Antivirus software
I hate antivirus software. It costs money, slows everything down, and prompts you with 1,000 false alarms for every real alarm.
Still, you probably need it. Information Week points us to several vendors who are offering free trials of antivirus software:
PC-cillin from Trend Micro. A beta version of PC-cillin 15.3 can be downloaded for free.
Windows Live OneCare. Free 90-day trial here.
CA, the former Computer Associates. Free CA Anti-Virus Beta For Vista here.
McAfee Total Protection For Small Business. Free beta of what’s billed as an “integrated security software as a service — providing virus, spyware, firewall, and now browser protection, as well as centralized management.”
F-Secure Anti-Virus Beta For Vista. They call their free download the “7.0 Beta”.
So, give them a shot, if you want. I think I’ll pass for now. Antivirus software is only one way to manage the risk of malware. For me, I think the built-in features like UAC and Internet Explorer Protected Mode will do enough. Also, I test any questionable software in virtual machines. If I do get bitten by malware, I’ve got nightly backups, and restores are easy to do in Vista. Basically, I’m betting that running antivirus software would waste more of my time than it would save.
Posted: January 24th, 2007 under Security.
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