Archive for the ‘Anti-virus’ Category

What does quarantine mean in context to Virus management?

April 29, 2008

Viruses in real world are the most resilient creatures. A virus can survive under extreme conditions. if a living organism gets infected by a virus, it has to live rest of its life with the virus. The only thing one can do is to make the virus less active or more better make it freeze(in the same position).
Now, viruses that infect our PCs are also very robust,but here we can’t make them less active, we can ether freeze them(motionless) or destry them. The freezing thing can be called quarantine.
The problem with the other method, that of destruction is that, as viruses attach themselves to exes or important system files, virus destruction means, the destruction of the file which acts as its host. So in severe form of virus attack, one is left with no option, but to FORMAT, the drive which contains the Operating system.

Dump your anti-virus now

April 29, 2008

I’ve been without anti-virus software from the past three and half years. During this period I’ve regularly surfed the net and have least trouble. If you can believe, the past three and half years were much more comfortable than the time, when I used to ensure the presence of anti-virus software on my PC.
So “Is there any need to have anti-virus software installed in one’s computer, especially if the person visits the net regularly?”
For me the answer is a big NO!
Why? Because I’ve parted ways with the anti-virus utilities about three years ago and to this day I’m having no problems with this arrangement.
First of all let I tell you the reasons why I discarded anti-virus softwares. The reasons are:
i) As per research about fifty new viruses come in the world daily, while the anti-virus companies manage to develop anti-virus definitions for only four of these. Thus forty-six of the viruses still go unbeatable. So what is the use of installing something, which blocks four and is ineffective for the remaining forty-six.
ii) Although skeptics spread the dangers of venturing in the cyber space unprotected, they when asked, fail to answer a simple question
“Why do computers in world’s most secure places get infected, when they afford to have the best protection against viruses?”
The Answer is simple no anti-virus is secure.
iii) It seemed to me (this is just my observation) that if viruses do attack PCs, then there are more chances of getting one’s computer infected, if it is protected. It has more to do with the working of the entire anti-virus industry than with anything else. To understand this, let’s assume a working model:
“Viruses are made by anti-virus companies (not all but a few), these companies also make their anti-dotes or virus definitions. The motives behind such a working are: to make new customers and retain the old ones. The old customers or the ones that already have the company software are retained by giving them the virus definitions that are developed by the company against the viruses made by the same company. The new customers are made by infecting those PCs that use an anti-virus from the rival company.”
Look, this model is actually working!
So based on the working model put above, the whole business runs on two ideas:
1} Making a question and then answering it. (To retain the old customers)
2} Attacking the machines with software from the rival (to make new customers) Both these methods make the exercise easy.
So what is the use of keeping an anti-virus?
iv) If a person wishes to un-install an anti-virus of a certain company and then wishes to install another one from another company, he or she has to face all sorts of troubles in removing the former. Even downloading an anti-virus from the rival company via internet becomes an impossible task, as the former one blocks the copying of some crucial files of the new one.
So every time a PC owner wishes to install new anti-virus software, he or she is left with no option but to format the master drive.
What a waste of time and money.
v) Last but not the least, I found FIREWALL- an inbuilt security in Windows operating systems more effective than any anti-virus software.
Feel free to comment and criticize
and visit the blog for further thoughts…

Which software should i use to delete a spy-ware?

April 29, 2008

 I think all the claims to disinfect a system by the anti- spy ware companies is a myth. Just use windows firewall and make restore point whenever you make some new installation. The restore utility can be found in system tools.
Ans if some day you suspect that spyware has hit your pc, format the drive. no better way than that. It is not pessimistic view, but utter truth.
do the above two things firewall and restore point, you will even be free from the clutches of anti-virus software.
believe me its true.