Monday | Top Internet Security Suites | Countdown
Well here we are. Monday again. Today, some “miscellany”.
* A reader wrote and suggested that I start a “countdown to the Holidays” feature.. further suggesting that it go something like, “time to get the tree”; “mail 15 cards today”; and such.
While I welcome reader comments and questions and, yes, even suggestions.. I feel in no way obligated to honor each and every request that may come my way. (Some are outright whacky, as you may be able to imagine.)(Seriously, I do “answer my mail”.) Since I am not a huge fan of “countdowns”, and because I did not think of it myself, I am not going to do a “countdown to the Holidays” feature.
But I thank the writer (you know who you are) for their suggestion.
* There are a mere 18 days until Christmas arrives. Have you hung any decorations yet? Of all the ideas that come to mind about Christmas decorations for your front door, I particularly recommend the Christmas wreath. See, How to Make an Evergreen Wreath
* Loyal readers will have seen me write that the man I turn to for reliable, trustworthy reviews is Neil J. Rubenking (at PC Magazine). This has been true for .. well, as long as I can remember, really. And, Loyal readers will know that I am constantly urging computing safety and security.
Those two things come together, as Neil has just published his The Best Security Suites for 2011
“The security suites for 2011 are almost all available now, though as always a few companies march to a different schedule. If you need a suite today, read our roundup of 16 of the best (and worst) options, from Ad-Aware to Webroot.”
So, if you want to know how the various vendors stack up against each other, there is the place to look. IMHO.
If you are not interested in a “suite”, but simply want to know the best antivirus, he also has written The Best Antivirus Software for 2011
“We’ve reviewed 20 of the best (and worst) premium and free antivirus applications so that you can pick the right one for your needs—because, make no mistake: you need AV.”
I hope you all noticed the last six words of that?
* There are a mere 18 days until Christmas arrives, and we are smack-dab in the middle of the cyber-criminal’s favorite, and most active, time of year. It is the time to redouble your “paranoid common sense” and triple your vigilance for scams, e-mails links, making sure the payment portal is https://, etc.. Let’s all be safe out there!
Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
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• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.
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Tech - for Everyone 
Paul,
That article clearly underscores your recent post on “Which is the best”… Some do better at rootkits than the rest, where others excel at blocking different types of attacks. I have as much protection as I can and hope I don’t get infected.
Be careful out there folks. The risks are real and paying yearly for protection beats the heck out of losing your data or spreading infections to your family and friends!
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KsTinMan,
Very well said, and I thank you for the support! For those curious about such things, Neil’s articles are great educations, as well as ‘reviews’.
.. I should like to add that “special deals” are available, almost all the time, on these products. (I recently picked up a 3 pak of Norton 360 v4 for $4.99 after rebate, for example [360 is NIS, with some additional tools added on {a backup, for one}.].)
Neil made an interesting chart.. (click to see bigger size)
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Re: Countdown to The Holidays: The reader could be in a “festive mood,” when making those suggestions. Tech Paul, be patient with that reader, and others. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain the Xmas spirit.
The wreath making is interesting and certainly festive.
Gaia
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Gaia,
What I like best about the wreath making idea is the making. Creative, mechanical fashioning (which requires getting off of your sitter and turning off the TV) of scraps and twigs into hand-made beauty.
Too many of us will buy a 99¢ plastic wreath, and it’s (well-past) time we stopped relying on the made-in-China, dollar store shortcuts (IMHO).
And while I agree that our “modern life” has a tendency to make us jaded, cynical, narcissistic, and to feel isolated; and with the global economy the way that it is, it may very well seem more “difficult to maintain the Xmas spirit”, to more people… I don’t think human nature has changed all that much (what makes us tick) and the reasons for celebrating the holidays are just as valid today as ever.
To those who are having difficulty feeling festive.. well, I do understand.
Life is not always easy. Nor fun.
But if you are alive, you have reason to celebrate. And if something is a challenge, that usually means it’s worth doing.
Right?
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Hey Paul. Thanks for sharing Neil’s article with us—this is a great roundup. Hopefully everyone takes his advice and protects their PC, especially during the holiday season when online shopping scams are a lot more prevalent. The new year is a great time to start thinking about how you can improve your computer habits.
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TuneUp Blogger,
I agree with everything here, except… considering the insecure state of the Internet, and how advanced the cybercriminals are now, I would say that yesterday might have been a good time to ‘start thinking about’, and today would be the day to ‘get busy’.
Ha!
(See, Got A Computer? Top 10 Things You Should Do.)
Good to see you here, and thanks for the support. Have a great holiday!
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