Out with the Old and In with the New

Time to say goodbye to your old security applications that are are hogging up your resources, annoying you with notifications and yet they still don’t guard you from the most recent strain of malware. Lets update your entire security suite!

Old Anti-Malware:

Spybot Search & Destroy, Adaware, and AVG Anti-Spyware

New Anti Malware:

Malwarebytes

Why it’s better:

Malwarebytes can remove malware that the others cannot. On a relatively new computer, Malwarebytes’ targeted quick scans take around 10 minutes instead of 30 with the old programs. The dedicated team at Malwarebytes updates their definitions regularly by constantly scanning the forums and reviewing hijackthis logs looking for new threats.

Summary/Notes:

I know AdAware and Spybot were the best back in the days, but they can’t protect against the latest malware. At first, I felt guilty removing these old programs but I got over the feeling once I saw how much stuff they missed in their scans. Keep in mind that it is a person, not a computer program, that’s creating the malware. A computer program that isn’t updated regularly won’t do you any good against malicious programmers who’s programs are updated regularly. The great thing about the Malwarebytes team is that they respond quickly to threats ensuring that they don’t get a chance to spread to others. For another good malware remover, check out Super Anti-Spyware. You might be surprised what you find with these two programs.

I recommend paying the $25 for the full version with a resident Protection Module which prevents malware from getting in to begin with. If you don’t want to pay for the full version of Malwarebytes, the free version still does an awesome job. One con is that entire program, not just definition updates, need updating more often than other anti-malware software. I am willing to deal with it as long as my PC’s are secure.

Security Suite (Best Anti-Virus Programs) - Watch the top videos of the week here

Old Anti-Virus Suite:

McAfee, Norton, AVG Anti-Virus (without Threat-Fire)

New Anti-Virus Suite (With 0-Day Protection Against Viruses):

Threat-Fire

Why it’s better:

Threat-Fire is actually meant to supplement your current anti-virus program. Threat-Fire can detect brand new viruses and rootkits by detecting suspicious program behaviors rather than needing to know the every virus type and variant. It is called 0-Day protection because it can detect malicious programs on the spot instead of having to wait for the files to be analyzed by the people who create your anti-virus. Anti-virus programs are usually designed to react to specific viruses. Threat-Fire offers a more pro-active solution as opposed to a re-active one.

Summary/Notes:

I could not recommend McAfee or Norton because they just slow your system down so much. I also make sure to disable AOL or Yahoo’s “Protection” software that usually get bundled with your high-speed Internet. These are all well known resource hogs. Of course protecting your system is important, but you shouldn’t have to take a huge performance hit. No wonder Macs are so popular right now. No well-known viruses means there’s no need for anti-virus programs wasting your CPU cycles, memory and disk space.

My favorite free anti-virus is Avast. My favorite (non-freeware) anti-virus is NOD32 by Eset. A lot of people recommend Kaspersky but I found it had too many options and was too intrusive for many clients. AVG Free also seems to be popular, but I’ve noticed that sometimes it times-out when trying to download the definitions and so your computer is more vulnerable until it can download the latest definitions. Either one will get the job done, but much more effective when you combine them with Threat-Fire. From my experience, the combination of Threat-Fire and AVG or Avast is relatively light on resources. Threat-Fire and Norton seem to conflict on certain systems. I have not yet tested Threat-Fire with McAfee. Post in the comments if you have. I’ve also seen a lot of the new rogue anti-virus programs and fake anti-spyware programs get by Norton, McAfee, AVG and Avast. Threat-Fire seems to help a lot. Malwarebytes running with it’s Protection Module seems to work the best. Most systems seem to run pretty well using the combination of Avast, Threat-Fire, and Malwarebytes Protection Module.

One con is that Threat-Fire may detect a few false positives since it is detecting suspicious behavior. It doesn’t seem too intrusive in my experience with it.

Old Firewall:

Zonealarm or Windows Built-in Firewall

New Firewall:

Comodo Firewall

Why it’s better:

It’s user interface is friendlier and is less intrusive to your workflow. It also has a learning mode that can figure out which programs and services need to be allowed access without the user having to click allow a billion times before the system is usable again. Make sure your computer is clean first or else you will just be setting your system to allow access to malicious programs.

Summary/Notes:

For most general users, a combination of Windows’ built-in firewall and a hardware SPI/NAT firewall with uPNP disabled is sufficient. Many people would rather be less secure rather than have pop-ups asking them for permission every time a program wants to access the Internet. It’s a sacrifice a lot of users are willing to take. If you are not willing to sacrifice one ounce of security, then definitely check out Comodo. It will give you that extra layer of protection with minimal interruptions. Keep in mind that there is still, like any good firewall, a slight learning curve. Most users will have no problem.

Conclusion:

The best security is being proactive by being careful which links you click on and making sure that your computer is up-to-date. Still, extra layers of protection can safeguard your computer just in case something unexpected happens.

I would like to hear back from you with your experiences with these programs. What programs have you found to be exceptionally effective?

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I arrived at the client’s home in Cypress, CA. It was a nice neighborhood. I would have guessed the homes were in the 1 to 2 million dollar price range. The client had an issue with a Dell Inspiron desktop PC that was running too slowly. Although the Celeron processor is the inferior model compared to it’s Pentium counterpart, it wasn’t the cause of the problem, it wasn’t what we consider the bottleneck. The client only needed to do basic browsing, emailing and light multimedia usage (YouTube, iTunes, Windows Media Player). We could have upgraded the CPU, but it wouldn’t have been the most cost effective way of making the computer faster.

After seeing that the memory usage was way up in Task Manager, we decided that the Memory was the culprit. (Only had 256Mb of Ram). So we looked on Crucial.com and found that the best bang for the buck would be an upgrade to 1Gb. I happened to have one in my Laptop bag. I installed it, turned the computer on with 4 times the Ram it had previously. Wow, what a difference! The client was extremely satisfied. In addition we did an Optimization by removing all of the unnecessary startup items. We also changed their McAfee antivirus to a less resource intensive anti-virus.

Feel free to add to the list…

Adware: Software designed to collect data about the user’s interests and behavior. Adware can track which sites the computer user visits and then sends the information to advertisers who use the information to sell their products or services. The methods that adware use range from using cookies to track visits to a website, installing unwanted toolbars, and installing unwanted programs which are packaged with software the user wants. Along with privacy issues associated with adware, these added programs and toolbars are a major cause of users’ complaints about their “slow computer”. Click here for Spyware Removal by E-Geniuses.

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Help Desk: Help Desk refers to the ability for a client to be able to be assisted remotely by a technician via phone or connected computer to computer via the Internet. Help desk technicians work specifically with clients who need remote technical support. Many problems can be solved remotely therefore reducing the costs of an on-site I.T. department. Click here to Download the E-Geniuses Help Desk Utility. You can also chat with a live E-Geniuses Technician here.

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Malware: Short for malicious software and describes any type of unwanted software. It is a more general term which includes spyware and all of the different types of viruses. Click here for Malware Removal by E-Geniuses.

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Managed Systems: A consolidated network usually consisting of a group of a computers, VOIP phones, network printers and a service provider that is in charge of maintaining the network and all of its components: as opposed to having a different provider for a phone system, for a computer network, and yet another technician for printers. Managed systems reduce costs through consolidation of service providers. The service providers are usually liable for ensuring that the system is monitored regularly. Click here for Managed Services by E-Geniuses.

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Modem: A device that converts signals to usable data. The most common modems are DSL modems and Cable modems. There are also T1 modems, Fiber optic modems, and dial-up modems. The type of modem depends on the type of signal being converted. In a typical network it is the device that connects directly to the cable or telephone line. For shared Internet connections, the modem attaches to a router which splits the converted signal (data). Click here for Modem Setup and Configuration from E-Geniuses.

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Monthly Maintenance Plan: A computer maintenance plan in which the client’s computers are maintained on a scheduled (usually monthly) basis as opposed to waiting problems to occur. This is a form of preventive maintenance can lower overall long-term costs associated with owning a computer and maintaining the integrity of the system’s speed, security and stability. Maintenance may be performed on-site, in-home, or remotely based on the plan type and the company performing the services. A computer maintenance technician can prevent viruses, spyware, and malware. Companies offer the services to clients who want an added layer of protection when dealing with important data, backing up critical data online, or online banking. In many cases, manual updates and scans must be performed by a technician. An antivirus software can offer a layer of security, but cannot perform all of the tasks necessary to keep a system safe from users with malicious intent. See E-Geniuses’ Monthly Maintenance Plans for an example.

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PC: Some people use the term personal computer, or PC, to refer to a computer which runs the Microsoft Windows Operating System. Although computers made by Apple are also personal computers, they are not referred to as PC’s and instead called Macs, short for Macintosh.

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Personal Technician: A computer technician or a group of service technicians whose job it is to maintain a clients computers and network. They are usually assigned to a particular client. It is the technicians duty to become familiar with the client’s setup in order to more efficiently and effectively maintain the integrity of the client’s systems. They are on-call when there are technical issues. Many small and mid-sized businesses are using personal technicians instead of in-house I.T. departments and full-time staff. Personal technicians can be called as needed. A retainer fee is common. Some companies offer discounted rates to clients who purchase personal technician maintenance plans as a way to keep costs steady and to prevent sudden fluctuations in computer service costs. Personal technicians may also service employees of businesses who are telecommuting and working from home or away from the office. See E-Geniuses Personal Technician Services as an example of a personal technician plan.

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Router: A device that is used to connect local computers, peripherals and other devices over distances longer that 5 ft. using networking cable. A router is commonly used to share a single Internet connection among multiple computers on a network. It can separate incoming request from the outside (Internet/WAN) from the requests from within the local network (LAN). This keeps users within the network protected. Routers with this capability have built-in firewalls. Routers can be either wired or wireless. Click here for Wired and Wireless Network Setup from E-Geniuses.

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Viruses: Programs that are designed to take over a user’s computer without the user’s permission. Trojans or trojan-horse viruses are meant to attack the computer “from the inside” like the story of Troy. Trojans are usually downloaders which are designed to download more viruses. Sometimes, so many viruses are downloaded, the infected computer runs out of resources eventually slowing the computer down so much that it is virtually unusable. Worms are viruses which spread themselves over a network or through the internet via email. Many viruses can self-replicate and can change filenames making them difficult to remove. Most viruses are set to automatically start when the computer boots into the operating system. Many viruses attach themselves to necessary system files. This causes problems because when the viruses are removed, the system files that the computer needs to function properly are removed as well. Some viruses even have the ability to disable antivirus programs. Another type of virus is the keylogger which is created to record the user’s keystrokes, can possibly take screenshots, record audio if a microphone is connected, video if a webcam is connected, and send the recorded information to the intended recipient. Users who do online banking must be particularly careful since their passwords can be exposed. This is one method that criminals use to steal a person’s identity. Digital identity theft is one of the main reasons why keyloggers are used and why E-Geniuses is commited to preventing viruses. The last type of virus does not have a specific name although it does have a specific purpose. Usually worms, the purpose of these viruses is to spread to as many users as possible. Once hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of computers are infected, the virus creator can control all of the infected computers. The computers are called zombie computers since the control is no longer in the hands of the computer user, but instead by the virus creator. With the ability to control, the botnet, the term used for all of the infected computers, the criminal can send a signal for all of the computers to visit a website at a precise time. This causes the website to crash. This is called a ddos attack which stands for distributed denial of service attack. A company who relies on its website for business can be extorted by the criminal who threatens to attack the website. Click here for Virus Removal from E-Geniuses.

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