Virus and spyware on your PC

Word of caution - virus and spyware activity continues to rise, and a great deal of it gets generated via email. If you haven't checked your antivirus update definitions or renewed your subscription, better not wait until New Year's to make a resolution to deal with it. 

I often get asked what kind of anti-virus software I use. I don't use any - I use a Mac. (that's a completely separate newsletter post, I think...) But on my servers, and for customers with Windows PCs, I recommend either Symantec Antivirus if you want a more full-featured solution, or AVG Antivirus which is actually free. AVG doesn't have quite all the bells and whistles, but you can't beat the price. Go to www.avgfree.com for more info. For antispyware, again Macs don't need any but Windows users might want to consider the free Windows Defender from Microsoft. The only catch is that it's only available for Windows XP and above. Sorry you Windows 98 or 2000 users - it's time to upgrade, anyway!

If you suspect your computer already has a virus and you need help cleaning it up, let me know and I can help you scan and decide whether it's "cleanable" or if you'd be better off with a reinstall.