Computer Associates Africa together with Microsoft South Africa will offer local Windows home users a no-charge, one-year subscription to the eTrust EZ Armor anti-virus and firewall desktop security suite - in a move to improve the safety of individual home PC users.
The deal will see CA supply a free subscription of the customer version of the company`s enterprise offering - eTrust EZ Armor - to the consumer market. A first for the local marketplace, the agreement between the software giants to aggressively focus on limiting the proliferation of Internet threats is aimed at improving general Internet security so often compromised by poorly defended home PC`s.
"The widespread adoption of PCs and the Internet has put powerful technology in the hands of consumers," comments Carol-Ann Searra, channel sales manager at CA Africa. "So, in order to ensure the safety and integrity of the Internet experience, we are making our enterprise-class security technology readily available to home computer users - thus supporting Microsoft`s Protect Your PC campaign."
Viruses and worms have caused irreparable damage worldwide this year, with the SoBig worm alone costing individuals and businesses more than R188 billion, according to London-based digital risk assessment firm mi2g.
"Getting the home user to understand and adopt security practices for their home PCs is key to limiting the proliferation of viruses and they damage they cause. Home PC`s make the perfect target for malicious hacking. They combine the elements of poor security and social engineering - ideal for critical security breaches, "says Colin Erasmus, Security Lead at Microsoft South Africa.
CA`s eTrust desktop security suite will assist home users in easily deploying the PC protection outlined in Microsoft`s "Protect Your PC" campaign:
a. Use an Internet firewall
b. Get computer updates
c. Use up-to-date anti-virus software.
In addition eTrust will benefit the home user by providing enterprise-class anti-virus technology with a pre-configured personal firewall and the ability to control and weed-out pop-ups, cookies and other invasive code.
"This partner initiative is part of a broader industry campaign to mobilise users to take up security as their top priority. With CA`s free subscription to eTrust EZ Armor, home PC security should be a simple process," adds Erasmus.
The eTrust EZ Armor will address PC protection for users of Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 98/Windows NT. Visit Microsoft`s "Protect Your PC" site at http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/ and download eTrust EZ Armor by selecting the operating system under the "get started" option on the home page.
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