Cyber threats are everywhere, and they are growing more and more common. With technology advancing in every way, all computer owners need to install a solid antivirus program to combat these threats.
Cyber threats are everywhere, and they are growing more and more common every day. With technology advancing in every way, all computer owners need to install a solid anti-virus program to combat these threats. Viruses can be contracted with ease, even from seemingly safe and professional internet pages. Hacks can happen that could result in information loss or even total failure of the hard drive, resulting in loss of the entire hard drive. This can be a huge pain and very problematic for the owner as well as very expensive. Ever evolving, the cyber threats of today change to fit the new world. They are smart, adaptable, and capable in ways consumers may not be completely aware. It is impossible to anticipate exactly what we are up against computer owners. Many people have careers predicting threats for a living. 
Thus, we as consumers couldn’t possibly know what we need to be aware of or what we need to do to stop these threats from impacting our technology. It is no longer enough to stay away from sites that appear shady or unprofessional. Not is it enough to trust big names on sites because some sites are able to replicate or impersonate other sites and thus steal information this way. All we can do as informed consumers are trust our technology to minds that are more informed than ours. By installing a program that is highly rated and reviewed for the purpose of protecting your device, you’re taking the largest step in the furthering of your computer’s and information’s safety. Plus, it is always wise to make good decisions online. By avoiding questionable sites and not downloading programs of which we are unsure, we can assist in the multi-step program of protecting our technology.
Options Are Available
Free antivirus programs are plentiful, thankfully. These can be downloaded at your convenience and work to keep your computer safe from threats. Obtaining your own free antivirus program should be your first move when getting a new computer as well. Viruses don’t care whatsoever if you just came home from the store with your beautiful, shiny new computer. This is often the time that viruses take hold as the computer is completely unprotected. It is very similar to purchasing a new car. Would you drive your new car without insurance? Of course not, you would need that before you even got in for your first drive. This is the same with anti-virus software. Before you even get started, choose a program and download it immediately. The options of free anti-virus software are incredibly varied. There are a number of companies who offer excellent choices with great track records that don’t require a single cent. These are all offered by different companies, thus the downloads can be slightly different. We will discuss the installation steps to download several top choices of antivirus software. We will look at Avast, AVG, and Avira, all free software for your use. By installing this software, browsing the internet, opening emails, and just using your computer, in general, can be done with a much more comfortable state of mind.
Avast
Avast offers great antivirus software. According to Avast’s website, it is one of the biggest companies in the world that provide security technology. Plus, according to the same site, it prevents over two billion cyber attacks from coming to fruition every single month. So, this is a program from which you could definitely benefit. This software is available for PC as well as Mac, which is very convenient. It also offers options for businesses, so this can be something to keep in mind if you have business needs as well. Installing this program is easy, let’s take a look at the steps necessary.
Step 1: Open your preferred internet browser and go to “avast.com” to begin. You can simply type “avast.com” into your URL bar. If you aren’t sure which bar this is, look at the top of your browser. You will see a long white bar which, if you click on it, will contain a site address or something that ends in a dot com. If you use Google, for example, it will be at the very top and read “Google.com.” This is the bar you want to input the new address into.
Step 2: Once on “avast.com,” go to Select “For home” from the top menu on the far left. It will be in black print with the site’s name and logo to the left of it. A drop-down menu will appear next.
Step 3: Select PC or Mac, depending upon your computer type from the menu on the far left of the drop-down box. The one you select will appear orange.
Step 4 (PC): If you selected PC, choose “Free Antivirus” from the drop-down menu that appears under the “Security” heading. It appears at the very bottom of the list with a small hollow shield beside it. Select “Free Antivirus” which will highlight in orange as you place your cursor over it. The next screen will show a photo of a picture of a few people and then an orange box in the middle of the screen with the words “FREE DOWNLOAD” within it. Click on the orange box.
Step 4 (Mac): If you selected Mac, choose “Security for Mac” which will be the only option under the “Security” heading of the drop-down menu. If you place your cursor over it, it will turn orange. Click on “Security for Mac.” The next screen will show a photo with an orange box in the middle of the screen that states, “DOWNLOAD FREE” in the hollow box with white writing. Click on this box.
Step 5 (PC): If you have a PC, the download will start in the bottom left of the browser window usually. You are probably familiar with downloads on your computer, but just in case you are new to it, go ahead and look there. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 5 (Mac): If you selected Mac, the download will start in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. It will “jump” into that box across the screen as to grab your attention. You can watch it load if you click on the box it jumped into. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 6: The installation wizard will come up at this point, on whatever system you are using as in either Mac or PC, which will guide you through the rest of the process with ease in step by step fashion. You may need to give the program permission to start downloading, which may require you to input your computer’s password. Then, you will make a variety of simple choices within the wizard. The end result will state that the download has been completed, and you are free to open the program and view all of the features it offers!
AVG
AVG is fantastic software as well. According to AVG’s site, their software is able to make sure that your computer doesn’t spread viruses to other computers that belong to people which whom you interact. Their site also highlights that this software is consistently turned on and makes sure it protects your computer all the time. It is also available for PC or Mac, and this company also creates software for businesses. AVG’s is also easy to install and can be done at any time to protect your computer from the worst.
Step 1: Open your preferred internet browser and go to “avg.com” to begin. You can simply type “avg.com” into your URL bar. If you aren’t sure which bar this is, look at the top of your browser. You will see a long white bar which, if you click on it, will contain a site address or something that ends in a dot com. If you use Google, for example, it will be at the very top and read “Google.com.” This is the bar you want to input the new address into.
Step 2: Select PC or Mac from the top menu bar, depending upon the type of computer you currently have. It should be sort of in the middle of the screen in black with a white background. Hovering over either will turn it green with a drop-down menu with a variety of options.
Step 3 (PC): If you have a PC, select “AVG Antivirus FREE” from the drop-down menu. It should be under the heading of “Protection” and be about four blocks down on the drop-down menu. It will turn gray as you hover over it and select it as your choice. The next screen will include a green box with the words “FREE Download” in the middle of it. It will turn slightly darker green as you hover over it.
Step 3 (Mac): If you have a Mac, you are going to click on “Mac” in the top menu which will turn green when you hover over it. Once you click on this, you will come to a whole new screen which will say “FREE Download” in a green box on the right-hand side of the screen. It will look slightly darker green as you hover over it.
Step 4 (PC): If you have a PC, the download will start in the bottom left of the browser window usually. You are probably familiar with downloads on your computer, but just in case you are new to it, go ahead and look there. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 4 (Mac): If you selected Mac, the download will start in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. It will “jump” into that box across the screen as to grab your attention. You can watch it load if you click on the box it jumped into. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 5: The installation wizard will come up at this point, on whatever system you are using as in either Mac or PC, which will guide you through the rest of the process with ease in step by step fashion. You may need to give the program permission to start downloading, which may require you to input your computer’s password. Then, you will make a variety of simple choices within the wizard. The end result will state that the download has been completed, and you are free to open the program and view all of the features this program includes!
Avira
Avira is a phenomenal software as well. According to their site, they use artificial intelligence as well as cloud technology and a system which anonymously analyzes potentially threatening files in the cloud to protect your computer from a variety of different threats. This is also offered to both PCs and Mac computers, which is very convenient. Avira also offers business protection as well.
Step 1: Open your preferred internet browser and go to “avira.com” to begin. You can simply type “avira.com” into your URL bar. If you aren’t sure which bar this is, look at the top of your browser. You will see a long white bar which, if you click on it, will contain a site address or something that ends in a dot com. If you use Google, for example, it will be at the very top and read “Google.com.” This is the bar you want to input the new address into.
Step 2: Select “Free” from the top menu. This should be written in black against a white background and appear in the middle of the screen with a little arrow beside it. It should yield a drop-down menu. Two options down should read “Antivirus.” You will hover over it and it will turn light gray as you do so, go ahead and click on this option.
Step 3 (PC): If you have a PC that runs Windows, select “Windows” from the menu that appears to the right of the “Antivirus” tab. This should take you to a new page. On a PC, a green bar will appear in the middle of the screen that will say “Free Download” within it.
Step 3 (Mac): If you have a Mac, select “Mac” from the menu that appears to the right of the “Antivirus” tab. This should take you to a new page. On a Mac, a green bar will appear to the left on the screen that will say “Free Download” within it.
Step 4 (PC): If you have a PC, the download will start in the bottom left of the browser window usually. You are probably familiar with downloads on your computer, but just in case you are new to it, go ahead and look there. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 4 (Mac): If you selected Mac, the download will start in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. It will “jump” into that box across the screen as to grab your attention. You can watch it load if you click on the box it jumped into. Click on the file once it has downloaded if the installation doesn’t start on its own.
Step 5: The installation wizard will come up at this point, on whatever system you are using as in either Mac or PC, which will guide you through the rest of the process with ease in step by step fashion. You may need to give the program permission to start downloading, which may require you to input your computer’s password. Then, you will make a variety of simple choices within the wizard. The end result will state that the download has been completed, and you are free to open the program and view all of the features this program includes!
Many Great Options
Being proactive in this technology-driven world is the best way to ensure that your data and computer are safe and sound. There are a huge variety of great options for free antivirus software available to consumers today which can be located with some easy internet browsing. The web abounds with reviews of software, and free antivirus software is no different. The software highlighted above are well rated and should do a great job of protecting your computer from viruses and other threats. With any of the above options, the installation is simple and straightforward. These company’s websites are extremely easy to use and consumer friendly as well. Plus, your computer does most of the work with new programs, making the installation steps easy with the built-in wizard. All you need to do is make sure you get your computer to the place where it can pick this up for you. So, you must basically choose the software you most prefer from the available options. You must then begin to initiate the download. Following, you have to give your computer permission to start downloading the program of your choice can begin to protect. Computers are very user-friendly at this point, making your life as easy as they can. However, as a result, they contain very valuable and important information that must be protected. All you have to do is assist them in maintaining their technological health to keep running for you and working for you.
