FunkyTower » protection http://www.davidcrandall.com A great source for tech news, tech help, tech info, and quality web design solutions Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:38:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Staying Safe on the Internet – For Free! (Free AntiVirus Protection) http://www.davidcrandall.com/2008/08/07/staying-safe-on-the-internet-for-free-free-antivirus-protection/ http://www.davidcrandall.com/2008/08/07/staying-safe-on-the-internet-for-free-free-antivirus-protection/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:02:51 +0000 David http://funkytower.com/?p=262 We all know of the dangers of the internet, especially if you’re a Windows user.  Viruses and spyware lerk in every corner watching and waiting to eat and destroy our data.  Luckily there are software and services to protect us!  The bad part about this, is the leading companies feel the need to charge us to stay safe on the internet!  Why?!  You would think, something so drastically essential to our every day use of the computer and the internet would be free, right?  Well, there are some free alternatives out there, you just have to find them.  In this post I’ll list some info on free anti-virus and anti-spyware alternatives to big name, and sometimes expensive, protection.

AVG Free:  AVG is a free antivirus protection software that frequently updates their systems.  I have used AVG before, and it has always been up to date with the latest threats out there.  If you are a windows user and just can’t afford good antivirus protection, AVG Free is the way to go.  (You can also buy AVG Internet Security which includes antivirus AND antispam protection, firewall, and phishing and email scam protection for about $55 for 1 year, or about $80 for 2 yeaers.)

SpyBot Search&Destroy:  Tired of pop ups, the ones that come up even when you’re not browsing the internet?  Well, it’s time to get rid of it using SpyBot Search&Destroy.  This is a great, free spyware/adware removal tool who’s systems are also frequently updated to fight against the latest threats.

IExplorer 7 or FireFox:  Did I just mention a web browser?  Yes I did, 2 infact.  Firefox is great for ridding of ads on pages that could potentially expose pop ups and feed you spyware/adware by using the built in pop-up blocker and the No-Script add on.  IExplorer 7 has some neat new features that help improve your security as well, such as a customizable pop-up blocker and phishing filter.   These are essential to protect you from spyware and adware that could potentially steal your information and identity. 

What’s cool about the customizeable pop-up blocker built into IExplorer is you can choose when you want IExplorer to block pop-ups.  This is great, because sometimes, we click things that we need to access that appear in pop-up windows.  With IExplorer 7, you can choose to allow pop-ups from websites you choose, and block all others.  You can customize the popup blocker in FireFox as well.

Google Toolbar:  If you don’t want to go through the hassle of downloading and installing a new web browser, snag the google toolbar for IExplorer or Firefox.  It has a built in pop-up blocker as well as Google search built right into it. 

 

There you have it, some great tools to help you have a safer experience on the world wide web in the best way possible – for free!

 

What do you think?
Know of any cool software, programs, or different ways to stay safe from spyware, adware, phishing, and viruses on the internet for free?  What do you do to stay safe online?  Was this a big help to you?  Whatever you have on your mind, please share it with me!  Feel free to respond via the comment form below, or send me an e-mail at david@funkytower.com.  I hope to hear from you soon :)

 

Take it easy,
David

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