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newsletternewsletter 320
Norton Internet Security or FREE AVG? Norton Internet Security 2009 or FREE AVG?
If you don’t feel like reading the entire article, just go ahead and buy Norton Internet Security 2009. If you are a computer guru, you already know what you need to do. What is an internet security suite? An internet security suite offers you protection against both viruses and spyware. Many suites also include a firewall. In short, a virus is a program that maliciously takes over your computer and usually makes it unusable. The writer of a virus normally just wants to destroy your computer. Why? Because it’s fun or because they can. Spyware is a program that is placed on your computer without your permission with the intent of getting your personal information like your credit card numbers by directing you to web sites that you don’t want to go to. The intent of a spyware writer is to get money from you either by stealing your personal information or by enticing you to buy items from web sites. Viruses and spyware are bad. You don’t want to have them. A firewall is normally part of an internet security suite. The firewall prevents outsiders from finding and entering your computer from remote sites. Do I Need An Internet Security Suite? Anyone who goes on the internet or receives email definitely needs an internet security suite. If you visit CNN.com or Macys.com (for example), you are unlikely to get a virus. The more time you spend on the internet and reading emails, the higher the likelihood that your computer will be infected. If your computer is unprotected, you probably have a 100% chance of getting at least one infection within a three year period of time. I would recommend that every computer owner either use Symantec Internet Security 2009, FREE AVG, or some other internet security suite. Why Do So Many People Hate Norton Internet Security? Lots of people have had bad experiences with older versions of Norton. Older versions slowed down your computer and used too much of your computer resources. Is Norton Internet Security Suite 2009 The Best? In my opinion, Norton Internet Security Suite 2009 is the best and the one that you should place on your computer. I fully understand that some readers will throw rocks at me for making this claim. PC Magazine and PC World Magazine both rate Norton as the Best. AV Comparatives (a company that objectively rates security programs awards Norton an Advanced + rating (the highest rating possible). The 2009 version of Norton is faster than previous versions and uses resources that can slow down your computer. It is also less intrusive than previous versions (it is more automatic and asks you fewer questions). More people use Norton than any other product in this category. This means that Norton is a large company with the resources to spend the money required to keep improving their product. I’m Using Something Else...Should I Switch Today? ...and I’m not going to go there. If you have a friend or consultant that recommends a different security suite, you need to do what you think is best. It’s not always easy to switch. It’s not always easy to uninstall your old software and reinstall a new product (especially security suites). If you have something that works, you may want to stay with it. However, if you are not using anything and don’t know what to get, you know what I think. Is FREE AVG Really FREE? AVG is FREE. You can download it at the site listed below. AVG is extremely popular because it is FREE and it is very good. It gets a STANDARD rating from AV Comparatives. That means it is good, but far from perfect. How good is good? If I needed to place a number on it, I would say that AVG is 95% as good as Norton. It will prevent most viruses and spyware on your computer. It may miss some. I actually recommend it to lots of people who just don’t want to pay the $69.95 per year charged by Norton. I have to say that no one who I am aware of who has FREE AVG installed has received a virus or spyware. I’ve more or less installed 200 copies of Norton Internet Security and a 100 copies of AVG. Fortunately and to my knowledge, none of these users have been infected with a virus or spyware. You can download and use AVG FREE of charge. However, if you read the agreement that you click on, you should be aware that the FREE version is only FREE for home users. You are not permitted to use the FREE AVG in a business. Can you cheat? Sure you can. No one would be able to tell the difference. Personally, I never install the FREE AVG in a business. Norton Internet Security is FREE Too? Staples, Office Depot, Office Max and other retail stores often have Norton on sale for FREE. You pay $69.95 less a $5 instant rebate less a $40 mail in rebate less a $25 upgrade rebate. I buy these packages all the time. Just apply for the rebates and you will get them. Make sure you have a magnifying glass so you can read the small print. Are You Using an Older Internet Security Suite? You need to upgrade. If you are using Norton Internet Security Suite 2008 (or any other older package), you should always upgrade to the latest versions. Although your virus definitions may be up to date, it is important to have the latest version of the software. Many new viruses and spyware infections cannot be detected by older versions of your software. Make sure you have the 2009 version. Computer Resources. All security programs will slow down your computer slightly. If you have Windows XP, you will probably not notice a slowdown if you have 2 GBs of RAM. If you have 1 GB of RAM, you will notice a little slowdown. If you only have 512 MBs of RAM, good luck! If you have Vista, you should be using 2 GBs or more of RAM. More to Read. AV Comparative Reports at: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report22.pdf or http://www.av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/main-tests. PC Word Ratings at: http://www.pcworld.com/article/158157/top_internet_security_suites_paying_for_protection.html PC Magazine Ratings at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330018,00.asp Get FREE AVG at: |
Symantec
Internet Security 2009 and AVG are two of the most popular Internet
Security Suites available.
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