BleepingComputer.com: What can i do to improve my current secuirty

I wana know if theres anything i can do that can increase my security. This is what i am using atm... Live time anti virus: Ad-Aware-free edtion, Firewall: Comodo Firewall, Spyware/malware scanners: Malware bytes , Spy-bot search and destroy, Windows defender(comes installed anyways), Other protection : I run all my browsers in Sandboxie and i got Spy bots teatimer enabled with paranoid mode enabled.

Ad Aware isn't anti virus. It's anti spyware. Avira and Avast are among the better free AVs. Ad Aware & Spybot are both programs that were decent several years ago but aren't recommended anymore. Get rid of them. Keep Malware Bytes and add Super Anti Spyware. BTW, based on your list you don't have real time AV protection.

mvps.org is no longer recommending Spybot S&D or Ad-Aware due to poor testing results. See here - (scroll down and read under Freeware Antispyware Products). Further, most people don't understand how to use Spybot's TeaTimer and that feature can cause more problems than it's worth. TeaTimer monitors changes to certain critical keys in Windows registry but does not indicate if the change is normal or a modification made by a malware infection. The user must have an understanding of the registry and how TeaTimer works in order to make informed decisions to allow or deny the detected changes. If you don't have understanding how a particular security tool works, then you probably should not be using it. Additionally, TeaTimer may conflict with other security tools which do a much better job of protecting your computer and in some cases it will even prevent disinfection of malware by those tools.

As for Ad-Aware, it has even been placed into the Installers Hall of Shame for bundling and pre-checking Google Chrome during the installation. Also read Lavasoft Turning to the Dark Side? written by a former volunteer (now a MVP) who provided support for Ad-Aware but no longer uses the program.

More effective alternatives are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SUPERAntiSpyware Free.

I recommend taking advantage of the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (Pro) Protection Module in the full version which uses advanced heuristic scanning technology to monitor your system and provide real-time protection to prevent the installation of most new malware. This technology runs at startup where it monitors every process and helps stop malicious processes before they can infect your computer. The database that defines the heuristics is updated as often as there is something to add to it. Keep in mind that Malwarebytes does not act as a real-time protection scanner for every file like an anti-virus program so it is intended to be a supplement, not a substitute. Enabling the Protection Module feature requires registration and purchase of a license key that includes free lifetime upgrades and support. After activation, Malwarebytes can be set to update itself and schedule scans automatically on a daily basis. The Protection Module is not intrusive as the program utilizes few system resources and should not conflict with other scanners or anti-virus programs.

If any conflicts between Malwarebytes' and another security program are reported, suggested solutions are usually provided in the Common Issues, Questions, and their Solutions, FAQs thread. I know and have worked with some members of the research team so I can attest that they make every effort to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Ad Aware used to not have real time protection(guess its called ad ware internet security now) and now it does and according to pcmag it scored highest on 2011 benchmarks of live time protection.
PcMag
It cleary states it has live time protection now
Lavasoft
Yea i guess spy bot is kinda out of date but is the tea timer still effective?

You did not mention any backup software or procedure.

Backups will not protect you from malware, but will make your life much easier if you have to recover from an infection or another disaster.

Besides active malware protection software, I recommend regular backups of your data, or if you can, your complete system.
I see you use Windows 7, which comes with a backup application.

Yea i only made a backup once ... I really should get in the habit of making regular backups

Important Tip: Always remember that security begins with personal responsibility.

quietman7, on 23 February 2011 - 02:37 PM, said:

I Read the article and I couldn't Agree more xD.
Note thanks for all of your recommendations/opioions and keep them coming i know nothing is fail proof but this is helping me to get the best protecion as possible