您(Are)是否正在为您的Windows 计算机或设备(Windows computer or device)寻找最佳防病毒软件或最佳安全解决方案(security solution)?市场上有很多选择,您可能不知道该选择哪个。您知道您需要一个防病毒软件,但您不知道它应该满足哪些标准。所有的安全公司都将他们的产品推销为最好的,拥有最好的防病毒或防火墙(antivirus or firewall),是完整的产品等等。然而,你应该相信谁?您应该如何选择防病毒软件?在本指南中,我们分享了您应该用来为您选择最佳安全产品(security product)的标准:
1.寻求全方位的保护
在九十年代,为您的计算机配备一个好的安全产品(security product)意味着拥有一个好的防病毒软件就足够了。如今(Nowadays),一个好的安全产品(security product)不再只是防病毒保护(antivirus protection)。它还涉及防火墙保护(firewall protection)、浏览互联网时防止网络犯罪、勒索软件保护、VPN 保护(VPN protection)免受第三方监控和审查(monitoring and censorship)等等。
一个好的安全产品(security product)必须包含多个安全层,以保护您免受现代网络威胁。一款好的防病毒软件可以很好地抵御传统类型的恶意软件,但这并不意味着您的计算机不会被勒索软件感染,勒索软件的破坏性可能比传统病毒更大。这就是为什么我们认为,当您寻找下一个安全解决方案(security solution)时,您应该检查它是否提供全方位的保护(all-inclusive protection)。这意味着可以防御以下类型的威胁:
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病毒(Viruses)- 具有恶意意图的程序,其特点是它们可以自我繁殖,从而感染其他计算机或设备。病毒通常与可执行文件相关联,当您在不知不觉中运行它时,它也充当了病毒的触发器。
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木马(马)(Trojans (Horses)) - 是可以伪装成普通软件的恶意软件,因此可以诱使您在计算机上下载和运行它们。当您这样做时,特洛伊木马通常会为您计算机上的其他形式的恶意软件打开大门。
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蠕虫- 是利用您的(Worms )操作系统(operating system)或其他软件(例如您的网络浏览器)中的安全漏洞和漏洞并使用它们来感染您的计算机的恶意程序。与常规病毒不同,蠕虫可以自行繁殖和传播,您无需运行受感染的文件。
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间谍软件(Spyware )- 旨在监视和收集有关您的情报的软件程序。间谍软件试图对您、操作系统(operating system)和您的安全解决方案(security solution)隐藏,并在收集有关您的信息后,尝试将其发送到黑客控制的服务器。
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Rootkits - 一种特殊类型的恶意软件,旨在让黑客远程访问和控制(access and control)设备,而不会被受害者或安装在受感染设备上的安全软件检测到。(security software)当黑客获得对受 rootkit 感染的设备的访问权限时,他或她可以使用它来远程访问、复制和执行其中的文件、更改操作系统设置、安装其他软件(通常是其他类型的恶意软件)等等。根据定义,rootkit 是一种隐蔽的恶意软件,因此它们更难从受感染的机器中检测和删除。
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勒索软件(Ransomware )- 恶意程序,一旦感染您的计算机,它们就会控制并加密您的文件,例如您的图片、工作文档和视频。一旦发生这种情况,勒索软件程序就会试图让您向其创建者支付大量金钱,以便您可以取回文件。
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广告软件(Adware )- 在您的屏幕、网络浏览器或计算机上的其他位置显示广告的软件程序。根据定义,它可能不是恶意软件,但广告软件几乎总是会损害您的计算机性能和用户体验,并且还可以帮助您的计算机感染恶意软件。
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网络攻击(Network attacks )——当黑客试图远程控制你的设备时,他们可以通过“破解”方法来做到这一点。那是您需要防火墙来阻止网络攻击的时候。一个好的防火墙必须能够转移来自外部的攻击,而且还可以告诉您从您的计算机发起到外部世界的可疑流量。
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Web 威胁(Web threats)- 您的 Web 浏览器应该是抵御恶意软件的第一道防线。这就是为什么一个好的安全解决方案(security solution)必须包含一个 Web保护模块(protection module),可以阻止您访问包含恶意内容的网站。处理浏览器中的恶意软件比在恶意软件到达您的计算机时必须这样做要好。
2.选择可靠的保护
选择最佳防病毒解决方案的最重要标准之一是其可靠性。可靠的安全产品(security product)应该能够:
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(Protect without causing conflicts)保护而不会与您计算机上安装的其他程序发生冲突。例如,当您在计算机上安装它时,一个好的安全套件(security suite)应该检查您的系统上是否已经找到类似的安全程序。如果是这种情况,安全套件(security suite)应先要求您删除有冲突的软件(conflicting software),然后再自行安装。
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保护其进程免受不必要的终止(Protect its processes from unwanted termination)。强大的恶意软件(Powerful malware)旨在利用防病毒软件的弱点。某些恶意软件可能会尝试杀死系统上运行的防病毒解决方案并控制系统。可靠的安全解决方案(security solution)应始终保护其进程免受意外终止。
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提供最新的保护。(Provide up to date protection. )使用旧的和过时的恶意软件定义的防病毒解决方案是一个弱产品。威胁(Threats)不断演变;它们永远不会停止,因此防病毒软件也必须这样做。一个好的防病毒软件是一种每天多次定期自我更新的产品。
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自动化安全扫描。(Automate security scans.)我们相信可靠的安全解决方案(security solution)应该提供一种自动化反恶意软件扫描的方法。我们的意思是,安全套件(security suite)必须让您安排防病毒扫描。如果安全产品(security product)开箱即用并且已经激活了定期计划的扫描,那就更好了。如果它在您的计算机空闲并且不执行任何操作时运行防病毒扫描,那就更好了。
3. 注意性能影响(performance impact)
安全产品本质上是需要相当多的计算资源才能完成工作的程序。例如,它们比普通的音频播放器使用更多的计算能力。但是,所有安全供应商都在努力将其产品对您计算机性能的影响降至最低。如果您的计算机不是市场上最强大的,您应该考虑性能(performance)方面。通常,一个好的安全产品(security product)应该:
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对计算机的启动时间影响很小(Have a small impact on the boot timings )。您的 Windows 启动速度应该几乎与安装安全产品(security product)之前一样快。
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对您的计算机性能影响很小(Have a small impact on your computer's performance)。如果它使您的计算机陷入困境,那么有效的安全解决方案就没有好处。(security solution)它应该知道如何以不会对性能和响应性(performance and responsiveness)方面的计算体验产生负面影响的方式使用您的计算机资源。
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快速扫描您的计算机以查找恶意软件(Be fast in scanning your computer for malware)。在扫描您的计算机以查找恶意软件威胁时,好的防病毒软件往往比其他软件更快。
4.更喜欢可用性
一个好的安全产品(security product)必须易于知识渊博的用户以及对安全知之甚少或一无所知的临时用户使用。这意味着它需要:
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易于导航。(Be easy to navigate. )它应该为您提供一种直观的方式来浏览其各种窗口、选项卡、菜单和设置。
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易于在带有触摸屏的设备上使用。(Be easy to use on devices with touchscreens. )普通老显示器的时代已经死去。如今,带有触摸屏的个人电脑的数量正在快速增加。因此,越来越多的人使用触摸来控制软件的工作方式。一个好的安全产品(security product)应该有大按钮、瓷砖、各种开关、复选标记等。换句话说,它必须具有易于用手指触摸的控制元素,而不仅仅是鼠标光标。
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容易理解。(Be easy to understand. )无论在用户界面中导航多么容易,如果您不了解每个项目和设置的含义(item and setting means),那也是没有用的。所提供的配置选项应该易于所有用户理解。
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为您提供易于查找的文档。(Provide you with easy to find documentation.)就像任何好的产品一样,好的安全产品必须提供一种简单的方式来访问他们的文档。如果有帮助(Help)文档,但您找不到它,那有什么意义呢?
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让您完全控制它的工作方式。(Give you complete control of how it works. )许多人寻找不需要任何特定配置的安全产品。(security product)然而,也有人想要设置安全产品(security product)如何工作的每一个细节。如果您是这种情况,那么好的安全产品(security product)必须为您提供完全的控制权。
这些都是相对标准,因为一些用户更高级并且具有更多技术背景,而其他用户则没有。无论(Regardless)您的技术知识水平如何,安全产品(security product)都必须易于使用。
如果您是初学者并且没有技术倾向,请寻找“安装后忘记”("install & forget")类型的安全产品(security product)。如果您是更专业的用户,您可能想要寻找可以详细配置的安全产品(security product),该产品提供许多高级设置。
5. 准备好寻求支持
这个世界上没有什么是完美的,所以当事情不能正常工作时能够寻求帮助是很重要的。这就是为什么在决定购买安全产品(security product)之前,您获得的支持选项是一个需要考虑的因素。
创建出色安全程序的IT 安全(IT security)公司通常倾向于提供广泛的支持选项(support options),如果您的产品遇到问题,您应该能够:
- 给他们写一封电子邮件(email ),在其中描述您使用他们的防病毒产品的问题
- 与他们的支持工程师之一进行实时聊天(live chat)
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致电(Call)他们的支持服务寻求帮助
除了您在购买他们的产品时已经支付的费用外,任何支持选项都不应该花费您额外的钱。
6. 善用捆绑工具
许多“完整”的安全产品除了(security product)核心安全(core security)模块之外还捆绑了其他工具。它们可能包括密码钱包、云中安全加密的存储空间(storage space)、家长控制工具等。当您开始寻找下一个出色的安全解决方案时,这些附加工具不应该放在您的首要位置,但它们可能是您在两个相似的(security solution)安全产品(security product)之间做出正确选择所需的一点点推动力。例如,如果您是旅行者,并且您通常随身携带Windows 计算机或设备(Windows computer or device),您应该购买包含VPN 服务计划的(VPN service)安全产品(security product),或订阅VPN服务(VPN service)分开。当您连接到机场、咖啡店、会议中心等不可靠的公共无线网络时,这是您安全的唯一方法。
如果您是家长,您必须在两个相似的安全套件之间进行选择,但其中只有一个提供家长控制模块(control module),您可能应该选择带家长控制的那个。
在选择购买安全产品(security product)时,您应该检查它捆绑的附加工具是否是:
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以安全为导向(Security-oriented)。如果安全产品(security product)免费为您提供非安全导向的附加工具,我们认为它们不值得购买。这些工具只是达到营销目的(marketing end)的一种手段。
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有用(Useful)的。购买安全产品(security product)时获得的其他工具应该对您有所帮助。它们不应该只是Windows中已经存在的工具的克隆。
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不要损害您的安全或隐私。(Do not harm your security or your privacy.)一些供应商选择捆绑额外的工具,这些工具对提高您的安全性或隐私(security or privacy)没有帮助。相反,他们正在伤害它。如果安全解决方案(security solution)包括阴暗的工具栏、网络浏览器、浏览器插件或任何其他降低您的安全或隐私(security or privacy)的工具,您应该远离该产品。
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不涉及额外费用(Do not involve additional costs)。如果您除了已经为安全套件(security suite)支付的费用之外还需要支付更多的钱,那么它们是不值得的。
7.考虑声誉
这可能听起来有点保守,就像我们是一些想要支持IT 安全(IT security)市场大牌的老派编辑团队。这不是真的,我们向您保证,我们的意图是诚实的:声誉很重要!购买和使用来自声誉良好的公司的安全产品(security product)通常比全力购买来自不知名公司的安全产品更安全。(security product)随着时间的推移,好的安全解决方案往往会保持良好状态。同时,许多恶意软件程序将自己伪装成所谓的安全解决方案。例如,在选择使用未知的防病毒软件时,您可能最终在计算机上安装病毒,这就是您想要保护自己的病毒。
8. 有成本意识
好的,您可能认为我们讨论过的所有标准都很好而且很花哨,但没有一个比安全解决方案(security solution)的成本更重要。大多数人倾向于选择较便宜的产品,虽然这是一种正确的通用方法,但并不总是最好的。对于安全产品,这意味着您应该寻找价格最低的产品,以满足您的需求并提供您需要的保护。该产品可能不是市场上最便宜的。但是,另一方面,想象一下,如果您购买了无法保护您的文件免受勒索软件侵害的廉价安全产品,您可能要花多少钱?(bargain security product)
9. 阅读我们的“人人安全(Security)”系列,因为它旨在帮助您选择适合您的防病毒产品(antivirus product)
我们认为,在为您选择最佳antivirus/security solution时,上述标准是最重要的。多年来,我们一直在为“所有人的(Everyone)安全(Security)”系列中的安全套件撰写评论,自从我们开始这个系列以来,我们一直在努力回答这个问题:对于我们的读者来说,哪种安全产品是最好的?(security product)
一些安全套件在反恶意软件保护方面比其他套件更好;有些更容易使用,有些提供许多高级设置,等等。在我们的每个评论中,我们都涵盖了上述所有标准,然后我们对每个安全产品(security product)进行评级。
您使用哪些标准来选择防病毒软件?
每种安全产品(security product)都有其优缺点,很难说出一款最适合所有人的产品。安全产品(security product)可能适合您作为初学者,而另一种可能适合您作为高级技术用户。希望(Hopefully)以上标准以及我们的安全审查(security reviews)将帮助您确定最适合您的防病毒产品。在结束本文之前,请在评论中与我们分享您在购买防病毒软件时使用的标准。在下面发表评论(Comment),让我们讨论。
9 important criteria to use when choosing your antivirus software
Are you searching for thе best antivirus or the best security solution for your Windows computer or device? There are sо many options on the market that you may not know which to choose. You know that you nеed an antivіrus, but уou do not know which critеria it should meet. All security сompanies market their products as being thе best, having the greаtеst antivirus or firewall, being complete products and so on аnd so forth. Hоwever, whom should you trust? How should you choose your antivirus? In this guide, we share the criteria that you should use to select the best security product for you:
1. Look for all-inclusive protection
In the nineties, having a good security product for your computer meant that it was enough to have a good antivirus. Nowadays, a good security product is not just about the antivirus protection anymore. It is also about firewall protection, protection against cybercrime when browsing the internet, protection against ransomware, VPN protection against third-party monitoring and censorship, and so on.
A good security product must include several security layers that protect you against modern cyber threats. A good antivirus is good against traditional types of malware, but that does not mean that your computer cannot get infected by ransomware, which can be even more damaging than a conventional virus. That is why we believe that, when you look for your next security solution, you should check whether it offers all-inclusive protection. This means protection against the following types of threats:
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Viruses - programs with malicious intents which are characterized by the fact that they can multiply themselves and thus infect other computers or devices. Viruses are usually tied to an executable file which, when you unknowingly run it, also acts as the trigger for the virus.
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Trojans (Horses) - are malicious software that can masquerade as common software and because of that, can trick you into downloading and running them on your computer. When you do that, trojans usually open the gate to other forms of malware on your computer.
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Worms - are malicious programs that take advantage of the security holes and vulnerabilities in your operating system or other software (like your web browser for instance) and use them to infect your computer. Unlike regular viruses, worms can multiply and spread by themselves, without you having to run an infected file.
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Spyware - software programs that are designed to spy and gather intelligence about you. Spyware tries to hide from you, from the operating system and your security solution and, after it collects information about you, it tries to send it to hacker-controlled servers.
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Rootkits - a particular type of malware designed to give hackers remote access and control of a device, without being detected by the victims or the security software installed on the infected devices. When a hacker gains access to a rootkit infected device, he or she can use it to remotely access, copy and execute the files on it, change operating system settings, install additional software (usually other types of malware) and so on. By definition, rootkits are a stealthy kind of malware, so they are somewhat harder to detect and remove from an infected machine.
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Ransomware - malicious programs that, once they infect your computer, they take control and encrypt your files, like your pictures, work documents, and videos. Once that happens, ransomware programs try to make you pay considerable amounts of money to their creators, so that you can get your files back.
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Adware - software programs that display advertisements on your screen, in your web browsers or other places on your computer. It may not be malware by definition, but adware almost always hurts your computer's performance and your user experience, and can also help infect your computer with malware.
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Network attacks - when hackers try to take control of your devices remotely, they can do that through a "break" approach. That is when you need a firewall to stop network attacks. A good firewall must be able to deflect attacks from the outside but also tell you about suspicious traffic that is initiated from your computer to the outside world.
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Web threats - your web browser should be the first in the line of defense against malware. That is why a good security solution has to include a web protection module that can stop you from visiting websites with malicious content. It is better to deal with malware in your browser than to have to do that when it reaches your computer.
2. Choose reliable protection
One of the most important criteria for choosing the best antivirus solution is its reliability. A reliable security product should be able to:
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Protect without causing conflicts with other programs installed on your computer. For instance, when you install it on your computer, a good security suite should check whether similar security programs are already found on your system. If that is the case, the security suite should first ask you to remove the conflicting software, before installing itself.
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Protect its processes from unwanted termination. Powerful malware is designed to take advantage of the weak spots of an antivirus. Some malware might try to kill the antivirus solution that runs on your system and take control of the system. A reliable security solution should always protect its processes from unwanted termination.
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Provide up to date protection. An antivirus solution that uses old and outdated malware definitions is a weak product. Threats evolve continually; they never stop, so antiviruses must do that too. A good antivirus is a product that regularly updates itself, several times a day.
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Automate security scans. We believe that a reliable security solution should offer a means to automate antimalware scans. By that, we mean that a security suite must let you schedule antivirus scans. It is even better if a security product comes out of the box with regularly scheduled scans already activated. It is even better still if it runs antivirus scans when your computer is idle and is not doing anything anyway.
3. Watch out for the performance impact
Security products are, by nature, programs that require quite a bit of computing resources to do their job. They use more computing power than your average audio player, for example. However, all security vendors work to minimize their products' impact on your computer's performance. If your computer is not the most powerful on the market, you should take into consideration the performance aspect. Usually, a good security product should:
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Have a small impact on the boot timings of your computer. Your Windows should start almost as fast as it did before you installed your security product.
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Have a small impact on your computer's performance. An effective security solution is no good if it bogs down your computer. It should know how to use your computer's resources in a way that does not negatively affect your computing experience regarding performance and responsiveness.
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Be fast in scanning your computer for malware. Good antiviruses tend to be faster than others when it comes to scanning your computer for malware threats.
4. Prefer usability
A good security product must be easy to use both by knowledgeable users as well as casual users with little to no knowledge about security. That means it needs to:
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Be easy to navigate. It should provide you with an intuitive way of navigating through its various windows, tabs, menus, and settings.
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Be easy to use on devices with touchscreens. The era of the plain old monitor is dead. These days, the number of PCs with a touchscreen is increasing at a fast rate. Thus, more and more people use touch to control how the software works. A good security product should have large buttons, tiles, switches of all kinds, check marks and so on. In other words, it must have control elements that are easy to touch with your fingers too, not only with the mouse's cursor.
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Be easy to understand. No matter how easy it is to navigate through a user interface, it is no good if you do not understand what every item and setting means. The configuration options that are offered should be easy to understand by all users.
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Provide you with easy to find documentation. Just like any good product, good security products must provide an easy way to access their documentation. If Help documentation is available, but you cannot find it, what is the point?
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Give you complete control of how it works. Many people look for security products that do not require any particular configuration. However, there are also people who want to set every detail of how a security product works. If that is the case for you, a good security product must provide you with complete control.
These are all relative criteria because some users are more advanced and have a more technical background, while others are not. Regardless of your level of technical knowledge, it is essential that a security product is easy to use for you.
If you are a beginner and you do not have technical inclinations, look for an "install & forget" type of security product. If you are more of a professional user, you might want to look for a security product that can be configured in detail, one that offers many advanced settings.
5. Be ready to ask for support
Nothing in this world is perfect, so being able to call for help when something does not work as it should, is important. That is why the support options you get are a factor to consider before deciding to buy a security product.
An IT security company that creates excellent security programs usually tends to offer a broad array of support options and, if you have problems with their product, you should be able to:
- Write an email to them, in which you describe your issues with their antivirus product
- Have a live chat session with one of their support engineers
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Call their support service for help
None of the support options should cost you additional money, other from what you already paid when you bought their product.
6. Make good use of the bundled tools
Many "complete" security products bundle additional tools besides the core security modules. They may include password wallets, safely encrypted storage space in the cloud, parental control tools and so on. These additional tools should not hold the first place in your mind when you start looking for your next great security solution, but they can be that little push you need to make the right choice between two similar security products. For instance, if you are a traveler and you usually take your Windows computer or device with you, you should get a security product that includes a VPN service plan, or subscribe to a VPN service separately. It is the only way in which you can be safe when you connect to untrustworthy public wireless networks like those found in airports, coffee shops, conference centers and so on.
If you are a parent, and you have to choose between two similar security suites, but only one of them offers a parental control module, you should probably choose the one with the parental controls.
When choosing to buy a security product, you should check whether the additional tools it bundles are:
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Security-oriented. If a security product gives you for free additional tools that are not security oriented, we believe that they are not worth buying. Those tools are just a means to a marketing end.
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Useful. The additional tools you get when buying a security product should be helpful to you. They should not only be clones of tools that are already found in Windows.
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Do not harm your security or your privacy. Some vendors choose to bundle additional tools that are not helpful in increasing your security or privacy. On the contrary, they are harming it. If a security solution includes shady toolbars, web browsers, browser add-ons or any other tools that lower your security or privacy, you should stay away from that product.
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Do not involve additional costs. If you need to pay more money in addition to what you already paid for the security suite, they are not worth it.
7. Consider reputation
This may sound a bit conservative like we are some old-school team of editors who want to favor the big names of the IT security market. That is not true, and we assure you that our intentions are honest: reputation matters! Buying and using a security product from a company with a good reputation is usually a safer bet than jumping all in with a security product from an unknown firm. Good security solutions tend to remain good as time passes. At the same time, many malware programs disguise themselves as so-called security solutions. When choosing to use an unknown antivirus, for instance, you might end up installing a virus on your computer, which is what you wanted to protect yourself from.
8. Be cost-aware
OK, you probably think that all the criteria we have talked about are fine and dandy, but none of them is as important as the cost of that security solution. Most people tend to choose less expensive products, and while this is a right general approach, it is not always the best. In the case of security products, that means that you should look for the lowest priced product that fits your needs and offers the protection you need. That product might not be the least expensive on the market. On the other hand, though, imagine how much it might cost you if you buy a bargain security product that cannot protect your files from ransomware?
9. Read our "Security for everyone" series, because it is meant to help you choose the right antivirus product for you
We believe that the above criteria are the most important when it comes to choosing the best antivirus/security solution for you. We have been writing reviews for security suites in our "Security for Everyone" series for many years and, ever since we began this series, we have always strived to answer this question: which is the best security product for our readers?
Some security suites are better than others regarding anti-malware protection; some are easier to use, some offer many advanced settings, and so on and so forth. In each of our reviews, we cover all the above criteria, and then we rate each security product.
Which criteria do you use for choosing your antivirus?
Each security product has its ups and downs, and it is difficult to name one as the best for everyone. A security product can be the right one for you as a beginner, while another might be the right one for you as an advanced technical user. Hopefully, the above criteria, together with our security reviews will help you identify the best antivirus product for you. Before closing this article, share with us in a comment the criteria that you use when purchasing an antivirus. Comment below and let's discuss.