Internet Security For Windows 8
Windows is a much more secure operating system than it used to be. This is due partly to Microsoft’s efforts and partly to the decreased number of security vulnerabilities for Microsoft software. (The National Vulnerability Database found 244 vulnerabilities for Microsoft in 2011 and only 169 in 2012.) You may have seen Microsoft’s recent decision to pay a security research $100,000 for discovering a bug in Windows 8.1. Windows 8 is looking much more secure than Windows 7 any way you slice it. All that being said, it’s still a good idea for Windows 8 users to spring for some internet security software. A quality security suite will:
- stop phising & spam
- protect you from 0day exploits, trojans, spyware, malware and viruses
- secure your online banking transactions
- protect you from unsafe websites
- and many more things
Top 3 Internet Security Picks for Windows 8
1) Kaspersky Internet Security 2014
Kaspersky’s Internet Security 2014 is a quality software that made the effort to integrate with the new features of Windows 8. Kasperky’s Internet Security and Antivirus softwares both support the remidiation feature for Windows 8. This means they can scan applications to see if they are infected. And if they are, Kaspersky will remove and flag the infected application and replace it with a clean copy from the Windows store. Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 is also integrated with the Microsoft Security Center (MSC). This means you can do things like updating your virus database, activate and deactivate Kaspersky all from the MSC. Finally Kaspersky Internet Security is integrated with Microsoft’s new ELAM (early launch anti malware) technology. Have you ever had a pesky virus that wouldn’t go away not matter what software you used to try and remove it? Certain types of malware launch themselves as your computer boots up and therefore evade detection. Kaspersky Internet Security launches before other programs and blocks malware like rootkits that would launch on the boot on your computer.
2) Bitdefender Windows 8 Security
Bitdefender security software is consistently ranked highly by sites like cnet and toptenreviews as well as the by the independent lab av-test. Bitdefender tailored their security software for the new windows OS. Their attention to detail and integration makes Bitdefender Windows 8 Security one of the best internet security suites for win8 users. Bitdefender Windows 8 Security is a bit more expensive that Kaspersky Internet Security (74.95 vs 49.95).
3) Avast Internet Security 2014
Avast has the cheapest option for Internet Security on Windows 8 at 39.99. Avast Internet Security 2014 protects against phishing attacks and scam emails. It also has a strong firewall to protect you from hackers as well as a “sandbox” mode you can use to run shady files safely without infecting your computer. The last thing worth mentioning about avast is their large database of malware definitions. Their “avast! CommunityIQ” stores malware definitions from millions of customers in the cloud so they can quickly and easily identify any infection you may have on your computer.