Choose the Right Anti Malware Software

Overwhelmed by all the choices? People bugging you about antivirus, antispyware, anti-adware, firewalls, temporary file deleters, registry cleaners, and all the other things that you don't think are necessary? This article covers the top free choices for your computer.

Steps

  1. Get an antivirus software. This is the most important thing you need, and has probably the most options.
  2. Get antispyware and/or anti-adware software. While antivirus software will also remove spyware and/or adware, an antispyware/adware product is recommended for on-demand scanning. The following are good options (choose at least one).
    • MalwareBytes Anti-Malware if you get the premium version you will have great realtime malware and virus protection so there is no need to run a separate antivirus program. Running multiple AV programs slows down your computer and drains your devices battery quicker
    • SUPERAntiSpyware
    • AdwCleaner has the best detection rate in my personal experience
  3. Get a firewall. While many people stick with the Windows Firewall that comes with Windows, that one isn't very good at blocking malware that is already on your computer from calling home.
    • ZoneAlarm Firewall is probably the most popular.
    • The Sygate Firewall used to be one of the best, but is no longer free, so Comodo Firewall seems to be the best choice. It can be intrusive, so make sure to use the 'Scan for Known Applications' feature.
    • Sunbelt-Kerio Personal Firewall is also a good choice.
    • If money is not a problem for you, feel free to download the paid version of these products or Norton Internet Security which includes the Sygate Firewall.
    • Make sure to disable the Windows Firewall if using a separate one.
  4. Get a safe internet browser. While Internet Explorer 6 comes with many computers, it is the least safe browser to use!
    • If you don't feel comfortable using other programs (Internet Explorer is the most simple), then at least upgrade to the newest version.
    • The most popular secure browsers are Firefox (known for its customizability), Opera (prepackaged with several features and good for slow connections), and Google Chrome (very light out of the box).

Tips

  • Running many programs at the same time can slow down your computer. Make sure to only run one main virus scanner and one firewall (disable the Windows Firewall) and defragment and clean your hard drive often.
  • There are extensions for Firefox that make it even safer. NoScript blocks Java, Javascript, and other unsafe things on webpages that can cause harm to your computer. It allows plugins to be executed only by websites you mark as trusted. If you see any problems, you can either temporarily allow or permanently allow a website to run scripts.
  • Another extension, checks ratings off the McAfee website to make sure that websites you visit are safe. Web of Trust is a similar service, but is more based on user reviews rather than automated scanning. Alternatively, just look up questionable websites at their website manually, as the extension can increase web page loading time by a few seconds.

Warnings

Things You'll Need

  • A computer (article directed towards the Microsoft Windows operating system)
  • Money (optional)
  • An Internet connection

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.raymond.cc/blog/which-free-antivirus-is-the-lightest-on-system-memory-usage/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.av-comparatives.org/performance-tests/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.av-comparatives.org/detection-test/
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