Are you ready to protect your computer from possible Internet viruses? Do you think you may already have an infected machine? In either case, you may want to start looking for some antivirus software. And if you can’t wait to run to your nearest home office supply store, many antivirus software companies have their wares available for immediate download.

One of the most recognizable names in antivirus software is Norton. There are three versions available, but all have antivirus capabilities and free 24/7 technical support. The standard version at $29.99 comes with antivirus, antispyware, and anti rootkit protection for one year. If you upgrade to the next level for $34.99, you get the same protection plus smart firewall, network monitoring, parental controls, Norton Safe Web, professional strength anti spam, and identity protection. To get the biggest bang for your buck, pay $40 and get everything mentioned above plus download protection, web-based access to backup files, automated backup and restore, PC tune up, and a start up manager. When you order Norton for download, make sure you download the information to create a recovery CD just in case.

Another huge name in PC protection is McAfee. McAfee claims to be #1 in malware detection since it catches 99.9% of all bugs out there. If you choose the Total Protection package for $59.99, you get threat detection, antivirus, firewall, antispyware, online protection, protection against dangerous websites, anti spam, email protection, file protection, back-up, and simplified security management. Unlike Norton, the support is only free for 30 days, but they do offer a 30 day money back guarantee as well. If you’re unsure as to whether you’d want to buy the product, McAfee allows you to download trial versions before forking over hard earned cash.

AVG offers completely downloadable antivirus protection, though you can purchase the same protection in stores. AVG offers much of the same protection as the other guys, but with one rather awesome catch — the basic version of AVG is free. AVG free offers core protection to keep online threats from infecting your computer and also warn the user of unsafe websites, keeping the user protected while surfing the web. You can upgrade to the $34.99 version that adds protection while chatting with others and downloading files as well as access to AVG’s technical support team. For $54.99, you get everything above plus protection while shopping and banking, making sure your private information stays private.

Some antivirus software companies want you to try out their services before you buy them. Bit Defender is one of those companies. If you go to their website, all of the downloads they have available are free to use. It’s safe to assume these are trial versions of the real thing, but even a trial version will give you a better idea than nothing at all. Bit Defender does offer free virus removal tools from their site that will help you, whether you decide to stick with their software or not.

The main problem that you may encounter when searching for antivirus downloadable software is actual viruses in disguise. Not everything that looks like it will help your computer actually does. There are things out there called “drive by” viruses. These can hide in advertisements on sites you might normally trust. A screen will generally pop up claiming you have a virus and it will scan your computer for you to get rid of it. What it actually does is deploy a virus onto your machine and then the virus makers try to get you to buy their “antivirus” software to clean it up. If you do buy the so called software, not only does your computer now have a virus of some kind, but the makers of the virus now have your credit card information. I’ll take “How to Get Your Identity Stolen” for 1,000 Alex.

When purchasing antivirus software, make sure the company you are purchasing from is reliable and has a good reputation to back up their content. If you’ve never heard of or dealt with a company you are investigating, be sure to investigate them thoroughly. If it’s a company whom you are familiar with, still take the time to look up user reviews and see what other customers have to say. Just because a product is well known doesn’t mean it’s good. If the product is worth its salt, it should protect your PC against things like “drive by” viruses.

Above all else, make sure you are protecting your PC to the best of your ability.