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The danger of computer viruses and other malicious programs that can infect confidential Data stealing or even hijacking entire computers in order to paralyze them or use them for their own, mostly illegal purposes, is now ubiquitous. Accordingly, everyone who uses the Internet, without exception, should ensure that they have the best possible virus protection. After all, the aforementioned viruses and programs have long since ceased to lurk only on ambiguous Internet sites. Instead, nowadays they also infect official sites of reputable operators in order to be able to use them as a kind of host. However, it is not enough to simply install the first antivirus software and never worry about virus protection again. Instead, you should take a closer look at the available antivirus solutions in advance to find the best possible solution for your individual situation. In addition, you should definitely heed the advice presented below.
What you should pay attention to with your antivirus software
First of all, you should make sure that the antivirus software protects you from as many different types of computer viruses as possible. In addition, it should have a continuous real-time protection that permanently protects you from possible attacks from the Internet and all malware that wants to install itself unnoticed without your intervention while you are actively using the Internet. It would also be desirable to have special email protection that scans your incoming emails, including all email attachments, for viruses and other malware long before they are opened. In addition, your antivirus software should have a so-called Firewall which continuously monitors the entire data traffic between your computer and the Internet and can even stop it completely in case of danger.
Good antivirus software does not have to be expensive!
Meanwhile, there are a large number of antivirus programs whose use is completely free, at least for private individuals. Some of them actually provide good services. The only problem is that the free software solutions are usually very "slimmed down" versions, which are clearly inferior to their counterparts with costs in terms of the range of functions offered and the resulting virus protection. For example, there is hardly any free antivirus software with integrated firewall. It must be admitted that there are also free firewalls that you could install parallel to or in addition to free antivirus software. However, experience has shown that independent antivirus programs and separate firewalls can get in each other's way, so your computer is much more at risk than if you use a complete security package with antivirus software and a firewall perfectly adapted to it.
Important warning for all smartphone, tablet and Mac users
Many people who use a Mac still believe they're immune to computer viruses, unlike Windows PC users. The reason for this assumption is that Mac computers have actually never been infected by computer viruses in the past. But it's not because Mac computers are inherently protected against viruses. Rather, it is because Mac computers used to be of little interest to malware programmers because they were less widespread. However, thanks to the boom in Apple products in general and Mac computers in particular, which has also been observed in this country in recent years, there are now also special viruses for the Apple operating system Mac OS. It should also be emphasised that smartphones and tablet PCs have now also increasingly come into the focus of criminal malware developers.
Further advice on virus protection
The first piece of advice regarding virus protection is that you should purchase your antivirus software exclusively from a completely reputable vendor. You should also make sure that your antivirus software is always up to date. In case of doubt, this means that your computer will remain connected to the Internet for the entire period of use, so that your antivirus software can update itself as soon as new types of viruses are discovered.
In our comparison of the 10 best anti-virus programs we help you to choose the right manufacturer.
