The version of the anti-virus software we use has recently prompted us to upgrade to the latest version, which has in turn prompted me to write this article, which I've been intending to do for a while. This, I hope, will provide you with some handy advice about how to keep your computer safe, at no expense.
Many people adopt the attitude of "you get what you pay for" when it comes to computer software, but you couldn't be more wrong. Often you can get free software that does exactly the job you need. Often, in fact, it's better than the stuff you get charged for.
What software do I need?
Let's start, though, with the various bits of software you need to keep your computer safe. In this article, I'm going to assume that you're running Microsoft Windows on a personal/family computer. There are many different types of "securityware", with different purposes. Sometimes all the terminology can be confusing to a novice, but all usually becomes clear when you think about the various ways someone might try to attack your computer.
Terms that just about everyone has heard of are "hacking" and "virus". A hacker is someone who tries to access something they shouldn't have access to. They might try to access your computer in order to spy on you, to read your files, to add malicious software, or even to try and take control of your computer. The way of preventing a hacker is to have a firewall installed. Essentially a firewall acts as the gateway between your computer and the internet; everything that pases from your computer to the internet, or (more importantly) the other way, must go through the firewall. This way, the firewall stops any unauthorised people from accessing your computer, and it stops any unauthorised software on your computer from accessing the internet.
A virus is a piece of software designed to spread itself to other computers, often causing some damage along the way. A virus isn't necessarily stand-alone software - it could be encoded inside an email or a web page, or even a word processing document or other file. Because of that, a firewall alone won't necessarily spot a virus and stop it. Instead, you need to have specialist anti-virus software installed.
Usually, anti-virus software can do all of the following:
- monitor your computer constantly, checking every file that opens for viruses
- scan your computer for viruses
- obtain information on the latest viruses from the internet to keep you safe from the most recent threats.
The combination of a firewall and an anti-virus programme is the absolute minimum you need to keep your computer safe. But there are other bits of useful software too - because there are other forms of malicious software ("malware") than viruses. Because these other threats don't necessarily try to spread themselves or harm your computer, they don't classify as viruses. They come mainly in two forms: adware (which displays adverts or opens websites without your consent) and spyware (which tries to track your activities and possibly obtain personal information about you, or your passwords and other security data). There are a number of specialist anti-spyware and anti-adware utilities available for free. These aren't traditionally seen as being as essential as anti-virus software and a firewall, but these days the need for the wider range of securityware is increasing rapidly.
So what do I need to do?
One thing you don't need to do is fork out a load of money. You can get everything you need to secure your computer for free, without parting with any personal information or viewing hordes of adverts. There are a number of freebies available out there. Here are a selection. Remember, you need a firewall and an anti-virus utility as a bare minimum.
Free anti-virus software
AVG Anti-Virus - free for personal use. Very easy to download and install, works well with most other securityware. Easy to update and interact with, too.
Avast! Home Edition - we haven't tried this one, but it's there if you want an alternative to AVG.
Free firewalls
ZoneAlarm - very easy to install and use, and works well with other security software. The updating process used to be a bit clunky but is now beautifully smooth. One friend of mine doesn't like ZoneAlarm because he says it's hard to uninstall. I haven't heard of anyone else having problems though (and I know several who use it) and besides, why would you ever want to uninstall your firewall?!?
There are a number of other free firewalls around but often they require your email address - so that they can send you spam... er, no thanks!
Other free securityware
AVG Anti-Spyware Free is a new kid on the anti-spyware block from the same people as AVG Anti-Virus. It's thoroughly excellent, I highly recommend it.
Adaware SE Personal is from a company called Lavasoft, and is one of the most established and most efficient anti-malware applications. It focuses on removing adverts from your computer, but also scans for some viruses and spyware at the same time. This free application doesn't have a continuous live system scan like the AVG products, though. One other point of interest is that despite its name, last time I read the terms and conditions there was no "personal/non-commercial use only" clause.
Spybot Search and Destroy is a very well-known and well-established name. Personally I've never used it (just because I've been using the alternatives instead) but the people I know that have highly recommend it.
