How to Select Antivirus Internet Security Software thats right for you

Antivirus Internet Security Software is used to defend 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 technologies are usually combined within the better antivirus firewall software products. Traditional signature based protection consists of searching for known threats. This is achieved scanning files for malicious pieces of code that are known to cause problems to the computer. This is quite effective for viruses and malware that is known to the security 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 defend against zero-day threats, proactive advanced heuristic scanning such as ESET NOD32’s ThreatSense technology can be used. Intrusion prevention technologies are often included within the next generation of antivirus internet security software with the aim of defending against unknown threats.

Security gurus quote 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, purchasing a premium brand of antivirus internet security software product should become one of your top priorities.

With such a huge choice of antivirus security products to choose from, how do you select 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 software?
• Do you need parental control to block children viewing inappropriate websites?
• Do you play lots of games on the computer?
• What are your computer specifications?
• How much money do you want to spend?
• 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 user statements provide a great starting point. AV-Comparatives, PC Pro, and Consumer Reports are excellent sites that offer forums and research on the best software currently available.

There is a large choice of antivirus internet security software products available on the market. Spend a bit of time choosing antivirus software that’s right for you and fits your needs best.

Tags: antivirus firewall software, antivirus internet security software, antivirus security

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 10:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.