Joe's Security

It's likely you've got this critical, home-computer security measure licked: anti-virus. Any computer without anti-virus is like using public restrooms without washing your hands. Who knows what you’re going to pick up!

However, there are three issues with anti-virus.

• Many computer owners think anti-virus or a "security suite" is all they need for adequate security.
• Too many computers have expired anti-virus software licenses.
• And some just aren't configured correctly for automatic updates.

There's something satisfying about installing anti-virus software. It feels like we’re really being tough about security.  It is a critical layer in computer security, but if you read my article about the need for a separate, physical firewall, then you know one layer is not enough. Don’t let the presence of anti-virus software make you feel invincible to Internet threats. Make it one component in your security arsenal that sits behind a security perimeter.

In my opinion, anti-virus software is too expensive - some as high as $45+ a year. It’s almost like extortion! But what are we gonna do? I’m not ready to start writing my own virus signatures - so I guess I pay. But whatever your feelings and by any means, keep that software activated and updated.

And if your anti-virus is expired, stop reading this and go renew it right now! Every one of us owes it to the computing public, to maintain this most basic level of computer security.

Also, make sure your anti-virus software is correctly configured for automatic updates. That’s what you’re really paying for, inoculation from the Internet's very latest, nasty bugs.

So like it or not, we all must "pay the piper" for malware protection. But look at it this way - the 1st time you ever have to enlist professional help to get rid of an infection, this service will cost 2-3 times your annual anti-virus subscription. So by any measure, anti-virus protection is still a bargain.

So next, let's talk about your computers' "Black Holes."

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Anti-virus performance tip! Set your a/v software to perform occasional system scans, but then set it up to only scan on “file write.” Because if you’ve already scanned your system and then again scan every file as it's written, then your hard drive is virus-free. So why rescan every file when it's read (again) from the hard drive?

So one more time, configure your anti-virus software to only scan on "file write," and NOT on “file read.” Since your system mostly reads files, you’ll get a bump in system performance.