Best Antivirus Software

Anti-Virus Free Edition

AVG Free Edition has spearheaded the company's growth. According to Grisoft, over 40 million users have AVG Anti-Virus protection, including users of the Free Edition.



The AVG Free Edition is similar to the Anti-Virus Professional product, but does not have all the features. It lacks the fine-grained control over how scans are conducted, and it receives lower priority (than the paid-for products) when downloading updates from Grisoft's servers. The language interface cannot be customised, and English is the only available language.



Technical Support is not available for the Free Edition, whereas support is available to users of the Professional, paid for products.



Grisoft announced that AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 7.1 ended in February18, 2007. Users were required to upgrade to AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 7.5. Users are being encouraged to move to the commercial version of AVG, particularly the AVG Anti-Malware and AVG Internet Security products as they protect against spyware as well as viruses. In the last two years the increase in infections has been spyware rather than viruses. AVG Anti-Virus Free
(including the 7.5 edition) does not include a firewall, anti-spam nor detect spyware.



However, Grisoft does provide a free version of AVG Anti-Spyware - based upon the former Ewido engine.

Version of AVG Antivirus:

Grisoft provides a number of products from the AVG range, suitable for Windows 98 onwards. In addition to this, Grisoft also provides a Linux version of the software.

All commercial versions of AVG are compatible with the 64-bit edition of Windows. AVG Free is not compatible with Windows 64 bit. AVG Anti-Virus Professional and Anti-Malware editions also run on Windows Vista. At time of writing the Firewall component and standalone Anti-Spyware are not Vista compatible. This is expected to be fixed soon.

All standard versions of the AVG software are available on a trial basis. Each trial allows all users (including businesses and institutions) a 30 day trial period. After this time a fee is required, which yields a key that unlocks the program for continued use.

• AVG Free Edition: a freeware program which allows home users unlimited use and unlimited updates. It is not legal to use these commercially - they are for personal, home use only.




• AVG Anti-Virus Professional Edition: this is the standalone Anti-Virus product designed primarily for home desktops or for small organizations using peer-to-peer networks. With Version 7.5 the SoHo edition has been discontinued per se, but has been replaced with the option of multiple licences for the Professional Edition. Available are 2, 3, and 5 licences.
• AVG Plus Firewall Edition: adds a firewall to the Professional version. Is available in 1, 2, 3 and 5 licences.
• AVG Anti-Spyware Edition: protects against spyware. Based upon the Ewido engine.
• AVG Anti-Malware Edition: has both anti-virus and anti-spyware facilities
• AVG Internet Security Edition: contains anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware and anti-spam facilities.
• AVG Network Editions : With the release of AVG 7.5, there are now several Network Editions of AVG.
• AVG Rescue CD : a bootable variant of AVG Anti-Malware that can be run in Windows PE. This allows you to scan and remove viruses and spyware that may be stopping a PC from booting. Other tools include a registry editor, network mapping, ping testing and IP configurator.
• AVG Anti-Rootkit (Free) : a specific tool allowing you to scan and remove rootkits, but does not include realtime protection.
• Grisoft have now released an update for the AVG Internet Security Edition
  making it compatible with Windows Vista.

Features:

AVG features most of the common functions available in modern antivirus programs, including periodic scans, scans of sent and received emails (including adding footers to the emails indicating this), the ability to "heal" some virus-infected files, and a "virus vault" in which infected files are held.

Developer: Grisoft, s.r.o.

OS: Microsoft Windows, Linux

Use: Antivirus

License: Free and Commercial

Website: AVG Global Website

Download AVG Anti-Virus Free

Ease of Use:

The AVG Control Center (AVGCC) is the main control component of the AVG system. AVGCC runs each time a user logs in and through it you can edit various settings of the AVG system and monitor the status of individual components. The AVGCC system tray icon is multi-colored when all components are working correctly, and turns gray if there is a problem. By clicking the icon, you can open the main the windows of AVGCC.

AVG Anti-Virus also has an Advanced Interface that gives you a nice view of the tests you can run, scheduled tasks, test results and more. This interface is more for advanced users. It takes a little while to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, you will find it logical and easy to maneuver.


Effectiveness:

The software received a VB100% and the ICSA 2005. AVG Anti-Virus also passed on demand and on access scanning level 1 meaning it detected all wild virus. However, it did not pass the Level 2 by West Coast Labs, which requires the product disinfect all viruses in the wild that can be disinfected.



Updates:

Akamai servers provide free program and virus updates. AVG updates itself automatically whenever updates are available. Alternatively, you can update manually or configure AVG to download updates at a scheduled time that suits you.



Feature Set:

The Virus Vault is what most anti-virus programs call a "Quarantine" area. When the resident scanners find a virus, you can store the file in the Virus Vault until you have time to heal the file and then restore it to its original location.



AVG Anti-Virus also allows you to create an MS-DOS Rescue Disk from the Control Center.



Scheduling options include alternatives to run tasks even if the schedule is missed. The software can perform tasks even when there is no user logged onto the computer.





Ease of Installation:

This product is very easy to install-no problems.



Help/Support:

AVG Anti-Virus has great support with their online support page, Knowledge Base Search, and FAQs page. Our email inquires were answered within 24 hours. You must register to receive the support and they don't offer support via telephone.

Certifications and awards for AVG Antivirus

AVG Anti-Virus has won numerous awards. Certifications that the software holds include the Virus Bulletin VB100% Award - which is awarded to products which manage to detect 100% of the viruses "In the Wild", without false alarming. It is also 100% Detection Rate certified by independent ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs Checkmark Level 1 certification and TÜV Monitored Virus Protection certification.

Free Download

AVG Antivirus:

Download AVG Anti-Virus Free

Secure Ecommerce, Banking and transaction on internet

Phishing

Phishing is the term given to the criminal practice of sending random emails purporting to come from genuine companies such as banks and ecommerce organisations. The emails try to convince customers of those companies to disclose personal information on fake websites operated by criminals. The emails often contain emotive messages and claim that it is necessary to "validate" or "update" customer account information. The emails contain instructions to click on a link within the email which takes the recipient of the email to the fake website. Here all information entered is collected by the criminals. Information captured through Phishing may be used to perpetrate different criminal acts. Your funds may be stolen and used to finance other criminal activities such as human trafficking, drugs and prostitution and your identity may be cloned and other criminal acts undertaken in your name.

How to avoid becoming a victim of Phishing?

It is important to remain vigilant and be suspicious of all unsolicited or unexpected emails you receive, even if they appear to originate from a trusted source such as Your Bank. It is important to remember that Your Bank will never ask you to reconfirm any personal information by clicking on a link in an email and visiting a website.

The structure of a Phishing email

Who is the email from?

The structure of the Internet makes it relatively simple for criminals to create fake entries in the "From:" box of an email. This means that Phishing emails often look like they come from a real bank email address.


It is important to remember that the email address you see in the "From" field may not be from the person or organisation that it claims. The message is also likely to contain odd "spe11ings" or cApitALs in the "Subject:" box - this is designed to bypass spam filter software and increase their chances of delivery to a potential victim.

Who are the intended victims?

Phishing emails are sent out randomly using bulk email lists. The criminals are cunning and whilst they may not know your real name or indeed anything else about you they will try to convince you to provide your account details. Because it is unlikely they know your name they tend to address their victims in vague terms such as "Dear Customer". The email may well include grammatical and spelling errors as it is likely that English is not their first language.



Some emails may also contain a login form directly in the body of the email to add authenticity to the scam.

Fake hyperlinks

As with forging email addresses in the 'From' box, it is also very simple to hide a hyperlink's true destination. This means that the link displayed in an email and anything which shows up in the status bar at the bottom of your email programme can be faked.


The Structure of a Phishing website:

The URL

The criminals are clever and use a number of techniques to hide the true location of a fake website in the address bar. The website address may begin with the genuine site's domain name (eg: online-banking.standardchartered.com.hk if you are looking for standard chartered bank's website), but unfortunately that is no guarantee that it points to the real site. Other techniques may include using addresses made up of numbers (IP addresses), registering a similar domain name, or even inserting an image of the real address into the browser window. To add credibility to their fake sites, many criminals create direct links from their pages to the genuine website.


Pop-up windows

Another technique involves loading a genuine website into your web browser and then creating a fake 'pop-up' window over the top of it. Again this technique is employed by criminals to add credibility to the scam. When used you can see the real website in the background, however any information you type into the pop-up window will be captured by the criminals and used for their criminal purposes.

It is important to remember that you should always access your online banking account, by typing the address into a new window.

What to do in the event you receive a Phishing email:

If you do receive a suspicious email, please contact Your Bank by forwarding the suspect email to your bank's official email address.

You can also report the incident directly to your regional organisation who designed to combat electronic incidents including criminal acts such as Phishing.

Hong Kong:
Website: http://www.hkcert.org/
Incident Reporting url: https://www.hkcert.org/incident/home.html

India:
Website: http://www.cert-in.org.in
Incident Reporting url: http://www.cert-in.org.in/incidentreporting.htm

Jersey:
Website: http://www.niscc.gov.uk
Incident Reporting url: http://www.niscc.gov.uk/niscc/reportIncident-en.html

Singapore:
Website: http://www.singcert.org.sg
Incident Reporting url: http://www.singcert.org.sg/incident.html

UAE:
Website: http://www.cert.etisalat-nis.ae/
Incident Reporting url: http://www.cert.etisalat-nis.ae/Incident_Reporting_Form.txt

Korea:
Website: http://www.apcert.org/
Incident Reporting url: report incidents via email: cert@certcc.or.kr ;

Asia Pacific Region:
Website: http://www.apcert.org/


Important points to remember

Your Bank will never send you an email requesting for you to "verify" or "update" your password or any personal information by clicking on hyperlink and visiting a website.
Be cautious about all unsolicited emails and never click on hyperlinks from these emails and provide personal information.
To connect to Internet banking, open your web browser and type the address in Address Bar by yourself. Never use a link to open the website of your bank.
If you are in any doubt about the validity of an email, or if you believe that you may have disclosed information on a fake website, contact Your Bank by sending an email to official address.

General computer security information

General computer security measures to ensure safe browsing on internet.

Is it safe to shop and bank online?

The decision to bank or shop online is an individual choice, however, provided you take a few sensible precautions like using Anti-virus software, and shopping from reputable sites - it is safe. Adjust the security settings on your browser to protect you to the level you require. Don't give out personal information in chat-rooms or if you are not sure who is receiving the information.

How do I know if my PC is safe?

If you have anti-virus software on your PC (and keep it up to date), and are sensible about opening email attachments, and have the file sharing option on your operating system turned off (unless you need it for use in an office or home network) then your PC is reasonably safe. Try not to leave the PC connected to the Internet when it is not in use. You should also consider installing a firewall, this is particularly important if you have a permanent connection e.g. broadband access. As a further measure, make sure you keep back up copies of anything important on floppy disk, CD-ROM or another storage device then if you do fall victim to a virus or your computer breaks down you can still re trieve your data.

Is my computer safe if I am not connected to the Internet?

Yes, although there are still risks from viruses on floppy disks, CD-ROMs or portable hard disks if you are not connected to the Internet and of course your computer may break down or be stolen.

How do I know if a website is genuine?

Just as anyone can insert an advertisement in a newspaper, so anyone can set up a website. Check for contact details on the site (a postal address, not just an email address). Internet addresses have to be properly registered so most organisations have registered their own names as site names. However, this cannot always be guaranteed, particularly for all available suffixes, so if you are in any doubt it is advisable to check for physical address details. A browser lets you access the information on the Internet. Common browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Mozilla Firefox. A secure web browser supports the technical security protocols (standards) used by some sites, such as Internet Banking, to prevent unauthorized people from seeing information sent to or from the sites. You can tell when this is happening by the appearance of a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window. Double clicking this symbol will show a 'digital certificate' (also known as a SSL certificate) confirming the authenticity of the site.