The best antivirus software won’t just shield your computer from malware; it also helps keep you safe from hackers, dodgy websites, and other online threats. It should also include additional options like the use of a VPN and password protection, and also phishing detection. There are many options available including basic ones focused on eliminating malware to complete suites that provide all the necessary features, plus additional features such as identity theft protection or password management. A majority of these are offered as yearly subscriptions, so be sure to look around before making your decision.
Kaspersky is another household name in the antivirus industry but it does have privacy issues that are not resolved due to the possibility that the company is linked to the Russian government. It’s a great product with great protection against viruses in AV Comparatives tests. In addition to the standard security tools such as firewalls it also offers brute-force and zero-day exploit protection. This can prevent you from being a victim of attacks that target your usernames and passwords or your bank information.
Malwarebytes is a different option. It has a good reputation for malware detection, and has a great set of additional security tools. It offers excellent heuristics detection and behavior monitoring, as well as a strong trustworthy VPN. It is a little more expensive than other premium options, but it has an easy-to-use interface, and a large number of additional features like dark web scanning and a virtual keyboard.