Buy Antivirus - Avoid The Free Stuff

By John Tucker

So, your computer is now acting really weird, it locks up when you least expect, error messages start to appear and when you do a google search, advertisements for products you don't want start to appear.
You think you might have picked up a computer virus...but what to do about it?

This scenario is happening to someone every second of the day, so you are not alone, but it feels like you are the only person with this problem.
There is help and it's easy to get, but as a word of caution, you could make matters worse if you don't follow the right steps.

A friend might have told you they downloaded some free antivirus software, but they might not have said this 'free stuff' was in fact a malicious program that tried to defraud them.
The old saying goes 'there is no such thing as a free lunch' and the same applies to antivirus firewall software.

Some vendors do provide free versions of their product which might tell you your computer is infected, but then you need to buy antivirus removal software from them!
Most of these companies provide this as an 'upsell' to a much more expensive product which you 'need', after the free trial version 'expires'.

So our best advice is to buy antivirus protection right from the start and avoid the free stuff, even if the company seems reputable.

Most people would ask: 'If we buy antivirus firewall software, what do you recommend?
For most of us who want to surf the net, send emails to friends and buy things online, it's important you have a comprehensive package that firstly creates a 'firewall', that only allows approved sites access.
Most of us aren't 'geeks' or intimate with all the computer speak, we want the best product we know will do the job right!
Therefore, in addition to firewall protection, it should be designed to identify all known computer viruses, worms, trojans, malware (malicious software), including adware and spyware.
This is to stop things like 'keyloggers' installing on your computer which record your keystrokes when entering login details, such as when you want to check your bank account at home.
In addition to known threats, the software should be able to isolate programs that might cause problems.

The best antivirus software is updated every few minutes on the latest threats worldwide, so newly identified viruses, the details of how to combat them need to be installed right away.
Your software should also automatically back up your files and have the ability to store this data at another location, thereby protecting your sensitive information if anything should happen.

When you buy antivirus firewall software, you usually receive a subscription for a period of time, usually 12 months. These can be increased to two or three years, providing you a much greater saving and added piece of mind.
Top quality products usually extend this license to cover up to three computers in a household, a real bonus!  All updates and new threat protection is included with this, unlike some over the counter products where there is a fixed price, but is most likely obsolete when you buy it, so beware!

So if you are not already covered, you need to buy antivirus protection today.