The Microsoft operating system Windows covers 90% of computer users over the world, making it the most used OS in the world, however it’s also the most susceptible to virus attacks, it’s also not the most secure operating system out there, especially when compared to Mac and Linux. This makes virus development a lot easier to implement. If you haven’t got an antivirus installed then you should seriously consider getting one today.
Are free antivirus software packages any good? As mentioned above, Windows is a relatively insecure operating system (admittedly they have improved their security with Windows 10, however it still isn’t the best) and so protection is a must. If you’re running Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 then you’ll automatically be some-what protected as they come pre-installed with Microsoft’s very own antivirus – Windows defender. This is a great concept however Windows defender really doesn’t live up to the standards of most free antiviruses, let alone the paid packages available on the market. There are some great free antivirus suites on the market also, but they only come with basic features and protection, but if you’re on a very tight budget and can’t justify spending money on an antivirus it will be better than nothing. As standard they should come with real-time protection, quarantining abilities and scanning tools, which may sound adequate for you? However, looking into it further could make you think otherwise…
Paid packages offer lots of additional tools such as; firewalls, browser protection, anti-spam etc. but do these actually do anything or are they just gimmicky features to get you to spend money (or more money in some cases). The reality is, virus developers have found ways to worm their way into computers (pardon the pun) via browsers, email clients and even safe and legitimate software. Additional features have been developed by antivirus companies to combat the new and up-coming ways of virus attacks.
We suggest upgrading to a paid suite as soon as possible, free protection doesn’t particularly cut the bill when it comes to Windows and the additional features included in paid packages really makes the small amount of cash worthwhile.