Antivirus is a program that should be equipped with every device, both private and corporate. Many people wonder whether a free antivirus will fulfill its role and protect our computer as well as a paid antivirus. What is the difference between them and will a free antivirus sufficiently protect our computer?
Free antivirus and paid antivirus – what are the differences?
Free antiviruses for your computer protect your equipment against popular threats - viruses, harmful files and suspicious websites. Thanks to this, our computer has basic security. Free antiviruses may have limited functions, and are often available in a demo version - for a specified period of time. Additionally, free antivirus programs are usually intended for home use and their license does not allow commercial use. If we want comprehensive protection of the company's equipment, we should consider purchasing a paid antivirus. A paid antivirus will not only be legal, but will also often have a wider range of functions and may offer integration of various solutions as part of the package: antivirus, firewall and e-mail program protection.
The best free antivirus
What is the best free antivirus? There is no clear answer to this question. No program, free or paid, is 100% effective in securing equipment and data against hacker attacks. Therefore, cybersecurity education is also extremely important. Ultimately, it is the user who will decide whether to open the file, visit the website or accept the firewall exception. To decide which antivirus to choose, you need to define your requirements and expectations for the application. Windows 10 and Windows 11 users have a built-in free antivirus - Windows Defender. This program provides basic protection, but remember that it will not protect you against viruses hidden in fake messages and links.
Antivirus programs and computer protection
An antivirus program will not protect our computer if we act carelessly and do not pay attention to the links we click and the files we download. No antivirus program will protect our computer if:
- we download pirated versions of computer programs,
- we click on unverified links,
- we browse websites containing inappropriate content.
From the enterprise's point of view, in addition to having an antivirus program running on every device, the ability to centrally manage all installed copies of the program will be equally important. This allows you to view the current virus database, recently detected threats, as well as force updates or block a specific threat on all computers running the antivirus.
What will provide sufficient protection?
If we want to be sure that we are well protected and that our data and files are not at risk of being stolen, we should combine many different solutions and our own knowledge of various threats. The most frequently used solutions, apart from antivirus software, include:
- hard drive encryption
- central management of equipment by the organization
- blocking some functionality (e.g. installing programs or using USB ports)
- cybersecurity training.
See also: Data backup. A must-have for every company!
