Anti-Virus Software

[Grain]

Built myself a new computer, and am about to re-install the antivrus software. Was going to go with AVG again, but thought I'd ask you gents first which is best freeware out there first? Having good luck with AVG so far, and have no reservations to using it again. Spyware?

[kevdriver]

Grain, I'm using AVG free as well for anti virus and ZA for firewall purposes. Have had them for a long time and no problems so far......... . I do have Spybot S&D for spyware removal but recently have also been using ewido online scanner for double insurance. Its free to use and works quite well, sometimes picking out different spyware that S&D misses. As you know these are all free for personal use.

 

 

 

Probabley the other guys will be able to point you to different apps for your need as well.

[Grain]

I use Spybot and Zonealarm also, like em both, but ewido is new to me, thanks for the tip. Go Oilers!

[kevdriver]

Yes, GO OILERS GO , they should be able to take Carolina no probs.......... I hope. Nice a least one Canadian team still in the running.......... after the pathetic display in the final games of the Senators............ #39;( #39;(

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Built myself a new computer, and am about to re-install the antivrus software. Was going to go with AVG again, but thought I'd ask you gents first which is best freeware out there first? Having good luck with AVG so far, and have no reservations to using it again. Spyware?

Virus stuff:

 

AVG is a good choice.

Housecall is a great online scanner @ http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

 

Spyware killers:

 

Ad-Aware @ www.lavasoft.de

SpyBot Search & Destroy @ http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

 

Security stuff:

 

Mailwasher @ http://www.mailwasher.net/

DisableNullSessions @ http://users.tpg.com.au/adsldxhe/disablenullsessions.exe

The Three Musketeers (3 different programs) @ http://www.grc.com/default.htm

[Pain_Man]

javacool's spywareblaster is also a must, imo. It prevents many types of malware from installing themselves in the Registry. (Spybot-SD has a similar featuer in its latest version.)

 

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

 

I also use a mix of free/payware for malware protection.

 

ZoneAlarm Security Suite

 

The anti-viral component is Computer Associates EZ-Trust anti-viral/anti-spyware product. (And CA uses ZA for their firewall.)

 

ZA's a great product, but there have been some problems with version 6.x. The latest update, 6.5 caused me so many problems I had to roll back to 6.1. But it still catches viruses (caught one two days ago in the IE Temp file) and the Fire Wall's still rock solid.

 

To test any firewall, got to http://www.grc.com and click on "Shields Up". It will test all of the IP ports to see if you're firewall's doing it's job.

 

Beware if you're using BlackIce's firewall. They altered their code to cheat the grc test because it had failed so miserably. This is from the site and not my opinion. I've never used any BlackIce products.

 

Ad-Aware (full version)

Spybot-SD

SpywareBlaster

 

javacool's site also has an older program called MRU-blaster which removes all kinds of records that Windows keeps that most "privacy" programs don't even touch. I very much recommend it. You'll be amazed at just how many different things that XP keeps track of.

 

I also think that a "trace destroyer" is a must. A program like East-Tec Eraser (my personal favorite), Steganos Security Suite (another one of my favs) that erases not internet traces but also the records kept by many types of progs and the OS.

 

East-Tec is great because it has 13 presets for digital "shredding", everything from a simple one-pass overwrite all the way up to Peter Gutmann's 35 pass method that prevents any method, hardware or software from recovering data from a HD. You can also create your own methodologies.

[Grain]

Thanks Men.