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.
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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.
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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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