There is no doubt that security is a fundamental factor in making our devices and systems work well. To achieve this, it is necessary to use programs that protect us. In this article we are going to talk about why they are important, what to consider when installing security software and also what types there are. We will see that there are multiple tools to prevent hackers from infecting systems.
Why use security software?
There are many viruses and malware in general on the Internet. We can get infected simply by opening an email attachment, clicking on a malicious link, or installing a program that we accidentally downloaded from the wrong place. This is going to cause our systems to be compromised.
Cybercriminals have the ability to steal passwords, personal data, or cause a device to malfunction simply by sneaking in malware. In addition, there are viruses for all types of systems. You can suffer attacks on your computer, mobile, as well as on any operating system you have installed.
For all these reasons, it is essential to have security programs . A good antivirus, for example, will help detect malicious software and prevent it from compromising our personal information. But it is not enough to install just any, but we must choose well so that we are really protected.
How to choose them
We are going to show a series of important points that you should keep in mind whenever you are going to install a security program. It is important that you choose them well, because if you install an application that is not good, it will not really protect you and you will not gain anything. You may even end up installing software that is more of a threat than protecting.
Always official sources
The first thing you should consider is where to install the security programs from. Our advice is that you use only official sources . You can go to the website of the program you are going to install or use reliable application stores, such as Google Play or the Microsoft Store.
You should avoid installing applications from sources that are not trustworthy, such as third-party sites, pages that arrive by email without really knowing the source, pop-up ads that appear when browsing, etc. In these cases you could be facing a fraud attempt and your personal data could be compromised.
Search previous information
It is a good idea to look for information beforehand. Once you select a security program, you can look on the Internet what other users think of that application. You can see evaluations, possible errors that it has, experiences in detecting viruses… All this will help you choose.
Also, if you go to specialized pages you can see complete analyzes where they test an antivirus, for example. You will see how it acts when it is necessary to detect an antivirus and verify that it will really serve what you expect and your data will always be safe from threats.
Check that they work well
But it is not enough to install it and leave it there without more. To choose a good security program you must also check that it really works well. Otherwise, if in the future some type of virus enters your computer and it is not active or does not work correctly, your security could be compromised.
Therefore, when you install a security application, it is important that you check that it is working properly , that it is active and that it is protecting you. If, for example, it is an antivirus that should be constantly running, confirm it.
Programs with frequent updates
Whenever you install a security program you should check that it is up to date . This is important, since in this way you can have the latest news, improve performance and also correct possible vulnerabilities that may exist and that could be exploited by a virus or malware.
Now, how often do they receive updates? In cybersecurity everything is constantly changing. It is essential to use applications adapted to changes and if they receive updates frequently it will be very interesting. This way you will avoid problems and always have a program in perfect condition.
Reduced consumption
Does it consume a lot of system resources ? This point can be essential especially if you use more limited equipment. It may run out of RAM or consume too much processor and that makes the system not work well or even other programs can’t work normally.
Before installing an antivirus or any security tool, you can find out how much it consumes and if your computer supports it well. In addition, you can always install it and test it yourself and if you see that it doesn’t work well, look for another one that consumes fewer resources and everything runs more smoothly.
What kind of security apps to use
You will find different types of programs to protect your equipment. Each of them can act against different attacks. Some can block insecure connections, others detect viruses, others take more care of adware… Can you have more than one security program? The truth is that yes, although you should always keep in mind that they work well and are good.
Antivirus
The first option, the type of program that we usually use the most, is an antivirus. Its mission is to analyze files that we have in the system, programs that we download or any document that is sent to us by mail. It will compare them with a database and, if it detects that it is a threat, it will launch a warning notice.
Antivirus there are many, both free and paid. A very useful one that also comes with Windows systems is Microsoft Defender. However, you can use others like Avast or Bitdefender, which also work very well. There are for all kinds of operating systems and devices.
Firewall
Another very common option is that of a firewall or firewalls . In this case, it allows blocking or not connections. For example, you can make an installed program have access to the Internet or not. It is also very useful to save data, although in this case what interests us is to improve security.
Some like TinyWall or ZoneAlarm are very useful for Windows. Also Microsoft’s own, which we can configure according to our interests and help improve security when we surf the net.
Anti-spyware
Antispyware is mainly responsible for detecting software specifically designed to steal data, spy on us, steal passwords… For example, it can detect a keylogger, which is a type of malware that records all keystrokes and is thus capable of stealing passwords. access we put.
You should keep in mind that some antiviruses also include antispyware, but not all of them. There are also specific ones, so they can be compatible with other security programs such as Microsoft Defender without problems.
Security extensions
One more option to have security software are the plugins that you can install for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and other browsers. They are extensions that help protect the user when browsing the Internet, downloading a file or even when opening a link that arrives by mail.
There are many extensions available, but our advice is to download them from the browser’s official store. There you will find information about that software, ratings from other users, etc. Some like HTTPS Everywhere or Privacy Badget are widely used and useful to be protected.
In short, as you can see, it is important to choose the security programs that you are going to install very well. The goal is to ensure that systems are fully protected and not to install software that could become a problem. There are many options available on the net, depending on the use you need.
