Anti-virus is one of the most critical pieces of software you have on
your PC, but it's often one of the least thought about. People who've
always used Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee, for example, might just stick
with that even though there are so many more options these days. Others
are convinced anti-virus is bogus and never download a thing to protect
their PCs.
I wouldn't recommend venturing out into the big bad Internet (or even your email inbox) without some kind of anti-virus.
But I do understand the reluctance to think much about the topic. It's boring and never seems to matter much.
Except when it does.
The fact is you should take a look at your security and reconsider what you're doing every few months.
Here are a few tips that can help guide you when choosing anti-virus software.
Are you willing to spend money?
It may seem strange to
start off a guide to getting anti-virus with a topic that has nothing to
do with security, but it's a crucial question. Deciding on free
programs limits what you can use and narrows down your decision right
away to free options from companies like Avast, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender,
and Panda--or to sticking with Microsoft's built-in Windows Defender.
The
downside of free options is they can have advertising (usually for
their own products) or may constantly offer pop-up notifications
encouraging you to switch to the paid version. Sometimes these programs
even offer tricky update windows that try to get you to click on the
paid options instead of updating the free version.
Before you do anything decide whether or not you're willing to pay.
Think about your specific situation
Once
you've decided between free and paid software, consider your
circumstances. Are you running an old machine that struggles to boot up?
If so, you'll want to look for an anti-virus suite that has low-impact
on your processor and RAM.
If you're a gamer or you watch a lot of full screen movies on
your PC, you'll want to look for an anti-virus suite that has a gaming
mode so it won't disrupt your entertainment time with notifications or
updates.
Take a second to consider how you use your computer and what your situation might demand from an anti-virus program.
Compare and contrast
Now,
it's time to get some third-party opinions about how well various
security suites perform. Two independent test labs that offer regular
reports on anti-virus performance are AV-Comparatives and AV-Test.
Their
sites are a little complex, but basically you want to get to the
reports offered by each (linked above). AV-Test's report is the easiest
to read. It's also the most comprehensive with performance summaries for
each security suite on various operating systems including Windows XP,
Vista, 7, 8, and 10.
AV-Test divides its results into three
categories: protection, performance, and usability. Clearly, you want
the best score you can get on protection and performance, while
usability will depend on your comfort level with technology. All of the
suites have pretty high scores on usability, but if you are easily
frustrated by software you'll be looking for full marks in that section.
AV-Test covers both free and paid software.
The second place to
look is AV-Comparatives' monthly "real-world protection test" results.
This will give you a straightforward look purely at the most current
performance levels of each suite. If you aren't one for charts all you
really need to know is that the more red you see on this graph, the
worse the anti-virus suite did. AV-Comparatives also offers a free
annual report if you really want to dig into anti-virus performance
tests.
We've come a long way from the days when the only choices
were McAfee and Norton for anti-virus. With so many options it's
important to get an outside opinion of what these security suites are
actually like before you install them on your home PC.
If you're
truly opposed to anti-virus, I'd recommend that Windows 8 and Windows 10
users enable Windows Defender, while Windows 7 users can download Microsoft Security Essentials. These free programs are very unobtrusive and provide at least some protection should malware sneak onto your machine.
By Ian Paul
Windows Expert
