You can be as careful as you want on the internet, and sometimes it just isn’t enough. You should always have some type of antivirus software on your computer. Right now we are going to look at the best software to protect yourself in no particular order. And always remember that Mac computers are NOT virus free, so this is for you too, Apple users.
Avast! Free Antivirus
Avast! Free Antivirus has received a lot of updates and has become a really fantastic software. The 2014 version is really small, streamlined, and super easy to use. It comes with a ton of useful scanning and protection tools. If there are some tools that you don’t need or won’t use, you can exclude them in the installation. According to AV-Test and different antivirus tests, it is still one of the top picks available on the internet. It has an on-access antivirus scanner that check out the files you download, pages you visit, emails you get, and everything else. It updates in the background, scans in the background, and you can also run a scan manually whenever you want. Because it operates pretty quietly in the background, it doesn’t use many resources and your computer should function just like it’s not even there. Best part of all though, it’s free.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus
ESET’s NOD32 has been a go to software for years, and it has a fantastic reputation due to its easily accessible protection and being such a lightweight program. With this program you don’t have to sacrifice your computer’s performance at all to be protected. The newest version of the software doesn’t just come with virus protection either, it has anti-malware scanning, phishing protection, anti-spyware protection, and different special tools included to keep you from getting scammed in any way while using popular social media sites where a lot of people can get taken advantage of. This program is not free, it’s about $40 per year but it really does offer enough protection to make it worth the price. If you are interested, there is also a “gaming” version that is even lighter on your system resources that you can get for $60 a year.
BitDefender Antivirus
The cool thing about this popular software is the fact that it offers one-click protection. It’s pretty much the easiest thing to do ever. There is a free version as well as a paid version. The paid version comes with parental controls and a few other features. Once again, the program doesn’t use many resources, so your performance should not suffer. The free version is very popular and should be more than enough to get the job done. Check it out for yourself!
Kaspersky Antivirus
This one isn’t quite as popular on the others on this page, bit it did earn the product of the year award from AV Comparatives. The cool thing about this software is that it updates all the time. You are constantly getting new updates to help keep you protected. It also has the ability to adapt to new threats without getting full product updates. This in itself is a huge help to keeping you protected. By the time there is a new threat out there, you already have all the updates to keep you safe. This product is also not free, it’s $40 a year. But the constant updates might be worth it!
Avira
This program offers a lot of features that other programs don’t. It has anti-malware protection, anti-spyware protection, and browser protection. The best part is that it is completely free. Avira prides itself on its cloud-based scanning. This means that instead of hoping the correct updates come out and get installed fast enough, the program can actually upload suspicious files and check them against recent threats on the web. That one feature is enough for it to make it on this list.
In today’s world, some of our most valuable information is stored on our computers so keeping them protected from things like malware, spyware and viruses is paramount. These 5 antivirus products are some of the best ones currently available on today’s market and if you don’t have a single antivirus software on your computer GET ONE NOW! But remember that the best protection against threats is using common sense on the internet so seriously, be careful and don’t go to any sketchy websites people.
*Some computer problems can’t be solved by antivirus software alone. For more professional computer security and service visit Computer Service Now!