shoestring
pc
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ANTI-VIRUS & ANTI-SPYWARE
(commercial and open-source)
Windows
Commercial: We get ours through looking for last year's models on clearance by going to www.pricewatch.com. Note that Grisoft/AVG and Avast have “free” programs, but they are only free for home use, not for schools.
Open-Source: Clamwin -- it is free, open-source, but as of this writing i have tried it only on one machine. So far, no problems. Read the page carefully, then decide.
For rooting out spyware (“adware”) we use Spybot Search & Destroy . To keep it from getting in, we use Spyware Blaster. (Please note that ad-aware has a great free edition of their product but it is only for personal use, not school.)
Linux
:-D If you know Linux, you know you don't need an antiviral program. Even if you did, it's already built in!
A
NOTE ON WINDOWS BROWSERS...
Please DO NOT use IE (Internet Explorer). Hide it! DON'T attempt to delete the program, just the shortcuts to it. I'm not bashing Windows or Microsoft here, it's just a good policy. Most hackers and virus-builders and spyware spreaders do their dirty work through Internet Explorer because (1) most people have it and (2) because historically it's been prone to many security holes. Instead, use Firefox. It's more secure and also less likely to be targeted malicious software. Another great browser (often considered the best) is Opera. Have a really old computer or just want maximum speed? Use K-meleon (perhaps the fastest Windows browser for non-geeks) -- it may have a few less features, so try it out. You may end up using it some of the time, all of the time, or not at all...but it will help keep those old pc's usable. (Incidentally, using Firefox rather than IE may have kept us free from spyware and viruses for a year we had no other protection...)
ALSO....
...see the article "10 'must do' tips to make your PC more secure"