Please help me help my 13 year old nephew

[Coyote_Bandit]

He doesn't want to spend any $$$ for security/anit-virus/malware protection software. Even if he wanted to his meager allowance won't buy him much.

His father is dead. His mother is not very tech (or security) savy and just had both her Facebook account and her email hacked. His new step-father seems even less tech savy.

The kid promised to download, install and use any free security software programs I would recommend to him. The programs that immediately come to mind are AVG, Avast and Spybot.

What would you recommend to this kid?



Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[rawtribe]

1. Microsoft Security Essentials

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials

[Betty88]

9. second this and

add malwarebytes the free is good the paid is great I think it costs $25 and may be a one time thing. The great thing about both these programs is they are not going to hog resources.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Malwarebytes, Ad-aware free.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

[PoliticAverse]

3. BTW most accounts are probably hacked by bad password choices.

http://xkcd.com/936/

[RC]

4. Don't forget a firewall.

Microsoft's built firewall in is not all that good. ZoneAlarm or Online Armor are decent.

Make absolutely sure you do [font size="5"]not[/font size] have two or more anti viruses going. They will fight each other and slow down or hang your computer.

[guardian]

7. Good tip

I like Malwarebytes precisely because the free version does not run all the time....only when I want to run. I either set the profiles on the other stuff not to run all the time, or change my startup config so they don't run at start up.

[HopeHoops]

5. Use Firefox. Tools-Options and turn off Javascript, History, and Location Bar

That pretty much takes care of Malware on the porn sites - he is 13 afterall.

[guardian]

6. ZoneAlarm free firewall

http://www.zonealarm.com/security/es/zonealarm-pc-security-free-firewall.htm

Combine with combo of other products (e.g., AVG, Avast, Malwarebytes, AdAware, Spybot, CCleaner) for antivirus and spyware.

[guardian]

8. Check with your ISP

Check with your Internet provider. Some companies provide security suites for free for subscribers that you'd normally have to pay for. For example, Comcast provides Norton Security Suite to all high speed internet subscribers.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

10. Also Spybot Search & Destroy

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

It's a passive anti-spyware program which won't conflict with your firewall or active anti-virus like Microsoft Security Essentials, and it's freeware.

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. Thank you all

I have forwarded all your suggestions to him.

I'll follow up with him after he gets back from his summer school trip.

[-LOKI -BAD FOR YA]

12. SUPERAntiSpyware -free- essential n\t

[whistler162]

13. Combofix to clean things up.

and maybe something like this http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ if his mother and step-father are that untech savy.