Avoiding Viruses and Malware

As a Mac user, you're probably accustomed to a sense of smug superiority when it comes to viruses and spyware. The pleasant fact is that the Mac simply hasn't been plagued by the type of malware attacks that Windows users must repel constantly. The good news is that if you're diligent and keep your Windows installation up to date with good virus and spyware preventers, you should be able to run a fairly stable, virus-free system. Be aware, though, that this requires diligence.

Use an antivirus program

You can buy any number of commercial antivirus programs, but you might want to investigate some free alternatives before investing any more money in the Windows side of your computer.

avast! antivirus, for example, is good. It's available for free download at www.avast.com. Another good program is Trend Micro's HouseCall, available at http://housecall.trendmicro.com.

If you prefer something a little stronger, but costly ($39.95 for 1 year), consider Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal, available at www.kaspersky.com/personal-usa. NOD32, priced at $39, is also a good alternative; you can find it at www.nod32.com. Finally, you can check out the security software sold by Symantec and McAfee.

Whatever you choose, run a full scan at least once a week, and set your software to autoscan every new file that you download. As with biological viruses, an ounce of prevention is worth megabytes of downloadable cures, so if you really want to be virus safe, stay away from adult sites, gambling sites, and peer-to-peer file-sharing systems; don't click pop-up ads; and steer clear of ads offering sweepstakes entries or free anything.

Use a spyware preventer

Spyware is another issue that Mac users don't have to wrestle with, but you'll want to consider some good free spyware preventers. Microsoft's own Windows Defender is effective and free. You can download it at www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx.

Other free products to consider include

• SpywareBlaster from www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

• Ad-Aware Personal from www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware

• Spybot from www.safer-networking.org

Note

For any virus- or spyware-prevention software to work, you have to keep it updated. Some programs can check for updates automatically; others require manual checks, which you can perform easily and routinely by taking a regular look at www.versiontracker.com.

For the time being, you don't need to worry about viruses spreading from your Windows partition to your Mac partition. In theory, it might be possible for someone to create a Windows virus that would trash your entire hard driveincluding your Mac partitionbut this is unlikely and easily preventable with diligent use of good antivirus tools.

Changing your browser

Internet Explorer is built in to Windows XP and, unfortunately, is not as secure as other browsers. You shouldn't delete Internet Explorer, however, because Windows needs it for its automatic updates mechanism. But you can choose to use another browser, such as Firefox, for your regular browsing. Available for free download from www.mozilla.com, Firefox is an excellent Internet Explorer alternative. You'll still need the Microsoft browser, but reducing your use of Internet Explorer can greatly reduce your vulnerability to spyware and viruses.