Antivirus Software - A Must-Have Protection for Computers

With the advent of computer viruses of all kinds, antivirus software installation in PCs has become a necessity. The antivirus software comprise of computer programs which strive to identify viruses and 'malware' (other malicious software), thwart their endeavors and eliminate them altogether.

About Antivirus Software

The antivirus software program may come installed on your computer or may be purchased and installed by you. There are quite a few 'invaders' against which the computer needs to be protected against. There are the viruses, worms, Trojan horses and so on. The best antivirus software available is geared to offer protection against the whole range of such known viruses and malware. The potential damage that viruses can inflict such as deletion of files, unauthorized access to personal data, and usage of the computer as a platform to carry out attack on other computers, can all be thwarted by installing at least one of the top ten antivirus software products.

Techniques Used By Antivirus Software

The antivirus software usually uses two alternative techniques. It scans files for viruses that match the definitions given in virus dictionaries, or it identifies infection indicated by suspicious behavior from some computer program.

Some of the best antivirus software come for free. Usuaslly the best free antivirus software adopts both the techniques. However, the best antivirus software packages put special emphasis on the virus dictionary matching approach.

Features To Look For In The Best Antivirus Software Packages

Look for the following features when purchasing an antivirus software product of choice:
Simplicity and ease of use of the software so that even a person with little knowledge of computers or viruses can use and install it.

Effectiveness in identifying viruses, worms and the like is a desirable feature of the best antivirus software products.

Efficacy in cleaning out or isolating of files already infected so as to prevent further infection is another important feature that should be included in any good antivirus software.

Each of the best install antivirus canada software products assure high level of security for Windows based PCs. Depending on the uniqueness of the system in use you can choose from among the top 10 antivirus software products available from online sources.

source:ezinearticles.com

Cure Virus- 7 Things You Should Look For in Antivirus Software

I often see people choosing wrong or outdated antivirus virus support canada softwares and worse, spending a good amount of money on them. You don't need to settle for ineffective antivirus programs, because you can easily buy effective antivirus softwares for the same price. In this article I will tell you about 7 things that you should look for when purchasing an anti virus software.

1. Does your anti virus software provide you with two levels of protection? Most antivirus softwares can detect viruses in real time as well as clean viruses from your PC when you run the scanner. See if the antivirus software you are going to buy offers such dual level of protection or not.

2. How effective is the software in cleaning up the infected files from your computer? Does your antivirus software effectively clean, quarantine or remove the infected files as well as the virus from your PC? This is an important consideration you should make while buying an antivirus program.

3. How easy it is to use the antivirus software? Let's face it, not all of us are IT graduates. Most of the PC users around the world are completely novice and barely know how to operate computers. If an antivirus program is complicated to use, it would not be much effective. I would recommend that you buy an antivirus program which is very easy to use and understand.

4. Do you get free updates with your purchase? Most antivirus programs provide you with at least one year of free upgrade with your purchase. Also, most good antivirus programs release frequent updates. Do not buy an antivirus program that doesn't offer you such facilities.

5. What type of support is provided to the end user by the software developer? Ideally you should buy antivirus software from a company which offers you fast and responsive software support. They should have at least a phone number, email address as well as a snail mail address through which you can contact them easily.

6. Does a help documentation comes with your anti virus program? Are they easy to understand? See, if you cannot understand the help instructions, you won't be able to make much use of the software. That is why it is imperative that the help documentation should be one which is easy to understand and free from technical jargon.

7. Check the system requirements that the antivirus program needs in order to run. Some antivirus programs require you to download and install additional softwares. Ideally you should choose one antivirus program which is easy to use and has minimal system requirements.

source:-ezinearticles.com

Spam Is Growing And Getting More Sophisticated

We're all familiar with e-mail spam offering prescription drugs, cut-rate software and herbal potions.

But spammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in delivering ploys intended to dupe people into divulging personal information. Some of their most recent innovations are traps for people who might be seeking help with drug or alcohol addiction.

A recent report from Symantec Corp., the Cupertino, Calif.-based developer of Norton AntiVirus Support Canada software and other programs, says that unsolicited e-mails offering information about alcohol or drug rehabilitation services could very well be spam.

Appearing new this summer was e-mail with the subject lines "Get help today with Drug Rehab Info" or "Overcome Alcoholism Today" illustrated with photographs of people who seem depressed, the Symantec report said.

"It's one of their more sinister attacks," said Dermot Harnett, the report's editor. "If you open it, it will bring you to a sign-up page asking for your name, address and e-mail information. It's the first step in trying to get credit card information."

Besides the innovations, the overall volume of spam is up, too. In July 2007, about 66 percent of all e-mail messages were spam, the report said. This year, the figure rose to 78 percent.
You may think it's all coming from overseas, but according to Symantec, Americans are the biggest offenders. In July, the largest amount of spam — 27 percent — originated in the U.S., followed by Turkey and Russia, which tied at 7 percent, the report said.

The bulk of that e-mail contained phony offers or nasty computer viruses, Harnett said.
In an attempt to spread Trojan viruses, which can delete files or turn your computer into a spam-spewing zombie or snatch your e-mail addresses, spammers resort to both old and new ploys.

source:crime-research.org