Check to make sure that it can block adverts
As an added bonus, it’s quicker to update software in the cloud (and there is no possibility for human error) so users get faster protection against new threats as they emerge.
Cloud-based antivirus products, by contrast, take the burden of the work off the host PC and move it onto servers which are better able to cope with it. The problem with this approach is that it creates a very heavy payload for the host PC and this is likely to be a particular issue with Windows 7 PCs because they are likely to be lower-specced than modern computers and will almost certainly be running older hardware. Traditional antivirus products for Windows 7 are downloaded and installed on your computer and updates are applied by means of further downloadable patches. This is not remotely an exaggeration, spyware can lay the ground for identity theft, which can have devastating consequences.Ĭheck to see whether or not it is cloud-based Most of them revolve around the fact that spyware is designed to be almost impossible to detect without a solid antivirus plus the fact that it has the potential to do massive damage not just to your computer, but to your life. There are several reasons why it is essential to have robust protection against spyware. What you actually need is a program which protects against all forms of malicious software from adware to worms and including everything in between, especially spyware. Picking up from the previous point, these days the term “antivirus” is, or should be, just used for marketing. Check to make sure that the antivirus actually protects against all malware If you can find recent reviews from happy customers then it’s a very strong indication that the antivirus is being updated as it should be.
If you can’t find a way to tell when a free antivirus for Windows 7 was last updated, then try looking for reviews of it.
Cryptojackers and ransomware, for example, are both relatively new creations but both are growing rapidly. For example, in the old days, viruses had to be hidden in some kind of code, whereas now there is something called “fileless malware”, which is basically malicious software which can exist outside of coding.Īdditionally, there are now all kinds of other cybernasties floating around the internet with creators now mixing and matching existing forms of malicious software to create new ones and also coming up with entirely new forms of threat. Not only are new viruses being created all the time, but they are taking on new forms. Check to make sure that the antivirus is regularly updatedĪntivirus products probably have to be updated more than any other form of software.