subject: What To Look For In The Best Anti-viruses Software [print this page] Viruses, trojans, and worms are a constant and real threat that every online user has to be concerned with. These threats have the potential to affect the security and safety of all data stored on a personal computer. And what is worse, for anyone surfing the internet, no matter how safe you might attempt to be, at some point it is almost certain that you will acquire a virus. For this reason, it is essential that the best anti-viruses software is installed on your machine and kept up to date at all times.
With most computers purchased in the shops today, the machine is likely to come pre-installed with a virus removal program, although if this is a simple program, it might not give the level of protection you require. To ensure that you are in the best position should a virus come knocking on your door, a need might be there to update the pre-installed software with the latest and most efficient software on the market.
Let's look at some of the features to exist in a high-quality piece of anti-virus software -
Cost - most of the anti-virus packages on sale will have a similar retail price, although it is important to look at more than just the initial cost of the software. Unlike most other software packages on the market, this type of software needs to be updated on a constant basis to combat the latest viruses. It is therefore necessary to look at the renewal fees, which can be due every 12 months. Without an updated license, the software is soon out of date, and therefore unable to protect the host machine. However, in some situations it is possible to get high-quality or brand-name virus software free of charge - a bank or ISP for instance might give this software free for using their services.
Real-time Scanning - to ensure a computer is protected at all times it s necessary for the software to search or scan for potential threats in real-time, this means that the software should be constantly running in the background without interfering with a users ability to use the computer. Real-time is vital for all in-coming email, chat applications and general web surfing. If you're searching for information online and click through to a website, this software is able to instantly block your visit to that page if a Trojan or similar is detected.
Ease of use - software packages of this nature are often simple to install and use. Once the initial configuration is complete there is often no further management required and it will run smoothly on its own. Although, these programs do feature a user-friendly interface which makes it quick and easy to adjust any features if desired.
Automatic Updates - having the ability to set a scheduled virus scan is also an important feature to have. Even though a full virus scan is meant to run in the background, and not to interfere with a user's experience, it is still best to run these scans at a time you are not likely to be using the machine. This makes certain a scan is completed in the shortest time possible. Also, make certain the software is able to update with new known virus as soon as the vendors site becomes aware of them. Virus protection updates of this nature should be run at least once a day.
