Security Matters

Security on your computer has become crucial in today’s high tech world. I see enough computers with viruses, Trojans, and hijacks each week that I wonder why so many people are not proactive in trying to prevent these infections. Based on my experience and that of my colleagues in the PC repair field, it seems over ninety percent of the infected machines we see have either one of the free anti-virus products or none at all.

Is there something wrong with a free anti-virus program? Yes and no. Why I would rather see someone use one of these as a last resort (if circumstances prevent them from purchasing a better product) than to go without any protection. However, keep in mind these free anti-virus protects are not full featured, updated regularly, or feature support. They also tend to focus solely on preventing viruses while ignoring other types on malware.

Let’s say you have a solid paid security suite installed and you still get an infection. Yes, this does happen. This is mostly due to holes and backdoors in software that was not updated. That’s right, if you don’t update Windows and your software- your computer may be at risk. It’s a lot of work, but with the right tools it can be almost painless.

First you need world class protection against all types of malware. Eset Smart Security fits that need perfectly and is frankly the best security suite you can buy. Not only does it protect your system from infection from those nasty files but it can also block unwanted programs. As a bonus it will also keep tabs on Windows Update and remind you if any updates need to installed. Norton and McAfee, while not as effective as Eset, also make very good security software.

Now that you have security software and you are keeping Windows updated, what about all the other software installed on your system? Secunia has a few options for you. From the home user to corporations they have a solution to help you keep your software up to date. If you work in a corporate or business, please visit www.secunia.com for more information on the products they offer for you. As for the home user who is using their computer for personal use, Secunia PSI is the right one for you.

Secunia PSI is free in a none commercial system. Once installed it scans your system and alerts you if any detected program is not updated. It also provides a link to download the patch or updater. Another great featuring in the latest release is auto updating. It can auto update a few applications without user interaction. One warning, there is an infinite number of application software titles you can install and there is no way Secunia PSI can recognize every single one. So be cautious, check the scan results to see if any program is missing and if so, manually check for updates and manually add it to Secunia PSI.

By following this steps along with careful internet browsing habits you can eliminate almost all chances of becoming infected. Granted, just as the flu shot does not guarantee you cannot get the flu- there is no way to completing prevent an infection on any computer. It may only be a small chance, but there is always a chance of infection.

So remember, buy a solid Internet Security suite and keep it updated. I recommend Eset Smart Security. Next be sure to keep Windows and your software up to date. Eset will remind you if Windows needs an update and Secunia PSI can help you keep your software up to date. Visit www.eset.com and www.secunia.com for more information.  

Security And Eset

 

After watching Thor in IMAX 3D, the reason I’m still awake at this hour, I was reminded of Security software. I should probably blame Loki for the mischief and the thoughts that keep me awake. Seriously though, whether you run Windows, Apple, Linux, Unix, etc. your going to need a solid security software to protect your operating system. But choosing one is tough for many consumers and businesses. There are many on the market, but few that perform.

The way most vendors operate is to constantly update a list that looks for and blocks attacks. This worked well for many years, but now malware is constantly changing tactics and it gets increasingly more difficult to keep up. The solution is to be proactive, by trying to catch them in the act or by characteristics and other means. This allows some vendors to prevent a malware or virus infection even if that malware/ virus is new and never been detected prior.

On a quick side note, I would like to point out that a virus is a form of malware. malware is a general term for software that performs malicious acts on your computer. I point this out to help educate as I often get customers who have never heard the term malware or don’t know what it is. Often enough I will inform a customer that their computer is infected with malware and have to educate them. Not that I mind, I hope that through education and safe practices we can one day all but eliminate malware infections.

One rule for e-mail and surfing is never open or click on something you are unfamiliar with. Granted this isn’t always possible and curiosity often gets the best of us. Which makes my second rule all the more important.  Run a effective antivirus / security software on all your computers. This includes Apple and computers that do not connect to the internet. The exception would be a computer that is not connected to the internet or any network, nor does it ever have any storage devices or mediums connected. Such mediums could be a memory card, cd, dvd, external hard drive, usb drive, etc. And even then I would recommend security software.

As far as security software goes I can only recommend one vendor, Eset. Eset makes the only security software that has never missed an ‘in the wild’ virus. I currently use their Smart Security software and prior years I used their NOD32 Antivirus. Both are in version 4 and Smart security adds even more protection than the stand alone NOD32 Antivirus. Both are light on system resources, very fast, and the most effective security solutions I have ever used and tested. And that includes Norton, MacAfee, AVG, and more. In fact Eset consistently is top dog in the Virus Bulletin tests. And that is an amazing feat.

And as effective as version 4 of their now in beta with version 5. Pavel Luka, ESET's Chief Technology Officer comments: "At the same time these new ESET products provide all the proven features and technology that have made the previous product a success. In Version 5, ESET offers a comprehensive security package that safeguards PCs from all types of malware, hacker attacks and e-mail threats."

They have added new features to make our computing experience not only safer, but the experience of safe guarding our machines is now easy too! Here are some of the new features as posted on their website:

• Enhanced Media Control — Blocks threats trying to get through to the system via removable media. ESET Smart Security 5 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 automatically prompt users to scan the content of all USB flash drives, CDs and DVDs. Users can block specific media based on a range of parameters like the device ID, media type, and serial number.
• ESET Cloud-Powered Reputation — Enhanced detection power and scanning speed using advanced reputation service and ESET malware collection and analysis.
• Optimized Startup Procedure — ESET Smart Security 5 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 let users start working on computer immediately after boot-up, without compromising security.
• Gamer Mode — When in full-screen mode, ESET Smart Security 5 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 automatically switch to silent mode to save system resources, so users can enjoy playing computer games or concentrate on important work tasks without distractions from pop-up messages.
• Improved Graphic User Interface — The graphical environment has undergone a number of usability and design modifications aiming to enhance the overall user experience.

Now if that is not enough, they also recently release a beta for their Mobile Security for Android smartphones and tablets. This adds to their solution already available for Windows Mobile and Symbian. And that’s not all they also released their NOD32 Antivirus for Linux. This allows to now get the best protection whether we run Linux, Windows, or OS X. What do you think?