Free Antivirus Downloads Going Beyond the Basics

If you’ve used free antivirus downloads before, you know that they offer an essential but potentially incomplete level of protection. Most free software provides antivirus and antispyware protection to scan for and remove a host of threats, and most free security applications can be set up to perform automatic scans. Some free antivirus downloads will also scan webpages before you view them and alert you to suspicious sites. To get additional protections and controls, plus technical support, you need to start paying for antivirus software.

Beyond free antivirus downloads, there are different levels of paid products that offer increasing protection as the cost rises. If you use your home computer for personal use only, the one thing you’ll want to consider paying for is a firewall application. This application, which comes as part of many paid security software downloads, helps screen out worms and block hackers who try to gain access to your system while you’re online. If your home computer is actually a work computer that’s linked to your office, you may already have a company firewall in place.

Next, when you install free antivirus downloads, you may not get full identity-theft protection. Some paid software will automatically detect, store and secure your personal information and passwords when you’re banking or shopping online. Another feature, depending on the product, is detection of malware-infected shopping sites that can threaten to load viruses or steal your personal information.

If you’re looking for parental controls, you won’t get them with free antivirus downloads. Some paid security suites let you step up to a level that allows you to block specific websites. This way you can prevent your children or visitors from finding things online that you do not want viewed on your computer.

Several other key protections are typically not available with free antivirus downloads. For example, if you’re a heavy user of social media, you might want to pay for an advanced security download that secures your chat links so you’re protected when chatting online. Some advanced applications block spam emails from hitting your mailbox, which helps protect you from viruses contained in spam email. Some security software protects your computer from remote attacks when you’re connected to a wireless network outside of your home.

One final thing to consider is technical support, which is usually not available with free antivirus downloads. One free product allows you to ask questions in a forum with other users, but for the most part, you’re on your own if you have a technical question. On the other hand, paid downloads offer support in the form of troubleshooting when your software isn’t working properly and priority updates of the software.

Keep in mind that if you don’t want to pay for additional services beyond those provided by free antivirus downloads, there are still free ways to protect your system. Once you’ve installed a free security application and set it up to perform automatic scans, you can look for additional free utilities online, such as applications that detect malicious software. You can also find some free firewall protections. You can basically set up your own security suite using various free applications as long as you know what you need and don’t leave any aspect of your security unattended. Look for reviews of the free security applications that interest you to learn if they’ll give you the level of protection you want.

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