Choosing a computer security program these days can be a daunting task.
More than 20 companies offer security software, and each has multiple versions of its software. Depending on features, the programs can range in price from free to $70 or more.
Meanwhile, you may have heard that Microsoft has been battening down Windows, making its operating system and related programs more secure. That may lead you to wonder whether you should even bother with security software anymore, especially if you have to pay for it.
I’m not a computer security expert, and I’m not going to pretend to know which security program is best. But I have a lot of experience with computers and have talked to many bona fide security experts. From that perspective, I can say without a doubt that it’s still important — perhaps now more than ever — to run software to protect your computer from malicious programs.
Malware continues to multiply. While Microsoft and other software makers have closed a lot of holes in Windows and other popular programs, new ones are discovered all the time. And the bad guys who exploit such vulnerabilities are endlessly inventive, always finding new ways to break into computers when older routes have been shut off.
Threats can come from a variety of sources, including files stored on USB drives, e-mail attachments and links that seem to come from friends or companies with which you’ve done business. And Web pages and ads — even those found on reputable Web sites — can have malicious code buried within them.
If you don’t protect your computer with security software, you run the risk of losing important files, having your personal information compromised or seeing your computer bogged down by malicious programs. Worse, your computer could be turned into a digital Typhoid…