Free software for new Windows computers

Question: B.R., I just purchased a new computer. What can I do to help prevent virus infections and other security problems?

First of all, most new computers you purchase in a store or online come with Windows and several other applications preinstalled. The list may include a trial version of a security suite. That's OK, if you want to pay to use the program after the trial period runs out. Usually, I'll remove the programs I don't want to keep and free up the space for the software I want to use. I don't want anything on the new computer that doesn't provide frequent software updates and if possible I want applications to maintain themselves or at least notify me when new updates are available.

I use mostly free or open source software everyday on the Windows computers I maintain. You can already find links to the two starter kits mentioned below on my webworkshop home page. This blog post is intended to go beyond just listing the links. Now to get down to work...

While I tend to avoid the larger (bulky and frequently hard to remove) security suites like Norton and McAfee, people can "roll their own" system with a number of free security applications, using the top performers in each category. The two so-called "starter kits" discussed in this article are actually CNET reviews of various free security and windows applications. I'll run through the list in a minute. But before the Ethernet cable or wireless connects, keep in mind that my computer is already hiding behind a small 4-port router/wireless access point. And as I've run through the initial router set up, I've changed the name and password on the router from the factory default. I've also written down the new settings in a special network notebook I keep in my home office so that get back into the router and check the settings if I need to further tweak the network. The latest Windows Secrets security baseline was just released this week (3/28/10) and is a good place to start. See: http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/100318

If your new computer system is for a business and the hardware and software costs can be deducted as a business expense, save time and effort by going for the security suite such as the top three mentioned in the Windows Secrets article. Home users and students on a limited budget can still save money selecting from a shelf-load of free security software intended for personal use. Unless your corporate IT department recommends otherwise, I always recommend that the average home and school user set Windows' Automatic Update feature to retrieve and install all Windows patches and updates automatically. Expert users who use corporate software may well need to be more cautious.

Next we'll use CNET Security Starter Kit which contains links to most of the software mentioned below after the jump. (Click the "Read More" below to continue.)

The next layer of defense is the firewall. The CNET Security Starter Kit firewall page shows that Comodo merged their firewall and antivirus programs into one offering, each part could be installed separately in the version I tested. When I used a previous version of Comodo firewall it seemed to constantly want me to confirm it was OK to connect an application to the Internet as if in training mode. I went back to ZoneAlarm even with the nag screen. Testing the current edition of Online Armor Free is on my to-do list. The sentence in the Online Armor review I liked most was, "...the firewall...configures as much as possible during the start-up wizard so you're not bothered later." See: Security Starter Kit: Firewall

I still use ZoneAlarm Free edition. It is not on the CNET list, but Katy and I have used it for years and it always seems to have worked. When the original ZoneAlarm company was "acquired" the new company started using a "nag screen" at start up but it's a single click and it goes away. If you currently have a firewall you've already used with success, it's probably OK to keep using it while you continue to look for even better alternatives.

After that, I want a good anti-virus program. See: Security Starter Kit: Antivirus. Note the "a" as in singular. Using more than one antivirus program which runs all the time in background mode sometimes sets up a condition where they will confuse each other and generally make your life miserable. I use Avira AntiVir Personal Free which fights both virus and spyware infections. Avira uses a nag screen which can be closed with a single click, but also offers a scheduler in the admin. section that allows me to schedule a full scan while Katy and I are at church on Sunday morning. Avast also has very high ratings in the latest reports from AV Comparatives. Microsoft Security Essentials is a new free offering from the wizards in Redmond and already has a good reputation with a small footprint and economical use of resources. Microsoft should have done something like Security Essentials years ago before all the criminal bot-nets and malware got started.

The next choice involves spyware or malware. See: Security Starter Kit: Spyware removal
For those sneaky spyware items that get through the above defenses, I keep a copy of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for occasional use (after making sure it is up-to-date). I run ThreatFire AntiVirus as a startup application. It seems to "play well" with Avira with no conflicts noted. It also seeks out rootkits and other bad guys.

While I would certainly recommend reading the other sections on In-browser Security, Encryption and Parental Control, the next step is making sure you have a secure browser. MS Internet Explorer has always been a vector for malware attacks. Firefox has a better track record for patching and is frequently updated as soon as a weakness is found. The Web of Trust for Firefox and NoScript mentioned on the Security Starter Kit: In-browser security page are recommended. Firefox has a number of add-ons beyond NoScript that can enhance security. Additional Firefox security and privacy extensions are found at: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1/cat:12. Using a password manager such as LastPass will make it easier to use more secure, complex passwords and avoid the post-it note on the side of the monitor technique for remembering passwords that I've seen in offices.

You may be locked into using MS Outlook at your office. If not, I suggest Thunderbird's latest version which makes use of tabs and improved searching. At present, I have no recommendation on encryption or parental controls. I do not use either one presently, but encryption might be useful in a setting where sensitive medical or legal information is being stored or transmitted. Remember to keep a record of what you use and maybe key passwords and set up info in a secure, out-of-the-way place so you can adjust settings and change passwords later.

The choice of browser is the first item discussed in CNET's Windows Starter Kit. All three browsers listed have a five-star ratings and Chrome is rapidly gaining followers, but I use several of the Firefox add-ons like Web Developer to test web pages and other work related functions.

OpenOffice.org (OOo) is a free application that I started using back in the days when MS Office documents were being infected with malicious macros. It's not strictly a security application but I believe the cost savings alone should lead more government agencies, school districts and non-profits to consider using OpenOffice.org's suite of applications. The only hang-up is that sometimes Microsoft does things in a non-standard way. Their proprietary formats may contain features which may not always translate into the universally approved Open Document Formats (ODF) used by OpenOffice.org, AbiWord, KOffice, and other applications that all work with each other based on worldwide ODF standards. If you frequently must exchange documents, spreadsheets and presentations with other agencies suffering from vendor lock-in with mandated use of Office 2007, there may be inconsistencies in some translations between the two formats. OpenOffice translators improve with each update, but translations can be a problem in some cases.

None the less, you may still want to download the OpenOffice application and test it against some of the existing MS Office files in your possession. Compare the documents and look for any inconsistencies in page layouts, titles and subtitles, and if they might cause a problem in your daily communications. If you decide to use OpenOffice.org, take the time to go through the complete listing of options. For example, I still set my memory options to use a slightly larger 64 MB and 8.0 MB of memory per object. That's larger than the default, but I sometimes use some fairly large pictures and graphs when writing. You can also set up the Load/Save:General option to always save your working documents in MS Office formats if that saves you time.

Also plan on taking some time to look through the tutorials and FAQ files at http://documentation.openoffice.org/  There are free extensions available for Open office at http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/  The new Open Clip Art Library is at http://rejon.org/2010/03/open-clip-art-library-2-0-is-here/ There are more add-ons for OOo but these two will get you started.

Other products such as Foxit Reader, PrimoPDF, and a whole list of free applications follows on the other starter kit pages. Review and add what you need. If you don't like the application, you can simply remove the application from within the Windows Control Panel and try another similar product. At least you've not gone into debt only to find you don't like doing things the Microsoft way.

There are a few more free utilities I add before I my personal installation routine is completed, but that's another blog post for a later date. The two starter kits should at least help you get things started.

Feel free to use the comments section for any questions or suggested additions.