If Google are going to change their references to news articles I’ll have to avoid using them.

I have amended the link in the article above to point directly to the AAP article as it was published in an Australian newspaper, but you can find it in other publications all around the world.

The article is a good read… your link to it needs updating though. I get “The article requested is no longer available” when I click it.

For the average person on the average PC you can’t go far wrong with AVG Anti-Virus. With the release of AVG v.8 I no longer view the free version as offering suitable protection. There is a comparison table on the Grisoft website that clearly illustrates there is now too much missing from the free version to make it a viable option. Rootkit detection alone makes the retail version worth every bit of the small cost. There is a Trial version you can run for 30 days before paying for it. I also recommend you invest only in the plain AVG Anti-Virus product, not the extended AVG Internet Security or AVG Anti-Virus with Firewall. Grisoft made their name with a quality anti-virus product. Other developers do a better job of firewall, anti-spyware, etc.

I have an equally high regard for Eset’s NOD32 Anti-Virus. To be honest, if I was starting from scratch and I had to choose between NOD32 and AVG, it would come down to the toss of a coin. I stick with AVG because I’ve had a long relationship with it and see no reason to change. If for some reason or other you don’t wish to use AVG, try NOD32.

On software firewalls, both COMODO and Online Armor are quality products. I used COMODO in the past but have switched to Online Armor. Technically and effectively it’s every bit as good as Comodo, but is a simpler install and seems to be less intrusive once it’s up and running.

The much neglected “hardware firewall” in the form of a suitable NAT router is probably one of the most effective safeguards you can employ for a home or very small business computing environment. In my opinion it should be the very first protective mechanism installed BEFORE you ever venture onto the Internet. It’s too big a subject to get into here, but has been addressed in depth in a Module in the new member’s website.

Finally, please, no “what about…” or “you forgot to mention…” responses. That could go on forever.

If the offending material is in the form of a video file (ostensibly the most damning of evidence) there won’t even be any keywords to search on.

The key is to have effective, broad and deep security in place to prevent access in the first place. Considering just how wide open the average Windows PC is, I think this is a vindictive tactic we can expect to see more of in the future.

Up-to-date anti-virus software is important, but isn’t sufficient defense by itself. Unwanted material can be lodged on your computer by means other than utilizing a virus. Firewalls, both hardware and software, are mandatory for really effective protection.