Anti-Virus software

I often get asked about good options for anti-virus software. Most of these include some level of malware/spyware detection as well.  There are a wide range of options, both free and paid for and all have good and bad points.

In my opinion, many of the security suites tend to be bloated and make a huge impact on system performance (aka - they make you computer slow).  This seems to be especially true from solutions like Symantec/Norton and McAfee.  They have a long history of this being an issue with them, and are one of the reasons they are not as popular as they use to be.

My opinion is that all windows computers should have some form of anti-virus software, and for 99% of people, a free solution will be sufficient.  If you are paying for your protection currently, you probably wonder why I say this.  I have seen computers with both free and paid for software become infected.  Also, the majority of users that have a paid for software installed, allow their subscription to expire.  This causes the software to no longer be updated, and after a few months time, it becomes about as good as no protection at all!

Here are my recommendations:

• If you are going to use a purchased solution, you MUST renew it at the end of your subscription!  If you don't want to spend the money, move to a free solution!
• Microsoft has a free solution called Microsoft Security Essentials. This tends to be a good solution for users that want protection without having to think about it.
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
• Note that newer operating systems have Windows Defender built-in.  This link explains a little more detail about the difference and what you need to do to protect yourself.  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-all-versions
• Avast also provides a free solution that I think highly of. I believe you need to provide an e-mail address to get a free code to use this software. I also believe this needs to be renewed yearly, although it is still free.
• https://www.avast.com/en-us/index
• They also have paid solutions, so make sure you choose the correct product.
• The user interface is highly controllable but also very nice to navigate to view and change settings.
• AVG also provides a free solution that is pretty good. I have found that their interface is becoming come cumbersome to use in new versions, but their protection is still fairly good.
• http://www.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download
• Fair warning - it seems like on every page they are trying to get you to upgrade/download their pro software version!  Click carefully.
• I have had numerous issues with Kaspersky's software in the past.  Years ago, I liked their software but newer versions seems to cause strange issues that I don't experience with other products. I would recommend staying away from this option currently.

Hopefully that helps to give a breakdown of some options and things to look for! Feel free to leave some feedback and your thoughts in the comments!