D1 (DONE)

With so many users on the internet (2.92 billion) you'd have to figure that not everyone is on the internet is there for recreational or business use, some people want to commit crimes by stealing information from other people online. These people can hack into bank accounts, social media, and even tap smartphones to view online services provided by phone manufacturers, such as apple's iMessage. To combat hackers users can download anti virus software. Examples include Norton, Avast and McAfee.

These programs are designed to protect a computer system from various threats that are received from the internet or from downloads. The programs put up a firewall as well as a search protection system that takes away the threats and tells the user what they've avoided by using the anti virus program. It is able to do this by connecting to the companies server via the internet and relaying information on which websites are harmful so that when the user types in the address it is blocked.  The software also actively scans files in the background and all this makes anti virus software one of the most important to own, which is why I chose to justify installing it.

Protection:

Obviously, the main reason anyone would download this type of program is to protect their computer from threats. This is because users normally have spent a fair amount on their new computer and it is a big investment, so as well as tech insurance they download anti virus. It also gives users peace of mind when surfing the net and no need to be weary about what they click on..

Peace of Mind:

As previously mentioned users will have peace of mind as soon as the anti virus software is installed they can browse unhindered. However, browsing is not always carefree because although this software is good, it's not perfect. This means that the software can have faults such as a coding error, with websites being made approximately 571 for every second you can't really blame these programs for not keeping up.

Scanning:

If a user feels that their computer is still being affected by a virus they can manually scan their computer for threats. Users can choose from various scans from quick 'shallow' scans aimed at certain parts if the computer or lengthy 'deep' scans that can make sure every file on the computer is secure. Files can also be manually scanned as soon as they are downloaded, if the user is prone to downloading lots of files then this would be a good option.

Price:

Users don't tend to skimp on price when it comes to protecting their belongings. This is because consumers are programmed to see high price as perceived quality, a 'you get what you pay for' mentality. Anti virus are normally renewed yearly and come at a high price. Of course there are cheaper alternative that do the job, but don't offer certain extras such as back up tools and hard drive clean up capabilities, which is why consumers pay more.

Storage:

As most anti virus software needs to be running non stop, it can take up a fair amount of memory on the computer and a large chunk of RAM to run. The amount of RAM needed could be a problem because some computers don't come with a large amount as standard. This has scope to slow down the computer considerably because it does not enough RAM to run effectively.

Internet Usage:

To be truly effective, the software needs a good sustainable internet connection at all times, this means keeping a computer system running so the software can detect new viruses from a company server. This means keeping a router/modem running 24/7. This generally won't be a problem for most computer users, but some people that buy anti virus software will be part of the older, potentially more cautious generation and turn power off when they are not using it, this could negative affect their computers ability to block viruses.

I will now recommend three different anti virus softwares for personal use, based on price and quality. I have chosen to compare Avast, McAfee and Norton, which all offer personal or business anti virus protection. I have chosen to compare the business aspects of their offers and these recommendations will be aimed at a business manager.




Avast:

Avast offer a business protection package called the Endpoint Protection Suite Plus. It comes with Email Server protection, File Server protection, Remote Management, Workstation Protection, a Firewall and Antispam as standard. I think all of these features are useful to the manager of a business because they know that their workforce is secure and free to do their job.  The firewall works by monitoring behavior outside of the LAN and white list safe applications so that the workers know which ones will not harm their computers. The remote management is the feature I think is most useful for a manager, because it saves endless amounts of time. Rather than walking to the workers office, they can simply see what they are doing from their office and offer corrections after. It requires microsoft operating systems as new as XP onwards as well as at least 256mb of RAM. It costs £939.80 to run on 20 devices for three years, which sounds hefty but depending on the size of the business, could save considerably more.

McAfee:

McAfee only offer protection to small business so would be an option if you were considerably large, which is a real negative as Avast offer to cover up to 200 devices on one system. This comes with Multi-Device protection, Mobile Security, Anti-Malware, 'Always on' Security, Anti-spam, Anti-Spyware, Safe Searching and a Desktop firewall. Again this package sounds pretty competent and would allow a workforce to carry out tasks freely, The two features that would be most useful to a manager are the Mutli Device Protection, as more and more businesses are using company phones rather than using personal mobiles. A workforce would expect their calls and texts to be in safe hands and could contain confidential information which could be disastrous if it got out, such as customer information or new projects which competitors could use. The other main feature I think is useful is the always on security, this would be beneficial for companies that have people working on night shift as they wouldn't be at risk and have the same protection as the day shift workforce. McAfee protection requires the user to have operating systems from Windows vista on wards BUT also offers protection for Mac OS X 10.8 on wards, this is a massive advantage that McAfee has over Avast because more and more businesses are using Macs, and are used in all creative businesses.There is no information for how much power is needed to operate but recommends a high speed internet connection. This package costs £649 on 20 devices for 3 years.

Norton:

Norton also offers a small business protection software but having been on the website if you need protection for more than 24 computers you can email Norton directly to speak to them, so there could be scope for more devices. Its feature include Malware and Virus protection, protection for all devices (similar to Multi Device), the ability to monitor all devices from one device and flexible protection for growing businesses. The two features I think differentiate this product from the rest are the monitoring capabilities, as you can monitor from a device such as a smart phone or any device with web access, which wasn't specified by Avast. This is better for business managers because they may have a fast lifestyle including meetings and sales pitches, so the ability to monitor all of the work force from their phone will be very useful. The other feature which I think is useful is the option to have more security as the business grows, this allows the manager to focus on expansion without having to worry about changing security software packages. This package requires the user to have microsoft's Windows XP and on wards or OS X 10.7 as a mac alternative. Again no amount of power has been stated but high speed internet is recommended. This package costs £959.97 for 20 devices on a three year contract.


For a business manager I would recommend Norton Security closely followed by McAfee. This is because it takes features from the other competitors such as monitoring capabilities and the ability to protect Apple devices. I feel that it is unique by having an expansion plan for when a business starts to get bigger, and for any entrepreneur this is the ultimate goal. The price tag is rather hefty, being the most expensive of the three, but I feel that you do get what you pay for and internet security should be priceless for a business. This type of program is worth upgrading and installing and I feel I have justified doing so.