Over the last few years, anti-malware software has become increasingly costly. But believe it or not, there are still ways to protect your computer for free. In this article, I will list 10 free utilities you can use to either prevent malware infections or to help clean up the mess once a PC becomes infected.

1: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011
I have been using AVG’s free antivirus product for a few years now, and although it isn’t perfect, it seems to be at least as good as most of the commercial anti-malware products. AVG’s free edition provides basic protection against viruses and spyware, but the company also offers a more comprehensive security suite called AVG Internet Security 2011. This suite offers the same anti-malware protection as the free edition, but it also provides real-time protection against Internet search and social networking sites.

2: Comodo Antivirus
Comodo Antivirus takes a different approach to virus protection than most other antivirus products do. Comodo is based on the idea that it is foolish to allow code to run without first proving itself to be benign. So Comodo implements a default denial until an executable proves itself trustworthy. To keep the software from being too chatty, Comodo executes unknown code in an isolated sandbox where its behavior can be monitored without running the risk of the executable harming the system.

3: PC Tools AntiVirus Free 2011
PC Tools AntiVirus Free 2011 is a basic antivirus / anti-spyware program that is designed to protect Windows desktops against various forms of malware. Besides its basic detection capabilities, PC Tools includes a feature called Search Defender that is designed to warn you about unsafe Web sites (or phishing sites) before you click on them. The software also includes a File Guard component that monitors the file system and blocks attempted malware infections in real time.

4: Avast Free Antivirus
Like AVG, Avast sells comprehensive security suites, but makes its basic antivirus / anti-spyware product available for free to home users. Although I have never used Avast Free Antivirus, I’ve recently noticed posts in various message boards from people who claim that Avast provides better protection than some of the commercial products.

5: Ad-Aware Free Internet Security
Although it was originally designed as a product for detecting adware, Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware has evolved into a complete anti-malware product. Ad-Aware Free Internet Security provides real-time protection against spyware, rootkits, and more. It also includes a utility called The Neutralizer, which you can use to clean a PC that has already been infected.

6: HijackThis
HijackThis is one of my favorite anti-malware utilities, but it’s not for the faint of heart. HijackThis is designed to compile a report of critical file and registry settings that are often prone to viral infections. The thing that makes HijackThis difficult to use is that it makes no distinction between malicious and legitimate entries. As a result, you can end up doing even more damage to a PC unless you know what you are doing. Even so, I consider HijackThis to be a must-have utility.

7: Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft provides free antivirus protection for home users through a relatively new application called Microsoft Security Essentials. Microsoft Security Essentials is based on the same ForeFront technology as Microsoft’s enterprise class anti-malware software. The difference is that Microsoft Security Essentials is available solely to home users and businesses with fewer than 10 Windows desktops.

8: Windows Defender
Microsoft’s Windows Defender is a free anti-spyware utility for Windows. It’s not comprehensive, but it does a surprisingly good job of protecting Windows as long as you install it before an infection occurs.
Windows Defender is included with Windows Vista and Windows 7, but you can also download a version for Windows XP. If you are using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, Windows Defender is disabled by default. You can enable Windows Defender by typing the word Defender into the Windows search box and then double-clicking on the Windows Defender option. When you do, Windows will tell you that Windows Defender is turned off and will give you the opportunity to enable it.

9: Malicious Software Removal Tool
Although not a comprehensive antivirus tool by any stretch of the imagination, Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool does a good job of detecting and removing the most common viruses. The Malicious Software Removal Tool works with Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Server 2003. Microsoft releases updates to this tool on the second Tuesday of each month.

10: McAfee virus removal tools
McAfee makes commercial antivirus products, but it also offers some free tools for removing viruses. Specifically, it offers tools for removing Sasser, Bagle, Zafi, Mydoom, Lovsan / Balster, Klez, and Bugbear. You can download all of these tools here

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With more consumers spending money online, sales will rise, but so will the risk of exposure to some sort of scam or cyber-crime right alongside those fabulous deals.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may mark the high points of the holiday shopping season, but they are by no means the end of it. In a still struggling economy, with everyone searching for value, consumers will encounter technology deals that might seem too good to be true.

As reported by the Dow Jones newswires, online shopping may well top $1 billion dollars on a single day this year. With more and more consumers willing to spend money online, sales will rise, but so will the risk of exposure to some sort of scam or cyber-crime right alongside those fabulous deals.

So, how can you avoid being taken advantage of?

There are many ways to keep yourself, your privacy, and your money safe this holiday season. But, as the countdown to Christmas grows shorter, many of us abandon our common sense in the desperate pursuit of that one great gift or that one fantastic deal.

Therein lies the problem. The number one way to guard against online scams is to employ some common sense.
For example, many of us will go to extreme lengths to save a few dollars. This often includes venturing off the ‘beaten path’ and looking outside the major retailers on online auction or classified sites such as E-Bay or Craigslist, which the Better Business Bureau has cautioned against. While many of the deals offered on such sites are perfectly legitimate, the likelihood of stumbling into a scam is far greater on these sorts of sites.

Tip #1 — If a deal seems too great, it probably is, especially if it’s from an individual user or a ‘minor’ retailer. Be suspicious of any deal or sale that you can’t believe is real. Maybe you’ve found the best buy of the season, but it’s more likely that you’ve stumbled into a scam set up to defraud you and steal your money or information.
It’s also important to remember that anyone you do business with online knows more about Internet commerce — and its dangers — than you do.

An excellent Tip #2 is to do some research about any online vendor you’re considering making a purchase from. Some vendors believe quality customer service goes hand in hand with turning a profit. Others, however, such as Vitaly Borker, seem to value their bottom line over the satisfaction of their customers.

As reported in the New York Times and on Cnet.com, Borker took advantage of loopholes in credit card policies to refuse refunds and threaten customers. Only when he was in danger of being cut off by Visa and MasterCard did Borker begin meeting his customer’s needs.

Some simple research might have tipped customers off that Borker’s website was one to be avoided.

As heinous as Borker’s actions may seem, they do bring to light Tip #3 for the online shopper: understand your credit cards. Borker and other merchants like him, were able to take advantage of customers because of the rules set up by the credit cards those customers use.

With credit card purchases being the dominant form of online shopping, it’s vital that consumers know the policies of the cards they use and what recourse they have should those policies be abused.

Tip #4 — Consumers would also be wise to investigate other forms of payment, such as PayPal or Bill Me Later, a PayPal service. While alternative methods may not offer the convenience of credit cards, they may provide more security against potential scams and those who know how to abuse the system.

Regardless of where and when you shop online, Tip #5 applies: be cautious. The Internet can be a dangerous place at the best of times. During the often stressful and expensive holiday season the dangers increase exponentially.

Be wary every time you shop online and help to make sure this time remains a time of giving, and not of taking.

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