Nowadays, you can find virtually anything on the internet. Some things are for a cost, while others are free. This applies to firewalls, antivirus software, and adware/spyware blockers. These programs keep our computers clean and free from spyware and trojans. They also prevent our computers from being hacked by spambots that send all our personal information back. If you are like many people, you can spend lots of money on programs that will keep your computer safe and running at its best. These programs are great if you don’t mind paying a lot ($39/year at McAfee and Norton to get basic anti-virus software. Security internet suites can cost upwards of $70 and slow down your computer until it is running at turtle speed. Or you can choose free software and receive the best protection possible for less effort and less money.
Antivirus Software
avast! are the two best antivirus programs. AVG Antivirus Free Edition v4.7. They are both compatible with Windows 98, 98SE, and Vista.
avast! Antivirus features
- Standard shield that provides real-time protection
- IM shield provides instant messenger protection
- P2P Shield for P2P Protection
- Internet mail is a great way to protect your email
- Protection for Microsoft Outlook/Exchange
- Web shield to protect HTTP
- Network shield protects against well-known network trojans
- Audible alarms
- Boot-time scan
- You can also create your own GUI
Surprisingly, it is not avast! It does not consume system resources and will only pop up if a task icon is clicked. Avast! You can be assured that your virus database stays up to date with the constant updates received by Avast! It also works with avast! It detected 95% out of the viruses that were tested and were awarded the Advanced ranking in their tests. This is the second-highest-ranking.
The downside to avast is that it’s not free after 60 days. One downside to avast! Avast! Overall, Avast is a great free antivirus software solution. It’s simple to use and keep up-to-date.
AVG Antivirus Free Features:
- Periodic scans
- Email scans
- Ability to Heal infected files
- Use Virus vault to store infected files
AVG is not resource-intensive either. It requires only 16MB RAM and 20MB on the hard drive. AVG is faster than other antivirus software and scans in a relatively short time. avast stop auto renewal AVG AntiVirus performed even better than AVG, detecting 97% more viruses in its test scan. It was awarded the highest rating of ‘Advanced+.
Spyware/Adware Removers
Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware 2007 Free as well as Microsoft Windows Defender 1.1 can be used to provide antispyware removal and protection. They are both easy-to-use and offer excellent spyware and malware detection.
Ad-Aware 2007 features
- Windows Vista Compatible
- Themes customizable
- Damage caused by malware can be repaired
- Internet surfing tracks by Erases
- Software updates and support by the global security volunteer network are free
Ad-Aware 2007 was downloaded more than a quarter-billion times and received a 4-star rating from a Download.com Editor’s Review. I also like that it takes just 3 minutes for me to run a smart scan of my system.
Windows Defender features
- Very simple to use and has a simple interface
- Updates are automatically downloaded and installed
- System resources are very limited, it is possible to scan normally with minimal effort
- You are protected online with Real-Time Protection
Microsoft Windows Defender is an effective spyware detector. The best part is that it comes with free real-time protection. It is usually not included in the free version of free software and only if you pay for it. Unfortunately, it is only compatible with Windows.
Firewalls
Zone Alarm Firewall Pro is the best firewall I recommend. ZoneAlarm is simpler to install and use. However, Comodo offers all the tools a power user will need to administer his network or monitor his firewalls.
Comodo features
- Host Intrusion Prevention System can be used to block access to files that are critical and prevent malware from being installed.
- Advanced Network Firewall Engine to stop programs from connecting the internet
- Application Behavior Analysis is used for suspicious activity
- A white list of trusted applications for over one million
Comodo Firewall can be used by those who want to get the most from their firewall. They also want to be able to use all their settings and options for extreme network monitoring applications. PC World Australia claims that Comodo Firewall is better than the paid-for counterparts.
Zone Alarm features
- Inbound intrusion detection systems
- The ability to identify which programs can create outbound connections
- Compatible with Windows Vista
Zone alarm is simple to set up and use. You won’t even notice it when it’s active unless something strange happens in your firewall. The taskbar displays a popup window when a new program attempts access to the internet. You can either accept or deny access and then select a checkbox to prevent it from asking for more.
You can use each of these programs to protect your computer system from intruders, hackers, viruses, trojans, spyware, and other threats. Every program offers different features to its users. They also offer different levels of protection. Make sure you do more research before making your final decision. Don’t buy multiple antivirus or firewall programs as they can conflict with one another. There is a limit to how many firewalls and antivirus programs you can install on a single machine. It’s better to grab several spyware removal and detectors than just one. Each program detects different spyware, so it’s better to have more than one.