Antivirus Protection is an absolute essential these days
Antivirus protection is essential in the electronic world we have today. There is so much malware and suspicious activity these days on the internet, it is so important to make sure that any devices you use are suitably protected. Malicious code can be found almost everywhere. It comes via email, websites, email messages, Whatsapp, Twitter and even Facebook has victims of those intent on mischief.
The risk of not having a proper antivirus protection solution means that your identity can be compromised. Someone can pretend to be you and obtain finance, or goods in your name. This can be a minor inconvenience or a major headache. Some malware can invade your privacy and hijack your phone or your computer. They can inject code into your device which could mean it is used as a vehicle to perpetrate a crime or to ransom your data. Worst case they can make your computer or devices unusable. While many of us carry our lives around on our phones, loss of the function can be devastating. To say nothing of the emotional loss of your precious photos. Photos carry a huge loss because they often attach precious non-repeatable memories especially if the photo refers to a lost loved one.
Protection how?
The minimum you need is an antivirus product, preferably one which has anti spyware, and web browsing protection built in. Belt and braces protection is also required in the form of backing up your data to make sure your photos are not lost.
Kinds of Antivirus protection
There are many different versions of antivirus. Most can be quite heavy in terms of system resources and slow down your device. There is a performance hit, but often it is a necessary evil. The consequences of not having the protection is not one many people are willing to experience.
We have tested many different forms of antivirus over the years. The big boys like Mcafee, Norton, etc have deals with major computer manufacturers and are often bundled with the computer at point of sale. However, in our function as pc repairers, we often find that the computers which have been compromised with viruses and damage have been “protected” by these products. Since using ESET, which is a company that many people are unaware of, we can honestly say that any computers which have been converted to this product have never come back to us with virus activity again. We have been recommending and using ESET for over 10 years now and we are firmly of the opinion that it is a product which cannot be beaten.
Why do we recommend ESET
ESET is fast, accurate, and lethal to anything which wants to cause mischief on your device. ESET used to cover all versions of operating systems from Windows 2000 which was phenomenal. However, recently they have changed their business model to one which covers Windows 10 and not much beneath that. We were sadly disappointed as we have legacy systems running our accounts package. Reluctantly we were forced to change to AVAST which always had a good reputation, but sadly it is very poor compared to ESET. AVAST suffers from advertisingitis and does not perform the full cover that ESET offers out of the box. Nagware from AVAST tells us we have various issues which it will happily solve but for a various additional costs. It fails to mention this while being VERY helpful telling us that we have failed its measurement of a beautifully running system. We have a premium version and still we would be forced to buy add-ons to satisfy the nagging. This is unsatisfactory.
Support with ESET Antivirus Protection is top notch
If you have a problem with ESET then their support works after normal office hours, and the person who answers the phone is the person who fixes it. This is unheard of in software support and is something we have always been very impressed with. Not only that, the waiting times are extremely short when you are on hold. Not many organisations can claim to be so prompt with their phone response.
The Major Fail
What many people fail to realise is that it is not enough to have an antivirus protection product. You also need to scan your computer or device on a regular basis. Not scanning your computer is like paying for high security locks and never using the keys to lock the door. Our takeaway bit of advice from all this is to scan your devices and drives regularly. Make sure that your antivirus definitions are also up to date. New viruses come out daily and the definition updates are to keep you safe.
What You Should Be Wary Of
- Always treat any emails that you are not expecting with suspicion. If in doubt then do not open it.
- Never click on any links in emails from people who you don’t communicate with.
- Never trust links full stop.
- Hover (don’t click) over any links and see where the link is pointing. You will be surprised at what an innocent looking link might be point to.
- Don’t visit or download anything from any website unless you are sure it is safe.
- Don’t click willy nilly on anything, especially something that looks like an advert on a software website.
- Always check the email address from someone you have spoken to before by email.
- Just because you have emailed someone previously it does not mean they have not been hacked. They could be using you as their next victim. Often these innocent looking emails are phishing (malicious) and do not come from the person or organisation they pretend they are from
- If you click on a malicious link, it can download a payload you may well wish you hadn’t. It will cost you dear and not just in money.
- Many selling sites have adverts in random places which appear to be legit but they are just temptation and not part of the source website. Keep your wits about you and avoid the advert links.