If you are apprehensive regarding the competence of your current anti-virus software, do not fret. You can replace it with another one as long as you want but eventually you will grow tired of choosing which is really reliable. With that said, what would be a good alternative?
Online scanning has been around and while many don’t trust them, at least there is a separate device that can thoroughly check your computer and see if there are issues as far as viruses and malware is concerned. For sure, you will be getting reports on which files may need scrutiny. There will be definitely some high risk files, normally found in the cookies or temporary Internet folder, that can be detected.
Now comes the hard part. When they detect these malicious files, they can clean it as well. But before that happens, you have to pay them a hefty sum to do it. The scanning part is the freebie, it is the cleaning that will really cost you.
It is a familiar site we see from trialware software. Before you can enjoy the full protection, you have to register and pay for it. The same is the concept of online scanning services. Panda Software, McAfee and so on have been offering this service and they are surely better and safer.
Accuracy is not a problem. You can even see for yourself by basing the performance after it has been cleaned. You may be surprised to find that your computer operates faster than before. Perhaps because the malicious files are gone which are slowing your computer? You Bet!
Tags: online scanning, panda, security
Categories: IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Security Policies, Tips
The growth in the use of removable storage devices has been evident in the past years and while they mainly just carry files made up of audio, video or simple documents and worksheets, they are vulnerable to virus attacks. How do they get them? Well for one, you never know if the original location of the file you were working on was virus free. This is assuming that you are transporting the file from one PC to another.
Also, you can never be too sure that once you plug on the usual USB drive from one computer to another, viruses may sneak past you. They may be equipped with anti-virus software but somehow you have to be amazed at how they breach the computer guards and make their way on USB drives.
So what is a person to do? Well for one, stick to the old practice of scanning a removable storage device first before you open any file on it. It may take a long time to finish, especially if the device is large in terms of capacity but nothing beats waiting than making sure you are protected.
Further, people fascinated with these miniature storage devices could care less if their files are infected. Sometimes it is not the file but the operating system that these storage devices contain. But make sure about it that while they have operating systems of their own, they do not have virus protection. Just be cautious, since that is the best you can do for now.
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Tags: storage device, usb, viruses
Categories: Malware, Operating Systems, Spyware, Storage
For some people, seeing sudden pop-ups serving as warnings by protection software can be irritating. While it only shows that you were warned of a potential threat, some people do not really care that much as long as nothing goes wrong. There are some software options that allow you to turn it off. But for the sake of knowing what type of potential threat you may have had, it would be best to keep it on for a better understanding of what you are dealing with.
Most programs like BitDefender do this. Programs that combine anti-virus and anti-spyware protection can be sophisticated at times but the main issue here is that they are protecting you and not annoying you. So if you get a message telling you that they have blocked a potential threat to your computer is concerned, read it and then just discard it. It is the best way to understand what harmful objects are set out on the web today.
But once they are detected, what is a PC user supposed to do? In these cases it would be best to delete all the temporary files on your IE folder so that no trace of these harmful Trojans will remain.
Do not think that just because they were blocked, that is the end of it. They are still residing in your computer. So to ensure they are completely gone, delete all the temporary files at your control Panel by clicking on Internet options and deleting all cookies, temporary files and browsing histories.
Tags: antivirus, protection, Spyware, viruses
Categories: IT Security Basics, Network Security, Operating Systems, Spyware
It should not really be surprising at how mobile phones would be the target of most viruses today. For one, they are the hot commodities we hear of today and similar to PC computing before, they are the hot target viruses want to wreck havoc on.
It is not really constrained to creating a mess. They are a challenge. Their wireless means of surfing the web and using programs that may be hard to penetrate with the basic security features is the penetration issue that any hacker today would want to conquer.
Spammers are bound to have their teeth in as well. These two juvenile delinquents of the cyber world are bound to be aggressively aching to get their name in the mobile internet issues. The opportunity is simply too tempting to pass up.
According to its annual Emerging Cyber Threats report, cybercriminals will start targeting smartphones as they are being used more frequently by users when it comes to financial matters and therefore are a source of sensitive personal data such as credit card and bank account details.
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Tags: cyberworld, mobile phones, viruses
Categories: IT Security Basics, Network Security, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Spyware, Wireless Security
The last thing you would hate is being taken for a ride as far as antivirus software is concerned. Antivirus protection is an important need in the world of computing and the last thing you would want to find out is that there are strings attached such as Malware.
MACS are known to be less prone to viruses. But that does not mean that MAC owners are taking viruses lightly. At the rate that viruses are being developed to invade various technology gadgets and software, it is just a matter of time before a virus infects a MAC.
There is software that is being marketed as a MAC antivirus software. However, there is something that more to it. In fact, you may even do harm to your computer by installing it and it goes by the name of MacGuard.
Actually, the MacGuard is just a clone to that fake Windows Security Software called Winiguard. WiniGuard is known for tricking users into buying it by serving up fake spyware alerts, and there’s no real reason to think that MacGuard does anything different or useful.
MacGuard also has the potential to bring other malware on to your system, so I’d recommend taking a pass on it and sticking with some well-known antivirus software (Norton, McAfee) if you’re concerned about the security of your system.
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Tags: antivirus, macguard, macs, software, winiguard
Categories: Real-World Issues, Spyware, Tips
All companies today are becoming wiser, some are practically afraid to invest. But if there is an industry that is far from slowing down in acquiring companies with promise, it has to be the IT security companies.
They are similar companies for sure but the fact remains that their losses are not based on client only. They make use of cyberspace methods, online marketing and transactions that can be done through the use of technology. While they may operate in the same way that the standard company would, it is a fact that they have other means of getting over the financial humps we have today.
While many people are looking for security means as far as finances and revenue is concerned, big name companies such as Symantec are still lucrative investments to behold. For one, Symantec corporation has been on the prowl for potential companies that show promise, needing only some tweaks to provide integrated solutions and as a form of branching as far as business security solutions and others are concerned.
“If you look at the things that are going on in the market today, there’s some things that businesses can’t afford to go too light on given the exposure that they have,” said Scott Crawford, an analyst with Enterprise Management Associates (EMA). “Businesses are already taking a pretty solid hit in terms of mismanaged business risk. They can ill-afford additional exposure to security and related IT risks.”
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Tags: acquisitions, economy, mergers, symantec
Categories: News, Real-World Issues
