Getting tough - swipe your computer clean. Act fast, act now.

I noticed many are not aware of the dangers on the internet.

Many of internet users think that as long as they browse the internet and not download anything, they will be safe. And these people SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE INTERNET.

Because, you don't just "view" a webpage.

You actually download it to your cache (temporary storage).

So that means anyone can embed a hidden code, which does not appear on the normal webpage view. This code can deal much harm, and you won't even notice it.

I can, if I want. But like the popular saying - most hackers work for security companies - I'll want to put my knowledge to best use.

If I were to be malicious, I can easily embed a JavaScript that grabs all your cookies (these are like security passes which a website usually gives to you upon log in, to enable the website, e.g. Hotmail, PayPal, eBay, GMail, to authenticate you), browsing history, cache, stored passwords, saved details and computer details.

Of course, anyone can.

That's where security software comes in.

You don't think you can keep yourself safe only with that crappy Norton and AVG, do you?

You'll need way more than that. The Realtime Scanner on Norton and Resident Shield on AVG are of sub-standards. Get yourself the real deal.

I recommend Kaspersky, Avast!, BitDefender, and ThreatFire.

Kaspersky is quite cheap, the antivirus is RM59 per year while the Internet Security (plus firewall and antispyware) is RM99/year.

Kaspersky has one of the most sensitive proactive defense system - it actually blocks Warcraft and CounterStrike on some occasions!

However, if you're the quick-get-it-finished type, you won't want Kaspersky, since it will ask you for permission everytime an installer tries to install a file - imagine clicking "Allow" for all the thousands of files in a Counter Strike installer.

My first hand experience with it tells me that it is the best one I've had out there. Too bad I had to uninstall it when it detected I was using a pirated version.

If you have the cash to spare, go for Kaspersky.

http://www.kaspersky.com

The home edition of Avast! is free, but commercial uses of it requires that you buy the license.

Avast! has a cool interface, and whenever it detects a virus, a sound warning will alert you by default: "Warning. Virus detected." You can choose to disable sounds.

The active protection (whatever it's called) is quite troublesome, unlike the Proactive Defence (Kaspersky) and Resident Shield (AVG). There is no option to allow a particular program to do a particular action permanently, so whenever you run the said program, Avast! will block it and you will have to allow it again and again.

What I like about Avast! is mainly the interface and the ability to block websites. This, plus password-protected Avast! settings, will not allow any user of the computer/network to access a website, which is very useful in schools/offices, where sites like Facebook or Friendster are something webmasters do not favour (due to high security risks). I'll explain further later.

http://www.avast.com

I'm not sure of BitDefender, as I have not used it before. But according to trusted friends and users of BitDef, I am safe to say that BitDefender is worth trying if you have a bunch of cash lying around, waiting to be spent.

http://www.bitdefender.com

ThreatFire is a special protection software.

Unlike other antiviruses which work optimally when independant and without other antiviruses, ThreatFire is made to work alongside your current antivirus (however I've experienced some conflict issues with Avast!, where Avast! mistakenly detects ThreatFire's virus database as a potentially dangerous file.)

It is a behavorial antivirus, which detects threat by their actions. Unlike conventional antiviruses which compares files to a huge virus database (especially Norton, which is the main reason why computers with Norton installed is much slower than those with rival AVs).

More details are available at the ThreatFire website.

Oh, and together with Google, ThreatFire is allowing FREE download of Spyware Doctor Starter Edition. This is meant to work alongside ThreatFire and the rest of the Google pack. You can get it at the ThreatFire download page (scroll down).

http://www.threatfire.com

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Okay, as said above, webmasters do not like Facebook or Friendster or iGoogle. Why? They all have one thing in common: You can install small applications (or widgets) in your page.

While many are safe, some have malicious intent.

Although it may seem safe, it may not. The host (Facebook/Friendster) do not care and do not wish to care, because all they want is profit and a larger community base.

Many things can surprisingly be embedded in a small app.

For instance, a short code to delete a vital Windows file. Or automatically shutdown your computer in 5 seconds (Tuck Hoe knows how, so beware). Or reformat your hard disk drive, or even make your CD ROM eject and zoom back in repeatedly (it's spooky, trust me).

Thus, I never and will not install any widgets (except those I trust or made) on my pages, may it be my blog, my deviantART or my Friendster.

The threat level increases dramatically for Windows users, especially Win XP and Vista.

Mac and Linux users are rather protected from most threats for now.

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On a side note, I'm seriously considering on getting myself a 20-inch 2.4GHz iMac. It looks cool, but it can't be further upgraded (besides the RAM).

I don't know why but I seem to want a Mac real bad. Maybe it's because there's iMovie.

But Windows is more compatible. I think I'll want to install both Mac OSX and Win XP on the same computer.

It'll be hard but worthwhile. A MacPro is beyond my reach - at RM19,999. I can get a second-hand Kancil turbo for that!

Oh, and I found a mirror link to MalaysiaToday.

I support you, Raja Petra Kamaruddin! You haven't done ANYTHING WRONG. Stay strong, and prove the *censored* Govt wrong!