Browsing the web nowadays can be tricky and sometimes downright scary. There are multiple dangers lurking on every corner of the world wide web. From hackers to viruses, malware, keyloggers, phishing software and the list goes on. The dangers can be found everywhere, from browsing social networks and clicking on a harmless looking link, opening up an e-mail from someone we do not know, to downloading and running malicious software masking themselves as legit, free software, and since we keep our whole lives on our computers : our personal photos, videos and files are stored within our hard drives, therefore, in order to be protect them from any harm, we have to rely on antivirus software, that has to protect us against all of the above while being constantly updated to keep protecting our computer against the constantly arising newest threats. Choosing an antivirus software for your computer is a crucial decision, therefore, to make things a little easier, here is a list of Top 5 best antivirus software in 2019 :
Bitdefender
This antivirus software gets constant high test scores on multiple websites which specialize in testing antivirus detection and protection rates. It comes in a stand alone antivirus, or a complete package which includes the antivirus software and adding on to of it multiple tools in order to provide complete protection, which includes :
Detecting and blocking malicious links from opening on your web browser, informing you of vulnerabilities found on your operating system and keeping you updated in case of a required security patch for the OS, which also going over your system settings and making sure they are set for maximum protection against malicious software and viruses. Also included is a secure web browser which prevents snooping of your personal details online, such as banking information while also making sure your important documents are safe from ransomware.
However, it might be a little too heavy on resources, if your computer is not powerful enough.
Kaspersky
Kaspersky is on the well known names in the antivirus software industry. Kaspersky antivirus has a well regarded as having one of the top antivirus engines. It is considered to offer the most accurate, reliable and consistent protection against threats. They offer a stand alone antivirus software that provides constantly updated automated protection against viruses and online threats. In addition, the antivirus software also offers web filtering, which block malicious websites. The complete package, titled Kaspersky Internet Security, offers all of the above and adds protection against phishing, malware, e-mail protection, hacking and data leaks.
However, since it’s very feature packed, some security scan might overlap each other.
ESET NOD32
This antivirus is well regarded as one of the best antivirus software in the market. The core antivirus offers antivirus protection and real-time malware protection, plus some anti-malware and more tools to prevent your operating system from being hacked. This antivirus software scans any external devices such as USB sticks, CDs and DVDs, external hard drives and even bluetooth devices to make sure that none of them contain any malicious code that might harm your computer. The company also offers a more comprehensive protection package, titled ESET Internet Security which offers an antivirus, a firewall, webcam protection and anti spam protection. However, it is considered not so well regarded when it comes to phishing protection. Also, more inexperienced users might find the user interface a little daunting.
Symantec Norton
One of the more well known names in the industry, and for a good reason. Norton antivirus was (and still is) considered to be one of the best antivirus software offer on the market. The standalone antivirus software was discontinued briefly in 2015, but was revived on 2016 as an enhanced product, which replaces the old, standalone antivirus and offers the antivirus with real time threat protection, a firewall and a password manager as well as offering a full security suite, titled Norton 360, which also offer webcam hacking protection and dark web protection, among other features. According to multiple tests, this antivirus software ranks very high when it comes to malware protection and clean up, while also ranks pretty high on the antivirus engine detection rates. However, it is considered quite pricey and the first full scan might be a little slow.
Windows Defender
Windows Defender is the built in security system offered in Windows operating systems and has come a long way since it was initial release in 2004 and was released back when Windows XP was was still prominent in the market. It was added as part of the Windows operating system since Windows Vista and has been since included in every release of Windows. The newest version that comes built-in into Windows 10 has seen it’s fair share of updates and tweaks. This antivirus solution used to score pretty low on antivirus tests in previous years but has improved significantly in the past couple of years, now scoring very high on the anti virus tests list with a high rate of accuracy on real time protection, which proves that this product has come a long way since it’s inception. It’s pretty lightweight as it runs in the background and it is a component of the Windows operating system. It also comes with smart screen protection which protects you from malware and malicious links when browsing the web, but it only work if you are using the Microsoft Edge browser. On the other hand, it has not proved itself yet in phishing protection, as it is considered to perform very poorly in that area.
In conclusion, an efficient, regular updated antivirus with good detection and cleaning features is required when going online. It is quite important to find the best antivirus solution for your computer, as in today’s world, leaving your computer unprotected online might lead to disastrous results, from data loss, computer crashes and in extreme cases, hacking or holding your files at ransom.