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My Thoughts on Antivirus Software
These are the Popular Choices, but...
These are the antivirus programs that I DO NOT recommend. Let me be
clear —- these programs WILL provide solid protection. However, many of the well-known
antivirus brands have become overly bloated. They're trying to offer additional (more
expensive) versions of their software, with extra features that you don’t actually need.
These extra features have the negative side effect of slowing down your computer because
they consume extra system resources. On the other hand, if you go for the cheapest
option, you’ll be bombarded with pop-ups nagging you to buy even more of these unnecessary
features. If you have an older computer, these antivirus programs can make it even
slower.
These anti-virus programs aren't terrible, but I would not recommend them for performance
reasons. If you have a subscription, simply let it run out and then switch to one of my
choices recommended below.
- Norton (Not as good since being acquired by LifeLock (system hog, lots of pop-ups)
- McAfee (system hog, lots of pop-ups)
- AVG (both the free and paid versions, system hog, lots of pop-ups)
- Avast! (both the free and paid versions, system hog, lots of pop-ups)
NOTE: Avast was sued by US Government for user privacy violations
The Upsell...
The average user (probably) won’t use these extra features:
- System optimization tools There are better, free programs that do the same thing.
- Driver updaters Check out Blog Post #40 (see the link below) for a detailed explanation. You may end up harming your system.
- Defragmenters SSDs don’t need defragmenting. If you have a regular hard drive, you can use the built-in tool in Windows.
- VPNs This is a personal choice. In my opinion, most people don’t need a VPN. The https: protocol already provides end to end encryption. However a VPN will hide your IP address if you need that feature.
- Special web browsers Browser programs like the one Norton offers don’t really add anything useful.
- Junk file cleanup tools You can clean up junk files using built-in Windows tools.
All you really need is basic antivirus or antimalware protection.
We Recommend...
If you ask 10 different IT people, you will likely get 10 different answers. However, these are the solutions I recommend to my clients:
- Malwarebytes This works well for older computers. It’s a leaner program that still provides great protection.
- Bitdefender This is a good option for newer computers. It offers better protection, but it requires more system resources.
- Windows Defender This is built into Windows and a good choice and it still works on Windows 10. It’s become much better over the years. - AND IT'S FREE!
One Last Thing
Whatever antivirus program you end up choosing, do not use multiple antivirus programs at once. Check out Blog Post #11 (see the link below) for a detailed explanation.
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