If there is one thing I hear from all my clients is that
they just don’t want to spend any more money on things for their computer!
I hear you…
However,
Do you buy….
- · Home Insurance?
- · Car Insurance?
- · Life Insurance?
- · Travel Insurance?
No one likes to spend the money on things that you may never
even use, but the alternative, not being covered if you really need it, is much
worse.
I’m often told: “There is nothing on my computer that I really care about”(Then of course if they lose it all they find out there is) But that is what backups are for.
Antivirus\Anti-Malware programs are more about insurance
against threats to your personal info.
So yes, a bad piece of Malware can cause loss of files, and
cost you time or money rebuilding your computer system, but the biggest threat
is identity theft. Your computer holds more information about you than you think,
and a savvy hacker can build a picture of you, and possibly even access
financial records and passwords.
So make sure you have protection, and keep up with - or take
advice from someone else who keeps up with – what programs are keeping pace
with the latest threats.
One simple option is to do a Google search on something like:
“Best antivirus and anti-malware programs 2018”
Don’t read old posts, and don’t just rely on whatever you’ve
always used, as some programs have fallen by the wayside as far as protection
against newer threats like Ransomware – whereas some companies have really
improved their programs, so the top 5 or so tend to change.
Don’t follow links to Ads – you want independent reviews
from places like PC World or PC Magazine or the like.
The pages with AD in the description will often top the
search result list but could well be very biased
Also remember that the lines have blurred between Malware
and Virus protection. To be honest, you are less likely to be hit by a classic
virus, and much more likely to run into Malware, or a scam, or a rogue fake
website, or an email with fake links, as Malware is all about making money off
of the unwary.
So be suspicious of all things that don’t look right. Don’t follow
links in emails that want to collect personal info, and never be innocent enough
to believe that Revenue Canada will all of a sudden send you an email to let
you know you have money to collect 😊!
Caution helps a lot, but protective software is also part of
the armor you need.
At its inception, Microsoft’s offering, Windows Defender,
that’s been built into all recent copies of Windows, showed some promise, but
in latest tests it has fallen far behind in how much it catches.
It’s certainly not enough on its own any more. I still turn it on, but I also have the Premium version of
Malwarebytes that I pay an annual subscription for. These days you really do
need to pay something for decent protection. The free offerings, by themselves,
are simply not cutting it.
As always all of this is subject to change (and other opinions
vary) and a really good free option may well be a possibility in the future, but
as of the writing of this Blog Post I feel you need to pay something for decent
protection.
Since Malwarebytes is not a typical antivirus program it can
still be run alongside something else, whereas most antivirus programs need to
be Lone Stars – you can only install one as otherwise they conflict with each
other.
What you choose to purchase is up to you.
- · Check out the latest top 5, pick something,
- · Be prepared to pay a little
- · Educate yourself to the extent you can about Virus and malware behavior
- · Don’t let the scammers scam you
And of course:
ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP!
