In today’s high-tech world, there are thousands of computer viruses lurking, waiting to infect YOUR computer. If your computer is not protected, any of these malicious viruses can sneak into your computer and do some serious damage. Viruses have been known to replicate and clog email systems, slow a computer or network down significantly, erase data, and stop a computer from working all together.
If you don’t already have an antivirus program running on your computer, how would you know what programs are available in the market and which one is the best for you? A good place to start discovering this information is PCWorld.com, a leading computer information source on the internet. Specifically, visit their Top-10 antivirus comparison study at [http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0],aid,124475,00.asp , where they list the 10 most popular and effective antivirus programs available to individual users. This list should help you a great deal.
From personal experience, my first choice would be McAfee VirusScan 2006 because it is easy to use, virus definition updates occur very often, meaning you get up-to-date protection, and the performance is solid. My second choice would be Symantec Norton Antivirus 2006, which is also solid. I’ve never had a problem with it. My third choice is Trend Micro PC-cillin. In my opinion, the free programs in the market provide some protection, but they do not provide adequate protection because they have basic virus scanning capabilities and their virus definition updates occur less often than their counterparts. No matter which one you ultimately choose to use, make sure you install an antivirus program on your computer. Some protection is also better than no protection at all!
The requirements for business network are different from the requirements for a personal computer at home. If you run a business that has a company network with multiple computers and need antivirus protection, consult a network security expert about choosing the right protection for your company. A business network that is infected by viruses can be disastrous. Make sure you have the right protection.
Hung Lam is the Vice President of LAN Doctors, Inc.(http://www.landoctors.com), a complete IT and networking solutions provider to small to medium-sized businesses in the NY metro area.
