Free Anti-Virus

Proper setup for virus protection varies wildly with different operating systems, machine users, security requirements, and personal preference.

1) Use common sense

Most problems associated with viruses and malware can be avoided by simply using some common sense. Don't download attachments from unknown parties and run them! Don't leave your machine online when it has no need to be using the internet - unplug the ethernet cable or better yet turn your machine off. Back up everything important! Storage space is cheap and even if you have avoided malware your hard drive can still crash.

2) Don't overreact

Computer viruses and malware are a threat to almost all computer users, but quite often computer users overreact to this threat and and as a result suffer more negative affects such as down time, software problems, and spam. Fake or out of date forwarded virus and worm warnings continue to circulate around the internet, acting like worms themselves. If you are spending far more time and money maintaining anti-virus software (waiting for scans, installing, dealing with compatibility issues) then you have spent cleaning up after malware attacks, you are likely overdoing it. Don't forward antivirus emails unless you have comfirmed their accuracy!

3) Maintain a security policy

Anti-virus and anti-malware decisions will be easier to make if a security policy is in place. Does your machine have any data on it that if leaked would pose a security risk? Does your machine function in a mission critical process such as a single server? If the answer to these questions is yes, you should keep a strict security policy - for example perhaps avoiding internet browsing entirely on these machines, and maintaining top of the line security and anti-virus software. If there is no top-secret data on your computer, and if a crash will not mean the end of the world, you will be better off with a relaxed security policy.

Best Free Anti-Virus Software

There are two equal recommendations in this category. First there is AVG Antivirus Free Edition. This product [1] has been continuously refined since it was first released in 1991 and now offers very impressive protection capabilities. Additionally, it's relatively small, light on resources, has regular automatic updates and handles email scanning. There is a free and a pro version, the only difference being that the free version has a few non-critical features disabled and has no direct technical support. Even so, it's an impressive package and offers the financially challenged a real alternative to the major anti-virus suites. Equally impressive is the free Avast! scanner [2] though its funky media player style interface is not to everyone's taste. Avast! also required periodic re-registration while AVG does not. A possible third option is AntiVir [3]. It offers slightly better detection rates than either AVG or Avast! but the lack of email scanning precludes general recommendation. However it's the perfect choice as a second on-demand scanner. If you use it in this role, make sure you disable its resident virus guard during installation to prevent it interfering with your main AV scanner. [1] http://free.grisoft.com [2] http://www.avast.com (5MB) [3] http://www.free-av.com (6.8MB) [4] http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-vs-paid-av.htm <= review of the effectiveness of free security software

(Above information also available at how2setup)