Having an antivirus program on your computer is vitally important to keep from accidentally infecting your computer with viruses, Trojans, and other malware. These infections can not only harm your computer, but can also compromise the information stored on a computer. Many computers come with a free trial of an antivirus program that you are able to use for 30 or maybe even 90 days after purchasing your computer. The idea behind this is that the antivirus company hopes you will pay for access after your trial expires. This is not your only option; there are many other antivirus programs available, including two that are well reviewed and completely free.
AVG, which stands for Anti-Virus Guard, is a popular antivirus product by the Czechoslovakian software company Grisoft. The company offers several different versions of the program; the free version, and versions that offer different advantages for a fee. This helps Grisoft to meet the needs of many different types of customers. The free version of their program does not stop adware, but will help protect the user from viruses that can be found while browsing or checking e-mails. The program scans incoming and outgoing e-mails, attachments, and downloads. It will also give a warning if a website appears to be unsafe to browse.
Another one of the most popular free antivirus programs is Avast. This is a program that has been on the market since 1988. The program was introduced by Avast Software. Like AVG, Avast offers a free and a paid version of the product. Avast has all of the features found in AVG, but also monitors a few other aspects of computer security. Avast also protects users of peer-to-peer sharing programs. This is an aspect of security that will likely grow in the coming years as peer-to-peer sharing grows in popularity.