Ad-Aware Free has long been one of the most popular spyware killers on the planet, and with good reason. It's simple to use, does an excellent job of detecting and killing spyware, and stays out of your way as much as possible. The fact that it's free for personal home use doesn't hurt, either.
The newest version of Ad-Aware Free improves on an already solid product, notably by expanding its protection. At first glance, the program looks substantially the same as previous versions. Tell it to scan your system, and it finds spyware and other malware, and then deletes it or quarantines it for you. But even though it looks and works largely the same, under the hood there are a substantial number of changes, primarily aimed at beefing up system protection. Ad-Aware Free now protects against rootkits, which are stealth attacks designed to escape detection and burrow their way into the operating system. Ad-Aware also includes several types of heuristic detection, which protects you by examining complex system behavior, rather than just looking for known malware signatures. If the program's heuristics work as well as do the heuristics in other anti-malware software, it should provide better protection against emerging and unknown threats, as well as threats that are already known.
[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the InfoWorld Test Center. ]
In addition, Ad-Aware Free promises to protect you against malware that tries to restore itself after a system reboot. And it now integrates with Internet Explorer to scan files as you download, alerting you to any malicious files you may send to your system.
Also new to this version of Ad-Aware is a "Simple mode" that lets you set your configuration once, and never have to do it again. If you prefer, you can toggle to Advanced Mode, where you can select advanced features for customization.
Note that Ad-Aware Free doesn't protect against viruses or provide full real-time protection. To get those features, you'll need an antivirus product. Lavasoft's for-pay products, the $27 Ad-Aware Plus and the $40 Ad-Aware Pro, include antivirus protection--though it's not yet clear whether those products are superior to their antivirus competition.
The upshot of all this? The newest version of this popular piece of software is well worth the download. If you don't already have Ad-Aware Free, this is a good time to try it. If it already lives on your PC, go ahead and upgrade to the new version.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive Applications Resource Alerts
Like any valuable resource, IT is a terrible thing to waste. But by applying the same lean techniques that have been used to streamline manufacturing processes, IT departments can reduce costs, improve performance and better manage resources.
Download now! »
Stephen Elliot, vice president of strategy for CA's Infrastructure Management and Data Center Automation business unit, explains why difficult economic times drive the need for simplified management capabilities and advanced automation tools.
Listen now! »
According to a recent study CA conducted with 300 CIOs and top IT executives, 64 percent of respondents say they've already invested in virtualization, and the other 36 percent reported that they plan to invest in virtualization.
Download now! »
In this video learn about process automation in a virtualized world. How CA and VMware are enabling enterprise datacenter automation.
View now! »
Recommend This
