Now more than ever, the threat of a cyberattack is very real. As our lives move more online, the chances of our personal information being compromised increase. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to have the best antivirus software installed on your devices.<\/p>
The internet is teeming with threats to your digital security, and seeing as we spend a lot of our lives online, it’s important to make sure you’re well-prepared to deal with these dangers. That’s where antivirus software enters the picture.<\/p>
After all, it’s your best defense against cybercriminals, viruses, and malware. These threats aren’t new, but digital crooks are constantly finding new ways to leverage these tools, capture your personal information, and ultimately commit identity theft.<\/p>
After spending hundreds, sometimes thousands, on a new PC, the last thing you need is to have it compromised. Unfortunately, that is a real possibility. Even the best PCs are susceptible to viruses and malware, no matter how much they cost. Regularly checking your computer’s health can save you from headaches in the future — whether from scammers or your computer just not working as it should.\u00a0<\/p>
Antivirus software gives your devices an added layer of protection and comes with some handy extra features, that’ll safeguard against a wide variety of scams. This still applies to you if you’re a Mac user. More and more threats, like ransomware, are engineered to target Mac devices.<\/p>
Antivirus software (antivirus program) is a security program designed to prevent, detect, search and remove viruses and other types of malware from computers, networks and other devices. They often come as part of a security package, or you can purchase them as a standalone option.<\/p>
An antivirus program can help mitigate a variety of cyber threats. These include keyloggers, browser hijackers, Trojan horses, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, botnets, phishing attempts and ransomware attacks. Antivirus software is typically installed on a computer as a proactive approach to cybersecurity.<\/p>
Due to the constantly evolving nature of cybercrimes and new versions of malware being released daily, including zero-day attacks, no antivirus program can offer detection and protection against all threat vectors.<\/p>
Antivirus software comes in several forms, including standalone antivirus scanners,\u00a0machine learning\u00a0and cloud-based programs, malware signatures and internet security software suites that offer antivirus protection, along with firewalls, privacy controls and other security protections. <\/p>
Popular providers of both free and commercial antivirus products include AVG Technologies, Kaspersky, Malwarebytes, McAfee, Norton and Trend Micro.<\/p>
Some antivirus software vendors offer basic versions of their products at no charge. These free versions generally offer basic antivirus and spyware protection, but more advanced features and protections are usually available only to paying customers.<\/p>
While some OSes are targeted more frequently by virus developers, antivirus software is available for most OSes:<\/p>
Most antivirus software vendors offer several levels of Windows products at different price points, starting with free versions offering only basic protection. Users must perform scans and updates manually, and typically, free versions of antivirus software won’t protect against links to malicious websites or malicious code and attachments in emails. Premium versions of antivirus software often include suites of\u00a0endpoint security\u00a0tools that provide secure online storage, ad blockers and file encryption. <\/p>
Since 2004, Microsoft has been offering free antivirus software as part of the Windows OS, generally under the name Windows Defender. However, the software was mostly limited to detecting spyware before 2006. Microsoft now offers Microsoft Defender Antivirus as part of its\u00a0Microsoft 365 Defender portal, which is available for Windows 10, Windows 11, and some versions of Windows Server.<\/p>
Although Apple\u00a0macOS\u00a0viruses exist, they’re less common than Windows viruses, so\u00a0antivirus products for Mac-based devices\u00a0are less standardized than those for Windows. There are several free and paid products available. They provide on-demand tools to protect against potential malware threats through full-system malware scans. <\/p>
They also can sift through specific email threads, attachments and various web activities.<\/p>
Android\u00a0is the world’s most popular mobile OS and is on more mobile devices than any other OS. Since most mobile malware targets Android, experts recommend all Android device users install antivirus software on their devices. <\/p>
Vendors offer a variety of basic free and paid premium versions of their Android antivirus software, including antitheft and remote-locating features. Some run automatic scans and actively try to stop malicious web pages and files from opening or downloading.\u00a0<\/p>
Play Protect\u00a0is Google’s built-in malware protection for Android, which was first released with Android 8.0 Oreo. It now comes with every Android device that has Google Play services version 11 or newer installed on it.<\/p>
If you practice safe computing — that is, you keep your software up to date, you use strong passwords (with the help of a\u00a0password manager), you steer clear of unsolicited emails and you don’t click suspicious links that may be phishing attempts — you probably can avoid zero-day attacks and ransomware attacks. <\/p>
With the free Microsoft Defender Antivirus software running on your Windows PC, you have a malware protection safety net if you do let your guard down. In fact, it is one of the best antivirus software options available.\u00a0<\/p>
This free antivirus program is built into Windows, and it’s turned on by default. The antivirus engine does its thing, and this antivirus solution will cover the basics of internet security. Microsoft pushes new updates frequently. Defender also lets you tune the level of protection you want, giving you control over blocking potentially unwanted apps and protecting folders and files from a ransomware attack.\u00a0<\/p>
Windows 10 and 11 will automatically disable its own Windows Defender antivirus\u00a0when you install third-party antivirus. If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows will turn on its own antivirus again.<\/p>
Note: Microsoft\u00a0changed the name of Windows Defender to Microsoft Defender\u00a0and has expanded the service to other platforms.<\/p>
Bitdefender consistently impresses with its ability to identify threats and stop them in their tracks. Malware files are pinpointed even before they begin downloading, and web trackers are likewise rooted out and blocked. Also, if you try to access a site with known threats, you’ll receive a warning that’s hard to ignore.<\/p>
AV-Comparatives<\/a>, a third-party test lab, reported positive results when it put Bitdefender to the test. The solution blocked 99.4% of threats (coming in second only to the likes of Norton and McAfee) and didn’t have a huge impact on the speed of computer processes. <\/p> Bitdefender gets straight to work with a full scan when you start using it, and combs through your system in its entirety to look for threats and intruders. This is par for the course, although Bitdefender can take almost a full hour to completely scan 50 GB executable files. It’s possible to configure scans, customize them, and set them to run on a schedule or on-demand. <\/p> You can run Quick Scans once a day, or weekly, and dig into individual files.<\/p> Malwarebytes protects your PC from viruses or malware attacks, scoring reasonably well in\u00a0recent independent testing\u00a0for guarding against malware threats. However, that’s not really what Malwarebytes is known for. <\/p> If you find yourself in trouble, the go-to disinfectant for many is Malwarebytes. You can get protection and disinfection for one device for $38 a year, regularly\u00a0for $45. To cover five devices — any combination of Windows, MacOS, and Android — it’s $100 for a year of antivirus software. <\/p> To get the antivirus company’s free antivirus version,\u00a0you can download a trial version. This “downgrades” to a no-fee on-demand cleaner with fewer features that detects and removes viruses and malware when you run an on-demand antivirus scan after 14 days.<\/p> Norton’s LifeLock has consistently earned high marks from\u00a0AV-Test,\u00a0AV-Comparatives\u00a0and\u00a0SE Labs\u00a0for virus and malware detection. This antivirus provides excellent security software for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. <\/p> The company’s products include Antivirus Plus, Norton Secure VPN, Norton 360 for Gamers, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, and more. <\/p> A 10-device subscription for Norton 360 with LifeLock Select is normally $180 per year, but you can get your first year for $80 off. In addition to malware and virus protection for your computer and mobile device, this security suite provides 100GB of backup to the cloud, safe-browsing tools, a secure VPN, a password manager, parental controls, and LifeLock identity theft protection and fraud alert. <\/p> While not all of those services are necessarily best in their respective class, getting them all in one package is a compelling option. Topping it off, Norton offers a free seven-day test drive of the suite, as well as a full refund “within 60 days of purchase for annual subscriptions and within 14 days of purchase for monthly subscriptions,” according to\u00a0Norton’s site<\/a>.<\/p>Malwarebytes<\/strong><\/h3>
Norton 360 With LifeLock Select<\/strong><\/h3>