Choose Your Weapon
Which is the right anti-virus program for you?
Copyright © 2005 Chuck Nelson

Have you seen the latest America Online commercials? All kinds of everyday people taking about how they want and can’t wait for a virus to attack their computer. Personally, I am insulted. To me, the commercial portrays computer users as incompetent and uninformed. AOL takes the stand that the only way people are going to be able to use their computers and the Internet is if they subscribe and let AOL “show them the light” Are we really that stupid?

I talk with many people everyday about their computers, the Internet and how they can be protected. Many know a lot more than AOL would like you to believe. The rest are willing to learn if someone takes the time to teach them. Viruses are bad things no doubt about that. Should you be protected? Absolutely! Is it as difficult and mysterious as AOL would like you to believe? Not even close!

Many software companies who sell or provide anti-virus software seem to take the attitude that all the computer users in the world are idiots and need to be taken care of. This leads to software which, in my mind, is obtrusive, gives condescending messages, and in some cases tries to take over your computer. After all, who knows better then they do.

Since you should be running an anti-virus program, there are some basic criteria that you should use when selecting one that is right for you. Don’t use software just because AOL or some other company says you should. Remember, they are trying to get your money. Any thing they say is to convince you to give your money to them instead of someone else. To help you make an informed decision here are some guidelines for selecting an anti-virus program.

Price
Free doesn’t make it bad, and being the most expensive doesn’t make it the best. There is good and bad in both categories. Many service providers are now giving away anti-virus programs as part of their service. If your does, find out which they are offering and research it. Don’t select a service provider just because they have a free anti-virus (like AOL).

In most cases, when you purchase the anti-virus software you are actually getting the program for free and paying for a subscription to their service. This allows you to download the latest updates for as long as the subscription is valid. Free software provides this download service at no charge. When looking at pricing, make sure to find out the subscription rate. Quite often you can get the software at low or no cost with three to six months of updates then pay a premium to continue the subscription. Others have a higher purchase price and low subscription rates. Do the math. Find out what the total cost of 2-3 years of subscriptions would be. A few companies release a new version every year. Although you can merely pay your subscription each year, they pressure you to buying the new version at an increased cost.


Updates
Experts estimate that there are 500-600 new viruses introduced every month. Check the company information on how often their anti-virus program is updated. It should update at least once a week. The better companies average 2-3 times each week. See if the software will update automatically or if you need to perform it manually. This is really a personal preference. Automatic updates will insure that everything is always up to date. Manual updates leave the responsibility to the user. I prefer software that will update automatically, but still allow me to disable this feature if I choose.

Annoyance Factor
Some anti-virus programs tend to be rather obtrusive. They let me know every time they do something. I prefer the software to just sit quietly and do its job. If I want to know what is happening, I can always check.

Auto-scan
Does the program allow you to set a time for it to automatically scan your computer? You should run a full system scan at least once per week. Since the computer is virtually unusable while the scan is running, can you setup a day and time when you are not using it for the scan to run? If you prefer, you can always disable the auto-scan and run it manually.

Many of the anti-virus software allow you to try and evaluate before purchase. I strongly recommend you take advantage of this and try more than one package before making a decision. (even if your provider is offering it free). Remember though, make sure to remove one anti-virus program before installing the next. Multiple anti-virus programs on the same computer will start to conflict with each other and can make the computer unusable.

Next time: How viruses and other programs infect your computer and tips and procedures to help stop them.