When it comes to virus protection software, it goes without saying that you can’t simply grab one at random and be happy with your choice… Well, unless you get really lucky, that is. Of course, it’s a better idea to look around a bit and make sure you’re getting the best available virus protection you can get.
So then… what exactly is it that defines great antivirus protection?
Well first of all is, of course, that it serves as, well, that it serves as good virus protection. If it doesn’t do that, then nothing else matters. So what defines strong protection against viruses is simply… updates.
Virus killers work almost entirely on the basis of holding a massive database of known viruses. Much like your immune system, a virus killer needs a sample of a virus’s “DNA” before it is able to kill it.
Now, the jokers out there making viruses are making new viruses every single day. With regular updates, you always have an answer for those viruses.
It’s sort of a cycle of evolution in this way. First a virus maker makes a virus, and then a software company makes something to kill the virus. Then, the virus maker has to create something to sneak past the new, updated virus scanner, forcing the software maker to update the software, and then forcing the virus maker to create a new virus, and so on and on.
So yes, updates are important. Another feature that goes pretty high up on the list is, of course, user friendliness. To put it simply, a program that you can’t even begin to figure out is hardly worth the asking price.
And, of course, price. Believe it or not, there are actually some great programs out there to protect yourself against viruses… and they’re absolutely free.
Whether or not the freebies work for you depends on a number of factors, such as exposure level. Our advice is to try something like Avira AntiVir, and see if it works. If it doesn’t, you can upgrade to something like McAfee, but go ahead and give the free stuff a try before putting any money.
So that’s basically it: Power, ease of use, and price. You want something that gets a lot of updates, something that doesn’t take the better half of a day to install and configure, and something that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
