Which combination of free protection software (anti virus, firewall, etc) would you recommend for a Vista 64-bit machine? I've been running McAfee and Kaspersky software as trials but am wondering if they are really worth the money.
Karl Teofilovic
A lot of Vista users just use the built-in firewall, sometimes with Sphinx's free Vista Firewall Control. The link now leads to the Windows 7 Firewall Control, but I presume it's the same. Comodo's firewall is a good free alternative. This now comes bundled with AntiVirus for Windows, for Vista and Windows 7, but you don't have to install it. Among the other free anti-virus programs, you can choose between Avast, AVG Free and Avira AntiVir, or possibly Microsoft's new Security Essentials. If you are willing to pay, then I think the 64-bit version of Kaspersky Internet Security (£39.99) is a better all-round suite, but the free stuff does the job.
I also urge you to run Secunia's free Personal Software Inspector (PSI) from time to time. Vista is inherently much more secure than Windows XP, so malware writers are trying to exploit vulnerabilities in Adobe, Apple, Real and other software, especially browser plug-ins. According to Secunia, "updating your programs and PC with the latest security updates is more important than having an anti-virus program and using a firewall". This may be an exaggeration, but not by much.
