Computer Virus information

With the outbreak of harmful and annoying viruses, worms and Trojans, as well as the need for personal computer security, it is necessary to make sure your computer is protected. Below you will find information about the most current viruses, hoaxes, Free online virus checkers, Free online security checkers as well as places to purchase virus protection software, safe computing guidelines, and other information.

Is your PC secure?

Just as you would not leave your house unlocked in today's society, you MUST protect your computer from being exposed to the dangers of unscrupulous intruders. You need to protect yourself not only from computer viruses, worms and trojans, but also from other threats such as scumware, spyware and adware that attach themselves to your computer. Pop-ups and Dialers also pose cause for concern.

Although nothing is 100% secure, using the following resources and following safe computing guidelines will help protect your computer from the threats of the outside world.

Special report shows you how to solve your PC security worries for good

We have used and recommend all of the below software and programs

Install Anti-Virus Software
Install A Firewall
Protect Against Spyware
Block Popups
Follow Safe Computing Guidelines

Protect your computer against Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, Adware and Spyware

Free Online Virus Scanners

If you don't have an antivirus program on your computer, but want to check for viruses, the following scanners provide free online scanning. They are safe to use, always up to date - and there is nothing to install. We use these periodically to see if there may be something our software may have missed.

HouseCall
Panda ActiveScan
McAfee

PC Pitstop - free computer checkup and diagnostics can help you detect and fix many common PC problems!

VMyths.com provides information about the latest computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria. You will also learn how to spot a virus hoax and ways to reduce them.

GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP is an email content checking, exploit detection, threats analysis and anti-virus solution that removes all types of email-borne threats before they can affect your email users.

Protect against outside intruders

Firewalls

Do you know what types of information others can retrieve from your PC? Test your ports and security vulnerability here You might be surprised.

You computer may have a built-in firewall. To see if yours is enabled, do a search for 'firewall' in the Help files and follow the guidelines.

As an added precaution, these firewall software programs are available in both free and paid versions. We use both of these.

ZoneAlarm
Kerio

Test to make sure your Anti-Virus and
Firewall are working properly

Test your virus scanner to make sure it is operating properly. You will be asked to download a fake virus. If your virus scanner is working properly it should detect it. Just tell your virus software to delete the 'infected' file.

Test your firewall Symantec Security Check will test your computer's exposure to online security threats

Spyware, Scumware, Adware

Adaware Free and paid version

SpyBot Search & Destroy Donationware (I highly recommend making a donation for this one)

SpywareGuide.com- Inform Yourself Lots of information about spyware with an FAQ library, searchable database of known applications, plus a Blocklist dlownload

Spywareinfo.com Another very informative site about spyware

Stop PopUps

Either of the below toolbars will allow you to stop popups in their tracks. We use both of them. Both have individual features that assist us in other ways besides just stopping popups, too.

Alexa Toolbar
Google Toolbar

Safe Computing Guidelines

NEVER open attachments even if they look like they may be coming from a legitimate person. If you are unsure about an attachment contact the sender to verify that it is a legitimate message. Save attachments to your hard drive and scan for viruses before opening.
Make sure your Windows OS is up to date with the current fixes and patches. Microsoft provides automatic notification when new critical updates are available for download. Go to http://www.microsoft.com and click on Windows Update in the left hand column.
Make sure your antivirus protection software is up-to-date and scan for viruses often. We check for updates and thoroughly scan our computers on a daily basis.
Stay informed about the current known viruses and worms by subscribing to receive notifications from your virus protection, if available. Another reliable source for virus and worm notifications is Sophos. You can subscribe at http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/notifications.
Don't respond to email messages asking for credit card or personal information no matter how legitimate they may appear.
NEVER leave an infected computer connected to a network.
NEVER place an order or submit personal information over an insecure connection. Look for the padlock in the sourcebar or https: (not http:).

For more extensive information about safe computing go to http://www.trendmicro.com/en/security/general/guide/overview.htm

Now offering Nationwide Dial-up

Computer Security & Virus Information Sites