Free Anti-virus vs Paid anti-virus
Do you remember those days when you used to go in to a pub with your friends or colleagues and you would be asked if you could leave your credit card behind the bar so that they could keep a tab for you? I remember it anyway!! How trusting were we?
We wouldn’t entertain the idea today such is as our risk averse nature. It would appear that our fears are justified however. Over £530 million pounds a year in the UK falls foul to credit card fraud and a big chunk of this is through on line fraud i.e. somebody accessing your personal details on your computer without your consent.
So how do we guard against this? Well normally we download anti virus software and then don’t give it too much thought thereafter. But which software? There is a big choice out there in terms of anti virus software and some of it is free so it’s a no-brainer isn’t it ? Just download the free one….Now we all like something that is free but will it do the job you are expecting it to do? Let’s have a quick look at the two main differences between free and paid anti virus software;
1.The main difference is the level of support you receive. With paid anti virus software you will have access to a support team of technicians who can handle any problems you may have and deal with your queries. With free anti virus software you are pretty much on your own. Yes you can probably access tutorials and forums but there is no technician on standby to answer your call.
2.Another significant difference is what features are included in the anti virus programmes. With free anti virus software many of the advanced features are removed and then you are bombarded with sales messages from the anti virus software company trying to entice you to upgrade to a paid service.
Sometimes free anti virus software is an ok option. If you only use your computer for playing games and basically anything where you don’t have to access the internet then free anti virus software is fine. In many ways it performs the same as paid anti virus programmes but you just have to be a little more tech-savvy and proactive about guarding against threats. If that sounds like too much trouble and you just want an easy life with some peace of mind then paying for a more sophisticated anti virus solution is probably a safer option.
Like so many other things in life, you get what you pay for. If you fall into that risk averse category and wouldn’t dream of handing over your credit card to a stranger in a bar then a paid for anti virus solution is going to be the one for you!
For advice about anti virus software and any other IT support options contact Colins-IT on 0800 107 7782 or email sales@colins-it.co.uk
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