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Software Recommendations

Here is a list of software that I recommend to people. All of this software is free for home use. I use all of them so I feel confident in recommending them. If you have any questions or concerns about any of them please let me know.

Some of these downloads are large, so if you only have dial-up internet access, I can make a CD for you.

avast! 4 Home (anti-virus software, free for home use)

It needs a bit of manual setup to get working with some email program, but I'd be happy to help you. Oh, and it needs to connect to the internet to update it's virus definitions. If you have dial-up internet access, I would recommend running the update at least once a week. If you have cable or DSL, it will automatically update.

ZoneAlarm (firewall software, free for home use)

Everyone should run firewall software. To see how vulnerable your computer is to others on the internet, go to ShieldsUp! and follow through on the various tests. You might be very surprised. With ZoneAlarm, ShieldsUp! should report that you computer is operating in "full stealth mode". If you have a cable or DSL modem/router, it should be acting as a firewall and you'll be safe from anything coming in. But one of the nice features of ZoneAlarm is that it tells you if a program that you have not authorized is attempting to go out to the internet. Spyware is the name given to programs that secretly install and send info back.

Spybot Search & Destroy (spyware detection and removal, free)

I wouldn't bother with this unless ZoneAlarm is reporting suspious programs that are trying to access the internet. If you do an internet search for the program name, that should give you an idea as to whether the program is legit or not.

Mozilla (email/web-browser w/ popup ad blocking and spam filtering, free)

I have been using this for almost a year now at both work and home. I have found very few problems with it and it doesn't have all the security problems that Microsoft's Outlook and Internet Explorer have. (Or if it has security problems they just haven't been exploited yet.)

In summary, everyone should be running anti-virus software and firewall software. If you are looking for a better email program, then give Mozilla a try. And if you have suspicious programs trying to access the internet, use Spybot Search & Destroy.

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