Nicholas M Ong

Getting online these days without a good anti-virus software can put your computer at extreme risk. Today’s viruses can come in many forms. Malicious malwares, trojans, key loggers, spyware to name a few are the most common threats. A number of anti-virus software today claim to offer protection from such dangers on the next. unfortunately, not all of them live up to what they promise. With new viruses detected everyday, your anti-virus software definition files need to be updated regularly in order to keep your computer protected from such threats.

Working with anti-virus software, the inclusion of a good firewall and anti-spyware program is recommended to ensure maximum protection.

Kaspersky Internet Security is undeniably the best anti-virus software available today offering end-users maximum protection while being extremely “low-weight” in terms of system resources required to run the active protection and scanning systems in the background. what this ultimately means is that leaving Kaspersky Internet Security to run and protect your system in the background doesn’t slow your machine down to a stage where running other programs become a drag.

Unlike Norton (Symantec) or McAfee anti-virus software, Kaspersky Internet Security offers excellent protection by updating their virus definitions files numerous times a day. On average, new anti-virus files are made available for automatic downloads every 3 to 6 hrs. Because your copy of Kaspersky Internet Security is left running in the background, your computer stays updated as long as you are connected to the internet. In fact, most other anti-virus software companies update their definition files on an average of 2 to 3 days instead.

To complement your anti-virus software, ZoneAlarm Pro (Firewall) & STOPzilla! (Anti-Spyware Software) are highly recommended. There’s a myth that you should use the same publishers for such softwares. It’s not true. As an end-user, it’s important that you choose the software based on the level of security and protection that it offers you. Different software publishers have different advantages over their competitors.

Kaspersky Internet Security started offering anti-virus protection until in recent years they added an additional anti-hacker software to their line of key products available. Also in their line of products is an internet security program which is basically a firewall.

ZoneAlarm began as a company offering probably the best firewall softwares available. today, in order to provide their customers with a suite of other solutions, they have added anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to their line up.

STOPzilla! till today has chosen to remain focus on their key and primary product. anti-spyware protection. Till date, STOPzilla! offers end-users one of the very best solutions in anti-spyware protection.

If you are getting security softwares to protect your computer from online security threats. you really should only settle for the very best and know which publisher to choose for which type of software you are looking for.

Having tested and used various softwares ranging from Symantec’s Norton - SystemWorks Professional 2005 which claims to offer you the best protection at the an extremely steep price to free versions of software, i’ve learnt that cheapset or free isn’t the best. In fact, the biggest names that demand a ridiculous price tag are the worst choices.

I managed to lay my hands on a zip file loaded with 30 variants of available malwares, trojans & viruses some time in early 2005. Unzipping the file, i was able to test my anti-virus software in a controlled environment. Norton detected and removed 3 of 30 threats. Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 detected all 30 of 30 threats and removed them from my system. So big doesn’t mean better. Know what you are getting and get the best protection you can.

Personally, i’m never ever gonna spend another dime on SlyManTec’s NorToons SystemWrecks ever again. You might not know that many other popular anti-virus software out there used the same definition engines as Norton. It’s just re-branded and repacked. Kaspersky Internet Security offers consumers the very best from their proprietary anti-virus engine.

Tags: anti-virus, anti-malwares, anti-trojans, anti-spyware, Kaspersky, STOPzilla, ZoneAlarm