Cybercriminals change their tactics constantly. You require comprehensive antivirus protection to guard yourself against most recent threats. A good antivirus program can identify, scan and eliminate viruses as well as trojan horses, worms and spyware. Some antivirus programs come with additional security features like virtual personal networks password management, parental controls along with phishing protection.
Antivirus software must also protect you from rootkits and keyloggers that secretly track all the data you input into your keyboard including passwords and credit card numbers. It should also prevent ransomware, which can take over your computer and keep files in limbo until you pay a ransom.
The most effective antivirus software will have a high detection rate for known malware and consistently excellent scores in independent labs for testing. A robust security suite also includes other security features such as an anti-virus system that is based on algorithms that search for the kinds of behavior that viruses are known to exhibit. It should also have firewalls and some programs offer a sandboxing feature which lets you run suspicious programs within a controlled environment in which they aren’t able to do harm.
A good antivirus program will be updated frequently, typically once a day or more. It should also work with a wide range of devices, from PCs and Macs to smartphones and smart homes. The price of antivirus programs varies, with some offering low introductory rates. Some antivirus programs charge monthly or annually, while others charge per device. The cost of an antivirus program should be evident in the amount and types of devices it protects and the frequency of updates and how easy to use, and what additional security features it has.