Computers have transformed almost every aspect of our lives including helping students learn, monitoring patients in hospitals and regulating crucial manufacturing processes. Cyberthreats such as ransomware, viruses, malware and other malware have also increased because of the increasing dependence on computers. Antivirus software can detect these threats to prevent them from damaging your computer or stealing your personal information.
When selecting an antivirus program, you should consider the capabilities of its virus scanner, whether it has an firewall and how it performs in independent laboratory tests. It is also advisable to consider its customer support, the frequency it updates and the number of devices it will protect. Some programs, like Norton include additional features that secure your online privacy and help prevent identity theft.
Top-rated programs offer a variety of security options. They include heuristic detection which seeks out behaviors that are typical of malware or viruses, and signature matching which compares files to a list of known malicious code. Some programs employ sandboxing technology to block suspicious files in a virtual environment that is completely sealed and safe from any harm.
A lot of the top antivirus programs are available for free, though they may not come with as many extra features as paid options. Bitdefender’s premium version comes with parental controls, file shredder, as well as a password manager, however its free edition scored well and includes firewall. Also, Malwarebytes’ free version earned top marks in AV-Test for 2023 but fell short in our tests for usability. Intego Mac Security X9 is a a powerful combination of tools which include VirusBarrier and NetBarrier that was able to identify and eliminate the majority of malware-related threats during our test.
