Five must-have security applications

With 2008 being an Olympic year and whatnot, it’s a good idea to not only stay in shape yourself, but to also keep your computer working safely and efficiently.

Come to think of it, many of you might have found a spanking new computer under your Christmas tree, so, it’s even more worth your while to take good care of it.

So, without much further ado, here are five programs TechnologyTips recommends. These programs will protect you, your family and your sanity. No need to install them all, in fact, it’s better to stick with the one that suits YOUR needs the most.

All of the products below are compatible with Windows Vista, Microsoft’s newest operating system.

Internet Security:

PC–cillin Internet Security 2008 is a great application. It is an all-in-one solution for your security needs. It’s a pretty low-impact program that offers what the more familiar Antivirus/AntiSpyware programs do, but at a lower cost as well.

It includes features such as:

1. E-mail safety scan: Keeps you safe from viruses delivered in your e-mail. It scans every message you receive.
2. Anti-Virus: Runs all the time in the background, scanning your computer for signs of Internet baddies before they get on your machine.
3. Anti-Spyware: Also runs in the background, scanning Web pages and preventing Spyware from being installed without your consent. This keeps the spies in the cold.
4. ID Theft protection: Alerts you to suspicious e-mails from web sites that claim to be from a familiar source, like Ebay, or your bank. These tricksters try to goad you into sharing your private passwords and account numbers with them. This is known as Phishing, and this program protects you from going to these phishing sites.
5. Two-way Firewall: This kind of firewall watches the Internet traffic on your computer. It prevents the bad guys from getting in, or sending anything from your computer you don’t want going out.

Learn more about PC–cillin Internet Security 2008

Anti-Virus:

F–Secure Anti–Virus 2008 is a highly rated anti-virus program known for its low system resource usage and the speed at which the company finds threats and updates the software to protect you from those threats. This program has one job on its list, keep your computer safe from viruses. But it also offers Anti Spyware and Anti Rootkit protection.

F-Secure AntiVirus Features:

1. Protection against viruses and worms.
2. Rootkit protection keeps your computer safe from hidden programs.
3. It also includes real-time protection scanning against spyware
4. Regular updates give you the fastest protection against new virus outbreaks
5. F-Secure is also easy to install and use

Learn more about F–Secure Anti–Virus 2008

Backup Software:

Carbonite Online PCBackup is a program that saves your critical data to its servers, keeping it nice and cozy if your computer experiences a failure.

Carbonite features:

1. Smart online backups. Carbonite knows when you’ve added or changed a document, and saves it to its servers.
2. Easy-to-use system integration allows you to know what files are being backed up through simple color coding.
3. Affordable security for non-system files such as documents, images and other files you can’t afford to lose.
4. Secure off-site storage for your files means no worries if your computer fails. You files are encrypted and safe from prying eyes.

Learn more about Carbonite Online PCBackup

Internet Security:

CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 protects up to three PCs with a single subscription. You no longer need to buy three separate subscriptions to protect your household PCs. This is another great All-in-One package that will keep you safe from any threat that you might have to deal with online.

The suite includes all of the award-winning security products by Computer Associates.

They include:

1. CA Anti-Virus 2008
2. CA Personal Firewall 2008
3. CA Anti-Spyware 2008
4. And CA Anti-Spam 2008

Key features:

1. CA Anti-Virus helps stop viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and more
2. CA Anti-Spam blocks spam from clogging your inbox with unwanted messages
3. CA Personal Firewall prevents hacker attacks while preventing theft of personal data

4. Also blocks pop ups so they won’t drive you nuts
5. Helps protect against identity theft
6. Includes parental control of Internet access
7. All of this for up to three systems in one affordable and powerful package

Learn more about CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008

PC Tuneup Software:

Bug Doctor will scan your PC for bugs that might be slowing you down.

When you bought you computer, it was a rocket, a sports car that flew through whatever you threw at it. Now it’s lost its zip, and you’re thinking of throwing it out the window if it gives you one more error message. Often, it’s old software or corrupted data that cause these problems. Your computer might just need the bug doctor’s house call. The Bug Doctor will fix hidden bugs and errors on your PC and restore lost performance and speed that is lost over time.

Bug Doctor offers:

1. Telephone support.
2. A 100-per-cent satisfaction guarantee. If the program doesn’t fix your computer, call them, and their experts will.
3. Easy-to-use interface.

Learn more about Bug Doctor

TechnologyTips highly recommends all of the above products. These are all trial software, so you can try them before you buy them.

If you are looking for free solutions, be sure to visit the freeware section of our Software Library.

For more similar applications, read Safe on the cheap.