On the sign for my computer repair business are the words “Virus Expert”. Because of this, I service many computers each week with viruses on them. Not wanting any “come backs” after the repairs, I have a great need to satisfy all my customers by installing the best selection of Anti-virus software.
Viruses used to be merely a joke or a prank, but they have since evolved into serious threats, most of them now try to steal from you. Most viruses are completely hidden. They silently infect trying to steal your passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information, and your identity. The criminals who make viruses are aggressively trying to steal from you any thing they can. Millions of dollars will be drained from bank accounts this year by cyber criminals. And there are other types of viruses that try to steal personal, corporate, or government secrets. And there are viruses that turn innocent computers into distributed bot-nets to attack web sites, or send out spam. Just face it, viruses are an epidemic and you do not want any of these to ever to get on your computer.
My favorite anti-virus solution is three programs I have hand picked and thoroughly tested on hundreds of computers. As of writing this article they have proven 100% effective in 1 years time. None of my customers have had any viruses after I installed these three programs: Avast Free Antivirus, Spywareblaster, and Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. Two are free. One is a pay-for program: Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, (MBAM) for short. The definition of malware is malicious software (viruses).
Avast! Free Antivirus
Avast! Free provides you with antivirus and anti-spyware protection. It is free so you never have to pay for anti-virus software subscriptions. It is light on system resources and provides very good protection. It has a resident scanner that scans files opened, copied or downloaded. I have found Avast to be less intrusive than Norton, McAfee, etc. It also scans e-mail for viruses.
http://www.avast.com
The first thing I do to avast after registering the free account is turn off the sounds. Open Avast – Click on Settings – Sounds – then uncheck “Enable avast! sounds” – click “OK”. New in version 6 is a new recorded voice that is a bit more pleasant and lower volume, but I turn it off anyway.
Spywareblaster
SpywareBlaster helps secure your browser against spyware and adware. It works alongside your existing security software, enhancing your protection without any fuss. After installing be sure to click on “Enable All Protection”. You should manually update SpywareBlaster once a week, and enable the latest protection. Click “Updates” – “Check for Updates” – “Enable protection”. http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, (MBAM)
Whether you know it or not your computer is always at risk of becoming infected with viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, dialers, spyware, and malware that are constantly evolving and becoming harder to detect and remove. Only the most sophisticated anti-malware techniques can detect and remove these malicious programs from your computer.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has compiled a number of new technologies that are designed to quickly detect, destroy, and prevent malware. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they even start.
The MBAM real time protection module comes with the Pro version. The Pro version is what Mike recommends, not just the free version. Mike’s Computer Repair is an officially registered sales partner for Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. You can purchase the key from Mike. Mike is trained to properly install and configure MBAM for you. This does not replace Anti-Virus, it complements it. Mike installs Avast! Free Anti-Virus and configures both to work together properly.
MBAM Price: Lifetime License: $24.95 (One Computer*), Installation: $5.00
*Activating the full version license unlocks realtime protection, scheduled scanning, and scheduled updating. Each computer requires a license, installing the same key on multiple computers is not permitted and can invalidate the license. The key that Mike installs will be found on your invoice.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
MBAM settings:
Register Avast with a license key purchased from Mike:
Open MBAM and click “Register” and enter the key.
Click “Enable Protection Module”.
Click Scheduler:
* click update tab, click Add
Click Scan tab:
* check “Perform scheduled scan silently from system account”
* check “Remove and quarantine all threats automatically”
Select “Daily” “Quick scan”, click Add
Select “Weekly” “Full scan”, (change the hour to one hour earlier than the quick scan), click Add
Click Close
Click Exit
Add Avast to the MBAM Ignore List (MBAM version 1.50 or higher):
Open MBAM, click on “Ignore List”, click “Add”
Browse for this folder: C:\Windows\Temp\_avast_
Click “OK”, click “Exit”.
Conclusion
There is no need to pay $50 per year to Norton or McAfee. I see too many computers come in with viruses that had these not as good solutions. My 3 program solution is less $$, provides total protection, and has proven 100% effective. I recommend having me install these for you. One of the first things I do is a professional security audit and removal of your old software before installing the new software. Note: I used to install and recommend AVG Anti-virus until October 2010 when they came out with the new 2011 version. I tested their new version and found several problems with it so I switched to Avast!. If you are one of my customers and still using AVG Anti-virus, please call me for an appointment 360-642-2125.
Mike is a full time Computer Service Technician. Mike services computers in Long Beach, Ocean Park, Ilwaco, Seaview, Chinook, Surfside, Oysterville, Klipsan Beach, Nahcotta, Naselle Washington, and Astoria Oregon. Anywhere within 20 miles of downtown Long Beach, WA. Contact Mike for an appointment.
Tags: anti-virus, Security, software, tune-up, viruses