Kitz ADSL Broadband Information
Home Broadband ISPs Tech Routers Wiki Forum
 
     
   Compare ISP   Rate your ISP
 

Security software

From kitz wiki
Revision as of 19:51, 29 December 2011 by Spammers (talk | contribs) (On-line Virus Scanners)
Jump to: navigation, search

Anti-Virus Protection

Antivirus software is installed on the local machine to protect your PC against viruses, trojans and various other types of malware. Antivirus programs run in the background and need to be kept up to date to ensure maximum protection against new threats that are released into the wild practically every day.

There are many well known brands of AntiVirus software such as Symantec or McAfee, but we list below a selection of free Antivirus programs.


  • AVG Free Anti Virus for single home users from Grisoft
  • Avast Free Anti Virus for the home PC.
  • Avira Free Anti Virus for home users.
  • Clam Win AV for windows - also standalone which can be run from USB pen drive.
  • Microsoft Security Essentials Free Real time protection for home PCs


It is not recommended to run more than one AntiVirus program at any one time, as this will likely cause conflicts.


Firewalls

Firewalls work by limiting authorised traffic into the local network. There are two types of firewalls:- Hardware and Software firewalls.

Hardware firewalls are machines which limit traffic based on specific configuration and rules. Most of today's adsl routers have an inbuilt firewall which can be configured to restrict certain types of traffic on to the local network. Most also use NAT which adds another layer of protection.

Software firewalls are installed on the local PC to monitor traffic passing to and from that computer.

There is some debate over whether or not you need a software firewall if you have an adsl router. Personally Ive relied upon various NAT based routers for the past 9 years. If you fully explore the features in the router you will find there are various configurations and most can also be set up for logging. However, the final choice is up to you if you want to also install a software firewall on your PC then below is a list of free software firewalls.


  • Ashampoo Free Firewall
  • Comodo Free Comodo Firewall Pro.
  • Kerio Free software firewall for home and personal use.
  • Outpost Free Firewall
  • Zone Alarm Free software download for personal use


You should not only rely on a firewall whether it be software or hardware and you also need Antivrus protection installed on each machine.


Spyware and Malware Tools

Spyware is often malicious software used to gather personal information about a user or a users system without their knowledge. There are varying degrees of spyware, ranging from simple web tracking to more seriously gathering information about passwords and/or credit cards. The latter is often known as phishing. Phishing often occurs by tricking the user into clicking on a disguised link or opening a malicious file which may have been downloaded from an unscrupulous site or as an email attachment.


Free Defence Tools against spyware and malware:

  • Adaware Free spyware and malware scanner.
  • Spybot S&D Spybot Search and Destroy -Free spyware and malware scanner.
  • Anti-Spy Spyware, trojans, keyloggers + adware protection.
  • Windows Defender Microsoft's Free spyware protection.
  • Spyware Blaster Free spyware defence from Javacool
  • a-squared Anti-Malware Malware defence against trojans, worms, diallers, rootkits and spyware.
  • AVG Anti-Spyware Formerly Ewido Security Suite - Full features only active for 30 days.
  • SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition does not include real-time blocking or scheduled scanning
  • MalwarebytesA lightweight, fast and very efficient on-demand scanner which will detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more. This free version lacks auto updates....but definitions updates are available twice a day for manual download.


Free Clean up tools against spyware and malware:


On-line Virus Scanners

Online Virus scanners are either where you upload a particular file to a remote server to be scanned or where you connect to a server which will remotely scan your PC for viruses.

Online virus scanners are no substitute for full antivirus as they are unable to monitor the constant flow of data, but they are very useful if you wish to either check the contents of a particular file you downloaded, or if you suspect your PC may be infected and your existing AV has been disabled in some way. Be warned that a remote scan may take some time depending upon the size of your hard drive and the number of files it has to scan.

Listed below are some free online virus scanners:



Online AV scanners are no substitute for full Antivirus software.

Virus Removal Tools

A selection of tools to remove specific viruses


Other Security Scans

Check your vulnerability to online threats.


  • GRC.com Various scans, checks and security downloads.
  • PC Pitstop Various internet and PC benchmark tests.
  • PCFlank Various stealth and port scan checks
  • Hackerwatch Port scan and probe check
  • Nmap Network Mapper





--Kitz 01:06, 18 December 2011 (GMT)