A good antivirus program protects your PC from threats like viruses, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, cryptojackers, and rootkits. It scans for harmful files on your device and, depending on its settings, either deletes them or moves them into a quarantine. It can also block harmful websites and prevent your devices from connecting to dangerous WiFi networks.
A majority of modern smartphones and tablets come with built-in anti-virus protection. However, these programs typically aren’t as efficient as standalone cybersecurity suites. In this article, we’ve reviewed the best antivirus programs that offer solid malware detection rates as well as various other security options, including anti-phishing features, a VPN and disk optimization tools, parental controls, and more.
Viruses and Trojans
Viruses, which are the most prevalent form of malware, may be spread from one device or computer to another by email attachments or infected websites. These viruses can steal anything from passwords and financial information, to destroy important files. Worms can be similar to viruses, but they may also create botnets which are utilized to spam or even attack on other computers. Trojans however can spy on users by recording their keyboard movements and keystrokes.
A reputable antivirus program will also block malicious websites that are designed to collect credit card and banking information from inexperienced users. It also shields you from ransomware that encrypts files and locks them up until you pay a fee to get them back. A few of the top antivirus programs on this list have a feature to prevent ransomware, by preventing your is totalav safe computer from downloading its code.