If you have upgraded your PC's operating system to the new Windows Vista, you may have noticed that some of your old software won't run on the new system. While it may be frustrating to not be able to play your favorite game, it is much more problematic if you anti-virus software is rendered useless by an operating system upgrade.
Right now, there are more than 150,000 known computer viruses and thousands of spyware and adware programs that can infect your computer. Most of these can impact your computer's performance and speed or cause a hard drive crash, but some or even more sinister. If your computer becomes infected by a newer breed of virus,it can be used by someone in a remote location to control other computers and your bank account information, credit card numbers and secure passwords can be stolen. Windows Vista comes with its own set of security tools, but they are not a replacement for a good third party anti-virus application.
Symantec, the company that offers the popular Norton Anti-virus software, is compatible with Vista and offers a free 90 day trial for new users. They also offer a complete security package that offers all of the protection of the original antivirus software, in addition to identity theft protection and a two way firewall that prevents outside access to your computer.
Trend Micro is not as well known as Symantec, but they offer much they same software packages as their larger competitor and were recognized as the top security vendor at the CIO Insight. The Trend Micro Internet Security package comes with a 90 day free trial, but the stand alone anti-virus software only comes with a 30 day trial period.
Kapersky Anti-Virus 6.0 has recently been reconfigured to work with Windows Vista as well. It provides good anti-virus protection, but there isn't a trial period. Unless you have used their products in the past, Kapersky may not be a good option for people who like to evaluate their software before making a commitment. Kapersky was named a CNet Editors' Choice and a best buy from Computer Shopper magazine.
Windows has also gotten into the anti-virus market with the release of Windows Live OneCare. The benefit of OneCare is the seamless integration with Vista. The downside could be a perceived security weakness in all Microsoft products. The complete security package includes industry standard anti-virus software, ant-spyware, firewall and file backup protection. There is a free 90 day trial available
