Keeping Safe from Malicious Websites

Nowadays, it is easy to get infected by just visiting malicious websites which you don't know. How do you keep yourself safe?

1. McAfee SiteAdvisor - the free plug-in works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 & 3 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. But if you've Internet Explorer 7 running in Protected Mode in Windows Vista, you'll have to purchase SiteAdvisor Plus. You can check websites manually online without installing.


2. AVG LinkScanner - the free LinkScanner Lite plug-in works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 & 3 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. You can check websites manually online without installing.


3. ZoneAlarm ForceField - the paid software works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 1 & 2 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. As of now, the latest version of Mozilla Firefox 3 is still not supported. You can't check websites manually online without installing.
   
4. Norton Safe Web - this is still in beta and there is no plug-in available. You've to check websites manually online.

Recursive DNS

Besides the tests mentioned before to check whether your ISP has patched their DNS servers, you should also do a cross-pollination check if you own a website.

Ensure that your DNS servers are authoritative and not recursive as shown.

Free ZoneAlarm ForceField on Patch Tuesday

For today only, you can download a free full license of ZoneAlarm ForceField which will be valid until 12 August 2009. You need to provide first name, last name and a valid e-mail address. What does this software do?

1. Protects your identity by blocking phishers and stopping keyloggers
2. Blocks unauthorized downloads and software installations
3. Erases your surfing history for complete privacy
4. Works great as an extra layer of protection to your existing security software

It works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 1 & 2 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3.

AVG Internet Security 8 Update Failed

This morning, AVG reported no error after an automatic update. But, when I checked the statistics, the last update is 12 Aug 08 and virus DB is 270.6.0/1602.

On checking AVG website, the latest virus DB is 270.6.1/1605. I did a manual update twice but it failed. I downloaded the file manually from AVG and the first update changed virus DB to 270.6.1/1602. The second update did not change 1602 to 1605 because the installation is corrupted. After downloading again, the same problem happened.

Testing Antivirus & Antispyware Software

To ensure that your antivirus and antispyware software are properly installed and configured, it is paramount that you test them before using your computer. At the minimum, both software should pass the following tests:

1. Antivirus - Eicar
2. Antispyware - Spycar

You can use Internet Explorer 7 or Mozilla Firefox 3.01 to run the tests. Your antivirus and antispyware software should detect the threats when you download.

Threat Detected in AVG 8

Recently, I upgraded Spyware Doctor from version 5 to 6. It was working fine until this morning when I started my computer. The resident shield in AVG 8 detected Trojan horse BackDoor.Hupigon4.ZSN.

I did an online search but did not find anything. It might be a false positive. Also, I found the computer to be slow in starting up. In the end, I uninstalled Spyware Doctor 6.

Australian PC Authority September 2008

Features

1. Online Banks Exposed
2. LCD and hard disk tests

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Iolo System Mechanic
2. Serif WebPlus 8