Top 20 products to ensure data security

1) Norton Antivirus 2000 For Win 95/98
(from Symantec Corp.)

Norton AntiVirus 2000 (version 6.0) allows you to quarantine infected files and get help directly from Symantec researchers. It also automatically protects you against viruses and malicious ActiveX and Java applets. As always, Norton AntiVirus can run constantly in the background to keep your computer safe from viruses that might come in from email attachments, Internet downloads, floppy diskettes, software CDs, or a network. And it can be scheduled to automatically retrieve new antivirus definitions from Symantec as often as once a week.

This demo program is available for download from www.download.com. The program costs US$36 when you order online from Symantec.com

2) Norton Personal Firewall 2000
(from Symantec Corp.)

It is the maximum defense against hackers and other Internet threats. Right out of the box, it provides security for your PC and privacy for your personal information. Powerful firewall software controls all Internet connections to and from your computer and alerts you to attempted intrusions. You can also use Norton Personal Firewall to prevent personal data from being sent to web sites without your knowledge, and to block Java applets, ActiveX controls, and cookies from unfamiliar sites.

Norton Personal Firewall 2000 can be purchased at US$49.95 from the Symantec website.

3) Norton Internet Security 2000 For Win 95/98
(from Symantec Corp)

Norton Internet Security 2000 provides Internet protection for your personal computer. If you have a cable modem or DSL line, you may be threatened by hacker intrusions and other Internet threats. Norton Internet Security 2000 stops all sorts of viruses, malicious Java applets, and ActiveX controls, and even stops hackers before they can access your valuable data. With Norton Internet Security 2000 you also get tools to safeguard confidential information on your PC from unwanted visitors. You can protect credit card numbers, bank account information, and other personal data.

Norton Internet Security 2000 also helps you restrict access to specified Web sites, newsgroups, and other areas of the Internet. In addition, the program can prevent your children from submitting personal information through Web forms without your approval. You can even block annoying banner ads, pop-up windows, and other Web page clutter.

The demo version of the program can be downloaded from www.download.com.

4) McAfee VirusScan
(from McAfee.com Corp.)

Viruses can be accidentally received through disks, bulletin boards, email, local networks, and the Internet. VirusScan offers virus detection, removal, and support services to remedy this problem. The program scans all system areas, including local and network drives, CD-ROMs, floppies, boot sectors, file allocation and partition tables, files, and compressed files. It cleans most virus infections from files, master boot sectors, partition tables, and memory, returning them to a virus-free state.

Version 5.0 features a new user interface, support for Windows Millennium, new Quarantine and Safe & Sound utilities, incremental DAT file updates, and a new Installation Configuration Assistant.

The cost of the full version is US$29.95.

5) McAfee Internet Guard Dog
(from McAfee.com Corp)

Internet Guard Dog technology provides parents with the ability to manage what web sites their children see online. Parents can block URLs using an objectionable URL and word list. It can block unwanted banner ads and unwanted web clutter from your view, speeding up the delivery of the information you want. At the same time ,it prevents personal information such as name and credit card numbers from being transmitted to the web without your permission. You determine how cookies are passed to and from your computer, so that information does not leave your PC without your knowledge.

A full version of the VirusScan software is integrated to detect and remove all types of viruses from any source including email attachments, Internet downloads, shared disks and network files. Internet Guard Dog technology prevents unauthorized access to your sensitive data by encrypting confidential files.

The Internet Guard Dog is available online (from McAfee.com) for a price of US$29.95

6) McAfee Personal Firewall for Win 95/98/NT
(from McAfee.com Corp)

This software monitors all network activity and stops all known hacks, nukes, trojans, and DOS attacks. Even if your PC is infected with a trojan, you will never lose control. Nothing enters or leaves your system without your permission! And since it blocks all unauthorized network access, it is always protecting your system and data from intrusion, even if your PC is the first to be infected by a new trojan.

The McAfee Personal Firewall can be purchased from McAfee.com at a price of US$19.95.

7) Zone Alarm Firewall (For Win 95/98/NT)
(from ZoneLabs Inc)

ZoneAlarm is designed to protect your DSL or cable-connected PC from hackers. This program includes four interlocking security services: a firewall, an Application Control, an Internet Lock, and Zones. The firewall controls the door to your computer and allows only traffic that you understand and initiate. The Application Control allows you to decide which applications can and cannot use the Internet. The Internet Lock blocks Internet traffic while your computer is unattended or while you are not using the Internet, and it can be activated automatically with your computer's screensaver or after a set period of inactivity.

ZoneAlarm monitor all activity on your computer and alert you when a new application attempts to access the Internet. This version includes protection from emailborne worms.

It can be downloaded free from www.download.com

8) BlackICE Defender
(from Network ICE Corp)

BlackICE Defender delivers bulletproof intrusion detection and personal firewall protection to your PC. It scans your DSL, cable, or dial-up Internet connection looking for hacker activity, much like antivirus programs scan your hard disk looking for viruses. BlackICE will not slow down your PC or your Internet experience.

BlackICE Defender protects you in ways the other personal firewalls or antivirus software don't:
· It detects the attack, identifies and blocks the malicious activity before it can reach your computer, and identifies the attacker and type of attack by name
· It fully inspects the contents of each packet, looking for hidden hostile code that personal firewalls cannot detect
· It protects you from attack, even from someone you trust, through its dynamic IP address and port blocking.

BlackICE Defender is also easy to install, requires no knowledge of networking or the Internet, and begins to protect your system right out of the box.

It is available as a download for a 30-day trial. Registration costs US$39.95.

9) Sophos AntiVirus
(from Sophos Inc)

Sophos AntiVirus is a unique solution to virus problems, providing cross-platform protection in a single, fully integrated product. The network-centric design provides a host of benefits for the protection of servers, workstations, and portables. Sophos's architecture maximizes protection while minimizing performance and administrative overhead. Sophos Anti-Virus monitors all virus entry points, including disks, programs, documents, network drives, CD-ROMs, Internet downloads, email attachments, and compressed files.

This demo software is available for download at ZDNETASIA.com's downloads section.

10) F-Prot For Windows
(from F-secure Corp)

F-Prot for Windows is an antivirus software package designed to protect your data from new virus infection, and to remove any viruses that may have already infected your computer system. Features include the VxD resident background scanner, F-STOPW. Using the virus scanner in combination with a resident background scanner effectively protects your computer system and valuable data from any malicious external attack. F-Prot for Windows can find, identify, and remove more than 47,000 different viruses and Trojans. It also contains "heuristics," which are able to detect many new viruses.

This shareware version is a 30-day trial; registration costs US$25.

11) PC-cillin 2000 for Windows 95/98
(from Trend Micro Inc)

PC-cillin enables you to easily implement antivirus policy for your home PC. It includes the latest Trend virus scanning engine, the same engine that protects corporations' desktops and portable PCs as well as their Internet, file, and email or groupware servers.

The software can be downloaded for a 30-day trial from www.download.com. The full registered version will cost US$29.95.

12) RAV Antivirus Desktop
(from GeCAD The Software Company)

The new RAV Antivirus Desktop is a product designed to provide you with total security for your data. It detects and disinfects almost 35,000 viruses. It also includes a third-generation code emulator for polymorphic viruses. Its modular architecture allows easy updates, including on-the-fly addition of plug-ins for the newest viruses. The product's main features are resident protection, live update, a scheduler, a job editor, support for quarantine, and data recovery tools.

A shareware version that runs for a 30-day trial can be downloaded from shareware sites. It costs US$29 to register.

13) Inoculate IT Personal Edition v5.1
(from Computer Associates International Inc)

InoculateIT Personal Edition is easy to use, powerful antivirus for the desktop. Computer Associates is offering this as a service for PC users in order to significantly limit the damage caused by viruses to PCs. The increasing prevalence of viruses and the growing numbers of desktop computers has led to this initiative. Virus protection is an integral part of the PC and should not have to be purchased separately. It is as important to computers as brakes are to cars. InoculateIT Personal Edition will protect Windows 98/95 desktops and Windows NT Workstation from all forms of viruses including macro viruses.

The program is available free to consumers. Those interested may download the software from the Computer Associates web page.

14) Panda Antivirus Platinum
(from Panda Software)

Panda Antivirus Platinum 6.0 incorporates new tools and utilities that make this program the most sophisticated antivirus in the market. Its unique technology works at the Winsock level, which means that Platinum detects and disinfects any kind of incoming virus from the Internet -malignant websites, e-mails, newsgroups and mIRC, BEFORE it even touches your Hard Drive. It removes almost 26,000 viruses of any kind: encrypted, polymorphic, boot, file, macro (Word, Excel and Access), Java applets, ActiveX controls... even future unknown viruses.

The Panda Antivirus Platinum updates itself daily by Internet and it is accompanied by Panda Software’s unique SOS 24h service that resolves any problem with unknown viruses in less than 24h and a 24x7 Personal Technical Support.

The minimum requirements include 10 MB of hard disk space and 4 MB of RAM. Panda Antivirus Platinum can be downloaded as a 30-day trial demo. The full version costs US$59.

15) ESafe Protect
(from Aladdin Knowledge Systems Inc)

Because antivirus protection is not enough, eSafe Protect introduces an antivandal product. It is designed to allow users to safely use and enjoy all current and future Internet technologies, including Java, ActiveX, plug-ins, and push. eSafe Protect corrals all downloaded Internet applets into a unique "sandbox" quarantine system, a sterile environment isolated from the rest of the hard drive. The eSafe Protect package includes the Anti-Vandal Quarantine System, Full ViruSafe Anti-Virus, Personal FireWall, and Privacy Protection. This version contains many improvements, including our exclusive Sandbox II and Personal Firewall technologies.

This program can be downloaded free from www.download.com.

16) Invircible
(from NetZ Computing Ltd)

InVircible is a carefully balanced software package for Virus Protection, Data Defense, and Disaster Prevention and Recovery. Thanks to its generic nature, InVircible provides effective, dependable, long term, and self sufficient protection for your PC and network, against computer viruses and Trojans of all known classes, whether common or new, including the newest macro viruses, bombs, worms as well as Windows 95/98/NT applications (PE) infectors, without requiring constant nor scheduled updating.

The trial software can be downloaded and used for up to 45 days. After that, registration will be required for the full functionality of this program.

17) Jammer 1.9 for Win 95/98
(from Agnitum Ltd)

Jammer offers protection against NetBus and Back Orifice--the two most well-known cracker tools on the Internet. It uses low-level network driver access and captures all incoming and outgoing Internet or intranet traffic. This real-time packet analyzer decrypts all network traffic and finds anyone trying to log on to your computer. Jammer detects and removes these intrusions and punishes the hacker by sending a warning email to his or her system administrator. The program can also detect TCP scanning and can scan for most Trojans, the ICQ Personal Web Server security hole, NetBios, Legion, and Ogre. This version includes features to help detect Back Orifice 2000.

The 30-day trial will not remove Trojans from your system. The registered version of this software also offers 30-day support, a comprehensive help/tutorial file, and increased reliability for US$19.95.

18) Tauscan 1.0 for Win95/98/NT
(from Agnitum Ltd)

Tauscan is a powerful Trojan horse detection and removal engine capable of detecting every known type of backdoor that can threaten your system. It was designed especially with novice users in mind, and features a user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop, scan, right-click scan, and Wizard functions.

The 30-day trial version can be downloaded from www.download.com. The cost to register is US$29.95.

19) NetAXs Personal
(from Microgenie Inc)

A complete security software for computers. NetAXs Personal assures complete protection of the Windows system as well as of important personal files on your computer. Your computer is thus protected against accidental or intentional modifications which may damage your computer, increase maintenance costs and even to shorten your computer useful life. NetAXs Personal allows you to control the use of your computer programs and to validate the access of other users !

This is a shareware program. It runs for a 30 day trial and costs US$35 to register.

20) AntiViral Toolkit Pro Gold
(from Central Command Inc)

AntiViral Toolkit Pro Gold for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4 workstations is a superior virus protection package. With both real-time virus protection and an on-demand virus scanner you are fully protected from viruses, Trojans, backdoors, logic bombs, macro viruses, and other malicious programs. AntiViral Toolkit Pro Gold offers extreme flexibility, configuration, scheduling and network virus scanning.

AntiViral Toolkit Pro Gold comes bundled with AVP DOS 32 the new 32-Bit DOS virus scanner. It also includes AntiViral Toolkit Pro Monitor and AntiViral Toolkit Pro Scanner for Windows NT Workstations and AntiViral Toolkit Pro Control Center to manage all AntiViral Toolkit Pro products. Online support is included.

The software can be bought online from www.avp.com at US$49.95.