Quick & Dirty:
If you want to know what you can do to keep your computers and other
web connected devices safe from Viruses, Malware and other threats that
can be found around the Internet, then read and put into practice the 4
tips below.
1. Make sure ALL of your Web connected devices have a fully functioning, up-to-date Anti-Virus program or app on them.
2. Run full virus scans on your devices regularly (This Includes Removable Media like: Thumb Drives and External Hard Drives), with your main Anti-Virus program or app, and do a second opinion scan with another secondary solution regularly as well.
3. Be mindful: Watch what links or URLs you click, the websites you visit and the emails you open. Thoroughly check out any programs, apps or other files you download and be very careful of who you connect with on social networking sites and the rest of the web. Basically, Trust Nothing and No One, Anywere.
4. For God Sake, please don't over indulge yourself or your devices with too much Novelty free entertainment like silly apps and or games, and when you see the word "FREE" please think of "COST". On the web most free things cost something. If no money is coming out of your pocket, you are likely bartering your web privacy and personal information and if not that, then a Cyber-Criminal might just be dangling the word free in your face so you will download his Trojan. Clicking on and trying to download too much free stuff will likely end in Malware filled devices.
Please
note: Doing the above does not guarantee you will never
end up
being infected with a Virus, Worm,
Trojan, Root Kit or other Malware,
but what it does do is
show that your are trying to use your web connected devices
responsibly. Responsible use of your devices will lesson the changes of
you ending up with something eating your files or stealing your
passwords and other valuable personal information. There are some
really nasty things out there and you want to stay clear of them. Also
note: When you buy devices like:Smartphones, MACs, iPhones or
iPads, there is a good
chance the salesman may tell you don't need protection for them... Do
me and yourself a favor, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!!
<Echoes,,, echoes> Please Google the terms: "Mac
Malware" and "Smartphone Malware". Umm
Yea, Those aren't fake reports...
Explanation of the Anti-Virus Software Links Provided Below
Below I have provided
links to most major "Free" Anti-virus solutions available on the
market. These solutions are free to use, are very well known and
contain nothing malicious. The Online Virus Scanners are
completely
free to use and can provide you with either second opinion scans if you
already have a full time solution on your devices or they can be used
to scan and clean your devices of any infections before
you choose a full time solution, if you do not have one
already. Note:
Never installed more then 1 (One)
full- time Anti-virus software on your
computer or other device. If you install more than one it can cause
problems with your device. Install one full-time solution and then
choose an online scanner to be the second opinion scan when
needed. The free (Full-Time) Anti-virus solutions provided
mainly come in both a free versions and paid-for versions. To use most
of the free
versions you may need to Register the product each year, but the
registration and updates are always free. Hey, if you find you like the
software and can
afford to pay for it, then do so. However, never believe
paying for your anti-virus software makes it the best
protection.
That is not the case. Many of these free solutions protect you better
than other "pay-for" solutions. Also note: All Anti-virus progams are
not created equal. Some have better protection then others and some
offer you more features then others. This holds true for both free and
"pay-for" Anti-virus
software. Picking whats popular or what others state is the best is the
wrong thing to do. You must pick what works well with you and your
devices. I personally use Avast! (Currently), but I have used Avira,
MSE, Panda And AVG in the past. For me they have all worked well and I
never suffered an infection while using any of them..
Free Online Virus ScannersBitdefender QuickScanFree Anti-Virus Software For Your PC
http://www.bitdefender.com/scanner/online/free.html
Trend Micro's House Call
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
ESET's Free Online Scanner
http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/
Kaspersky Security Scan
http://usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/free-anti-virus-scan
Panada Active Scan
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
F-Secure Online Scanner
http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/labs_global/removal/online-scanner
CA Online Threat Scanner
http://cainternetsecurity.net/entscanner/
Avast! Free AntivirusFree Anti-Virus Software For Your MAC
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
Microsoft Security Essentials
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials
Panda Cloud Antivirus
http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/#!/free-antivirus-download
Avira AntiVir Personal Edition
http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
Bitdefender Free Edition
http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html
ClamWin Free Antivirus
http://www.clamwin.com/
PC Tools AntiVirus Free
http://www.pctools.com/free-antivirus/index/d/2
Comodo Antivirus Free
http://antivirus.comodo.com/
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home EditionFree Anti-Virus Software For Your Smartphone
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
avast! Free Antivirus for Mac
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-mac
Avira Free Mac Security
http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-mac-security
iAntiVirus Free Edition for Mac
http://download.cnet.com/iAntiVirus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10854561.html
ClamXav for Mac OS X
http://www.clamxav.com/
There many free ways you can protect your mobile phone from viruses and malware. I don't care if the guy you brought your phone from says you don't need it. He likely doesn't know you need it because he is more interested in selling you the phone. No scare tactics involved here, it's just a smart thing to have. That is unless you like getting charged for premium SMS messages you didn't send or want your Smartphone to end up as someone else's bot... I personally use the free version of Lookout and have used it for a long time, but I make no claims of it being the best. Do some research on your own and choose the one you like the best.
**Free Mobile Security Software List**
Free Spyware Scanners
Lookout Mobile Security – Lookout's free security protects you from malicious software, and it also provides features that let you secure your device and manage/back up your data using the web. Furthermore, you can utilize Lookout to help you find your phone if it's lost, and/or remotely wipe out data if the worst happens. Both Free and Paid version...https://www.mylookout.com/
Avast! Free Mobile Security – Avast!'s free browser anti-virus is a popular name in computer protection, and that favorable reputation extends to its mobile anti-virus offering as well. Avast!'s mobile security provides protection against malicious downloads, and users can also install anti-theft features, a web shield, and take advantage of a privacy report.http://www.avast.com/free-mobile-security
IKARUS Mobile Security Lite – IKARUS Lite provides free and thorough protection against mobile viruses, spyware, malware, and Trojans. Moreover, it's resource efficient (so it won't bog down your phone), and its interface is user-friendly. Free versionhttp://www.ikarus.at/en/private/products/mobile-security.html
Mobile Security Personal Ed Trend Micro - It protects your Android from loss, malicious apps, and dangerous websites. Free Feature: App Scanner – will scan every app you install to make sure it is safe. Comes with a 90 day trial of the paid features, but the app scanner remains free after the trial.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trendmicro.tmmspersonal
Kaspersky Mobile Security – Kaspersky provides free virus scan and free malware removal tools for Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile phones. For ease of use, you can search for your phone's model on the Kaspersky website.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kms.free&hl=en
Antivirus Free AVG Mobilation - AVG Antivirus for Smartphones & Tablets automatically detects harmful Apps & SMS. AVG Mobilation™ Antivirus Free is a free mobile security solution that helps protects your phone from viruses, malware, spyware & online exploitation in real-time. PRICE: Freehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antivirus&hl=en
Webroot Security & Antivirus - Webroot Mobile Phone & Tablet Security anti-virus protection. Mobile phone and tablet security and antivirus. (FREE) Anti-virus, Internet security & identity protection for Android™ smartphones & tablets. Locates lost or stolen devices, automatically scans apps/files, blocks malware, phishing, SMS spam & more. PRICE: Freehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webroot.security
Sophos Mobile Security (beta) - Sophos Mobile Security helps to keep the data on your Android device safe. We verify that the apps you choose are free from malicious code using SophosLabs intelligence. And if your device is lost or stolen, our remote lock functionality shields your personal information from prying eyes. PRICE: Freehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sophos.smsec&hl=en
Norton Antivirus & Security - Security, antivirus, antitheft protection that won't slow your Android down. Norton™ Mobile Security Lite protects your mobile device against loss, theft and malware. Norton lends its anti-malware, anti-virus, and security expertise to mobile. Your life and important Stuff is on your phone. PRICE: Freehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symantec.mobilesecurity&feature=related_apps
Antivirus Free Creative Apps - Fast and lightweight malicious app protection for your phone Improve your mobile security with fast and lightweight malicious app protection for your phone. PRICE: Freehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zrgiu.antivirus&feature=related_apps
Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite – You can trust a doctor, right? Dr. Web is light, user-friendly, and will even protect your phone against unknown threats. You can also use the program to protect against unwanted incoming calls. Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite is available for Android, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. Customers of any Dr.Web product for protection of workstations can use their Dr.Web key files to protect the mobile devices free of charge!https://support.drweb.com/free_mobile/?lng=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drweb&feature=related_apps
*Note: You can Install one of these along with your Main Anti-Virus Software. These scanners can assist your main Anti-virus software by scanning for Spyware, Dialers, Root Kits, Adware and other forms of Malware normal Anti-virus software may miss. )
SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/
HitmanPro (Free Unlimted Scannning - To Remove Found Malware Must Install Trial)
http://www.surfright.nl/en
Emsisoft Anti-Malware
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
Emsisoft Emergency Kit 2.0 (Portable Solution)
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/eek/
PC Tools ThreatFire
http://www.threatfire.com/
**Note: If
your Anti-Virus doesn't have web protection features, there are
several tools available that you can add to your browsers or
use on a per-use basis for free. Most of these tools scan websites for
malware and other security related problems, but I've added a few in
that provide other types of protection. SpywareBlaster is provided as
an additional preventative solution. It works by killing
your browsers ability to install certain malicious Spyware, adware,
browser hijackers, and dialers. It
can be used in conjunction with your
other protection and does not use any computer resources. I suggest you
look it over. Please visit the website given for each tool to get
detailed information on what it does and please remember you do not
need to install all of these tools. Do NOT install McAfee SiteAdvisor
and AVG Secure Search together.
Free Web Protection
Free Web Protection
McAfee SiteAdvisor
http://www.siteadvisor.com/
AVG Secure Search
http://free.avg.com/us-en/linkscanner
ScanURL.net - (Website Security Scanner - Web Based)
http://scanurl.net/
WOT
http://www.mywot.com/
LinkExtend
http://www.linkextend.com/
VirusTotal - (Website and File Scanner "Cloud Based Scanning" Web Based)
https://www.virustotal.com/
Jotti's malware scan - (File Scanner "Cloud Based Scanning" Web Based)
http://virusscan.jotti.org/en
Long URL Please - (Allows you to See where Shorten URLs wctually Go)
http://www.longurlplease.com/
Abine - Do Not Track Plus - ( Prevents Tons Of Online Trackers From Tracking You)
http://abine.com/dntdetail.php
SpywareBlaster - "For Internet Explorer & FireFox ONLY"
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
If you don't wish to use any of the Anti-Virus software listed on this page, please visit the website below.
Microsoft List of Antivirus Software Vendors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/49500
