Maybe this antivirus provider is not as well known to consumers because of its focus on enterprise security, Trend Micro antivirus quietly brings its business expertise to the home with its Trend Micro Maximum Security tools. Trend Micro's software earns high marks from AV-Test -- consistently scoring well for detecting zero-day attacks and widespread viruses and malware.
And Trend Micro does a good job of not taxing system resources. Free version? It earns high scores for usability and offers solid virus protection. The free antivirus version of Sophos Home gives you virus protection for three Windows PCs -- using the company's high-scoring anti-malware tool -- plus a day trial of the company's malware-removal tool.
Test after test, Avast Antivirus for Windows performs well for malware detection with options ranging from Avast free antivirus software to Avast Premium Security. And we've included its antivirus in our list of recommended security app options before. But Avast was in the news for several months for its non-antivirus business, so we looked at the company, specifically reports at the end of that Avast allegedly collected user data with its browser plug-ins and antivirus software and then sold data it collected through its Jumpshot subsidiary in early In response to the reports that his company gathered and sold the details of its customers' online activities, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said in a statement that he understood that his company's actions raised questions of trust in his company.
To address that, Avast terminated Jumpshot data collection in January and closed its operations because the data collection business wasn't in line with Avast's privacy priorities. These newer reports follow another in from Avast that its internal network was breached , possibly to insert malware into its CCleaner software, similar to an earlier CCleaner hack that occurred prior to Avast's acquiring the Windows utility. Avast is now saying the right things about taking its customers' privacy seriously , but it only came to that point after reacting to investigative reporting that revealed the Jumpshot practices.
The CCleaner revelations, while concerning, were self-disclosed, which is important to building user trust. We hope Avast's more privacy-friendly policies mean that there will be no further Jumpshot-style activities and it returns to glory as one of the best antivirus software. In the meantime, we'd recommend using one of the many other solid choices in this realm listed above.
Because the company has been in the news the past few years, let's talk about Kaspersky Lab -- specifically about the federal ban that blocks US government agencies from using Kaspersky Antivirus products. Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has for years produced some of the best antivirus software for business antivirus needs and home customers.
But in the US government prohibited Kaspersky security cloud software on federal government computers because of alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government. But as with China-based Huawei , the question remains: If the federal government doesn't think the products are safe enough for its own devices, should consumers avoid them as well? In a statement sent to CNET, the company said, "Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never, nor will ever, engage in cyber offensive activities.
Kaspersky Lab maintains that no public evidence of any wrongdoing has been presented by the US government, and that the US government's actions against Kaspersky Lab were unconstitutional. In Kaspersky's favor, it continues to earn top scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs. And it's reasonably priced. In the end, even though no one has ever publicly produced a "smoking gun" linking the company to Russian intrigue, we think any of the options listed above are a safer bet.
And if you are a US government employee or work with the federal government, you'll want to steer clear of Kaspersky internet security products -- and perhaps use one of the antivirus software products mentioned here instead. Picking the best antivirus software for Windows means finding one that keeps your PC safe, doesn't take up a lot of system resources, is easy to use and stays out of the way till you need it.
Here's what to look for. Antivirus software runs virus scans for known viruses and malware, of course, and can offer real-time protection. And it watches for shady websites and suspicious links to keep you out of trouble. It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware.
You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives. We gave particular importance to platforms that were easy to use and integrate. Pew Research Center. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.
We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Your Money. Personal Finance. Your Practice. Popular Courses. Best Antivirus Software Expand. Best Antivirus Software. What Is Antivirus Software? What Does Antivirus Software Cost?
Best Overall : Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. Sign Up Now. Cons VPN available but with a separate subscription. Pros PC protections including firewall and backup Excellent malware protection Password manager LifeLock identity theft protection.
Cons Ransomware detection could be improved Slows the computer during full scans One of the more expensive offerings.
Pros Excellent phishing detection Fast virus scanning Labels malicious links during online searches. Cons Limited testing data. Pros Offers protection for all devices, including Android and iOS Good malware detection Good firewall Offers a number of bonus features in the price. Cons Fewer features for Apple products. Pros Affordable pricing Easy-to-use dashboard Protects online financial transactions Many bonus features. Cons Resource intensive Most versions only work on Windows.
Best Malware Scanning : Malwarebytes. Pros Removes malware Blocks ransomware Real-time detection. Cons Free version has a lot less protection and features. Article Sources. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. Clearsight AV 7 years ago. Mihai Oprean 7 years ago.
Zgordan Vyacheslav 8 years ago. Luke Walling 7 years ago. Eric 8 years ago. Ralph 8 years ago. Svend 8 years ago. HAL Admin 8 years ago. Doc 9 years ago. Akbar Ali 9 years ago.
Jakethus 9 years ago. Hilder 9 years ago. Raymond Author 9 years ago. Man EnVy 9 years ago. Fernando Ferreira 9 years ago.
Sunil Sherekar 9 years ago. TheRube 9 years ago. Dr, Hubert Hechabarria 9 years ago. Arachnoid 9 years ago. Charlie 9 years ago. Fahad 12 years ago. Meshal 13 years ago. The job of a malware writer is to convince you to run his innocent-sounding program, which secretly does something other than its stated purpose.
It might claim to be a new video playback plugin like the one I saw last week but actually turns out to be a program that hides on your PC and steals passwords or sends spam. Social engineering explains how an entire class of malicious fake antivirus programs made it onto the top 10 malware list for the first half of this year. Malware writers make their living exploiting unpatched systems. The vulnerability that Conficker exploits was blocked by a Microsoft patch released in October In fact, that's true of most of the top PC malware variants found in the wild.
Four of the entries on the top 10 list for are based on vulnerabilities that were identified and patched in or , and none of the others could have been installed without explicit user interaction on a fully updated copy of Windows. It's not just Windows that needs patching. Some of the most effective malware vectors these days are coming through vulnerabilities in products like Adobe Flash and Reader, in the Java runtime, and in Microsoft Office.
In most cases, the vulnerabilities were patched quickly by the software maker, but if you didn't apply that update, you remain vulnerable. Ironically, most of these exploited programs are cross-platform; in theory, malware authors can add code to their PDF or Java exploits that target Macs or Linux PCs. So far, they haven't done that. Attacks via zero-day exploits are rare.
Zero-day exploits get a lot of publicity, but they rarely have a widespread impact. The worst variants of these attacks are the ones aimed at specific companies, like the targeted wave of attacks against Adobe, Google, and other high-profile companies in early And even those only succeeded because they exploited unpatched systems using an outdated browser.
So how do you protect your PC online?
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