1;For a private user, an antivirus program is sufficient to protect his computer.;Yes, an antivirus program is sufficient.;No, an antivirus program is not sufficient.;;2;This is a common error. Today's new types of threats, and their growing diffusion, make an antivirus program alone insufficient to protect a PC, even that of a private user. The three major risks to which a PC is exposed are viruses, spyware, and hacking attacks.
2;Regularly updating an antivirus scanner is:;Not necessary.;Advised.;Indispensable.;3;An antivirus scanner detects viruses by their signatures. It uses a database of known virus signatures. To identify the latest viruses, this database must be kept up to date. Most antivirus scanners now update themselves automatically over the internet.
3;Antispyware software:;Replaces antivirus software.;Is used in conjunction with antivirus software.;;2;"In addition to viruses, there exists another form of harmful programs, known as spyware. Traditional antivirus software does not detect spyware; specific antispyware is therefore necessary. Note that some products include both antivirus and antispwyare programs."
4;If I never open an email with an attachment, ;I am still exposed to both viruses and spyware.;I am not exposed to spyware.;I am not exposed to viruses.;1;It is true that viruses are generally propagated by email. But there are also viruses that enter computers through open ports. Spyware can also infect your computer through certain web pages or programs.
5;My email address is protected against viruses by my service provider's antivirus filter.;I still need an antivirus program.;I don't need an antivirus program, but I need an antispyware program.;I don't need an antivirus program.;1;Having an antivirus filter on your email account is great! But it's not enough. For one thing, certain viruses spread through open ports and aren't blocked by an email antivirus filter. You should also think about spyware, which isn't spread through email but through web pages and software.
6;I never use my computer to read or send email.;I am therefore not exposed to viruses.;It depends on the version of Windows I'm using.;I'm still exposed to viruses and spyware.;3;This is an incorrect assumption that's going around. Of course viruses spread through email. But there are also viruses that infect computers through open ports. In addition, spyware hides itself in certain programs and web pages.
7;To surf the internet, I don't use Internet Explorer. I use another browser.;I am therefore not exposed to spyware.;I am exposed to spyware.;I am not exposed to viruses.;2;It is true that certain spyware programs install themselves on Internet Explorer. But most spyware can contaminate your computer no matter what web browser you use.
8;A firewall is:;A protective element designed for companies, not for individuals.;Indispensable for individuals who want to protect their computers well.;An alternative to antivirus software.;2;It is true that firewalls were initially designed for companies and large networks. Today, however, firewalls are an indispensable part of personal computer security. Windows XP and Vista come with a small firewall that only needs to be activated to protect your computer.
9;A firewall is a piece of hardware or software that:;Prevents a hacker from accessing a computer or network that is protected by the firewall and controls external access to computers.;Protects computers against spyware in particular.;Protects against viruses more powerfully than antivirus software.;1;Most people have a very poor understanding of what a firewall is. When a computer is connected to an internal network or the internet, it exchanges data with other computers. A firewall examines and authorizes (or blocks) these exchanges based on their nature and origin.
10;A traditional virus scanner:;Detects all viruses.;Only detects viruses that it knows (viruses identified in its signature database).;Only detects the latest viruses.;2;An antivirus scanner only detects viruses whose signatures are present in its signature database. And that is its principal weakness! An antivirus scanner only detects known viruses. In case of a new virus epidemic or a new variant of a known virus, the antivirus scanner will be unable to detect the virus, as the signature will not be present in its database.
11;Spyware is:;A very powerful virus.;A program that collects information without the user's knowledge.;Protection software.;2;Spyware is software that gathers information without the knowledge of the user. Among the information gathered is often a list of sites visited by the user, search terms, and entered form data. Spyware is most often transmitted through web pages, in the form of ActiveX controls, or hidden in other software.
12;A computer virus is:;A bacteria that attacks computer programs.;A programming bug that has gotten worse.;A harmful program capable of replicating itself.;3;A computer virus shares many characteristics with a biological virus: it is small, harmful, and capable of replicating itself.
13;For individual users who want to protect their computers, the most important thing is to: ;Install antivirus software.;Inform themselves about the nature of different risks and solutions.;Update their antivirus software.;2;Even today, many individual computer users still believe that installing antivirus software protects them against every threat. Before anything else, it is essential to inform oneself about the different types of threats (such as viruses, spyware, and hackers) and the most recent solutions. The installation of good antivirus software is only part of protecting yourself.
14;To protect your computer well,;All you need is good antivirus software, especially if all you do is browse the internet.;You need updated antivirus and antispyware scanners, real-time protection, and a firewall.;You don't need to do anything. Windows is already well protected.;2;Today, an antivirus program alone isn't sufficient to protect a computer, first because of new kinds of threats (like spyware) and second because, thanks to the internet, the speed with which they spread is considerably greater. To protect yourself against current threats, you need updated antivirus and antispyware scanners, a real-time shield or blocker, and a firewall. There are products that combine antivirus and antispyware technology.
15;You receive an email appearing to come from your bank that asks you to immediately change your password over the internet.;There isn't a moment to lose. You click on the link provided and you change your password.;You make sure that the connection is secure (HTTPS).;Before connection, you make sure that the email you receive really comes from your bank. You don't click on the link provided and you connect to your bank's website, using the address from an official document.;3;The technique known as phishing has become increasingly prevalent over the last two years. Individuals send out mass emails that look exactly like those sent by banks. The stated purpose of the email is often a security alert encouraging the user to connect to the bank's website to change his or her password. The link provided in the email leads the user to a pirate site that looks exactly like that of the bank. If the user enters his or her information into that site, the pirates can then access the bank account and empty it. To avoid being tricked, the safest thing is to enter the address of the bank yourself, taking the link from an official document. You often hear about the necessity of checking whether a site is secure (padlock and HTTPs). The presence of the padlock only indicates that the exchange of data is encrypted, but has nothing to do with whether youÆre on the right site! Pirates can very easily use a secure link to their site.
16;You already have good antivirus and antispyware software.;Adding a firewall is superfluous, given the protections you already have.;Adding a firewall can cause conflicts with the rest of your security software.;Adding a firewall is indispensable to protect yourself from certain threats.;3;Having good antivirus and antispyware software is already a good start, but it's not enough. To protect yourself from certain threats (like hacking intrusions and harmful programs that spread through open ports), a firewall is indispensable. Windows XP and Vista come with basic firewalls that simply need to be activated.
17;You already have good antivirus and firewall software.;You're not well protected against spyware and you should immediately install antispyware protection.;You scan your PC from time to time with free antispyware software. That's enough.;You don't need anything else to protect your PC.;1;Having good antivirus software and a well-configured firewall is a good start, but it's not enough. You are not protected against spyware. You need to complete your protection with antispyware software, either with an antispyware scanner or, even better, with real-time antispyware protection.
18;You have an ADSL internet connection but you almost never browse the web and you don't have an email address.;You are therefore not exposed to viruses.;You are not exposed to viruses, but you are exposed to other kinds of threats.;You are exposed to viruses as well as to other kinds of threats.;3;It is true that the more you surf the internet and the more you download, the more you are exposed. Certain threats, however, like hacking intrusions and harmful programs that spread through open ports, enter the PC directly no matter what you do. Simply being connected to the internet (and therefore having an IP address and thus being visible on the internet) is enough to be exposed.
19;A friend tells you that today Windows is already very well protected and that free antivirus software is easily sufficient to protect you against current threats.;You download the same antivirus software as your friend.;You inform yourself from a specialized source of information worthy of your confidence, like a computer magazine.;You buy the new Windows Vista, which is extremely secure.;2;Every day, hundreds of people persuaded to protect themselves with only antivirus software have to reformat harddrives that are full of harmful programs (like spyware, malware, worms, etc). A simple antivirus scanner is no longer sufficient to protect yourself against the threats out there.
20;You already have antivirus software and your PC has been working perfectly for months.;You should install antispyware software and a firewall right now.;You should install antispyware software or a firewall as soon as your computer becomes infected.;Installing antispyware software or a firewall is completely useless. ;1;According to studies performed by the Ministry of the Interior, more than 77% of PCs are infected with spyware. A study from August 2006 performed by Webroot estimated that 89% of the computers of individual users were infected. By definition, spyware, unlike a virus, hides itself in order to gather the maximum amount of information for the longest possible time. The users of PCs infected with spyware are generally unaware of the infection until they install antispyware software.
