Free Virus Software - What to Look For
There are some excellent free virus software on the market, but also some lousy products as well. So how do you go about finding the best one for your machine? Here we've listed some of the features that you should be looking for.
Reputation
Although this doesn't guarantee that you will be getting a good product, it is reassuring to know that a company is well-known and has been active in the antivirus software field for many years. Vendors that supply products such as AVG antivirus and Panda have been active in this market for over 10 years and have built up a wealth of experience in that time.
Real-time scanning
Antivirus software will generally have a database of viruses that it will consult during a virus scan to determine if your computer is infected. But you really want a product that provides 'real-time scanning'. This is where a virus is automatically detected as soon as it tries to get onto your machine. This is a feature of most paid for products but is not always present on free versions.
Help and tutorials
Look at how easy the product is to use. Does it have an easy to use interface and does it come with tutorials or a user manual. This is an area where shortcuts are often taken if the product is free. AVG have recently removed technical support for their free product. If you need support, then you have to upgrade to their 'pro' version.
Latest stats
The field of antivirus and antispyware is fast moving. It is always worth having a double check with the computer magazines to see which products have been performing well in the most recent tests. It is not uncommon for previously good performers to suddenly become less effective because they cannot cope with the latest versions of computer threats.
Spyware
In addition to free virus software, do you need protection against other malicious software such as spyware, adware, trojans and worms? Spyware is becoming a very big threat now and has been used in cases of identity fraud. To protect yourself ensure that this is covered in your chosen free virus software or choose a specific antispyware product that will compliment your anti virus software.