We often do not realize how many threats await us on the Internet. Even seemingly simple activities, such as simply searching for necessary information on the Internet, with a little carelessness, may result in the loss of important data or even equipment. Therefore, in order to minimize the risk, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic tool, which is an antivirus program, and advise you on what to consider when choosing it.
What is antivirus?
Antivirus is a computer program that protects our computer system against infection with viruses and various forms of malware. The scope of viruses' activities can be very wide: making work difficult by taking over computer resources, carrying out attacks on servers, stealing passwords, personal data, payment card information or the recently popular encryption of key data in order to force a ransom for their restoration, the so-called ransomware. To prevent these activities, an antivirus program should be installed on each computer. The antivirus scans files downloaded from the Internet and blocks those that may pose a threat to the user. In addition to scanning downloaded files and e-mail inbox, antiviruses also periodically check the operating system and files stored on the computer.
If a threat is detected, the user is immediately notified about it and access to the potentially dangerous file is blocked.
Which antivirus program should you choose and what should you pay attention to?
There are several most popular antivirus programs on the market, both in paid and free versions. How do they differ from each other?
Free antivirus is a good solution for home computers, i.e. those on which we do not store important data. In the case of devices used in the company, it is necessary to switch to a paid version of the antivirus program for several reasons:
- Paid antivirus is more effective. Database updates about new threats are carried out first for users of paid versions, so the risk of infection with a new virus is much lower.
- Individual technical support. By paying for an extended version of the antivirus, you can always count on the support of the technical team, which is invaluable when something bad happens to our equipment.
- Greater functionality. Paid programs usually contain more functionality. For example, secure online banking, protection of devices connected via Wi-Fi, protection of smartphones and tablets and others.
- The latest technical solutions. In a business environment, it is necessary to meet all GDPR requirements and take care of your customers' data. Therefore, it is worth considering switching to an antivirus program that will provide a greater guarantee of protection of company and customer data.
Which antivirus should you choose? TOP 4 paid antiviruses are:
- Kaspersky
- Norton
- Bitdefender
- ESET
Each of these antiviruses has its own application on the market. All of them, depending on the package, do not overload the system, protect computers against viruses and ransomware attacks, are compatible with various operating systems (Windows, macOS) and perform all the most important functions of the antivirus system, effectively protecting our computers.
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