Can You Trust Free Antivirus Software For Safe Online Banking?
We all need antivirus and anti-malware software in our computers, especially in this time and age when hackers and online scammers are out to get money. According to Fitsec, a Finnish anti-virus company, there is a free tool called Debank, which can detect up to five major families of hacking software.
Debank, of course, was released by Fitsec and it can scan a user’s machine and other equipment that can be hacked. Most antivirus software applications use heuristics as a way to determine if malware are sent to the system. This is usually effective, most of the time. However, the best way to do it is to employ a full memory sweep. Debank, says its manufacturers, can detect various kinds of CarBerp, Gozi, SpyEye and Patcher malware programs. Interestingly, this software is free!
This software manages to detect variants of these malware because it found parts of a code that is common to all the strain of this virus. Interestingly, the company that made it is releasing this tool for free.
Given that it’s free, does it mean that it is reliable over the long run?
Free antivirus software provides some important value to customers, as well as to those who develop them. For users who are not connected to the Internet very much, free antivirus software may suffice. On the part of developers, this free software can help users test the software before they can purchase the full version. Beta testers can also alert the developers of any bugs they need to fix. However, paid applications can still do wonders.
One of the pitfalls of free software is support. If anything goes wrong, you cannot call the customer service of the software. After all, they have given it for free. If you want to have support, then you better sign up for the paid version of the anti-virus software.
Some people, however, prefer to do things by themselves. If you belong to this group, you can easily go to forums and other computer sites. You can learn about troubleshooting and error handling just by reading hundreds of posts. Still, free antivirus applications are standalone and will not receive support from the company.
Another pitfall of free software is the update. Paid antivirus solutions provide people with the regular updates they need to combat the growing aggressiveness of spammers and hackers. With each new update, you successfully protect your personal information, as well as your overall identity. Hackers will need to learn more ways to break into the system.
But then again, sometimes, it is not about the antivirus or anti-malware that is at fault. Rather, it is through human error that most incidences of identity theft occur. It is about how careful you are in keeping your information safe.
To answer the question for the beginning of this article, YES, you can trust free anti-virus software for safe online banking. However, this kind of trust should be tempered by your experiences and your level of carefulness.