8 Criteria to Choose the Best Antivirus Program For Your Needs

There is no best antivirus program in general. You can make the best choice of your antivirus software depending of your goals, your needs and your environment. In order to choose your best antivirus software you should look at vendor information, independent antivirus certifying agencies reviews, as well as other sources. Here are the essential criteria for the right choice.

1. Compatibility
Antivirus program has to be compatible with your PC configuration. Your PC must meet hardware and software requirements of antivirus solution.

2. Range of Protection
Antivirus software should protect your PC from as many threats and on as many fronts as it can: viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, keyloggers, adware, rootkits, password stealers, phishing attacks, spam and others.

3. Effectiveness
Antivirus protection delivering by antivirus program should be effective and efficient. You may find and compare test results released by independent antivirus certifying agencies: Virus Bulletin, AV Comparatives, ISCA Labs, Westcoast Labs and others. If some antivirus solution was scored by these agencies high and consistently near the top, then you really can't go wrong with this top rated antivirus software.

4. Easy Installation
Good antivirus program has a prompt and easy installation. Interface should be clean, easy, and intuitive to use.

5. Easy to Use
Most users want to "install and forget" their antivirus software. So the best antivirus solution should have default configurations acceptable for most users. And at the same time good antivirus program can be easy configured and tweaked by advanced users.

6. Features
The best antivirus programs have the large features set that may include:
- list of compatible versions of Operational systems and platforms,
- amount of used system resources,
- using of proactive protection without false positives and with effective utilizing of system resources,
- availability of laptop battery saving mode,
- bootable rescue disk,
- silent gamer mode, and other available options.

A comprehensive features set adds strength to antivirus solution.

7. Update
The best security solutions have Automatic Update option and automatically perform updates every hour or "as needed updates" to keep virus definitions and program code up to date.

8. Support
The best security programs have comprehensive online and offline technical support. The program vendor should provide online knowledge base, FAQs, tutorials, user forums. The best vendors provide 24/7 support so you can ask your questions by phone, email or chat at any moment.

The best for your needs antivirus program delivers you the best security and usability with a minimal outlay of your time, money, or your PC system resources.

Norton AntiVirus FAQ

Norton AntiVirus prevents malware and other malicious viruses from overtaking the computer system. Once a virus is detected, it is removed from the computer or put into a vault to be removed later. It is compatible for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Norton AntiVirus was created in 1990.

Other Programs

Norton can only run if no other systems are in use or deactivated. The other anti-virus program must be completely removed.
Upgrades

It is not necessary to buy any upgrades. If you want the most up-to-date protection, you can upgrade.

New Versions

You will be notified if a new version is available, and you have the option to download or buy it from the store. The prices will be the same.

Viruses

It is possible for viruses to get past the software. Hackers and other people with malicious intent find new ways to infect a system or network, and those new programs can find their way past the anti-virus system. That's why it is important to upgrade.

Protection

How much Norton protects your computer when you go online depends on the version you buy. Norton does provide anti-virus programs for online protection.


Read more: http://goo.gl/dVrqH

Norton AntiVirus FAQ

Norton AntiVirus prevents malware and other malicious viruses from overtaking the computer system. Once a virus is detected, it is removed from the computer or put into a vault to be removed later. It is compatible for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Norton AntiVirus was created in 1990.

Other Programs

Norton can only run if no other systems are in use or deactivated. The other anti-virus program must be completely removed.
Upgrades

It is not necessary to buy any upgrades. If you want the most up-to-date protection, you can upgrade.
New Versions

You will be notified if a new version is available, and you have the option to download or buy it from the store. The prices will be the same.
Viruses

It is possible for viruses to get past the software. Hackers and other people with malicious intent find new ways to infect a system or network, and those new programs can find their way past the anti-virus system. That's why it is important to upgrade.
Protection

How much Norton protects your computer when you go online depends on the version you buy. Norton does provide anti-virus programs for online protection.


Read more: http://goo.gl/yByyO

The Truth About Viruses

We've all heard about computer-virus nightmare stories from friends and colleagues. What begins as an innocent-looking email can end up ravaging your PC, wiping out files and destroying your software programs. However, many websites and unassuming files can inflict damage as well, without us ever knowing until the damage is already done.

Even the best antivirus software cannot fully shield a user from the bugs and trojans running rampant on the Web. However, many software packages are designed to ward off new viruses as they are emerging. There are many aspects of viruses people don't know about and before choosing an anti-virus software program, it's necessary to separate fact from fiction.

Do these virus FAQs surprise or scare you?

o A virus can be spread when its host file is replicated. For instance, if you copy a file from a friend's jump drive that contains a virus, your computer can get it.

o A virus does not need permission from a PC's user in order to download and spread.

o Resident viruses do not need a host to spread. These viruses load themselves into memory of a PC's files and transfer control to the host.

o Nonresident viruses look for hosts to infect and replicate themselves.

o Viruses can hide their file extensions from anti-virus programs, making it necessary to stay on top of your security updates in order to outwit the virus.

o Virus signature definitions only protect users from viruses pre-dating their last virus signature update: another reason to run automatic updates whenever possible.

o Heuristic software protection involves protection based on virus' common behaviors, before there is an outbreak.

A virus's capability to wreak havoc is truly extensive, but can be preventable. Every person will most likely come face-to-face with a virus at least once during their computer-usage. This makes it necessary to compare antivirus security and find one to begin protecting you.

6StarReviews is a great place to look for programs like The Shield Pro, which is designed to scan for viruses at high speeds and offers immediate security-breach alerts. Before you fall prey to the next Trojan, consider the benefits of purchasing yourself some security software.

Source: http://goo.gl/6ym3R

A Guide To Free Antivirus Software On The Web

There is no need to go into detail as to why your computer needs protection from viruses especially online. Fortunately, effective and free antivirus software can be downloaded on the Web. Some of the most popular ones are listed below.

Norton Security Scan

This free antivirus software has several features that new or busy computer users will like. The first is that it is very easy to use. There is only one button, labeled start. Clicking this will initiate the virus scanning process, during which the program will remove any threats that are detected in your computer.

With only a single button, users do not have to worry about configuring various settings. Another advantage of this application is that it can perform updates regularly. Also, you can set up another antivirus program if you like and there will be no incompatibility issues whatsoever.

AVG Antivirus

For those users that want to have total control over their free antivirus software, the AVG Antivirus Free Edition will be ideal. Besides scanning for viruses, the program also has a Rescue Disk which you can use to create important configuration files so in the event you are unable to boot from the hard disk, the Rescue Disk will be able to perform that function instead.

In addition, this free antivirus software provides a scanner for spotting viruses in email attachments, and a scheduler. The website updates the virus list regularly, and can quarantine a file that has a virus (you may want to do this in case you want to try and remove the virus instead of deleting it). This software can run in Windows versions from 95 up to XP.

Avira Antivir Personal

The Avira Antivir Personal is a quick and efficient free antivirus software that runs on Windows and Unix. Apart from being able to remove Trojan horses, rootkits, phising and other malicious software, the application is also noted for its speed, up to 15 to 20% quicker than most other applications.

Avast! Antivirus Home Edition

The Avast! Antivirus Home Edition is the free version of the Avast antivirus software, and comes with several features. The program regularly updates both the antivirus and software so you can be sure that any new viruses will be detected easily.

The program is also capable of removing spyware, malware, and other applications that can affect your software. Unlike other applications, these can be used with different web browsers without causing any system crashes. The software also has the Network Shield that shelters your files from any viruses and worms that may infect your computer. The appearance can also be changed with its skin selectors.

This free antivirus software can run in several types of Windows operating systems, from Windows 2000 to XP and Vista. For those with older systems, the program is also compatible with Windows ME, NT, 98 and even 95.

Sheltering your files and personal information from online hackers is a must, and with the plethora of free antivirus software on the Web, you can get the ones you need at no cost and surf at ease.

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