Why Do I Need Security Software?
It’s a good idea to check your computer for viruses, adware and spyware. It’s an even better idea to prevent these harmful files from even getting to your computer. The problem is much more serious than you might think. It’s not just about your computer constantly restarting all by itself, your internet browser opening up to the same ad-packed homepage all the time, or your friends receiving spam messages sent from your email account. It can actually get much worse than that.
These days, we don’t just check our email or type up papers on our computers. Many of us also engage in more sensitive activities such as online banking. You wouldn’t let someone look over your shoulder at the ATM to find out what your PIN is. By the same token, you shouldn’t allow people to find out your online username and password to your bank account because that will allow them to send your money to other accounts.
Unfortunately, most computers are not protected well enough. Operating systems now come bundled with some basic firewall (e.g. Windows Firewall) and anti-spyware features (e.g. Windows Defender) built in. However, the protection that these features provide is just that, basic. Not surprisingly, security software remains popular.
Premium Security Software
The two most popular pay-to-play security software suites include Norton and McAfee. They include software to protect your computer against viruses, adware and spyware, and hackers. They are expensive, but well worth it if you can afford them. Sometimes, your local office supplies store (e.g. Staples, Office Depot, or Office Max) will have such software available for free after rebate. Usually they are available to you when you also purchase something else along with it such as a printer, but on occasion stand-alone free-after-rebate offers occur as well.
One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that both Norton and McAfee hog up a lot of RAM memory. If you got an older computer with little RAM, you might think twice about installing either one of them because it will probably slow down your computer significantly.
Free Security Software
It’s unlikely that free security software will ever match the level of protection that the premium security software can provide. However, in many ways, it does come awfully close and if you can’t afford to pay for security software, free is better than not having it at all.
Here are some of the most popular free security software packages. Each one of them boasts millions of users.
Free Anti-Virus
- AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
- PC Tolls Anti-Virus Free Edition
Free Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware
- Ad-Aware
- Spybot Search and Destroy
Now that you know what to get, you may be asking yourself where to get it from. One piece of advice: don’t just download it from anywhere. Ironically, a lot of security software available online is actually infected with viruses and spyware. If you ever see a pop-up window telling you your computer is not protected, consider it an invitation to download a piece of spyware. Close that window immediately and leave the site that gave you the message. Let’s talk about where you should download from and that’s a site called download.com. No, they are not paying me to promote them. I just really like the site. They have many free trials for software which you eventually have to pay for to use. I imagine the site is actually getting paid to make that software available for download. At the same time, there’s also a lot of freeware, including AVG, Ad-Aware, and Spybot. Download.com even tells you how many people downloaded the software from their site in a given period. In addition, they guarantee that none of the software is bundled with adware or spyware. For this reason alone, it is often a good idea to get the software from download.com rather than someplace else.
Photo Credit: publik15
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