Getting the best antivirus software protection is an important step in managing the daily operations and functions of a healthy computer and your home network. As more people use the internet for both business and personal use, the risk of a malicious attack or threat are dramatically increased.
Computer viruses can spread rapidly and without warning,
and common symptoms of an infected computer include system crashes, slow performance, and frequent popup ads. Finding the most suitable anti-virus protection and the best antivirus program is easy with today's options and choices.
If you are looking for the top virus protection software, it is essential that you know what you're looking for before you enter the market. Some people are after just a decent level of protection but are adamant that they don't want to pay for it. Others will want the highest level of protection, no matter what the cost. Others will be seeking a product that runs quietly and efficiently in the background and doesn't cause any disruption to their daily work.
Your operating system may come with a basic form of antivirus software. It may even come with a firewall installed to prevent malicious people from breaking into your computer or computer network. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just an antivirus program will do the job alone as you’ll need more than just security software. You may even need a combination of several antivirus software programs in conjunction with a firewall and other security software. These are called suites wherein you’ll have several security programs combined into one wherein you can configure it to suit your particular needs.
Anti-virus software provides an essential layer of protection from a multitude of virus, trojan, worm, spyware, adware infections. Traditionally anti-virus programs just detected viruses and spyware removers just detected spyware, but nowadays the boundary between antivirus and spyware removers is unclear. Most current antiviruses have at least reasonably good detection rates of all forms of malware..
No security software is perfect. It is literally impossible for any security product to identify every possible threat, especially when malware writers are constantly updating their products to avoid detection. Most of the leading antivirus programs can identify and block the overwhelming majority of threats you're likely to encounter online. The fact that they can't reach 100% protection is why security software is only one part of a layered security strategy.
Most antivirus software companies offer a standalone program that will only install a virus-scanning package on your computer. This software will look specifically for viruses in all their varieties, is generally easy to update and will keep your computer running well and relatively safely. If your Web use is limited to e-mail and well-known, trusted Web sites, a simple antivirus software package provides good security.
In addition to the stand-alone program, many companies are now offering antivirus software suites that bundle firewalls, spam filtering and anti-spyware tools into the total package. If you use instant messengers or peer-to-peer file sharing services, an antivirus software suite is a better choice, because it protects you from malicious people who try to access your computer directly. The biggest advantage to an antivirus software suite is that it gives you a single point of control for those rare occasions when you need to disable virus protection or your firewall, such as when you're installing software updates.
In some cases, however, the extra functions in a suite aren't nearly as good as the antivirus software itself. More advanced users who are willing to put in a bit of research time will be much happier choosing standalone antivirus software and building a custom security system with additional elements from companies that have chosen firewalls or spam filtering as their primary focus.
For optimum protection the software should defend you from viruses in real time and proactively prevent threats. Updates should be timely and automatic. And while you want the software to locate anything risky, you don't want annoying false positives (where safe files are inaccurately flagged as dangerous)
The best antivirus software is expensive, but worth every penny to protect your computer. Finding an antivirus program you are comfortable with and that works well on your computer is not a decision to take lightly. Be an informed consumer, do your research, and take it for a test drive before laying out your money.
