best antivirus for netbook
Best Antivirus for Netbooks
Choosing an antivirus software for a netbook can be a tricky task. There are many things that need to be considered before you go ahead and buy one. This article enlists the best options available in the market, along with their minimum system requirements.
Netbooks have become extremely popular over the last few years. With this growth in popularity, the need to provide them with a secured protection system is also rising. Netbooks have CPUs which consume less power. Unfortunately, with the advantage of less power consumption comes the disadvantage of less computing power.
An antivirus software should work seamlessly. It should take up less space on the computer and should be light on the resources. The best antivirus software usually burdens the system, and requires a fast processor and a big enough RAM. Such products can adversely affect the performance of a netbook, making it slow and draining the battery fast. Therefore, you need to carefully choose the appropriate software to secure your netbook.
Top 5 Antivirus Software for Netbooks
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4
The specialty of this antivirus is that the protection is offered without users having to face system slowdowns. Protection from threats like spyware, viruses, password stealers, trojans, and malware threats is offered by this product. The features like 'SysRescue' and 'Integrated SysInspector' simplify the process of diagnosing the system and recovery. SSL-encrypted emails and Internet traffic too are scanned and cleaned by this security product. It has been observed that USB thumb drives often bring in computer viruses and security threats to the system. Apart from scanning files on such removable devices, the 'autorun.inf' and related files are also scanned by this product.
System Requirements
- Windows 8/7/Vista/XP operating system
- Working Internet connection
Microsoft Security Essentials
This is one of the best free antivirus software, especially for Windows users. Protection offered by Microsoft Security Essentials secures the netbook system from spyware, viruses, and malicious software. It is available in a free downloadable format, and it is easy to install. The security system is easy to use and update. One doesn't have to face interruptions from time-to-time, as the antivirus system functions smoothly in the background. Long waiting time and interruptions are not experienced by its users.
System Requirements
- Windows 8/7/Vista/XP operating system
- Minimum 256 MB RAM
- 140 MB hard disk space
- Screen resolution of 800 x 600
McAfee Antivirus Plus
This is amongst the best antivirus software for netbooks. Active Protection technology is one of the important features of this antivirus. This technology offers the best service in terms of detecting malicious threats. Fast updates also help in strengthening the security of the system. The anti-phishing, anti-spyware, and anti-virus features offered by this product are excellent. The website safety advisor and two-way firewall protection strengthens the security of a system. Its advanced scanning engine checks for threats quickly, without compromising on battery performance. One can find and patch holes in applications with the help of this software. This product is available at a price of about USD 34.99.
System Requirements
- Windows 8/7/Vista/XP operating system
- Minimum 512 MB RAM
- 500 MB hard disk space
- 1 GHz processor
Immunet Protect
This is a cloud-based antivirus, which can either be used independently on a computer, or in tandem with an existing security product. Collective power of the users is harnessed by Immunet Protect, and a strong layer of protection is provided. This collective power helps minimize the effect of existing threats as well as the newer ones. The antivirus system works best in association with AVG Internet Security, and other systems like Norton and McAfee. One has to register for an account to activate this product. The space on the system needed for installing Immunet Protect is just 8 MB. A pop-up message is displayed after the installation is completed. This message prompts the user to run a flash scan. It is used to scan the registry keys and start-up processes. Users can see whether Cloud Protection is active by viewing the summary page. An interesting feature of this software is that the number of users being connected, as well as the security threats being tackled, are viewable. This product is available at the cost of USD 24.95 for a single year. The security products compatible with this software include: AVG, Avast!, Avira, Norton, McAfee, Microsoft Security Essentials, Trend Antivirus, and K7.
System Requirements
- Windows 7/Vista/XP operating system
- 100 MB hard disk space
- Working Internet connection
Panda Cloud Antivirus
This is a good choice for netbooks, as it doesn't require a high amount of RAM or processing power. It operates by running computations in the cloud. It makes use of extremely advanced algorithms to detect viruses, spyware, and malware. It comes in various iterations for different types of users, including an office version, which can be used to protect multiple PCs. Also, there is a pro version for those people who wish to have that extra sense of security for their systems. The pro version is available at USD 29.99 for a single year.
System Requirements
After checking the features and system requirements mentioned here, choose the one that suits your needs the best, and get your netbook protected right away.- Windows 8/7/Vista/XP operating system
- Minimum 64 MB RAM
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or later