of business when purchasing a new computer — or in keeping your existing computer safe — revolves around ensuring that your computer is saved harmless from external malicious intrusions: malware of all sorts, including viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, adware and any other sort of infection which might impact on your computer’s ability to perform the tasks you set for it.
Herewith, then, six pieces of essential free software to download and install. Anti-Virus Software: Now, you could go out and purchase Norton Anti-Virus and pay anywhere from $35 to $99. Or, you could download and install a very effective Anti-Virus alternative, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.289, which includes automatic update functionality, the AVG Resident Shield (which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programmes are run), free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files. A firewall: Perhaps the most effective free firewall is ZoneAlarm 5.5.062.004, which includes four interlocking security services: a firewall, an application control, an Internet lock, and Zones that control the ‘door’ to your computer, allowing only traffic you understand and initiate. Just be sure that during setup that you don’t opt for the paid version. Anti-Spyware programmes: The two best free anti-spyware programmes are Spybot - Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware 1.05, which together will eliminate spyware from more than 22,000 different companies spying on you through your computer. Another must-have security tool, and recent addition to the anti-spyware arsenal, is Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner v1.13.02, which detects a multitude of spyware, adware, Trojan, keylogger, foistware and trackware components — in only seconds.
In addition to the programmes above, smart computer users run the latest version of the McAfee Stinger, a stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. McAfee Stinger is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection, but will root out viruses, Trojans and worms missed by the programmes above. Stinger utilizes next generation scan engine technology, including process scanning, digitally signed DAT files, and scan performance optimizations. If your computer is acting up, and you’ve run a scan employing the programmes mentioned in the first part of this article, McAfee Stinger will likely find the malicious miscreant that has infected your system, even when the other programmes haven’t.
On Tuesday January 11, 2005, return for more essential programmes to install in order to take full advantage of your computer’s capabilities.
Raymond Tomlin is a veteran journalist and educator who has written frequently on the political realm — municipal, provincial and federal — as well as on cinema, mainstream popular culture, the arts, and technology.
