When people think of home computer security, antivirus software always comes to mind. Unfortunately this isn’t enough to cover the basics of home computer security. Since there are many ways computers can be breached, it makes sense to employ multiple solutions to address the various vectors of computer attacks. Regardless of your computer or Internet skill level, you must establish some basic computer setup and practices in the following areas:

  • Tools that keep malware out and help avoid malicious sites or content
  • Safe computing practices to keep malware from getting in and to keep your private information from getting out

Malware (virus, spyware, worms, adware, root kit, Trojan, etc.) can enter your computer using the same path as data—through the network interface (via wireless or the network interface card) by exploiting one or more operating system vulnerability, email, web downloads, flash drives, CD/DVD discs , external hard drives and many others. You can also be lured in through malicious web sites where you can unsuspectingly download malicious content.

When malware makes it into your computer, the damage can range from a minor annoyance, file corruption, computer slowness, computer operating system corruption, identity theft, all the way to financial loss, or a mixture of any of these damages.

Your privacy or identity can be breached through your computer when fraudulent email posing as your bank, the government, or some authority requesting your confidential information is acted upon. Or through some links that takes you to a malicious site disguised as a bank, government, or other authoritative site.

First let’s look at the various tools you can use to keep malware out and help protect your privacy/identity. You will need one or more of these tools to keep malware away and protect your privacy/identity:

  • K9 Web Protection (free)– provides web filter and protection from malicious sites; this is great for keeping you from entering malicious sites.
  • AVG LinkScanner(free) – helps provide web surfing protection while you search; it rates and assess the integrity of sites during web searches and thus can keep you from visiting malicious sites .
  • Avast! Home Edition (free) – provides basic spyware, root kit, and virus protection; has worm protection and malware protection via web shield feature.
  • ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite – provides a comprehensive protection solution ranging from firewall, root kit detection and protection, antivirus/antispyware, privacy protection, anti-Spam, anti-Phishing, and identity protection.
  • Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 – provides virus, spyware, and adware protection; getting the Internet suite version also provides intrusion protection, personal firewall, protection from malware sites, content filtering, spam protection, and identity protection.
  • SurfSecret Privacy Protector – provides privacy and identity protection; also sells a privacy vault product designed to secure through encryption your confidential files and information; the privacy vault can prevent exposure of your confidential information from malicious programs and spyware.
  • SurfSecret Keypad – provides identity theft protection by protecting passwords and usernames; also protects credit cards and other financial information through the use of an external device.
  • CA Anti-Virus 2009 – provides protection against viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs; they have a separate anti-spyware program to protect against spyware.

Tools alone aren’t enough to keep your computer from getting affected or impacted by malware. You need to exercise safe computing as part of your basic computer security. When you exercise safe computing, you avoid opening email attachments that you aren’t expecting. You also learn to spot phishing scams—those fraudulent emails promising millions of dollars if you send personal and bank information, or those emails scaring you into providing your bank account login information to correct supposed account issue.

Should your computer get corrupted as a result of malware getting through, backups of your important files would become very important. Maintaining backups outside your computer is best. Elephant Drive is an Internet service which provides unlimited secure online storage; you’ll need this before your computer files are corrupted by malware. It’s like insurance, you’ll need it when disaster hits.

At the very minimum, your computer security should include the use of tools to protect a computer from malware and malicious sites and reinforced by the exercise of safe computing habits.

Several years ago I saw tried Microsoft’s OneCare—a paid for security solution for Windows computers. Of course, I did it when they were in their BETA phase; thus I was able to use it for free. The product seemed OK, and the BETA period came and went. However, I didn’t hear much about it thereafter. Recently, Microsoft announced that by the end of June 2009, they will discontinue selling it.

However, just recently they made an announcement of plans to release another security product—code named “morro.” There’s definitely a lot of buzz around it: CNET News, ZDNet blog, PCWorld, and Information Week. What’s so special or different about this release? Here are some key points I was able to extract from their press release:

  • No cost to consumers
  • Lighter and smaller footprint, necessary for less powerful smaller computer systems
  • Core focus is on malware protection—against viruses, spyware, root kits, and Trojans—no non-security features like ones found on OneCare
  • Stand-alone download with support for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7
  • Expected to be released in second half of 2009

WARNING:  Bogus Alert!

WARNING: Bogus Alert!

Just recently I noticed something very interesting on my wife’s laptop.  I noticed it because I’m normally the one who install her anti-virus (AV) and other programs.  This one was obvious because there appeared to be another AV program reporting that laptop is being attacked or hacked and that I must purchase it in order to protect the computer from this attack!

The bogus AV is called Spyware Guard 2009.  This one is categorized as a parasite–meaning that it is one heck of a program to remove from your computer.  It is one destructive and nasty parasite because it does the following:

  • Prevents you from going to the Internet
  • screws up the user profile…meaning that if you log out then login, it will tell you that your user profile is missing; effectively you can’t get back to your desktop

It does more, but I didn’t wait too long to find out.

Most users would be easily scammed and overwhelmed by this, but fortunately I’m not most users.  Even then, it was one heck of a parasite to remove.  How did I do it?

I did a lot of searches on the Internet (using another computer).  Most solutions I found provided free scans to find the problem but wanted me to pay to remove.  However, I found a solution that allowed me to scan an remove.   It is called Malwarebyte’s Anti-malware.

It allowed me to scan and identify registry entries and files that were part of this parasite.  Then it gave me the option to remove them.  It couldn’t remove about 5 of them, even after a couple of attempts.  I knew then that I had a relatively new or different strain.

Fortunately, MalwareByte Anti-Malware clearly identified which ones it couldn’t remove.  I tried removing them in Windows safe mode, with no luck–system reports that they cannot be deleted.

As a last resort, I booted using ERD Commander and deleted the bad files and registry entries.  And FINALLY got rid of that parasite.

The last thing I did was removed the administrative rights of my wife’s account.  This should help prevent any future major infection.

I hope this is helpful to others who read this.