<h3><span>Antivirus software, what is anti virus software?</span></h3>

<p>First the explanation, what does antivirus do?</p>

<p>Anti-virus software&nbsp;programs help prevent, search for, detect and remove software viruses and malicious software like Malware, Trojans, Adware, and more.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Antivirus software – do you need an anti virus program?" src="/Portals/0/anti-virus-software-Ireland-United-Kingdom%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 468px;" title="Antivirus software – do you need an anti virus program?" /></p>

<p>You won&rsquo;t know how painful it is until you experience a virus infected computer&nbsp;of your own&nbsp;- you will wish that you had taken preventative measures.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s an urban myth that Apple users are exempted from this owing to Apple&#39;s incredible technology.&nbsp;Apple products are just as vulnerable.</p>

<p>Always be sure you have the best, up-to-date internet antivirus security software installed to protect your computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.</p>

<p>The bombardment is constant, with anti-virus companies updating&nbsp;their detection tools constantly to deal with the more than 60,000&nbsp;threats of malware created daily. For some years it was described as being similar to jumping in the deep end of a pool without being able to swim.</p>

<h3>Take good care of your online self</h3>

<p><span>Always make sure your web browser is updated to the latest version, use a <a href="http://www.pctools.com/firewall/"><span style="color: windowtext;">firewall</span></a>. Download programs from reliable websites you trust and always surf the web using a standard user account, rather than your administrator one. </span></p>

<p>Antivirus (or anti-virus) software is used to safeguard a computer from malware, including viruses, computer worms, and Trojan horses. Additionally, antivirus software may also remove or prevent <a href="http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/"><span style="color: windowtext;">spyware</span></a> and adware, along with other forms of malicious programs.</p>

<h3>Free or Paid AntiVirus Software.</h3>

<p>Free antivirus software usually searches your computer using signature-base&nbsp;to detect patterns of data that are&nbsp;known to be related to already-identified malware. Furthermore, some antivirus companies even sell your data to make a living which clearly doesn&rsquo;t make sense.</p>

<p>Paid antivirus software usually include heuristics to catch new, or zero-day threats, by either using genetic signatures to identify new variants of existing virus code or by running the file in a virtual environment (also called a sandbox), and watching what it does to see if it has malicious intent.</p>

<p>Germany&rsquo;s AV Test recently conducted a 5 year performance analysis and found the <a href="https://www.besecureonline.co.uk/Products/BitDefender-Internet-Security">Bitfender internet security</a>, <a href="https://www.besecureonline.co.uk/Products/F-Secure-SAFE">F Secure SAFE</a> and Kaspersky to be most reliable from 30 brands tested. Special commendation was made to F Secure SAFE among these three.</p>

<p>Additionally, the AV Test recommends that despite the cost internet users&nbsp;must use paid for anti virus software.</p>

<p>Virus designers, however, usually test their malicious code against the major antivirus&nbsp;types of malware, specifically ransomware, use polymorphic code to make it difficult to be detected by antivirus software.</p>

<p>BeSecureOnline are stockists of both Bitdefender and F Secure SAFE. License renewal is also available through BeSecureOnline.</p>

<h3>Tips for Internet Safety and Cybersecurity</h3>

<p>Besides using antivirus software to keep your computer safe and running smoothly, it is also always a good idea to be proactive:</p>

<ul>
<li>Make sure your web browser is updated to the latest version,</li>
<li>Use a <a href="http://www.pctools.com/firewall/"><span style="color: windowtext;">firewall</span></a>,</li>
<li>Only download programs from websites you trust and always surf the web using a standard user account, rather than your administrator one.</li>
<li><span>Scan specific files or directories for any malware or known malicious pattern. This is usually ease to find.</span></li>
<li>Set your to schedule scans to automatically run for you.</li>
<li>Remove any malicious code detected &ndash;sometimes you will be notified of an infection and asked if you want to clean the file, other programs will automatically do this behind the scenes.</li>
<li>Regularly&nbsp;check the &lsquo;health&rsquo; of your computer.</li>
</ul>

<h3>BeSecureOnline – Internet Saefty and Cyber Security Ireland and United Kingdom</h3>

<p>Knowledge is power and when it comes to Internet Safety and Cyber Security – being aware of the possible threats facing you online can help you to help prevent any encouters.</p>

<p>Our internet safety talks are available for schools and businesses. We speak directly to the different issues facing children and employees. Furthermore, we speak about productivity issues and how&nbsp;excessive screen time is negatively effecting mental and emotional wellbeing in both children and adults. We create a fun and enaging experience, sharing information in a way that it is easily understood and retained.</p>

<p>To book a safety talk for your school or business, please contact us.</p>