Computer Viruses & Free Antivirus Software

Let?s face it, over the past 10 years, personal computers have become an integral part of our lives. Many households have computers in home offices, living

rooms, kitchens and even bedrooms. We see the technology as something useful, friendly, and even precious and fragile at times.
Regrettably, the very technology of personal computing we seem to rely on is subjected to virus infections, email SPAM, Spyware/Adware, Trojans etc. As a

result, your computer performance starts degrading, applications run slower than usual and in some instances; you are getting constant pop-up ads on your

screen.
Worst-case scenario, your computer ?crashes?, well not literally, and you have to spend a significant amount of time and money on hiring a professional and

re-installing the operating system along with all the software applications originally installed on your computer. But what about your data, the most

precious personal information that may include your emails from family members, friends and colleagues, your personal documents, financial information and

finally, family photos.
When you computer is infected, and the operating system needs to be re-installed, unless done by a professional at a significant cost to you, your personal

information may be lost forever. You may ask, ?Why is this guy painting such a grim picture??
The answer is; ?This is an unfortunate reality?, and unless you are fully equipped and prepared to deal with the issue on your own, with a very little help,

you may loose your valuable information permanently.
Computer Viruses and Antivirus Software
As I mentioned earlier, computer viruses may destroy your computer?s operating system and disable access to your personal information. Computer viruses are

generally distributed through email, Internet sites, instant messaging (chat software), and physical media such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, USB or floppy disks.
The best preventative strategy is to have a full-featured antivirus software installed on your computer.
Most of the personal computers purchased today are already equipped with the antivirus software. ?So, what?s the catch?? you ask me. The catch is that every

commercial as well as non-commercial antivirus software requires frequent updating. Many people think that if the antivirus was installed on their computer

by the vendor, they are protected for life. Wrong!
To give you an example, when a new computer virus is discovered, large teams of software developers work night and day to come-up with an antidote, a ?pill?

that would destroy a virus and will inoculate your personal computer. Once available, the antivirus update or "signature", will be available on the vendor?s

website for download. If your antivirus software is up-to-date, and is configured to update automatically over the Internet, you have very little to worry

about. But what if I told you that millions of computer users out there have outdated antivirus software.
Believe it or not, it is true. It means that even though they think that their computer is protected, in actuality their, and any computer with outdated

antivirus software may be easily infected by a virus.
You have to be cognizant of the fact that most of the commercial antivirus software available today requires annual subscription, and if your subscription

was not renewed on time, the antivirus would stop updating its virus signatures, thus exposing your system to a threat. The good news is that there are non-

commercial, free antivirus software packages that can be downloaded and used absolutely free of charge on your home computer.
Steve E. Driz has dedicated over 15 years to management and oversight of teams and technology concentrating on information security and privacy.
http://www.stevedriz.com
http://www.stevedriz.com/antivirusguide
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