Choosing the best security softwareFree security software
Free software can also help to protect your PC
You don’t necessarily need to spend money on an entire security software suite.
There are some excellent free security software tools available to download, such as AVG 8 Free, as well as some tools built into the Windows Vista operating system, such as Windows Defender.
You can get lots of free software by reading the Which? guide to free software, or find out how add-ons to web browsers can help protect your computer with our guide to downloading and installing Firefox add-ons.
Software manufacturers that offer free security software tools won’t give you an entire security software suite for download.
Typically, you’ll need to download and install separate antivirus, anti-spam, anti-spyware and firewall programs to make up your own ‘pick and mix’ security software suite.
Free security software problems?
This can make for a fragmented solution and means that you’ll have to ensure that each one is kept up to date.
Free security software programs can be downloaded from the internet. Most are pretty easy to use, but you’re unlikely to get the kind of support you’d receive with a paid-for security software suite. If you have problems, you may need to search the manufacturer’s support pages or other online forums for assistance.
Find out which security software performs the best in our reviews of security software suites and free security software.
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