A lot has been said about antiviruses since their appearance in 1971 when the first virus, called Creeper, infected PDP-10 mainframe computers. Because the desktop computer world has two main types, the tech-savvy and casual users, antivirus software is something that tends to “take care of itself.” And Avast Free certainly is one of the best on offer.
Those new to computers or casual users rely on built-in software or vendor recommendations. In contrast, more involved “PC-master-race” kind of users usually adhere to their favorites.
Still, in the ever-evolving landscape of the Internet nowadays, it’s extremely important for all to know exactly what each offer brings. In this article, we’ll delve into Avast and antiviruses in general so you’re better informed when deciding what to use.
The Case for Antivirus Software
It’s unthinkable in today’s times to go online without proper protection. All kinds of dangers lurk around, with shady websites, phishing attempts, dangerous links on emails, and more.
What’s worse, hackers, scammers, and other cyber criminals are engaged in an arms race against software providers. This means you need to be at the vanguard when protecting your devices. New ways of gaining access to your personal information appear literally every day.
Categorizing software like Avast Free as “antiviruses” is a misnomer since it does much more than detect and eliminate viruses. In truth, any worthy protection platform today should include antivirus tools as just a part of the offering.
Because of the many ways you can get hacked or scammed today, a good package comprises viruses and general malware. Avast Free not only helps in detecting and blocking viruses but also other kinds of malware, such as ransomware.
It does so in real-time, which is extremely important. It catches malware on the fly before it accesses your system. Other options allow you to run “offline” scans, but by then malware could have performed all kinds of actions on your data and personal information.
Windows Defender Who?
Many people try their luck by relying on software available for free with their OSs, such as Windows Defender. It seems, after all, a competent choice, and it’s included in your Windows copy, so why bother picking anything else? As it turns out, there are many reasons.
First of all, Windows Defender is not a bad option at all. It includes real-time protection from malware in general, and it targets apps, cloud storage, email, and web browsers, including downloads.
You can quarantine or delete infected files and send reports. It has cloud protection as well. Pretty nice, isn’t it? The problem resides in efficacy and features.
Windows Defender consistently scores less than others when detecting malware, which lets some nasties slip into your system and remain undetected. Additionally, many bells and whistles of other antivirus software aren’t available, such as VPN, optimization tools, parental controls, etc.
One feature that Avast Free has and Windows Defender lacks is the ability to protect your photos from being encrypted by hackers. And this is just an example.
So, if you thought you were safe with Windows Defender, think again!
ET Wi-Fi Home
If only an unauthorized, friendly alien would be the one messing around with your Wi-Fi network without you noticing it! In truth, it’s much more likely that strange events surrounding your connectivity are due to a considerably less cute intruder.
If the Internet wasn’t dangerous enough, you must also look out for unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network. This happens for several reasons, and the technical details would take several volumes.
In short, people with the right tools can access your Wi-Fi networks; if they do, they can gain complete control of your devices. They can even redirect web traffic to their devices first, injecting malware that goes unnoticed.
Threats are abundant, but luckily, Avast Free offers a feature where you can actively scan your Wi-Fi network to look for security weaknesses. It can also help you find intruders.
Why Avast Free?
Avast Free has a lot going on and is a no-brainer regarding antivirus and malware protection. First, it’s free, so you won’t make any financial investments to stay protected.
Second, it’s lightweight. While other solutions take up many of your system resources, Avast feels like a breeze. You won’t even notice the impact on performance.
Because the team behind it has more than 30 years of experience and more than 435 million people use it daily, you can rest assured it’s a top-notch choice to protect your devices and important information.
The software is designed to allow them to catch well-known threats efficiently, much like other solutions, but also new and emerging threats. This is extremely important because you don’t want to be “patient zero,” so to speak.
And, if you ever feel you need more, you can switch to paid plans with more features.
Do You Need More than Avast Free?
Make no mistake: Avast Free is an incredible platform powerful enough to protect you in your online activities. With this solution, you’ll be safe from current and emerging threats and unwanted intruders.
While this is what most people need, you might want additional protection. If you do, you’ll be happy to know higher Avast tiers do include such features. For instance, you can get protection from fake sites that take your credit card information.
You can also update outdated computer apps automatically (which, incidentally, are a major security concern), prevent people from hacking your webcam, and much more.
As you can see, all this collateral protection is perfect for many, but the key word here is “additional.” The free version protects you with some of the most powerful anti-malware techniques available.
Summing up, if you aren’t already one of the 400+ million users of Avast Free, don’t waste any more time and get it. Try it out. There’s nothing to lose by trying and a lot to win.
