Antivirus Protection On the Go

When it comes to malware, spyware and viruses, you know you’re protected at home. You’ve installed all the software you need to detect and remove viruses and go after the ones that might slip through your security. In short, you feel secure.

However, you may work on other computers. Perhaps you download documents from a colleague’s offsite system or music from a friend’s home computer. Maybe you use public computers to blog when you’re traveling. If you carry a USB flash drive and use it to download documents, music files or emails from other locations, you need portable antivirus software protection.

Before you go looking for portable software, consider how these applications work. The antivirus and antimalware software on your primary computer have been installed to function independently, and as a result, they can do real-time background scans while you’re working or away. Portable software resides on devices such as USB flash drives and typically doesn’t run real-time scans, so there’s no need to install it on every new computer you encounter. Many of the most popular portable security software products are scaled-down versions of products made for PCs.

There are dozens of free portable antivirus software options out there, so it should be easy to find one that works for you. The most popular applications allow you to install antivirus software on your USB drive, portable hard drive, iPod or CD and use it on any computer anywhere. You can launch a scan on any computer once your USB drive or other device is in place, and the application will immediately begin looking for and cleaning up all types of malicious software.

Software suppliers make specific claims about what their portable software can do, so check carefully to be sure you’re getting what you need. Some companies claim they provide high detection rates for viruses and spyware when you’re on other computers, and others claim to be useful as backup antimalware and antivirus protection for your own computer.

Other providers take the protection beyond viruses and malware and extend it to Trojans, Adware, worms, dialers, keyloggers and a variety of other malicious software. One product installs temporary antivirus files when it is launched and then removes them when you remove your USB drive so it won’t get in the way of any security software that's already running on the computer you’re using.

Another portable software option keeps you safe from fake antivirus software that tries to trick you into buying a fake antivirus product. These fake antivirus products float around the web and pop up randomly with messages that claim your computer isn't protected, and this particular product will find and remove these rogue viruses.

Still another option allows you to carry anti-rootkit software on a USB drive. This software removes any tools that have been installed to conceal malware on the computer you are working on. While some portable software options can self-update, others cannot, which is an important point to be aware of to ensure that you maintain up-to-date portable security.

One final note: You should not consider portable security software to be a substitute for fully installed antivirus protection on your primary PC. Portable software may be able to clean up an infected computer with antivirus software that has been attacked, but it’s no substitute for installed security suites that keep a watchful eye on your system with real-time scanning.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™