Stay one step ahead of evolving cyber threats. This proprietary cutting-edge technology captures unknown files and sends them to the Avast Threat Labs for real-time analysis to keep you safe.
Their free antivirus just got even better. It now includes real-time security updates, scans for both malware and performance issues, and even catches malicious downloads before they reach your PC. And with a cutting-edge virus scanner that blocks and removes viruses, you can be reassured that you and your family are protected from the latest threats.
The best free antivirus. Panda Free Antivirus protects you while you work, play, or browse the Internet. Panda Free Antivirus provides the easiest-to- use and most intuitive protection for your computer. Install it and forget about viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers and online fraud.
Chat, share photos and videos, shop online, read your favorite blogs or browse the Web with complete peace of mind. ClamWin Free Antivirus is used by more than , users worldwide on a daily basis. It comes with an easy installer and open source code. You may download and use it absolutely free of charge. Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware. It features:. Download Free Antivirus and System Optimization.
Immunet is a malware and antivirus protection system that utilizes cloud computing to provide enhanced community-based security. Join the Immunet Community today and help make the internet safer for everyone. Immunet is designed to easily adapt to new threats with its unique signature automation technology.
By utilizing a data-driven pull model via the Immunet Cloud, we have a tight feedback loop that streamlines the defense process against established and new threats. It is well-known that malicious malware will hijack your computer, steal your personal data and make your PC become slower and more unstable.
This dual protection can deeply scan and remove over million hidden threats, like spyware, ransomware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots, worms, and hijackers, to keep your PC free from attack.
Business-grade cybersecurity. Now available for home users. Protect all the computers in your home with the free Sophos Home. The same antivirus, malware protection, and web filtering technology trusted by hundreds of thousands of businesses is now yours to take home. You agree to receive updates, promotions, and alerts from ZDNet. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to receive the selected newsletter s which you may unsubscribe from at any time.
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What are you looking for? Preferences Community Newsletters Log Out. Ed Bott Senior Contributing Editor Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. Full Bio. Hope you like upsell offers. Avira Free Security. Antivirus and much more maybe too much. Bitdefender Antivirus Free. The minimalist antivirus alternative. Kaspersky Security Cloud. From Russia, with a few extras.
Sophos Home Free. Manage up to three PCs from the web. ZDNet Recommends. Toda View now at AVG. Avira Free Security Antivirus and much more maybe too much Avira Free Security includes basic antivirus scanning, as expected, but it also includes a pair of extra modules intended to improve performance and safeguard privacy. The performance tab of the Avira console includes options for cleaning the registry, View now at Avira.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free The minimalist antivirus alternative Bitdefender, a privately held company based in Romania, has a solid reputation for its paid security products.
Bitdefender Ant View now at Bitdefender. Kaspersky Security Cloud From Russia, with a few extras Eugene Kaspersky, who founded Kaspersky Lab, argues that offering free protection to its customers is part of its core mission. Yes, you will see upsell offers in Kaspersky products including a can't-miss red "Upgrade package" button on the Kaspersky View now at Kaspersky. After 30 days, your installation is downgraded to the free edition and you lose the ran View now at Sophos Home Free.
Is the Microsoft Defender Antivirus included with Windows 10 good enough? Do independent antivirus test results matter? Well, sort of. If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows 10 will turn back on its own antivirus.
Norton antivirus provides industry-leading security software for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Note, we don't think antivirus protection is terribly useful outside the Windows realm. In addition to malware and virus protection for your computer and mobile device, this antivirus suite provides GB of backup to the cloud, safe-browsing tools, a secure VPN, password manager, parental controls and LifeLock identity theft protection and fraud alert.
While not all of those services are necessarily best in their respective class, getting them all in one package is a compelling option. If you'd like to take a step up in securing your PC without taxing your wallet, it's hard to beat Bitdefender's free antivirus software for Windows The Windows security software offers real-time monitoring for viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware protection.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is easy to set up and stays out of your way until you need it. And the protection this antivirus product offers is solid. Bitdefender antivirus software consistently earns top marks for its antivirus protection and usability from the respected AV-Test independent testing lab. The free antivirus version covers one Windows PC. Malwarebytes does protect your PC from a virus or malware attack, scoring reasonably well in recent independent testing for guarding against malware threats.
But that's not really what Malwarebytes is known for. If you find yourself in trouble, the go-to disinfectant for many is Malwarebytes. To get the antivirus company's free antivirus version, download this trial version , which "downgrades" to a no-fee on-demand cleaner with fewer features that detects and removes viruses and malware when you run an on-demand antivirus scan after 14 days.
In addition to the four antivirus apps we recommend above, a handful of other anti-malware tools are worth considering among the best antivirus protection if you find them at a better price or just prefer to use one over our picks above.
It feels like McAfee Antivirus has been around forever, first on its own in the '80s, then as part of Intel starting in , and then again on its own when Intel spun it off in And McAfee Total Protection has been around forever because quarter after quarter it creates solid, modern antivirus software that protects your PC.
In recent evaluations by AV-Test, it had high scores on both protection and performance. Maybe this antivirus provider is not as well known to consumers because of its focus on enterprise security, Trend Micro antivirus quietly brings its business expertise to the home with its Trend Micro Maximum Security tools.
Trend Micro's software earns high marks from AV-Test -- consistently scoring well for detecting zero-day attacks and widespread viruses and malware. And Trend Micro does a good job of not taxing system resources. Free version? It earns high scores for usability and offers solid virus protection. The free antivirus version of Sophos Home gives you virus protection for three Windows PCs -- using the company's high-scoring anti-malware tool -- plus a day trial of the company's malware-removal tool.
Test after test, Avast Antivirus for Windows performs well for malware detection with options ranging from Avast free antivirus software to Avast Premium Security. And we've included its antivirus in our list of recommended security app options before. But Avast was in the news for several months for its non-antivirus business, so we looked at the company, specifically reports at the end of that Avast allegedly collected user data with its browser plug-ins and antivirus software and then sold data it collected through its Jumpshot subsidiary in early In response to the reports that his company gathered and sold the details of its customers' online activities, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said in a statement that he understood that his company's actions raised questions of trust in his company.
To address that, Avast terminated Jumpshot data collection in January and closed its operations because the data collection business wasn't in line with Avast's privacy priorities. These newer reports follow another in from Avast that its internal network was breached , possibly to insert malware into its CCleaner software, similar to an earlier CCleaner hack that occurred prior to Avast's acquiring the Windows utility.
Avast is now saying the right things about taking its customers' privacy seriously , but it only came to that point after reacting to investigative reporting that revealed the Jumpshot practices. The CCleaner revelations, while concerning, were self-disclosed, which is important to building user trust.
We hope Avast's more privacy-friendly policies mean that there will be no further Jumpshot-style activities and it returns to glory as one of the best antivirus software. In the meantime, we'd recommend using one of the many other solid choices in this realm listed above. Because the company has been in the news the past few years, let's talk about Kaspersky Lab -- specifically about the federal ban that blocks US government agencies from using Kaspersky Antivirus products.
Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has for years produced some of the best antivirus software for business antivirus needs and home customers. But in the US government prohibited Kaspersky security cloud software on federal government computers because of alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government. But as with China-based Huawei , the question remains: If the federal government doesn't think the products are safe enough for its own devices, should consumers avoid them as well?
In a statement sent to CNET, the company said, "Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never, nor will ever, engage in cyber offensive activities. Kaspersky Lab maintains that no public evidence of any wrongdoing has been presented by the US government, and that the US government's actions against Kaspersky Lab were unconstitutional.
In Kaspersky's favor, it continues to earn top scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs. And it's reasonably priced.
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