The first of these is TDSSKiller. A rootkit is a piece of malware that is specifically designed to avoid any kind of detection whatsoever, and allow someone else complete control of your system without you even knowing it. It's similar to a virus, however, it's much harder to detect, and sometimes equally difficult to remove. TDSSKiller is an anti-rootkit utility designed specifically to target malware that is part of the Rootkit.Win32.TDSS family. However, it also detects a much larger variety of rootkits with grim efficiency. The interface is also incredibly simple. All you have to do is click "Start Scan", and TDSSKiller will check nearly every aspect of your system to ensure that it's not compromised by any of the TDSS family variants, along with countless other rootkits.

The next rootkit detection application is GMER. Much like TDSSKiller, it is designed to detect rootkits, but in a generic fashion. GMER performs an extremely in-depth search to make sure that if a rootkit is present, that the user will know about, and will know exactly where it's located. GMER scans for the following indicators that suggest an active rootkit installation:

Hidden processes, threads, modules, services, files, disk sectors, registry keys
NTFS Alternate Data Stream
Driver hooks (SSDT, IDT, IRP)
Inline hooks

GMER is compatible with Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and 7.

The third freeware application is ComboFix, which is designed to remove common and multiple types of malware/spyware/adware infections on your system. It also creates a display, which can be used by expert users and computer professionals to aid in the removal of malware that may not always be detected. Some instances of malware will also hide itself in the recycle bin, along with the Temporary Internet Files and the Windows Temp folder. Combofix automatically deletes all of the contents of these folders, so if a malware infection is located in any of these locations, they'll already be taken care of after running ComboFix. Keep in mind that ComboFix will only run on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

The last freeware application that we'll cover is HijackThis, which scans several critical areas of your system that are typically compromised by malware. These include startup locations, browser helper objects, active processes, and several other areas that HijackThis scans for. Users should also be aware that when inspecting key system areas, that HijackThis doesn't differentiate between legitimate applications and malware entries: It simply scans common system areas and returns the results that are present. Sometimes, removing entries without checking to see if they are indeed malware can stop some applications from functioning. After the scan is complete, a complete scan log is generated, which can help advanced or expert users determine what, if any, malware is present on a given system. HijackThis is provided by TrendMicro, and is compatible with Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, and 7.

Below is a list of where to obtain the aforementioned tools to help you detect and remove malware:

TDSSKiller
GMER
ComboFix
HijackThis

The biggest problem that happens after a crash is data loss. Personal documents, music, movies, and games are lost if proper action is not taken. While there is no immediate, easy way to tell when a crash is going to happen, there are ways to prevent total loss of personal data and minimize the amount of time it takes to recover from such an event.

The easiest method is the manual backup. It does require some work, and basic knowledge of the operating system that you've chosen to use. The most crucial, and initial step to creating a backup is to know what files are important and where they are located. The second, and optional, step of the manual back is to organize the data into various categories. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, but usually, you'll find that in the long run, it's easier because you don't have to sort through as much data. The last step to this is choosing what type of media you'll save the data to. The most common forms of choice for backup media include CDs (~700MB), DVDs (4.7GB-17.08GB, depending on the DVD type), jump drives (typically 2-16GB), hard drives and external drives, and web servers (cloud based solution).

The benefit to using CDs and DVDs is that they're fairly inexpensive, if you're looking to back up data that isn't frequently changing. For instance, if you have a lot of music or pictures that you want to save, this is probably the best form of media to make backups with. The only downside to using CDs and DVDs is that after approximately 5 years or so, they tend to succumb to something commonly called "bit rot". This happens because the reflective layer of a disc is susceptible to rusting. Usually, this can be avoided by keeping the backup discs in a low-moisture, low-traffic area. Although some disc manufacturers claim that these products can have a shelf life of 20 years or more, realisitically, one can only expect them to reliably hold data for 2-5 years in optimum environments.

If you're concerned about bit rot, you'll probably want to use a few jump drives instead. Although they are a bit more costly, in the long run, they'll save you more money because the jump drives can have new data written to and deleted from them. They're also lightweight, so you won't have to worry about having several dozen spindles of discs piling up. They're also handy if you want to carry aroud copies of data that you frequently use.

Internal and external hard drives (sizes vary between models and manufacturers) are typically useful for backing up larger amounts of data like disc images, movies, large databases, software archives, etc, but they can be used for the same purposes mentioned above. The only real disadvantage to using drives as a method of storage are initial price, and depending on the manufacturer, usage failure rates. If you're looking to store a large amount of data, but aren't too worried about high failure rates of first generation hardware, typically, you can get by with the latest (2-3TB at this time of writing, and the most expensive) drives without too much hassle. Once the hardware hits the 2 year mark, though, you'll need to be careful about using them as a primary backup, and instead use them as a secondary backup. This has always been a problem with first generation media storage.

If you're concerned about failure rates, the best option is usually to go with third or fourth generation hardware, which usually has most of the bugs and kinks worked out. At this time of writing, 500-750GB hard drives typically fall into this category. If the place that you plan on storing the data to tends to stay in the same spot, and the drive won't be moving around at all, the cheaper variety to this solution will be an internal hard drive. If you plan on carrying the data with you or the drive will be moving around a lot, you'll want to buy a portable hard drive. Or if you already have a SATA/IDE-to-? converter, buying a laptop hard drive of the appropriate connection type will typically do. Ironically, because of the fact that most laptop/portable hard drives are extremely lightweight tends to make them a little less vulnerable to accidental damage, which should be taken into consideration as well. However, this shouldn't be written off as a go-ahead to physically abuse the drive and not expect it to fail a considerably short time later.

The last of these backup methods that we'll discuss are web server/cloud based solutions. For those who know what they're doing, one of the cheapest methods (depending on if you're paying for a server or getting a free web-hosting service) is to simply upload the files of your choosing to the server. However, there may be some guidelines and regulations on what kind of content can be uploaded, depending on the EULA or regulations that are implemented in the specific geographic region where you or the server(s) is/are located.

Also, if you have a GMail account, you can download an application called GMail Drive that will turn your GMail account into a virtual network drive. The only requirement is that you have to have an internet connection in order to use it, and in order to access the data in a reasonable, human readable manner, you'll also need to have it installed on another system if you plan on using the drive from more than one location. The other downside is that there are some file type restrictions based on GMail itself, and each file cannot exceed 10MB in size. GMail Drive can be downloaded here.

The last service that we'll cover is one called Mozy. While they do have a paid version of their service (starting at $5.99/month, their free version is basically a 2GB limit, with no other restrictions. Unlike GMail Drive or just renting a server, Mozy also explicitly offers encryption and incremental backups for all users, which can come in handy, depending on what kind, and how much data you want to store.

Ultimately, whatever method of data backup you use is your choice. There are other services and methods out there, but some require much more technical expertise, some involve hardware that is not easy to obtain, while others can be significantly more expensive. While this may not be the most exhaustive list of backup methods, hopefully, you'll find it to be informative with the solutions provided are clearly cost effective.

Exaggerated Performance

Sometimes the problem is that the firewall is indeed working properly, but it just isn’t working as good as you were led to believe. Companies all over the world exaggerate the effectiveness of their products and antivirus and firewall software is no exception. While many software manufacturers claim that their firewall can provide maximum protection and outperforms the competition, only a few of these companies are actually telling the truth. After all, how many “best” firewalls can there be? A few programs actually deliver what they promise, and most of these are the more esteemed brands like AVG Internet Security or Norton.

No Updates

Sometimes the fault is yours, though. Often, we are too busy with our day-to-day lives to keep tabs on all of our PC tasks. We may skip a registry cleaning here, or a defragmentation there. The same goes for software updates. But not updating your firewall is much worse than not getting the latest version of Quicktime. A firewall update may be necessary for a new form of virus, to fix a bug, or countless other reasons. If you are ignoring these updates, it may be the reason why your firewall isn’t working properly.

Conflicting Programs

In many cases, especially when your firewall is blocking things that it shouldn’t, the problem is that there may be software already installed on your PC that is conflicting with your new firewall software. Check your computer for any other antivirus programs that may still be active. Your PC might be taking orders from both firewalls or it might even be compromising both. If this is the case, uninstall the earlier antivirus and see if the problem is solved. If the firewall is still acting up, try to restore it to its original settings and start again. Often this is all that is needed to get it working properly again.

However, you will learn that the internet is not deficient of antivirus software. This therefore implies that it is quite a Herculean task to get the best antivirus software, since all of them will be portending to be the best. You definitely would not want to risk on the protection of your computer and therefore getting the best software would be imperative. However, the question comes as to what you should look into when looking for the best anti virus software. There are particular features that you should be on the look out for.

To begin with, the antivirus software should have a realtime scanner. This feature monitors the network data while it comes into your computer, therefore intercepting malware before entering the system. In addtion, antivirus should have an On-access scanner, which scans files while they are being accessed or opened, to detect malware.

The best antivirus software should also have a compressed file scanner. Actually, most of the software are able to scan compressed files. However, the best one should be in a position to go deeper in an effort to detect the malware buried in multiple compressed folders. The antivirus software should also have an on-demand scanner, which provides the capacity to perform a custom scan on drive, folder or file, with the user initiating it.

A heuristic scanner is the most basic feature of antivirus software. Most antivirus software use known information about current malware, as well as lessons from the past in order to identify the new threats prior to antivirus vendors creating updates to deal with it. It should also have scheduled scans, in which case you can set it to scan the computer automatically. The best anti virus software should not limit the scans that may be run at scheduled times.

Given the fact that most worms and malware may now be spread by instant messaging programs like Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger, the antivirus software should also incorporate Protection pertaining to instant messaging. This allows them to monitor the traffic in instant messaging, detect and even block the malicious threats. In line with this, the antivirus program should have webmail protection, which would monitor the email traffic, detect as well as block malware that may be in the attachments. The best antivirus software should also incorporate automatic updates in order to be equipped for new viruses.

One of the antivirus software that you may consider is Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 2011, which comes with a real time protection modules and a download guard. It has the ability to scan the downloaded files. It integrates a number of tools that are designed to clean-up the system.

What is a Fake Antivirus?

When you have a real antivirus program installed on your computer, it will pop up with a window whenever it detects harmful elements that are attempting to access your PC. Normally, when this window pops up, you can click on it and run a scan to remove the nasty virus. But what happens when it’s actually a virus posing as an antivirus? This kind of evil trickery is exactly what a fake antivirus popup is meant to do. It appears when you’re casually surfing the net and tries to fool you into clicking on it so that you’ll get a virus.

How Can I Tell if an Antivirus is Fake?

It isn’t difficult to tell if an antivirus is fake, although it’s likely that these virus creators will probably make it harder to tell in the future. Basically, if you don’t have any antivirus software installed on your PC, you can be sure that the popup is a fraud. But you should have an antivirus on your computer in any case and you should be well aware of the brand name. If the popup doesn’t match the antivirus product you have, you can be sure that it is a sneaky attempt to destroy your computer.

How can I Avoid Them?

These types of viruses are often spyware, which is basically a virus that steals your vital information and uses it for profit. The best way, then, to make sure that these popups don’t appear is to get an antivirus program that carries spyware protection. Spyware Doctor is a good example of this type of software. You’ll also want to make sure your antivirus comes with a popup blocker as well as a spam blocker. This will provide you with a triple defense against the newest and latest form of virus attacks. Also, make sure to never click on any email, download, or popup that doesn’t seem trustworthy.

Looking at Antivirus Reviews

 Your first step will be to look at the reviews for the best antivirus programs available for your PC. Once you've found the highest-ranked pieces of software, you will want to bookmark this page and then go through each of the top ranked programs. They should offer the standard antivirus protection but should also have the following features:

Firewalls

A firewall is a device within your network that protects you from other people trying to access your network and information. Firewalls are very important because of how wide open the internet is and how easy it is to steal someone's information. For this reason, you should make sure that the antivirus program you're considering also offers firewall protection. Luckily, most companies know how important a firewall is to a PC user and so you'll be hard pressed to find a decent AV that doesn't have firewall.

Spam Blockers

Most people assume that spam is just harmless internet junk mail and, in some ways, it is. But some spam is far more dangerous than it may appear. Attachments from spam can infect your system with Trojans, worms, and other dangerous malware. Even if you don't open these attachments, spam can slow your PC down to a crawl with fragments and junk files. To combat this, make sure that the antivirus program you choose has a spam blocker in addition to firewall and AV protection.

Ad Blockers

An ad blocker is absolutely essential in today's world, where even the most harmless sites can sometimes slam you with endless pop-ups. Most browsers come with their own ad blockers but there are plenty of dangerous spyware and adware programs out there that easily get around pop-up blockers. This is why a dedicated ad blocker from a quality antivirus software is absolutely necessary. If you followed our advice and scanned the top rated antivirus programs based on reviews, you'll likely see that most of the high rated programs have some kind of ad blocker contained within.

Encryption

The best antivirus software out there will allow you to encrypt your data just in case a crash or other unforeseen problem occurs. Encrypting your data is something each and every one of us should do regularly but it can be the sort of thing you always put off, like flossing. This is why a quality AV will come with an automatic encryption program that will regularly and automatically encrypt your important files and data.
 

This software is made by the very respectable Kaspersky company. Kaspersky has been providing us with quality antivirus products for years now but they may have topped themselves this year. ESET NOD32 is very good at seeking out new threats even before they come up, zapping away dangerous programs and files long before they have the chance to damage you. The best part, though, is that the program is very good at using limited resources. This means that doing a scan won't slow your computer down to a crawl, a must for any serious antivirus client.

Avast Pro Antivirus

Avast has long been known as a wonderful antivirus provider for regular consumers but their new Pro version is simply one of the best community security products ever made. Avast Pro protects your network against not only viruses but also spyware of any kind. Their support staff is also second to none, providing endless help and information whenever they're needed. The live updates are also incredible and go a long way toward making sure that you're protected from viruses no matter how new or powerful they might be.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 2011

Spyware Doctor has been getting major buzz this year because, put simply, its 2011 version is simply fantastic at rooting out and removing viruses, adware, and spyware. Few programs are as comprehensive as Spyware Doctor and even fewer are as good at blocking and removing viruses the way that Spyware Doctor can. The 30 day money back guarantee is also a nice perk, and it helps us know that Spyware Doctor is very confident in its abilities. Most importantly, the program is a breeze to install and updates automatically, making it one of the most user-friendly AV clients around.
 

A firewall has to be well designed to tackle even the toughest of problems. As the world of technology grows so do the risks. There are always individuals out there that can hide behind the veil of darkness online. They push the envelope with their development of spyware, adware, and viruses. Your firewall has to be stronger and more advanced than they are.

Free Updates

Both of these top firewall software programs of 2010 offer free updates. That is very important because there are always new threats that can be developed. If your firewall protection is out of date then it leaves you vulnerable.

BitDefender Total Security

One of the features of this firewall software is that it won’t cause your computer to work slowly. The program can be customized or you can use the standard format. This ensures that people with all levels of needs are able to benefit for the protection it offers. It also offers identity theft protection, parental controls, and 2GB of online storage capacity.

ZoneAlarm PRO

This firewall software is very simple to install. It has a wizard that walks you through the process. It is one of the best sources of protection for spyware. It works with any of the windows operating systems. It also works on wireless PCs. Any time something suspicious is found it will quarantine it so that your computer system isn’t affected adversely.

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Be Aware of Free Offers

Most fake antivirus programs out there are free, so you have to be careful. This doesn’t mean all free offers aren’t valid, but you need to do your homework. Before you access any antivirus program, find out what it is all about and the ratings it has.

Be Aware of Threats

If something that pops up on your computer doesn’t seem right, question it. For example, if you get a message that your firewall isn’t protected, but you know it, is then there is something not right with it. That can be a sign that you have a fake antivirus program on your computer.

Uninstall it

Go to your control panel and see if there is something there that shouldn’t be. Look for newly installed programs by date. If you find something you didn’t download, then there is a problem. Keep in mind that if you try to uninstall it on your own, it may not work. Many fake antivirus programs are created that way so that they are extremely hard to eliminate.

Get the Right Tool for the Job

One tool that can help you to remove a fake antivirus program from your computer is Spyware Doctor with Antivirus. It can help you to have a computer that is well protected and that runs at top speed.

Use Safe Mode

Until you are completely sure that the fake antivirus has been successfully removed, operate it in safe mode. This will prevent any further problems from occurring. To get a free scan or purchase Spyware Doctor with Antivirus, click here.
 

Kaspersky Antivirus 2011

This is one of the best that you can get your hands on. It is very affordable and it has all of the features that you need. They also offer live support so that you will be able to get help if you need it.  While the best antivirus software ultimately depends on what the user specific needs are, we will cover what every client should have.

Real Time Protection

Kaspersky Antivirus 2011 offers you defense as well as real time protection. That way you will always be safe. It also offers intelligence scanning and the updates are done at intervals so that your computer continues to run at top speeds,  even as they take place.

Password Security

What is in the best antivirus software that you may not have now is protection for your identity and passwords. You need to be able to have them well protected. If your passwords get compromised, it could result in someone using your personal information due to hacking.

Firewall Protection

Kaspersky Antivirus 2011 offers double protection in terms of your firewall too. You have to remember that as hackers get better and technology allows them to do more, the best antivirus software needs to improve and to stay several steps ahead of them. Read the full Kaspersky Antivirus 2011 Review. Go to this Kaspersky Review page to see all the Kaspersky product lines