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Frequently Asked Questions
» What is a virus?
» How do anti-virus products work?
» How do viruses spread?
» What damage can viruses cause?
» What makes Total Defense Anti-Virus different from the rest?
» Why does anti-virus software need continually updated signature files?
» How does Total Defense Anti-Virus provide automated updates?
» How can Total Defense Anti-Virus protect me from tomorrow's viruses today?
» Who tests and certifies anti-virus software?
Total Defense Anti-Spyware
» What is spyware?
» How do I get infected with spyware?
» Why do I need anti-spyware software?
» If I already have anti-virus software, do I need anti-spyware software?
» Why not use free anti-spyware software?
Total Defense Personal Firewall
» What is a firewall?
» Why do I need a firewall?
» What kinds of threats do firewalls protect against?
» If I already have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, do I need a firewall?
» What is Public Network Detection (WiFi Hot Spot Detection)?
Total Defense Anti-Spam
» What is spam?
» Why is spam a problem; can't I just delete spam from my Inbox by hitting Delete?
» What kinds of threats does an anti-spam product protect against?
» How do I get spam?
» Can't I get rid of spam emails by unsubscribing?
» What is DKIM and SPF with Email Inspector?
» How can I solve my spam problem?
Total Defense Website Inspector (Anti-Phishing)
» What is phishing?
» What is the risk in doing business on the Internet?
» What are the most common methods of Internet fraud?
» What is Total Defense Website Inspector?
» What is the Total Defense Toolbar?
» What browsers does the Total Defense Toolbar support?
» What is the Total Defense Link Advisor?
» What applications does Link Advisor support?
Total Defense Parental Controls
» Why do I need parental controls software?
» What are the most common risks to children on the Internet?
» How do parental controls products work?
Total Defense Backup and Migration (formerly, Total Defense Desktop DNA® Migrator)
» What is Total Defense Backup and Migration?
» What is a PC's DNA?
» Why do I need a data backup solution?
» Why do I need a data migration solution?
» What is the difference between a Typical and Custom Migration?
» What is the difference between a Deferred and a Real-Time migration?
» Can Total Defense Backup and Migration move a PC's DNA between different versions of applications and Windows operating systems?
» Does Total Defense Backup and Migration migrate Outlook settings and associated mail files?
Total Defense Anti-Virus
Q: What is a virus?
A: A computer virus is a form of malicious software - also referred
to as "malware" (derived from the combination of the words malicious,
and software). The forms of malware that anti-virus products commonly
protect against include:
- Viruses - a small program that attaches itself to another program or document, and replicates with the potential to cause damage.
- Worms - specifically engineered to make extensive use of email to spread them rapidly.
- Trojans - programs that pretend to be something harmless but have a damaging or otherwise malicious intent.
- Zombies - programs that install themselves on PCs, and remain dormant until an external event triggers them into action. These could do damage to your PC, steal your personal information and send it to an unauthorized email account, or even open up remote control access to your PC.
All of these forms of malware are commonly referred to simply as "viruses".
Q: How do anti-virus products work?
A: Anti-virus products provide protection by detecting viruses,
and then disabling or removing them from your PC. Detecting viruses is
the job of the anti-virus "engine", which scans your PC, looking for the
tell-tale signatures of these malicious programs. Once detected, the software
will take the appropriate action, such as clean, delete, or quarantine.
Q: How do viruses spread?
A: Viruses today are typically spread via email, but can also be
spread by sharing disks, network drives, or Internet downloads. Viruses
cannot spread on their own and must be run (or executed) by someone to
cause damage. Boot sector viruses spread when a user inadvertently boots
their PC from an infected disk. Macro viruses can spread by simply opening
an infected document.
Q: What damage can viruses cause?
A: The type of damage viruses can do varies dramatically. Some
of them do a great deal of damage to files, or even destroy the contents
of a hard drive, while others install programs intended to corrupt or
steal information from your PC.
Q: What makes Total Defense Anti-Virus different from the rest?
A: Total Defense serves major corporations, government entities, and educational
institutions worldwide. Total Defense Anti-Virus gives home users powerful technology
used by these organizations, in a format that's both easy-to-use and affordable.
The Total Defense Security Advisor Team, a global network of threat research labs
focused on PC protection, detect and design protection against virus threats
24/7.
Q: Why does anti-virus software need continually
updated signature files?
A: Since new viruses are released on a daily basis, it is critical
that the anti-virus software you use is updated with new virus signatures
to provide protection against the most current threats. Total Defense Anti-Virus
provides daily, fully automatic updates to help defend against the latest
threats.
Q: How does Total Defense Anti-Virus provide automated updates?
A: Total Defense Anti-Virus is configured to automatically check and update
virus signatures via a standard Internet connection. This process is completely
automated and does not require user intervention.
Q: How can Total Defense Anti-Virus protect me from tomorrow's
viruses today?
A: Heuristic scanning engines enable Total Defense Anti-Virus to detect even
unknown viruses by analyzing file characteristics to prevent potential
infection. Once a specific virus is added to our detections, Total Defense Anti-Virus
will also detect other iterations or variations of that virus. This way,
when a new virus is created that uses a similar "fingerprint" as the previous
virus, Total Defense Anti-Virus will automatically detect the new virus.
Q: Who tests and certifies anti-virus software?
A: There are several independent organizations that test and certify
anti-virus software. Total Defense Anti-Virus is tested and certified effective by
ICSA Labs, Virus Bulletin and West Coast Labs.
Total Defense Anti-Spyware
Q: What is spyware?
A: Spyware is the common term for a wide variety of non-viral programs
that are typically installed onto a user's PC without their knowledge.
Spyware can steal your personal information, switch your home page, re-direct
your web searches, display annoying ads, slow your PC to a crawl, or even
control it remotely. Spyware comes in many shapes and sizes; some are
simply an annoyance, while others threaten security and privacy.
Common types of spyware include:
- Spyware - tracks information about you, your computer, and your surfing habits
- Adware - displays unwanted advertising that can slow your computer to a crawl
- Keyloggers - can record every keystroke you make, then steal your passwords and other personal data
- Browser Hijackers - can change your browser home page and search results
- remote Access Trojans (rATS) - allows attackers to remotely control your computer
Q: How do I get infected with spyware?
A: Spyware can enter your PC through everyday web browsing, unauthorized
software downloads, peer-to-peer file swapping, email attachments, instant
messaging and chat sessions, bundles with legitimate software, hacker
website downloads, and "drive-by" installs from websites.
Q: Why do I need anti-spyware software?
A: Spyware can lead to anything from PC crashes to increased spam
to identity theft. These threats are rapidly proliferating and represent
a major security and privacy risk. Anti-spyware software is designed to
detect and remove these threats.
Q: If I already have anti-virus software, do I
need anti-spyware software?
A: Your anti-virus protection is important - it detects and removes
viral threats. But your PC can be infected with other dangers such as
spyware. Anti-spyware software is designed to stop these threats, which
have unique properties that can remain hidden on your PC and cause havoc.
Total Defense Anti-Spyware detects and removes a wide range of spyware threats, making
it a powerful complement to your anti-virus defense.
Q: Why not use free anti-spyware software?
A: Free anti-spyware products typically do not offer all of the
features and functions available in Total Defense Anti-Spyware - such as real-time
protection, a spyware information database, logging, support and automatic
updates. Also, free products typically cannot afford to invest heavily
in research and development, meaning their products may not be as effective
in detecting and removing a wide range of threats. In addition, free anti-spyware
products usually do not offer the same level of customer service and technical
support.
Total Defense Personal Firewall
Q: What is a firewall?
A: A firewall is an important first line of defense for computer
security. A firewall is software or hardware that acts as a barrier between
your PC and the Internet. It prevents unauthorized programs or users from
accessing your PC, and hides your Internet-connected PC from view. All
information leaving and entering your PC must pass through the firewall.
It ultimately helps keep hackers away from your personal and confidential
data.
Q: Why do I need a firewall?
A: In today's world of computing, several layers of protection
are needed in order to defend your confidential data from hackers. Every
PC connected to the Internet is a potential target. Computers are under
constant attack from cyber vandals. Whether your connection is dial-up,
DSL, or always-on, a firewall is necessary to stop intruders from getting
into your PC.
Q: What kinds of threats do firewalls protect against?
A: Firewalls help protect against hackers and online intruders
who steal personal and confidential data that could lead to identity theft.
Firewalls inspect each "packet" of data as it arrives on either side of
the firewall - inbound from the Internet, or outbound from your computer.
The firewall determines whether it should be allowed to pass, or if it
should be blocked.
Q: If I already have anti-virus and anti-spyware
software, do I need a firewall?
A: Yes. Total Defense Personal Firewall stops unauthorized access and hides
your PC from possible hacker attacks. Firewalls protect you from things
that anti-virus software and anti-spyware software are not designed to
find.
Anti-virus software detects and removes viruses, while anti-spyware software detects and removes spyware, adware, and other non-viral malicious code. Accordingly, Total Defense Personal Firewall is the perfect complement to anti-virus and anti-spyware software, providing a key component of a multilayered security strategy.
Q: What is Public Network Detection (WiFi Hot Spot
Detection)?
A: When you enter a new wireless network outside of your established
home network, this provides you with an alert so that you can make a decision
to accept additional firewall protection.
Total Defense Anti-Spam
Q: What is spam?
A: Spam is the common term for electronic ‘junk mail' or unwanted
messages sent to a person's email account.
Q: Why is spam a problem; can't I just delete
spam from my Inbox by hitting Delete?
A: Today, a large percentage of all email is unsolicited, unwanted
spam. The billions of spam messages circulating across the Internet can
disrupt email delivery, degrade system performance, and reduce overall
productivity. Deleting spam emails seems like the simple solution, but
if you add up the time spent deleting every spam email you receive, you
lose a significant amount of productivity.
Q: What kinds of threats does an anti-spam product
protect against?
A: Spam messages can contain offensive material, can be used in
fraudulent phishing attacks designed to steal your personal information,
and can even be used to spread viruses. Spammers can also take control
of your computer in order to send spam to others, from your PC. These
compromised home computers - collectively referred to as ‘botnets' -
can be used to send bulk emails by the millions.
Therefore, spam is not only a nuisance that affects your productivity - it can also be a serious threat to your security, privacy, and the health of your PC.
Q: How do I get spam?
A: Spammers often use bulk email programs to send out their unsolicited
messages to lists of email addresses that are often collected without
the recipient's knowledge. There are several ways spammers obtain these
email addresses:
- Harvesting from Websites - Most companies list email addresses and contact information on their websites. Spammers use web-crawlers to search for and collect these email addresses.
- Mailing lists - Many people sign up for mailing lists for newsletters, news alerts, coupons, special offers, and other interests. Spammers can often purchase or even steal these mailing lists.
- usenet Posting - Spammers can also use bots to cruise newsgroups on Usenet in order to collect email addresses.
- Coincidental - Your email address may be unique to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it may also be used by several other people using different ISPs. Spammers use the front part of email addresses and change the ISP name to create a list of several email addresses that might be valid.
- Dictionary Attacks - Spammers make educated guesses on email addresses by stringing together common names and words.
Q: Can't I get rid of spam emails by unsubscribing?
A: Not always. Any response to spam emails confirms the accuracy
of your email address, and may result in even more spam messages.
Q: What is DKIM and SPF with Email Inspector?
A: Many government entities, large corporations and educational
institutions register their domain with the DKIM and SPF organization
to protect cybercriminals from using their domain for nefarious means.
Email Inspector works with industry-standard protocols to scan email,
and thwart phishing attempts.
Q: How can I solve my spam problem?
A: Total Defense Anti-Spam is the easy-to-use, effective anti-spam solution
that blocks unwanted spam. Total Defense Anti-Spam allows you to see important messages
from people you know while blocking questionable messages from people
you don't.
Total Defense Website Inspector (Anti-Phishing)
Q: What is phishing?
A: Phishing generally refers to email messages that appear to come
from trusted companies, but then attempt to direct you to a fake website,
where you are asked to provide sensitive personal information (passwords,
account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on). This information can
then be used by the creators of the website to commit identity fraud.
Phishing emails are designed to appear legitimate, and the websites often
look identical to the legitimate company's website. Phishing attacks are
not limited to email, however; they can also occur through instant messaging,
in web pop-ups, or through spyware programs that may have been secretly
installed on your PC.
Q: What is the risk in doing business on the Internet?
A: The Internet has become a popular media for e-commerce and online
banking. As the business grows, scammers find ways to fool unwary users
into submitting personal and confidential details to fraudulent sites,
who can misuse that information. Other sites hide their identity and tempt
users to pay for goods and services they will never receive.
Q: What are the most common methods of Internet
fraud?
A: The main Internet fraud methods are:
- Pharming - A set of technical tricks that actually changes the destination of the URL that you see in your browser, and directs you to an "undercover" site. In other words, if you type www.mybank.com, you may think you are accessing your bank, but you're actually entering a scam site.
- Sites - "without identity" or with hidden identity - Sites that deliberately hide their ownership, making it harder to find the owner after a fraud has been committed at the site.
- Sites that collect personal or confidential information and do not keep the details secure - Sites that share your private information and email address with other sites for a profit.
- Spyware, Trojans & Keyloggers - Sites that secretly install malicious software on your PC, to track your use of the computer and send the information to those who intend to misuse it.
Q: What is Total Defense Website Inspector?
A: Total Defense Website Inspector helps protect you from phishing attacks,
Internet fraud attempts, and malicious websites. It provides a browser
toolbar that allows you to verify the identity of the website you are
visiting, and offers an easy-to-understand risk assessment informing you
whether it's safe to visit the site, or send personal information to the
site. Total Defense Website Inspector also checks any links received in email, instant
messenger and office applications, and verifies whether the site is safe.
Q: What is the Total Defense Toolbar?
A: After installing Total Defense Website Inspector, you'll notice an additional
toolbar in your browser window. It shows you the physical address of the
real owner of the site you're viewing. It also evaluates every site you
visit and warns you when you access dangerous or fraudulent sites. The
Total Defense Toolbar helps keep you safe and informed while browsing, allowing you
make educated decisions about trusting the sites you visit.
Q: What browsers does the Total Defense Toolbar support?
A: The Total Defense Toolbar currently supports Internet Explorer 5.0+ and
Firefox 1.0+.
Q: What is the Total Defense Link Advisor?
A: The Total Defense Link Advisor is another component of Total Defense Website Inspector
designed to keep you safe and informed while using the Internet. It works
within your email, instant messenger, and office applications to show
you vital information about the sites behind the links you intend to visit,
before you even click on the link. It evaluates every link and provides
you with the following information:
- Which site will you really visit
- Which company stands behind the site
- Is it safe to deal with the site
- Are there any known risks visiting the site
Q: What applications does Link Advisor support?
A: Total Defense Link Advisor works with a variety of applications including
Microsoft Word, Outlook and Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Yahoo! Instant
Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, and more.
Total Defense Parental Controls
Q: Why do I need parental controls software?
A: Despite its benefits, the Internet has also become a medium
to communicate things that many households would consider dangerous, offensive,
sexist, racist, or otherwise inappropriate for their family. Parental
controls software is one way for parents to take the initiative to create
an Internet environment that they consider safe.
Q: What are the most common risks to children on
the Internet?
A: Studies have shown that children can be inadvertently exposed
to pornography or other inappropriate content, or can intentionally view
it; can be solicited for sex while online; or can simply use the Internet
in ways that a parent would consider inappropriate or excessive.
Q: How do parental controls products work?
A: Parental controls software allows a parent to control and/or
monitor the online activities of their child or children. Parental controls
products allow parents to block offensive websites, set time limits on
Internet usage, and view reports that summarize the online activities
of the child.
Total Defense Backup and Migration (formerly, Total Defense Desktop DNA® Migrator)
Q: What is Total Defense Backup and Migration?
A: Total Defense Backup and Migration helps you backup and restore your PC's
"DNA" - everything about your PC that is unique to you. It also allows
you to easily transfer (migrate) that DNA from one computer to the next.
With just a few clicks, you can preserve user settings, address books,
data files, favorites, printer settings and numerous other unique settings
and preferences that you don't want to lose. With its user friendly wizard
interface, Total Defense Backup and Migration offers unprecedented control and flexibility.
Q: What is a PC's DNA?
A: Each person modifies their PC to fit their needs, jobs and preferences,
making their PC unique. Just like humans, computers are all unique as
defined by their DNA. A computer's DNA consists of system and application
settings, preferences and data files and folders - everything that makes
your PC unique to you - including:
- All of your Contacts and Address Books
- Your Email, Accounts, Calendars and Settings
- All of your Documents, Pictures and Music
- Favorites, Bookmarks and all Internet Connection Settings
- Printer, Network and Wireless Settings
- Microsoft Office Settings and Templates
- Favorite Background and Display Settings
- Shortcuts and Task Manager Settings
- Settings for hundreds of the most popular applications
Q: Why do I need a data backup solution?
A: In the event of an unforeseen incident - for example, a virus
or system crash - it's important to keep a "copy" of your PC's DNA, and
have the ability to restore your PC to its original state before the incident
occurred. Total Defense Backup and Migration allows you to easily backup, protect
and restore your PC's DNA after a disaster event.
Q: Why do I need a data migration solution?
A: Getting a new PC is great. What's not so great is trying to
move your PC's DNA from your old computer to your new one. Without your
old PC's DNA, you will spend hours, maybe days, relearning the way your
new PC works. Total Defense Backup and Migration is the quickest and easiest way
to safeguard and transfer your PC's DNA to your new or upgraded PC. By
transferring your DNA from your old PC to your new PC you will be up and
running quickly, taking advantage of your new PC's features and functions
while still enjoying the familiar desktop environment settings, data and
connections of your old PC.
Q: What is the difference between a Typical and
Custom Migration?
A: A Typical Migration takes the guesswork out of migrations by
predefining the most common system and application settings, files and
folders. With a few clicks you can perform a complete migration that automatically
transfers:
- Desktop, dial-up, networking, and system settings
- Application settings*
- My Documents folder and all sub-folders
- Document types*
A Custom Migration takes power, control and flexibility even further by giving you the option to customize settings for special migration needs:
- Select a Real-Time or Deferred migration
- Include or exclude certain settings for:
- Desktop - Shortcuts, taskbar, wallpaper, display, etc.
- Network - Dial-up, TCP/IP, etc.
- Printers
- Include or exclude supported application settings
- Include or exclude files and folders
- View files and folders in a simple checkbox tree - checked items will be included in a migration, unchecked items will not be included
- Create rules to include certain file types or specific folders or files from all local drives
Q: What is the difference between a Deferred and
a Real-Time migration?
A: A Real-Time migration quickly streams your DNA information directly
from a source system to a destination system. Performing a Real-Time migration
requires that the two computers you wish to migrate be connected to each
other by a local area network (LAN) or an Ethernet crossover cable. A
Deferred migration creates a self-extracting DNA file directly to your
desktop or removable media. It then allows you to apply the DNA file to
the destination system or keep it for system back-up or future migration.
Q: Can Total Defense Backup and Migration move a PC's DNA between
different versions of applications and Windows operating systems?
A: Yes. For example, Total Defense Backup and Migration will move Office 97
settings on a Windows 95 machine to Office XP on a machine running Windows
XP.
Q: Does Total Defense Backup and Migration migrate Outlook
settings and associated mail files?
A: Yes. Total Defense Backup and Migration will not only migrate settings
and associated mail, but can also apply them to the destination's default
configuration; in other words, from the Outlook file in the older versions
to the new default location.
