Computer Safety - Antivirus, Firewall and Antispyware Information

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Zhigen_Lin]Zhigen Lin

Any computer must have adequate spyware, virus and hacker (firewall) protection. Otherwise, you run the risk of having private data on your computer being accessed. The right protection software is a life-or-death matter for your computer. Here are some of the programs I recommend for ordinary users. I believe that such software should be completely free and I only use free protection. For programs which I use, I give my own review, and for the others, I have copied some of the description.

To find software, simply type these terms into Google, for example, search "Avast Home Edition" or "Google Pack".

Avast Home Edition

Avast Home Edition is the well-known free antivirus. I can proudly proclaim that I was using it long before it became popular on Download.com. You can easily scan new files by right-clicking and using 'quick scan'. Avast Home Edition is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product. Virus database updates are lightning fast, thereby providing the high level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. Avast Home Edition is easy to use and will not slow down your computer (low system resource requirements).

Category Antivirus

On my computer? Yes

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

AVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product. Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. Highlights include automatic update functionality, the AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files. This free antivirus program offers rock-solid protection for no financial burden.

Category Antivirus

On my computer? No

Ad-Aware SE Personal

Ad-Aware SE Personal is a free program to remove spyware from your computer. Updates a quick and the database is often updated. Although the SE Personal should still be available, Ad-Aware 2007 is now out. I haven't tried this new program yet because the old one was just excellent. Ad-Aware scans your Registry, hard drives, RAM and external storage devices for known advertising, data-mining, and tracking components. Ad-Aware should be part of anybody's anti-spyware arsenal.

Category Anti-spyware

On my computer? Yes

AOL Active Security Monitor

AOL Active Security Monitor is a free diagnostic tool which analyses all areas of your computer for vulnerability points, e.g. Firewall, Virus Protection, Windows & Browser and P2P Software and gives you a PC Score Summary as well as giving information on how to improve it. This useful program is from the well known AOL company, which also provides broadband and dial-up connection. Note that no AOL membership is required, and there are no limitations to the program.

Category Anti-spyware

On my computer? Yes

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner is a free program which removes spyware, adware, Trojan horses, trackware components and keyloggers. The main advantage of this program is the lightning-fast scanning (the scanning process only takes a fraction of a second and gives you uninstall instructions on their website). Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner provides a nice, simple solution to keeping those annoying programs out of your hard drive.

Category Anti-spyware

On my computer? Yes

Spybot - Search & Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy is a popular anti-spyware program that can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. It has been in the anti-spyware game and can be expected to offer one of the best protections in its Category. Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer. The handy online-update feature ensures that Spybot always has the most current and complete listings of adware, dialers, and other uninvited system residents. Although users should be warned, the program has the tendency to lock up and bugs often cause errors in the program.

Category Anti-spyware

On my computer? No

Comodo Firewall Pro

Comodo Firewall Pro is a free firewall used to secure your system against internal attacks such as Trojan viruses / malicious software and external attacks by hackers. Safeguard your personal data through a simple user friendly single click interface offering full immunity to attack. Comodo Firewall Pro helps you connect in a secure way to the internet and global networks. Don't be confused by 'Pro', the program is totally free. Comodo Firewall Pro is very simple for beginners and runs smoothly and silently in the background.

Category Firewall

On my computer? No

ZoneAlarm

ZoneAlarm is a free firewall for non-commercial use. It keeps up with the latest firewall protection and there are frequent updates. Apart from blocking hacking attempts, ZoneAlarm also notifies you and asks your permission when a program tries to access the internet.

Category Firewall

On my computer? Yes

Avant Browser

Avant Browser is a freeware browser. It allows users to browse multiple Web sites simultaneously and to block all unwanted pop-up pages and Flash ads automatically. The integrated cleaner helps users clear all traces and maintain privacy. The built-in Yahoo and Google search engines enable users to search for Web pages, images, software and news on the internet. Avant Browser provides options for blocking the download of Flash media, pictures, video, sounds, and ActiveX components, so users can efficiently use their bandwidth and speed up page loading. All opened pages can be stopped, refreshed, closed, or arranged with one click. It also comes with built-in RSS reader. Its similar Web sites bar displays Web sites, which are related to the opened Web pages.

Category Web surfing

On my computer? No

McAfee SiteAdvisor

This is a free program which works in conjunction with your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox and others) to warn you about particular sites. The system is surprisingly simple, the SiteAdvisor button goes red when there's danger on the site, yellow when you should watch out and green when it's safe. A lot of sites will have a colour (especially all the popular ones), but obviously the SiteAdvisor staff and volunteers can't take care of all the 'minor' websites. McAfee SiteAdvisor helps protect you from all kinds of Web-based security threats including adware, identity theft, online fraud, viruses, browser exploits, spam, spyware, and phishing.

Category Web surfing

On my computer? Yes

Mozilla Firefox

It is well known that most online browser exploits target Internet Explorer, so why not use another browser? Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser that makes browsing more efficient than ever before. As more users continue to abandon Internet Explorer, Mozilla's popular Firefox gains a large chunk of the browsing community. The built-in pop-up blocker is still extremely effective, and Firefox's reputation for tight security is still well deserved. Anyone who's tired of IE will find more than one reason to like this free alternative.

Category Web surfing

On my computer? Yes

Additionally, Google offers a collection of software called the Google Pack. Google Pack is "a free collection of essential software from Google and other companies". All in all, the Google Pack helps you organize your photos, browse the web faster, remove spyware and viruses, and more.

One final note, you can often check for new programs, software updates and which programs are kicking ass on the Download.com Top 50 List.

Zhigen Lin is a chess player and computer enthusiast. You can check out his website at http://www.geniusprophecy.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zhigen_Lin http://EzineArticles.com/?Computer-Safety---Antivirus,-Firewall-and-Antispyware-Information&id=803595

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