Today’s world is dependent on the internet for every little thing. It allows us to conveniently access any information and helps us to communicate with our family and friends settled in different parts of the world. However, it also brings with it security issues and puts people at risk of hacks and threats. The web can be completely safe for us if we run good antivirus software on the devices we use. An antivirus helps to keep the device protected against all the e-threats. Without antivirus security, confidential information, messages, videos can be easily stolen and misused. To avoid being a victim of online theft, it is necessary to be aware of malicious intentions of the hackers and to install a good antivirus that secures your device and provides the following: ● Protection from Viruses Viruses are created by hackers that they install in a system via internet, text, and emails. It is a code that overwrites itself on the already existing code and corrupts the valuable data. An antivirus works as a system guard and prevents the virus from entering into your system. ● Protection from Hackers A hacker prefers a backdoor entry to change or steal device’s hardware or software settings.

Malware is a file or software program that causes harm to your computer. Trojan horses, viruses, spyware, and worms are only a few of the names of this malicious software. Performing various operation that involves deleting important data, encrypting, hijacking, keeping an eye on your computer activity without permission and stealing, this type of software program is highly inappropriate for PCs and laptops. Variations of malware There are different types of malware and that have unique characteristics and traits, which are as follows: ● Worm A worm has the capability of self-replicating, which does not make use of a host program. Generally, this type of malware is seen to spread without the utilization of human interaction. ● Spyware Through spyware, people can extract data from your device and observe your computer activity without your knowledge. ● Trojan Horses Trojan horses might look like authentic programs; however, after installing the program, it can initiate its malicious activities. ● Virus A virus is the most common type of malware and it is known to be a malicious program that has the potential to execute spread all over the computer. In this way, it starts infecting other files and software present in the device.

Nowadays, a major part of the population depends on computers, smartphones, tablets and other electronic gadgets for storing their confidential data. Anyone, who has access to computer and internet are aware of the cyber threats that exist in the present days. That is the reason, everyone is in search of the best antivirus, anti-spam, anti-malware or internet security programs. While some people are aware of the functioning of each of them, there are others, who install any program to protect their systems. If you are also among them, it is important for you to know the difference between anti-spam and antivirus software before installation. Before purchasing the license of any antivirus or anti-spam software to protect your computer, it is important to gain in-depth knowledge of both. Virus and antivirus Viruses are skillfully made program that can easily copy itself and get attached to any other program, leading to discrepancies. While some virus causes minimum disturbance to the user, others hold the capability of damaging the operating system and even the affected device. Virus infestation destroys the system, corrupts the data, and prevents the users from seeing or using the data. At times, it is used for sending messages that can harm personal or professional life.

If your PC is infected by malicious programs, there is a possibility that you can lose all your sensitive and confidential data and information. Cybercrimes are at an all-time high with cybercriminals using technology for ill-activities. Developers are designing an effective security solution that can save mankind from the malicious intent of hackers. Ask yourself these questions Usually, the data breach happens without your knowledge. However, it is possible to identify any data breach by keeping an eye on the following glitches. ● Change in settings of the operating system ● Slow performance with the computer taking to boot ● Unnecessary add-ons that were never downloaded If these circumstances seem familiar, then your worst fear has come true. Safe mode is important Once you realize that your system has been attacked, you need to disconnect your computer from the internet and not use it until the PC is disinfected. This step can help you limit the chances of the malware multiplying or spreading in other files. Thereafter, leakage of data can be prevented by not connecting the device to the internet. ● In case you notice that your desktop is attacked by a malicious program, you should enter safe mode while booting.

Cyber crimes have increased significantly in recent times, and data theft is not restricted to commercial establishments only. Therefore, installing security software to protect your data is important, irrespective of the device or purpose of accessing the Internet. Yet, in many cases, users are not interested to pay for the antivirus license or may not have the money for it. If you are unwilling to pay for antivirus or going through cash crunch, you can consider installing free antivirus for Windows. Free antivirus software for Windows Free antivirus software is security programs designed to protect PCs and tablets from cyber threats. These are available free of cost over the internet. Like the paid software, the free versions are also made by reputed companies like Kaspersky, Avast, BitDefender, and Avira. However, they come with a limited set of features. Although the paid versions are stronger, the free ones too offer excellent protection. All you need is to spend some time to find the best antivirus for Windows PC at no cost. Expected features Many of you may prefer running your computer or smartphones without an antivirus program. However, in doing so, you may be risking the safety of your device. If you are new to the world of computers and internet, you need to know why users need to get the best antivirus for their system.

Computer viruses are in existence since the introduction of the computer itself. It is a common belief that viruses are malicious programs that spread through the Internet. But this is not entirely true. Computer viruses were dispersed through relatively older networks as well. With the technological advancement of the computers and Internet, the disruptive potential of the viruses also increased to a great extent. This resulted in a greater requirement for cybersecurity countermeasures. The worst viruses have the ability to spread efficiently and quickly. They have, in the past, caused significant damage to chokepoints like bank networks, airline systems, and 911 service as well. Here is the list of the three worst computer viruses ever created – Melissa During the late 1990s, Microsoft Windows dominated the whole computing world. If a person or business had a computer, it almost certainly had Windows 95 or 98 as its operating system. The Melissa virus creator took advantage of this monoculture of Windows by creating a program that affected bundled software like Word and Outlook. It was the first most powerful email-activated virus. Its design is still influential. Based on a Word macro, it executed automatically in MS Word 97 and 2000. Everybody who received a Melissa-laced email was asked to open the Word document attached to it.

Although the internet has made information handy, it does have its own set of setbacks. One of the biggest problems of the “world wide web” era is the computer security threat. Cyber criminals employ various methods to lure you in sharing your personal details or business information and then extort money to get your system restored. As the owner of a company or even as an individual, you must be aware of the threats that exist online and be extra vigilant. Herein, we have compiled a list of a few security threats that can harm your computer or network system. Riskware These are dangerous applications that tend to become a part of software applications. Often, hackers use these applications as extra components to gain access to a particular network. Spam Spam means unwanted emails in your inbox. It is also known as electronic junk mail and tends to clutter the inbox and take up space on your mail server . Although spam mails are usually harmless, they may contain links that, when clicked, could take you to another website and install harmful software on your computer upon downloading it. Phishing This is another way by which cybercriminals lure people into parting with private information.

Denial-of-service, commonly known as DoS attacks, refers to cyber threats that are generally done to crash a website by throwing in large volumes of traffic from a particular source. Once that is done, it gets easier for the intruder or hacker to make their way into your PC and your home network and access all your private and important information. When you have a firewall installed, it blocks out DoS threats by keeping a close check on the volume of traffic generated from the potential threat and immediately blocking it out. The firewall also looks out for spoof attacks where the hacker attempts to enter your network disguised as a trusted source in order to gain access to your network. There are a lot of high-profile DoS attacks where a lot of DoS attacking systems attack a particular company or individual’s website at one go. In such an attack, the website and servers crash immediately and the website is taking over by hackers. Such attacks get extremely difficult to detect as well as a treat because there are multiple sources of DoS attacks and malware with high volumes of traffic. Ordinary antivirus and PC firewalls cannot protect the system from such attacks, which is why a heavy-duty firewall software is needed for bigger organizations.

A virus is an inevitable problem that comes from multiple sources. The computer can be affected by a virus which can be found in downloaded or viewed files. A virus can also infect the computer or any device when a person visits any malicious website or opens an unknown link which might be consisting of a virus. There are imminent risks of computer virus and some of these have been listed below: ● Leads to destruction of files and documents Virus downloaded from any link will lead to destruction of files and documents which have been stored on the computer. This virus can either destroy a part of the file or can corrupt the entire document set stored in the computer. ● Damages the hardware A virus can also lead to hardware damage in the computer. Different hardware components which include the motherboard, processor, Random Access Memory (RAM) and hard disk drive can also suffer imminent damages in case any virus download has taken place in the computer. ● Leads to creation of other virus A virus in the computer will always lead to the creation of the other virus in the system and these will spread out rapidly crippling the entire system.

A virus is a type of a malicious software program that infects your computer system by overwriting its own code on the system’s program. The term virus is also meant for another type of malware. When your system is booted from an infected file or disc, the virus is carried over to your system. Computer viruses are responsible for tons of economic loss every year. These viruses deliberately increase maintenance costs through system failures, corrupting data, and wasting system resources which increase maintenance cost eventually. There are many viruses that are affecting the digital life and Internet services. Mentioned below are some threats causing damage to our system and data. Viruses ● Browser hijacker – This virus hijacks your browser by controlling and redirecting your web home page to a particular site. This is the standard way a ransomware hacks your browser. This virus is a tactic of generating income from web ads. ● Boot sector virus – This type of virus does not affect systems nowadays as it has become out-of-date. This virus occurs when a floppy disc was used to boot the system. Nowadays, this virus likely to occur in a master boot record. Since the internet is highly progressive these days, this virus is not very prominent.

A free antivirus is an option sought after by most people as compared to paid software. There are a plethora of free antivirus software that one can acquire on the Internet, which are easily accessible. With new viruses developing each day, the importance of using an antivirus software to protect our systems has increased drastically. The question that now arises is whether one should pay for antivirus software despite easy access to free versions to help protect our system and serve our needs. If you are confused regarding terms such as virus, trojan, worms, and malware, it might be difficult for you to understand how antivirus software work, thereby making it essential for you to buy a paid version of a given antivirus software. Each antivirus software has a specific way of functioning in order to protect the system from viruses; therefore, each antivirus software, whether free or paid, should stay updated. Most people recommend paid antivirus software as the genuine version is updated with the latest virus information, leading to better protection. Free antivirus software do not cover malware; therefore, a paid version can help you not only track suspicious behavior but also combat malware. In a home-based setting, an antivirus is one component of the computer’s security system as it is part of the layered defense.