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Review of Internet Security Tools

Secure your PC and personal information with Internet protection tools; advice for beginners and intermediate users

Short List Recommendations

You will need an appropriate tool in each category, the recommended short list being:

Anti Virus

• AVG Anti-virus Free Edition

Anti Spyware and Trojans

• Spybot Search and Destroy

Firewalls

• Microsoft Windows Firewall

Internet Protection Tools

You will need three protection tools: anti-virus, spyware protection and a firewall:

Anti Virus

You need a good anti-virus package with regular updates. This protects against malicious code being imported via email or web browsing.

AVG Anti-virus is recommended; it is free, and just as good as the commercial Norton Symantec, McAfee and similar products.

• AVG Anti-virus Free
  
• Kaspersky AntiVirus 7, recommended by PCPro, Russian, £24, free trial.

Don't have more than one anti-virus software application in use, since they can conflict.

The Norton Symantec, McAfee and similar product "Suites" are best avoided as they insinuate themselves into Windows and are hard to de-install (though you can download a Norton Removal Tool).

Anti Spyware and Trojans Software

You also need a way of detected and removing spyware and cookies that track your Internet habits for marketing purposes, trojans that enable your computer to be accessed and used by others for illicit purposes, and other undesirable programs.

This is a privacy and also a security issue, with passwords and one's "digital identity " at risk.

Good choices (but you don't need more than one?) are:

• Spybot Search and Destroy
, good freeware
• PC Tools Spyware Doctor is possibly more powerful, and available free via Google Pack.
• Ad Aware SE Personal
• AVG Anti-Spyware Free
• Windows Defender, part of Vista, performs this role adequately.

Firewall

A firewall is needed to make your computer invisible to potential attacks from the Internet. This is particularly important if you are connected by broadband. It works at the network packet level, rather than by examining application signatures, and protects against "bots" trying to take over your computer

The Windows XP firewall is good enough, even though it only filters incoming traffic by default. You need to check that it is turned on for each connection via Network Connections / Properties / Advanced / Setting.

If you use a multi-port router for connection to broadband then this may include a "hardware" firewall, which is even better.

So you should not need the ZoneAlarm software firewall unless you have a version of Windows prior to XP. It is £29.50 after 15 days, though installation issues have been reported and it is overwhelming for most users. There are also problems with Vista, including after Service Pack 1.

 PC Tools Firewall Plus, free, is said to be efficient but too complex for learners. Most people are better off sticking to the Windows Firewall.