Protect Your Portable Laptop from Spyware and Computer Viruses

April 2009
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Monday, April 13th, 2009 @ 10:11 pm | Review, Software

Nowadays information security is a huge concern. With rampant identity theft data security issues, protecting the personal data on your computer should be one of your top concerns. Unfortunately there are many enemies in this battle. Viruses are out there trying to corrupt your data. Spyware harvests data as your surf the web and use your programs. Key loggers follow your every keystroke. Trojan horses offer backdoor access to hackers. Malware has a variety of unfortunate effects. And these are just a few of the major players. So what can you do to protect your computer?

Thankfully one of your best choices is free with most Windows machines. It’s Windows Defender! It offers a great first line of protection, and for regular users of computers it’s a fantastic tool. Unfortunately it can interfere with more advanced usage of your computer, which is why I often choose to shut it off. It really depends on whether or not you get error messages or problems when using it.

So what’s a second line of defense? Well, you need good spyware removal tools. My favorite is Spyware Search and Destroy. You can find it over at http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html. One fantastic feature is that it’s free. It’s also easy to install and easy to use. To date I’ve had nothing but good experiences with it. A few of my friends have had issues with it, but they have all said that the tech support they offer is great. I’d definitely recommend it for your spyware and adware removal needs.

For anti-virus, what I’ve been using is AVG. It’s found at http://free.avg.com/. As you might notice from the URL, it is also free. This free version offers basic functionality – you also have the option of paying for extended features and coverage. I personally have always used the free version, and never had any problems. You do always have the option of buying even more expensive programs like Norton (even better if your computer comes with it), but I think you’ll find that this free version offers all the functionality you’ll need.

Given that these three programs all have regular updates, they should cover all of your needs. But always remember to practice safe internet usage. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t ever open suspicious emails. Don’t open suspicious files. And never give out your personal info to anyone other than those your trust. With these programs and safe surfing skills, you should be able to avoid any spyware or virus problems!