anti-virus
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2:00PM Angus Kidman | If you’re happy with your current anti-virus software, then you probably don’t pay too much attention when the annual renewal notice comes in — but perhaps you should. Reader Regan writes in with a cautionary tale:
My subscription to McAfee Security Centre recently expired; as a result I selected a McAfee link to renew my licence. I was then redirected to a Dell/McAfee branded site that wanted $129 for the licence renewal. Even navigating directly to the McAfee Website (or via Google) seemed to have the same result. However, I was able to access the McAfee Direct Download service (searched for it directly via Google) where I got the same software for $79 — and that covered three computers!
When it comes to security software, I’m a great believer in the “if it hasn’t broken your PC, don’t change it” principle, but Regan’s tale demonstrates that a bit of comparison shopping before clicking that renewal link might be worth your time. If you’d prefer to stay in the free software universe, check out our top five anti-virus applications.
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Shop Around When Renewing Your Anti-Virus Software
2:00PM Angus Kidman | If you’re happy with your current anti-virus software, then you probably don’t pay too much attention when the annual renewal notice comes in — but perhaps you should. Reader Regan writes in with a cautionary tale:
My subscription to McAfee Security Centre recently expired; as a result I selected a McAfee link to renew my licence. I was then redirected to a Dell/McAfee branded site that wanted $129 for the licence renewal. Even navigating directly to the McAfee Website (or via Google) seemed to have the same result. However, I was able to access the McAfee Direct Download service (searched for it directly via Google) where I got the same software for $79 — and that covered three computers!
When it comes to security software, I’m a great believer in the “if it hasn’t broken your PC, don’t change it” principle, but Regan’s tale demonstrates that a bit of comparison shopping before clicking that renewal link might be worth your time. If you’d prefer to stay in the free software universe, check out our top five anti-virus applications.
More » 
AVG Free Anti-Virus 2008 Released, Much Improved
9:32AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Popular freeware anti-virus application AVG Free recently updated to AVG Free 2008. Aside from a general interface overhaul and faster performance, the updated anti-virus scanner has added several new features with a focus on web security. AVG is always at the forefront of the freeware anti-virus category, so unless you don’t run anti-virus software, it’s a great alternative to crappy Windows software. AVG Free Anti-Virus 2008 [via MakeUseOf] More »
Protect Your PC from Viruses in Real-Time with ThreatFire
3:00PM Lifehacker US Edition | Windows only: Freeware, lightweight anti-spyware application ThreatFire monitors your computer for malware and blocks new threats in real time. There are a lot of freeware anti-spyware apps out there, but the difference between most of them and ThreatFire is the always-on, real-time protection—as opposed to on-demand scanning. The catch is, ThreatFire does not do on-demand scans in the free version. All that really means is that you can download one of the many other freeware options (like AVG Free and Ad-Aware, for example) for on-demand scans and run ThreatFire to cover any immediate threats in real-time. ThreatFire is freeware, Windows only. Everybody’s got their favorite anti-virus and anti-malware apps, so let’s hear yours in the comments. ThreatFire [via FreewareGenius] More »
