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A look at ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus

Overview

ParetoLogic combines the power of antivirus protection with antispyware technology into one powerful product that actively protects your computer from the latest attacks.

Stop computer virues, spyware, rootkits, Trojans, adware, worms, and other malicious programs from harming your computer and stealing your identity with ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus.  

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Features

ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus is a full featured product that actively protects computers. Among the many features are:

• Easy-to-use from Day One - This product shares the simple ParetoLogic interface that users have appreciated in the company’s other products. Clean and easy, this interface keeps both novice and professional users happy. Novices like the fact that they can use the product without fuss while professionals appreciate the customizations and advanced features available.
• Superior Detection and Removal - Antivirus Plus completely removes all traces of computer viruses, malware, spyware, rootkits, and other malicious programs.
• Active Protection - A set of customizable monitors allow for user-specified levels of active protection from online threats including browser hijackings, browser helper objects, and more.
• Rootkit Detection and Removal - Rootkits try to trick computers into thinking they are clean. This trickery leads to a false sense of security while more malware manages to infiltrate the system. Meanwhile, the rootkit allows the hacker unfettered access to the computer. Antivirus Plus detects and removes rootkits.
• Blocks Access to Malicious Websites - Unfortunately, many Web sites are not what they seem. Antivirus Plus compares the URL to its database and actively blocks access to those that have been identified as malicious.
• Free Updates - For the entire term of the subscription, free updates occur up to 12 times per day!

Benefits

Using a combination tool such as ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus makes sense. Rather than managing two separate applications, you can rest assured knowing that Antivirus Plus is on the job - actively protecting your computer from both viruses as well as spyware. Not only will you save money compared to buying two standalone products, you will also conserve resources. Your computer won’t have to work as hard to protect itself from viruses and malware.

Antivirus Plus is backed by ParetoLogic and is connected to one of the largest databases of malicious threats. By having access to this huge database, your security software knows what to look for and how to eradicate it.

Malicious websites have become all the rage with malware developers. Now that “driveby downloads” are on the rise, it’s easier than ever to get infected. While most users now know better than to click on unsolicited e-mail attachments, they don’t realize that simply landing on a webpage is all it takes. Antivirus Plus protects against these threats.

How it works

ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus combines antispyware with antivirus protection for a two-in-one solution to the most threatening online treachery. This product is available in several license combinations including a free scanner tool and one to multi-year subscriptions.

Recommendations

If you’ve never tried a ParetoLogic computer security product, now’s the time. You’ll love the ease of use, active protection, and results of Anti-Virus Plus. Try the free scan to see this product in action before upgrading to the license that best meets your needs.

Feedback

Do you have experience with any of these Paretologic products? Please share your comments below … 

A virus scan is a software program that is equipped with a dictionary of known virus definitions. It works by scanning your computer system, reading all the files and folders, and comparing the code it finds against the virus codes in the dictionary. As quickly as antivirus developers can update their software dictionaries, hackers and malware writers are producing new and more sophisticated virus codes, so it is important to update your antivirus software’s virus dictionary periodically and often by visiting the manufacturer’s website and downloading any and all available updates.

It is also important to be very careful when downloading antivirus programs because people who write Trojans - programs similar to viruses that establish ‘backdoors’ to your system and allow it to be controlled remotely by hackers - use antivirus programs as a vehicle to access unsuspecting user’s systems. Using reputable sites, qualified programs and, in the extreme, purchasing licensed versions of the software rather than downloading free copies, all help to protect your computer’s security.

If, or when, the scan identifies a match between the known virus code and a file on your computer, it will first attempt to isolate it. Since viruses spread by self-replicating and contaminating neighboring files, isolating the infection will prevent it from spreading further and limit the damage to your computer system. At this point, it is a really good idea to disconnect your computer from any networks it might be on to prevent the virus from spreading to any other computers that it is connected to, and to take it offline so that the virus cannot spread itself by email if it has already infected your address book and email account.

Once the virus scan has quarantined the infected files, depending on the software brand, it might ask you what you would like to do next. Some antivirus scans are programmed to automatically delete infected files. In this case, the program will most likely delete the infected or corrupted file without asking for permission. If files are deleted in this way, and you are trying to restore them, you have to be careful not to reactivate the virus.

You can also use System Restore to find deleted operating system files, as this program can bring up previous versions of your information, perhaps not the most recent copy, but often better than nothing. In this case, you must be very careful to immediately re-run the virus scan as soon as you launch any files found by System Restore because virus code can get into this folder and lurk there, waiting for a file to be opened and spread again through your computer system.

Virus scans, as well as good preventative antivirus software, are vital elements of your personal computer security. If you are careful to maintain these programs, and restrain from opening suspicious or unknown attachments, you can avoid a lot of the hassles of computer virus infection.

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If your computer is infected with a virus, there are definitely steps that you can take to recover control of your system. The first thing that you should do is remove your computer from any networks that it might be on, and from the Internet, so that the virus cannot spread any further.

The next thing to do is run a virus scan - antivirus software. If you already have this software installed, run it now. If you don’t already have virus protection software, you will need to get it now. Either download it from an uninfected computer or purchase it. These programs are available both by mail order over the Internet or from a computer retail store.

However, if you decide to download a software program, it is important to know that many malware programs are disguised as antivirus software and care should be taken when choosing what to download. Be sure to visit reputable websites and download certified software.

Antivirus software scans your system for viruses, checking the code against its virus dictionary, looking for infected files. If it finds any code that matches the definitions that it has been programmed to scan for it will attempt, first, to repair the damaged or corrupt file. If it is unable to repair the damage, it will isolate the file in quarantine in order to prevent the virus from spreading any further.

Some scans will request direction from the user before deleting the infected files and others will automatically rid the system of infection, so it is important to check the scan’s configuration prior to running it so that you know what to expect, especially if you don’t want to risk losing any files.

Programmers vigilantly monitor the arrival of new viruses and update virus dictionaries daily. If you have a virus, and you have an Internet security system installed on your computer, the first thing to do is check for updates on your software provider’s website. Ensure that you have the latest definitions and rescan your system.

If you have a virus that your scan identifies but cannot repair, you can search the Internet for more information and follow advice that you find there. You might find patches or programs that can help you eliminate the virus or to remove it manually.

Once you have followed all available steps, re-run your virus scan and see if it comes back clean. You might have to run the software more than once and should do so until the scan comes up clean.

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If your computer has ever been infected with a virus or been contaminated by some form of malware, you probably already know the importance of running a routine virus scan on your system to check for any abnormalities.

The amount of time that a virus scan takes will depend on the size of your system and hard disk files. If you run a full system scan, it will check every one of your files and the time it takes will depend on the number of files it must check. The more sophisticated your system, the longer a full system scan can take. If your scan is taking less than two hours on a regular personal computer, then you can assume it is functioning properly.

If you are worried about the length of time your virus scan is taking, there are some steps you can take to clean up your system before you run the scan. If you are running Windows XP then your computer will run at its best if you have at least 1 GB of RAM and 2 GB if you are running Windows Vista. If your operating system is running at its best then your computer will be best equipped to run the scan.

Shutting down all unnecessary programs prior to running the scan will allow the scan to work as well and as quickly as possible. Another way to prepare your computer for a scan is to clean up the hard drive, delete files and uninstall programs that you no longer use or want and empty the recycle bin so the scan doesn’t have to spend time on unnecessary files.

Lastly, a good tip is to clean your registry with a registry scan before you run the virus scan to get rid of left over traces of uninstalled programs and corrupted files so the virus scan doesn’t spend time looking through useless data.

There are files on your computer that are large storage files that might contain drivers or add-ins that you aren’t currently using, such as .cab files for Windows. These are like large zip or compressed files and when you run a virus scan they each have to be opened and checked piece by piece which can impede the scan.

You have options on most antivirus software programs to exclude certain files so, if you decide you don’t want to check them each time, you could use the configuration utility to check off the files you would like to exclude. A quick scan will not check every file. Instead it will scan for places where viruses are known to hide, which will take much less time. A quick scan can also be effective since viruses don’t know your specific path files and so are likely to be found by the scan.

However, running a regular full system scan is very important to maintain the health of your computer. It can be scheduled for a time when you don’t need to use your computer such as overnight or when you are away from home.

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Virus scans are so named because at the time they were developed computer viruses were the biggest threat to personal computers and so the protective software was designed exclusively for viruses.

These days antivirus software looks for and eliminates many kinds of suspicious or malicious code that might have infiltrated and infected you computer. Malicious programs include viruses, Trojans, worms, adware - that installs pop-up ads - and spyware - that tracks your browsing habits and records the website you use.

Whereas viruses are designed to multiply, infect and destroy files other threats like worms and Trojans can creep in the background of the computer system and open ports for external remote control, access personal information and route spam through the IP address. In order to address the different modes of operation of different malware antivirus programs use two different approaches.

First the program scans the files and compares them against a list of known viruses. Antivirus programs use a virus dictionary and compare code on the computer against the list of known viruses. If any infectious code is found the program can first attempt to repair the file by eradicating the virus itself. If it is unsuccessful the antivirus can quarantine the file, isolating it so that it cannot spread to other files and will then prompt the user and ask what to do. Some antivirus software programs will delete the infected files without waiting for the command so it is important that you understand the specifications of the program you install.

It is possible that a virus can contaminate data files stored on your system and corrupt or infect them. If the virus scan detects and deletes the file you can lose data. For this reason it is a good idea to save back up copies of all your important or personal information on a removable device like a USB stick or a disk.

Once you have installed antivirus software on your computer you can set the specifications to run automatically at set intervals as well as run manual scans periodically or when you download new files from outside sources.

Virus and other malware writers are constantly coming up with new and more sophisticated code. In order to stay up to date it is important to check the software vendor’s website often for updates.

As well as looking for code that matches its dictionary definitions, virus scans also check the computer’s performance, looking for any suspicious or unusual behaviour. If you run Windows operating system you can check yourself to see what programs are running on your computer and what programs are launching automatically when you boot up your computer. Viruses and malware often infiltrate these locations, running code and initiating applications without the user’s permission or knowledge. To check what programs are running in the Control Panel, in Administrative Tools, Services you can see a list of the programs that your system is running. To check your auto-launch list go to the Start Menu, Run and type misconfig.

Antivirus software is really important if you use your computer to browse on the Internet, download files and/or email attachments and other software programs.

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Like a computer virus, computer worms are self replicating and destructive to computer networks. Yet, unlike viruses, worms are not attached to particular files, do not require a host program and, rather than focus on infecting and damaging the particular computer that it is running on, a worm is almost always designed to target the network of which the computer is a part. Whereas computer viruses are most often designed to target computer files, worms are created to disrupt networks. Unlike viruses that require a user to open and execute a file to activate and spread, a worm is self-propagating, completely self-contained and do not require execution once downloaded the way a virus file has to be opened to activate.

Like Trojans, worms are often programmed to open backdoors to the system allowing the writer remote control of the infected system. Once the system has been accessed the hacker can utilize its hardware, stored data, IP address and bandwidth for its own ventures that often include credit and identity theft.

Remote access of computer networks means that the worm developers gain access to large numbers of computers. It is common for developers to sell lists of IP addresses to spammers, similar to selling a mailing list to a telephone solicitor. Worms are also designed to deliver advertising software, or adware, that issues pop-up ads and spyware, which exports your personal information and browsing history to an external location.

Like other forms of malware, worms are spread by email attachments or other similar media files. It is important that users are careful when opening attachments: if you do not recognize the sender of the email then opening unknown attachments is best avoided. And, even if the sender is one of your contacts, worms are able to steal email addresses from infected computers and send email that appears legitimate but actually contain infected attachments.

More recently worms are being spread through instant messaging programs such as MSN Messenger or AOL Aim. Users will receive a message that appears to be from a contact but is actually the worm spreading itself and, once opened by the user, contaminates the new system. Sometimes worms do not require attachments at all. In this case the email contains a link that appears benign but, when clicked, hijacks the user taking them to a website where the worm is automatically downloaded.

There are ways to protect your self against worms, and other forms of malicious software. Similar to the way that you would not carelessly open the door to let a stranger into your house in the middle of the night, or follow an unknown person down a dark alley, by being aware and exercising some diligence computer infections can be avoided.

First, don’t open unexpected or unknown attachments. This way you can limit your system’s exposure has to potential damage. If you get an email from someone you know with a strange subject heading or incomprehensible content it is a good idea to be wary and check with him or her before opening any attachments. It is a good idea to run up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer. Many of these programs increase your security, automatically scan attachments and offer warnings about suspicious looking files.