Tired of browser hijacks and spyware?

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Working for a local ISP, I talk with customers on a daily basis who complain about popups, homepage hijacks, redirects, etc. Their thoughts are that the ISP should stop these behaviors. This is hardly the case. My nearly patented answer is "Get a better browser." Rather than combatting the Internet Explorer exploits, just download and install superior software.

For years I used Netscape Navigator with very little disruption in my surfing because I was fed up with IE and it's constant problems. Then I happened upon Opera. After one day I was hooked. That was 3 years ago. I enjoy a clean tabbed interface, built in popup blocker, resumable transfers, significantly greater speed, skins, total customization abilities, and best of all...not one hijacking and virtually no trojans from known IE browser exploits.

For protection, I use AVG antivirus, Ad-aware, and Kerio firewall. This combination, when kept current with updates, provides excellent protection. I can boast that cookies are 95% of what Ad-aware finds. I shorten the scan times now by manually deleting these before I scan. AVG will detect an occasional trojan in Temp files, but that is incredibly rare and is usually self inflicted via something I downloaded.

So to all of you who are tired and disgusted with IE, go download a better browser, a better antivirus, and a better firewall rather than relying on spyware protection, hijack logs, and manually digging through the registry on a routine basis to keep yourself clean.

In my years as a PC Tech, AVG has time and again found multiple viruses on computers that both Norton and McAfee have missed. Kerio likewise is vastly superior to ZoneAlarm and BlackICE Defender. Don't be duped by clever marketing schemes and recommendations by TV personalities (Tech TV).

All the software I mentioned is free for home use. All can be purchased if you so desire. Opera is banner ad supported. Registering takes away the banner ad. But even with the ad, it is enormously better than a screen full of popup ads and hijacks in IE. AVG offers more customization and support with purchase. Kerio is full featured for 30 days then only some web filtering features such as banner ad blocking are disabled. It still maintains it's full firewall protection.

Opera: http://www.opera.com
AVG Free Edition: http://www.grisoft.com
Kerio Personal Firewall: http://www.kerio.com
Ad-aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com

No. I do not work for, own stock in, and am not affiliated with any of these products or their manufacturers in any way. I just found a combination that actually works so I try to pass it along to others. Who knows, maybe it will keep my call times down so I can get some real work done.

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Any who care to take the time and effort to do so will be well served to read James Madison University's R.U.N.S.A.F.E. and
alt.comp.virus Newsgroup's "Safe Hex" Safe Computing Tips

Far more important than which operating system, browser, email client, and security/privacy software one uses is that all be kept current with the latest updates, that all be properly configured, and that common sense be used when navigating the web, downloading files, and reading email. Folks create most of the yuckware problem all by themselves, not so much by what they do, but by what they DON'T do. It is considerably less time and labor intensive, and infinitely less troublesome, to prevent infestations, highjackings, and infections than to remove and recover from them.

Knowing how to treat a bullet wound is good, but its best all around to not get shot.

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I agree Timber, actually having good security is prefferable to the false sense of security that some who go off software's beaten paths feel.

Repeat after me, "just because you shun mainstream software doesn't make you safe. Software individualism isn't security."

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timberlandko, I will try the first link again later. As of right now, it is a dead link. I couldn't agree more with the need to stay up to date with security patches. That is exactly why I stated, "when kept current with updates, provides excellent protection."

Craven de Kere, you certainly misunderstand my intentions. I fully comprehend that security is a process, not a product. Be that as it may, some products are typically more secure. Hence the security process is made tremendously easier.

Granted, end user actions bring forth most problems. Beit opening email attachments, downloading with P2P software, etc. Still, I think it is more than a coincidence that the majority of infected computers (virus and spyware) that I see are using the same combination of products: IE, ZoneAlarm, and Norton AV. Many times these are up-to-date and properly configured yet nearly all suffer a similar malady; they are chock full of viruses.

Well, on the bright side, as long as IE remains the popular browser and Windows the dominant operating system, I will never be short of work.

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Cruptr, it puzzles me you'd find that to be a dead link ... wonder if anyone else has a problem with it. I just checked it on a variety of machines, with a slew of different operating systems and browsers, and it came up fine a dozen times.

Anyhow, here's the URL: http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame1.html

Also, you wrote:

Still, I think it is more than a coincidence that the majority of infected computers (virus and spyware) that I see are using the same combination of products: IE, ZoneAlarm, and Norton AV. Many times these are up-to-date and properly configured yet nearly all suffer a similar malady; they are chock full of viruses.

to which I am compelled to remark the coincidence you think you observe likely is more due to the ubiquity of the products you cite than to any flaw inherent to them. Further, I have to observe that, for my part, I have found most yuckware-infested machines equipped with security and privacy applications, regardless of vendor, most assuredly DO NOT have that security and privacy software either properly updated or properly configured. Among other products, on some of my machines I use NAV either as primary or secondary anti-virus, and on some of my machines I use ZoneAlarm (the Pro version) as a secondary firewall, running behind my hardware firewall. On other machines, I use Trend's products, McAfee's products, Computer Associates products, and others, including Kerio and GriSoft, and I employ an arsenal of anti-spyware/adware applications ... I do a bit of evaluation and cross-comparison as a sort of personal entertainmentm and a bit of beta testing for various vendors. I find all the major-vendor products, IF PROPERLY CONFIGURED AND UPDATED are relatively equally effective ... some have points superior to others, and vice versa, but if diligently deployed and maintained, all are acceptably effective, even if none are "Absolutely Bulletproof". I find the main problem is people don't bother to consult the documentation accompanying software, and really have no idea how to optimize it for effective performance, whether that software is a privacy/security application or a game. Way too many folks, by and large, are lazy, cut corners, and rely way to much on luck, as far as I'm concerned. I must admit though, those folks provide me with a respectable secondary income ... even lots of repeat business Mr. Green

Edit to Add (timber): Cruptr, I owe you an apology ... the link you questioned indeed was faulty ... I double-checked the second link, not the first, which clearly was the one you mentioned. I fixed it. Sorry for any confusion ... I'm good at that Embarrassed

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