One classic piece of cybersecurity advice aside from creating a strong password is to install antivirus software onto your device, and this is for good reason. Antivirus software can help keep your device safe, protect it from malware and other potentially harmful programs, and possibly offer other security benefits. Thus, if you have not already done so, it is a good idea to install antivirus software onto your device.

What Does Antivirus Software Do?

As the name implies, antivirus software- also called antimalware software- helps to counteract computer viruses and other malware before they can cause damage to your machine. They most often do this by actively monitoring the files downloaded to your device as well as system activity that may indicate compromise. If the antivirus software finds something suspicious, it will alert you of the suspected file(s) or program(s) and, in many cases, give you options to remove or block the suspicious item. That way, you are able to stop a potential threat before it can cause too much damage to your device. Additionally, most antivirus programs provide the option to do a scan of your device and its files, which can be useful in detecting malware that might have been installed before the antivirus software was added. These scans can often be done manually or scheduled to run at routine times, and some antivirus programs will enable you to customize how comprehensive the scan itself is.

Depending on the antivirus software (as well as whether you use the free version of the software or purchase the premium version), other benefits may be packaged into scanning your device and monitoring it for potentially suspicious activity. For example, some antivirus software will also provide a built-in virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts the traffic going to and from your device to help keep it safe. This can help protect against other sorts of cyber attacks, such as a man-in-the-middle attack.

Which Antivirus Software Should I Use?

There are plenty of antivirus options available, many of which have a version that is free to download and use. Some antivirus software companies also offered paid versions of their software, which can include additional protections or security measures such as firewall capabilities, a VPN, or active protection that will alert you if you visit a suspicious website while you browse the web. Which antivirus you should use depends on your budget as well as what additional protections or features you wish to have on your device. Many antivirus software companies offer free trials of their products, which will allow you to experience the benefits of their premium software, and, as mentioned previously, other antivirus companies have entirely free versions of their products that you can use indefinitely. Thus, it is not a bad idea to test out a few different antivirus options before committing to a particular one.

The following are a few examples of popular or commonly used antivirus solutions, but there are plenty more available besides these (listed alphabetically):

• Avast, which can be found at https://www.avast.com/
• AVG, which can be found at https://www.avg.com/
• Malwarebytes, which can be found at https://www.malwarebytes.com/
• McAfee, which can be found at https://www.mcafee.com/
• Microsoft Defender, which can be found at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-defender-for-individuals
• Norton, which can be found at https://us.norton.com/

Finally and importantly, make sure that when you download antivirus software, you do so from a trusted and legitimate antivirus software vendor. Some hackers will create fake websites that pretend to be providing antivirus software, but will actually put malware onto your device when you click the download button. Similarly, you may see advertisements for computer security software while browsing the web. Avoid clicking on these, as they may actually be a type of cyberattack known as malvertising, which is when a hacker creates a fake ad that will download malicious software when clicked. Only download antivirus software directly from the vendor’s website and never from a third-party source.