Factors to Consider When Buying New Threat Detection Software
It is not uncommon for someone to continue to use the same threat detection or anti-virus software that they initially installed on their computer. However, if you have just purchased a new computer, now is a great time to learn about all the new software that has hit the market since the last time you shopped for this product. As you look to purchase new software, there are many factors you want to consider. What is ideal software for many not be great for another person. Here are a few important factors to keep in mind as you shop for new threat detection software.
How Many Devices Can Be Covered
One important factor to consider as you shop for threat detection software is how many devices the software you purchase can be installed on. Some software allows you only to download it to one device, while others allow you multiple or unlimited uses. While you may think you only need to protect the new computer you purchased, threat detection software can and should be downloaded on your desktop computers, laptops, tablets and even cell phones. Count the number of devices you currently have in your household and consider the number of any of these devices you plan on purchasing in the near future to determine how many devices you need your threat detection software to cover.
What Threats the Software Targets
There are many different threats that different threat detection software protects against. The majority of threat detection software protects against you downloading or picking up viruses and malware. However, some of the newer software available takes threat detection even further. Advanced malware protection, next-generation firewalls, and advanced threat protection all are designed to detect threats and potential malware before it has been labeled as such. Unfortunately, many anti-virus software programs are unaware of threats until they are reported, which can leave you vulnerable. These newer types of software use IP logs, collected data and client applications to anticipate and guard against threats before they are labeled as such, helping to keep you protected. Looking for threat detection software that uses some of this technology can help you stay a step ahead of those looking to infect your computer and/or steal your personal data.
How Easy or Hard the Software Is to Use
As you look at different threat detection software, it is important to read reviews of the software. Some software is geared toward those who are extremely computer-proficient, while other software is geared more towards the casual user. The reason this is important is because if you buy a complicated software and you aren't tech-savvy, you may struggle to install, use and update the software. This can be frustrating for you and may result in you failing to properly install or use the software, limiting its capabilities. As you read reviews of the software, pay attention to any reviews that talk about how complicated or challenging the software is to use or whether people rave about it being easy to use. This will clue you in on the usability of the software for the average computer user.
How Often the Software Updates
The last factor you want to consider when shopping for threat detection software is how often the software updates. Ideally, you want the software to update frequently. These updates help to block threats that weren't identified during the last update. Some software updates daily, while other software may prompt you to update weekly. There are pros and cons to updating daily versus weekly. Updating daily does take a small amount of time each day, but you know you are protected against the latest threats. If you update weekly, you are only interrupted once a week while the software is updating. However, there may be viruses or malware that you aren't protected against during that week. Weigh the pros and cons to find a software that updates as often as you would prefer.
Threat detection software helps prevent malware from infecting your computer and people from stealing your personal data. As such, it is extremely important that your software feature the latest technology in detecting these problems. If you are shopping for new software, pay attention to how many devices you can download the software on, what threats are targeted, how easy it is to use and how often it is updated. This will help you find the threat detection software that bests protects your devices from threats.
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