Step up to to the Plus edition of Ad-Aware 2007
Look through our 'most popular' downloads and the list is saturated with free anti-spyware tools, often from software developers who have other editions and produce a free stripped version, free of charge. However, these versions are less pro-active than their commercial rivals. For instance, use the basic free version of Ad-Aware 2007 and this requires manual intervention to pro-actively safeguard your system from intrusion. You'll have to check your system manually, make sure definitions are updated and more. Do you want to take this potential risk if you use your system for work?
Ad-Aware 2007 Plus edition is a step-up from the free version and is far more pro-active in the way it will prevent malicious software from attempting to enter your system. You can setup automatic system analysis and definition updates, for example.
There are many different anti-spyware, anti-virus and other security applications. Until you experience an issue with your machine, you'll probably never think you need another security tool. The problem is that when you have an issue, it's often too late. The virus or trojan is on your PC, may stop you from booting your computer and most end users will not know how to remove and fix their PC. For this reason, it's always wise to install anti-spyware technology from trusted developers who invest in resources required to fight the latest threats.
Take a look at the most popular applications on vnunet.com and you'll notice that they are generally free security tools. AVG Anti-Virus 7.5 dominates the 'most popular' list and, quite honestly, seems to have been stuck at 7.x for ages. The latest version has 
Search engines do not have the time or capacity to filter rogue sites, so they often leave the end user to make their own decision on whether a site is legitimate or not. Snag is, how do you make that decision? Unless you're a web developer, a rogue site may appear to be well designed, professional and implemented with secure encryption. One way around this problem is to rely on other people's opinion and see this opinion as soon as you enter the site.
Security software has worked the same way for years, without too many issues. However, it is open to potential issues. For instance, your anti-virus definitions are produced on a reactive basis, where the developer will respond to the latest threats and hope they get an definition update out quickly enough to prevent you from being infected by this threat. It works for most as viruses are spread slowly.
There are some security applications that have been around for ages. Spybot Search & Destroy is one of these applications and has slowly risen to second in our 'most popular downloads' chart on vnunet.com. There's a good reason for this. Firstly it's free. Secondly it's a strong application and definition updates are made available fairly frequently.
Security software is designed to protect against intruders, malicious software and system attack. The snag with this is that you can easily overly rely on your security software to protect your system from going down. We therefore get complacent and don't bother to backup our important data. One day, you'll try booting in to your computer to find it has been infected and the bootloader fails to start. How do you get around this problem and remove the Trojan from your PC?
With many kids owning their own laptop or having a computer in their bedroom, how do you know what they're doing through the night? With broadband being an always-on connection, unless you disconnect and remove the router, your kids could be up in the middle of the night, chatting with 'friends' and surfing the Internet, rather then getting a good nights sleep. If you stop them using the Internet, they might rebel by playing games late in to the evening.
You and not the best commercial software is the ultimate defense against Internet attack. It's not difficult. The problem is, we get very complacent and overly rely on our security software to prevent intrusion. All you need to do is be wary of opening email attachments from unknown senders, do not download from sites you do not trust and do not click on any links within unsolicited emails (ie emails from senders who didn't expect - such as your bank) that require you to enter your personal name and password. In addition, you could also make sure you have the latest security software installed, just in case.
Although PC Tools may not want you to hear this, the release of 
However long you've owned your computer, you'll have installed software with a End User License Agreement (EULA). How many of you have read through this EULA for license information that may restrict usage of the software or, worse, offer personal information back to the software supplier. By agreeing to th EULA, you're also agreeing to the terms and effectively signing a contract that adheres you to the contents.
Our PC is like an open secret. If you share your home computer with your family, then they have access to your web browser, Internet browsing history, the applications you've installed on your PC and the games you've been playing whilst your family are out of the house. The snag is, the history, info, preferences and other details are all stored on your computer. The answer is to launch applications within a virtual environment, so that the info does not remain on your machine.
The majority of the available security applications rely on definitions to prevent against the latest threats. The problem with this mechanism is that it relies on the security developer to provide definition updates that will deal with the latest threat, before it reaches your computer. That's no good if you get infected before you receive the update. For this reason, security companies have realised that they need another way of combating threats before you get infected. The conclusion is behaviour-based protection that will try and establish what you do with your computer and then will proactively prevent your machine from being attacked if the software recognises that something different is happening on your machine.
The best part of broadband is that we can quickly download software, archives, videos and other multimedia, from the Internet, to our system. We don't have to hang around either. The downside is that we end up testing and installing more applications that we ought and, as we've all experienced, this can cause more problems that it will solve. For instance, when removing software, entries will not always be removed from your Registry, whilst startup items will often remain. Unless you know what you're doing, most people will only see system slowdown.
When we look for security software we either seem to gravitate to complete security suites, often containing a number of modules that we simply do not require, or free tools, often developed by individuals who do not always have the resources to develop definition updates to protect against the latest threats. Theres little point installing security software if it doesn't stop your machine from being infected. For this reason, we'd always recommend the best commercial software, which is updated frequently, but also contains a fairly small system and memory footprint.
If you felt inclined, there is no reason why you couldn't securely protect your system with free security software. There are some quality tools available. These include free anti-virus applications, such as PC Tools Free Anti-Virus, AVG Anti-Virus Free and so on. Some of these need manual updates, so there's a chance you may get caught out. There are free firewalls, too, from PC Tools, the most recent 
If you have one computer in your sitting room, it's normally regarded as 'open house', rarely is switched off and accessible by all family members, their friends and other relatives. The snag is, this is often the same computer you may use for editing your work documents when you get home. If you leave these lying around on your computer, anyone can read through them, accidentally delete them from the drive or worse your computer may be accessible to intruders when left connected to your Internet connection.
You may or may not have noticed that we've added and updated a number of security applications on vnunet.com/downloads, recently? The reason is down to us working hard on a forthcoming Computeractive 'Ultimate Guide to PC Security' magazine, which goes on-sale 6th of December 2007. As you can imagine, the disc for this magazine packed full of security software and, whilst I'm here, I'll also mention the three world-exclusive covermounts we've got lined up for this mag. You'll be surprised.
Security developers must realise that if they get their apps installed on end-users machines, then they are more likely to extend their subscription, rather than uninstall and find an alternative. For this reason, companies such as PC Tools and other have promoted their security apps through coverdisc promotions and virtually given away most of their old tools. Their userbase has increased and they now have a strong foothold in the market.
If you have more than one person accessing the same computer, whether at home or at work, just dragging files to trash and then deleting the contents, doesn't remove them from your system. Worse, there are many scenarios where people donate old PCs to a charity shop or dispose of an old hard drive, but simply wipe the drive, forgetting that any unformatting tool will retrieve most, if not all, the contents. You really need to erase the contents, but in a manner that stops a standard tool from reversing this process.
Microsoft Vista brought us beefed up security and a whole
host of visual improvements. It also brought us the need to upgrade the
majority of our software. Some Vista-compatible titles were released when the
operating system was first launched, others have taken their time. For instance,
security tools are the most complicated apps to fit in to the new Vista
schematics, which may be the reason why it's taken Agnitum nearly 10 months to
release a Vista-compatible version of their firewall and security suite.
People must be rather confused about virus, Trojans, malicious software, spyware and other threats to their computer, which is a reason why they are turning to complete Internet suites, rather than installing individual anti-spyware, anti-malware and other applications. By installing multiple applications, you may find that your system is worse off as a result. Webroot have recognised this scenario and are now bundling their anti-spyware, anti-virus and firewall application within one bundle.
When you develop spyware technology, a free anti-virus client, a personal firewall and a separate anti-spam client, wouldn't it make sense to bundle these technologies and release them as a complete Internet security suite? Well, that's exactly what PC Tools have decided to do and they've made available a beta preview version of their new security suite.
When release, 
The way forward for security developers is to produce a sandbox environment so that you can browse, download and test software without it affecting your machine. Well, this does exist in the form of a virtual operating system, through Virtual PC 2007 or VMware Workstation. The snag is that you need a legitimate copy of Windows for your testing, unless you want to re-install every 30 days. Another option is the fantastic Sandboxie, which is a much-underrated sandbox tool.
If you're using a broadband router, no doubt it contains a hardware-based firewall that's going to be far more secure than any software-based firewall. The snag is that your firewall has to cover every computer connected to your network. Yes, you can set up individual rules for each machine, but some people find it all too difficult to configure their router. Often it's easier to leave the hardware firewall and configure each computer on an individual basis. What is appropriate for you is less appropriate for your young kids. If they connect to your network, you might not want them to leave their computer online, unattended.
If you've installed Vista recently, you may have noticed that a number of applications do not always perform as they should, on the new operating system. For instance, I recently installed a 'Vista compatible' security application to find warnings each time I boot in to my computer. Annoying as the application can not be uninstalled, either. To avoid these scenarios, you could use a virtual management application to test applications before you install on your system.
Despite all the recent additions to the anti-spyware market, there are a couple of free anti-spyware tools that have been available for ages, have a tried-and-tested following and are two of vnunet.com's most popular downloads. One of these is 
For a many years, Symantec have been developing Internet security software, made popular by the number of pre-installed installations, found on new PCs. 
How many times have you worked with personal information, data or photos and simply dragged them to your trashcan, thinking that the files have been deleted from your system? They haven't and it could be embarrassing for you. Anyone who has access to your computer could quite easily use an undeletion tool to recover the files after deletion.
Ad-Aware has been long-regarded as highly-rated tool for combating both spyware and adware. It’s a versatile anti-spyware tool designed to minimise system resources. The latest version includes enhanced adware and malware detection along with a brand new interface. All three versions of Ad-Aware 2007 have been updated, Free, Plus, and Pro. We have the free version available to download.
When our second most popular download receives a much-needed upgrade, albeit a beta release, we needed to make this available to vnunet.com users. Why? 
When you upgrade your old PC or hard drive, it's difficult to know what to do with the contents. You could wipe and format the drive, but there are specialist software tools that will enable someone to attempt to salvage the formatted data, which means your data, work and other files might fall in to the wrong hands. The only other option is to manually erase your files, but can you be assured that the tool of choice will really erase the data?
It’s becoming more and more difficult to protect your data from the danger posed by computer viruses. Malicious software has evolved and you can end up infected in a number of ways, from opening attachments, clicking on a phishing email or by simply visiting corrupt websites.
Although Vista was released back in January 2007, there are still a small number of applications that are not yet fully Vista compatible. If you're an Outpost Security Suite 2007 user, you're stuck with a version that may prevent you from upgrading your operating system. All is not lost, however, as the brand new 
Remembering your various Internet passwords and other online information can be tricky, as many of us have multiple passwords for online accounts. Worse, if you use a tool that cleanses your Internet activity after you've surfed the web, most of your personal information isn't available the next time you log on to the same website. Frustrating, but often necessary to protect your personal info.
Security developers are becoming so competitive that they are giving away their software to home users, on the pretext that they can sell multi-user licenses to corporate users. Their train of thought must be that the more they can get their name out in to the market and spread awareness, the more likely they are to be regarded as a strong brand, for consumers and corporations. With this in mind, you can now pick up a free firewall (see 
Having to protect your computer from outside threats is something which is a constant battle for most computer users, especially those of us who
use the net on a daily basis.
We often receive emails in our magazine department asking why their machine is performing erratically, boots more slowly than before or keeps creating a false-positive on various files they've downloaded from the Internet. The conclusion is that they've installed multiple anti-spyware tools, alongside an anti-virus application, for 'maximum protection'. The snag is that multiple installations of similar tools can cause more harm than good, so it's better to have one tool that offers protection against as many threats as possible.
There are all sorts of threats that can affect your computer whilst you surf the Internet. The scariest scenario can occur when you trust a particular anti-spyware tool and that turns out to be the culprit that resulted in a possible infection. It's all too easy to install innocent-looking software for it to turn out to be malicious software and, as a results, infects your computer.
Using the net is a cornerstone of everyday home activity. We use the net as much or more than we watch the TV. The more we access Internet content, the likelihood that we’ll encounter a virus, Trojan or malicious software, increases. We need to make sure our important work, information and other data is kept secure at all times.
Panda have managed to release the first major update to their complete security suite, stealing a march on their competitors. As a suite of security software, it contains protection against spyware, virus, Trojan horse attack as well as malicious software.
Everyone is aware that security software is a necessity. With spyware and malware becoming an ever increasing problem facing computer users, we need to keep on top of all aspects of computer security. With a home computer or laptop, behind an unprotected network, you could become the next victim of a spyware or malware attack. Even installing what you think is legitimate software, you can never be assured that it isn't a rogue application attempting to get behind your firewall.
Security developers are often seeking new and innovative methods to inform us that their anti-spyware application is more capable of seeking the latest threats, compared to rivals. The thing is, most end-users are simply seeking a lightweight application, something that is very effective but doesn't take up a huge number of system resources. With the introduction of Windows Vista, this has enabled developers to offer new features that you wouldn't previously find in anti-spyware apps. Previously you had to look at the icon in the System Tray for current information, which was rather restrictive.
Security software can be so integrated in to your system that it's almost impossible to remove. Cynical computer users may feel that this was designed in to the security software, for a reason. The reason being that it means you're less likely to install rival security software, thus you're more likely to simply renew the software already integrated in to your system. However, that's not the case. It's simply due to security suites attempting to handle every possible security scenario so they integrate deep in to your computer. For instance, the anti-spam client may attempt to intercept incoming email before it reaches your inbox and automated system checking tools may boot with your computer. Over time, these tools may either stop performing, perform erratically or can't be uninstalled.
Just when security developers thought they were on top of the situation, Windows Vista was launched, along with beefed up security, user accounts and much more. It meant that a lot of existing anti-virus and anti-spyware software would not work on a Vista-based operating system and had to be re-written or a version specifically for this operating system was released. In most circumstances, the new operating system enabled security developers to encourage upgrades as new features were based around the new OS.
I'm slightly confused over the beta test release of 
You don't always need to stick with the brand names in order to use the latest security applications on your PC. Indeed, some of the free anti-spyware and anti-virus applications are often the most regularly updated. If you look around, there are loads of free personal firewalls, anti-spyware, anti-virus and anti-malware applications. Two of those have been updated recently.
There are times where you simply can't protect your personal information, particular if you're using a computer that has shared account access. This particularly applies to students, who rely on computers where personal information isn't stored overnight and work has to be carried around on a USB stick or burned on to a CD.
We have security applications to protect us against spyware, virus attack, system intrusion and even malicious software. However, we often forget about rootkit technology, which can affect the usage of our system. For instance, rootkit technology can disrupt how our system operates when you place an audio CD in your computer. Instead of using your chosen media player, you are forced to use the media player that shipped with the audio CD. The same rootkit technology prevents you from copying the disc contents. There are many other examples of what rootkit can do to your PC.
You've probably installed an anti-virus client to protect yourself from virus attack and trojans. An anti-spyware tool can prevent keyloggers and other applications from recording our key strokes and sending personal information to a remote location. A firewall is useful if you have a broadband connection and often leave your computer connected to the Internet. However, many of us forget about malicious software that can be installed on our computer and can often make our system erratic or prevent Windows from starting, the next time you boot your PC.
Up until recently Ad-Aware was the anti-spyware tool of choice and recommended by many in the industry. It didn't lose it's way, but rival products were simply more aggressive in terms of promotion, marketing and market penetration. However, there was always a free version of Ad-Aware, which made it a popular choice for many.
Why bother installing multiple security applications when you can install an all-in-one solution? One problem with individual apps is that they can interfere with each other. It's been known that an anti-spyware app from one commercial organisation will warn that an anti-spyware tool from a rival organisation is actual malicious software. Worse, sometimes the individual apps slow down your computer as they struggle to interact with each other.
Due to the constant potential of software-based threats, security technology is always being updated, from commercial and freeware developers. This week we've seen a plethora of updated security software. 
Some of the basic archive management tools are designed to either open and extract files from an archive or create an archive from a set of files. The archive manager will support a number of formats, enable you to choose the compression and destination, amongst other features. Only the high end tools enable you to create an archive with compression and turn it in to a personal password-protected file.
Can you ever have too much security software installed on your PC? Well, yes, there is no reason for trying to install more than one anti-virus client or anti-spyware application. Some people do - we had one reader recently email us to say they had five anti-spyware apps installed! However, if you're one of the many who uses basic but effective free anti-virus technology, you may need to install a separate firewall, anti-spam, anti-spyware and other tools.
There is so much security software to choose from, either available as a commercial-grade application or free/opensource. The snag is, how do you establish whether the security application you're about to download and install, is a valid application. How do you know if it's not out of date or the definition updates have ceased to be supported? You can easily be fooled by a well-designed commercial website and you'll never know if the application is rogue software, until it installed.
Many of us only like to trust particular brands, which is a reason why stores such as PC World are dominated with security software from only one or two major 'well known' brands. This doesn't necessarily mean that these technologies are the best available on the market. It just means that they're popular. As security software always sells well, many other suppliers have entered this market, some offering commercial software, others with free alternatives.
When we want to delete confidential information, be honest and admit you simply drag the date to your Recycle Bin, leave it in there for days or weeks, before emptying your bin. You're not the only one, we all do this. We all assume that the da