Web Security

[rdc0011]

I just recently had to re-image my computer due to a virus I recieved from a peer to peer network. I am now looking to up my security without spending a whole lot of money. I previously had ETrust security suite which I did not totally trust, but I had never tried it before and did not hear anything bad about it. This program was free to me thru Time Warner, But I now would like to try something new. I guess what I am asking is, what are the best programs out there for the least amount of money?--- Thanks

 

[Nodsu]

Common Sense is the most important and it comes for free if you are lucky enough to have it

No P2P program will give you a virus automagically! (Spyware may come with some programs though.) You had to open an executable file to get that virus. Common sense lesson #1: never open executables from untrusted sources!

Even if you had the best antivirus program in the world, it would not protect you from everything! All AV catch only the stuff that already has infected enough people to appear on the AV company's radar.

Now, are you interested in free programs or are you willng to spend some money? Also, what exactly are you interested in? Antivirus, firewall, antispyware, all of them? Does it have to have a complete suit or would separate programs be OK?

 

[DelJo63]

Security comes in layers, but sad to say, if the hackers wants you bad enough
and is willing to spend time and resources to do so -- they will get access somewhere.

That said, take reasonable efforts to protect reasonable data and take
extreme measures to protect valuable data.

First, search this board for PROACTIVE vs REACTIVE security.
If you can stop them from gaining access, then you (in a perfect world) would
have no use for antivirus programs (no contamination would occur ).

You can only run one firewall and one email scanner (proactive tools) on a system.

You CAN have multiple antivirus programs (reactive tools) with which you manually
scan the system. (notice: manually)

Get Spywareblaster from www.javacoolsoftware.com -- it will stop known-bad
activex programs from being downloaded by your browser.

Lastly, you need to vigorously educate your users on email and attachments;
never open an email from a sender you do not know,
make sure your email scanner is active and kept up-to-date
and attachments ending in .exe, .com, .ocx, are always suspect.

 

[momok]

Hi,

These following programs are useful. (Do note that at any one point of time you should only run one antivirus and one firewall program. This prevents conflicts and slowing down your system)

AVG free or Avast antivirus programmes.

Zonealarm or Kerio free firewall programmes.

Spybot Search & Destroy.

Ad-Aware se personal.

Spyware Blaster.

AVG Antispyware.

Ccleaner.