The 21st century has seen rapid technological and innovational growth. But the law of the averages dictates that as more things change the more they remain the same. Your PC is vulnerable to threats and malware as it would have been ten years ago. As more advanced security programs are developed, equally advanced malware programs are also developed. They are
well adapted and can withstand strong security program. Imagine what these malicious programs can do to a device without a device without a robust antivirus software.
Antivirus security software is a utility program that detects, prevents and eradicates malicious programs like malware, Trojans, adware and more. A device without these security software is prone to infection within a couple of minutes of connecting to the internet. The security program on your PC should be up to date and proven to withstand advanced malware and other threats. There are several companies that offer antivirus software.software. Although the infrastructure of these software varies from one company to the other, they all seek to achieve one basic objective; Prevent and eradicate malware.
Antivirus security programs don’t just offer protection against viruses, as the name may imply. There has been a misnomer when it comes to antivirus protection as people tend to think that protection against viruses is all an antivirus program offers. A good antivirus program should offer the following:
· Spyware protection- an antivirus should be able to detect any threat that is meant to either spy on the user’s activities or collect and steal data from the user even if the source of the program appears to be legitimate.
· Spyware protection- Worm protection- worms attack networks rather the devices on the network. However, they can carry along with the viruses and threats that can be dropped on the devices on the network which may in turn damage them. A good antivirus should be able to scan networks for worms before connecting to them.
· Messaging protection- a lot of instant messages and emails come with spams or attachments that may be harmful to your device. An effective antivirus should be able to block and eradicate emails that may pose a threat to your device.
· Safe browsing- A lot of antiviruses out there are waking up to their reality of the need of incorporating protected browsing utilities in their security software suites. This utility blocks harmful sites, as well as filter and blocks, pop up ads on the internet thus protecting your online sessions.
· Adblocker- isn’t it annoying when you are enjoying internet or gaming sessions on your laptops and random advertisements pop on your browser. An effective antivirus software must be able to detect and block these annoying ads giving you an uninterrupted gaming or browsing session.
· Privacy-A good antivirus program incorporates a privacy features such as password manager that securely stores your passwords and prevent attacks and distortion and access to your sensitive files.
· Virus/malware detection- This is the most elementary but decisive utility on any antivirus software. Each and every antivirus on the shelves has a virus and malware detection and eradication feature. Even though this is the most basic tool any antivirus program, not all the antivirus programs on the market have the same capabilities of detecting and eradicating malware. Some antivirus programs can detect some malware that others can’t. So it is very important to check our reviews on various antiviruses on the shelves just to pick out a security program that will meet your needs.
There are various arguments in the antivirus world about free VS paid antivirus and antivirus signature detection.
Free VS paid
Antivirus programs are distributed in various packages. Some are sold as detached antivirus scanners while some come as comprehensive suites with various antivirus features such as firewall, privacy protection and other protection utilities. Some antivirus companies like Microsoft provide their customers with free antivirus program for household use.
However, free antivirus have been debated on whether they have the same antivirus protection capabilities as their counterparts. Paid antivirus have a high level of virus detection and removal than free antivirus packages. However, free antivirus programs tend to have fewer features hence consumes less system space while providing basic antivirus protection.
