- Free antivirus applications will provide your computer with protection from viruses. Antivirus software is designed to scan your computer for malicious files--such as worms, Trojans, and other viruses--and isolate or remove the files from your computer. Free antivirus applications can receive free virus definition updates from the Internet security company's server that will allow the program to catch and eliminate the latest threats to your computer.
- Free antivirus applications can locate and prevent spyware from operating on your computer. Spyware is used to steal personal information from your computer and can result in identity theft if it is not caught and removed from your machine. Your free antivirus software will catch and eliminate spyware from your computer when it performs a virus scan, and the software updates contain information on the newest spyware threats.
- Free antivirus applications do not come with Internet firewalls. A firewall is a special program that monitors incoming Internet traffic and prevents unwanted data from reaching your computer. Firewalls are often included in the "Professional" or "Premium" editions of downloadable antivirus software. If your computer is always connected to the Internet and does not have a firewall installed, consider upgrading your free antivirus software to a paid edition for the extra protection a firewall will offer you.
- Free antivirus applications do not come with spam filters. Spam filters monitor emails sent to your computer and search for unwanted junk email, known as spam. When the filter catches a spam email, it will quarantine the spam in a special folder. Spam filters occasionally make mistakes, so before you delete any spam, check the messages to make sure nothing important was accidentally filtered out of your inbox. If your email account receives lots of unwanted messages, consider upgrading your antivirus software to a paid edition for the spam filter.
- Some free antivirus applications will monitor the websites you visit and warn you if visiting a website might harm your computer. Software with this feature will present you with a warning when you attempt to visit a dangerous website and ask you to confirm that you want to visit the web page. Not all free antivirus programs have this feature, so if you spend a lot of time surfing the Internet, consider downloading an antivirus program with this feature.
previous post