It’s been a while since computer viruses first made the news back in the 1990s. Nowadays viruses are less common, but tons of malware can still lurk inside your device and infect it. These can include trojans, worms, backdoors, and exploits, just to name a few. However, the good thing about having an effective antivirus installed is that you don’t really need to know these culprits by name because you will never encounter them. With our expert reviews, you’ll be able to understand what each antivirus has to offer, their key features, and what makes each earn its place in the market. Our comparisons put these programs head-to-head to make it easy for you to decide which one best addresses your needs. Don’t forget to visit our free trial and coupons pages to get your chosen antivirus for the lowest price possible.
No matter if you are an IT specialist or just an everyday user, everyone wants to ensure unsurpassed protection for their devices. As the entry-level product from Bitdefender and the big brother of Bitdefender’s Antivirus Free Edition, this is an antivirus suite that stands out as one of the most optimum antivirus solutions for Windows that there is at the moment. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus might be the right choice for those who want a more comprehensive defense for their PC, and as a package comes complete with a user-friendly interface, an autopilot function to guide users through the installation and scanning processes, a network scan, supplementary layers of ransomware defense, and even a VPN (virtual private network) as a bonus. However, with the addition of the likes of malicious website blocking, a password management tool, and protection for online banking, it’s about as feature-packed as a base-level security suite can be. It comes at a minimum price of $19.99 for a one-year subscription and for only one device, though there is a more basic version available for free: Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition.
Guardio is a real-time protection service that safeguards your browsing activity by enhancing your online security and privacy. It shields customers from numerous online threats, such as phishing and malware, before they infect the user’s device. To attain this, Guardio includes features like anti-identity theft, safe searching, email security, and malicious download blocker. The service is available via browser extensions and apps for Android and iOS and there’s a free version as well as discounts of up to 33%.
What happens on your computer, stays on your computer. Or not? While most experts in the field agree that Kaspersky Free Anti-Virus is a quality product, it also represents a controversial solution. In 2017, the US Department of Home Security banned the Russian company’s products because of claims surrounding basic privacy problems to hackers attempting to attain information from a National Security Agency service provider. This free antivirus software provides basic safety, helping you to defend your device against viruses, block malicious files and apps, and warning you about any threatening websites. The tool can offer security for a PC without slowing it down and since it is updated automatically, it is always kept up to date. It has two upgrades available, the basic package being the Kaspersky Internet Security for one device with a price of $34.87 per year. These upgrades come with additional features such as advanced protection, protection across multiple platforms.
Whether it’s for you or anyone else in the family, protection while browsing your favorite websites is essential. Having a solid antivirus installed on all the devices you use is a must, but you’ll need more than that. Enter AVG Ultimate, a bundle of four programs, all of which, when installed, will let you sit back and browse the internet without ever worrying about security. Each software is responsible for protecting your device in different ways. Among them is the renamed and revamped AVG Internet Security, practically the same user-friendly and easy-to-manage antivirus software launched just a few years after the internet came into our homes. But modern systems require more than just an antivirus, and combined with the other programs, AVG Ultimate provides a solid defense on all fronts. All this at a reasonable price and with happy-to-help customer service.
With so many different options, it can be tough to pinpoint which antivirus software might work best for you. But with a little examination, the choice should be clear as day.
The first step is to evaluate your needs. Do you want a comprehensive antivirus, or will something basic suffice? How many devices will you use the software on? Are all the devices computers, or do you want the software installed on your mobile gadgets as well?
Answering these questions will help launch your search with an idea of what you’re aiming for and save you a tremendous amount of time.
This is where the fun starts. It’s time to do some research to find the best antivirus for your application. And this research shouldn’t be simply reading the first top ten list that Google serves. Yes, lists are fine for getting a feel for the most prominent companies in the industry. However, the rankings can be irrelevant, as the number-one entry could be the least suitable for your needs.
Narrowing the list to antiviruses that match your objectives, consult some reviews. These will give you a better insight into each product’s abilities and flaws, which will help to further refine the options. When only two or three possibilities remain, read some comparisons, look beyond the similarities, and try to get a feel for which antivirus product is best for you.
Once you’ve chosen an antivirus, don’t buy it right away. You should first look for a free trial to test the product before you plunk down any cash. Also search for discounts, coupons, and other offers that could save you some money.
These days, most antivirus companies offer free plans that are sufficient for basic protection from malware. In fact, when it comes to fighting malware both free and paid versions produce similar results. Moreover, since free antivirus software doesn’t pack extra features, it consumes fewer computer resources than its paid counterparts. On the other hand, paid packages are better at detecting new threats.
When you pay for an antivirus, you usually get more than just malware protection. Some antiviruses offer built-in VPNs, online payment safety, password managers, and software updaters, just to name a few possible bonuses. So buying an antivirus could bag you a bunch of features you’d otherwise need to purchase separately.
What’s more, free antivirus programs usually don’t come with the tech support that paid versions do – something that can make all the difference when problems arise.
Back in the day, only computers were used to access the internet, but now it’s easy for infections to infiltrate all your devices. The moment you plug an infected mobile phone into your computer, the virus could instantly spread to your desktop as well.
Mobile phones have in fact become a bigger target for hackers since it’s less likely that they’ll be carrying any antivirus protection at all. The same can be said for tablets, and while Apple users tend to believe their devices are inherently more protected, there are still nefarious infections lurking in the shadows. Ideally, every single device should carry some type of antivirus to protect it.
The idea that a Mac is an impenetrable fortress is a myth. While the operating system is generally more secure against malware than Windows, this doesn’t mean that there’s no malware targeting Macs. In fact, due to this misconception cyber criminals have been targeting Macs more often because they know security software is less likely to be installed.
One of the scariest pieces of recent Mac malware is CookieMiner, which can steal victims’ cyber currency. And CookieMiner is just one of many: other newcomers include OSX/Linker, LoudMiner, and OSX/Newtab. It’s safe to say that installing an antivirus on your Mac is not only advisable but a must.
There is a misconception that viruses and malware are different things. There is also the misconception that an antivirus only protects your computer from viruses. Both are untrue.
Malware is a generic term for any software designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or network. There is a wide variety of malware, viruses being only one type. Other flavors of malware include worms, spyware, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, backdoors, keyloggers, and logic bombs.
So, although viruses are not as common as in years gone by, there are many ways hackers can use them to exploit your device. Antiviruses block all types of malware, making them not only relevant but a necessity for anyone who uses the internet.
Just as there are different kinds of malware, there’s also a wide variety of computer security software. However, antiviruses continue to be the type that protects you against the most types of malicious attempts to hack your computer. Even internet security suites are, at their core, an antivirus.
Simply put, a free antivirus is a basic program that protects against the majority of existent malware. The middle tier would be a paid antivirus, which throws in extra features that help your computer stay safe. Finally, internet security suites can be seen as the ultimate tier. Though pricier, they typically include several extra components such as a VPN, a software updater, system optimization, and other neat features.
So yes: antiviruses are still relevant. In fact, they are more relevant than ever. The access to information this age grants us is an equal boon to those who want to exploit your devices. It’s easy to learn how to create malware, so the number of threats grows each day. It’s therefore not only recommended but essential to protect your devices with an antivirus.
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