Security and anti-virus – general

Everyone will have their own personal choice.  Stick to known brand names and always research before installing/purchasing.

there are a number of useful websites that review security regularly such as:

• http://www.av-comparatives.org/
• http://www.av-test.org/en/home/
• http://www.dennistechnologylabs.com/

There are now over 7000 apps which have been identified as dangerous in third party Android Stores.

Use a search engine to discover what the current best rated antivirus programs are.

Some of the  free antivirus programs available for you computer are:

Avast Free Antivirus

The program is simple to install; a straightforward interface makes it easy to use; a quick first scan should identify any potential threats on your PC, and this all has minimal impact on your system performance.  It was one of AV-Comparative’s “Products of 2012”.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free

Small and simple, Panda Cloud Antivirus is a lightweight tool which provides free real-time antivirus protection, and can be used alongside many other security tools without problems. It’s the free version of a commercial product, and so has a few missing features.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall antivirus database is only updated daily (hourly updates are reserved for the commercial version), which leaves you more exposed to the very latest threats, The program does provide plenty of functionality, though, with a capable, AV-Test-certified antivirus engine, an easy-to-use firewall and some browsing protection.

Avira Free Antivirus

Avira Free Antivirus provides two main areas of protection.  A strong antivirus engine (rated highly by independent labs for its file detection rates) constantly monitors your PC, looking for and eliminating threats.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

The program is ultra-compact.  A very basic interface provides effective on-demand and automatic scanning, real-time antivirus and antiphishing protection.