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WARNING - Your PC is Under Attack!

under attack

Home PCs are attacked every 15 minutes!

You Can Protect Your PC With These Products



An investigation by the BBC reported that, on average, a PC connected to the Internet is attacked every 12-15 mintues.  

Without proper protection your PC could be damaged, hacked, used to send spam, used to attack other PCs, or your personal information stolen.  

In the worst cases all the above.

According to the BBC report it is essential that you take the following action:

Install anti-virus software and keep it regularly updated - once a week at least.
Install anti-spyware software and keep it
regularly updated - once a week at least.
Install a Spam filter and
keep it regularly updated - once a week at least.
Install a personal firewall in addition to the Windows XP firewall - and make sure its activated.
Never reply to Spam not even to unsubscribe.
Always type in the website address of your bank or credit card - never follow a link in an email.
Never open unexpected attachments in emails -first reply to the sender to check they've sent the file.
Take time to keep yourself informed about the latest threat to your PC.

In addition to the BBC recommendations CTU would like to add the following:

Make sure your PC is set up to receive updates from Microsoft automatically.  Vulnerabilities are continuously being found in a variety of Microsoft products which require a "patch" to fix.  These can be automatically delivered as soon as Microsoft releases them.  If you are using XP open "Control Panel" and click on "Security Center" to make sure "Automatic Updates" are on.

It is strongly recommended that you use a different browser (the program you use to surf the Internet) other than Internet Explorer.  As Internet Explorer comes already installed on Windows PCs it is the World's most popular browser.  As such it is a prime target for hackers, spyware and virus creators.  One of the most secure and versatile browsers to use is "Firefox".


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Each of the utilities you are recommended to install is available here and come with a free trial - there is a charge once you decide to keep the software but it's well worth spending a little now to keep your personal information and your PC safe from criminal or malicious activity.
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Beware of the free alternatives of these tools, the BBC investigation found that some of them actually caused viruses or spyware to be loaded on a PC.  

All the software on this website is tried and tested and come from reputable and recommended sources.

Don't forget to register your use of the software as soon as possible in order to get the maximum protection it provides.

All-in-one Security Suites


CTU would highly recommend McAfees "Total Protection Suite" as this not only protects you and your family in all the areas recommended by the BBC but also your wireless network and any shared resources such as printers. In addition it can block undesirable web sites and offensive pictures to keep your family safe.

But it doesn't stop there.

It also backs-up and restores files and folders including photos and music and does all this from one easy interface.

So keep it simple, use one program and get "Total Protection".




Another excellent all-in-one suite is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite from Zone Labs.  This is an advanced set of security layers that have won more major awards than any other security suite on the market.  Highly effective yet still easy to use for even the novice computer user.  For PC game players there is a "game mode" which suspends ZoneAlarm messages without suspending protection.  One feature ZoneAlarm has that no other security program has (suite or plain) is spyware site-blocking. This prevents access to known spyware sites, even when any existing spyware tries to contact them.  All in all this is one of the best security packages for your PC.



Click here to download ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite

Alternatively, if you already have some protection products but need to fill in the gaps choose the software you need from each category below.

Anti-Virus

A computer virus is the term used to describe any type of malicious software which alters the way a computer operates without the knowledge or permission of the user.  Many automatically copy or send themselves to other computers using any one of a variety of methods such as e-mail or a security flaw in a PC network.  A computer virus may have a number of possible purposes or "payload".  For example, some use your PC to send "Spam" others may destroy all your digital pictures.

E-mail has become one of the most common methods used to spread a computer virus and in 1999 the "Melissa" virus caused large companies like Microsoft to shut down their e-mail systems until a fix could be found.  In 2004 the fastest ever spread of an e-mail borne virus "Mydoom" infected 250,000 computers in one day.

Having an anti-virus program on your PC really is an absolute essential - but make sure you are using one that is updated frequently and is easy to use.  PC Tools Anti-Virus  and McAfee virusscan provide real-time protection and rapid database updates and is trusted by millions of people worlwide to keep their PCs free from malicious programs.  Recommended by PC Advisor, PC Pro, PC Answers, and PC Magazine.  Choose either program to keep your PC safe from "viruses", "worms", "trojans" and script based threats.

Click here to download a 30-day trail version of PC Tools Anti-Virus

Click here for  McAfee virusscan

Anti-Spyware Software

Spyware is a type of computer program that is installed without the users knowlege or consent and then monitors what users do with their computer and then sends that information over the Internet. Spyware can collect many different types of information about a user. Some of the least harmful programs can track all the websites a user visits and send this information to an advertisement agency. Some of the more dangerous versions of Spyware can try to log what a user types on the keyboard aiming to catch and record passwords or credit card numbers. Other versions of Spyware, sometimes called "Adware" simply launch pop-up advertisements.


All Spyware is bad for your PC because, even the most harmless are taking up resources of memory, computing power and Internet bandwidth which may cause your PC to slow down.  The worst are stealing your credit card details or your passwords for online accounts.  If your PC is connected to the Internet you need an Anti-Spyware program.

CTU recommends you use either CounterSpy or Spyware Doctor because they are the best anti-spyware systems available and are recommended by PC Pro,  Tucows,  PC Magazine,  PC World,  PC User and Download.com

Click Here for  a FREE Trial of  CounterSpy

Click Here for a FREE Trial of Spyware Doctor


Spam Filters

Unsolicited junk e-mail sounds harmless enough but not only are they a real nuisance, they clog up your use of the Internet with their traffic and fill your Inbox with junk.  In 2002 9% of all emails was Spam.  In 2003 that had risen to  40% but in 2004 it reached a staggering 73% of all emails.  Its a problem that is not going to go away for some time yet and as many viruses are distributed by Spam you need a good Spam filter to add that extra layer of protection.

CTU recommends you use either iHateSpam or Spam Monitor because we believe they are the best available for the home user and come from very reputable sources. Both have a powerful filtering utility and yet are easy to use and manage.  

Business users should contact CTU for information about Mailcontroller, an exceptional and effective managed service which filters Spam and blocks viruses before the email arrives to your mail server.

Click here for a FREE trial of iHateSpam

Click here for a FREE trial of Spam Monitor.

Personal Firewall

Although Windows XP comes with a firewall built-in hackers are aware of this firewall and have developed ways around it.  The magazine PC World (not the chain store) reported that Microsoft admitted that it is possible for a clever hacker to switch off the XP firewall.  Because of this kind of vulnerability you need an extra personal firewall from a reputable software company.  

Click here for McAfee Personal Firewall


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