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Antivirus Products Comparison: Which Antivirus Software is Best for You?

A protection program for your computer system/network is essential for ensuring safe handling and storage of your valuable data. No system should be operating without antiviral software in place to monitor and mitigate identified threats to system and application files as well as your document storage. This post will explain what antivirus software is, how it works, and provide a comparison of some of the most well-known products.



antivirus software - lock on keyboard


What is Antivirus Software?

Antivirus software programs are designed to monitor system behavior for evidence of malicious code such as worms, Trojans, and spyware, and to quarantine or eradicate any malware encountered in the computer system. Malicious code may get installed on your system via a clicked link in a phishing email, a corrupt document downloaded from the Internet, or transfer from an infected external drive.


Once installed and activated, the malware may be programmed to monitor your keystrokes, to watch, control, or report your online activities, to record and transmit files, passwords, or other data, to observe you and your surroundings via your computer’s camera, and any number of other intrusive actions which are ultimately designed to steal your information, your money, your privacy, and/or your identity.


You may well be experiencing a virus if you find yourself suddenly locked out of your files or accounts, your applications are behaving erratically, or key files seem to have “disappeared” from your system.


On the other hand, a virus can be working so unobtrusively in the background that you are not immediately aware of its presence – which is why it’s so important to have antivirus software operating at all times to protect your system from harm, seen or unseen.



How Antivirus Software Works

Antivirus software analyzes your system’s typical patterns of behavior and looks for any anomalies to typical system functioning. The software compares standard system code with identified and documented malicious code so that the bad code can be isolated and removed from the system and normal functioning restored.


Antivirus software should be kept up to date and periodic full system scans scheduled and executed so that the most currently documented malicious code can be recognized and removed before any damage is done. With so many bad actors working hard to develop new malicious code and new ways to deploy it into your computer system, not all intrusions can be prevented, but antivirus software developers are working equally hard to stay informed and stay ahead of malware threat developments and keep their customers’ systems safe.



Antivirus Products Comparison

The following chart lists some of the most popular antivirus programs on the market and how they compare in features and benefits. Be aware that some programs may require purchasing the most advanced level product to acquire the most comprehensive set of features. As you can see in the chart, most of the products offer similar capabilities. You will need to determine which features best meet your system requirements.


Disclaimer: A blank space in the chart does not mean the feature is not available in that program; this chart simply notes the features specifically mentioned on the products’ websites.




antivirus software - product comparison chart

(Table Data Sourced from Google Search, Internet Research)



Ensure Antivirus Software is Protecting Your System

Just this one step can make the difference between relative system security and exposure to a damaging attack. Conduct thorough research to see which antivirus software may best serve your needs. You may need to contact the vendors directly to ask deeper level questions about the features offered and additional options.


Make certain your antivirus software installation is kept updated to the most current version to help prevent malware from taking control of your system, destroying files, invading your privacy, or stealing your money or identity.

Most intrusions can be avoided or mitigated, and antivirus software provides the optimum protection available from the damage that can be caused by a viral intrusion.


Antivirus software developers make it their mission to stay informed of new malware tactics being used to attack systems and to create counterattacks and defensive strategies to mitigate these threats. Gold Comet is equally determined and dedicated to building a safe and secure environment for your online communications and information privacy.

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