Best Windows Antivirus Software

Windows-based personal computing devices are constantly under attack from malicious software, computer viruses, adware, and spyware, so protecting your personal information should be priority number one.  Using the best Windows antivirus software will help keep all personal data and information stored on a hard drive safe from those who wish to use it for malicious purposes.  Windows is the most popular operating system currently in use accounting for around 87 percent of all operating systems currently in use, with Windows XP alone operating on close to 60 percent of all computers.  This popularity makes it the primary target for hackers and malicious software designed, since exploiting any security flaw in this type of operating system would yield the best results due to the number of users. 

Types of Malicious Software

Before searching for the best antivirus software for a Windows-based machine, understanding what the software is designed to protect against is important.  Protecting against the common computer virus normally is not enough, with a wide range of malware out there, protecting against all of the malicious content currently online is important.

• Trojans - This is your standard computer virus.  Malicious software is installed on your computer and is designed to run without the users knowledge, either gathering information or causing harm to the computer itself.
  
  
• Rootkits - A rootkit is similar to a Trojan, except the programming itself is installed directly into important programs and files that allow the operating system to function as it was intended to.
  
  
• Spyware - A program that operates on a computer without the users knowledge, collecting data and information about the user, their computing activities, and their web-based activities.
  
  
• Adware -This software displays ads from a program running on the individuals computer.  This is one of the primary causes of pop-up advertisements and hijacked web browsers.
  
  
• Key Loggers - This form of malware is designed to map what a user types into their computer and where.  This is designed to steal usernames and password for various accounts.

As it is plane to see, protecting against viruses is not enough to keep computers and personal information safe from those who mean to use it for negative purposes.  Some pay antivirus programs offer free trials, which should be used to see if that particular program is right for you.

Free or Pay Software

There is a long running debate between the use of pay antivirus programs and free antivirus and adware prevention software, the the main debate rages between which provides the best protection.  The answer, the program that updates its virus definitions the fastest.  The virus definition file is the profile for certain viruses and malware so the program understands what it should be looking for.  Think of it as a mugshot for virus programs.  Malware and similar programs will be changed and updated on an almost daily basis to attempt staying ahead of the programs designed to eliminate them from a computer.  Frequently updated antivirus software allows for better protection than other programs.  Because of this, most people would rather pay a small fee for a program that provides more frequent updates to their antivirus definitions.

Here are five of the best pay antivirus programs along with five of the best free antivirus programs.

Each of these programs can either be downloaded directly or purchased in a store.  The free programs are available for download only, and will help to greatly reduce the potential threat of malware on your computer.  Most of the pay programs cost between $20 and $100, and come with a specific series of periodic updates, usually once every two week to a month.  Every program on this page will provide superior protection for your computer, keeping your personal data and other information safe.

If a pay program cannot be afforded, the free software will still provide better protection than no antivirus software at all.