What's the best Anti-Virus solution?

It's getting predominately harder to keep computers and mobile devices protected against threats such as viruses, spy-ware, etc. These programs have evolved from simple coded programs that post annoying on-screen messages to causing plenty of damage to both computers around the world and the wallets of the computer owners.

With that being said, the question that we hear most is, "What's the best Anti-Virus solution?" There is no real easy way to answer this question. The reason is because certain Anti-Virus solutions work better for some people than others. I believe there are many types of great Anti-Virus software, the key is to find the one that is right for you and your system.

Three important factors to look at:

1. How light/heavy does it run?
You know your computer better than anyone else. Sure, you may not understand how it works but you understand if you have a fast computer or a slow computer. Anti-Virus software can either take up minimal or maximum amounts of your system resources up. If your computer is slow to begin with, you may want to look away from software that is constantly running because it will bring your computer down to a snail's pace. Older computers would want to stay away from Symantec (Norton Anti-Virus) and lean more toward AVG.

2. How user friendly is it?
This speaks for itself. There are certain packages that to utilize full potential of the software, you must have a vast working knowledge of computers. Do you want to take control of what is being removed or would you rather the software automate the entire process? Reading reviews from consumers will often give you insight on what to expect from your software that you may or may not buy.

3. How often do they update?
Keeping your Anti-Viruses definitions up to date is very important. You are only protected against what your software understands as threats. Most packages have updates ready daily, although there is also the risk of having an undiagnosed virus hit your computer before your Anti-Virus provider updates there definitions.

There are plenty of other questions that do need to be addressed when choosing your Anti-Virus software as well. The three listed above are some of the more sensitive topics that are brought up during discussions among experts. Remember that your best protection against viruses is prevention and knowledge!