Death to PC Predators

Destroy invaders with this arsenal of software.

By Ronaleen Roha

October 2005

Threats to your computer run from the merely annoying, such as pop-up ads, to the truly insidious -- viruses, worms and spyware that can rip off financial information stored on your personal computer. These predators often arrive as hitchhikers when you download files, inadvertently click on a link in spam or okay a license agreement that contains a buried notice of tag-along software.

In fact, 90% of home broadband users already have some type of troublemaker on their PCs, according to a study by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a coalition of online companies and government agencies working for computer security. But those with dial-up connections are fair game for predators, too. Short of switching to a Macintosh, which is not as prone to incursions because hackers tend to concentrate on the more popular Windows-based computers, you need to fortify your PC.

These are software programs that detect and destroy viruses and worms -- destructive pieces of code delivered via e-mail. Free programs are available, but you'll have to pay for the most comprehensive protection.

Two first-class products are Norton Internet Security 2006 ($70; www.symantec.com; buy retail or download from the site) and McAfee Internet Security Suite ($50 to download; $70 retail; us.mcafee.com). Although Norton and McAfee also include firewalls, spam fighters and additional privacy features, these programs are not one-stop solutions -- gaps sometimes open up. You can fill those gaps by enlisting additional security programs.

Personal firewalls

These are traffic cops that look at what enters and leaves your computer. Firewalls apply rules defined by the software (or you) to determine which Internet connections should be allowed and which might deliver suspicious software and should be stopped. ZoneAlarm (free; www.zonelabs.com) is a good, basic firewall that can be updated online at no cost to battle the latest generation of pesky intruders.

Counter-spyware

Spyware is the most insidious type of software. Culprits include keyloggers, which track the keys you press and are particularly dangerous when you are entering passwords, credit-card numbers and banking information; dialers, which take over your modem to silently call long-distance phone numbers, racking up huge bills; Trojan horses, which surreptitiously take over parts of a PC to carry out their own instructions, such as tracking your surfing activity; and browser hijackers, which automatically and persistently reset your browser home page to a Web site (often packed with porn links) designed to drive business to the hijacker.

Spybot Search & Destroy (free; available at CNET's www.download.com) scans for known spyware and removes it, and blocks new spyware from getting in. It can be updated free online.

Pop-up-ad blockers

Ad-aware (free; www.download.com) eliminates most pop-up ads, as well as spyware, though it sometimes misses spyware caught by Spybot and vice versa. Google (www.google.com) also offers free pop-up-ad-blocking software.

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