Bay Geeks Computer Repair Services

Here is a question that we find our clients posing on a regular basis. The truth of the matter is that after a whole bunch of research, we’ve learned that Kaspersky Anti-virus is one of the best. We feel it’s worthy of our endorsement for several reasons. First, many commercial desktop management tools will use the Kaspersky antivirus engine to remediate viral threats. What does that mean? That means that the high-end corporate computer management solution providers are choosing Kaspersky to cure the viruses they find. Take LANDesk Antivirus for example. They’re using the Kaspersky antivirus engine and they’re ranked among the best desktop management solutions according to Gartner. We’ve compiled several other documents for your review on why Kaspersky’s Antivirus has become our antivirus program of choice for both business and personal uses. We stand behind Kasperskys, but let’s face it. No antivirus program will be 100% effective.  Then again, 98% effective is about as good as you’ll get. I tried G-data. Had to pay in pounds or euros and that about doubled the cost. I had a virus that wiped out all of my programs I used most within a week!When you look at Norton’s antivirus’s code being added to and added to over the years without so much as one rewrite… it’s no wonder their code is bloated just like all of their other programs. That’s one of the problems with growing by acquiring other companies. You have to patch together all of the code and ultimately you are creating weaker software.  Take that into consideration that it’s 96% effective against 500,000 viruses… that means that there were 20,000 viruses it didn’t protect against!I’d argue that the best software Symantec has ever written was the Norton removal tool! I wish I could take credit for that, but I can’t. I also wish I could give credit to that one!Computer Associates Antivirus is free with Road Runner. Why do I pay $60 per year for a subscription to Kaspersky’s? It just works. Computer Associates has bogged down my clients computers to the point that I had to stop recommending it. It’s just using too many resources like Nortons. I’ve never been very fond of McAfee. With a shameful 91% effective, they’re horrible and I can’t see how they’re still in business. I figure it must be from paying off the big hardware vendors to install their software on their boxes. When it comes down to it, the best antivirus program is Kaspersky’s hands down. You can pick up a copy here.  

One of the most common things we run into are out dated antivirus programs.

I bought this really great antivirus program. I’m safe, right?

Well, you’re on the right track. Surely you’re better off than you would be if you didn’t have any virus protection. The problem is that there are new viruses every day. Less often, there are newer and more sophisticated viruses that are lesser known or just more tricky. There are new vulnerabilities in new software and other vulnerabilities in older software that may or may not be known. I remember the first vulnerability service I ever subscribed to. There were a dozen notifications in less than an hour. Pretty scary reality.

To be protected to the best of your ability you’ll need to keep up a subscription to a high quality anti-virus program. I know, that’s good money you keep throwing into this technological black hole of expenses.

So you’ll need to keep an antivirus program updated and current. What else?

You’ll need to schedule it to run! If your antivirus program doesn’t have a scheduler just remember to run it regularly. We can also point you in the right direction of which programs will have a scheduler and be most effective and efficient against detecting viruses.

Effective and efficient?

Yes, that’s right! Several antivirus programs are good (96%-98%) effective. The downside is that you can’t do anything else when it’s running! That means no email, no surfing the web, no… whatever!

Effective antivirus programs will do what they’re supposed to do. We keep our eyes on the statistics of several antivirus analysts who keep track of these kinds of things.

One of my favorite places keeps track of a dozen antivirus programs. They’ll take a clean machine, load it (on purpose!) with somewhere in the neighborhood of 500,000 viruses.

Then they’ll let ‘er rip with the antivirus programs! The very best programs are only 99% effective. That means 5,000 viruses were never detected! On the lower end of the antivirus effectiveness scale is 88% effective. How would you like to have an expensive antivirus program that leaves your computer exposed to 60,000 viruses?

If your computer has been running slowly or acting funny in general, give us a call. We’ll be happy to check it out with a Bay Geeks Computer Checkup. We’ll analyze your system and make sure we get it running to the best of it’s ability. We’ll recommend upgrades if you like and teach you along the way so you can do some of the things that we do, all by yourself!

The other side of the story is a managed service. We can provide a reactive service desk as well as a proactive monitoring service. We’ll gladly monitor your computer’s performance and make periodic adjustments as needed. We also offer a flat rate for all of your remote computer needs. No sense breaking down your computer, unplugging all of those wires and carrying it to your car to take it to some overpriced retailer with an arrogant staff of high school kids. We’ll gladly free you from that burden and come to you on your terms.