Protecting your computer is vital. The Internet is a dangerous place full of criminals intent on stealing your information, your identity and your money.
Hey, we’ve updated this article to our recommended Internet security suites for 2014. To read the most recent recommendations, click here instead.
There is a diverse variety of malware that can result in your computer doing many unwelcome things. Different types of malware can transmit sensitive information to scammers, it can give scammers access to your personal computer files and social media accounts, it can bombard you with ads and direct you to scammy webpages and it can even put your friends at risk as well.
Having up-to-date antivirus installed at all times is a must. And it is important to have reliable antivirus security software installed to ensure you stay safe.
And there are plenty of choices available, ranging from free antivirus programs to premium Internet security suites and the correct choice can largely depend on the end user.
The advice we always give our readers when deciding between free vs. paid security software is that free antivirus software is the preferred choice for more experienced users who feel comfortable surfing the Internet who can use the free software as a “just in case” level of safety, and those who are new, unfamiliar or not particularly Internet savvy should stick with a more thorough security package.
When it comes to free antivirus for 2013 we recommend the latest edition from Avast Free Antivirus software. Avast has progressively been improving its detection rates over the past few years and now ranks with the some of the best free antiviruses available in 2013.
Its detection rates in the latest version are superb and it has all the features that you’d expect in a free antivirus including a sandbox feature, behavioural blocker and network shield, and it still remains surprisingly light on resources so there should be no obvious change in computer performance.
It is free though so expect support to be limited to Internet forums and you’ll encounter ads for the premium version. You also have to register for a free account after 30 days. Go to their website here.
When it comes to a more systematic and thorough approach to Internet security (which we generally recommend to those less technically savvy or familiar with cyberspace than others) then our product of choice is the latest version of Bitdefenders Total Security 2013.
The Total Security 2013 suite from BitDefender is our editor’s choice security software for 2013 and is also the same software we use on our own machines.
Bitdefender have one of the best reputations within the security software industry with award winning security programs and Total Security 2013 builds on their superb reputation with one of the leading security software programs available on the Internet this year.
Bitdefender Total Security 2013 is a full security solution that not only contains an antivirus component but also a firewall, anti-phishing capabilities and anti-spam, along with some features geared towards those who play videos games and those who use social networking sites like Facebook.
The antivirus component has near perfect detection and removal rates and rivals any other leading security software package. It’s firewall is effective at stopping dangerous files or people from accessing your computer and the anti-spam feature detects and blocks a wide variety of email scams.
However it is those extra features that don’t come included in free or inferior alternatives that make the Bifdefender suite stand out. For example a password scanner that checks for weak and vulnerable passwords can be used to make sure your accounts don’t get compromised and a vulnerability scanner checks for missing updates that could cause security vulnerabilities.
It’s online banking feature provides an extra layer of security for those that deal with money on the Internet, for example those who use online banking facilities/PayPal or regularly shop on the Internet.
And with the rising popularity of sites like Facebook, social media protection is vital. Bitdefender scans links shared from friends to see if they are dangerous and will block malicious websites.
Bitdefender is also light on resources and will run silently in the background and won’t bother you with persistent and annoying updates like many competitors do!
So if you’re looking to get completely protected, we recommend Bitdefender Total Security 2013.
