Anti-Virus Software: Rip-off or Investment?

Anti-Virus software: huge rip-off or necessary investment to protect your technology?

I cannot overstate how important computer security is to us at Rich Technology Group. It’s so important that quarterly anti-virus software updates are included in our yearly protection plans. It’s our way of making sure we keep our clients updated and protected year round.

So, the question is, can you get the level of protection you need from free anti-malware software, or do you have to shell out bigger bucks for premium programs?

There’s a wide range of products out there from free software to pricier, feature-packed “premium” suites. So, how do you choose?

How much protection do you really need?

Are you on the internet a lot? Are you a solo operation? Are you protecting an entire network worth thousands of dollars? Do you have sensitive client information that you have to protect too?

If you’re just a solo operation, the cost of anti-malware programs won’t be that expensive. On the other hand, if you’re a smaller operation, perhaps you don’t need all the features that paid programs offer. And if you look around, you can probably find some very good free software, such as Avast Free Antivirus, which rated the best among other free anti-virus software according to PCWorld.

If you’re protecting a pricey network of computers, you probably need more protection—and what you pay is a drop in the bucket compared to the price of having to repair or replace your entire network.

Do you need support?

One of the biggest drawbacks to using free anti-virus software is the lack of customer support. A lot of free software programs only offer forums or FAQ pages. One company offers customer support for $50, but at that point, you may as well pay for software and get the free support that comes with it.

Updates are not usually a problem. Many free malware programs offer regular updates—as long as you remember to install them—but if reaching a live person is important to you, you may want to go with a paid anti-malware suite. Whichever way you choose—free or paid—you can use RTG as your customer support as well.

Speed and effectiveness

According to testing conducted by PCWorld, freebies loaded a little faster than paid programs. However, in full scans, they were almost even, paid programs scanning an average of about 20 seconds faster than freebies.

Paid security systems did better than a lot of freebies at detecting and stopping malware infections, but in some cases only slightly better. Paid programs had a more significant advantage in removing malware infections.

The takeaway

It all boils down to what do you really need. If free programs are good enough for you, then save the money. Many of them perform very well in testing and are almost equal to the protection that basic to intermediate paid programs offer.

But, if you’re choosing a free program JUST to save money, it may end up backfiring on you. You have to do your homework, which could mean combining different programs to get the features you want and reading up on all the forums. What you save in money you may spend in the form of your own time.

In the end, it might be easier just to get all the features you need in one paid program. You’ll end up doing less leg work, and you’ll have tech support if you need it. Then, you can decide if you need something more basic or if you want to pay more for a premium suite with more features.

Whatever you do, your anti-malware software is useless without the updates. So, make sure you get the updates regularly. If you need help, just call us.

Have questions? Could you use some help choosing a program that’s right for you? Feel free to call us and find out which anti-virus software we would recommend in your situation. We’re at 804-767-2136.

In the meantime, here’s a great article about one man’s experience of how Microsoft Security Essentials (which is free) actually beat out a few pricier, paid programs. Click here to read (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/microsoft-vs-mcafee-how-free-antivirus-outperformed-paid/2614).