Prevention is better than cure. Fight computer viruses with constant vigilance and, more essentially, the appropriate internet security software.
To empower computer users in the application of internet security software, the Consumer Council has put to test a total of 18 samples - 2 firewalls, 3 anti-virus software and 13 internet security suites.
Among these products, 2 firewall and 2 anti-virus software are freeware that can be downloaded from the homepage of the software developers.
The test rated the products on the basis of: protection performance (45%), ease of use (20%), management and resources (15%), documentation (10%), installation and uninstallation (10%).
On protection performance, the result showed that only 4 security software could detect all the malware in the virus scan test. Used in the test were various malware such as trojan horse, worms and marco virus.
On usage of computer resources, for example, memory (RAM), and hard disk space, it differed from software to software, with some software occupying a large proportion of system resources during operation. Consumers should be aware of the system requirement of different software before purchase.
The major potential internet security problems these days include: virus, spyware, adware, spam, and phishing, etc. They usually propagate by means of some social engineering techniques (i.e. cheating e-mail, phishing webpage or real-time messenger programme).
Consumers are advised that merely installing internet security software does not guarantee complete security as viruses, spyware and other malware appear and "mutate" rapidly.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Information Technology Services Centre has offered some guidelines for consumers on their daily personal computer usage:
- Update security software frequently. When patches or new virus definition are announced by software developers, install the patches or update the software as soon as possible.
- Do not download or execute any suspicious file. Pay extra care to those suspicious files or data. Deactivate those active contents such as ActiveX, JavaScript.
- Be cautious about unsolicited or fraudulent e-mail and advertisement. Do not register with any personal information or click on any link attached.
- Set up strong password for critical applications. Use different passwords for different applications and accounts such as e-banking. Use data encryption as far as possible especially for sensitive data transfer.
- Perform backup on a regular basis. In case the system is infected by virus or attacked by hackers, important files could still be restored.
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