Security CD - Step 4: Anti Virus

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After you have cleaned your computer, you're going to need Anti Virus software to continually keep your computer protected from viruses and trojans. Popular Anti Virus companies include Symantec, makers of Norton AntiVirus, and McAfee, makers of McAfee Virus Scan. You can purchase Norton AntiVirus or McAfee Virus Scan at any computer store. If you already have one of these products on your computer, you need to make sure it is updated. Anti Virus software needs to have the latest updates or it can't identify and recognize new viruses and protect you from them. If your Anti Virus software hasn't been updated in a few months, it's not protecting you from new viruses, and new viruses come out almost weekly or less. Anti Virus software usually have automatic updating features built in too, so you should check and see if it is updating itself. Most companies (including Norton and McAfee) charge you for those updates as well. A good analogy is with cell phones. Cell phone companies basically give you the cell phone for little or no money, just as Norton and McAfee charge a small amount for their software (only $20 or as a free giveaway). But cell phone companies get their money through charging you monthly or yearly for the service, just as Norton and McAfee charge you for the virus updates.

There are free alternatives. There are companies that offer completely free Anti Virus software, where the software and updates are all free. And the protection is pretty much the same as pay Anti Virus software. The reason companies offer these free Anti Virus products is for name recognition, and to get you to trust them so you buy their full versions. The downsides with these free Anti Virus programs is there may be no support from the company, and possibly some restrictions of fancy features in the software compared to the pay version. But these free products will still protect you from viruses.

Regardless of which one you choose, you should obtain and install Anti Virus software and keep it updated on a regular basis.

If you have a virus in your AOL Instant Messenger, first try running AIMFix 1.0. If that doesn't work, see Jay Loden's Virus Clean website.

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