The Best Free Antivirus Programs for Small Businesses

While trying to keep up with the technology needs of your small business can be cumbersome enough, dealing with emerging threats in virus and malware can be absolutely overwhelming. As it turns out, the big antivirus brand names out there such as McAfee and Norton, do not perform much better if at all than the free solutions. Additionally, the annual subscription cost can add up over time. Here are some recommended free antivirus solutions that should make protecting your precious IT assets easier.

1. AVG Antivirus Free
   AVG is my top pick for a budding small business. If you want an antivirus that does the job while staying out of the way than this is the solution for you. With a small footprint, easy installation and removal, this is the most hassle free way to go. I’ve setup a few businesses with AVG and have seen various malware, virus, and trojan’s blocked before they ever reach your computer.
2. BitDefender Free
   BitDefender has done extremely well in its detection and removal of viruses according to independent testing. However, there have been some problems with respect to its clunky user interface. If you are looking for the highest in virus detection and are patient enough to work with a less then optimal interface, then I would recommend this solution.
3. Avast! Free
   According to reports, Avast! has greatly improved its performance and usability over the past couple years. An updated user interface has simplified and streamline the process of scanning. If you are sometimes overwhelmed with the actual process of cleaning your computer, I would recommend Avast! for its organized navigation and clear instructions.
4. Trend Micro Housecall (Online)
   Housecall is an online based virus scan. The advantage of this antivirus is that your computer is always being scanned with the most up to date signature library. The other thing I like about it is that it doesn’t constantly run in the background. If your computer is older or is slower running like a netbook, sometimes you won’t be able to install a traditional antivirus solution. The downside is that you are not protected in real-time so viruses aren’t actually blocked, and if the virus causes your internet connection to become unavailable,
5. Panda Activescan 2.0 (Online)
   Panda is an alternative to Housecall. Both are great products in the aspect of their ability to be utilized quickly with little hassle. Both also suffer from the fact that they are online and therefore by definition, they are retroactive fixes and will not prevent your computer from getting a virus. On a side note, a few technicians have swore that Panda found a few things that Housecall didn’t. My advice, use both since they’re free and neither will add additional load to your computer.

While all of these solutions are great, simply relying on one is not recommended. In fact, one of the highest rates of virus removal involve the use of two viral engines. Your best bet in protection is to emulate this setup by installing two scanners. Leave one off most of the time to prevent over taxing your computer’s resources, and run it occasionally to see if catches anything your primary antivirus does not.

All of these companies offer an upgraded version to their free clients for more complete protection in the malware area. I would not rely purely on an antivirus solution. More and more businesses are finding malware to be the culprit behind their computer woes. I would recommend either Adaware or Malwarebytes to round off your small business IT security.