When Should I Update?

I'm sure all of us are keenly aware of the notorious pop-ups a Windows based PC can experience, even though common use.  From anti-virus warnings, Windows update, to Java Runtime Client, most computers are littered with tons of different notifications.  The problem is, many viruses and malware these days are actually written to imitate these legitimate updates, and do so with striking efficiency.  They will appear as wolves in sheep's clothing, if you will, even sporting logos of companies such as Microsoft to further persuade unaware clickers.  How then do you know that what you are agreeing to update is actually legitimate, versus the fake updates?  Here are some pointers.

1.  Always Know Your Computer

You should always be very aware of what software is actually installed on your computer.  This is definitely a big plus when it comes to recognizing legitimate updates.  For instance, if you are using ESET Anti-Virus, and a Vista Security 2011 warning comes up, you know something is not right.  Also, you should always keep your version of Adobe Flash/Reader and Java up to date.  These browser extensions are highly known for being vulnerabilities to attack if they are outdated.  Also, be aware of any other malware scanning programs that you might have, if any, and always choose to decline any pop up that comes up to present itself to scan your computer.  ALWAYS DO THIS MANUALLY INSTEAD.  The most basic rule of thumb comes into play here, use common sense.  If it looks suspicious, don't click it.  Or look it.  Or breathe.  Oh wait, you can do those last two, as long as you open up your Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and "end the task" from there.  Don't even try to click to close it, use Task Manager.  If you are unfamiliar with how to use the Task Manager, please contact us for support.

2.  Know the Tactics of the Enemy

Any time you are presented with the option to "For just $60, clean you computer of 454324863 viruses!", or an option similar to this in any form or fashion, stop what you are doing and click no further.  Malware's intent is to try to steal from you, and that includes your money.  Know that any legitimate virus protection is purchased in the form of a subscription over a time frame of a year or more, and will never ask you to make one time payments.  These problems can be complicated to solve, and can become more complicated if attempted to fix without the knowledge to do so.  Please contact us if you feel you have become suspect to an attack of this sort.

3.  Java Updates

These are most the time more of annoyance than anything.  Most people tell them to go away, or just simply ignore them, but these are actually updates that you shouldn't ignore.  Any time you see an update for Java appear on your taskbar, go to Java.com as mentioned earlier, and download the latest version.

4.  Windows Updates

Depending on your Operating System, you might receive notifications to update Windows.  On Vista and 7, Windows has an updater utility installed on the computer, and can be easily found by going to Start > All Programs > Windows Update.  You should at all times have all of your important and critical updates installed, and even certain anti-virus softwares, such as ESET, will monitor your computer and inform you if you need to run Windows Update.  However, if you are still running XP, you will need to visit update.microsoft.com/ to update your Operating System.  It is a simple step-by-step process that should take no more than 15 minutes, but can take over an hour if you need to upgrade to the next Service Pack.  To sum it up, don't ignore Windows Updates, do them!

Essentially, most updaters can be sniffed out with a little sense.  Like we always mention, 50% of virus protection is provided by your anti-virus software, and the user him or herself provide the other 50% by how they use the computer.  Be smart, and keep your computer up to date the right way.

Protect and Detect: Antivirus Recommendations for 2011 by Matt Meier

 With Internet usage and web browsing becoming more crucial for everyday life, in home or at work, we recently provided you with 4 top web browsers and gave you information on each so that you know which is right for you.  Today, however, we want to inform you about an exceedingly important subject matter in regards to web browsing: anti-virus software.  Most computers you buy from the store come equipped with their own version of anti-virus software at discretion of the company or previous owner.  But how do you know it is any good? Is it clogging up system resources? Are infections still getting through even though your anti-virus is running? These are all important questions to ask when it comes to selecting an AV program.  Think in terms of soccer.  Viruses and malware are the opposing team’s offense, and your anti-virus program is your team’s defense. The chance of your opponent breaking through to score a goal rests upon the strength and capability of your defense.  You would have to be prepared against a multitude of different strikes, from all different angles, to really be a totally efficient defense.  The same goes for virus protection.  Viruses and infections have become exceedingly complex and multifaceted, therefore to prevent a possible breakout; you must be equipped with the best defense, or anti-virus, available.  So put on your soccer cleats, and let’s explore the top virus protection software of 2011.

      #1 – ESET Smart Security 4/NOD32 Anti-virus

            At Vital-CS, we strongly recommend the use of ESET’s Smart Security 4.  You obviously didn’t buy a computer for the purpose of running anti-virus software, so ESET is one of the fastest and most efficient infection protections on the market.  With a real-time scanner, ESET does live searches for web bugs and infections from email, removable media, web pages, system tools, and even an innovative self defense mechanism which prevents viruses from disabling it.  Where the NOD32 product offers anti-virus and anti-spyware, the Smart Security 4 offers a powerful firewall and anti-spam filter in addition to NOD32’s services.  Just like in soccer, ESET Smart Security 4 offers a comprehensive “zone defense”, which is able to distinguish trustworthy from untrustworthy sites, and also offers intranet protection in regards to host/DNS/DHCP server IP addressing, wireless SSID, connection profiles, and more.  Consistently scoring in the top rankings on av-comparatives.org, many companies have recognized ESET as the elite of anti-virus software in the past 5 years.

            FINAL SCORE: 98

               #2 – AVIRA Premium Security

            With a growing support and continual improvement and updates to stay up to speed with current viruses, AVIRA scores #2 on our charts.  AVIRA has surged forward with a powerful anti-virus and firewall screen that not only provides web filtering and protection, but also scans all software that could be linked to internet use.  Detecting and protecting from issues ranging from root kits to drive-by malware, AVIRA offers total security at rapid speeds, ensuring that your computer still runs at optimal speeds even while AVIRA is doing the dirty work.  It also comes equipped with a great parental control, which filters through and prevents specified, explicit web content, allowing parents to be at ease while their children browse the web.  One of AVIRA’s bonuses is that it comes with a free version of Tune-Up Utilities upon purchase, which is a great program for cleaning up and optimizing your computer’s speed and proficiency.  One turn off that is worth mentioning, is that AVIRA’s Premium Security Suite does come at a rather high cost, which can be problematic if desired to be used on a large scale.  AVIRA has also been recognized highly for its maximum protection on av-comparitives.org.

            FINAL SCORE: 96

       #3 – F-Secure Internet Security 2011

            Very similar to AVIRA Premium, F-Secure comes in at a close third in our defensive ratings.  With parental controls, email protection and strong firewall, F-Secure resembles AVIRA in nearly every facet, with a slightly less robust package.  However, F-Secure stands out with its “in-the-cloud”, F-Secure Deep Guard™ 2.0 network security.  Able to immediately discern legit from illegitimate networks and network communications, F-Secure provides top of the line efficiency in quick response to network leaks.  Where many hackers are using network leaks in a time sensitive window to pilfer financially rich information, F-Secure responds in seconds to prevent such information from being compromised in a network setting.  However, with such extensive network screening, one could expect to experience slight “blips” in network and local PC speed.  It does have a redeeming quality towards this though, offering a very affordable package rate for 3 licenses at the price of 1 license of many comparative AV programs, making it an economically wise decision as well, while still getting a great bang for your buck.

            FINAL SCORE: 95

#4 – Symantec/Norton Internet Security 2011

            Does this one surprise you a bit? Norton is in the top 5? It does for us as well.  Based on its rocky history with being a weak anti-virus, there are many skeptics of Norton’s brand and name, Symantec.  However, their new product is extremely legit, and its protection is comparable to the best.  Totally reinventing their entire product with Norton 2011, they now have patched up the errors they once had of overusing system resources, and security leaks in their firewall.  They now have what most consider being the fastest anti-virus program available.  Norton now uses an “overlapping” protection scheme, where several layers of defense are in place to protect against live threats in an instant.  Norton’s live update system is the most competitive of any AV program available as well, where it updates its database every 5 to 15 minutes.  With an innovative backup and recovery scheme as well, Norton has stood out from the crowd in its ability to outmaneuver infections at the rare possibility of a security leak, allowing the computer the seamlessly resort to a previous session before the infection took place.  If Symantec continues to produce software such as NIS 2011, they will definitely take the throne of the top AV available, as NIS 2011 has scored top of the charts in many recent AV comparisons.

            FINAL SCORE: 94

#5 – Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

            A few years ago, Kaspersky was the top dog in anti-virus and web security.  Still coming in strong at a top 5 choice, they have slipped slightly in their overall protection.  Other anti-virus companies have done a better job at staying up to date with recent infections, but Kaspersky has remained right at their heels.  With their new product, Kaspersky IS 2011, they have reaffirmed their dominance in the AV elite.  Packing a double layered firewall and easily customizable settings that allow for accurate scanning and screening, Kaspersky IS 2011 is just as robust as any on the market, while maintaining one of the best prices available.  Kaspersky also offers parental controlling and activity restrictions, which are very effective, yet can sometimes be a little overbearing.  One great feature, however, is that Kaspersky is installable on severely infected PCs, and is able to restore order to certain levels of virus calamity.  Kaspersky is very accurate in detecting threats as well, consistently having the fewest false alarms compared to most other products.  Overall, Kaspersky is highly esteemed product in the anti-virus world, and an often used business choice.

            FINAL SCORE: 90

Although there are innumerable selections to choose from regarding which anti-virus protection to use, these 5 here ranked highest in our experience, as well as the testing of other corporations, such as av-comparatives.org.  Obviously in a soccer draft, you want to choose the player with the best skill set, and the one that is also best suited for your team.  So consider this blog your 2011 draft picks for the anti-virus soccer team.  We again reaffirm that ESET Smart Security 4 is our preference and overall choice in terms of performance, speed, level of protection and real-time response.  However, no two perspectives are alike, and many other people would advocate differently than we.  Nonetheless, we cannot stress the importance of having a strong anti-virus protection in place enough.  Even simple, innocent web browsing is an open gateway for hackers to manipulate PC vulnerabilities.  We encourage you to research any information regarding viruses and malware that you feel unlearned about, and we hope to assist and answer any questions you might have regarding them.  With that being said, consider the following statements.

If you don’t know the threat, how do you know what to protect?

If you don’t know what to protect, how do you know you are protecting it?

If you are not protecting it (the critical and sensitive information), the adversary wins!