Computer help: Security applications

Wrong direction

If you ask me, you're looking at this backwards. Your putting your effort into containing and cleaning up the mess rather than preventing the mess in the first place.

You can debate the reasons why all you want, but there are a few inescapable truths regardless of reasons why. Programs, particularly Microsoft programs such as Outlook, Outlook Express, and Internet Explorer, are frequently targeted for the majority of all online based attacks. So the rather simple conclusion one can draw from this, is that using some other program will make you less of a target. It's not foolproof, but you can avoid the majority of online attacks by simply not using Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Outlook Express.

This of course brings up the natural question of what to use in place of them. Internet Explorer has two main alternatives, namely Mozilla Firefox and Opera. Outlook Express has literally dozens of direct replacements such as Eudora or Mozilla Thunderbird. Outlook can be a bit more tricky if you use things like the calendar functions, though Mozilla Sunbird may well grow up to be a serious contender very soon, and there are likely others.

If you use one of these alternatives, and do some other simple things such as avoid file sharing programs and pirated software, your risk of malware infestation plummets to near zero. Allowing you to free up all the time you previously spent conducting scans to ensure nothing had slipped past. Instead of daily or weekly scans, you could do monthly scans just to be on the safe side, and spend more time using and enjoying your computer.