IndyLink virus, spyware, firewall and backup tips for Windows

Every IndyLink account includes spam and virus filtering service for your email from Postini at no additional charge. But we encourage you to do as much as you can to block viruses and spyware from infecting your computer in any way.

To prevent infections, you may want to use AVG Free Edition, a program from Grisoft.com for non-commercial users. Note: If you have another antivirus package, it may not be compatible with this - see the links for other antivirus manufacturers here for information about those packages. We do recommend AVG over other programs, however, especially if you have an anti-virus program and still have been infected - this suggests your existing program may have a problem. AVG will clean up the infection, and hopefully offer better protection against future viruses.

Trend Micro's House Call is a free general-purpose online virus scanner that can assist in the identification and removal of viruses. Be sure to double-click the virus name (if one is found and not marked as Cleaned) for further directions on how to clean out the infection.

Other options for virus scanning and protection include Kaspersky.com, Panda Software's ActiveScan, and Symantec's Security Check.

If you know you have an infection, you can try the Trend Micro System Cleaner Package. Be sure to read this first, and download the latest pattern file for use with it.

>For a frequently-updated, detailed listing of viruses to watch out for, visit Trend Micro's Virus Information Center or Symantec's Security Response.

The free protection program Surfin' Guard (suitable for machines with at least 64 MB of RAM and 300 MHz processors only) does not require frequent updates, and will protect against malware (viruses, worms, etc.) that have not yet even been written, and it will work WITH other antivirus protection systems to provide added protection.