I'm expired....?

Question

my norton antivirus is due to expire soon, is there any free security i can get?

Answer 1

I renewed mine, for a year it's only 60 bucks. I wasn't sure what to trust and what not to, so I just went with what I already had.

Answer 2

I have used AVG Anti Virus, Zone Alarm Firewall, Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware both spyware killers for years. They are all free for personal use and I have had no trouble with Viruses Trojans etc. AVG does not slow the system down as much as some other products and Zone Alarm allows a lot of personal configuration unlike the Windows Firewall. They can all be downloaded from the following link. http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ On the home page select downloads and then the appropriate category.I also use Windows Defender from the Microsoft site. It is safe to use two anti-spy products but never use more than one A/V as it can cause conflicts. Don't forget to uninstall Norton before installing AVG. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

The free security programs I can find online are enough.

The simple answer to that myth is this. You get what you pay for. When businesses and government agencies are spending millions on securing their computers, why would you ever think that a free security program would do an adequate job of protecting your computer? "Free" feels good to the wallet, until your privacy and security have been breached and your identity has been stolen. And free security programs are only limited versions or evaluation copies of the software. If you want real protection, you are going to have to pay for it.

Free security programs downloaded from the Internet do not provide you any support at all. They can't afford to help you. Instead, they will sell you their professional version and then offer you support. Would you be comfortable with "free" medical care from a doctor you've never met? Or "free" work done on your car by an unknown mechanic? Or would you trust free tax preparation services by someone you just met on the street? Of course not. So don't get lured into thinking that the free security programs you can find online are the best and most effective security programs you can find.
Off-the-shelf anti-virus and a firewall is all I need.

The reality is that anti-virus and firewall programs alone are not enough to protect you against many types of hacker tools and other cyber-attacks. Even using both a firewall and anti-virus together, you are still vulnerable to spyware, Trojan horses, remote access tools (RATs), password crackers, keystroke loggers, and much more.

Just as important, anti-virus and firewall programs do not provide you with critical security patches for your computer software. Microsoft issued thousands of security patches to their operating systems and other software last year. How many of those patches did you apply to your own computer? How many software security holes do you still have in your Windows operating system, Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, etc? Closing these well-known security holes is imperative to keep hackers and the new hybrid worms off your computer.

You need more than just your anti-virus program or a firewall; you need a comprehensive security solution for your PC if you don't want hackers, viruses and worms on your system invading your privacy.

And if you ever have a security problem with your PC, who would you call? You will pay a small fortune to get help from any of the cheap off-the-shelf security programs. Those products are not made to provide a total solution, rather just a piece of a good overall protection strategy.

Without professional grade, complete security like INVISUS - chances are good that you will become a victim of a cyber-attack. You may have already been hacked and you would never know it! Don't make the mistake of thinking popular retail security programs are enough.

How much is all the time and money you've put into your computer worth to you? How important or valuable is the information on your computer? Would you really trust your privacy and security to a $40 security product?

Answer 4

Windows Defender from Microsoft
AVG Free
BitDefender 8 Free Edition
Avast! 4 Home Edition

Answer 5

You can go to download.com and see if there are some free antivirus programs but i would really recomend spending forty dollars on Norton. It's worth it. You will thank yourself for spending the money when you get a virus. Norton is the best. Those freeware antivirus programs are limited in their functionality. In the long run forty dollars is nothing compared to what you would have to pay someone to recover your computer from a bad virus infection.

Answer 6

Norton is hard to uninstall even with the Norton tools so go into the program files to rip it out but also Norton is free with BT broadband although you will still have to uninstall you Norton to put the BT norton in.

Answer 7

AVG from Grisoft. I had Norton and it expired and it was the happiest day of my life! AVG runs a lot faster and it's free. Doesn't take up as much computer either.
free.grisoft.com/

Answer 8

Don't renew the Norton, it sucks. Try a couple of others till you find one you are comfortable with. I am always used McAfee ( right back to the days of CyberMedia ) without problem. I am currently using McAfee Internet Suite.

Answer 9

I see the AVG fanboys and cheerleaders are out in full force again here on Yahoo Answers!

AVG by Grisoft is definitely NOT "The Best". Unfortunately one of the things it is not the best at, is doing what is is supposed to do, detecting viruses!

In short, AVG is crap!

In test,
http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82
after test,
http://www.av-comparatives.org/
after test,
http://antivirus.about.com/od/antivirussoftwarereviews/gr/avgfree.htm
after test ,
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=891307&postcount=1,
after test,
http://www.pcworld.com/article/124475-1/article.html ,
etc. etc. etc, ad nauseam. AVG has proven itself to be a mediocre performer at best. Absolutely crappy at worst. Missing almost 20%, when trying to detect known malware, in some tests. Not to mention almost non-existent heuristic detection and infrequent "once-a day" updates.

AVG = Average, at best!

There are much better free alternatives, such as Avast, Active Virus Shield, and Avria Anti-Vir.

I like best the AOL Active Virus Shield. Don't let the name AOL fool you. Active Virus Shield is made by Kaspersky which is one of top-rated anti-virus vendors in the world.

In recent tests, the most popular free anti-virus, AVG, was only able to detect about 82% of a very large sample of viruses. On the other hand, Active Virus Shield was able to detect better than 99% in the same test.
http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82

Active Virus Shield has excellent virus detection rates and is extremely light on using your computer resources. (6mb)

And it updates 15 to 20 times a day with new virus definitions, 7 days a week.

Free to anyone, AOL member or not from:
http://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/index.adp?

Answer 10

Some BTBroadband services have it as a feature though you may have to pay for a higher grade service than you currently get.

I always found renewal online to be a pain.