When we purchase an anti-virus software, there is a certain feeling of security we expect to have, that there is no worry when it comes to those malicious attacks. That’s what the money goes towards. The problem is that sometimes anti-virus actually does quite the opposite.
In a recent study, household name Symantec (Norton) was labelled with multiple critical vulnerabilities that in fact make the system less secure than if it was running without an anti-virus program.
One would hope that a company of this size would be able to resolve these before they’re discovered — or at the very least, promptly look for ways to clean up their act. Unfortunately, Symantec wanted to put on the brakes and wait before patching these flaws that affect every product associated with the company.
Most of the affected systems have been patched since the first reports from June. When you see a report like this and pair it with the performance-degrading effects large anti-virus companies impose, it becomes a simple question: what do you do?
There are a multitude of protection software on the Internet and in-store. Some of these will go back and forth in terms of highest rankings. Some are big brands that are pre-installed on most computers. Others are less well known, but gaining ground. It’s all about finding the right one for you.
More often than not, we will see the likes of McAfee and Norton on systems. These are loaded for you when you buy a new system and will start as a trial. Users will often purchase the system instead of going through the arduous task of properly removing an anti-virus program.
The problem here is that generally the user will purchase whatever is “recommended” which will often be an entire security suite. These will bring a low-end computer to a halt and greatly degrade the mid-range and higher end computers.
It is important to stay away from the big names like these as there is little innovation and plenty of flaws. Some of these flaws may be performance alone and others are security flaws.
Some of the lesser known programs are often times a good alternative. With these, it’s always good to look at any recent vulnerabilities or complaints users have had.
Some protection systems have deleted files or overwritten system files in the past. Research is important for these situations. That said, common free programs, such as AVG and Avast, are found on millions of systems.
Keep in mind, most free protection softwares have one catch or another. Spam-like interfaces that constantly ask for purchase or the requirement for manual scanning are the most common culprits. If you are able to stay on top of things, these can work out well enough.
Unfortunately, most users are unable to due to the workload given to them. Protection ends up being an afterthought; one that can cost a lot more than the software itself. There is one nearly foolproof way to get rid of these worries for good: allowing professionals to take care of your protection.
Tech Experts is able to supply a managed anti-virus that is inexpensive, well-reviewed, and kept up-to-date with the latest virus definitions. We are able to install it in both home and business environments.
With that in mind, it’s an easy choice when picking what you want to shield you from the dangers of the digital world.