Choosing the right security products to protect your business and family has become quite hard, with newer, bigger and more complicated solutions being released all the time.
Unfortunately, as security products get bigger, they also can have a negative impact on your system – slowing it down, and making your computing environment more confusing than it needs to be. We recommend keeping it simple – run the minimum software you need to keep yourself safe.
You should consider the following criteria when selecting a product:
- How effective is the product
- How much impact does running the solution make on your system
- How easy is it to use
In our experience, we have found that some of the well-known security suites have grown very large, and although they can be effective at protecting your system, they also slow it down. This is especially true for older machines.
We have cross-checked the major antivirus comparison sites, and read many reports, and thousands of lines of text to develop our recommendations.
Here are our top recommended products, and who should use them (because everyone has different needs).
Careful Users – limited “at-risk behaviour”
| #1 | Microsoft Security Essentials | Free | Download link |
| #1 | Windows Defender | Free (included) |
Comes pre-installed in Windows 8 [Basically the same as Security Essentials] |
| #2 | Panda Cloud Antivirus Free |
Free This is a bit more effective than the above two – but it’s demoted for being more complex, and popping up occasionally to ask you to buy the paid version |
Download link [Click the green “Panda Free Antivirus / Download Free” button] |
Bold Users – some “at-risk behaviour”
| #1 | ESET Nod32 | $ | Download link |
| #2 | Kaspersky Anti-Virus | $ | Download link |
| #3 | Panda Cloud Antivirus Free |
Free (only if you can’t afford the above) |
Download link [Click the green “Panda Free Antivirus / Download Free” button] |
Each of these three products has different strengths – contact us to discuss which is right for you.
What’s “at-risk behaviour”?
- Being a business – don’t take chances with your valuable data. If you run a small or medium business, we highly recommend giving us a call – there are additional security measures you need to take.
- Children using the machine.
- Downloading pirate software, music and videos.
- Downloading “mods” for games (like Minecraft).
- Downloading software from banner ads!
Are your systems running slower than when you bought them? Do you need help? Are you running a business?
Contact Bayside PC Services (0408 314 814 or email info@baysidepc.com.au) for prompt assistance!