Virii

You’re exactly correct in that there are FAR less “virii” written for mac platforms, but as long as you are smart about your PC you are not in any real danger.

1.Get a virus program and keep it up to date. There are tons out there and most of the big ones are good, and most even do auto updates to check for new definitions, if it doesn’t I would check at least once every couple weeks…also make sure it scams floppies on insert, and email protect if available.

2.don’t download any attachments from emails from people you don’t know, and even if they ARE from an email address you know, and you weren’t expecting it, scam it before you open, email the friend asking about it, or delete it.

-there are viruses out there now that will actually go through your email/internet cash, and send themselves to those address using your email address as a source, so you shouldn’t trust recognized addresses 100%.

3.Get a firewall. I STRONGLEY recommend ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com). They have a free version, and unlike MANY other personal firewalls out there they protect against both incoming AND outgoing traffic. It’s a tad annoying when you first get it approving you standard outbound traffic (internet explorer, online game, etc) but once you do that, you don’t have to worry about being a host for a DDOS or Trojan because zonealarm would ask you if you’d like that app to access the internet.

Ps. I too am an AVID mac user……I love my sager, but my mac is family.

-scott

unplug your comp from any networks and write all your own software

lol, that will do the trick

I suggest Norton Anti-Virus, it'll catch the virii for ya. You shouldn't worry, just be smart about it. Don't open anything from people you don't know. Be cautious... You'll be fine!

I only had a virus in my pc using life, and i got it downloading a game from an unkown site, anyway, just follow the tips mentioned above (you dont really need a firewall, nor an antivirus, well i dont use them, i feel like they take too many resources), and when you download stuff, make sure the site is trustworthy, also try to keep you old setup files and other stuff so you dont need to re-download.

NAV takes far too many resources. I'd recommend Grisoft's AVG - it is free for personal use and is updated regularly.

I liked it so much I bought a 20-license pack for my office to replace MacAfee.

-myrkat

Does the free version have adds on it, or is it professional looking? Thanks

I would not recommend running two anti-virus apps, as it could bog your system down and greatly affect application performance.

As for AVG looking "professional" - it's quite professional, and I'm not sure why an AV monitor would have plug-ins.

If you're thinking spyware monitoring, etc. NO, AVG does not have any of that. Use Lavasoft's free (or cheap) AdAware 6.

Or get a good firewall (like ZoneAlarm Pro) and use their spyware app.

AVG is an excellent antivirus program and nothing more.

-myrkat

1. Get a good Anti-virus program, in no particular order
-AVG
-Norton
-Mcafee
-Panda

2. Keep it up to date. Update your virus definitions at least every 2 weeks. Preferrably once a week.

3. Don't download software, unless you know what it is and what it's for. Stick to well known software sites Tucows, Webattack,Simtel

4. Scan your email before you open it. Some antivirus programs will act as a proxy between your email client and email server scanning the mail as it comes in and stopping it from reaching your email client before it could cause a problem

5. Don't use Outlook or Outlook Express. Why? There's just too many security holes in the software. Personally I use iScribe it's a plain text email client and it doesn't have any activex, html, java (script) technology.

6. If you use the internet...Get a firewall. Some anti-virus programs come bundled with them already. They're o.k. but I recommend something like Kerio Personal Firewall a.k.a Tiny Personal Firewall. There are others like Sygate, and Outpost. Most are free for personal use.

7. Use a proxy/web filtering software. I use Proxomitron (steep learning curve). you can also use Webwasher or others.

8. Don't use Internet Explorer. There are alternatives that work just as good and aren't so tightly integrated with you OS that they pose a security risk. Some are Opera, Netscape, Mozilla, Phoenix.

9. Keep backups of all your data and don't store personal information on your PC. Use encryption for any sensitive files.

10. Install Linux and use WINE to run any Win32 apps.

Wintendo?

lol, nice. I personally don't use a virus protection program, I just use http://housecall.trendmicro.com occasionally. I hate those programs; they're too resource consuming. I'll be using it on my sager though!