Virus Checker

[johnny37]

I used to be on norton360. Missus was always having probs, especially with backing up. I was also attached to. Always seemed to work ok. I can get free security with Talktalk as part of my package. It is as good as any, so i believe. Im not attached to anything at the moment. Am I correct in thinking that Talktalk and Lenovo (my new laptop) and even Google have a form of security in the backround which does all this technical stuff like virus checking and backup automatically? Google are pretty good at spotting scams and junk.

Sorry if this sounds naive but my technical knowledge is somewhat lacking.

[Buenchico]

I assume that your laptop is running Windows 10. In which case it comes with Windows Defender, which is Microsoft's own antivirus program. However it's not regarded as the best, so most people around here opt for an alternative, with the free version of Avast probably being the most popular:
https://www.avast.com/en-gb/index
(It's what I use)

If you scroll down to 'Your protection, your way' on that Avast page, you'll see the differences between the free program and the two 'paid-for' versions. (Even if you end up using something else, it illustrates the differences between free and commercial software).

You definitely need the main features mentioned under 'Free Antivirus' (which does roughly the same as Windows Defender but probably rather better).

You might like to consider the additional features listed under 'Internet Security' (which is broadly similar to what TalkTalk's software provides: https://www.talktalk.co.uk/shop/security/supersafe-boost ). However my own feeling is that such features are unnecessary as long as you follow good internet practices and might even lead to a false sense of security, leading to people becoming careless about their online habits.

You simply don't need the additional features mentioned under 'Premier'.

So you must choose between a basic product (such as Windows Defender or, better, the free version of Avast) and a more advanced one (such as TalkTalk's program or the 'Internet Security' version of Avast). However the reviews of TalkTalk's software are rather mixed and my own choice would be to getter better anti-virus protection from the free version of Avast, while doing without the bells and whistles of TalkTalk's offering.

Whichever antivirus software you choose you should back it up with a decent anti-malware program. You can choose between paying for a 'run in the background' program (which constantly looks for malware arriving on your computer) or getting a free 'run on demand' one, which you need to remember to run periodically (perhaps once every few weeks). Most people go for a free one, with the most popular being the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/free/
(o get the free version you have to take a 14-day free trial of the Premium version and simply not take up the offer to pay for it). However Malwarebytes have now taken over, and enhanced, another product which is completely free anyway. (So that might be the one to go for):
https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner/

[Guilbert53]

Considering the number of security breaches Talk Talk has had I think the most dangerous thing in your setup is being on Talk Talk.

Nobody will backup files off your computer for you, you need to do it all yourself. This can be as easy as buying an external hard drive and copy the files off your computer and on the the external hard drive.