Another Day With My PC

If the claims and ads of antivirus software makers are to be believed, then all that separates us from a Trojan-free PC is $19.99 + VAT. Indeed, almost all security suites claim that they could prevent malware infection by up to 99.9%. However, as many of you might have already noticed, that .01% that’s unaccounted for almost always stands out.

I guess I’ve already told you a couple of times already that the battle against malicious programs should not be left to security suites alone. They can’t ward off all attacks, especially if the user is careless and gullible enough to click on every pop up or ad that tickles his fancy.

Every program must be conscripted in the fight against computer viruses. I’m not saying that Microsoft should include a virus-scanning feature on Excel or Powerpoint. That would be absurd (but somewhat cool, don’t you think?). Each application could contribute to the fight by keeping their fences intact, meaning that every hole or weak spot in their algorithms should be patched.

The most important application that should be patched well is the Web browser. We all know that browsers serve as our PCs gate to cyberspace, and we all know, too, that cyberspace has lots of tiny programs that bear crossbones tattoos.

Hence, when choosing a browser, pick the one that has an extra layer of cement on their wall. Mozilla and Opera have already acknowledged their products’ role and responsibility in the fight against malware by incorporating antiphishing functions, as well as anti-pop up features. Microsoft would also be photocopying the same features in the final version of Internet Explorer 8.

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