Cybercriminals are always altering their strategies, so you require a comprehensive antivirus to be protected against the newest threats. A good antivirus program will scan for, detect and remove viruses, trojans as well as worms, spyware and trojans. Certain programs also provide additional security features, such as a virtual private network with parental controls, password management and protection against phishing.
Antivirus software must also protect against keyloggers and rootkits which can stealthily record everything you type on your keyboard- including passwords and credit card numbers. It should also prevent ransomware, which can take over your computer and take files hostage until you pay ransom.
The best antivirus software will have a high rate of detection for known malware and consistently good scores in independent labs of testing. A reputable security suite comes with additional safety features such as an anti-virus system that is based on heuristics that searches for the kinds of behavior that viruses are known to exhibit. It should also have a firewall, and a few software packages have a sandboxing option which allows you to run suspicious software in a virtual space where they won’t cause any damage.
A reputable antivirus program updates frequently, typically once or twice per day. It should also be compatible with a wide range of devices, from PCs and Macs to smartphones and smart homes. Certain antivirus applications offer low introductory prices. Certain antivirus programs cost monthly or annually, whereas other charge per device. The price of an antivirus program should be measured by the variety and types of devices it safeguards, how frequent updates are, how easy it is to use, and what other security features it offers.