Best Free Anti-virus Software and Security Services

There are many good choices for paid anti-virus software. But not everyone needs or can afford the cost of paid anti-virus software since the vendors usually charge an annual fee to use their software. Here is a list of free, high-quality anti-virus software products that you can use and feel reasonably safe. In my experiences, they do not provide the robust protection of their pay-for-use cousins, but if your surfing is relatively safe, then they should be adequate.

We have also included a list of links to sites that offer free online scans. Generally these scans can detect viruses, trojans, and other types of malware, but it is not always that simple to remove the malware and viruses once they are on your machine. So, full-time, real-time protection is always advisable. These online scan/removal systems should be considered a backup measure to your normal real-time protection on your machine. When using this and all other online security products, please remember and be advised that the cleaning tools are not always comprehensive or even able to remove the viruses. And, since some anti-virus tools are more aggressive, double check any recommended removals using Google or other AV products before proceeding with any removals or deletions of files.

Finally, we have added some links to valuable sites and forums that test and rate anti-virus software, host forums for security discussion, and provide other valuable links and news reports relating to security.