Choosing an Antivirus Protection Product

Tips on Antivirus Protection

When it comes to safe computing, one absolute necessity is an antivirus client.  You simply cannot browse the Internet without one and expect to keep your data safe or computer free of viruses for more than a few seconds.

You may be asking yourself, “Which antivirus client is best for me?” 

This depends upon several factors. There are a slew of free antivirus products out there geared toward home users.  Even more antivirus products exist in the $30-$50 range and are geared towards high-end personal users or very small businesses.  The powerhouses of the industry offer a wide variety of features and can accommodate anywhere from an individual user to thousands of users.

 

Each price range tends to introduce new features and more frequent updates.  If you need basic antivirus at home, a free product may be best for you.  However, if you want intrusion detection, zero day protection, constantly updated definitions, encryption, anti-spam and anti-virusamong other things, you need a high-end product. If you can afford the high-end product, or if you run a business and can't afford to forego the high-end products, seek well-known and well-established products. Examples of such products are the offerings  from Symantec or TrendMicro. 

If you're the typical home user, start with one of the well-known, free products such as Microsoft's Security Essentials or AVG Free.  Remember, the most important decision is installing antivirus; any protection is better than no protection. 

Written by:

 Ben Howard - MCSE, Security+, CCNA Security, NSA 4011

Senior IT Associate
NSK Inc.