They’re look for malware before it can infect your machine. Increased security measures like identity theft protection and file encryption are commonplace, as well.Īntiviruses aren’t as reactive as they used to be. Many antivirus programs now come as premium security suites, including protection for multiple machines, operating systems and mobile devices. Programs have grown over the years to accommodate a more diversified set of threats, not all of which live on your desktop. Malware is an umbrella term for malicious software. While that’s still true, antiviruses as we know them today are better described as antimalware. Put simply, it protects your computer against viruses. Most people who’ve spent time around a computer can provide a basic definition of antivirus.
Three programs will rank for each and, at the end, we’ll declare an overall winner.īefore going into the rounds, we’re going to define what an antivirus is for 2022, go over basic malware types and how to identify if they’re on your machine, and weigh the pros and cons of free antivirus programs. We’ll compare antivirus programs over five rounds: features, pricing, user-friendliness, protection and support. We’re going to walk you through the cream of the crop that we’ve found throughout our antivirus reviews, as well as inform you about what an antivirus does to protect you and the precautions you can take outside of a normal scan. Welcome to ’s guide to the best antivirus software. What is the Best Free Antivirus Program?.Best Antivirus Software Frequently Asked Questions.Free Antiviruses: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly.