Keeping your PC running is about a lot more than just maintaining how clogged up your disk gets with files. If you don’t shield yourself from some of the harmful code that is out there your computer is going to get hit—hard. Most of the organized crime online is after your information. They can use your computer to steal your identity or to hold your files ransom.



Even the best computer people who take all the right precautions when they’re online can’t be sure their computers are really safe from viruses and other malicious software. Here is a list of the biggest reasons why you need a good antivirus software to keep your computer protected.

1. Lag Issues Are Not An Issue Anymore

For many years the biggest problem with running an antivirus software was that it would keep your computer from zipping along as fast as it would without the protection. For some users, foregoing the antivirus was the only way to make sure that they could get anything done.

That isn’t the case with many of the antivirus programs available today. However, it should be noted that most of the more expensive antivirus software will come with bloatware attached. These programs will slow you down, and don’t offer you much. Going with a more trimmed-down software like Bullguard is a better way to go.

2. Malware Is Out There

A lot of people already know the basics of avoiding malware: don’t open up suspicious files people email you, keep your software up-to-date with the current patch at all times, don’t enable Java in your web browser, and try not to go poking around dark corners of the web. The problem with thinking that just doing these things will keep you safe is that malware can still get onto your computer. There are hackers online who are actively competing with each other to find exploits—also known as zero-days—in basic web technology like Flash, Firefox, and Chrome that allow them to access your PC. They’re ahead of the patches, which means without antivirus protection with web enabled security, you’re at risk.

3. The Antivirus Software Line In The Sand

There are lots of ways that your computer can stop getting infected before your antivirus software gets involved. But when all those systems fail—and in the worst cases they do—the best way to protect your computer and your identity is to run some antivirus software.

4. The Free Software Isn’t Enough

These days Microsoft packages some free software along with their operating systems. It gives you some basic coverage, but when you compare that with the amount of policing that a true antivirus software like Bullguard does, the free stuff just doesn’t get the job done. The $40 that you put down to keep your computer safe will pay for itself the first time it catches a virus that would otherwise send your computer to the shop.

The bottom line is that staying safe online takes more than technical know-how: you need an antivirus program. For a good all-around antivirus program that isn’t too heavy or expensive, check out Bullguard.