| Paid Solo Anti-Virus / Spyware / Firewall Software Solution |
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As I mentioned in a previous article, I am a huge fan of ESET, and their product line. I have never been a fan of stand alone, all in one options for computer protection when it comes to anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection. I just have not seen a solution that has "made the grade" when compared to the equivalent in stand alone programs. I firmly believe that when simplification is taken out of the equation, the only real option is total protection... 1000% complete total protection. That being said, I am a fan of a few stand alone programs, both paid for and free. Below I will outline the set-up I use on my system, and why. In my next article I will outline a free option that I feel should be the bare minimum that you should run. I am however not going to rate all those that I have tested because, well, other reviewers have done that, and quit frankly, why would you want to run a sub-par set-up when you could run one that has proven it's worthiness?
My personal set-up: My Anti-Virus For anti-virus, I use the NOD32 option available from ESET (39.99 per year). I chose this option as I have yet to find an anti-virus option that ha been able to prove it's worthiness, both as an on demand scanner, as well as a proactive scanner. What I mean is simply this, most anti-virus scanners scan when you tell it to, other wide known as on demand. However, there is a whole different realm to scanning, that is proactive scanning, which is more of a continual scanner, which pro-actively scans your computer, in real time, to ensure you remain virus free. Though more anti-virus programs have begun to add this feature, Eset was the first to offer this as a stand feature, and in my opinion, does the best job at executing its task. ESET's NOD32 is a excellent overall program. Utilizing ThreatSense technology, the software combines multiple layers of detection, protecting you from Internet threats before it is too late.accurately identifies known and unknown threats. It consistently wins top awards from testing labs and is recognized for having zero false positives, a fate not share with other anti-virus options. Also, and my favorite feature, NOD32 requires less memory and CPU power, allowing your computer to run fast, making more room for games, web browsing, and emailing. This is by far the best feature of NOD32. Compared to other anti-virus options, this is by far the least system robbing option on the market. What does that mean for you, well, it basically means you will see very little to no system degradation during normal tasks while NOD32 is proactive scanning and protecting your system. My Anti-Spyware So what about antispyware, what protects my system from these imminent threats? Good question. Well, I don't just stop with anti-virus. Spyware is as big of, if not a bigger threat than most viruses. A solid and trustworthy anti-spyware program should be a main stay in any system. I use Malwarebytes ($24.95), along with an offering from the same company, RogueRemover Pro ( also $24.95). Unlike the free options of Malwarebytes and RogueRemover, which do not seem to be as accurate, the paid version of these two programs are the best I have tested. In recent tests I have had a 98% success rate of run once removal of some of the toughest spyware varieties out there. The remaining took 2 or 3 runs to eliminate the threat for good. The beauty of this is, within 3 removal attempts, all threats, I repeat, ALL spyware threats were eliminated. This makes for excellent stats when compared to other paid for anti-spyware options. The interface of both the spyware destroyer Malwarebytes, and the RogueRemover Pro rogue spyware and virus remover, are very easy to understand and use. The only downfall, if it even is one, is that it does take a bit longer to run than other spyware removers and rogue removers. This however is trivial and any grip or qualm I have is all but eliminated when I compare them to just how well these programs run and remove threats. My Firewall On my primary system I run Vista, and the built in firewall actually does a great job defending the system. It allows me to keep a constant connection anonymously, while still allowing my network to see my systems (3 Vista, 1 Ubuntu, 1 Mac) and has never impeded these connections while I was running it. However, the Vista firewall isn't available if your not running Vista, so heres the answer. ZoneAlarm Pro ($39.99). ZoneAlarm has been my firewall choice for years. I have never suffered an attack on any system ZoneAlarm was installed on. It's multi-layered proactive protection offers the best protection available. 1 of the most effective, awesome, got to have options of ZoneAlarm is the operating system firewall layer. This additional layer of security prevents hard-to-remove spyware, including rootkits and kernel-level threats, from getting onto your PC and causing damage. I have never seen ZoneAlarm fail a leak test. Plus, it's interface is easy to understand and use. It is by far the best option available in a stand alone firewall application today. I hope this guide will lead you to a safer computer set-up. I know that running a $130 software solution might seem excessive to protect your PC, but when compared to the devastating and often catastrophic damage that can result from a direct attack or spyware and virus infection, it is a small price to pay. If your computer is currently infected, call On-Site, the spyware and virus removal, experts at 1-888-725-4509. |