Software reviews security

It's also perfect if you need to protect the computer of an elderly relative but don't have time to manage antivirus software from afar. Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition review.

Microsoft's built-in antivirus software is now a heavy hitter. While Windows Defender, aka Microsoft Defender Antivirus, doesn't quite beat Norton or Kaspersky in malware-protection lab tests, it comes out ahead of Avast, AVG and most other free antivirus products while operating almost entirely behind the scenes.

You won't be getting many extra features with Windows Defender itself, yet Windows 10 does have parental controls, a gaming mode and protections for its own Edge and Internet Explorer browsers. There's no built-in VPN, but you also won't be bothered by pop-ups trying to upsell you to paid antivirus software. As for a password manager, there's a stealth one built into the Microsoft Authenticator app for Android and iOS that syncs with the Edge browser, as long as you're signed into your Microsoft account on all devices.

We still recommend going for Kaspersky Security Cloud Free, which has even less of a system impact, better malware protection and more useful extras, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with using Windows Defender as your primary antivirus solution. Read our full Windows Defender review. Avast Free Antivirus has the best assortment of extra goodies of any free antivirus program, including a hardened browser, a gaming mode, a Wi-Fi network scanner and a recently added ransomware shield.

Unfortunately, the unlimited password manager has been discontinued. The program is also very customizable, letting you tweak its appearance and functions to suit your style. It even offers limited access to Avast's VPN service. However, Avast Free Antivirus caused a pretty heavy system load in our testing and its scans took a long time.

It also kept nagging us to upgrade to Avast's paid antivirus protection, and played bait-and-switch with features that looked like they were free but weren't.

Most significant of all, the malware protection in Avast Free Antivirus is a peg down from Kaspersky's or Bitdefender's, whose free programs also bothered us less about paid upgrades and had lighter system loads. Read our full Avast Free Antivirus review. AVG shares a decent, if unspectacular, malware-detection engine with its corporate sibling Avast while having a much lighter system-performance impact. While the latter is almost a free security suite with lots of bells and whistles, AVG AntiVirus Free is the quiet, neglected child that gets the hand-me-downs.

The good news is that AVG's wide range of customization options and its file shredder and system optimizer are still available, and its interface is open and easy to use. Worst of all, given its middling malware detection and dearth of extra features, there's no convincing reason to choose AVG AntiVirus Free over the built-in and overall better Microsoft Defender.

Malwarebytes Free, formerly called Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, is not antivirus software. Instead, it's a very useful malware-removal tool. What's the difference? Unlike antivirus software, Malwarebytes Free can't prevent a PC from being infected.

But it does an excellent job of cleaning out malware that's already on your system, as well as removing legal adware and potentially unwanted programs that antivirus software often ignores. Malwarebytes Free doesn't interfere with any antivirus software that's already installed, so it's perfectly safe to install it alongside one of our recommended brands. Just don't upgrade to the paid Malwarebytes Premium, true antivirus software that does poorly in lab tests and which will conflict with other AV programs.

We recommend Malwarebytes Free as a complement to any of the best antivirus programs, free or paid. Read our full Malwarebytes Free review. Before you buy antivirus protection, figure out what you need.

If you have young children at home, then consider midrange antivirus products, most of which include parental controls. Do you want an all-encompassing security solution? Or are you a techie who understands and the risks of using the internet? Then a low-priced basic program might be all you need. MORE: How to buy antivirus software. Once you've got your priorities figured out, then determine how many machines you'll need to protect. Most vendors offer single-device licenses for Windows PCs.

But multi-device, multi-platform licenses for five, 10 or more computers and mobile devices are available in midrange and premium antivirus packages, covering Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and sometimes even Linux.

Some vendors offer plans that cover an unlimited number of devices. Gone are the days when you could walk into a store and pay a one-time fee for an antivirus product that came in a box off a shelf. All the vendors now sell their software licenses as yearly or multiyear subscriptions. The upside is that you'll always get the latest software, which you can download and install straight from the internet. Many antivirus products are sold online for much less than their list prices. But each brand offers basic, midrange and premium configurations of features and pricing, with every step up adding more features.

Think of autos at a dealership. You can get a base-model car that will get you from place to place just fine. For a few grand more, you can buy a car with satellite radio, but no heated side-view mirrors, alloy wheels or in-car Wi-Fi hotspot. Or you can spend a lot more to get a loaded car with all the fixin's. Antivirus makers also hope you'll spring for extra options, whether you need them or not.

The one thing you can't trade up to is a bigger engine: All the Windows antivirus products in a given brand's lineup will use the same malware-detection engine and provide the same level of essential protection. The software will have essential malware protection and maybe a password manager or a two-way firewall.

They generally add parental controls, some of which are very good, plus a few other features such as webcam protection. They often include multi-device licenses and antivirus software for Mac and Android devices. At the top are the premium "security suites," which toss in all the extra security tools an antivirus brand can offer, such as password managers, VPN client software, backup software, online storage and even identity-protection services.

The password managers are often quite good, but the online storage can be paltry and the VPN services often don't give you unlimited data. We've collected the best premium antivirus packages on this list of the best internet security suites. Our evaluations are based on each antivirus program's interface, performance, protection and extra features.

Was the interface intuitive and user-friendly? How badly did malware scans slow performance? How well did the program detect and remove malware? Does the program offer useful additional tools? Some of our newer performance tests were done on a Lenovo ThinkPad T with a 2.

To assess a program's impact on system speed on both Windows and macOS, we used our own custom tests, which measure how long a CPU takes to match 20, names and addresses on an OpenOffice or Excel spreadsheet. The longer it took the laptop to finish either test, the heavier the performance impact. Each lab subjects the major antivirus brands' products to stress tests involving thousands of pieces of malware, including hundreds of previously unseen samples. Kaspersky antivirus products have been banned from U.

Because the company is Russian and antivirus software can peer deep into a PC, using Kaspersky software would create an unacceptable risk for persons and organizations involved in national security and critical infrastructure. Having an earmarked budget to save you from the various cyber threats is a great idea. You need to be pre-emptive and take preventive action against any cyber crimes that may affect your business.

In case, the budget is not set aside, you may end up not being protected against these threats or even overspending. It might get a little overwhelming and confusing for businesses to choose the best antivirus for PC due to the thousands of computer security software available in the market and they all make claims about their features.

We are listing some ways that will help you in deciding the best option for your business:. Some antivirus software slows down the speed of the computers. The software that you choose should be easy to install and use. Preferably the antivirus software should automatically clean your system and networks instead of waiting for prompts. The PC security software that you choose should detect almost 95 percent of the malware that is attacking your systems.

However, you should ensure that these reports are not false positives that quarantine harmless files as viruses. A sure shot way to ascertain the features of antivirus software and its acceptability in the market is the number of positive ratings and reviews that it has got. How effective is your computer security software?

Will the software affect the performance of the computers on my network in any way? Does the system come in with an antivirus program? Does the software extend protection against varying and ever-evolving malware, spyware and phishing attacks?

Is the solution, in its entirety, easy to learn and use? How long does it take for the product to run a scan? Does the system offer download protection as well as email scanning? What will be the learning curve? Can you specify the time it would take to implement the product?

How often do you update your software and launch new releases? Will the software program run in the background continuously? Does the product hog the resources of my systems? Does the solution offer scheduled scans and backups? Can you give a walkthrough of your risk management procedure? How fast can the system get back on its feet if, at all, it gets compromised?

Does the software tick the box of compliance? What kind of data security does your product offer? Is the software capable of handling the future load? Does the solution provide hassle-free migration? Do you offer a trial version? How is the product better than its competitor?

Is there an additional price for ongoing support? Is the cost inclusive of deployment, onsite support, and training? Pricing is one of the most important considerations, especially for small businesses, while purchasing PC security software.

It is highly recommended to try the basic free version of the software to understand its compatibility with your existing systems and networks. We hope that by now you would have understood the nuances of computer security software and their features and benefits. It can be a difficult decision to make due to multiple options available in the market.

However difficult might the decision be, we strongly recommend you to opt for antivirus software to protect your business from the ever-increasing cyber threats. To make an informed decision, you can go through some credible websites that conduct transparent surveys about the available antivirus brands in the market to get a bias-free opinion on the best antivirus for PC. With the growing use of computers, security threats are also increasing by leaps and bounds. It is done when it is accessed via any remote devices like PCs, laptops or any other wireless device that can get connected from any point.

It is used to simplify maintenance operations. Why SoftwareWorld is free? List of the Best Computer Security Software in But after several weeks of testing, comparing, and analyzing, I was able to narrow down my list to the top 10 — the ones with the best security, the best features, and the best overall value. Norton is my favorite choice for complete protection on all operating systems — in addition to having an excellent malware scanner, Norton also includes a wide range of easy-to-use internet security features.

Norton is a well-rounded internet security suite ideal for both individuals and families with several devices to protect. Norton Deluxe is a top-tier internet security suite, offering excellent protection at a great price. Learn More — Norton Deluxe. Bitdefender Premium Security is one of the most comprehensive internet security packages out there — with extra features like a password manager, webcam and microphone protection, parental controls, a file shredder, and a VPN.

Bitdefender also offers multi-layered protection against ransomware. In addition to recognizing and blocking ransomware, it prevents all unauthorized access to personal files and starts securely backing them up if it detects any suspicious behavior. The password manager, VPN, and parental controls are also very good — during my tests, the password manager accurately auto-filled logins and forms, the VPN provided me with encrypted access to multiple servers around the world, and the parental controls allowed me to limit device usage, filter content, monitor apps, and even set up location tracking.

Bitdefender is one of the easiest and most intuitive internet security packages out there. Bitdefender Premium Security is one of the more advanced cybersecurity packages you can get. The cloud-based antivirus scanner is excellent, and the full-suite package includes a ton of top-quality internet security tools — like a password manager, parental controls, and a VPN.

Bitdefender is backed up by a risk-free day money-back guarantee. Learn More — Bitdefender Premium Security. During my tests, I was able to securely stream content and download torrents using servers from around the world with almost zero slowdown. TotalAV Total Security offers easy-to-use antivirus protection and comes with some pretty good internet security tools. The antivirus engine is fast, lightweight, and highly secure, and the included VPN is comparable in speed to some of the top names in the VPN industry.

McAfee Total Protection is a well-rounded internet security package — it has everything you need to build and maintain a strong online defense in And there are also some great extra features.

My favorite feature is Home Network Security which gives you full control over all the devices connecting to your Wi-Fi network and it also reinforces your firewall against malware attacks. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service. The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts. Don't just pay the sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check for discounts on a company's website. Another way to save: The prices we list above are for 10 devices -- if the company offered that package -- but you can trim your cost with antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices.

You may also find discounts on an app's Amazon page. To be effective, antivirus software needs to monitor what's going on with your PC, check in with company servers about unusual behavior and should provide sound banking protection. The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy. But if you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share.

Protection for other platforms. Microsoft is by far the biggest target for viruses and malware. While the Mac does come under attack via side-loaded apps, it's rare, and if you download apps only from the Mac and iOS app stores and keep your guard up when clicking links and download files, you should be OK without an antivirus app on Apple devices. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about.

When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Best free Windows antivirus Microsoft Defender. Jump to details. See at Microsoft. See at NortonLifeLock. See at Bitdefender. Best on-demand Windows malware removal Malwarebytes. See at Malwarebytes. Solid subscription antivirus alternative McAfee Total Protection. See at McAfee. Another good subscription option Trend Micro Maximum Security.

See at Trend Micro. See at ESET. Alternative free Windows antivirus Sophos Home. See at Sophos. Our recommendations Looking for free antivirus protection, malware protection or virus detection, willing to pay for an antivirus program that offers broad internet security coverage across all your devices, including from ransomware and phishing, or need to remove a computer virus or malware from your PC right now?

Best free Windows antivirus. Microsoft Defender.