Editorial Feature - Computer Security - Summing It Up

Computer Protection

Summing Up Computer Security

by Michael E. Callahan aka Dr. File Finder

Part of the editorial series on computer protection

In the last several weeks we've talked about computer securityand looked at several popular products. The key thing you need toremember is that when it comes to computer security you have a number ofchoices.

Individual Products or Suites?

In the past two weeks we've looked at four (4) combinationproducts. These are products that contain everything you need forprotection including anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and much more.These packages are tightly integrated and generally offer lots ofextras. The four products we looked at are:

• McAfee PC Protection Plus
• Norton Internet Security 2007
• BitDefender Internet Security
• Trend Micro Internet Security 2007

The packages are perfect if you want the "whole ball of wax" inone neat bundle. They're complete and automatically updated. Are theythe only solution? Not at all!

For some people the bundled applications may seem like over-kill.Perhaps you don't have children so you don't care about "ParentalControls." You may like a particular anti-spyware program and don't wantto switch. There are a number of free anti-virus productsavailable as well. So, you certainly can put together your own packageof tools and be protected. Here are some of the top anti-spywareprograms:

• Webroot SpySweeper
• Spyware Doctor
• Microsoft Defender
• Ashampoo AntiSpyware

If you're looking for anti-virus there are a number of productsyou can look at. A few of them are even free. To name a few theseinclude:

• PC Tools AntiVirusFree Edition
• ZoneAlarm AntiVirus PlusFirewall
• F-Secure AntiVirus
• AVG Anti-VirusProfessional

There are many programs that are aimed at SPAM. Junk email hasbecome a huge problem that all of us are faced with. I've personallytested nearly every anti-SPAM solution available and I've found thatnone of them are perfect. My opinion is that a"challenge-response" system works the best. The two such systemsthat I've tried, and use, include:

• Zaep
• ChoiceMail

The Big Picture

The Internet is an amazing place that's filled with awe and wonder andinformation. You can find just about anything you need. It's very muchlike the world that created it. It has its high-rent districts and ithas its slums. It can give you all the data you need for your term paperand it can give you a worm that will make your life miserable. It canhelp you find the information to share with your friends and it canshare a virus with your friends that will crash their systems. Yes, it'sa lot like life.

The important thing is that you view the big picture. Youshouldn't go into a bad neighborhood all alone at night. You shouldn'thave unprotected sex. You should keep your car and your house insured.By the same token you shouldn't surf the Internet withoutprotection. The goal is to surf the Internet without becominginfected. Whether you use a number of different programs to accomplishthis goal or a package that contains it all, makes no difference.

Sometimes you have to try a number of products before you find the oneyou like best. My advice to you is to make sure you use something. Ifyou don't you will most likely be sorry, and I'd hate to see that. Asthe old saying said, "Better safe than sorry!"