One of the most important software programs for your computer is anti-virus software. Why is anti-virus software so important? This software is used to prevent, detect, identify, and eliminate the top threats to all computers. Those threats being computer viruses, worms, trojans, and other malicious software (malware). Before moving on to more about anti-virus software, lets learn a little bit more about these threats.
- A computer virus is a piece of software that will attach itself to other programs and files. The sole purpose is to replicate and destroy your information on the computer.
- Worms are another piece of software that will replicate and either destroy or halt your computer from processing anything. Worms use computer networks to move from computer to computer.
- Trojan Horse, as the name indicates in Greek mythology, is a deceiving program. The program will claim to do an action, but instead damages your computer. For example, I had a Trojan horse that claimed I had a virus and could only use a certain program to delete it. I then went on to use anti-virus software that found the real cause and deleted it.
- Malware is a program designed to access information on your computer.
General Information
From my personal experience, a lot of users don't even know what anti-virus software is. About 25% of my clients and/or friends didn't even have anti-virus software on my first visit. Another 5% had expired anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is designed to examine a users computer files and look for any known viruses in its database. It will also identify suspicious behavior that comes from any file(s). Once identified the anti-virus software will quarantine the files and start disinfecting it. The software will keep going through this cycle until it is complete or the user stops the process.
Anti-virus software does have a few downsides. It can hinder the computer's performance. Sometimes the software can misidentify a program as malicious when it actually isn't. Uneducated users may allow a virus to spread if they are unaware of certain warnings the software provides.
What kind of anti-virus software should you get?
There is an abundance of anti-virus software ranging in price from free to a few dollars a month. Most of the free versions are sufficient for most users. It will provide you enough coverage from most threats.
Some of the free versions I would suggest include:
Any of these will do. I personally use Microsoft Security Essentials on all of my computers, but I have used all of these anti-virus programs in the past. Even in the Avast installation video (found below), the creator suggests using Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 and Vista. As for Windows XP, he suggests Avast.
Installation
The anti-virus software installation process is very simple (all of the download links are found above in the previous section). In case you are stumped, I have included some videos below to help you with the process. The videos are able to provide more information than me explaining since each software has its own unique setup.
Microsoft Security Essentials
AVG
(The website has updated since this post. It will give you the option to download from CNet and right below it there is a small link to download it directly from AVG. Please click on that link and follow the installation video.)
Avast
Scanning for Threats
Scanning for threats has become easier with each passing year. Most anti-virus software programs have a 1-button interface often labeled with "Scan Now." The user will often have the chance to chose between a full scan (scans the entire computer), quick scan (scans some of the essential parts of the computer, but not all, and custom (scans files the user chooses). Note: make sure you have plenty of time for the full scan because it could take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour(s). This all depends on how much information you have on your computer. You also have the option to schedule scans which allows the software to do it automatically. I would advise any user to have a daily quick scheduled scan and run a full scan every week.
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| Notice the ease of Security Essentials. Select a scan option and then click Scan Now |
Anti-virus software provides two different types of protection: scheduled or on demand scanning and background protection. A scheduled scan is when the user informs the anti-virus software to scan the computer at a specific day and specific time. An on-demand scan is just that, when the user demands the scan. Included in the scan is the background protection. This is where the software will run in the background and will alert you of any updates or threat detection. It provides real-time protection as long as the program is running.
Final Words
Make sure to check for updates. A majority of these programs will update automatically, but it is best to manually check every week. Just because you have anti-virus software doesn't mean you are safe. New viruses are distributed across the internet constantly. A topic not covered in here, but related is safe computer use. The best way to prevent computer threats is through user education.
This is only the beginning of your education as there is so much to learn about these threats and the software used to detect and eliminate them. I would also recommend the reader to explore the sources listed below.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus_software
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6818930_description-antivirus-programs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Getting-a-Computer-Virus-or-Worm-on-Your-Windows-PC
Picture made using Jing
