Five Common Questions About Antivirus Programs

Can I Use Free Antivirus Programs For Protection?

Well sure you can! Only if you want to be vulnerable to nearly twice as many viruses opposed to a name-brand or paid antivirus program. Blunt I know, but it is the truth and sometimes the truth isn’t what we want to hear. Now these claims are backed by both AV-Test and NSS Labs; two companies who test antivirus programs. In NSS Labs latest test in September of 2009 shows Free AVG to only detect 67.1% of viruses!

Do I Need Multiple Programs To Protect Against Different Infections?

For example you’ll see many products promoting protection for one or all of these types of infections: Ad-Aware, Spyware, Viruses, Trojans, Keyloggers, Malware, etc. The answer is yes and no; so let me explain. If the product you purchase says “Anti-Virus Protection” it most likely does NOT include a “firewall” or “anti-spyware”. So when purchasing that product you would need additional software to complete your protection. To save yourself a headache and money make sure you get a product that protects against all infections and has a firewall.

Why Does My Antivirus Make My Computer Run SO Slow?!

Unfortunately this is a common problem with having proper protection. Many antivirus programs take up a ton of resources that will slow down your computer. Norton being the worst out of all antivirus programs in a report published by AV-Test. Norton’s score on computer performance was a sad 4 out of 100. Trend Micro Internet Security had the greatest score with the least impact on your computer’s performance beating Norton by 40%!

If I Have Protection Why Did I Still Get A Virus?

This question is asked over and over again in our computer repair shop. The answer is rather long and extensive however to wrap it up in a nut shell there are a few common reasons.

1.) First being your antivirus wasn’t updated; I have several customers come in with their antivirus not even updated with the latest definitions! So make sure you keep your antivirus program updated, not all of them will do it automatically. Not having the latest update will make you vulnerable to newer viruses.

2.) Downloading music or videos from sites or programs like LimeWire will get you infected regardless of how good your protection is. Peer-2-Peer programs like LimeWire are the WORST for infections almost all files are attached with some kind of virus and this program will completely bypass your antivirus no matter which program you have. Even if you couldn’t get infected this behavior is illegal so it is best to avoid such actions.

3.) Not having proper protection will result in being infected. So many people think they were using proper protection but ended up learning their protection wasn’t near the level they needed. For example the most common antivirus we see used is McAfee which only has a 82.2% detection rate which is ranked 4th on the most effective protection. With nearly 30,000 new viruses entering the internet every day according to the FCC most recent reports 82.2% just isn’t going to cut it.

So What Is The Best Antivirus To Use?

Simply put; Trend Micro Internet Security. Why you say? For a few reasons…

1.) Unlike AVG or McAfee’s poor detection rating Trend Micro Internet Security has a 93.6% virus detection rate. Trend Micro Internet Security is currently ranked #1 in virus detection and has been for more than 3 years by both AV-Test and NSS Labs.

2.) Trend Micro Internet Security is a complete package. It has your Antivirus, Antispyware, Identity Protection, and Firewall. You will not need to purchase any additional program for your protection.

3.) In AV-Test latest report Trend Micro products where rated #1 in computer performance when installed. With an amazing 40% lead from Norton’s performance chart Trend Micro will be the least noticeable program you’ll have installed in your computer.

4.) Trend Micro Internet Security installed right out of the box will scan and update automatically giving you a worry-free sense of security.

A Personal Testimony

We’ve used this program for nearly 700 of our own clients and have yet to have a single person call back with a problem. Now to be very clear NO antivirus program is perfect, so still use common sense and still be weary of downloading unknown files. With the combination of a well educated consumer and Trend Micro Internet Security; viruses will be a thing of the past.

Visit http://www.AV-Test.org or http://www.nsslabs.com if you’d like to read the mentioned reports in this article.

Find Out More. Read free articles and how-to’s about keeping your computer running fast and problem free on our blog at http://www.888MyPCDrs.com – Logan S Johnson Certified Technician and CEO of The PC Doctors writes reviews and articles about computer repair and help. See our blog at http://www.888MyPCDrs.com for reviews and much more!