It takes a lot to get me really riled up. Spending over 12 hours getting rid of a virus that snuck through really pisses me off. Security,especially internet security is often something we don’t want to think about until we are forced to. Often when it’s too late.
I recently had the hard drive replaced on my Dell Mini ( just before the warranty ran out) It meant that I had to reinstall everything including Internet Security. In the past I have used Mcafee’s Internet security which had worked fine. For whatever reason, I could not load and run it properly . I was told that a fix was in the works. In the meantime, I installed a free version of AVG thinking that I would reinstall Mcafee once it was ready.
Then WAMMO- I was hit with a very tenacious piece of malware that took over all my browsers and would not let me update virus protection software, blocked the new installation of virus /malware protection and would not let me install other fixes. I tried everything sort of messing around with the system registry.
I was running out of options and becoming increasingly frustrated. I can only imagine how people who don’t work with computers all day feel. It is rare that I get really frrustrated , but I was ready to run my netbook over instead oft wiping out the operating system and starting for scratch again.
It was then that I stumbled on a very useful utility, called Vipre Rescue Scanner. from Sunbelt Software, Part of the GFI Software family. I downloaded to another computer and installed it via a remote drive where it opened a command window and started its magic. I crossed my fingers and saying prayers in hope that it might actually work. I am still thanking the world that it did.
The Resuce Scanner worked well enough to allow me to install the trial version of Vipre Antivirus Premium which also includes a firewall and manually install their current virus definitions. It was easy to install and lacked the ” mystery” that other internet security programs have. Why I chose Vipre is what impressed me most. Vipre was built from the ground up and uses very little resources. Other internet security programs can use 20% or more of your system resources. It is easy to set up and runs between $29.95 and $39.95 depending on whether you opt for the firewall or not. The company also offers, for under $70.00, a version to cover all the computers in your household including your home office computer. If you own a company, they can cover your systems with their enterprise versions. The products impressed me so much that I inquired about becoming and affiliate.
Whether you choose to use Vipre or another Internet Security provider, make sure your protect is in place and your virus definitions are up to date on all your computers. $39.95 is a cheap compared to 12 hours working to fix problems. While you are at it, make sure that you password protect your iPhone or Android phone. If you ever lose or forget it somewhere, at least you have a chance of blocking your data from prying eyes.
