Protecting yourself against the horrors of viruses should be something of paramount importance. Leaving your computer vulnerable attack could prove to be incredibly damaging to your security online. How do you protect yourself? Simple. Anti-virus software! Specifically, virus scanning software. Virus scan software is the piece of software that actually carries out the search for the harmful virus. There are so many different versions of virus scan software out there to choose from. But make sure whatever one you choose packs these features to allow you the best chance of staying safe on the web.
Frequent scanning
You want to be protected from viruses. More specifically you want to be protected all the time. Good virus scan software should always be capable of scanning for viruses frequently. It is not desirable to have a virus scan software that will only scan fortnightly or even monthly. Viruses can strike at anytime and you the sooner it is detected, the less it would have spread and therefore it will be easier to remove.
Customer support
Another important feature any good virus scan should have is extensive customer support. Customer support is essential. Virus scan software could be tricky to use or if one of the virus scans turns out positive it could be nice to have a real person on the other end of the phone to help you advise what to do next. Before you buy whichever virus scan software you choose, take a look at the developers website. See what support options are available. Online forums? Help desk? Video tutorial? Live chat? E-mail support?
Ease of use
As I have mentioned previously, virus scan software could be hard to navigate. This should not be the case with whatever virus scan software you choose. What separates great software from good software is how easy it is to use. Greater ease of use will equal greater protection. Users can customize how frequently virus scans occur, which viruses to look for, and what to do if one comes up. Make sure you download the free trial (if there is one) for the product before you buy!
Cost
Good virus scan software should be affordable. There are plenty of both free and paid solutions available. Whatever virus scan software you choose, make sure you try it for yourself, read the reviews, and make sure it features everything mentioned above. You could be leaving your computer vulnerable otherwise!