Why you need paid Anti-virus

We understand that there are many anti-virus products available and knowing whether you’ve purchased a reliable, sufficient package is important. This is especially crucial with us all using the internet daily and most of us now doing our shopping and banking online.

At Nexus we regularly have customers bring their infected computers into us to be cleaned and to carry out a virus removal. In our experience we have noticed that most infected machines have anti-virus software installed – McAfee, Norton and Avast just to name a few! You may find this rather surprising however although you have more than likely heard of these brands it definitely does not mean that they offer the best protection – viruses and malware seem to slip through the net.
We have been recommending AVG to our customers since 2009 as we feel it offers great coverage and the software is user friendly.
We have put together a list showing the comparison between paid vs free AVG:
AVG Free edition:

• Anti-virus blocks viruses, spyware and other malware
• Link Protection scans web, Twitter and Facebook links

AVG Internet Security (full version):

• Anti-virus blocks viruses, spyware and other malware
• Link Protection –  make your social networks safer
• Online Shield – protects you from harmful downloads
• Data Safe – encrypts and password protects private files
• Anti-Spam – keep your inbox free of spam and scams
• Shopping Protection – shop and bank safer with enhanced Firewall
• Surf and search knowing you are fully protected
• Download and share files risk free
• Chat, email and send instant messages safely

As you can see from the above there are lots of additional benefits with paid protection.

Your computer can become infected and catch a virus in many different ways. Typically from an online download, through a website or from opening up a suspicious email or email attachment. Remember to take extra caution when browsing online, especially if you’re using an unfamiliar or third party website as they can contain viruses.
Signs that your computer may have a virus:

– Lots of pop-ups
– Computer running slowly and acting sluggish
– An on-screen message (which is usually difficult to remove) advising that your machine is infected. Also be aware they often provide a telephone number or details asking you to contact them and pay an amount to fix (this is a hoax!)

If you think you may have a virus or perhaps you just want your computer checked do not hesitate to get it looked at quickly as viruses and malware can worsen over time, leading to further damage.

Nexus recommends AVG Internet Security for your PC or laptop. It helps prevent you from getting viruses and gives you defence and security. We charge £35 + VAT to supply an AVG licence (1 Year, 1 PC) for your computer. We have the ability to do this remotely or alternatively you can drop off your computer to us to have the protection installed. Contact us now on 01753 884700 if you wish to arrange this.
If you have an Apple Mac and think you’re exempt this certainly isn’t the case. We have also encountered infected Apple Macs, which is why we advise Kaspersky Internet Security (£35 + VAT for a 1 year 1 user licence) to help keep you safe when using your Mac.
Having the protection installed will give you the confidence and peace of mind when using your computer as the software will alert you should anything suspicious be found!