Free Antivirus Protection versus a Paid Subscription
In the time of rapidly advancing technology, it is more necessary than ever to protect your computer. Criminals have risen to the challenge and can use this technology to steal your information. Install software that searches for the criminal element and eliminates it from ever being a problem.
There is another dilemma: With so many antivirus products on the market, which one do you choose? There is no right and wrong answers here but some people are concerned about the difference between the free programs offered and the ones that you have to pay a yearly subscription for.
Let’s backtrack a bit and talk about viruses. Unlike the ones that humans deal with, the computer variety can be found and eliminated before they cause trouble. Computer viruses get into your hard drive and wreak havoc. They slow your computer down by taking up your hard drive space. Once there, they can infect your programs and steal personal and financial information. What you are left with is a big mess that is a pain in the neck to fix.
Antivirus software may come pre-installed on your computer. If it does, it is likely a free trial or a paid subscription that you ordered with the system. Either way, its job is to detect viruses within items on your hard drive and remove them according to your specifications. When the paid subscription is up for renewal, you’ll receive pop-up messages warning you that your system is about to be left unprotected.
What many computer owners don’t know is that you have a choice. You don’t have to pay for antivirus, when many companies offer antivirus software for free. We have all heard the adage, “You get what you pay for,” but, just like everything else, it is best to shop wisely before making a choice.
Ideally you want antivirus protection to alert you when a virus is trying to hack your system. Also, spyware falls into this category. The software will let you know if spyware a danger from anything that you have or will download.
A free program can do that is so much the better for you. Free doesn’t mean cheap, just minimal. Some companies offer a program that does what you need, but offers the extra bells and whistles for a fee. Depending on your computer usage, the bells and whistles are not needed. They take up extra hard drive space and almost never get used.
For a person, like yourself, who is careful about where they go on the Internet the basics of free antivirus protection will work. Protecting yourself with some basic surfing and downloading guidelines is half the battle.
Here is some good advice: While you are still within the free 30-day trial that the manufacturer gave you, compare free and paid software. If the free software gives you what you need, go for it. You can always change later.
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Protect Your Laptop With an Affordable Cheap Laptop Backpack
A laptop computer is a major investment for most people. Being one of the most expensive pieces of equipment on the market, why not also invest in an affordable, cheap laptop backpack to protect your investment? Getting a product at a cheaper rate usually means getting a poorer quality item, but thorough shopping can weed out the bad from the good. A backpack cover is the ideal item for students or commuters who walk, ride a bike or motorcycle to their destinations.
While shopping for a cheap laptop backpack, keep in mind a few parts of the backpack that provide the actual protection. The material used is an important factor. Make sure you find something that won’t wear thin easily or already looks too thin. In other words, make sure when… Continue reading...
Bluetooth: 10 Benefits
People who use Bluetooth technology, swear by it. Every user trumpets the benefits of Bluetooth; but are these benefits worth the investment?
Review the ten top benefits of Bluetooth, and decide if grabbing on to this technological trend is right for you.
1. Wireless Convenience
There are many benefits of using wireless devices. The basic plus to going wireless is enjoying the freedom to work or communicated without being tied down. You can travel freely and stay connected, without the hassle of connection cables. There is a safety factor to consider as well. Bluetooth technology eliminates the risk of getting tangled with wires if, for example, you’re wrestling with a wired headset while trying to drive a car.
2. Instant Gratification
Using Bluetooth devices allows you the freedom to communicate without setting up connections or… Continue reading...
5 Ways You Can Become a Victim of Identity Theft
In this poor economy, identity theft is still a big problem. Now, more than ever, it is important to protect yourself from criminals who would rob you without you ever being aware until it is too late. Keep from being a victim by learning how you can easily become one.
Identity theft is a problem for businesses as well as you, the consumer. These thieves used to be interested in only robbing your bank account. Now, they look to use your personal information to open new accounts and get approved for loans, cars, boats and all sorts of merchandise. To that end, they employ high tech means to deceive you.
- Sharing your personal financial information with other people. This includes other
Denver IT Support: Anti-phishing Software
Growing technology allows the threat of spam to continue evolving, and phishing is the scam of the moment spammers are using. Your best defense against phishing is to be cautious and maintain a healthy level of skepticism. However, you can save time by using good anti-phishing software.
North Star Strategic IT – Your Denver IT Support company
Anti-phishing software works by searching for any phishing content that may exist in an email. It is normally used as a complementary service to your email service in the form of a toolbar. This toolbar will display the real name of any website you visit and any fake websites phishers tend to use.
This software offers a backup defense for blocking phishing attacks and sites that might… Continue reading...
What to Know Before Buying a Video Card for your Computer
There are many accessories mentioned when you buy a computer. The sales associate may ask about what you plan to do with the computer to help you determine the type of video card you will require.
What is a video card? It is the component responsible for the pictures that you see on the computer screen. The video card is essential for gamers, graphic artists and the everyday website surfer. Before getting just the basic video card or the top of the line one, know how to shop for one.
A video card has four basic criteria for choosing one:
• Price
• Speed
• Resolution
• Card Slot Type
Video Card and Graphics Card
You may hear people talk about video cards and graphics cards. They are similar in what they do. Video cards are more useful… Continue reading...
Denver Network Support: What is Web Conferencing?
A few years ago, people having conversations and meetings while they are in different locations meant having the conversation over the phone. But today, people can communicate, even conduct live meetings and presentation even if they are half a world away. All you need is a computer, internet access and a downloaded web-based application to communicate effectively over the internet. This technology is called web conferencing.
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So, what exactly is web conferencing?
With web conferencing, participants can share audio, video, content or combination of these in real time. This enables people to attend meetings or presentations when they can’t attend them physically. Attendees or participants of web conferencing can have a downloaded application on their computer or they can just access a… Continue reading...
How to Choose Anti-spam Filter Software
Everyone experiences the flow of unwanted emails wanting you to join this or that or insisting you have won tons of money. This spam email is not only bothersome, it is also dangerous in some cases. Many spammers use emails to transfer viruses and also adware and spyware to your PC. To stop this you need to use a good anti spam filter. This will also reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.
What is an anti-spam filter?
This refers to a special program used for detecting and blocking dangerous emails. It looks for words and phrases or other things that may indicate an email is spam. It is based on the assumption that email containing certain details is spam.
It also has… Continue reading...
Denver Network Support Tip: How-To Add Memory to Your PC or Laptop
Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply open up your brain and add more space so you could remember everything? Oh well, you can’t do that but you can add more memory to your PC or laptop if the need arises.
North Star Strategic IT – Your Denver Network Support company
When you buy a computer, it comes with a certain amount of memory already loaded on. This storage is where you can save files, applications, music, videos, pictures and anything else you’d like. It would be great to have unlimited memory but that is not always the case.
Maybe you have noticed that your computer is running slower than usual. You have used Disk Defragmenter to combine files and get rid of others that you don’t need. A computer that… Continue reading...
How to Retrieve Information in Excel 2007 With a Custom List
A good way to retrieve information in Excel 2007 is with a custom list. There are already lists in Excel. If you type Jan into a cell and pull the copy handle, the rest of the months will fill in. You can create your own custom lists, and make whatever you want fill in. Oh, and hey… if you’re in the market for some Denver IT Support, we’d love to help you!
Let’s say you do parts ordering for your company. Instead of looking up vendor numbers, you want the vendor number to appear next to your part number.
Open a new worksheet in Excel 2007. You want the custom list to be out of the way; click in a cell that’s far to the right, say T1. Before you type anything… Continue reading...
