The number of viruses that are infecting computers today has grown tremendously. They are becoming more and more complex and can really do damage to your computer or even steal and delete valuable information and records. Most of these viruses are not harmless jokes but serious threats to a business or an individual. Installing anti-virus software is a given for a computer owner in today’s world, the real question is which one to choose from. There are so many out on the market, free or paid for to choose from. I was interested to see the pro’s and con’s of some of the top anti-virus options and what we as consumers should look for in a anti-virus software.

One review website listed some categories of importance when evaluating an anti-virus software. At the top of the list was its scope of protection. Having a complete multi layer all around security defense that protects against viruses, malware, trojans and spyware is the first key. Pretty obvious so far. Effectiveness was the next category of importance. If the software doesn’t do its job what’s the point. Ignore bells and whistles and fancy designs, which will only hurt your computers performance. Ease of use is something that I personally believe is so important in anti-virus software. Software that doesn’t update automatically or easily often leads to the user running useless out of date software until they get kicked out of Harding’s network for being out of compliance with the schools policy.

BitDefender Anti Virus Plus was ranked as the number 1 as the overall best on toptenreviews.com. It has a very strong and complete security system and very user friendly interface that has them atop of the list. Other popular brands of software among the list include: Panda at number 3. Similar review as BitDefender but their customer support is limited to email only that hurt their score. AVG was number 5 and was listed for great overall effectiveness but was also hurt by customer support limitations.

Overall, if you do your research on a anti-virus product, pick a quality product (free or paid) and keep your software updated and functioning correctly you probably can’t go wrong. All have their pro’s and con’s and a lot of it comes down to user preference.