Staying safe while using the Internet is a major concern for many people these days because it is such an important part of our lives. We use the computer and the Internet to talk and chat with friends, to send e-mails and photos to people, to network and enrich friendships, to do business and research and many, many other reasons. It is a constant presence in our lives and helps us do many of the things we do better and faster that we could without it. But there are also threats that come from using the Internet. We all know that there are people out there who want to take advantage of others and gain access to their personal and financial information for their own gain and profit or even worse things. Because of this it is essential to ensure our safety by using any means available to use and to keep our information safe as well. Free online virus scans are just another arm in our arsenal that we can use to keep ourselves and our information safe.
Free online virus scan are offered by a wide variety of companies and provide many resources and functions that help to keep people safe while they are using their computers. The main function of online virus scans is to inform someone if there has been some type of infection on their computer and then to show them what to do to remove it. Online virus scans provide the peace of mind to many people who either don’t know how to use other methods of protecting their computer or just don’t have them available to them. One of the main reasons that people will use an online virus scan is to check if a file is infected before they need to download it to a computer that doesn’t have an anti-virus protection software program installed on it. These people may include business local networks that restrict downloading and installing programs or people who are new or unfamiliar to the world of the computer.
There may also be circumstances when an anti virus program has been disabled and will not work because the virus or infection influences it in some way. When a person encounters this situation and still has access to the Internet, they may be able to use an online program to detect and correct the problem. One thing to keep in mind with online virus scans is that they are not proactive, and are therefore, only able to provide support after an infection or intrusion has already taken place. They cannot protect your computer from getting a virus but can help you detect and remove it if you still happen to get one. It is recommended that you use any online scans you choose to employ in conjunction with installed software to provide that added level of protection. It is also important to have a working and frequently updated firewall to your computer. This is even more important if you are connected to the Internet with a high speed connection (as most computers are) because information can be put on and removed from your computer much faster.
One thing that is important to keep in mind when you are deciding whether you should use free online virus scans is common sense. If there is a better or faster way to achieve the same result without having to put important information online, that is almost always the better choice. You can tell when something looks fishy and when you should stay away. If you use online scans, do some research first and make sure that you are working with reputable companies that have a reputation to uphold and you in mind.
