Without a doubt, every owner of a computer connected to the global network periodically asks himself the question “which antivirus is the best?” Ten years ago, the choice of a protective program was made on the basis of its prestige, cost and availability of support services.
Now, when new types of malware appear every minute on the World Wide Web, the effectiveness of the antivirus application naturally comes to the fore. In light of this, it is not surprising that many users would like to know which antivirus is the best. After all, if the protection of information is not properly organized, then it can be destroyed or used for criminal purposes.
Wealth of alternatives
Currently, many companies offer their antivirus software products. The user's task is to make a choice in favor of a particular solution. In fact, one cannot say for sure which antivirus is the best: in 2013, when the struggle for the title of the most optimal solution is still taking place, it proved once again.
Therefore, in this article we will point out some key features of these programs that directly affect efficiency. And which one to give preference to is an individual choice of each.
Criterias of choice
We formulate the basic requirements for an abstract ideal anti-virus program :
- free distribution;
- round-the-clock support service;
- timely automatic updates of the kernel and application databases;
- full compatibility with the specified operating systems and correct work with user programs;
- the ability to flexibly configure, including several modes - for ordinary and "advanced" users;
- a powerful protection mechanism against unknown threats, up to the complete blocking of a suspicious program;
- additional features.
Actually, everyone who finds the answer to the above points will figure out which antivirus is the best.
Pay or save
It is generally accepted that free software solutions cannot be quite effective. Although this is true in most cases, there are exceptions. For example, Antivir programs from the well-known company Avira, Antivirus from Comodo, and Antivirus Avast Free have been used by many users for several years, reliably protecting against network threats. Of course, do not forget that most of the free solutions do not contain a built-in firewall (Firewall), so for completeness of protection it needs to be installed additionally.
Nevertheless, you should not expect effective and timely user support from manufacturers of such programs - priorities are still given to paid analogues. If the question is: “What is the best antivirus - free or paid?”, Then it is worthwhile to proceed from other desired parameters.
Harvester Applications
One of the most convenient protection solutions is a program that combines both the antivirus engine and the firewall. In this case, all modules work as coordinated as possible. This should be taken into account when figuring out which antivirus is the best. That is, it is more preferable to choose the Internet Security program from Kaspersky Lab than a combination of Avira Anti-Virus and Outpost firewall (we do not take into account the effectiveness of “catching” threats).
Among the combined solutions, the most famous are Kaspersky Internet Security, the famous NOD32, the domestic Dr.Web Space, etc. Although they are all paid, the user is given a period for free testing.
To summarize
When choosing the best protective program, it should be understood that there is no panacea. The best solution is to completely isolate the computer from external information, which is not always advisable. Any anti-virus program, even the most effective one, can skip a new kind of “malware”. The user can only reduce the likelihood of this by updating the database and the kernel in a timely manner, as well as comply with security rules when working with network resources.