Guide to shopping at Symantec

1. On the Symantec Homepage choose the Buy Online option.
2. You will now have to choose whether you are a Home & Office user, a Small Business user, or an Enterprise.
3. Click on the Software icon on the left of the page to go to a list of all Symantec Products. You will also be able to see a list of special promotions, or you can use the quick search option if you already know exactly what product you require.
4. You will now be able to choose what product you require. All products are listed under sub-category headings. These are Internet Security, Virus Protection, Problem-Solving, Communications, Macintosh, and Mobile Security. The price of each product is displayed next to it along with a short description.
5. You can click on the product that is of interest to you for more information.
6. You will now be taken to a description of your chosen product along with its specifications and system requirements.
7. Choose from buy Download and Buy Package and you will be taken to a summary of your order, along with Symantec’s recommendations. Choose to accept them or continue with your original choice.
8. You will now have to enter your personal and billing information. You will also have to decide on and confirm a password. The password will be necessary should you need to contact Symantec regarding your purchase. Once you have done this, submit your order.
9. Your new Symantec Product will now be downloaded or delivered depending on your order.

Antivirus Jargon Buster

Adware

Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.

Antivirus Software

Antivirus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software. Antivirus software typically uses two different techniques to accomplish this. The first is examining (scanning) files to look for known viruses matching definitions in a virus dictionary. The second is identifying suspicious behaviour from any computer program which might indicate infection. Such analysis may include data captures, port monitoring and other methods.

Computer Virus

In computer security, a computer virus is a self-replicating computer program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. A computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells. The term virus is often extended to refer to worms, trojan horses and other sorts of malware; viruses in the narrow sense of the word are less common than they used to be, compared to other forms of malware.

Firewall

In computing, a firewall is a piece of hardware and/or software which functions in a networked environment to prevent some communications forbidden by the security policy.

Freeware

Freeware is copyrighted computer software which is made available for use free of charge, for an unlimited time, as opposed to shareware where the user is required to pay after some trial period.

Hacker

A hacker is a person who creates and modifies computer software and computer hardware, including computer programming, administration, and security-related items.

Malware

Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system, without the owner's informed consent. Malware is commonly taken to include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and some adware.

Spyware

In the field of computing, the term spyware refers to a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party.

Trojan Horse

In the context of computer software, a Trojan horse is a malicious program that is disguised as or embedded within legitimate software. The term is derived from the classical myth of the Trojan Horse. They may look useful or interesting (or at the very least harmless) to an unsuspecting user, but are actually harmful when executed.

Worm

A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program similar to a computer virus. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program; however, a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself. They are often designed to exploit the file transmission capabilities found on many computers. The main difference between a computer virus and a worm is that a virus cannot propagate by itself whereas worms can. A worm uses a network to send copies of itself to other systems and it does so without any intervention.

Tips to keep your Computer Virus-Free

1. Install reliable Anti-Virus software. Anti-virus software scans files regularly for unusual chang es in file size, programs that match the software's database of known viruses, suspicious email attachments, and other warning signs. It's the most important step you can take towards keeping your computer clean of viruses. It runs continuously in the background of your computer, providing constant protection from viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and other malicious code
     
2. Don't automatically open attachments. Be sure your email program doesn't automatically download attachments. This will ensure that you can examine and scan attachments before they run.
      
3. Scan all incoming email attachments. Be sure to run each attachment you plan to open through the anti-virus check. Do this even if you recognize and trust the sender; malicious code, like Trojan horses, can slip into your system by appearing to be from a friendly source.
      
4. Get "live" protection. Configure your anti-virus software to boot automatically on start-up and run at all times. This will provide you back-up protection in case you forget to scan an attachment, or decide not to.
     
5. Update your anti-virus software frequently. An anti-virus program is only as good as the frequency with which it is updated. New viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are born daily, and variations of them can slip by software that is not current.
     
6. Be aware of downloaded programs from the Web. Unreliable sources such as Internet newsgroups or Web sites that you haven't heard of may be willing providers of viruses for your computer. Avoid downloading files you can't be sure are safe. This includes freeware, screensavers, games, and any other executable program—any files with an ".exe" or "".com" extension, such as "coolgame.exe." If you download from the Internet, be sure to scan each program before running it. Save all downloads to one folder, then run virus checks on everything in the folder before using it.
     
7. Don't boot from a CD/DVD. If you are using a disc while working on your computer, remove it when you shut the machine off or the computer will automatically try to boot from the CD, perhaps launching any viruses on the disc.
      
8. Don't share CD/DVD's. Even a well-meaning friend may unknowingly pass along a virus, Trojan horse, or worm. Label your discs clearly so you know they're yours and don't loan them out. If a friend passes you a foreign disc, suggest an alternative method of file sharing.
     
9. Scan CD/DVD's before using them. This is always important, but especially if you are using the CD to carry information between one computer and another. You could easily pick up a virus from an insecure network and introduce it into your system. Running a virus scan before launching any of the programs on the disk will prevent infection.
      
10. Use common sense. It's always better to be safe. If you're unsure about an attachment, delete it. Especially if it's from a source you don't recognise. If there are tempting animations on a site that look highly unprofessional, don't download them.