More malware than ever

There are five and a half million different malicious programs in circulating online, according to security test organization AV-Test,  and the numbers are increasing with unprecedented speed. Most of these programs target Microsoft Windows, or software that runs on it such as the Internet Explorer web browser. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software vendors generate digital signatures and release updates daily to enable their products to detect this malware, but with so many new threats appearing it's inevitable that some slip through undetected. What are PC users to do?

One solution might be to switch to an operating system that is less of a target for malware writers, such as Mac OS X or Linux. However, most Windows users would find that unacceptable, since they depend on and are used to software that runs only on Windows. So what other options are there to keep your computer, and the valuable personal data stored on it, secure?

A good move would be to do what geeks call "practise safe hex." Don't do anything naughty. Stay away from those "adult" websites, and sites offering pirate software and dubious free music and video downloads. Don't use peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing software. Switch to web based email such as Gmail, so that any email-borne nasties are kept at a distance, on a remote server, where they can't harm your hard drive. And use a web browser that is less of a target for malware writers, like Firefox.

If you can't do this, or you are afraid that it may not be enough, then use a host intrusion protection system like DefenseWall HIPS. This protects your PC by running everything in an isolated "sandbox" until you are sure that it can be trusted, so it doesn't depend on receiving updated lists of digital signatures to detect malware. Any harmful program that is undetected by your other defenses will be unable to make permanent changes to the system. Why take the risk?

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