Red alert: There's every chance your computer is not running adequate virus protection software
Most people are running antivirus software that is out of date. Our Antivirus download squad checks the research and the reasons and recommends the best virus protection downloads for 2009.
A trans-atlantic research study recently revealed an alarming fact - people are generally out of touch with the virus threats that they are exposed to and place too much faith in their virus removal software. The study found that Internet users had a basic understanding of online security issues such as spyware, worms, rootkits, trojan horses and computer viruses but had very limited understanding of the need to keep antivirus software up to date and what online usage is likely to lead to virus infection. Amazingly, when online 84% of US users don't trust files they download, 35% don't trust transacting and 82% don't think they are safe from viruses.
The study found that most antivirus software did not have firewall protection to prevent incoming computer attacks nor do many have spyware software included. A small proportion of consumers realise how frequently their security software's antivirus need updating to keep up with the latest detected threats on the web (also known as definitions).
Due to ongoing phishing attacks and high penetration of older legacy email packages that are less effective at detecting spam (such as Hotmail), some populations, especially Australians, are reluctant to conduct many types of ecommerce transactions due to fear of virus threats.
A key part of understanding virus protection is knowing the difference between antivirus software and internet security. Though they differ in effectiveness, starting with Norton Antivirus 2009 as the standout leader, antivirus downloads focus on the removal of viruses whereas Internet Security Suites typically add layers of protection with spyware blockers and firewalls.
A trans-atlantic research study recently revealed an alarming fact - people are generally out of touch with the virus threats that they are exposed to and place too much faith in their virus removal software. The study found that Internet users had a basic understanding of online security issues such as spyware, worms, rootkits, trojan horses and computer viruses but had very limited understanding of the need to keep antivirus software up to date and what online usage is likely to lead to virus infection. Amazingly, when online 84% of US users don't trust files they download, 35% don't trust transacting and 82% don't think they are safe from viruses.
The study found that most antivirus software did not have firewall protection to prevent incoming computer attacks nor do many have spyware software included. A small proportion of consumers realise how frequently their security software's antivirus need updating to keep up with the latest detected threats on the web (also known as definitions).
Due to ongoing phishing attacks and high penetration of older legacy email packages that are less effective at detecting spam (such as Hotmail), some populations, especially Australians, are reluctant to conduct many types of ecommerce transactions due to fear of virus threats.
A key part of understanding virus protection is knowing the difference between antivirus software and internet security. Though they differ in effectiveness, starting with Norton Antivirus 2009 as the standout leader, antivirus downloads focus on the removal of viruses whereas Internet Security Suites typically add layers of protection with spyware blockers and firewalls.
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Norton Antivirus 2009 |
Norton Internet Security 2009 |
Norton 360 |