I’ve previously written on keeping your computer healthy, and now see the need to update (and revise) what I’d written before.
My previous recommendation was to run Avast Internet Security, but in recent months Avast seems more intent on up-selling software you probably don’t need and spiking your auto-renew bill to prices much higher than the original purchase price. Further, it’s too difficult to change the auto-renew settings.
For this reason, I can no longer recommend using Avast Internet Security.
Instead, I recommend using Malwarebytes Premium. Not long ago, Malwarebytes had some updates that allowed them to become a stand-alone anti-virus solution, and my experience has been positive.
The free version of Malwarebytes is an excellent tool, too, but to keep malware at bay in the first place, Real-Time Protection layers are a must. These are pro-active, alerting you if the web page you’re about to view is known to be infected with malware before you even visit it. Again, prevention is better than cure (or having to call me).
If you’re looking for a browser that blocks attempts of data mining by Google, Facebook, Amazon, and others, consider trying out Brave. Ad and script blocking are enabled by default, but you have the ability to allow scripts or ads on a per-page basis.
I haven’t worked with Brave for an extended amount of time yet, but so far I like the results. The best place to use Brave, however, is on mobile phones. I’m trying it out on Android and it cuts down on data usage by blocking ads and scripts before they arrive at your phone–meaning you’re not paying for data transmission that serves only unknown third parties in their never-ending quest to mine data from you