Trojans, Dialers and Worms – Oh My! Anti-Virus Software

Remember in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and her friends were walking through the dark forest with threats lurking in every shadow and around every corner? That's kind of how it is when you surf the Web without adequate anti-virus protection. Unfortunately, when you're on the Web, the threats aren't imagined – they're very real.

According to a recent Washington Post article, there were about 5.5 million viruses introduced to the Web last year alone. That's more than 15,000 new viruses a day – or 625 new viruses each hour. Quite a challenging number for anti-virus companies to keep up with.

Getting adequate anti-virus protection is only half the battle. You have to keep that anti-virus program updated and have to scan your system regularly. Just having outdated anti-virus software on your PC isn't going to do you a lick of good. Fortunately, some of the anti-virus products make it easier on you with automatic updates and scheduled system scans.

Companies like Star Reviews give consumer some insight as to which anti-virus programs are easiest to use and which ones offer the most protection. By researching reviews conducted by investigative sites such as this one, consumers are better able to determine which anti-virus solution would best meet their needs without taking the antiquated "trial-and-error" approach.

Tips on avoiding Viruses and Worms: Anti-Virus Software

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  Install antivirus software, update regularly, and use it regularly.
  Do regular backups. If you contract a virus it may be the only way to recover your data. Ideally, you should backup your entire system on a regular basis, however if this is not practical, at least backup files that you can’t afford to lose or that would be difficult to replace: documents, bookmark files, address books, important emails, etc.
  
• When possible, avoid e-mail attachments both when sending and receiving e-mail.
• Never open email attachments with the file extensions VBS, SHS, or PIF. These extensions are almost never used in normal attachments but they are frequently used by viruses and worms.
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  Never open attachments with double file extensions such as NAME.BMP.EXE or NAME.TXT.VBS.
  
• Disconnect your network or modem cable when you’re not using your computer-or just power it down.
  
• If you feel that an e-mail you get from a friend is strange (if it is a foreign language or it just says odd things) double check with the friend before opening any attachments.
  
• When you receive e-mail advertisements or unsolicited e-mail, do not open attachments.
  
• Avoid attachments with sexual file names.
  
• Do not trust the icons of attachment file. Worms often use executable files which have an icon resembling icons of picture, text, or archive files to fool the user.
  
• Never accept attachments from strangers in online chat systems such as IRC, ICQ, or AOL Instant Messenger.
  
• Avoid using floppies to excha>nge information between computers.

Government Takes Anti-Virus Action Anti-Virus Software

If you thought you were the only one worried about getting a computer virus, don’t. It turns out the United States government feels the same way and the FBI is warning PC owners of the dangers of becoming infected with a virus, particularly so-called ‘botnet’ viruses. Even some of the best anti-virus software cannot fully protect your computer, but the software in our reviews on this page can substantially reduce your risk of a serious virus attack.

What exactly is a botnet virus attack? According to the FBI themselves, a botnet is a collection of computers all under the control of a “botherder.” The botherder is usually a zombie computer with software programmed into it to send out a virus, compromise security and wipe out hard drives internationally.
A botnet program not only spreads a virus, it can also phish, infect your PC with spyware and adware (which can have as bad an effect as a virus) and spread spam. For this reason, the government is taking vital anti-virus action to prevent major economic and security glitches as a result of these dangerous identity-compromisers.

OPERATION BOT ROAST is the US Government’s newest anti-virus initiative, designed to combat the toughest botnet virus software out there. They are working with software companies to identify IP addresses that were victimized by virus software applications and to notify the PC owners. Thus far, over 1 million addresses were classified with botnet virus intrusion.

Although widespread efforts to prevent each and every virus will have a positive impact for most people, many citizens’ PC’s have already been effectively destroyed, important files have been lost and identities stolen. But installing a firewall and one of our recommended anti-virus software packages can alert you of possible botnet symptoms before the virus can take a hold on your computer.

At 6Star Reviews we have thoroughly researched anti-virus software and our reviews indicate that The Shield Deluxe anti-virus software is a popular package, which will very effectively fight virus activity and protect your computer from any virus attack which comes your way. The Shield Deluxe offers free technical support (almost unheard of in this day and age) and comprehensive anti-virus scanning capabilities. It has ongoing updates, so that you can be protected from all the latest virus attacks.

While new virus outbreaks emerge each minute, we believe that using ant-virus software to build a wall between your personal files and the outside world is an absolute necessity.