How to Choose the Best Online Virus Scan?
When people use the term “online virus scan” what they generally mean is “cloud-based antivirus” and even this is a bit misleading because a good “antivirus” will actually be an all-round security program which protects against all known threats.
The Basics of an “Online Virus Scan”
In the old days, before broadband internet went mainstream, all software had to be installed on computers and if it was updated, those updates then had to be downloaded and installed on local computers). This was not only slow and clunky, it drained a lot of resources from the host computers. Effective security software was particularly resource-intensive partly because it needed a lot of information to do its job properly and partly because the job of security software is to keep checking a computer for threats and that means using up resources.
The end result was that people often used security software very grudgingly and some people didn’t use it at all, working on the assumption that as long as they were vigilant, everything would be fine. This wasn’t advisable in the early days of the internet, although it was, in some cases, feasible. These days, it is just not enough and could actually be extremely dangerous.
“Online virus scans” or “cloud-based antiviruses” were developed to address these issues. In short, they move all the hard work into the cloud, reducing the burden on the user’s computer and hence eliminating all the old frustrations of running effective security software.
The Best “Online Virus Scans” Actually Scan for All Kinds of Malicious Software
These days, the term “online virus scan” is really only used for marketing. Sticking with the term “virus” is easier than having to explain to people that, actually, a virus is only one kind of malware. There are already many more kinds polluting cyberspace and more are being created all the time. Sometimes these are new spins on existing forms or hybrids of them, sometimes they really are completely new forms of malware with their own unique characteristics. Whatever they are, you absolutely must have robust protection against all of them and you need to be confident that the protection will be quickly updated as soon as new threats emerge.
This is actually another, major, benefit of “online virus scans”. Updates can be made active literally as soon as they are ready. Users don’t have to take time to download and apply the patches. This may not sound like much but when you multiply each little gain in speed over multiple updates, you can soon see how it starts to add up to vastly improved protection.
The Best “Online Virus Scans” Also Block Adverts
In the old days, adverts were a minor inconvenience which effectively paid for the free content on the internet. These days, adverts are a major security threat. Essentially, cybercriminals are now leveraging the fact that most websites continue to sell advertising space and are now buying advert spots on legitimate websites, in fact, high-profile websites, and using them as a means to spread viruses. This strategy is known as “malvertising”.
Most of the time it requires users to be tricked into clicking on a link, however some viruses can be triggered just by an advert being displayed on screen. Probably the most notorious instance of this happening was in an attack on Spotify.
At this point in time, therefore, the only safe approach to adverts is to block them completely. If you feel slightly guilty about this, then you can always support content creators in other ways. Many websites now have donation buttons and even if they don’t you can always share their content, as this can help to improve their search engine rankings and give a real boost to their traffic.
The Best “Online Virus Scans” Are Backed by A Reputable Brand
These days, anyone can set themselves up as a software company and sell their products online. They don’t have to bother with shipping out software or persuading retailers to stock their products. This has brought all kinds of benefits to consumers in the way of greater choice, but it has also opened the door to malware creators and people who just want to make a quick profit from software and not provide any meaningful support or updates and to people who are more interested in selling adverts than providing functionality.
In short, it’s very much recommended to stick with reputable brands like Comodo, which have a proven track record in cybersecurity. In fact, you can click here right now to protect your computer with Comodo antivirus.
