There's no added value to this, though, no real-time checking, no automatic notification if your data shows up somewhere. You have to run the check manually, and the report page acknowledges that Total AV is only using data from 'have i been pwned? The company doesn't provide any details on who is behind the service, but checking its app, we found a VPN location list pointing to Windscribe servers. If you're looking for simplicity, this might appeal, but Windscribe's apps give you far more functionality.
Maybe there was at least something more under the hood, like a kill switch to protect you if the connection dropped? We ran our usual kill switch tests, and the answer was: nope. It wasn't a total disaster - Total AV warned us that the VPN was down, so you might be able to abandon any sensitive tasks - but it's not the standard we'd expect from a quality VPN. Check our Windscribe review for a more in-depth look at what its network can do, though keep in mind that Windscribe's own apps include support for faster protocols and other speed-boosting technology.
Standard price, too - it won't double on renewal. Password Vault is a simple password manager which can generate secure passwords, save and sync them across your devices, and automatically fill in login forms in Chrome and Firefox.
It covers the very basics, but can't handle credit card details, shipping addresses or anything more advanced. It seems to be based on the open source AdGuard, which works for us as it's a capable product. Small bonus features include easy ways to clear cookies and history, and launch private browsing.
For that sort of price, we'd be expecting many more solid security-related features. Norton Deluxe offers antivirus, an unlimited VPN and a password manager, but also includes features missing from Total AV: firewall, cloud backup with 50GB storage space, parental controls, webcam protection and more. The top suites are missing features we'd expect at this level, like a firewall or parental controls, and the mostly underpowered extras can't make up for Total AV's many problems.
Total AV has some low headline prices, but if you're still not convinced, using the app in its free mode gives you time to explore the product and see what's on offer. There is no real-time protection, which means Total AV Free Edition can't replace a full antivirus product. But you can run quick, full system or custom scans whenever you like, and by default the app also runs a scheduled quick scan every week.
The lack of real-time protection has a plus point, in that it's much less likely that Total AV Free Edition will conflict with other security applications. That could allow you to run the app alongside an existing antivirus as a second line of defense. Keep in mind that Total AV runs Avira underneath, though, so probably won't work on an Avira-equipped system.
The app is very straightforward to use. A left-hand sidebar points you to the Malware Scan area, and a couple of buttons give you options to run quick, full system or custom scans.
Total AV Free Edition scanned our test system in a reasonable time faster than most for the first time, slower than some after that , displayed any threats it found and quarantined them with a click. If you've ever used another antivirus, you'll quickly feel at home. 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. Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources.
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. Windows gets attacked by viruses, Trojans and other malware much more often than any other software platform, and using a PC without antivirus protection is asking for trouble.
Fortunately, Windows 8. If you're just aiming to keep your PC free from infection, Defender and its related Windows features might provide all the protection you need.
But it can't match the extra features that come with the best paid antivirus software and even some other free programs. If you've got kids at home, you can get a premium security suite that includes parental controls along with antivirus software. Many suites also include VPN service, password managers, backup software or even identity-theft protection — all bundled more cheaply than if you bought each feature on its own.
Each brand's antivirus programs share one Windows malware-detection "engine," but more features get added as subscription prices rise. Norton LifeLock has even more plans mixing in various levels of protection. The more expensive plans also bundle in antivirus software for Macs and Android devices and offer limited security programs for iOS devices as well. There are no true antivirus apps for iPhones and iPads.
Here's our list of the best paid antivirus programs. Don't forget to check out our list of the best free antivirus software halfway down this page. Kaspersky provides the best antivirus protection overall Kaspersky Total Security combines one of the world's top-rated malware-detection engines with a ton of useful features.
It's the best antivirus software you can buy today. Click here if you're in the U. Bitdefender offers the best value in antivirus software Bitdefender Antivirus Plus combines great malware protection with an assortment of useful features and an easy-to-use interface, all at a very affordable price.
Norton packs in everything but the kitchen sink Norton's antivirus products offer a password manager, unlimited VPN data, identity theft protection, parental controls and even online storage. If you're willing to pay full freight, you'll get almost every kind of digital security you could ever need.
Kaspersky Total Security 2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 3. Norton Deluxe 4. McAfee Internet Security 5. Trend Micro Maximum Security 6. Sophos Home Premium. Our top choice is Kaspersky Total Security, which delivers excellent malware protection, a full complement of extra features and an easy-to-use interface.
Right behind that are the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, the best bargain in antivirus software, and Norton Deluxe, which offers a ton of extra features, including unlimited VPN service and LifeLock identity protection. Any of these three would serve you well, but the ideal choice depends on your circumstances. See our section on how to choose the best antivirus software below, or our stand-alone antivirus buying guide. Both offered excellent protection without system slowdowns, but Kaspersky's free program lets you schedule scans, adds a ton of useful extras and had the smallest system impact we've ever seen.
Kaspersky's Windows products have excellent malware-detection scores and a light-to-moderate system-performance impact, the two most important criteria in our rankings. But it's beaten by Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which has even more features. It has a secure browser, anti-theft protection for laptops, webcam protection and a limited-use VPN client that kicks in when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network.
We think it's the best antivirus software you can buy today. Read our full Kaspersky Total Security review. The best antivirus software you can buy Kaspersky offers excellent malware protection, lots of useful extra features and a light system impact with an easy-to-use interface.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our top choice among entry-level antivirus products. It has very good, if not perfect, malware-detection scores. Its active scans don't add much to the background system impact, but that background load is a bit heavy.
It also offers the most value, with an unlimited password manager, a secure browser with a virtual keyboard, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, protection against encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software -- features often found only with pricier antivirus packages. The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.
Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review. All of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. The number of extra features each program has varies, but the sweet spot in the lineup is Norton Deluxe. It includes a password manager that works on all major platforms, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and up to 50GB of online storage space. Two other offerings, Norton Premium and Norton Platinum, give you more online storage and expand the antivirus and VPN coverage to 10 and 20 devices, respectively.
If you want full-on identity protection, Norton offers three bundles with varying degrees of LifeLock service and even more online storage. Their subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately. Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products.
Yet every other digital-protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles. Read our full Norton Deluxe review. McAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not quite top-of-the-line.
To get parental controls or one of the best password managers in the business, you'll have to spring for McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs. The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service. But none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with other premium antivirus programs.
Read our full McAfee Internet Security review. Trend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results. Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security. Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, while the new Trend Micro Premium Security adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of personal data.
However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, standard with other brands' midrange offerings. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage or backup software that some of the best antivirus brands add as enticements to their flagship packages.
Read our full Trend Micro Maximum Security review. ESET is one of the biggest antivirus names in Europe, with a very small system-performance load and fast scans. Its malware-detection rate used to be kind of meh, but has improved markedly in recent lab tests. However, there's no VPN client, backup software or file shredder. ESET's pricing is per device, which is optimal for users who might have more than a few devices to protect. But if your device count gets into double digits, ESET's costs can add up.
Sophos Home Premium does its job economically, offering reasonable protection from malware at an affordable price. Because it's spun off from Sophos' enterprise software for business clients, Sophos Home Premium lacks many of the bells and whistles other security suites offer, such as a password manager, identity theft protection service or VPN service.
Finding the best antivirus program for your PC can be a daunting task with so many options available at different price points, but we've done the hard work to find you the best ones available in the UK this year. The days when you could catch a virus or a malicious worm by simply connecting to the internet are thankfully behind us, but installing a good all-around security solution will always ensure that you're one step ahead of falling victim to online attacks.
A few years ago, there was a sudden explosion of ransomware, and while security suites were quickly updated to block the threats, a heavy price was paid often literally by individuals and businesses who assumed that the malware threat was a thing of the past. You know what they say about prevention being better than cure. Antivirus programs today are much cheaper than they were before and many - like the ones below - are often available at rock-bottom discounted prices for a limited time.
All security suites promise to block online threats, and many of them do so very effectively. However, some are prone to false positives, and that could be very dangerous. All of the antivirus suites we recommend below have proved themselves in rigorous tests by independent security specialists AV Comparatives and AV Test.
Check out their websites for more details of test results, and for the latest scores awarded to other software. Most antivirus programs offer a range of products at different prices. Even the most basic antivirus tools should intercept malware as soon as it lands on your PC.
We recommend that you also look for some sort of web protection. The "Internet Security" suite will add extra features, including features to protect your online privacy. Specialised anti-ransomware measures have recently become popular, too.
Webcam protection is another popular tool, ensuring that no app can surreptitiously use your webcam to spy on you.
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