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5 Basic Tips for Protecting Your Computer - free antivirus reviews

All too often computer users make the mistake of thinking that they have solved the problem of detecting and preventing viruses simply because they have the latest anti-virus software from one company, the best anti-spyware from another company. They have antivirus and anti-malware and they've even got a factory set firewall installed. They become lulled into a false sense of security, and until they are exposed to a virus they have no idea what happened or how it could have happened. They feel as though their privacy has been invaded and that they have been individually targeted by some malicious person who is bent on destroying them personally.

This isn't normally the case. Viruses that are launched across the Internet for generalized illegal purposes normally target the unsuspecting and naive computer user. When the author of a virus intends it for a very specific audience, say a business, company or institution they usually try to contain it to a specific network of computers instead of just letting it loose in the hopes it will one day find its way to where they wanted it to go.

The first tip I recommend for protecting your personal computer or any devices designed to use smart technology, such as smartphones and tablets is the back-up procedure. Always back-up your files and store them somewhere safe. This means all the files on your computer, not just the ones you think are important. I recommend a dual process of backing up your files. Make an initial back-up on CDs and then make another back-up on flash drives.

The second tip involves updating your computer's operating system. If there are updates available, they are being offered for a reason. Almost 90% of the time they involve some form of better protection, if you fail to download these free antivirus download updates and install them, then you are exposing your computer system to possible virus infection.

Tip number three is installing and maintaining your system's firewall. All computer brands these days have a firewall built-in, already established and ready to use. The settings on this firewall are adjusted at the factory and are set up to provide your computer as much protection as current technology will allow. I recommend leaving these settings at the highest possible level unless you are a seasoned veteran of surfing the Internet. They are a very useful protection / prevention tool because if left alone at the highest level they will prevent you from accessing websites that have been identified with viruses.

The fourth tip involves checking your browser settings. Different scripts like Active-X and JavaScript are avenues used by virus creators to promote their lethal packages. Internet Explorer is also the most commonly used browser application so it is the one that was targeted by most virus authors in the early days and continues to be a favorite source for delivering viruses and their payloads. Personally I use Google Chrome as well as Mozilla's Firefox for different browsing habits, and to try to help eliminate the opportunity of catching a virus.

The fifth and final tip includes having the appropriate antivirus software program on your computer, we recommend you to make research over the free antivirus reviews websites before installing any antivirus software. There are several critics that claim antivirus is useless and only exists to take our money from us in order to procreate more viruses and make us even more dependent on them. That's actually not a very well thought out conspiracy theory since most free versions of antivirus software work just as well if not better than their paid counterparts. It would seem that if they were truly out to rob us blind they would make the free versions basically useless and require a full subscription for the software that could protect our computer systems. My personal favorite and the one I recommend and install on all of my computers and the computers of my friends and family is AVG free Antivirus, the free version has always worked for me, always read free antivirus reviews articles before starting to use any protection software .

Why is Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware Necessary

The reality of it is anti-virus and anti-spyware solutions are created to help computer users protect their equipment from themselves. That's right folks, those little protection programs that are either factory installed, or purchased from an anti-virus developer, are there for one simple reason, to ensure you don't make the same mistakes others have made. Some people believe that establishing solid browsing habits while online is all you need to protect your computer from possibly becoming infected with a virus. While establishing a good foundation of browsing habits will provide you with additional security when you're online, the truth is, most people that use computers are naive about how to stick to those habits and prevent viruses from entering and installing on their computer system.

Even seasoned Internet veterans can make mistakes or be enticed to commit a mistake from time to time. Hackers are not a stagnant force; they are constantly evolving the methods they use to distribute their malicious computer codes in the form of a virus. So even those that have had years of experience in the Information Technology field can fall victim to a new virus if they aren't careful.

Most virus inventors use some sort of fear tactic in order to get computer users to fall for their scams. These tactics can be so tempting that even though we've gone through a traumatic ordeal in the past involving computer viruses, we feel compelled to investigate a little further, to find out what we're missing. We assume that because we have anti-virus protection our computer will be able to prevent a virus from infecting our system, so anything we stumble across while browsing online, shouldn't pose a problem for us. This is what is referred to as a false sense of security. Anti-virus programs are adjustable software applications that individual customers can set to whatever level they desire, which allows them the opportunity to view, run, download and install anything they want from any website that is available.

Most of these anti-virus and anti-spyware programs come factory pre-set to the highest level, and depending on when you purchased the program, may need significant updates before it has the ability to provide your computer with any protection. Even after they have been installed and updated, they still need to be used properly in order to prevent harmful viruses from entering your computer system. If you adjust the settings any lower than the highest level, you increase the amount of exposure your computer has to possible virus threats.

Some of you are probably still wondering why these protection programs are necessary, you don't have them, and have never encountered a computer virus the entire time you have been on the Internet, and can't imagine why you should invest in these types of applications if it seems apparent you haven't needed them in the past. Let me explain to you why you still need them, even if this is the case for you currently. It is because computer virus creators are always looking for the next best way to distribute their materials, which means that eventually you stand a better chance of coming across a new virus unexpectedly.

There is no forewarning when a new virus is launched. Nobody publishes information about what to look for in order to detect a new virus until after it has infected several computers and is eventually defined and added to a database of known malicious computer codes. Having effective free anti-virus and anti-spyware programs will allow you to rest a little easier while you're browsing, but never let your guard down. Always be vigilant when you are surfing the Internet, if you seem something suspicious then, avoid it, don't take the risk of letting a virus come through.

The Methods Used to Keep Your Computer Virus Free

How many people use a computer daily to access the Internet? A million, a billion, what is the correct answer? Recent statistics indicate that just last year in 2011, on Dec. 31st to be exact, over 2 billion people worldwide accessed the Internet, just on that single day alone. Granted it was a holiday, New Year's Eve, but that number represents somewhere in the neighborhood of 32% of the entire planets population that means that as the Internet continues to expand its global reach, more and more people will be using it. With the way technology continues to grow, it wouldn't be surprising that during the next 10 years, the number of people online doubles or even triples current statistics. Why is this significant? Right now there are over 10,000 different viruses floating around the Internet. That number fluctuates annually. Recent statistics indicate that the amount of viruses on the Internet is in decline and that at one time during the first decade of this Century there were an estimated 52,000 viruses online ready to infect computers.

With more Internet access becoming available on a daily basis, more and more people will begin using it, which means the possibility for more cyber-crime in the future. The steps described below have allowed several followers the best method for providing their computers with security while on the Internet.

Avoid peer-to-peer file sharing websites or networks. These places are virtual playgrounds for computer viruses. Open source networks that allow visitors to promote links to download free content for other visitors provide no oversight. Anybody can use them to distribute any type of content they want. Even if you think you're safe because you have anti-virus software, you are not. If you choose to visit these websites you are exposing your computer to a possible virus infection.

Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date and search constantly for antivirus reviews. I recommend installing one that has an always active feature allowing it to run in the background while you perform your tasks on various websites and through different programs. An always active anti-virus program doesn't require manual activation; therefore you don't have to worry about possibly forgetting to turn it on when you access the Internet.

Keep your computer's operating system updated. These operating systems are always receiving updates to keep them protected from harmful and malicious computer viruses. Not keeping them updated is a grave mistake. Those updates can contain new features or functions that are designed to combat the latest known virus threat.

Never open e-mail attachments that arrive in the form of a FORWARD. These attachments can get intercepted and become infected with viruses which will instantly download and install themselves on your computer when they are opened.

Avoid searching for FREE stuff. This includes games, coupons, software or anything else for that matter. Websites that offer things of that nature for free usually allow different developers to submit their products or web links, which will redirect you to virus carrying websites.

Stay away from pornographic websites. Although some of these are legitimate business endeavors, some of them can be overrun with computer viruses and cause you to have some very significant problems.

Always download device drivers from the manufacturer's website, and refrain from watching videos that require you to download them to your computer and start free antivirus download programs only from trusted sources.

Think outside the box. Most viruses are designed to infect Windows programs as it is the most widely used operating system on the planet. Other operating systems have fewer viruses because the virus creators realize there aren't enough users on those systems to justify their illegal efforts. That's not to say Microsoft products aren't effective or suitable, it simply means they provide the biggest target for illegal activity, so virus inventors are going to create more viruses directed at them than at any other system.

What is a Trojan Virus and How Do You Get Rid of It

Trojan viruses got their names from ancient history. If you've ever taken a World History class you should be aware of what the Trojan Horse was, and how it was masterfully used to defeat an enemy, when they least expected it. According to Grecian History after a 10 year siege on the city of Troy, the Greek army built an enormous hollow wooden horse. They then placed several soldiers inside the horse and placed it outside the gates to the city of Troy and pretended to sail away. The Trojans thinking they were finally victorious brought the wooden horse inside the city gates and began to celebrate. Later that evening, as the Trojans slept, the Greeks slid from the belly of the horse and unlocked the gates so that the rest of the Greek Army, which had silently sailed back under the cover of night, could enter Troy and bring an end to the war.

Trojan viruses got their name the same way. Virus programmers found that it was much easier to design their virus advertisements to look very similar to legitimate products. As most computer systems on the Internet use a Windows operating system it stands to reason that most of the viruses we see infecting computers these days come wrapped in packages that look like official update packages from the Microsoft Company. The virus creators will even use semi-authentic Windows logos, they won't be the actual copyrighted Company logo, but they will be so close in nature you may not even recognize the difference. This is a common Trojan virus method of distribution. Look at the Windows icon, which is usually the first early warning sign that an individual with great attention to detail will recognize. It looks like any other Windows symbol, except for the fact that the colors of the Windows are rearranged.

This is the type of stuff you need to pay attention too. Look at the authentic Windows icon and memorize it, it will always be the same, Microsoft copyrighted that image as their company logo, it has a red window in the upper left hand corner, a blue window in the lower left hand corner, a yellow window in the bottom right hand corner, and a green window in the upper right hand corner. If you get a notification from something that looks like it is from Windows, look at the symbol first. This goes for all other software programs as well. Do not download software from a third party affiliate, use the actual CD, or download directly from the manufacturer's website.

Remember, in the world of computer lingo, Trojan refers to hidden, disguised or masquerading as. Several fake anti-virus programs use a similar method by issuing pop-up notifications from what looks like a legitimate and well-known source. These are easily spotted since those legitimate well-known sources we were just referring to, do not advertise this way. An authentic anti-virus software program will notify you when your computer boots up that there are available updates, it won't issue those notifications in pop-ups while you are browsing the Internet or using a program unless you manually instruct them to.

Be very aware of your Internet surroundings. If something doesn't sound right or seem right, chances are, it isn't right. No respectable company uses pop-up advertisements anymore; those are basically nothing more than adware or spyware programs, so avoid them at all costs. If you happen to land on a website that has pop-ups, back out, or close out that window, go into your computer history and delete that website and any cookies it has attached to your system.

 

Will Anti-virus Software Protect My Computer in the Event of a Cyber Attack

Cyber-attacks and cyber-warfare are not a new concept. It's relatively new considering computer technology for commercial computers wasn't available until the mid-1980s and wasn't really popular until the Internet came online and the people could communicate instantly with others from all over the world in a matter of minutes. However, the idea has been around as long as computers themselves. The governments of countries have realized what power over the Internet affords them. They have come to realize how beneficial a tool the Internet could be in times of actual war, as well as during times when striking through a computer system will bring another countries infrastructure to a complete standstill.

For the most part cyber-attacks aren't specifically targeted at one specific person; they are aimed at a wide range of people for the simple reason of crippling their computers and thereby making them ineffective. Quite honestly it would be extremely difficult for me to believe anyone that promised me, or guaranteed me that an antivirus program was going to be all I needed in order to ride out a cyber-attack launched by a foreign government. Governments not only lie to each other, they lie to the people they represent, or at the very least they keep certain sensitive information away from the public at all costs.

If you know anything about military strategy you know that collateral damage is a common theme. All things viewed as being socially unacceptable, are justified as being a necessary acceptance to obtain a conclusion, which means if another countries government decided to launch a cyber-attack against us, most of us wouldn't even know what happened for a few days if not weeks. Your $40 antivirus program isn't going to protect you. It might protect your computer if you get it turned off in time, but a full-blown cyber-attack is likely to be extremely lethal for all the computers on the Internet in that targeted area.

Honestly, I doubt any of us would be safe under those conditions. As a matter of fact, while conducting research recently I stumbled across some antivirus reviews, for lack of a better term that offered professional assessments indicating that parts of our government or general population may already be under a subversive and silent cyber-attack. As most, if not all of the computers we use in America are manufactured overseas in countries whose governments have a vested interest in our country, such as China, the possibility that rogue silent software may already be on board several of our computers disguised as part of the internal components, and are currently harvesting sensitive information that might be used against us clandestinely or openly in the event of an actual declaration of war.

That can be a very troubling topic to consider since we would have no previous knowledge that such actions were being taken and would therefore be unable to fight back against it. Just the thought that this type of situation could occur, or has already been put in place is shocking enough, and should alert everyone using a computer as to how vulnerable we are because of our penchant for immediate acceptance, by which I mean, we seldom question anything we buy anymore, we see something, we decide we like it enough that we want to own it and we buy it without any further thought. Has something like this happened already? Is it happening as you're reading this article? Truthfully I couldn't give you an answer with any authority. Is it possible this could happen now or in the future? Undoubtedly, even if you bought an American made product it could happen. Our government is no different than any other on this planet. It keeps its own secrets and reveals them when it is necessary. In the event of global cyber-warfare, antivirus software protection is going to be of little use to anyone.

 

Does Your Smart Phone need Protection

To put it quite simply, yes it does. Smart phone technology these days allows for owners to have a virtual pocket computer on them at all times. These devices have almost become more of a part of our lives than actual desk top or laptop computers. The things we can do nowadays with our smart phones were inconceivable a decade ago, and with the way technology keeps growing by leaps and bounds, in another 10 years the things we will be able to do with these intelligent devices will probably make today's versions seem like the bulky old bag phones of the late 1970s and early ‘80s.

Smart phone technology is the same as computer technology, they go hand in hand, and all of the operating systems on these smart phones have a marketplace from which owners can download any number of applications. These applications are created by computer programmers, some of them are legitimate applications that serve a useful purpose, while others are full of bugs, glitches and viruses. Applications that don't work well on certain smart phones yet seem to run smoothly on another is not a sign of a virus. The developers of these applications just need to make some minor adjustments in order to accommodate all the different technology; however if the application doesn't seem to work on any version of smart phone, then the app was probably designed as a virus and needs to be removed immediately.

There are not as many providers of security programs for mobile devices, as these items are relatively new to the computer industry. Lookout Mobile Security is the smart phone protection program most commonly recommended by anti-virus reviews. There are other companies that offer mobile security, such as AVG Anti-virus, McAfee Wave Secure and Webroot Mobile Security, in case you want to look at some other options for protecting your smart phone.

There are also some useful tips you can follow to help prevent the possibility of your becoming infected with a virus. Most smartphones these days have the technology on board to allow for pin codes, passwords or password patterns which will keep the phone locked and unavailable to people that are not authorized to use it, or who are trying to see what information has on it. Keeping your phone locked is always a good idea; it can stop somebody from using it on the Internet and exposing it to a possible virus.

Some smart phones allow owners to encrypt passwords and sensitive data. If your version of smart phone allows you this opportunity, learn how to use it. Every little bit of protection is worth the effort. If you have a smart phone, chances are you keep as much, if not more, sensitive information on your smart phone as you do on your personal computer, so do whatever you can to prevent that information from falling into the wrong hands. If you have a smart phone that functions on a Google operating system, you should have the availability to back-up most of your information, you should also have the availability of using a remote wiping application. I recommend using both of these resources. Backing up your information will keep it safe should your smart phone ever become lost, stolen or damaged. The remote wiping feature will allow you to gain access to the files on the smart phone and erase them from a remote location, ensuring that they aren't being used or can't be used in the future.

Since smart phones came into existence, there has been a 250% increase in viruses detected on them, which alone is good enough reason to be concerned. Most smart phones allow users the opportunity to adjust their settings so that they can download files from 3rd party websites. This should be avoided. Stay safe and shop through the approved marketplace.

 

Preparing to Remove Computer Viruses

One of the biggest mistakes computer users generally make when they find out their computer has been infected with a virus involves inadequate preparation procedures. Ordinarily an average every day computer user will realize they have a problem on their computer system and instead of taking the necessary preparation steps to get ready for removing the virus they suspect is present on their system, they make hasty decisions about how to handle the problem and quite often end up causing further problems, or the method they rushed into doesn't provide them with the results they were looking for.

There are a few things you should consider if you are going to attempt to remove a virus from your computer. The very first thing you need to do when you suspect your computer might have a virus is remove it from the Internet. The longer you allow your system to be accessible through the Internet the greater chance you stand of enduring more harmful effects from the virus if it is present and already establishing a foothold on the hard drive or some of your programs. Some viruses are designed to steal information and then transmit it to a remote computer where the virus creator can then harvest the information and use it to their advantage and often to your detriment.

You should be able to disconnect the computer from the Internet rather easily by clicking on the connection icon, usually displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the task bar, if you are using a Windows Operating System, find the connection you are using, click on that connection and select the disconnect button. If this doesn't work, then your computer is more than likely infected and the virus has established an open channel of communication with which to send your information to the remote computer designated by the virus creator. If this is the case, don't panic; simply unplug the connection from the back of the computer itself. If you are using a wireless router then you will need to disable the connection at the back of the router to eliminate the open communication channel. If all else fails shut the entire computer down, pull the battery on your laptop if you have to.

Once you've done this, you will need to find a place to work on your computer where it won't have the opportunity to receive an Internet connection. Turn your computer back on and create a System Restore point for your computer. If you are unsure of how to perform this function you should familiarize yourself with it now. You can find the information on how to do this through the internal search window for the system you are using. Each type of system requires a different method to perform this function, so you might want to find it while you can and print off a copy for future use.

If you already have anti-virus software on your system, then after you create the Restore point, you will need to access your protection program and run a full system scan. Once the scan is complete you should take any isolated or quarantined files and have them permanently removed or deleted. Now that you have finished this process reboot your computer normally. If everything looks, sounds and functions correctly then attempt to re-establish the Internet connection. If everything works then you've more than likely been successful in removing the virus and the files that were infected. If your system still experiences problems you will want to seek professional repair assistance to correct the problem and restore your computer to an operational capacity.

1

Position

AVG Antivirus Free 2012

Avast Free Antivirus

Avira Free Antivirus

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free

BitDefender Free Edition

ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition

Stinger Antivirus

ClamWin Portable

PC Tools Antivirus Free

Ninja Pendisk

Comments:

Maggie

Thanks for the information. I got the answers that I was looking for about AVG and Avira. But I must say that the other product descriptions were a little hard to understand. Maybe some editing is in order?

Josh

Totally agree with this list. AVG is the best one out there. I’ve been using it for some time now. The latest release is faster and has some cool features.

Daryl

This looks like a pretty decent list of anti-virus software. Descriptions are short but has good info. Would be nice if there were more options to choose from? Any chance of making this a top 15 list?

Glen

I don't surf the Internet much since I basically use my computer to just write and check my emails. What antivirus software is good for me? Should I even get one? I just want something simple and easy.

http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/antivirus
http://www.cnet.com/topic-reviews/antivirus.html
http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Andrea

My computer recently had a bad case of the virus, and while I was able to get rid of some of them, my friend said I need to update my antivirus. I use AVG right now but I’m not sure I like it. I want to try Avast but a friend said it’s not really good. So which is which?

Mark

Is the Panda Cloud you're talking about here the newest antivirus from that brand? I used the Global Protection one several weeks ago and it didn't work well with the other software installed on my laptop. I had to restart my computer several times before I got it to work. Is this one any better?

Will

I must say that your short comment about the McAfee Stinger made me curious so I decided to download it. I'm happy with it so far because it's fast and easy to use. I didn't realize my laptop had a lot of viruses already, but I'm hoping that the stinger was able to eliminate most of it.

Christine

I'm not a very "techy" person, but I have used those top three anti-virus software at some time or another over the past four years or so. The Avast anti-virus looks like the best one for me so far. I rarely got any problems when I used it. I'm a little confused with the sandbox feature, and just leave the settings that my company's IT made as is.

Michel

Which is the best antivirus software, the AVG right? I install it yesterday and find me a lot of virus problems, all of them were successfully cleaned by the anti virus and I consider it to be the best free antivirus, much better than the other ones, so for me and probable for many people this is the best anti virus solution for PC and phone devices, thank you for your free antivirus reviews provided and please also make the best free antivirus reviews for phones / iphones and android phones.

AVG free review

I will make a small AVG free review for all people that have no idea about this antivirus, The AVG antivirus free will offer a very good computer virus protection with a very good virus definition database that is hourly updated and can detect all viruses malware trojan application and any kind of melicios viruses and threads. Here, on the website you also can download avg for free from the review page, and also I recommend to use AVG on all your devices including phones and tablets, this is one of my small antivirus reviews about AVG.

Larisa

I'm wondering which antivirus is the best for me, I need a small antivirus with small size for windows Xp that is not connected to internet more than two hours per week. I want to pick for me the best antivirus software with small MB (mega bits) less than 35 MB because my computer free space is running out and I have less and less free memory on my hardisk, and also the antivirus should not take much Ram Memory, I read almost all antivirus reviews you provide and please help me select the best solution for me, I really need that the best is providing an effective protection and my computer will never get infected anymore.

I'm an antivirus guy

Vicky, please note that antivirus programs for windows or Mac are different from phone antiviruses, let me know the name of your phone, if you have an android phone you need an android antivirus designed especially for android operation system, many companies already develop software versions for phones, but if you have an android smartphone you can easily search for an antivirus on your Play store / Market store icon which usually should be available on you phone desktop.

Cristian

Because I initially had an issue with AVG downloading updates I follow your instructions to remove all unknown applications from msconfig and now my antivirus update function is working fine again, thanks to Lory comment.

vicky

How can I download free antivirus in my phone

Lory

I want also to share some info about all people that have any problems installing the most rated antivirus applications from this website or any other website, every time when people get this kind of problem they actually already have some viruses on the computers which are blocking the installation process of the anti-virus programs, in this case, they need to manually open the msconfig application and un-check all the unknown and suspicious programs which probable are malware apps or any kind of virus programs like trojans developed by hackers to steal your identity or your credit card information.

Ryan

I want to share my opinions about the antivirus reviews and about all your antivirus articles that are published here, I think this team makes a really good job writing all this data for us and I have some recommendations for the website, try to add some antivirus coupons for all people that want to buy antivirus software and for the ones that will use the free antivirus software I think this website already offer all necessary details.

Alexander

This team provides the best antivirus reviews. In my opinion, there are the best because they provide all the information necessary by people to get the best antivirus and best internet security for free, I also like your antivirus ratings maybe with one small exception, I think this Avast's Antivirus review and the ratings should be on your top antivirus list positioned number one not two.