Worms, Trojans, Malware, Spyware, malicious software or Virus are terms people are all too familiar with in this digital age. With the millions of different harmful programs out on the internet, there is almost as big of a pile of antivirus (AV) programs out there.
Which one should I go with?
Generally every computer you buy will come with some sort of 30 day trial or free version of one of the larger AV companies like Norton, McAfee or Trend Micro. After it expires you will have to buy the full version.
But do you really need to pay between $30 and $100 a year for virus protection?
There are tons of rankings on the internet that say which one is the best one out there and who you should give your money to. Every list I have been able to find seems to tell a different story, some crown Norton 360 as the best, some say Webroot SecureAnywhere Anti-Virus is better and again others say Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 is the one you need to have. As far as paid AV programs go I would probably refer Kaspersky for somewhere around $60 a year or ESAT Nod 32 for about $40 a year. One of the most popular antiviruses on the market is Norton. Most people have at least heard of it or run a copy on their computer.
Is it really worth it though, just because it’s the biggest name in the business?
Probably not. The problem with Norton isn’t so much its capability as an antivirus program but more its size. Norton is generally the first AV software that virus programmers try to get around so they have to constantly release new fixes and updates. Especially heavy weight is the Norton 360 software bundle that means that there are a lot of programs running in the background at all times, which uses valuable system resources like your Processor or Memory (Ram). If you have a fast computer to begin with that is fine but most of us do not so Norton has a tendency to slow your computer down more than anything else.
Is all this necessary?
Not really. I recommend a variety of free virus protection programs that do the job as well as the big expensive names out there, at the lowest possible strain on your computer’s resources and at no cost at all. As an actual virus protection and active blocker I recommend either Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) or the free version of Avast Antivirus (Download links provided below). MSE tends to be a lot easier to use and it is completely free so there isn’t any messages asking if you would like to upgrade to the full version. Avast however has a lot more features but it can be a bit confusing to use. Generally this means if you are fairly inexperienced with AV software stick with MSE (Do not install both, AV programs tend to interfere with each other).
provided by cnet, just click the green “Download Now” box
– or –
Requires authenticated version of Windows, click blue “Download Microsoft Security Essentials” box
Other tools I recommend are the free version of Malwarebytes and Spybot Search and Destroy (these you can install in combination with MSE or Avast). As their names suggest, one takes care of Malware problems, and the other of Spyware. Both of which are essentially junk you pick up on the internet over time. They are not really viruses, they’re more designed to collect data about you and feed your computer ads. Both Malwarebytes and Spybot S&D are not active scanners, so basically they are off until you tell them to run, which saves valuable system resources. I recommend doing the scans every 2-4 weeks, depending on how much you use the internet.
provided by cnet, just click the green “Download Now” box
provided by cnet, just click the green “Download Now” box
With these programs installed you should be well enough protected against viruses, just remember its not a guarantee, AV software will only protect you so far, watch out what you click on and avoid links people send/post on Facebook or email as well as advertisements/popups on websites.
Come visit us again, we will post an easy “How To” guide on our favorite antivirus programs in the near future.
Feel free to drop us a line in the comments or Contact Us directly.