Miscellany
A few items of interest..
* Google Launches Marketing Campaign on Security and Privacy
“Google has launched a multi-million dollar ad blitz
promoting online privacy and security.”(Irony is alive and well…)
* Kaspersky Named Product of the Year
“Independent security product tester AV-Comparatives.org
reports named Kasperksy the product of 2011.“
* Review: Comodo Cleaning Essentials
“Can’t install your full-scale antivirus because active
malware prevents it? The free and portable Comodo Cleaning
Essentials doesn’t need installation. It won’t sweep away
all the inactive malware traces, but it does a good job of
eliminating the processes that fight installation of
security software.“
* PCMag Names the Best Antivirus Apps
“Who’s the best of the best, and how’d we come up with it?
In case you missed it.. I am asking readers for their opinion:
Today’s quote: “Man is a slow, sloppy and brilliant thinker; the machine is fast, accurate and stupid.” ~ William M. Kelly
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
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Another Reader Question And Friday Fun
My McAfee About To Expire…
Q: “Paul,
I want to thank you for all the good information on your website and I am hoping you can give me some advice. The McAfee on my new computer is due to expire and it is asking me to buy a subscription or I won’t be protected. Should I renew or should I get something else? I will be using this computer a lot and want the best protection. Thank you.
~ TB
A: TB,
In this day and age of Internet Insecurity, it is absolutely vital (IMHO) that any device that connects to the World Wide Web has antivirus: and, an “expired” antivirus is next to no antivirus. I have written much about Internet/PC security (and answered this question before). But the competition between the various vendors means that the answer to “who’s the best?” changes year to year… and I suspect you want my short answer. (And, currently, McAfee is not it.)
So, for Sept/Oct 2011 my General recommendations are:
- Paid Internet Security: Norton Internet Security 2011 (comprehensive. Any user experience level.)
- Free Antivirus: Avast! (Any user experience level.)
- For Netbooks: see, Best Antivirus For Netbooks?
- For Smartphones: Smartphone security is new to me, and I can only (at this time) say that I think that, at the very least, you want Lookout.
- For Infection Removal: MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
[You may be interested to know, PC World magazine also has those first two as their top reco’s: see, Free vs. Fee: Free and Paid Antivirus Programs Compared
“Can free antivirus software protect you? Or is it worth paying for a full-blown A/V app? We look at the benefits–and pitfalls–of free and paid antivirus products.“]
Additionally: (Internet security is much more complex than bullet point answers!)
● I prefer to fine-tune my answers to the User: everybody is different, after all. To get your own “fine-tuned” recommendation, try Gizmo’s Freeware Security Wizard.
“This Wizard has been designed to help you select the best free security software for your PC based on the version of Windows that you use, your technical computer skills and your general level of security risk (Read more…).”
Friday Fun:
Today’s quote: “If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t there more happy people?” ~ Unknown
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
Best Security Products For 2012
2012 won’t get here for several months, but plenty of 2012 antivirus tools have already arrived. Which is best?
Folks, in addition to my own testing, and observations in the real world (cleaning malware “infections” from machines has become a specialty of mine) of consumer Tech Support, I have long turned to Neil J. Rubenking’s product reviews and comparisons at PC Magazine. I encourage people to research (aka “do due diligence”) software, online services, and computer peripherals before purchasing/installing them.
And that includes antivirus.. probably I should say especially antivirus, as believe it or not, criminals are selling FAKE antivirus scanners out there (as well as having them pop open when you browse the Web..): please see, Your Computer Is Lying To You… The Epidemic Of Rogues.
Neil has recently published his first review/comparison of the 2012 edition security products (free, and for-pay). If your “subscription” is soon expiring, and it is soon time for choosing a new product, (or sticking with what you have) I recommend you take a moment to look at his chart, at least.
“New model-year security products used to come out in the fall, like new model-year cars. This year the first 2012 antivirus (G Data AntiVirus 2012 ($29.95 direct, 3.5 stars)) turned up way back in May. So far PCMag has reviewed nine antivirus tools explicitly identified as 2012 models, along with several others released during the same period. Which of these recent releases is the best?”
Related: If you are seeking a D-I-Y malware removal guide, click here.
Today’s free download: Windows’ Add/Remove Programs utility (found in your Control Panel) is the standard method for uninstalling programs from your machine (“Programs and features” in Vista/Win7). Long-time Windows users can attest that this utility doesn’t always work as it should, and completely remove all traces of the app you want gone. To really remove a program, you may want the power of a 3rd-party uninstall program, and the one that’s most recommended in the Geek community is Revo Uninstaller (also available in a portable version).
Today’s quote: “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” ~ Buddha
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
• 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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