Why do we need Antivirus Software?

An unprotected computer is like an unprotected man in the wild, you never know what would happen to him the next instant. Today, everything possible has been invented to harm your computer; be it Malware, Trojans, spyware, worms, or viruses, you name it and they exist all around. The World of Internet is fraught with dangers and each site or page you visit increases the probability of getting virus. Pen drives used for file transfers might have a plethora of unwanted viruses which could harm your computer in a jiffy.

It is here that Antivirus software comes in use. A good Antivirus intercepts Viruses, Trojans and Worms and stops them from destroying files on your personal computer. Not only this, it also protects the computer and maintains the performance. By having antivirus from best antivirus software 2013 installed in your computer, you can feel more assured about your computer’s safety.

So how does antivirus helps you? Be it scanning your computer thoroughly for any traces of unwanted files and programs or updating itself regularly to combat the latest threats, antivirus helps you keep your precious data safe and secure. Often, a problem that was seen with the installation of antivirus was that the system slowed down considerably. Now, with modern antivirus programs the problem seems to have been attended to a large extent.

Year 2012

Year 2012 saw many amazing features being introduced by the antivirus companies. The features ensured that the subscribers were well protected in case of vulnerabilities and multiple threats. Some of the great features most vendors introduced in 2012:

• The patented 5 layer protection technology helped identify and block threats accurately and quickly before the threat could harm the computer.
• The concept of browser protection was taken to a new level. Browser protection ensured that websites which secretly downloaded software which steals personal information are kept blocked. Perhaps the best usefulness of this feature was when one was browsing social networking sites. A site like Facebook, which might have links to scores of harmful sites, was made safer, as all the harmful links could be detected. Moreover, most antivirus software securely stored the passwords and user name and filled up forms, automatically eliminating the threat of phishing.
• The threat removal layer, another feature introduced in 2012, aims to dismiss often hard to remove viruses from computers easily. Viruses were detected and removed from the system without any hassle. All those yesteryear system of pop ups asking you to manually decide what to do was done away with.
• Antivirus companies incorporated another milestone feature in 2012. Often, the long time scanning process of antivirus software, which could even run into hours, poses a hindrance. Now, many antivirus software recognises and marks safe files and only scans other unsafe and unknown files in order to improve efficiency and performance making the software use less resources to perform checks, scans and remove threats.

What to Look For in 2013

Continuing to improve on the tradition, the next year will usher in many more new features for antivirus software to successfully combat the threats. All antivirus competing for best antivirus 2013 will make use of these features making the PC experience even more pleasurable. Some of the features being contemplated are:

• The Automatic exploit prevention system ensures that even if a malware creeps into the computer, the system will recognize the threat and roll back or undo any harmful changes that the malware enforces.
• Often new programs and versions have certain vulnerabilities and might be prone to viruses and other harmful attacks. In 2013, the antivirus software could actually stop users from executing such files which have vulnerabilities and whose fixes haven’t yet been released by the manufacturer.
• Now, the third feature might come as a surprise to many. While antivirus software at one point of time were responsible for hindering the system’s performance, the year 2013 promises that some of the antivirus software would actually reduce resource usage to increase battery life.
• With the release of Windows 8, all new antivirus programs are expected to provide compatibility with it too.

How Should You Choose Best Antivirus Software?

So thinking of selecting the best antivirus? You need to consider quite a few things before you head out to buy it! After all, every security software or antivirus is not equally capable of defending your computer against all kinds of threats. One should know the scope of protection the antivirus gives first. In order to be the best it should provide protection from not only virus, worms and Trojans but also phishing scams, malware threats and key loggers. More threats any software can protect against, the better it is said to be.

Another aspect to be kept in mind is the performance of the antivirus. Good antivirus software not only possesses all essential security features but also effectively protects computers from threats. Another essential thing for a good antivirus is its ease of installation. Setting up the software should be easy and friendly. A few clicks and a basic knowledge of the PC should suffice. Users are not computer programmers that they would be able to know the intricacies of everything. Updates and support for further assistance should also be available.

Final important aspect to consider is the ‘help and support’. Problems might arise and efficient redress to the issue should be available. Mailing support as well as live chat support and forums has to be available. Check to see if your software satisfies these and know if you have chosen the best antivirus 2013 for yourself.