How to choose good anti-virus software

While that might be the stuff of science fiction, many of us have had devices that have been killed or rendered temporarily incapacitated due to attacks by viruses or other malicious programs. And as anyone who has ever possessed a desktop, laptop or mobile device that has fallen victim to a virus or malware will be able to attest, apart from the frustration it causes, it can also be crippling and costly.

This is why individuals and companies should invest in anti-virus software for their computers. However, you should not be misled by the fact that it is called "anti-virus" software. A good anti-virus product is far more encompassing than that, protecting users against a multitude of threats, such as Trojans, rootkits, spyware, worms, adware and an array of malware.

How do you choose?

These days, there are almost as many anti-virus products on the market as there are malicious programs. Security companies also regularly update their products with enhancements and additional features. So how should consumers and companies go about choosing the correct one?

Identify what your most pressing needs are. Look for an anti-virus solution that is rounded out with web content filtering, application and device control.

One such solution is G Data, which is published and promoted locally by Intact Security via Syntech SA. G Data's range of software focuses both on the consumer market as well as on companies with its business suites.

Tops in PC World review

According to a round-up review that was conducted by consumer technology magazine PC World in conjunction with AV-Test, a well-respected anti-virus software testing lab, in which the performances of various anti-virus programs were tested, G Data emerged tops, ranking best among several different paid anti-virus programs.

AV-Test found that G Data Internet Security provided the best protection against known malware with an impressive 99.99 percent detection rate. At the same time, it had minimal impact on PC performance.

I'm not surprised by G Data's excellent score. Intact Security decided to add G Data's range of products to its portfolio and to become the only authorised provider of G Data consumer and corporate solutions in the South African market, because we identified a gap in the market for a specific anti-virus software solution, which was filled perfectly by G Data's products.

G Data Internet Security is backed by the brand's dual-engine anti-virus technology, which regularly scores top marks for its brilliant malware detection rates during independent testing. Considering how rapidly malware threats are growing around the world, this feature is of vital importance.