antimalware

A newly-identified piece of malware has achieved arguably the ultimate goal of cybercriminals. "Nemesis" is able to infect a Windows computer before the operating system is loaded. The malware is a particularly nasty form of a rootkit . That's ... software which is able to inappropriately access some of the core components of a computer (both hardware and software), often disguising its actions. A rootkit is a serious problem because it's often completely undetectable, which means that it can easily override antivirus software to carry out malicious tasks. In this case, the Nemesis ... (view more)

How Does Windows Defender Stack Up in Windows 10? Infopackets Reader Lisa K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I read with interest your article entitled: ' How to Fix: Windows 10 Antivirus Missing, Not Compatible '. After upgrading to Windows 10, my antivirus ... also went missing. So my question is: how does Windows Defender stack up against popular antivirus or antimalware programs? Should I continue to use Windows Defender or should I reinstall my antivirus program? " My response: This is often simply a question of choice, but your computer hardware may also dictate what is most suitable. In my opinion ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Paula H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently installed Windows 10 and looked in my tray bar and found that my antivirus has gone missing. Previous to the Windows 10 upgrade, I was using Windows 7 with Avast! antivirus (free). When I ... go to the Start Menu and type in 'avast', it doesn't come up with anything. I also don't see it in my Start menu when I click through my programs, either. Is my system unprotected? How can I get my antivirus working with Windows 10? " My response: You are not the only person to ask this question, and the problem is not limited to Avast! antivirus ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Frank P. writes: " Dear Dennis, A friend of mine has a malware (or a virus) on his computer and can't get rid of it. He has tried to download various malware removal utilities online (such as malwarebytes antimalware, etc), but ... his web browser appears to have been hijacked and subsequently, malwarebytes won't download. What can he do to remove the malware? " My Response: Some malware will purposely block websites (such as malwarebytes) to prevent you from downloading and removing the infection. The easiest way to get rid of pervasive malware is to boot ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'gfaas' writes: " Dear Dennis, What is your opinion of having two antivirus programs installed instead of one? I have Microsoft Security Essentials and Grisoft AVG antivirus. " My response: In my opinion, using two antivirus / ... antimalware programs is better than one for the same reason you would seek the advice of two independent doctors for a life threatening illness. That said, I suggest that you ensure both antivirus / antimalware programs do not conflict with each other, or you will run into resource issues that will cause your computer to slow to a ... (view more)