Antivirus software – How to choose the best Antivirus

The market is flooded with Antivirus programs. A lot of them are free, others are paid, and they all boast on being the best at what they do. So how do you choose between all of them and what should you look for in an Antivirus software?

Here are a few things to consider when in the market for an Antivirus program:

• Consider a complex antivirus solution, which offers several layers of protection. As technology and Internet have evolved, so have the threats to which you are exposed every time you use a computer or an Internet connection. A simple antivirus will no longer do the trick, so you need a product that also offers protection against ransomware, spyware, worms, adware, includes a firewall, VPN protection and so on. The more layers of security offered, the better
• Paid or free? A lot of Antivirus programs offer more than just free trial periods to test the product. A lot of them also have a free version of the product. In the case of Antivirus programs though, free is not necessarily the best. If you want to have peace of mind that you are protected, you should at least go for the most affordable paid This way you don’t break the bank, but you also get a more reliable and complex product. It is only natural to have to pay for something others have spent their money and time to develop. Those developers, servers and other equipment involved don’t come for free. So don’t expect to find the best antivirus on the market and not spend a dime for it. A free trial is also something to look for in an Antivirus. It is the best way to be able to test the product for free, to know whether it meets your needs or not
• Do some research on what kind of impact the Antivirus will have on your device’s performance. All Antivirus programs use your computer’s resources. But it is important to choose a product that will have a minimal impact on your device. Computer scans shouldn’t take too long to run and your computer’s overall speed/performance, CPU usage, RAM memory and so on, shouldn’t be too much affected by the Antivirus. Also, if you know you have an older system or one that is not that powerful to begin with, you should pay extra attention to this aspect
• Make sure the interface is user-friendly. Some Antivirus programs look very messy and crowded, disorganized, tools and settings are hard to find and there’s not enough support/documentation offered to guide you through. Make sure the program you’re thinking of buying is straightforward, intuitive and customizable enough to be able to configure it the way you need/prefer to
• Don’t forget about compatibility. Carefully read the program’s system requirements to be sure the Antivirus will work properly on your device. This aspect is also related to the aforementioned one about the impact of the Antivirus on your computer’s performance. Make sure your system has enough memory and a good enough processor so that it can still work okay with the Antivirus enabled
• Make sure the Antivirus provider offers top-notch customer support. And that means they should be easy to reach at any time, via more than just contact forms. Live chat and phone support, active forums are some of the aspects to consider when it comes to customer support. Also pay attention to the reviews on the company, to find out if it’s reputable and reliable or not.