Security Software Minefield
Written on February 9, 2010 by Kay
Types Of Security Software
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Compared to the early days of computing and the Internet, it seems that the little virus that needed a floppy disk top hop from drive to drive of yesteryear has been joined with spyware and adware, all three of which can creep into your computer via the Internet or an infected program if you’re not careful or adequately protected. The umbrella term malware is commonly used to refer to these types of computer ailments. In a perfect world, our computers would operate without a hitch 100% of the time, but a perfect world is far from reality; the best defenses against malware is to run some sort of security software.
Security Suites: The Kitchen Sink
Security suites usually come with everything you need to protect your computer. A firewall to stave off unwanted entities when connected to the Internet, an anti-malware service to keep the malware at bay, a website filtering service so that you can control which websites are surfed (good if you have children), plus other features such as phishing and other scam prevention. If you’d like maximum security and don’t want to build a security system in a piecemeal fashion, then a security suite may be just what you need.
Basic Anti-Virus
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Most standalone anti-virus programs are excellent at fending off malware that attempts to infect your computer. They’re usually a lot smaller than their bigger security suite brethren, but they are good at what they do: malware defense. With a standalone anti-virus you probably won’t get a firewall, but that’s not really as important as it once was (modern versions of Windows have firewalls built in; most routers have basic firewall capabilities that are enabled from the get-go).
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To keep up with competition, a lot of security companies release a free version of their anti-virus software with purchasable upgrades if you need more protection. All anti-virus programs need to stay up-to-date with the latest threats released into the wild, so new virus definition files are usually downloaded regularly (some more frequently than others, depending on the company). One of the downsides to using a free, standalone anti-virus is that they rarely come with any tech support. You’re usually on your own if you have any questions or concerns. But, as you probably know, Google is a great tech support substitute when you don’t have the real thing.
Is a Security Suite really Necessary?
In short, it’s probably not necessary. A lot of users are content with building their own protection by combining different products. Windows Vista and Windows 7 come with a two-way firewall, so you’re good on that front. A standalone anti-virus program like Avast or G-Data is probably enough. A piecemeal solution does take more work, though, and you have to consider that if something goes wrong or if you have any questions, you may have to contact multiple companies for their tech support.
