1,000,000 Viruses!

[Camy]

The number of viruses, worms and trojans in circulation has topped the one million mark.

The new high for malicious programs was revealed by security firm Symantec in the latest edition of its bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report. The vast majority of these programs have been created in the last twelve months, said Symantec.

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The vast majority of these viruses are aimed at PCs running Microsoft Windows and are variants of already existing malicious programs that have proved useful to hi-tech criminals in the past.

Symantec said part of the rise was down to criminals increasingly using trojans as a "beachhead" to gain access to a PC and then use that route to download and install a variety of other malicious programs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7340315.stm

[DesDownunder]

Unfortunately, on my computer I have found Symantec's Anti virus program to be an unusable resource hog.

Avast Home anti virus seems to work very well in protecting my machine on line and it is free (for non-commercial us). It updates itself twice everyday, usually in under 15 seconds and without re-booting except for a major version change. (Also automatic.)

I also use Spy-Bot.

I wish these things were not necessary.

[Marty]

I use AVG free. It also updates itself automatically - although only once a day.

AVG also offer a free spyware program. I find this a bit resource hungry, however, so use Spybot (free) instead.

I also have Adaware running (also free).

Adaware and Spybot do not run in the background, so I tend to open them once a week, manually update them (easily done) and scan my PC for problems.

Running Windows XP home edition (Service Pack 2) with these three products and Windows Firewall and Automatic Updates turned on in Windows, I have never had a problem with viruses, etc.

The free version of AVG is available through this link.

Adaware from this location.

And Spybot is available from the Safer Networking website.

Hope this helps,

Marty

[DesDownunder]

Thanks Marty,

I too was running AVG untill last year when a relatively mild Trojan got past it.

The Avast software found it and I have had no trouble since.

I dare say this was a once only situation for AVG.

The latest Spybot does run what it calls a resident "Tea-timer" in the background which I have found useful.

The free Avast Home site is at http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Beware of other sites claiming to supply something similar to Avast.

[JamesSavik]

I use the defense in depth approach.

I use Norton Internet Security (a bundle with AV, firewall, etc) AND AVG.

I also use Spybot and a commercial anti-spyware product.

The idea is only a silver bullet is going to make it through both of them.

[The Pecman]

Naaa, Norton is terribly bloated (as is McAffy). You're a lot better off to install something like Nod32 for anti-virus, and then add the anti-spyware and anti-adware programs of your choice.

I trust this guy, Leo Laporte:

http://leoville.com/contact/

and I've never known him to be wrong about system security. Me personally, I use Microsoft OneCare Live, but only because it's cheap and convenient and takes care of itself. I also avoid Internet Explorer, and never open attachments (and all that other stuff). I only had a problem once with computer viruses in my life, and that lasted one day, years ago. But that was a wipe-and-restore solution.

[Marty]

I use the defense in depth approach.

I use Norton Internet Security (a bundle with AV, firewall, etc) AND AVG.

I also use Spybot and a commercial anti-spyware product.

The idea is only a silver bullet is going to make it through both of them.

I'm surprised that you manage to get two antivirus programs to actually co-exist peacefully on one machine.

I also agree with Pecman. Norton IS is about the most user-unfriendly piece of software I have come across.

Marty

[DesDownunder]

I also agree with Pecman. Norton IS is about the most user-unfriendly piece of software I have come across.

Marty

Me too.

[Camy]

Norton IS is about the most user-unfriendly piece of software I have come across.

I concur. I got rid of it and use AVG, Zone Alarm and Spybot.

Kaspersky is supposed to be very good, but then so they should be, seeing as how most viruses apparently originate in eastern europe. Write a virus, then sell software to get rid of it. There's capitalism at work ... or an I being overly cynical?

[Guest Rustic Monk]

[Camy]

Hahahahaha!!!

[Madrigal]

Norton sucks. I use AVG as well :D. Never had a virus problem in my entire life :D.

Maddy (: