Free Antivirus Software for the Homesteader, or Whoever

Ok! Did you know that there are OVER one million viruses that can infect Microsoft Windows if a computer is left unprotected? Computer viruses can enter a computer in many different ways...while a person is visiting web sites, downloading games (and photos, ebooks, word documents, powerpoints, plugins, and updates) or ringtones or smiley faces or what-have-you, or in unsolicited email (spam) or in an e-mail from your favorite aunt who happens to have an infected computer! Viruses can damage a computer right away, or sit quietly for a while and activate later. They can also simply sit and record key strokes as you type, sending personal information and passwords to the writer of the virus. Viruses can also tell you that your computer is infected and you have to download a certain program to fix it! And the download is actually...a doozy of a virus. The list goes on and on, and prevention is the best key!

I have consulted with with my panel of computer experts (ok...it was only my teenage son) and these are the top three free online antivirus programs that he recommends. He asked me how many he could recommend before it was too many, and coming from him, that statement scared me. It was probably a big number, and that would be A LOT of typing! So...I decided to limit him to three.

#1 Avast This is the one he has loaded on my computer, and I haven't gotten any viruses, so...it works!

#2 Comodo Antivirus 5

#3 Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Ok...just click on the blue highlighted word and it will bring you to that antivirus website where you can download the software. ( You do realize it was my son who managed to do the spiffy blue word hot link thing...I would have just cut and pasted the URL) With all of these sites, there are downloadable anti-virus software that you can pay for, but if you want the free version, click on that instead. The one that costs money is better, but the free version will give you pretty good protection. Now...things can change as time marches on, and I am saying that this info is current as of today, October 28, 2011.