In a rapidly growing cybersecurity environment, it’s no longer enough to secure your devices with a simple antivirus program. A top-quality antivirus program will provide additional protections that go beyond basic malware detection, like a VPN and software for optimizing performance and password managers. It is also essential to choose an antivirus that works across your different operating systems, and won’t hog system resources or slow down your computer.
The most effective antivirus software can detect and block a variety of threats including viruses, worms trojans, ransomware spyware as well as adware rootkits and keyloggers. They also shield your computer from phishing attacks by identifying fake links and harmful websites.
There’s a vast array of antivirus programs available and most companies will let you try their software for free or with a money-back guarantee. Most offer 24/7 customer service and a complete knowledge base online to help you to solve any issues.
If you’re in search of a reliable antivirus program for Windows the most popular option is Microsoft Defender (which comes preinstalled on the latest Windows computers). It’s been rated very highly by independent labs AV Test and AV Comparatives. It’s light and easy to use, however it isn’t as sophisticated as the sophistication of the top standalone products.