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What is the best Anti-Virus Software? Simply put - none.
We are probably the only ones on the Internet to make this claim. And, we have a good reason for it. We also offer the alternative here.
There is nothing 'anti' about any anti-virus software that we have come across.
A Virus comes into the system by many avenues. The most common are e-Mail attachments and downloaded files from websites and peer-to-peer programs (such as Limewire or e-Mule). A Virus arrives in a system and then the anti-virus software scans it for malicious intent. This is an after-the-fact approach and does nothing for preventing the Virus from entering into the system.
It is a horribly misleading thing for anti-virus companies to suggest that they can 'prevent' a Virus from entering into your system. We believe it gives users a false sense of security.
The best anti-virus is user education. There is no substitute for it.
Here are a few key things to remember that will eliminate 90% of the risk of a Virus entering the system. Please understand that this list isn't definitive. It is a guideline that will help. The underlying message is to be more conscious of what you're doing on the Internet: - Be careful with what you download - don't download files from websites that claim that their software will do fancy things like give you a boost in speed or find someones hotmail passwords. They may even offer the software as a free download. Trust me, your speed will only increase if you pay your ISP more and you really don't want anyones hotmail passwords (it's not possible to hack hotmail by simply running a software on your system). Most of the times, the software is a Virus and it's aimed at the people who are not technically savvy.
- Download files from reputable sources - only get files from sources that you can trust! For example, websites that have a reputation to lose if they even accidentally placed a Virus in their downloads (such as the IT Werks Technologies website).
- Don't run executable files you get in e-Mail - when you recieve an e-Mail attachment that is executable in nature (such as a file with a .exe extension), never run it! Viruses can be made to attach themselves to an e-Mail and send out to the infected users contact list, so most of the times they don't even know that they are sending out a Virus. If you really have to run an executable file that has been sent to you by e-Mail, send an e-Mail back to the person who sent it to you and ask them if they knowingly sent you the file to run. Also, ask why it is executable in nature and what the benefit is of running it.
- Use Peer-to-peer programs with care - I know you use Limewire. When you download a file using a peer-to-peer program like Limewire, please make sure that the file you are getting is the filetype you really want. There is a column in the Limewire program that will tell you if it is of the MP3 or EXE type. Obviously if it's an EXE filetype, you don't want it!
Using these few points as guidelines, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and be a lot safer on the Internet.
If you feel you need more information, please ask us using the IT Werks Contact Page and we will gladly help you understand this at a deeper level. We don't charge for advice.
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