Looking at the current computing landscape and the one to
come, where cybersecurity will be, I dare say, in the most important sector of
the technological world, an antivirus that protects
us from different types of attacks becomes necessary.
The use of different types of devices also forces us to
protect not only the computer, but also the smartphone, tablet, laptop and
even, as you will see, connected smart devices (televisions and IoT devices).
All this will make the annual investment necessary to
protect all the devices, if we have to pay licenses for each of the devices, it
can become quite important.
At this point we can assess the installation of free
solutions to reduce that budget, since almost all Antivirus companies make
available free and paid versions at the same time.
So the question arises, why are we going to pay for an
antivirus when I can have it and use it for free? Do the free and paid versions
work the same?
The answer is not just one, and it will always depend on
the use we make of the device and the needs that we will seek that the Antivirus covers.
The most important thing is to understand the environment
and the way (or prudence) in which we use the devices.
Based
On This We Can Find Three Possible Situations:
Home
use:
In this scenario, our recommendation is to look at the importance we give to
the content of the device and what we expect from the antivirus. If all we
want is to protect ourselves from known threats, we can use a free antivirus. For
example, Windows Defender, an antivirus that comes integrated with the Windows
operating system and that is highly regarded within the variety of free
antivirus. Professional use: In work
environments where there are a variety of users, devices and locations, where
system administrators need a global vision of what is happening on the network
and where it is very important that 100% of the systems are protected, a free
version will not be enough since the antivirus must be equipped with additional
systems for both monitoring and protection to prevent problems from a single
system from spreading to the rest. A note for those of you who have been in
computing for many years, Antivirus was a constant disappointment during a dark
time. We all suffer from it and today, a bad image that is not real continues
to be maintained. Currently,
Mixed:
Working both at home and in the office with the same device is the most common.
This makes the choice for this type of scenario easy. We will choose the most
comprehensive antivirus possible, and that would NOT be provided by any free
antivirus.
But
And What Differences Can We Find Between Them?
Normally, in free antivirus, there is
no Technical Support included. As an exception, note that the free version of antivirus
does include 24/7 technical support, but with additional costs per call. In the
paid versions we will have greater support coverage. Usually included with
subscription.
The protection index is higher in those of payment. The
protections against unknown viruses (so-called Zero day) and Ransomware are
more robust and the solutions are applied more quickly.
As additional modules, paid antivirus usually
also include: Control of connected devices (USB sticks, Bluetooth, etc.),
Internet browsing control (blocking of pages according to their content),
parental control, control of critical data protection (according to the new
Data Protection Regulation), control of patches applicable to the equipment,
password manager, etc.
Historically, antiviruses have always lagged behind
viruses. We always trusted that someone would happen before us and then we
would be protected just by updating the signature file, a method in which the
antivirus developer indicated new threats to it.
Today this panorama has changed. The number of threats is
approaching infinity and this mode of operation is not bearable for much
longer.
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