Hi there fellow mouse potatoes :] First of all, let me welcome y'all to my blog. Or should I say, welcome to my blag. It's probably the best blog blag ever ! If you want to get lots of top notch downloads and utilities and up to date techie gossip, then you are in the right place. You will find many exciting programs, essential utilities, features, latest film previews and downloads to your left and also below. Feel free to dip in at your leisure. They are for everyone and are not all geo-targeted. Good luck.

What is a Firewall ? It is not a wall of fire. It is a piece of essential software to help protect your computer being attacked on a network. Windows gives you a basic firewall, but we all need to strengthen our defenses. And in the off chance you are surrounded by a wall of fire, your best means of escape is to start another fire where you are standing and when they meet up the both fires will go out !

Ok, now we need to get you some premium software.

I have decided to list the first 10 global companies in order of Alexa Rankings. Even though they are the ultra best and rankings can go up as well as down each week, they mostly remain at their position on a consistent basis. However, that does not mean that other quality companies have exceptional software and they will all be included in this list as I slowly progress. Please be patient and remember this is my first post. Rankings and PR can be skewed a lot of the time, due to many reasons like who they link to and who links to them and how much they spend on advertising. That is why I will try and only use software or give you links to sites in the top million. Wow! But for the benefits of this blog, I will share my knowledge of only the top 100,000 sites. Also rankings etc are nothing to do with overall profits!! They are merely a yardstick of popularity.

So here is your starter for 10.

1. Microsoft - Ranking 13

When Windows Live OneCare was first released, I knew almost immediately that Microsoft had hit pay dirt again and I had found the Holy Grail of software. The firewall is rock solid and they added the real-time functionality of Windows Defender, which caught viruses and trojans in an instant, allowing you to quarantine them. It also has the ability to defrag your hard drive. And just in case you accidentally delete essential system files, (e.g DLL files), it will replace them for you while you sleep. [provided you leave it turned on and connected to the net, that is]. Windows Live OneCare is easy to use! Three different colors quickly alert you to your computer’s present status: A green icon means your status is Good--everything is running smoothly and your computer is not due for a tune-up or backup. A yellow icon means your status if Fair, which may mean you need to run a tune-up or backup, but nothing is an immediate threat to your system. A red icon means your computer is At Risk, which may mean that an update cannot be made or OneCare is not on. Check out what Windows Live Onecare has to offer by downloading your FREE 90-day trial download today!

2. Symantec - Ranking 333

Essential protection from viruses, hackers and privacy threats Norton Internet Security 2008 from Symantec is a another great another choice, even if you are a complete noob or an experienced user. It offers a robust firewall, anti-phishing protection and with enhanced password features, you know you are completely safe. I used Norton in the good old days, and it was sometimes incompatible with other add-on software, where you would have to uninstall all of their features before Norton would recognise itself or allow you to continue. This has changed and less annoying with this latest edition. It is a lot easier to use and comes complete with a background scheduler facility and registry cleaner. Overall , it does exactly what it says on the box. Try it free for 15 days and see what you think.

3. Grisoft - Ranking 358

AVG Internet Security from Grisoft has become one of the most popular choices over the couple of years. This award winning package contains some of the most powerful tools known to man. It is fast, dynamic and totally ruthless at tackling viruses, trojans and worms. I have used this powerhouse and found that under lab conditions, the program itself was in fact a rootkit. To my amazement, my tests proved wrong as the program I used to test it was generating a false positive. The program is not a rootkit, but it does live very deep in your kernel and that is why it is effective in protecting your system. Therefore, I recommend it for experienced users only. Feel free to download a free copy of this program.

4. Kaspersky - Ranking 827

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 from the award winning Russian company Kaspersky Labs, offers a more user-friendly interface coupled with its dynamic hacker-proof ability and parentral control features. The firewall gives you real-time protection against all of today's threats and it has an in-built anti-spam filter allowing the user to feel completely safe. It can detect and remove all types of malware at the bat of an eye. Kaspersky was one of the first companies to detect and remove the Smitfraud-C virus, when everyone else was flapping around and scratching their heads. It also includes a Virtual Keyboard preventing keyloggers getting in to your system and a "rollback" feature which will take your machine back in time before it got infected. Kaspersky is certainly a robust piece of software. Get Kaspersky Product Trial for 30 days and you won't be disappointed.

5. McAfee - Ranking 1,076

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 is another solid contender in the computer security marketplace. Established in 1987, it not only caters for the home user, but delivers high-end software for the business user as well. This 2008 version gives you 10-in-1 protection, which includes a hacker-proof firewall, up to date virus and spyware detection tools, but also an excellent little add-on called Site Advisor. Its simple traffic light system interface lets you see beforehand whether websites contain spyware or adware before you enter them. I use this neat little gizmo all the time as a stand-alone program. Another handy feature is the Shredder contained within the QuickClean program. McAfee ISS is a very user-friendly piece of kit, but does take up more resources than others security suites. Let's not forget, it is a 10-in-1 prevention and protection package. McAfee is also used in MSN Premium Hotmail. I recommend this one for the family. Get it today and you can decide for yourself.

6. PC Tools - Ranking 1,650

ZoneAlarm from Check Point Software Technologies is another contender which deserves a mention. The basic Firewall is free and only covers the bare minimum. ie. inbound and outbound protection and also stealth mode. Good if you are real tight and don't want to go beyond novice. However ZA Internet Security Suite is where the real functionality of the program excels itself. You get everything from the usual virus removal, anti-phishing, anti-spam, uncle-this, uncle-that and excellent parental control (except Vista). There is wireless protection on-board, ID-Lock, a SmartDefense Advisor and a gem of an auto-learn feature, which means you can just plug and play and the firewall OSSecurity will automatically configure itself for you. Just sit back and set this thing to work. You also get the chance to a fully working copy of ISS from something called TrialPay, whereby the advertiser gives you the punter the product for free, if you satisfy certain criteria and other obligations. Please read the small print for more details. A very competent piece of software.

8. Trend Micro - Ranking 2,422

Formed in 1988, Trend Micro offers comprehensive software in the form of Trend Micro Internet Security, which many might remember as PC-cillin. This program protects you against all types of network attacks with its' two-way firewall and fights against all viruses and spyware, including those of tomorrow. Your family can surf and read email safely with confidence, knowing that their software is used in MSN Hotmail (free and Plus). They offer excellent support and an online free scanning service called HouseCall and many trials. They also offer CWS Shredder (Cool Web Search) and HijackThis, a very powerful tool used to find BHO's (Browser Hijack Objects) and other hard to remove spyware. I should point out that HijackThis is for the experienced user only ! It is recommended to post your logs on a forum. Why not try some of their trials today.

9. Panda Security - Ranking 3,272

Panda Security is a Spanish company formed in 1990. They service the precise needs of corporate clients, small to medium-sized companies, small businesses and professionals and, of course, home users. Panda Security a leading developer and provider of integrated security solutions to combat viruses, hackers, Trojans, spyware, phishing, spam and other Internet-borne threats. With the revolutionary TruPrevent™ Technologies, Panda Security’s innovative solutions offer greater reliabilty, keeping clients protected even against new threats that have yet to be identified. Some poeple may think that their logo is similar to the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation). It isn't. They are unique, but are in one respect the WWF... Panda Security is the World Wide Firewall. And like panda's, they are strong, reliable and loyal. They offer 24 hour support, all year round. Check out their 30 day trial and decide for yourself.

10. CA - Ranking 3,775

There we have it folks. Thank you all for participating in my first post. I hope it helps you make a more informed decision when you chose your next piece of software.

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Labels: Alexa, Best, Download, Firewalls, Free, List, Rankings, Security, Software, Trial