How to buy the best virus protection for your computer
Although the major operating systems now offer their own security software, it’s strongly recommended to buy extra virus protection for your computer. The in-built security software in Windows and MacOS certainly isn’t bad, but it’s unlikely ever to be recognized as the best there is and at this point in time you need the best there is. With that in mind, here is a guide to help you buy the best virus protection for your computer.
Look for virus protection which specifically supports your operating system
If you’re using the current major version of Windows or MacOS, you’re probably going to be able to use pretty much any virus protection product you want. The exception to this is right after the release of a new major operating system, because a lot of software companies need a bit of time to update their products for it. This is why it can be helpful to wait a bit before upgrading your operating system (although you should always apply updates to your existing operating system as soon as they are released).
If, however, you’re using an older operating system, either Windows or MacOS then you’re almost certainly going to find that your selection is more limited and the older your operating system, the more limited your selection will be. You can therefore, save yourself a lot of time by searching for “virus protection”+ “operating system” so that, in principle, you only get relevant results.
Pro tip - if you’re using an older (soon-to-be) discontinued operating system, keep an offline copy of any existing patches/updates for your operating system and any software you use. That way if they disappear from the internet, you’ll still be able to reapply them if you need to reinstall.
Look for virus protection which is hosted in the cloud
In simple terms, providing effective virus protection can be seriously hard work for even premium computers (including Macs) and older/budget computers can really struggle to handle it. This is why "traditional", i.e. locally-hosted security software is often a major performance-drag on computers, which is why the best cybersecurity companies have switched to offering cloud-based virus protection.
Basically, this means that a user's computer just connects to their cloud servers and the cloud servers do all the hard work. If you’re still using "old-school" virus protection, you could be amazed at the difference moving to the cloud can make.
Look for virus protection which actually protects against all malicious software
Although everyone uses the term “virus protection”, it’s actually massively outdated. It’s been many years since viruses were the only threat facing internet users. These days there’s a whole range of malicious software from adware to worms via spyware and all kinds of other cybernasties and you need protection against all of it. You also need to have confidence that your protection will be updated as necessary, which will be often as new forms of malware are being created all the time.
This is also an argument in favor of hosting antiviruses in the cloud since it means that updates can go live literally as soon as they are created. There is no delay and no possibility of the update not being applied locally due to user error (or for any other reason).
Look for virus protection which supports the use of sandboxes
When an antivirus supports a sandbox it means that new software is initially downloaded into a quarantine area where it is analyzed and it only gets released into your “main” computer if it is confirmed safe. If not, it stays in the containment area while it is treated, which means that if it puts up a fight, any damage is confined to the sandbox.
Look for virus protection with an integrated firewall (browsing protection) and/or ad blocker
Ideally you want both, because these days you need both and there are two reasons why it’s preferable to get them bundled as part of your antivirus. The first is that this is generally more budget-friendly and the second is that this ensures that all the functions work together without you having to anything.
Look for virus protection from a reputable brand
Virus protection is far too important to be entrusted to the results of a quick internet search, although this is a perfectly reasonable place to start. You want to make sure that your virus protection is backed by a reputable brand with a solid track record of keeping its customers happy. Comodo has been one of the leading names in cybersecurity for over 20 years and is trusted by millions. Click here now to get Comodo virus protection for your computer and you can have all the protection you need at a price you can afford.
