Antivirus Internet Security Software is used to protect against internet threats such as viruses, Trojans, spyware and more recently phishing scams. Antivirus software detects and removes these types of threats which are grouped together using the term ‘malware’.
Several lines of defense are usually combined within the best antivirus firewall software products. Traditional signature based protection consists of searching for known threats. This is achieved through scanning files for malicious code that is known to cause problems to the computer. This is quite effective for combating malware that is known to the antivirus vendors however, it is possible for a computer to become infected with threats that are yet to be discovered, commonly called ‘zero-day threats’.
To protect against zero-day threats, proactive heuristic scanning such as ESET NOD32′s ThreatSense technology can be used. Intrusion prevention technologies are becoming common within the next generation of antivirus internet security software with the aim of defending against unknown threats.
It’s often said that if you are connected to the internet using a Microsoft Windows based operating system without antivirus security software installed, you are probably going to be infected with malware in less than 60 minutes. When you think about it like this, using a premiere brand of antivirus internet security software product should become one of your top priorities.
With such a huge choice of antivirus security products available on the market today, how do you choose antivirus software that best meets your needs? Simple, you start by asking yourself a set of questions:
- Do you require just antivirus protection or do you need additional protection such as antispam, anti spyware and application control?
- Do you require a firewall?
- Do you require file encryption?
- Do you need to control which websites your children have access to?
- Do you play lots of games on the computer?
- What are your minimum computer specifications?
- How much money do you want to pay?
- Will you require technical support?
Once you are able to answer these questions, you can begin to research which product will best meet your needs. Product reviews, internet forums and customer statements provide a great starting point. AV-Comparatives, PC Pro, and Consumer Reports are just a few good sites that offer forums and research on the best software currently available.
There is a large choice of antivirus internet security software products available to buy on the market. Spend a little bit of time selecting antivirus software that’s right for you and best fits your needs.
