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The importance of anti-virus software

Arguably it was the launch of Microsoft's Windows 95 almost twenty years ago that brought the Internet truly into the public domain. Whilst it certainly existed before then, it was mainly a tool used by academics to share information on an international level and was troubled by relatively slow speeds and a non-graphical interface suited to large texts and educational papers.

The development of the graphical internet browser brought a whole new aspect to the experience, allowing for a wider range of visual media to be utilised. Initially Microsoft's 'Internet Explorer' dominated the market, due mainly to the incredible popularity of the Windows operating system, but since then many competitors have emerged. Now, your choice of interface is much more personal. Names such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera Software all vie for a position on our desktops, smartphones and tablets.

Online threats and Internet security

As the Internet has encroached on more areas of our daily lives, for both business and leisure activities, an increasing amount of important personal information and data is stored on our machines and 'in the cloud'. The way we access this information can leave us open to intrusive third party activity, which can sometimes not only be malicious but criminal as well.

Luckily, anti virus protection has increased in tandem with the development of the Internet. In the early days there wasn't much to worry about in real terms, with dial-up connection speeds limiting the amount of data transfer available and services such as online banking being in their infancy.

Today, however, many of us choose to undertake financial transactions online, ranging from simple purchases through to managing our bank accounts and credit cards. This means that there is a greater attraction for criminals to gain access to this information and use it maliciously.

There have always been good and capable free antivirus downloads which can help protect you against attack and warn you if there is suspicious activity which you should be aware of. Today these free programmes can be extremely sophisticated and used in conjunction with your operating system's own defences.

Updates are constantly released as Internet security firms recognise the changing nature of online threats and act to stay one step ahead of those with malicious intentions.

One area of development which has been noted over recent years is that of mobile security. An explosion of hacking viruses aimed solely at mobile devices has been experienced since the development of smartphones and computer tablets, with advances in near field technology becoming a greater part of everyday life.

Kaspersky mobile anti-virus is an example of a leading software security company meeting these new challenges and helping ensure maximum levels of safety are maintained at all times. With portable devices and static PCs all in need of protection, investing in a security suite is often the preferred courses of action for those who want to ensure they are safe no matter how they choose to go online.