Choosing the right level of protection for any part of your life – be it your home or your devices, isn’t an easy task. World Wide Web has become such an important part of our lives and sometimes it’s almost too easy to forget just how many different dangers lurk in every corner. This only means that we always need to be on our alert when it comes to cyber criminal and black-hat hackers because sometimes only one mistake in judgment can cost you the loss of your privacy, not to mention more drastic issues, such as identity theft and your bank account being hacked.
This all sounds terrifying, but things aren’t that grim, and for every cyber-attack, there is a countermeasure to confront it, but it all starts with home base aka your computer. The first line of defense against all forms of malware and malicious intentions is having trustworthy and bulletproof antivirus software. With so many on the market these days, it’s quite challenging to figure out which antivirus provider is right for you. This is the main reason we decided to give a few pointers on what you need to know when choosing antivirus software that will fit seamlessly into your operating system and satisfy your needs as a user.
Know What You’re Looking For
This seems like pointing out the obvious, but you need to be sure what you’re looking for before you start your research. Not all devices are created equal, and the same goes for users, it is crucial to pick antivirus based on what you do when you’re browsing the web.
If you use your devices for keeping up your social media accounts and some light Google search, then practically any antivirus will do the trick. If however, your work or your private life is associated with some heavier lifting that includes programming or professional level gaming, then you will need to look for an antivirus that will suit this level of internet usage and won’t obstruct you in any way while you’re occupied with more important things. Once you set the criteria for what you need in antivirus, you can start looking for it, but there are still other factors you need to take into consideration.
How much (if at all) Are You Willing To Pay?
This is another major question that needs to be answered as soon as you decide you want to find antivirus that is the best for you in every way. Some of the renowned antivirus providers offer both free and premium versions of their protection software and here again is where your needs play the crucial role.
There are some top notch free antivirus programs you can choose from such as Avast, AVG, and Avira, that will grant you solid protection from viruses and malware (some also have email protection) but not much more. If you’re looking for an average level of security and privacy, then freebies will do the work just fine. If, however, you’re in need of the more advanced level of security that includes firewall, performance boosts, and anti-phishing tools, then chances are, you will have to pay for antivirus software. Different companies set different prices that can vary from $40 up to $100 per year, though often one program will protect more than one device, so you can in one swoop protect your PC, smartphone, even game console.
Look For Lightweight Antivirus Software
When looking into antivirus programs, it is important to know just how much nagging you’ll get from it once you install it. This particularly goes for free antivirus because they are often full of annoying popups and prompts for you to switch to the premium version.
But having lightweight software doesn’t just mean not having to deal with ads and other persuasion tactics. Being lightweight means that antivirus won’t affect and leg your device’s performance when it’s running scans or working in the background. You need to know what kind of resources software will use once on your computer and you need to know that it won’t limit you in any way. If you take a closer look at top 10 antivirus software for 2017, you will see that many companies are doing their best to make their software as unobtrusive as possible, so that you can enjoy using it without it getting in the way.
Go Through Antivirus Lab Tests
Unless you’re tech savvy, you will need all the help you can get about the most technical parts of choosing your antivirus. Here, the greatest help will be antivirus lab tests and their results for your handpicked antivirus. They will clearly show how good the software is when it comes to detection of threats on your device as well as how proactive it is when it comes to your protection. Also, it’s important to check what is the status of the antivirus database in a certain software, so that you’re sure that antivirus will be effective with even the latest malware and viruses out there. When you find the antivirus that seems optimal, all you need to do is update the database regularly and you’ll be as protected as you can be.
Feel Free To Test The Waters
Once you’ve chosen a couple of antivirus programs that seem like they would work best for you, try them out first before definitely deciding which one of them you want. Every company gives their potential customers a trial period, during which they can decide if the program is a right fit for them. The length of trial periods varies, sometimes it’s just 24h, sometimes it’s seven days, and sometimes you get the software for a month without having to pay a fee. Test how the antivirus works with your device, is it compatible with your needs and make your decision only after you’ve seen the software do its magic (or failing to do so).
Antivirus software is one of the best tools to have in your arsenal when fighting off the cyber menace of any kind, which is why you should do your homework before you get one. You don’t want to be stuck for a year with a product that doesn’t fit your needs and the best way to avoid that is to follow aforementioned tips and make sure you’ve made a right and informed decision.
Author Bio – Adam Ferraresi loves his job in web development and it shows from his articulate and informing articles published on wefollowtech.com. He lives in Dallas, loves his job, his friends and all the food in the world. Adam is 23, but still loves to play basketball like when he was 16.
