These days there are a million choices out there for anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware and anti-adware applications. This abundance of options, some people are left wondering, what’s the best one to use? Well, here’s the answer: none of them! Anti-Virus programs might have served some purpose ten years ago back when they were all over cyberspace, but today, things have changed. If you use Apple Mac OS X or a Linux distribution, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about, and if you use Microsoft Windows, then you have very little to worry about there, either. The fact of the matter is, the best way to avoid getting viruses these days is to just be a savvy Internet surfer. When browsing the web, don’t click on those ads that promise to speed up your computer–it’s a scam, those will give you a virus! In fact, you should never click on anything that looks to good to be true, because it is too good to be true!
Now here’s the important part: the best defence you have against malicious attackers is your home router. Yep, you might have gotten one from your Internet provider when you signed up, but if not, go pick one up today. Not only do you get the advantage of the best firewall money can buy, but you’ll now have wi-fi in your home, for only a one-time payment of around $50, compared to those outrageous annual fees that the software companies charge.
Now here’s the techie stuff: the most common type of virus today is called a Distributed Denial of Service Attack, or “DDoS.” This type of attack is where hackers will plant a little program in your computer that the hacker can control remotely to commit crimes against big servers. Whenever you here on the news about a major website being taken down by hackers, it’s almost always the result of a DDoS. But guess what, if your computer is behind a router, then it is virtually impossible for them to infect your computer with the DDoS virus, much less actually access it again later. This is because your router acts as a gate, only allowing in certain incoming connections that either it knows to be safe or you have told it are safe ahead of time.
So stop paying those crazy anti-virus/firewall bills, turn off all the Windows security features, and enjoy total safety behind a simple router! Trust me, I’ve been without any sort of protection software for over three years and haven’t gotten a single virus.
About Jeremy Andrews
Freelance PHP/MySQL developer, tech support guy, travel agent, transit photographer, and lover of poutine. Jeremy Andrews is a young guy from Montreal, Canada who enjoys writing about technology, can develop a website, and can do your travel arrangements! Contact him today at jeremy@jerail.ca for more info on any of these services.
