Blog post: Online security
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Blog post: Online security
A good antivirus is essential, as it minimizes the risk of infection and saves you hours of cleanup and troubleshooting after an attack—not to mention the potential losses and damages!
Malware, phishing scams, ransomware, DDoS attacks—these are just some of the threats lurking online, and antivirus software is your ideal defense against malware and other techniques used by cybercriminals.
Before you begin, keep in mind that there’s no such thing as a universal “best antivirus,” nor is any antivirus invulnerable. But rest assured, there are excellent security solutions available that may suit you, depending on your hardware and operating system.
So the question is: how do you choose the best antivirus for your needs?
When selecting the best security software for you personally, there are several points you should check before deciding:
1. Check your system:
Make sure your computer has enough processor power and RAM to run the antivirus software, so your security doesn’t become a burden.
2. Threat detection rates and real-time protection:
Although signature-based detection isn’t perfect, it remains important—especially as antivirus providers now include more advanced modules. Ensure that the antivirus you’re considering offers solid detection rates and real-time protection.
3. Script blocking and behavior analysis:
Nowadays, most malware is zero-day, so additional security layers are necessary to address this vulnerability. While you could install multiple programs to cover every angle, it’s far more convenient to have a single solution that provides comprehensive protection. Make sure the antivirus includes a decent behavior blocker that monitors all files attempting to create, modify, or delete data on your system.
4. Malware removal:
Do some quick research to verify that the antivirus effectively removes and disinfects malware. If you’re considering a free antivirus, make sure you won’t have to pay for malware removal!
5. Ransomware protection:
Check that the antivirus includes solid ransomware protection. While good behavior blockers help, having an extra layer dedicated to ransomware can only strengthen your security.
6. Other useful modules include:
File shredder, DNS protection, password manager, phishing protection, anti-spam, and browser protection.
Now, regarding firewalls:
A firewall is essential when connecting to the internet. Windows’ built-in firewall is generally reliable, but if you’re paying for a full internet security suite, ensure its firewall is good enough to justify disabling Windows’ own. Some antivirus software can filter and analyze your internet traffic to detect threats before they reach your device. Popular solutions like Norton or Panda often include excellent firewalls.
So, do your research before installing a new firewall!
Now, what should you avoid?
1. Don’t rely too much on comparative tests and other articles praising one antivirus over another. Even when accurate, these reviews don’t account for your specific system, so it’s important to do some personal research and testing.
2. Don’t trust a single review. If you’re not ready to test for yourself, look for recent comparisons that match your setup.
3. Most importantly: avoid running multiple antivirus programs or firewalls simultaneously. Using two or more security programs with the same purpose won’t improve protection and will likely overload your system or cause software conflicts, weakening your security instead.
If your chosen antivirus lacks certain features, remember you can combine different programs to achieve both optimal protection and smooth performance.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a short list of what I currently consider the most interesting all-in-one antivirus solutions:
1. 
Panda Antivirus offers ultra-complete protection, including antivirus, firewall, Wi-Fi protection against hackers, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, behavior analysis, script blocking, anti-phishing, password manager, file shredder, VPN, and more.
Simple to use and light on resources, it provides excellent real-time protection along with strong malware removal and system restoration capabilities!
2. 
Norton 360 offers comprehensive protection, including antivirus, firewall, malware protection, ransomware blocker, behavior analysis, phishing protection, script blocking, password manager, and more.
Easy to configure and light on resources, it provides excellent real-time protection and high malware removal effectiveness.
3. 
Emsisoft Anti-Malware provides comprehensive protection, including antivirus, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, behavior analysis, anti-PUP protection, and more.
It’s intuitive, very resource-efficient, and delivers excellent real-time protection and strong malware removal. It works best when combined with the Windows firewall!
And without becoming paranoid, it’s a good idea to complement your antivirus with the essential “Malwarebytes” anti-malware program!
Available in a free version for manual scans once or twice a month, or as a premium version offering additional real-time protection!
How to protect yourself from scams:
This article will explain the key steps to avoid most types of online fraud and scams!
See the article “How to protect yourself from scams”.
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This article will guide you through some simple but essential steps to keep your WordPress blog safe from hackers!
See the article “How to secure WordPress”.
WordPress Specialized Hosting:
This article presents several specialized WordPress hosting solutions that can boost the speed of your WordPress site!
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