Should I Buy an Antivirus or Total Internet Security Pack?
This is a critical question in everyone’s mind before buying any security package for Windows. Probably, you will be troubled by this question till the moment you click on the Check Out button. Though, there is huge Price difference between both the security versions yet it seems just tiny enough when the security of your Precious data as well as PC is in question.
Today, in market, there are many big players from whom you can buy PC protection software like Bit Defender, Norton, Kaspersky, Avast etc, etc. Funny part is, most of them offer more detailed security services which lies between Antivirus and Internet Security. For instance take Bit Defender, it provides Antivirus Plus, Internet Security and Total Security. Same goes for Kaspersky or Norton. Here in this article, I wont be suggesting companies from whom you should buy the product but about how to choose the product itself.
[alert-success] Compare The Best Antivirus Software Products of 2013 [/alert-success]What’s the Difference between Antivirus and Internet Security?
Basically, there is a vast difference in terms of functionality. Total Internet Security is the top product in line providing extended features like Device Anti theft, Anti Spam, firewall and Tune up tools. So, buying a basic antivirus protection just saves your PC from any kind of threats whereas a Total Security pack provides protection from all types of threats while you are online.
[alert-note]Free Antivirus 2013 Download Offline Installer For Windows PC [/alert-note]Now this decision depends on your work habit and also the kind of person you are. To get the the right antivirus product for you, first you must ask the following questions to your self. Do not skip any one of them.
- Will I use my PC to read storage devices from Cyber Cafe, friends and untrusted sources with minimal internet access?
- Will I use my PC extensively for browsing on internet ?
- How much awareness do I have with respect to finding stuffs on Internet?
- How much time can I spend Googling and learning stuffs if something goes wrong with my PC?
- Am I going to use this PC for Office use or just for Home use?
Assuming that you have an honest reply to each of the questions, let’s evaluate and narrow down your needs.
1) Use of PC for Extensive Data Transfer from External Sources
It’s a bitter experience that I have had gone through once upon a time. If you are working regularly on untrusted computers and need to bring back the data to the PC in reference or you are using others hard Disk to transfer heavy data like movies, music, docs etc then consider buying a basic antivirus. As the internet usage is minimum in this case, you will not need an Ultimate Suite to protect yourself.
[alert-note] USB Write Protection Software: Enable / Disable Writing or Lock USB Drives[/alert-note]Most of the Viruses spread from data transfer done from already infected devices. This is the case with which majority of people suffer, specially those living in hostels etc. So, have an Antivirus and just keep updating it regularly. If this was your only need, your search ends here.
2) Use of PC for Extensive Internet Access
If you are always connected to the internet and perform basic tasks like checking mails, accessing social media, sharing stuffs etc then there are further points to be considered before buying a Total Security Package but ya basic Antivirus is required. You must move on with the next sections to narrow down your requirements.
[alert-note]Why Windows 8 will be the most secure Operating system so far? [/alert-note]3) Internet Usage Awareness
This fact alone can protect you from many issues and troubles that a general person might face. Internet usage awareness basically creates your browsing habits. What you are surfing and from where you are downloading is an important thing to lookout for. Mostly the threats on internet comes with persuasion to your desperation. Email threats and social network scams can be reduced till a limit just by applying some patience and common sense.
If you are downloading stuffs from torrent, you should be able to figure out whether the torrent is fake or not. Even in case of freeware software, there are trusted sources to download them.
[alert-announce] How To Spot Fake Torrents on The Pirate Bay and Prevent Malware Spread [/alert-announce]So, if you are aware of all the facts and know exactly what you are doing on internet then stick with a basic Antivirus and continue with the article. If you are not sure or don’t have much knowledge about these things then go for a Total Security Pack.
[alert-success] How to survive without Antivirus on Windows Computer [/alert-success]4) Time Investment and System Maintenance
In the above point, I have mentioned that having awareness will protect you from most of the existing online threats but it might not be sufficient again new threats. So, if somehow you get infected you will have to spend a lot of time searching for the cause and bring back your system in shape. You might even lose some data in this process.
[alert-note] Fix The Problems After Virus Removal on Windows Computer[/alert-note]So if you are using your PC for critical office work and do not want to get stuck then definitely go for Total Security. If you are a home user and willing to spend time maintaining your PC then stick to a basic Antivirus.
5) Firewall and External Security
Finally, if you are worried about remote hacks and unauthorized access to your PC, you need to have a Total Security Suite. If you are a tech enthusiast you can try out third party free firewall software like Comodo Firewall. Of course, you have to do a manual configuration to achieve a high level Firewall Security. So again, the fact remains same. You need to invest a lot of time and its a tiresome task. Hence a Total Internet Security Pack takes away those pains.
Truth about Anti theft Application is that If after stealing, your hard disk is changed or formatted before going online, its not going to work anyhow. For parental control you can use Windows predefined features itself.
[alert-note] 5 Free Software to Recover Stolen / Lost Laptop and Smartphone [/alert-note]Moral of the Story
These are the facts you should consider before buying the security product. Your needs, usage behavior, data sensitivity and obviously the budget. If you are using your system for office work, go for Total Security Pack without thinking anything else.
If not for official or critical tasks, judge it according to the points above. You should strictly review each of the additional feature that you get depending on what your need is. Also search whether there are alternative freeware software available for the same.
