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Why do I need Antivirus Software?

If you are using your computer on a regular basis then it's a good idea to get some sort of antivirus software installed. You might be writing the next great Canadian novel, or you've developed a fantastic library of zucchini recipes that you're fond of, or you're keeping the financial records for your dog-walking business. Reasons for computer usage are as varied as the individuals using their computers. At any rate, you've got information on there that is important to you, and you don't want to lose it.

Viruses are a major cause of information loss. They range from a minor annoyance, to a major headache. The most vicious ones can completely wipe out your hard drive. You need to defend your computer against them.

Your first line of defense is good antivirus software. There are a lot of good programs out there, so I'm not going to recommend one over any others. Find one that does the job you want it to do, and install it.

Once you've got it installed, run it on a regular basis. How regularly you run it depends on how much time you spend on your computer. Power users might want to run their virus protection programs on a weekly basis. Other users may feel they only need to run it once every couple of weeks, or once a month. But the important thing is that you run it!

The other thing you should do is keep your antivirus software current. There were approximately 200 new viruses released every month in 2004. There are more now. You need to be able to protect yourself against all of them. Some antivirus programs require you to go to the manufacturer's site and download new virus definitions at the very least once a month. If you hear of a virus that is suddenly attacking a lot of computers at once, you might want to download the new definition immediately.  Other antivirus programs will download new definitions automatically.

My Computer's Got a Virus! What Do I Do?

Okay, so your antivirus software caught one. If it's a known virus, most antivirus software should be able to zap it from your system. However you might have to go to the software vendor's website for further instructions on manually removing the virus. If you can, print out the instructions and then follow them to the letter.

Subscription fees

A subscription fee is a necessary evil if you want to keep your computer safe. Every single day there are hundreds of new viruses being created. Antivirus manufacturers are forced to keep teams of people researching the new viruses and coming up with warnings and ways of removing the viruses from your system. It's a constant battle.

If antivirus companies just relied on the retail price you pay for the software on your computer, they would go out of business in a hurry. (And of course, the retail price is actually way more than what they make on their software.) Basically they wouldn't be generating enough income to pay their teams of programmers to come up with new virus definitions and solutions.

So they have to charge a subscription fee to their users so that they can make sure their users have the most up-to-date protection available. And actually, it's a small price to pay for your peace of mind and the safety of your computer.

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Page last updated January 26, 2008