Years ago, you could get away without having antivirus software. The internet and email didn't even exist back then. The only way to contract a virus was either by using an infected floppy disk or perhaps from a large corporate network. Nowadays, we're all connected. Our computers are always turned on and hackers and organized crime syndicates have decided to take full advantage of this phenomenon. Antivirus can be classified into three categories:
Free: At least a few good brands of free antivirus are out there. Avira and AVG are probably the two most well-known. AVG's basic virus protection offers real-time scanning and scheduled scanning. In addition, it purports to keep you safe while on social networks and while downloading applications. Avira is another well-known brand of antivirus solution which offers a free version as well. With Avira you have the benefit of real-time scanning and scheduled scans as well. Limited support is offered with both products.
Subscription: Antivirus programs that offer a yearly subscription-based platform typically offer much greater protection and customer support. AVG and Avira both offer paid versions of their software; however, the two best-known antivirus brands are probably Symantec and McAfee. Both companies offer your basic antivirus protection with all the bells and whistles but when it comes to the subscription model, up-selling is the name of the game. Typically, you are persuaded to upgrade to a complete suite of protection offering everything from a firewall to online scam protection to virus-infected webpage protection. Some even offer protection from identity theft.
The third, and final, type of antivirus software can be classified as specialized. This may be considered a subset of your basic antivirus software but used for special removal circumstances where basic antivirus software can't get the job done after you're already infected. USB virus removal is one example of specialized virus removal software. If you contract a virus on your USB stick it's virtually impossible to remove it without either wiping out everything on it or using specialized removal software.
In the end, it's up to you to decide what the best type of antivirus software for you is. For new computer users perhaps full, suite-based software is best, since it includes email scanning as well. For veteran computer users, you can probably get by without paying for a yearly subscription to antivirus software and continue using free ones. Hopefully, you are now convinced that antivirus software is a must.
About the Author
Eric Alan Anderson is a Systems & Support Administrator for a mid-sized BioPharma Company. He has over ten years in the Information Technology field. He is involved with many sites and his latest takes a look at trojan removal software and antivirus software.
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