What Is The Best Anti-Virus Software.

I get asked this question alot so I thought I'd write a little bit about the subject. Let me start by explaining how anti-virus software works.

Anti-virus programmers use a database to store information on known viruses and many other malware types. As each new threat is discovered it is added to the database and sent to the user as a virus signature update. They also implement a huerisitics signature which is a means of detecting unknown threats by comparing the malware's activity type to that of known viruses or spyware. In theory these signatures should keep your computer safe.

The problem with virus signature detection is how often the vendors signature file is updated and delivered to the client. No single anti-virus software suite detects all threats. Many do not detect spyware and grayware at all.

The problem with naming any one Anti-Virus software company as "The Best" is often realitive to the users perference or the company trying to sell their product. Your local computer repair provider may have a contract with a anti-virus software vendor and recieve a commission of each sale, however that doesn't mean that the software they sell is the best.

In my shop I specialize in virus & spyware removal and often have to use several anti-virus and anti-spyware scanners to remove malware from clients computers, then I have to go back and hand remove any files missed by those scanners and often edit the Windows registry to remove yet more viral information.

Every computer user should be running some type of anti-virus and anti-spyware software and all of them will tell you not to run more than one on your computer. What that really means is that only one program should be running in the background for active protection, however having multiple anti-malware progams installed and run manually is smart computing.

So whether you choose to use Avast, AVG, Nortons, Malwarebytes or some companies anti-virus software be sure to keep it up to date, use the resident scanner and by all means when a file is flagged, carefully read the information from your program and take appropriate action.

I hope this helps some of you when deciding on your anti-virus software.

Is it a Virus, Spyware or Malware??

I thought I'd take a moment to clarify many misconceptions users face when their computer is affected by some form of malware. Today the term Malware is used to lump all computer infections together.

I get many calls daily asking what it costs to remove a virus. 99.9% of the time the user has spyware or grayware, many users aren't awareof the different terms related to computer infections. Maybe these will help.

Malware: Malware is the term used to describe any form of unwanted software.

Grayware: Grayware or greyware is the term used to describe borderline malware. Such as many tool bars include, like user surfing tracking.

Virus: A virus is the very worse malware. It replicates itself, can stay well hidden, changes or replaces system files and can often not be removed. A true virus always has a payload of some type. Most often leaving your computer useless.

Spyware: Spyware is pretty much self explanatory. It adds code to track your activities and attempts to send sensitive information back to the author. It is also able to disable your anti-virus software.

Worms: Worms are dangerous and hard to detect. These forms of malware hide well and are used for several purposes. They can steal your private information, make your computer a bot, server, or worse. They allow the author complete backdoor access to your computer.

Trojans: Trojans usually appear to be useful legitimate programs. For instance, video codecs, a content player, a game crack. When installed they add malicious code that may take the form of any of the types of malware. Most Trojans are easily detected by anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.

Scareware: These programs are usually more of an annoyance then anything. They install a fake anti-virus that informs the user he or she is infected with some type of malware and to remove it they must purchase the software. These programs are able to disable your anti-virus, anti-malware programs and your firewall. Often they can contain a Trojan horse as well.

No computer infection should be ignored. Many have the ability to phone home and download additional copies, making data loss quite likely. A good virus scanner, anti-spyware scanner, and regular updates are essential. Please note however, not any one scanner can find everything.

Hope this helps you understand some of the online threats you face every day.