👍 #830 - What Security Software Do You Recommend? Basic Protection in Four Steps - Confident Computing

This week's articles & videos

This week's featured article is one of my oldest, but also one of the most regularly updated. It also addresses one of the questions I'm asked most often: what anti-virus (or anti-spyware, or anti-malware, or security software) should you run?

It's an answer that's changed quite a bit since it was originally written over a decade ago. In particular, it's changed significantly in recent years with the introduction of Windows 10.

Even if you've got a solution in place, What Security Software Do You Recommend? is well worth a review for the latest.

Also this week: Why you don't back up your computer (it's harder than it should be), a dive into the "headers you don't see" in email (geeky), and how one avoids, or fixes, so called "software rot" (it's gotten better, but it can still be a pain).

I also have to call out My Solution to Social Media Overload (and its companion video on YouTube), also new this week. Facebook became too overwhelming for me, and I've elected to take a break. I discuss some of what I'm doing instead, including a brief introduction to Feedly which enables me to efficiently manage daily information from around 125 different web sites.

Only videos related to the above this week on YouTube; we've changed the way we release videos there, so this week's a little thin.

Discord!

As I type this we have nearly 150 Ask Leo! readers taking part in my Discord experiment. Particularly since I'm taking that Facebook break I'm finding this a fun place to hang out and chat.

Drop in. Chat. Ask questions.

Ask Leo! on Discord has all the details.

TEH Podcast

In this week's podcast we speculate on what Apple has up its sleeve in its next big announcment, briefly discuss whether or not the big tech companies are playing monopoly, and shared a couple of positive, and non-techie TV shows. I also shared that Windows Power Toys are worth a peek (I'm using them myself).

TEH 113: Phone size change. Is 5G growing? Monopolies, Airpods, Power Tools and Emojis

Stay safe & healthy. Wear a mask. Above all, be kind.

Featured

What Security Software Do You Recommend? Basic Protection in Four Steps

My recommendations for specific security software and techniques to keep your computer, and yourself, safe.

https://askleo.com/3517

Affiliate Disclosure

This Week on Ask Leo!

Why Don't You Back Up Your Computer?

Backups are one way you can protect yourself from everything from hardware failure to virus infections. So why don't you back up?
https://askleo.com/3388

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Email Headers Revealed and How They Might Help You

Email headers are geeky magic, but understanding a few can help identify spam and diagnose some email problems.
https://askleo.com/126191

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Avoiding or Fixing Software Rot in Windows 10

Software rot is the slow degradation of your computer's performance for no apparent reason. I'll review why it happens, how to prevent, and how to recover.
https://askleo.com/126177

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My Solution to Social Media Overload

I'm taking a break from Facebook. Here I discuss why, what Facebook brings to the table, and what alternatives I'm using instead.
https://askleo.com/126616

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What Can I Disable in Task Manager's Startup List?

Task Manager shows many of the items that run automatically when you start your machine. What you need and what you don't depends on many factors.
https://askleo.com/2633

This Week on YouTube

Subscribe to Ask Leo! on YouTube to get the latest on YouTube.com. Your subscription (and "Likes") help others find Ask Leo!, and the the answers they're looking for.

My Solution to Social Media Overload

Too much ... just ... too much. ? That's my reaction to Facebook right now. I discuss why I'm suffering social media overload, why I'm taking a break from it, and what I'm doing instead.
https://youtu.be/xVaXiCWcKBc

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Email Headers Explained and How They Might Help You

Email headers are geeky magic, but understanding a few can help identify spam and diagnose some email problems.
https://youtu.be/YSIs1M91uS8

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