All computers should use a memory-resident antivirus shield that is
initiated when the computer is booted. Online scans are helpful for ensuring that nothing
has slipped past or fooled the resident antivirus scan, but these do not replace your own
antivirus shield.
McAfee.com
An industry standard. There is an online version of Virus Scan, but it is not sufficient.
There is an extensive database of virus definitions, hoaxes, and other malicious internet
concerns. Software is available for cleaning and repairing your files after an infection.
McAfee provides free antivirus definitions (DAT files) as soon as a new virus has been
identified. Updates must be manually selected. Antivirus engines can only be updated by
paid annual subscribers.
Norton Antivirus
(NAV)
Another industry leader in antiviral protection. Sometimes NAV is packaged with other
system tools, such as "SystemWorks." I recommend that you do not use the
SystemWorks package, as it is heavy and cumbersome on your memory. However, Norton
Antivirus cannot be beat. I have used both Norton and McAfee and I swear by Norton. NAV is
available for either stand-alone computers or networks. The networked version allows
automatic updates of the antivirus definitions (MicroDefs). The stand-alone version
requires manual "Live Updates" once a week.
AVG Anti-virus
AVG is available for single users, networks, email servers, and webhosts. It also has a
Linux version for those exploring their open source software options. AVG is particularly
popular because it comes with a FREE version for single home-users.
"The unique combination of detection methods (heuristic analysis, generic detection,
scanning and integrity checking) ensures that your computer receives the maximum
protection possible on multiple levels (Resident Shield, Email Scanner plugins, Personal
Email Scanner, On-Demand and other tests, etc.)." Like other antiviral software, AVG
has a feature for regularly updating the virus definitions.
Do not assume that your AV will catch all viruses, trojans, etc...
Virus threats change daily, and many AV software packages are at best 24 hours behind. You
should upgrade your AV definitions daily, and immediately before opening
any email attachments.
Most AV software will only scan an email attachment when you save it
to your hard-disk. If you open an attachment using Webmail, the
attachment will not be scanned and the virus will be active on your machine. To avoid the
problem, save attachments on your desktop, scan them manually, and then open them.
If you use Outlook Express, Netscape
or another email application to download your email from the ecumenism.net /
oecumenisme.ca mail servers, then you need to follow some other preventative measures.
Turn off the "preview" function. As you
scroll through the menu of email that you have received, the preview function opens each
email and executes any viruses attached. Turn off the preview, and look carefully at any
emails with attachments before opening.
If an email has an attachment and looks suspicious (i.e. it wasn't
expected) look at the "properties" of the email before opening it. This will
allow you to view the headers of the email, and sometimes even look at the content. Never
open an email which has an attachment with *.scr or *.exe extensions. These will
immediately execute and damage your computer, your data, and your reputation.
Use a firewall in conjuction with your AV software.
These applications are designed to work together.
Expect to be infected at least once. There is no surefire way to
avoid this. Back-up your data frequently.
A firewall is either software or hardware that tests every in- or out-bound connection
to the internet, and ensures that it is an authorised and acceptable connection. Hardware
firewalls are not generally useful for stand-alone computers or small networks. Software
firewalls are available for free or for minimal expense. Consider the following options.
Tiny
Personal Firewall
Tiny is a great little firewall, and Free. It has a minor problem with recognising the
Windows Disk Defragmenter. Each time the defragmenter begins to work, the firewall rejects
Run32.dll because defrag has changed it's digital signature. If you don't use defrag as an
automatic scheduled maintenance, this problem can be avoided by turning off the firewall
before using defrag. Otherwise, check out Sygate's free firewall.
"True to its name, Tiny Personal Firewall has a small footprint (about 1.5 MB), but
it still gives you strong protection against Internet threats. The program offers high,
medium, and low security levels. If you're not sure which to choose, the program can
operate in learning mode, letting you decide whether to deny or accept data in each
situation. You can then establish rules to determine how you want to deal with similar
situations in the future. This utility can check for digital signatures, and it can
restrict applications to certain ports or destination IP addresses. You can also create
reports of all intrusion attempts." [from PCWorld.com] Available free in version 2, or $39 USD for the nearly
identical version 4.5.
Sygate Personal Firewall I have installed Sygate on my own computer. I find it to be perfectly
satisfactory in most cases. I have had one problem with conflict between my High Speed
connection and the firewall which can be attributed to a mistake on installation. I now
have the best performance I have had in years.
This is what Sygate has to say about its FREE product: "Sygate Personal Firewall,
built on Sygate Personal Firewall Pro's award-winning technology, is the most
user-friendly PC firewall and personal desktop security solution. It is the first
bi-directional intrusion defense system designed for home users while with advanced
protocol driver-level protection and code-insertion prevention. Sygate Personal Firewall
ensures your personal computer is completely protected from malicious hackers and other
intruders while preventing unauthorized access from your computer to a network. In
essence, Sygate Personal Firewall makes your protected machines invisible to the outside
world. That makes Sygate Personal Firewall a must-have security measure for any PC that
connects to a private network or the public Internet. Once you've been compromised, every
other network you connect to is at risk; including your home, business and online bank
accounts. No matter where you use your computer, whether remote or behind a corporate
firewall, whether dial-up or an always-on broadband Internet connection, Sygate Personal
Firewall, gives you complete confidence that your precious business, personal, financial
and other data is safe and secure. If that isn't enough, Sygate Personal Firewall includes
advanced active-scan vulnerability assessment to pinpoint your weaknesses and fine-tune
your security policy." [from the website]
These services are part of the essential package of security tools. Every computer that
is ever connected to the internet should run a firewall at all times, even when not
connected. All computers, on the internet or not, should run anti-virus software at all
times, and regularly update the virus definitions to ensure up-to-date protection from
malicious attacks.
