How can I get protected from virus attacks?
by atomike on Jan.19, 2010, under Computer Software
So you got infected with spyware eventhough you have antivirus and antispyware protections, or maybe you have become skeptical of how effective anti-malware software is at preventing and removing viruses (or viri) from your computer. In this article I will describe three different setups that are effective at preventing virus infections. Each setup is aimed at a particular type of user. You can then choose which setup best suits you.
First up is Windows protected by anti-malware software. This setup is best for users who want the ability install hardware and software they can find in the store (the kind that is mostly compatible with Windows operating system). I recommend using Kaspersky Antivirus, and Malwarebytes Free Edition. The effectiveness of preventing a virus infection on this setup depends on keeping Windows and the anti-malware software up to date.
Effectiveness 85-70%
Lets move onto a similar setup. Windows protected by OS restoring software. This setup is best for people who want to keep the compatability with popular software and hardware but make little changes to their system. I recommend using Faronic’s Deep Freeze. With this setup, once you have installed all the software and hardware you want to use, you then “Freeze” the system to prevent any further changes. Any changes that occur while the system is in the “Frozen” state get deleted when the system is rebooted. So if you catch a virus, no problem, restart and you are like new. Data is best saved permanently using this system in external media, like flash drives, external hard drives, or optical media.
Effectiveness 99-95%
This next setup is Linux based. Linux is a public (open source for the otaku audience) operating system. Most Linux distributions are free. This setup is aimed at people who only need to browse the internet. The Linux distribution I recommend for this is called xPUD. It is an operating system focused around a web browser. The chances that someone will write a virus for this OS is minimal because the operating system is so small and contains no valuable data. Other than being very effective at preventing a virus infection, it is also very fast.
Effectiveness 99-98%
There you have it. Post comments to discuss further details about each setup. Tell us what you use your computer mainly for and we will tell you which of these setups or other setups will best suit you. These setups are mainly geared to home and small business users. Corporate users with web servers and domain servers, that is a whole different animal.
