In 1990, Sir Tim Berner’s Lee and his team at CERN’s lab created the World Wide Web. The reason for creating the internet was to allow people from across the world to communicate much faster and cheaper.
Problem is, as the internet grew in terms of technology, people with malicious intentions are using the platform to steal data not only from people but companies too. To steal information, such people use malware, trojans, and viruses.
To protect users against malware, trojans, and viruses, software companies created antivirus software. While these solutions have helped to protect PCs, laptops and mobile devices, there comes a time when you need to change your antivirus.
Want to know why?
Here are 5 signs that you need to change the antivirus on Windows.
1. Antivirus is slowing your PC
When you install an antivirus software on your computer, it works in the background so as to protect your PC from active threats. As a background service, it scans your files and hard drives while in search of any malicious program or software.
If any is detected, the antivirus software will sandbox the threat. As a result, your files and PC will be protected. Since the antivirus must run as a background service, it may slow down your PC or device.
As said earlier, as technology advances, so do softwares. This means your new software will come with added features in order to detect and sandbox any threat. As a result, the software will not only be larger in size but it will require more RAM to run efficiently. This means other active programs will be denied this precious resource and so, your PC will be slow. To improve your PC performance, download an antivirus software that requires minimal RAM.
2. Bloated software
A vast majority of antivirus companies offer both free and subscription-based software. With the free edition, you will find that it has all the features you need and it will protect your PC well. Problem is, it comes at a price.
Free antivirus software come bloated with adware. This allows ad networks and the antivirus company to publish and present ads to you. These ads appear as pop-ups and they can be quite annoying.
Apart from adware, the antivirus software may come with additional software that you don’t need. For instance, a web browser which they claim is much secure and will protect you against online threats. If you still want to enjoy the protection offered by free antivirus software, then choose a solution that is not bloated.
3. Antivirus is tracking your browsing activity
In the wake of privacy-related issues, security experts have revealed that online services and software are tracking the browsing habits of their users. Put simply, the software logs all websites you have visited and sends the data to servers where it’s assigned a unique ID and stored. This data is then used to curate targeted ads just for you.
Here is how it happens. When you install modern antivirus solutions, they will have an add-on which they will request you to install. The add-ons start working when you open your internet browser to browse the internet.
To identify such software, read online reviews before installing. This will ensure your data is protected.
4. Limited or no support
There are several reasons why a company may fail. Some of them include poor product, lack of market for the product, business model failure or poor management. If an antivirus software company fails, it means their antivirus software will no longer be supported.
As a result, no future updates are available for the software. This also means the virus database which protects you against threats will have no updates. So, your PC or laptop will be unprotected and vulnerable to threats such as malware, trojans, and viruses.
If this happens, it’s best to uninstall the software and search for another.
5. The trial period is over
A vast majority of antivirus software companies offer a Pro version which is essentially the paid version. To entice users into buying the Pro version, the antivirus software company offers a30 daytrial period.
This means, before you download the trial software, you must sign up for an account. Once your account is active, download the Pro (trial) version and install in your device. You must activate the trial period. To do so, use the key sent to your email.
Once the trial version is active, your computer is protected. As a result, you don’t have to fear malware, trojans, and viruses infecting your computer. Problem is the trial period will end.
Since the antivirus is not going to protect your PC or laptop after the trial period is over, you must uninstall it.
Final Thoughts
As a PC user, it is wise to take your time and research for the best antivirus for windows 7 solution for your device. To get started, read online reviews. These reviews are written by experts and customers and so, you are going to learn more about the software features and its capability.
Using this information, you can now make an informed decision. Remember, if you don’t want to use third-party antivirus software anymore, upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to Linux.
