Anti-Virus is worth having on any computer that visits the Internet
Anti-virus software has become as common of a need as an operating system. This is the case when someone is willing to delve into the depths of the Internet and see the vast knowledge base that is there. As with anything, there are some things out there that are not good for you and the tool that you are using to search for the information.
The first and most feared of all is the virus. These are programs that can do a large number of bad things to a computer and also to the information that is on the computer itself. There have even been some viruses that have been designed to damage the hardware that is in the computer. This may seem as a stretch to the average user, yet is the truth.
Some people will commit to paid software that will seek out the viruses and destroy them. These are only good if they have updates. In many cases the person can get programs that are called shareware that can do the job just as good as the paid programs that can be bought over the Internet or in stores.
These shareware (or freeware) programs are normally free for those that are using them and usually only ask for a donation if the person is willing to give to the cause. This is actually a good cause as these programs have a strong support base that is global in influence. This is mainly due to the preference of the people that have had to deal with a number of viruses and have no interest in hoping that a commercial program will be up to date enough to address these viruses before they cause damage on other computers.
These updates are usually files that are created by programmers that have found the viruses or have had them given to them so that they could crack and disable them. This is where the greater minds can help those that have less knowledge in this field and can benefit for the specialization of others. This is where giving to the cause is good.
Many of the commercial programs and shareware programs usually come with a companion program or a part of the application that can be running during the course of the use of the computer. These resident applications are usually called firewalls or shields. These applications are a good tool in preventing the intrusion of viruses and in many cases spyware as well. The drawback with many of these firewalls is that they use a good amount of RAM and can cause some slowing in the use of the Internet.