The online dangers are many, and their numbers continue to grow with each year that goes by. This situation was constant ever since the internet was invented, and even before, since the first computers. As technology advances, online dangers are becoming bigger, cleverer, and more devastating.
Of course, the situation is not as grim as it seems at first since we do have methods of protecting ourselves against most of these dangers. The methods are different depending on the danger, but considering that viruses and malware are the most common ones, the best place to start with ensuring your safety is to start using antivirus software.
This should be imperative for all your devices, but it is particularly important for those using a PC. PC is the most targeted device, which typically holds the most data that can be infected, stolen, or held for ransom. Because of that, the PC is also the most vulnerable, and with the highest number of flaws regarding its security.
You can never be too safe on the internet, but that does not mean that you should not do everything in your power to protect yourself and your device from harm.
With that in mind, here are the top five options that will protect your PC from various viruses that might still be lurking online, as well as from most known types and forms of malware.
1. McAfee Antivirus Plus
Buy hereEditors’ choice 2020
tekcompareMcAfee Antivirus, a security company named after its founder, John McAfee, is one of the oldest and best-known antivirus providers in the industry. It is rich with features, and a single subscription will allow you to protect pretty much any device that you own. This is a great opportunity to protect your entire family, and their phones, tablets, and PCs. Whether they use Android or iOS, Windows or Mac, McAfee Antivirus will cover all of these devices and keep them safe from malware and viruses.
The price of the software is not particularly high, being only around $60 per year. This is pretty much a standard price, offered by many other services as well, and it is more than worth it, as it will keep your PC clean of danger.
McAfee Antivirus also provides a one-license version that is available only on Windows and is a bit cheaper, with a price of around $40. However, with only $20 more, you can protect every device in your house. It is easy to install and use, with a simple, intuitive interface, but a variety of options. You will find that the most options are available to Windows users, while mobile and Mac users have fewer of them. All that is left is to do regular scans and get rid of any malware that attempts to infect your device.
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Works for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS
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A standard license protects unlimited devices
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Good scores on tests
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Perfect phishing protection
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Protects against ransomware
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PC Boost only supports chrome
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Fewer features for Mac and iOS users
Great pick for home and business
Unlimited devices for one standard license
2. ESET NOD32 Antivirus
Buy hereESET NOD32 is another well-known and highly capable antivirus that goes well beyond simply providing the essentials. For example, NOD32 provides quite a few additional security features, a Host Intrusion Prevention System, a PC firmware scanner, and more.
During tests, NOD32 performed quite well. Also, it is very cost-efficient, with a price of around $40. It offers additional licenses, which add around $10 per year. Its interface is simple to understand, and features are easy to use. With that being said, more complex features might be a bit too much for new users and might need a while for the user to understand how to use them properly.
Apart from that, NOD32 is an excellent choice for protecting your PC from malware and viruses, it is highly customizable, as well as a search box that will let you find the option you want easily.
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Cost-efficient
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Excellent test scores
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Many, many options and features
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Easy to use
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Provides additional licenses
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Advanced features are complicated
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Phishing protection is not the best
3. Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus
Buy HereNext, we have Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus. This one is different from most other antivirus software examples, as it never used massive signature databases to identify dangerous files and protect computers from malware. Instead, it would monitor unknown programs and judge them based on their performance. This system might seem unusual, and it is, but it also ended up being highly effective.
As far as price is concerned, Webroot is pretty much the same as most others — it has a $40 subscription that will last one year, and provide you with a single license. If you wish a three-license subscription, you can get it for only $10 more. Webroot works perfectly on Macs and Windows systems alike. The antivirus installer itself is less than 4MB, which makes it tiny and fast.
The software also offers a variety of features, such as malware scans, analysis of apps, and more, all for the purpose of securing your device and optimizing performance.
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Excellent score in malware protection tests
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Fast scans
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Tiny size
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Many advanced features
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Easy to use
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Good against phishing and ransomware
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Unusual detection techniques make it difficult to test
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Ransomware protection was not at 100% during tests
4. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Buy HereFor those who are more interested in free versions of various antivirus programs, we have two more excellent options. The first one is Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, which is rather simple and offers only the basics. However, it is among the best free antivirus options, with good malware protection, although it might report a bit more false-positives than you might like.
It can scan your entire system, but it provides fewer options than a premium version, and it does not allow you even to schedule a scan. Instead, you can only start it manually, and wait for the results.
Even so, it is the best free antivirus that you will be able to find, as mentioned. Its premium version is among the best in the industry, and it is no more expensive than other premium versions on this list, so it might be worth considering. But, at the end of the day, the important part is to be able to set it and have your device secured, while fancy options come second.
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Good protection against malware
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Very easy to use
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Does not impact performance
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Fewer features
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No customization options
5. Kaspersky Free Antivirus
Buy HereBudget choice 2020
tekcompareFinally, we have Kaspersky Free Antivirus. Kaspersky is a well-known name in the antivirus industry, and its’ premium version is among the best in the world, just like that of Bitdefender. However, Kaspersky also features a free version, although it is quite difficult to find, as the company does not like to advertise it, or even mention it.
The download page is difficult to find as a result, but once you locate it, you will end up with one of the best free antivirus programs out there. Its interface is great and easy to understand to use, it has a light-to-moderate impact on the system, and it is among the best options out there when it comes to malware protection.
Of course, this all comes at the cost of additional features, customization, various scans, and alike. But, what remains will definitely be able to protect you, even if it is quite bare-bones when compared to its full version.
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Exceptional malware protection for a free antivirus
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The performance hit is not too big
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Scans are fast
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Not a lot of additional features
Summary
Using antivirus software is the best way to ensure that you will stay protected on the internet. There are always additional steps that you can take, such as employing a VPN, avoiding websites that do not use HTTPS, and alike. However, all of those are extra options, and it all starts with the protection of the machine you are using. Because of that, use a strong antivirus and keep your PC safe.