In a surprising move, AVG, the software firm behind one of the most popular free antivirus solutions in the market, has announced the launch of a new cloud based storage solution called LiveKive. While cloud-storage options are a dime a dozen these days, AVG plans on utilizing its expertise to give an edge to its offering.

With AVG LiveKive, AVG is taking its passion and expertise in free security technology to the cloud-based storage market,said J.R. Smith, chief executive officer of AVG Technologies. By storing information on our safe and secure servers, customers significantly reduce the temptation for thieves and hackers to attempt accessing files stored on an individual PC or mobile device.

During the beta testing phase, AVG will be offering 5 GB of free storage to all users. AVG is promising quick and easy access to stored content from any synced device. Although, the sparsely worded official announcement doesn’t specify which devices will be supported, given AVG’s presence in the Android Market, as well as its availability for Windows and Linux, we are anticipating these platforms will be supported (at the very least).

The beta testing phase was expected to have started from this week. However, it seems to have been delayed. I have reached out to AVG, and will update this post when I hear back from them.

Although I normally recommend Avira Antivir and Microsoft Security Essentials to anyone looking for a free antivirus, Avast is another option worth considering. In fact, it is one of the most popular free antivirus utilities available in the market, and with good reason. Avast performed quite well in all of Av-comparative’s on-demand and performance tests carried out over the past year.

A couple of days back, Avast Software released the first beta of Avast 6. The biggest draws of the new version are:

• AutoSandbox: Avast Pro already features a sandboxing option that enables users to surf the web and run applications in an isolated environment that can’t affect the rest of the system. In the new version, Avast has gone a step further and added auto-sandboxing, which can automatically run suspicious programs in a sandbox.
• WebRep: WebRep’ is a browser toolbar, which is largely similar to WOT (Web of Trust). It is plugin for Internet Explorer and Firefox that displays the reputation score of the website you are currently browsing based on the feedback collected from the community as well as the expertise of Avast’s researchers.

Avast 6 also adds a SafeZone’ to the premium version, which offers a special virtualized area for sensitive transactions. Script Shield’ and Site Blocking’, which were previously available only in the Pro version, are now included even in Avast Free.

Head over to the forums to download the beta version. However, don’t forget to uninstall any previous version or other antivirus products before installing it. Also keep in mind that unexpected stability and performance issues might be present, since this is the first public beta build.

via DownloadSquad

Back in 2000, a software engineer, Patrick Kolla, created the basis of a tool for dealing with spyware. This tool, later named Spybot Search and Destroy, was one of the first effective freeware apps for the removal of many kinds of adware and malware that were infecting PCs. Since then, millions of people all over the world have used it at one time or another. To this day, many people consider it an essential part of their PC defenses.

Patrick’s work on Spybot hasn’t stopped, and it’s been updated several times over the years. Today Spybot-S&D can repair or remove:

• Bad registry keys
• Winsock LSPs
• ActiveX objects
• Browser Hijackers
• BHOs (Browser Helper Objects)
• Tracking cookies
• Trackerware
• Homepage hijackers
• Keyloggers
• Trojans
• Adware
• Spyware
• Rootkits
• other kinds of malware

Here’s a screenshot of Spybot as it scanned my laptop yesterday.

Typically, I use Spybot as a secondary scanner, to catch things that my antivirus and other defenses have missed. However, the TeaTimer portion of Spybot can be installed to watch over your computer continuously in the background.

Another great feature of Spybot, is it’s ability to add immunizationsagainst some common weaknesses in Internet Explorer and other areas of your PC.

Spybot can be updated every time you use it, by clicking the update icon. Always check for new updates before running a scan.

I prefer to have most of the programs on my PC, set up as portable applications. I was happy to find that Spybot is also available as a portable app.

Download Spybot S&D Portable

Spybot S&D Home Page (full installed version)

Techie Buzz Verdict:

Spybot is one of those apps that have proved themselves over years and years of use. It’s always been free, and it’s probably saved millions of people headaches from re-installing their OS after an infection. It deserves to be highly recommended.

Techie Buzz Rating: 4/5 (Excellent)

Until recently, smartphones and mobile devices have seemed all but immune to viruses and malware. All of that changed in the summer of 2010, when the first round of viruses hit Androids and iPhones, two devices that were thought to be completely resistant to attacks. Even before the first attacks, companies had been busy making antivirus software for mobile devices. Is it something you should be thinking about too?

Why You Need Smartphone Antivirus Software

IT experts overwhelmingly agree that every mobile user needs some form of protection. We’ve been doing fine with just the default settings for a long time, but there are some serious reasons why this isn’t enough.

First of all, you’d never even think about using your personal computer without some form of protection. Why not consider it for your mobile? On our PCs, we keep sensitive information, including financial records and passwords. Increasingly, we’re using our mobile devices for the same thing.

In the last year, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of people using iPhones, Androids and other smartphones. There’s been an increase in not only personal use, but business use as well. Cyber criminals are going to target the systems that are used by the most people. This makes it inevitable that, as smartphone use increases, they’ll be working hard to create malware to attack these devices.

We’ve all been lulled into a false sense of security with our smartphones. For example, many people believe that Androids are immune to viruses because they use the Linux system. This leads people to believe that it’s enough to simply use the default settings. However, Android has already had its first major virus, and the virus had no problem getting past the Linux security features.

This is definitely the most compelling reason There have already been attacks. Computer security companies like Norton and Kaspersky started developing their anti-virus software long before the first attacks, in anticipation of them. Now that it’s become a reality, it’s essential for all smartphone users to make sure they’re covered.

Let’s look at the three major mobile systems and see how they’ve fared so far in fighting off viruses.

iPhones

iPhone has its own built-in security system that’s pretty effective. It limits what other computers, applications and networks you interact with. Although there have been many attacks, they’ve usually been against iPhones that had their security settings unlocked (also called jailbroken), which means that if you use the default settings and let it do its thing, you have little to worry about. However, in the dreaded summer of 2010, iPhone got its first serious virus. Hackers developed a code that could get around its security settings, which means that even ones that weren’t jailbroken were open to attack.

Blackberry Systems

Blackberry phones can do nearly everything your computer can do. People use applications, store sensitive data and surf the web with them. Because they function like little computers, Blackberry smartphones are used by lots of businesses. Unfortunately, like personal computers, they can get spam, malware and viruses too. A number of malware programs have already attacked Blackberry smartphones, using scams like automatic dialers that call sex chat lines and rack up phone bills.

Androids

Androids were thought of as invincible. Users were convinced that no virus could penetrate their Linux security systems. However, this presumption was blown away in the summer of 2010 when the first Android-specific virus swept through. It attacked media applications and called pay phone numbers. This surprised users everywhere and sent them scrambling for anti-virus protection.

As you can see, there is a definite need for protection. Long before the first attacks, Internet security companies began introducing their software packages. Here’s a review of some of the best in the business.

The best known Phone Security software

Norton Smartphone Security

Norton is one of the most well-known anti-virus protection software companies. They make this package for smartphones and, like the version for the PC, it does a great job of warding off evil malware. It also has a spam protection program to get rid of annoying messages and pop-ups.

Kaspersky Mobile Security

Kaspersky is another popular brand known for its high quality system. This is one of the oldest smartphone anti-virus systems. It fights viruses and all sorts of malware, including Trojans, worms, adware and pop-ups. It also offers spam blocking and anti-theft features. Kaspersky uses a removable SIM card to back up your data in case your smartphone disappears.

McAfee Mobile Security for Enterprise

McAfee also makes its own smartphone anti-virus software. It’s known as one of the easiest to use, and comes with anti-spam as well as anti-malware protection. In addition to your mobile device, McAfee’s software also protects any system that your smartphone is connected to. While the other programs listed here are made for both Windows and Symbian operating systems, a Symbian version of McAfee Mobile Security hasn’t been released yet.

F-Secure Mobile Security for Business

With more people using smartphones for their businesses, F-Secure made this program to focus on business applications specifically. It protects data stored on the device and keeps away malware. This program is an all-in-one business package with anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-theft settings.

ESET Mobile Antivirus

ESET’s anti-virus software does a little of everything, including fighting viruses, spyware, spam, Trojans, worms and adware. They’re known for their PC software for Windows, and this product has many of the same advantages. Another bonus is that it’s very easy to use.

BullGuard Mobile Antivirus

BullGuard is another system that’s designed to be user-friendly. Once it’s downloaded and installed, it should run without any kind of user interaction. Like many of the programs listed here, it has its own firewall to protect your smartphone from questionable sites. It also protects integrated memory and memory cards.

SMobile Systems

SMobile protects your smartphone against viruses, malware, Trojans and more. It also has a unique anti-theft feature. If you lose your smartphone, SMobile helps you find it again using GPS tracking.

Trend Micro Mobile Security

Trend Micro Mobile Security is also a great program for businesses. It offers all the usual anti-virus protection, but has special features to protect PDF’s, which are especially prone to attack.

There are lots of programs to choose from. The key is to find one that you like and that offers the features you need. You can usually download free trial versions of these programs to give them a test drive and see how you like them.

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Guest post by Steven Papas, the owner of the VeryBestSoftware.net. In his blog you can find Internet Security and Parental Control software reviews, as well as Acronis coupons and Norton 360 coupons.

Quite recently, we told you about the new AVG 2011 Antivirus which is of course free to use. However, AVG also provides users with a more comprehensive security suite in the form of AVG Internet Security 2011.

However, that product is not for free and requires users to pay. If you are sad about that, here is something that will make you glad you read us. AVG is giving out a Free one year license of the AVG Internet Security 2011 suite to users. The one year subscription for this suite is priced at $54.99 so you are saving quite a bundle there.

To get a free license of the AVG Internet Security 2011 suite, visit this link and fill out the form. You can then download the product and start using it. AVG will send you a license code that is good for one year which you can then use to register the software.

If you might want to try out other Antivirus, take a look at some of the Free Antivirus we have covered in the past. Many of those provide users with comprehensive online security software which are definitely worth using.

(h/t Jatin Sapra on Facebook)

On September 28th, AVG announced the release of their 2011 suite of anti-virus and anti-malware programs. Included with this release is the ever popular free edition of AVG Anti-virus and the free LinkScanner application.

Even though AVG’s offerings have slipped some in the AV testing results, it’s still a great option for protecting home PCs. The addition of the LinkScanner, which warns you about your current web pages, bad links in web pages and risky links in email, seriously improves your chances of staying trouble-free.

As an added bonus to the entire web community, AVG has also unveiled AVG Threat Labs, a search engine which gives short reports on the safety of any web site or link.

A quick look at AVG Anti-Virus Free edition:

While installing, watch out for AVG’s offer to install a toolbar and change your home page to Yahoo. I said no to that. Be sure to uncheck those check-boxes if you feel the same way.

Next, be prepared to wait. After the initial agreements, AVG will download about 130mb of data, to finish the install. With lots of others downloading the same data, you may not get a good download speed. I was definitely bored at this point.

After the download and install, the last screen will ask for your name and email address. If you are shy, you could type anything you want in there. You’ll also want to be aware of the very last check-box, which is set to allow AVG to collect anonymous information to help them improve the product. Uncheck it if you are paranoid.

Finally, here’s your first peek at the new AVG interface.

As you can see, the main two functions, Scan and Update, are on the left. Naturally, a free product is an opportunity to advertise, and you’ll see an Upgrade button and a large ad at the bottom. I don’t mind, but some people might.

I’m not going to go into any details on how to use AVG, it’s like most other anti-virus apps. Install it, do a few scans now and then, but mostly forget about it until a problem pops up.

AVG LinkScanner

During the installation of the anti-virus, I choose the Quick Install method. If you choose to customize your installation, you can select not to install some of the services such as LinkScanner. In previous versions of LinkScanner, there were some problems in certain web browsers, but those issues have been largely fixed. I recommend allowing it to install with the anti-virus. You can always disable it later if needed.

If you are using some other anti-virus product, you can install LinkScanner all by itself. There’s also a version for the Mac now.

Here’s what AVG says about the LinkScanner:

LinkScanner ® keeps you safe wherever you go online by actively checking links and web pages in real time the only time it matters – before you click that link. LinkScanner ® also places safety ratings next to your search results, allowing you to assess the safety of a site before visiting it.

The service it offers is similar to that offered by McAfee’s SiteAdvisor and WOT (Web of Trust), which I also recommend. I don’t believe it’s necessary to run more than one of these at a time, so pick one and try it out.

Once you start seeing link ratings in a web search, you’ll understand how it can keep you out of trouble.

Download AVG Anti-Virus 2011 Free Edition

Download AVG LinkScanner

Visit AVG Threat Lab to find out if sites or links are risky

AVG’s free anti-virus products have always been good. However, due to recent results in AV testing, I’ve lost some of my faith in it. It’s still good, but not as good as some of the other free AV applications. However, the LinkScanner tool and the new AVG Threat Lab site have my hearty recommendations.

On a final note, my wife is a loyal AVG user and it’s always kept her safe. If you’ve been using AVG, and it’s been working well for you, there’s no reason not to upgrade to the 2011 version right now.

Techie Buzz Rating: 3/5 (Good)

[Windows Only]

The other day, I was reading a newsletter from Windows Secrets. At one point, Fred Langa recommended three different online scanners for detecting malware. He said Three free sites to try are: McAfee’s Freescan, Trendmicro’s HouseCall, and Symantec’s Security Check.

Fred is a trusted source to me. I’ve been reading PC advice from him since years ago, when he wrote the Langa List newsletter. However, I decided to try out Fred’s recommendations, because I’ve never been a big fan of online scanners. If there’s a good scanner out there, I want to know about it.

McAfee Freescan

First, I took a look at McAfee’s service. The foremost objection that I had to this service, is that it requires Internet Explorer. It also runs as an ActiveX application, which is another thing I’ve never liked. The scan seemed to be slow, but it seems to do a good job of detecting infections.

The last item that I believe it fails in, is that it can only detect infections. It cannot remove them. I wouldn’t waste my time here again.

Symantec Security Check

Next, I tried out Symantec’s service. You might be more familiar with their well known Norton security products. My initial impression of Symantec’s scanner suffered a big drop because it also requires Internet Explorer. However, I was impressed by the nice looking interface.

As nice as it looks, it can only detect malware, and you’re out of luck if you expect it to actually fix any problems. Adding to that, it gave me one false detection on a piece of software which I know is completely safe. Clicking on the Fix Nowbutton only sends you to Symantec’s site to read all about their premium anti-virus software.

The final failure that keeps me from returning, is that it told me that my computer had no antivirus software, even though I was using Microsoft Security Essentials. Hmmm, nice sales tactic, but it only works on foolish people. (Sorry! I mean those less knowledgeable about PCs.)

TrendMicro Housecall

At last, TrendMicro has unchained itself from Internet Explore. It works in any browser, and the scanner is offered as an installer EXE file. The scanning is typically slow, just as I saw with the other two services. However, another bright spot is that it can actually FIXsome of the problems it finds. Housecall is actually a service I could recommend.

The only drawback is that you have to save the installer file, or go back to the website if you want to scan with it in the future.

Conclusion:

Of these three services, Housecall won easily. Some time back, I also reviewed ESET online scanner and it was just as good as Housecall, maybe better. Check it out.

I would only recommend an online scanner like these as a follow-up after cleaning a PC that was badly infected. Typically, I depend on MalwareBytes to clean up serious infections. If your current antivirus and antimalware software has failed, it’s not likely an online scanner will do you any good.

On the other hand, scanning with an online service like these won’t hurt, and it could pick up something your current software has missed. There are also several other online scanners that I haven’t tried yet. Do you use any online scanners that you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments below.

[Windows - all versions]

Way back in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s, one of the first security apps I’d install on a PC was SpywareBlaster. These days, I don’t use it as often, however, it’s still excellent PC protection, especially if you are using Internet Explorer as your default web browser. Here’s what the website says about this application:

Multi-Angle Protection

Prevent the installation of ActiveX-based spyware and other potentially unwanted programs.
Block spying / tracking via cookies.
Restrict the actions of potentially unwanted or dangerous web sites.

No-Nonsense Security

SpywareBlaster can help keep your system secure, without interfering with the “good side” of the web. And unlike other programs, SpywareBlaster does not have to remain running in the background. It works alongside the programs you have to help secure your system.

Here’s a list of web browsers that can benefit from SpywareBlaster’s protection:

Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Netscape
Seamonkey
Flock
K-Meleon
and browsers that use the IE engine, including:
AOL web browser
Avant Browser
Slim Browser
Maxthon (formerly MyIE2)
Crazy Browser
GreenBrowser

SpywareBlaster does not have to run continuously in order to do it’s job. It simply applies a few registry settings to your PC and your browser that will help prevent drive-by downloads and bad ActiveX scripts. After you’ve installed SpywareBlaster, all you have to do is to enable the protection on the main screen.

The free version of SpywareBlaster requires that you update it manually, however, there is a pro version that can update itself automatically. If you can remember to update it, the free version is fine for all users. The manual update process is very simple.

There are a few other tools bundled in with SpywareBlaster, one of them is the System Snapshot. If you ever find yourself having a few problems with your web browser, restoring one of these snapshots may be an easy fix.

Another tool is Hosts Safe. Windows uses the HOSTS file to provide system shortcuts to various websites and some malware programs take control of this file to force your PC to places you’d never go on your own. You can create backup copies of your HOSTS file easily with this tool in SpywareBlaster and restore them later if needed.

The last tool I’ll mention is a IE Settings section. As you can see, it offers two or three settings that can help you protect Internet Explorer.

Please note that SpywareBlaster is not a replacement for Firewall, Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware tools. However, it’s normally quite safe to use it in addition to the tools you already have installed.

Download SpywareBlaster: Download.com

SpywareBlaster Website: javacoolsoftware.com

Techie Buzz Verdict:

SpywareBlaster is a great way to add an additional layer of security to your PC. I like the fact that it does not have to run continuously in the background in order to work. It’s been around for over 10 years and I’ve never seen any serious complaints about it. I can easily recommend it.

Techie Buzz Rating: 4/5 (Excellent)

Microsoft Security Essentials is one of the best free Antivirus and Anti malware solution available today. I have been personally using MSE for a while now and have found it to be the best security solution which is easy on system resources and does its job well.

Today, Microsoft released a new version of Microsoft Security Essentials for beta testing. Some of the new features in Microsoft Security Essentials Beta include:

Windows Firewall integration During setup, Microsoft Security Essentials will now ask if you would like to turn the Windows Firewall on or off.

Enhanced protection for web-based threats Microsoft Security Essentials now integrates with Internet Explorer to provide protection against web-based threats.

New protection engine The updated anti-malware engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance.

Network inspection system Protection against network-based exploits is now built in to Microsoft Security Essentials.

You will need to sign in to Microsoft Connect in order to download the latest beta of Microsoft Security Essentials. To download MSE beta, head over to this link. MSE beta is available in both 32bit and 64bit editions and also supports Windows 7. More info and details on MSE Beta can be found at the Windows Team Blog.

[Windows XP, Vista, 7] Back in 2004, I was a happy AVG Antivirus user. One day I heard a false rumor that AVG was going to end support for their free version. I searched around for a good replacement and decided to try Avast Home Edition (version 4). Here is what it looked like at that time.

It looked like an audio player. I thought it was kind of cool, but many people thought it was a little childish. In any case, I used it for several months and was happy with it.

Now there’s a new version of Avast available. It’s been renamed to Avast Free Antivirusat version 5. Since the days I used it, there have been some drastic changes to the look and feel of the application. One thing that has not changed is it’s high ratings in effectiveness and it’s reasonable system requirements.

Version 4.8 of Avast was roughly a 40mb download and the new version 5 is around 50mb. So, it has apparently gained some weight. Whether or not this has slowed it down, has yet to be independently determined, as far as I know.

To see what the new interface of Avast Free Antivirus looks like, check out this video from CNet.

Link to video (if you can’t see it above)

Avast has over 100 million users, and late last year, they teamed up with Google Chrome. It looks like Google trusts Avast for Windows PCs. However, Google also mistrusts Windows and has decided to stop using Windows in it’s own offices.

The only things that this free version does not have, that their paid version has, is a Firewall, spam shield, script protection and a sandbox test. If you would like a free suite of Antivirus/Anti-malware tools and a Firewall, you may want to take a look at Microsoft Security Essentials. Many people believe that Microsoft’s offering provides a more complete protection solution.

Seth Rosenblatt, at Download.com, was impressed with the new Avast 5 and gave it a 5 star rating. The general user rating there is 4.5 stars, which is quite good.

Download Avast 5 from Download.com

Download Avast 5 from Avast.com

Download older 4.x versions of Avast

Techie Buzz Verdict:

I have not tried the new version, but I have used Avast many times over the last 6 years. I never found anything to complain about and I trust this company. I will not hesitate to give Avast Free Antivirus a thumbs up.

Techie Buzz Rating: 4/5