Back in the day of Win98 and 386 computers, I used Zone Alarm and was quite
pleased with it -- stable, easy to work with.
Yes, in those days the operating systems were different and ZA was a nice
'security' addition.
Since those days, I've gone through a couple of computers, each of which
came with either Norton or McAfee bundled. I now have a new machine, runs
Vista, and I'm having problems with McAfee -- sometimes it updates,
sometimes it doesn't update, and sometimes it calls for me to reinstall
McAfee. Screw that.
A very useful application for any *new* pc is the PC Decrapifier, it
attempts to remove all of the crap on your PC that you never asked for
or...
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/removes
Also:
McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool three-step fix
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?lc=1033&id=TS100507
Direct:
http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe
Good quality AV alternative:
Avira AntiVir® Personal - FREE Antivirus
http://www.free-av.com/
(The free version won't scan your emails.)
Why You Don't Need Your Anti-Virus Program to Scan Your E-Mail
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htm
Ensure your e-mail program is configured to display e-mail messages in
'Plain Text' only.
You may wish to consider removing the 'AntiVir Nagscreen'
http://www.elitekiller.com/files/disable_antivir_nag.htm
Is Zone Alarm still around?
Yes it is but would not recommend using it on your operating system!
Vista by default contains 82 default filters that prevent 34 services from
communicating out other than on a very narrow set of defined ports.
You are not going to find anything better than the Vista FW and Vista in
itself due to the advanced features the FW and Vista are using.
Managing the Windows Vista Firewall
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc510323.aspx
*(read twice)*
Jesper's Blogs-
At Least This Snake Oil Is Free.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2007/07/19/at-least-this-snake-oil-is-free.aspx
Windows Firewall: the best new security feature in Vista?
http://blogs.technet.com/jesper_johansson/archive/2006/05/01/426921.aspx
Exploring The Windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/VistaFirewall/default.aspx
"If you try to block outbound connections from a computer that’s already
compromised, how can you be sure that the computer is really doing what you
ask? The answer: you can’t. Outbound protection is security theater—it’s a
gimmick that only gives the impression of improving your security without
doing anything that actually does improve your security. This is why
outbound protection didn’t exist in the Windows XP firewall and why it
doesn’t exist in the Windows Vista™ firewall."
Tap into the Vista firewall's advanced configuration features
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877-6098592.html
"...once you discover the secret of accessing its advanced configuration
settings via the MMC snap-in, you'll find it to be far more configurable
and functional. At last, Windows comes with a sophisticated personal
firewall that can be used to set up outbound rules as well as inbound, with
the ability to customize rules to fit your precise needs."
Or
Configure Vista Firewall to support outbound packet filtering
http://searchwindowssecurity.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid45_gci1247138,00.html
Or
Vista Firewall Control (Free versions available).
Protects your applications from undesirable network incoming and outgoing
activity, controls applications internet access.
http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/
The free version may be all you need, check the comparisons under
the "Download and Buy" link.
Snakeoil!
Finally:
Routinely practice Safe-Hex.
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
Hundreds Click on 'Click Here to Get Infected' Ad
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2132447,00.asp
Good luck
