Antivirus PC software

Attracting bugs, viruses, hackers and spam is all part and parcel of using a PC on the internet but there are a few things you can do to stave off all of these unwanted pests. Using the best antivirus systems is the only way to ensure you don’t suffer from any time consuming and expensive problems and you can purchase such brilliance online.

It is nearly impossible to use the internet and not fall foul of some sort of problem whether it be a spyware system that tracks which websites you visit or a phishing scam that takes all of your personal information. With PC protection software the risks of viruses and infections that live solely to obliterate your hard drive will be eliminated and purchasing such software is not tricky.

Everyone can and everyone should! From businesses through to personal users who only use their PC for a few hours every week. The more regularly you use a computer the more likely you will pick up a problem. Don’t make the often expensive mistake of thinking you don’t need antivirus software because you rarely surf the internet, because you do! Viruses by nature worm their way into places where they are not welcome and computer bugs are no different. 

If you, like so many of us, use a PC on the internet but you avoid anything that sounds too technical then don’t panic as protecting your PC from viruses is about as simple as it gets. Complete an online search for a company that offers the best antivirus systems. If you are unsure about what you need then use our antivirus comparison table.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

Symantec has just announced the worldwide release of Norton Ghost 15.

Symantec, which develop and produce the renowned Norton security suite, claim that the Norton Ghost 15 is one of the industry’s most advanced PC backup and recovery solutions. It is also compatible with Windows 7 and offers 25G and 50G Blu-ray Disc support. What’s more, this latest version introduces a new cold imaging feature that images computers without installing the product. Furthermore, Norton Ghost uses Symantec’s ThreatCon indicator to automatically back up PCs in the event of a severe security threat.

Norton Ghost 15 is pitched as a professional-grade backup solution for both home users and small businesses. Amongst it’s many attributes, lost, or damaged files can be recovered and restored in the event of a system failure, even if the computer’s operating system does not start. Additionally, it provides a backup of an entire system, or specific files, and folders, whilst saving recovery points to offsite locations using FTP.

Dave Cole, senior director of consumer products, Symantec, said:
“Norton Ghost has been the essential imaging and recovery product since 1996. Consumers PCs have never been more central to people’s lives, or more at risk due to cybercrime and critical failures. Ghost 15 not only is a powerful disaster recovery tool, but also it adds important features such as Windows 7 compatibility and Blu-ray Disc support to keep current with the way people are using their computers today.”

Symantec highlights the fact that their Norton Ghost 15 is also supported by Windows 7 Bitlocker. This provides enhanced data protection through drive encryption and integrity checking, keeping stored data safe and protected. They also point out that it works with both 25G and 50G Blu-ray Discs and most storage drives. This includes external hard drives, networked drives and recordable, and rewritable, CDs and DVDs. And the hot backups feature allows users to back up their computers without having to shut it down first.

The cold imaging technology employed by Norton Ghost 15 effectively backs up files without installing the product which, says Symantec, saves time and money. A handy feature is that after purchasing a new computer, users can image the PC immediately before any software is loaded which means that factory settings remain intact. It also allows easy back up of a system by simply booting to the recovery environment (which is a light version of the Windows operating system) from the Norton Ghost CD, and then initiating a backup.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

With little fanfare, Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for updating its Windows Vista operating system. As with the previous service pack, it contained many bug fixes and will help security for users both on corporate networks and at home.

As well as bug fixes, it also contained a number of refinements to the advanced operating system.

Although many of the refinements have been designed with large corporate users in mind, they will make a difference to many home users as well.

Two of the key changes are the updated Windows Search 4.0 and Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless programmes.

Windows Search 4.0 updates include improvements to hep users index and find files on their machines, and Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless updates offer upgraded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth components for wireless networking.

But with more bugs being fixed, it should prevent a number of malicious attacks and generally make the operating system more secure.

Those users who have not automatically received the Vista Service Pack 2, should go to the Microsoft website to update their operating system.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Major software offerings from Microsoft and Google have this week drawn criticism from industry experts for major security flaws.

Close on the heels of Microsoft’s none too well received operating system Windows Vista, is Windows 7 which has been tested by the public in its “release candidate form.” Versions can be downloaded by the general public and tested.

Although the initial reaction has been good, seeing it as an improvement on the cumbersome Vista, there are worries that it contains an inherent security flaw.

Windows 7 was slated in for a release date of January 2010, but it might be earlier, with Microsoft saying that they are ahead of schedule. Generally, Vista was a disappointment, standing accused of being like a sieve when it came to security (requiring constant updates) and slowing down performance times. Windows 7 appears to solve a lot of those problems and features quicker response times, a new task bar, a touch-screen capability and an ability to stream media files (including music) from one computer to another via the internet.

But the question of computer security has reared its ugly head again with some suggesting that there is a major flaw in Windows Explorer (the heart of the operating system’s file management system) which allows other users to be attacked by hackers.

And what worries the experts is that this major flaw is not new, but existed in previous versions of Windows Explorer. And the irony is not lost on many, after Microsoft has sworn themselves to a “trust vision” to make security in their products a major preoccupation.

And Google’s all-singing, all dancing new browser has shown to be a little flaky. Chrome is liked by many, but Google has had to fix quite a few security holes, which then led to a problem with crashed computers. Chrome version 1.0.154.64 was released recently to put right two major security problems. The first concerned an ability for a hacker to run attack software that had the same priviledge as the primary user. The second problem centred on the 2D graphics which could have created an opening for attack software to be infiltrated into the browser’s security system.

But when the new version was released, having fixed the two security problems, it caused a few crashes, so a new version quickly followed.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Top computer security company McAfee has announced it has been chosen to protect the state of New York against cyber criminals.

McAfee anti-virus products will be used to provide ‘endpoint’ security for over 200,000 servers, desktops and laptops across agencies at counties across the state.

It is a multi-year, multimillion dollar enterprise license agreement which includes McAfee Total Protection for Endpoint Advanced and McAfee Total Protection for Data. McAfee say that it will offer New York improved security posture and increased mobility, at a total cost of ownership (TCO) savings of approximately 75% over previous purchases.

Mike Carpenter, senior vice president of public sector for McAfee, said: “With cybercrime on the rise, the need to protect sensitive data is of great concern for federal, state and local government organizations. We are privileged to fill the role of trusted security advisor to New York, a state that is dedicated to the improvement of its security posture through proactive solutions.”

Dr Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, New York state chief information officer and director of the office for technology, said: “During these fiscally challenges times, cost savings must be a focal point with every transaction. McAfee solutions have enabled the State of New York to realize unprecedented cost savings and meet our unique security suite needs of higher levels of protection across the state enterprise.”

The deal comes after a policy from the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination which required all mobile endpoints to have encryption. As the McAfee Total Protection for Data product includes an encryption tool, this enabled New York to meet their policy directive, protecting sensitive data on the move.

McAfee Total Protection for Endpoint Advanced is an end-to-end solution providing companies and organizations with a simplified and comprehensive threat protection package.

McAfee Total Protection for Data offers encryption, authentication, data loss prevention, and policy-driven security solutions, enabling companies and organizations to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Both packages link with McAfee’s single-console management solution, ePolicy Orchestrator, enabling intelligent security and compliance optimization.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

McAfee reports that the fear of swine flu has caused an online epidemic with spammers going into overdrive by trying to trick people to open their emails.

Some 5% of email traffic now contains the words swine flu and that means billions of emails each day. McAfee Avert Labs say they have seen between 80 billion and 100 billion spam messages each day over the last month. And whereas the words swine flu rarely featured a week ago, now the words are increasingly occurring. The spam emails are being sent with infected viruses which once opened, infect the user’s computer.

Although the spam is coming from all over the world, the majority is originating from Brazil, Germany and Italy. Much is coming from computers that have already been compromised by malware and act as zombies within a botnet of infected machines.

Furthermore, websites using the words swine and flu are being registered at an increasing rate, worrying McAfee experts that people will be attracted to websites that trick them into downloading such things as a video codec (usually used to view a movie). But rather than a proper viewing device, it turns into a piece of malware that takes control of the computer.

McAfee are advising all those that require information about the swine flu situation, should go to a reputable site such as the World Health Organisation, and avoid emails, instant messages and social network sites that urge you to click a link to find out more.

For anyone who suspects they might have been successfully targeted, they can always get advice from the free McAfee Cybercrime Response Unit.

McAfee have warned against particular emails which might have the following in their subject lines:

Salma Hayek caught swine flu!
Madonna caught swine flu!
First US swine flu victims!
US swine flu statistics
Swine flu worldwide!
Swine flu in Hollywood!
Swine flu in USA.

Guest Article by Neil Camp