There are many stories in the news about millions of Internet devices being hacked. While a good portion of these attacks could be blamed on hackers’ skill, there are other factors at play as well — namely, the lack of security tools. There are plenty of free antivirus programs to select from that provide robust protections against the most prevalent threats.
Look for a free antivirus that has a strong malware detection. The ability of a program to differentiate between malicious intruders such as worms, viruses and ransomware attacks, and innocent programs is a critical measure of its efficiency. Find a scanner that can recognize all kinds of malware, including rootkits and trojans, and that has perfect or near-perfect rate of virus detection.
Also make sure that you choose programs that don’t slow your system down too much. During a scan or other functions that are intensive, certain programs can significantly affect your computing experience, making it difficult to stream video or play games. Select an antivirus program that is light, simple to install and requires minimal resources.
Another key factor to consider is the additional features. Certain antivirus programs have cleaning tools that improve OS performance, speed up the startup process, and eliminate junk files. Others provide a virtual private networking (VPN) which allows you to cover your online activities in order to protect yourself from the scrutiny of. Most paid antivirus suites offer 24/7 email or live chat support. However this isn’t always the case with free products.