Malware Prevention: Antivirus
Antivirus software serves two primary purposes. First, it scans your computer against a log of known viruses to ensure that your computer is not currently infected. Second, it provides safety measures to lower the risk of becoming infected with a virus. This might include scanning files in your e-mails before you download them.
Antivirus programs are remarkably easy to set up. With a simple download from the internet or a CD, you can protect your computer. To ensure the best protection, internet updates are recommended. This ensures that your antivirus software scans for all of the newest viruses.
Of course, there is a wide variety of antivirus options. Because the software ranges from free to over $60, from a basic virus scanner to an entire security center, from big names to companies you may never have heard of, it may be difficult to choose. But now that you are familiar with what a virus is and how antivirus works, here are some of the most popular and respected choices:
McAfee VirusScan Plus - McAfee VirusScan Plus comes complete with antivirus, antispyware, and firewall.
McAfee Internet Security - McAfee Internet Security is similar to VirusScan Plus, only it contains a full Internet security suite, with not only antivirus, antispyware, and firewall, but also spam and phishing protection, and backup.
BitDefender - BitDefender Professional Edition provides antivirus and antispyware capabilities, in addition to firewall and protection against instant messaging threats.
PC-cillin Internet Security Suite- PC-cillin Internet Security Suite does not come with integrated spyware protection, but does feature a much lower price than many of the products already mentioned. PC-cillin has an established reputation as a strong antivirus tool.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal- Kaspersky is considered by many to be the bestantivirus option available. Admittedly, the interface can be somewhat confusing to the average user, but many feel that there is no better program for detecting viruses.
AVG Free Edition - While AVG offers a version of their antivirus that costs something, we highly recommend AVG Free Edition. One of the best free antiviruses out there, AVG is definitely on the same level as the other antivirus programs--and it's free!
Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic - With over 15 million users, Avira also offers a free antivirus program.
Avast Home Edition - Avast is also free, although its cheap price comes at a cost. Avast nabbed only 33% of the active components tracked in About's test of the antivirus utility. The positive? It comes with free spyware protection, as well.
There are even more options, so be sure to read up on this topic even more to ensure that you make the most informed decision. Additionally, remember that even with antivirus protection, your computer is still at risk of being infected with spyware.
Resources
Baratz, Adam & McLaughlin, Charles. "Malware: what it is and how to prevent it." Ars Technia. November 11, 2004. <http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars/>
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