GIVEAWAY: Avira Antivirus + Tuneup Utilities Bundles

James Yeang — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone, it’s time for another reader appreciation giveaway! This time, we have world renowned antivirus Avira sponsoring the goodies!

The goodies:

Avira Premium Security Suite is one of the leading commercial antivirus in the market and is chock full of all kinds of features on top of their top-notch antivirus protection – like

Strong Anti-phishing: to ensure you never key in details to a malicious site.
Game-mode: so that you never have to worry about your anti-virus getting in the way of your online gaming
Access to proper support: which is always handy in your time of need.

Tuneup Utilities helps you tune-up your PC and keep things running smoothly by among other things –

accelerating startup and response times of programs for optimal PC performance
disabling unnecessary background programs, focusing all the processing power for your active programs.

Check out the full product details on the official website, or the the official facebook page for more info!

What we’re giving away:

5 bundles of Avira Premium Security Suite antivirus + Avira Tuneup Utilities.

Each bundle come with 5 licenses! This means if you get one of these bundles – you’re able to install on up to 5 different computers - Protect your whole family all at once :)

Each bundle (on promotion now!) is worth USD$68 which means we’re giving away a total of USD$340 worth of prizes!

How to get this:

Just drop a comment on this post saying you want it. On 25th Jan 2011 we will tabulate all the entries and pick 5 lucky winners randomly via random.org

Don’t wait – Drop a comment, and let us know you want it :)

UPDATE: 27th Jan 2011:

Thanks for the amazing response guys! I’m sure we’ll have some more juicy giveaways in the future :)

The winners of this reader’s appreciation giveaway picked at random by are Random.org .*drumroll*

Kansas
jack
S.Palanichamy
Erica
Mary R

We’ll be contacting you via email shortly.

Congrats to those who won! Thanks for those who didn’t, you may not have won but your participation makes it more attractive for future sponsors to give away more goodies on this website, so good luck in the future and THANK YOU so much :)

15 Simple Security Tips – An Essential Guide to Protecting Your PC

James Yeang — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:38:02 +0000

As people try to get more things done using computers, the demand for better security has never been greater. In this day and age, antivirus programs alone may not be enough. Here are 15 essential tips to help you secure your PC.

1. How to password-protect folders for free

Have some private collections of files you want to keep from prying eyes? The most convenient way to do so is through password protection, and MyLockBox does its job well. Just select the folders you want to be passworded and voila! Even system administrators are not spared the lock.

2. How to get free anti-virus software

No matter how clich© installing antivirus software may seem, this method is undoubtedly still the easiest and most effective means of protecting your PC. A huge chunk of internet threats out there are viruses and Trojans, so having one will effectively shield you from this majority. AVG is a free antivirus that has won the accolades and hearts of computer users worldwide. It has real-time protection, daily updates, and email scans among other powerful features.

3. How to truly hide files on a computer

Those who use a sharing system may find the occasional snooping habit of your computer partner annoying or even harmful. Sofonesia Folder Protector hides selected files so that it remains hidden from all users as long as the software is installed.

4. How to get free anti-spyware software

Viruses may be the age old nemesis of computer users, but a new villain has emerged in the scene – spyware. Spywares hogs major system resources while performing its malicious acts. This is where Spybot Search & Destroy comes in, a free Windows tool designed to ward off these invaders. True to its name, all spyware on Windows systems dating back to 95 will be searched and destroyed.

5. How to do a registry backed up spyware scan

Combofix is a free spyware removal tool that works on a much lower level. It backs up the registry before scanning away, and a technical log file will be created which can be used to identify system problems. Alternatively, it can also be used by more technical users to manually remove spywares.

6. How to encrypt files and folders

For those perilous and treacherous times when even hiding and locking does not do, TrueCrypt steps in to save the day. Offering advanced data encryption using 256-bit AES algorithms, users can choose to hide files inside virtual encrypted disk volumes. All this military-sounding features should be useful for power users.

7. How take advantage of cloud computing in virus detection

Panda Cloud Antivirus is an antivirus software utilizing the concept of cloud computing. Lightweight is the word to use here, as Panda does not take up heavy CPU resources while scanning. There is no need to update virus definitions frequently either, as data are stored on the Panda servers.

8. How to seek free professional help to combat spyware

Hijackthis is a comprehensive scanner which scans the software-state of your system. While the huge log file created does not remove spywares or change your system, it does offer precious technical info to those in the know. If you’re not a advanced user, you can show the log file to expert spyware veterans over at the BleepingComputer or SpywareInfoForum and get some personalized anti-spyware instructions. Alternatively there is an automated online scanner at Hijackthis.de to run through the log file.

9. How to get free firewall software

Comodo Firewall is a free firewall software that will help shield your computer from unwanted intruder and hacker access. Comodo is one of the lightest firewall software in terms of resource usage and it stops intrusive applets and software from the internet before they can do any harm to your system.

10. How to secure your wireless network

If you are running on a home wireless network, have you made sure that it is secure? If left unsecured, sneaky neighbors may be in for the free internet access, or worse, phishers may be out there waiting for you to take the bait. Always make sure that your wireless connection is password-protected using WEP or WPA encryption. To do this, enter your router’s settings page (by typing the router address in your browser’s address bar, usually 192.168.0.1) and proceed to work out necessary security settings.

11. How to NOT run scripts in Firefox, so you can be even safer

NoScript is a Firefox plugin that blocks any script from running on your browser – be it JavaScript, flash or other script-based content. The catch here is you would have to add your favorite sites on the trusted list one-by-one, so initial discomfort may be present.

12. How to surf only websites which are deemed safe

Yet another Firefox add-on, Web of Trust warns users about a website’s safety-level through color-coded icons. With over 21 million sites on the rating list, you can now be sure of treading on unfamiliar territories.

13. How not to fall for fake anti-virus software

There are some malicious software out there which poses as genuine versions. Among them are the infamous Antivirus 2009, Spyware Protect 2009, PC AntiSpy. The Web of Trust is a good way to detect these bogus websites, apart from your own intuition.

14. How to remember your Internet passwords AND keep them safe

LastPass is a IE/Firefox add-on/online password manager for all your passwords so that you wouldn’t need to worry about losing your password along with your local data. All passwords will be encrypted locally before being uploaded to their servers, so that even folks from LastPass won’t be able to get to your precious.

15. How to create disposable e-mail addresses

Have you ever registered in a forum just to post a single question? Or fill up forms to download a trial application? Maybe giving away your email address for a newsletter? In many of these cases, you give out your real e-mail and all you get in return are junk mails. Meet Melt-mail, a website where you can create temporary e-mail accounts just for those quickies. E-mails can be set to expire in 3, 6, 12 or 24 hours.

This article was written by Chan Huey Hoong who also dabbles in art which is viewable on his blog at Fig.Ech.

Friedbeef's Techantivirus | Friedbeef’s Tech