Every computer connected to the internet is vulnerable to viruses, forcing us to pay the software protection industry’s charges to stay safe while we surf.
Pay for antivirus software from biggies like Symantec/Norton or Kaspersky and it’ll cost around £40 per year. Yet you can get free software which, while not quite as effective as paid-for programs, still keeps on top of threats. Regardless of which route you take
Microsoft Security Essentials
Free, only available on Windows 7 & Windows Vista Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft’s Security Essentials antivirus package is completely free to users of “genuine Windows machines”, so it’ll verify your copy. Two versions are available, for Vista and Windows 7. Sadly, XP is no longer supported.
The software’s unobtrusive and provides quick and comprehensive protection from viruses, trojans, and spyware. For casual Windows users, it feels and runs like part of the regular operating system rather than an added extra. But some experts say it’s not as good as it used to be.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17464/windows-defender-help-protect-computer
Avast Antivirus
Avast Antivirus Free is the supposedly the most widely used antivirus product in the world, with 230 million users.
The latest version, 2016, boasts an improved interface and better detection. So much so, it’s leapfrogged Avira’s Antivirus in our rankings.
https://www.avast.com/windows
Avira’s
The free antivirus software of choice for many techies, Avira’s won many tech publications’ free antivirus round-ups by providing both the most thorough and fastest software protection.
If you have the know-how, it’ll do everything you want it to, but it’s best for those that know their way around a PC.
http://www.avira.com/en/free-antivirus-windows
Panda Security
Panda Security’s free Antivirus 2016 software has been highly praised by reviewers, and has scored well on tests carried out by antivirus evaluation site AV-Test. Plus it includes additional features not often found in (free) antivirus software.
For example, it prevents USB drives running software automatically when inserted into your computer – as well as vaccinates your own USB sticks against infection from other PCs – and a monitoring function to highlight security information about current running applications.
http://download.cnet.com/Panda-Cloud-Antivirus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10914099.html?part=dl-&subj=dl&tag=button&lang=en
AVG
The protection provided by the current version of AVG AntiVirus Free 2016 is reasonably thorough, though it doesn’t offer any real tech support.
AVG is unobtrusive, doesn’t use too many resources, and will regularly auto-update. It includes LinkScanner, a real-time threat detector which checks links out when you’re surfing the web (on Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome only), and marks unsafe threats with red flags.
LinkScanner is also available separately as an 4MB-sized plugin for those who already use another antivirus (though check compatibility).
http://www.avg.com/gb-en/free-antivirus-download
