Protecting your computer from viruses is a priority for any user today. Even if you use the Internet occasionally, malware can reach your PC or laptop via the local network, flash drive, or disk. And an infected computer can not only freeze and reboot spontaneously but also drain your data to criminals.
To prevent this, you must use the antivirus application on your PC. Most products will insist on getting the paid version. Of course, they have their advantages. But is it possible not to pay for the antivirus? Let’s see why it is not necessary.
The first thing the user thinks about when choosing an antivirus is buying a paid version or using it for free. The advantages of free software are apparent ‘ saving money. At the same time, they have limited functionality. Are they as good as the paid versions?
Most leading software companies provide very reliable and efficient free antivirus. You can read the free antivirus software review to select the most appropriate one. Also, let’s see what component can good antivirus include.
What functions should an antivirus have? For the average user, it must reliably protect the system from online threats. Good antiviruses for a computer can have the following components.
Monitor ‘ constantly analyzes all the processes in the system. That will help if the leaked software is not recognized as a virus, but once it tries to perform a malicious action. For example, send your email passwords to an unknown user.
Scanner ‘ scans the system for viruses. The antivirus scanner is responsible for detecting changed or suspicious files on your computer. Scanning detects so-called worms and trojans ‘ viruses that copy themselves or modify your data.
Software Control ‘ detects suspicious software activity. The feature is the reason why antivirus often blocks some modified or cracked apps.
Network Control is a beneficial function of the antivirus, which will not allow you to enter infected sites. Plus, it will prevent viruses from infecting your computer or laptop via the Internet or a local network.
Flexible settings are a handy feature for advanced users. It allows you to manually configure the level of protection, create a list of exceptions, temporarily disable some features to improve system performance.
Automatic update ‘ when installing the antivirus on your computer, make sure to check the availability of this feature. Otherwise, the program will be ineffective. Updated virus databases and virus neutralization algorithms should be downloaded at least once every two weeks. Most free apps update the databases every day.
Self-protection ‘ antivirus, which can be disabled by viruses, is a very bad antivirus. The program should protect itself, first of all. Otherwise, it is useless.
Ideally, the antivirus program should most features. What about free products? Most apps include a scanner, automatic update, and monitor. So using a free antivirus is a good idea.