softwaresiuse2

Softwares I use

Here a some useful softwares, that i've been using for a longtime

Here are a few pointers on desktop and broser Security - based on my experience and my education.

• There is nothing which is 100% Secure (Physical or Computer or whatever). Fool-proof security doesnt exist. You can spend all time reading news, applying patches, etc and still end up vulnerable
• Dont expect Microsoft, Google, Symantec or other companies to be honest and ethical. They are in business, and being in a big business means one can't be 100% truthful
• You should always have a firewall (eg: Windows Defender) and an antivirus (eg: Avira AntiVir Personal) installed and updated on your systems
• I dont run Windows Updates: I just dont need them. Besides, they sometimes interfere with existing applications. So, i will be forced to do more updates. (I'm not saying you shouldn't. It is upto you)
• I dont use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome. I dont trust IE & Chrome (Google) and some of the sites i use had issues with Firefox. I had been using Maxthon (originally called IE2), with no issues, for over 5-6 years. It is safe, much better than IE, and kills the advertisements (when you click the red Stop sign at the status bar). No ads means faster browsing even in dial-up
• Dont go crazy over free softwares, free icons, wallpapers etc
• Limit your browsing to known, useful and halaal websites. You will save a lot of time for reading or talking to family/friends
• Know how to recognize scams & phishing emails. No bank will ask for your password, and no one will give you millions of $ (or free land in Moon) for free

Bottomline: Be wise in what you have in your desktop/laptop, where you go on the cyber-highway and what to trust in the emails. You probably dont need to read all the Security alerts and get panicked.

Again, let me reiterate: I'm not suggsting that you should do what i do. Your preferences and cases may be different. I'm only conveying what i do.

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1. http://www.ccleaner.com/

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it's fast and contains NO Spyware or Adware!

I've used this for since its earliest versions and faced no issues. It also helps to delete the entries that start-up the programs, whenever you start your computer.

2. http://www.maxthon.com/ Maxthon Internet Browser software is a powerful tabbed browser with a highly customizable interface. It is based on the Internet Explorer browser engine which means that what works in the IE browser will work the same in Maxthon tabbed browser but with many additional efficient features.

What i like most: Tabbed browsing, Ad (Advt) cleaning & pop-up blocker. You'll experience faster browsing, with a dial-up, as it blocks many advertisements. Make sure the red 'NO' button at the staus bar (like No Entry Sign) is clicked / pressed down.

3. Microsoft AntiSpyware. Unfortunately You can no longer download this software, which was replaced by Windows Defender (Defender is inferior to AntiSpyware)http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/about/overview.mspx . I believe the threat of spyware is worse than that of virus. A good article on spyware is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware

Windows defender is available at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

4. Anti-Virus: I had the anti-virus from CA for a few years, and its subscription ended more than 8 months ago. Unwilling to pay another $30 for renewal, I started to was search for free-for-personal-use anti-virus, and i found Avira AntiVir. Available at http://www.free-av.com/ It's quite a good product and has bagged some awards.

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