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.
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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.
>> 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. <<
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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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