Technical Tuesday: How Well Are You Protected Online?

Hello and Welcome again to another Technical Tuesday… Today we are going to cover Antivirus Software. This can be a very confusing topic and I am sure that someone out there is thinking… I have Norton or I have McAffee. I am Completely Safe online. Well, sorry to burst that gilded bubble… but just cause you have those programs doesn’t mean that you are safe. Although its a great starting point! Read here for more ways to stay safe online.

What is Antivirus Software?

Antivirus software is a type of utility used for scanning and removing viruses from your computer. While many types of antivirus (or “anti-virus”) programs exist, their primary purpose is to protect computers from viruses and remove any viruses that are found.

Definition from <a href=”https://techterms.com/definition/antivirus”>The Tech Terms Dictionary</a>

So this means that Antivirus software is a computer program that looks around for any and all unsavory files and then removes them from your computer. Kind of like a bouncer at a club… He/She will kick you out if you are causing a disturbance.

This also means that the program will do automatic scans of your Downloads, Temporary Internet Files, and Your Hard Drive. You can also tell the programs to scan a single file folder or even to start a full system scan when ever you see fit.

Now Antivirus has to stay up to date with all of the new viruses that are being created by people who are not so nice. So the best way to take care of that is to make sure that your Antivirus is automatically updating and that your computer is staying up to date also. Many times this will occur in the background and you will not even be aware that the programs are working.

Several of these programs are ones that you may have heard mentioned before. Such as Norton Anitvirus. and McAffee. I am not going to judge but just use the one that works for you. But Remember that the bigger price tag and the more features does not equal safety either.

As always, I am not a Computer Technician, And any advice that you receive here is entirely my own opinion. Unless stated otherwise.

So why should you have these programs?

The simple and straightforward answer goes like this… These programs protect your computer system from getting Viruses and Malware.

If you don’t know what a virus or malware is please click here. If You do keep reading!

You should have these programs because staying safe online is a really hard thing to do now-a-days. Hackers are everywhere and a lot of people have been affected by stolen data, such as bank accounts and passwords. But since we still have to live and sometimes access these things online. We must stay diligent in defending our own systems.

What most people seem to miss is that these programs are not 100%. “Nothing is infallible” (please feel free to quote me on that!) But these programs do an pretty decent job and are getting better all the time. I personally don’t use either McAffee or Norton on my computers. I prefer to use Avast Internet Security.

McAffee is only about 20.00 and is a great program that has a lot of cool features and also works great. I used it for years! I also used Norton for many years before that. Norton cost about 30.00 but has a ton of features that other programs do not have.

In fact I would say that they both were my first introduction into virus protection and I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have personally not had that many problems.

Having used both programs in the past and having moved on from both of them for reasons entirely my own, that had nothing to do with either program or company. I will say that they both do a great job. The companies are really good and helpful and the customer service has never given me a cause to be angry.

With whatever program you choose make sure that you are happy with it. That’s a main point right there.

As always Happy Computing and stay safe out there. 🙂