Is Anything in Life Really FREE?

Warning: If You’ve Downloaded Free Software From The Internet, Your Computer May Be At Risk For Viruses, Hackers, and Spyware!
We’ve all heard the saying that the best things in life are free, but I’m not sure they were referring to software. Freeware (free software, not to be confused with open source software) such as the AVG anti-virus free edition, Spybot, and Ad-Aware are all programs you can download for the ultimate discount: free.

However, you get what you pay for. While these programs may work just fine for someone’s home computer, they are not business class tools and should not be trusted to completely protect your computer or network from viruses, spyware, hackers, and other problems. Every month we receive calls from clients who are infected with a nasty virus or spyware who had these programs installed and running, and were under the false assumption that they were protected.

WHY FREEWARE DOESN'T PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER

In most cases, freeware is a light version of a software program that you pay for. Take the AVG free edition for example. AVG offers a free edition of their for-fee software as a way of introducing you to their fully-featured product.

Only download freeware from trusted sources and read the terms and conditions carefully; you may be agreeing to allow outsiders to monitor your computer!

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

As you might expect, freeware comes with zero guarantees or promises to function correctly, to be compatible with your system, or to safeguard you from threats. You’re not a paying customer so you’re on your own to resolve any technical problems you encounter, and you certainly won’t get support if your computer gets infected. Since many free applications are plagued with bugs and incompatibilities, you may end up with a mess on your hands and no one to blame but yourself.

Additionally, freeware programs are not always current with the most up-to-date protection, and don’t always update themselves automatically or perform scans and tasks on a regular schedule.

Bottom line: you get what you pay for. If the files and functionality of your computer or network are of high-importance, then investing in a trusted, industrial-strength software program is a smart and worthwhile investment.