You can install Avast One Essential on your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices for exactly zero dollars. Setting up malware protection for your devices doesn’t have to break the bank. Fine! Install Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and make sure its Autopilot is turned on. You want malware protection, not a conversation about security or a barrage of popup notifications. Bitdefender’s security goes way beyond malware protection basics, and it does the job with a minimum of bother for you, the user. It foils ads trackers and other browser-level tracking systems and even includes a VPN, though you pay extra for full VPN functionality. With Bitdefender you get simple password management, protection for your banking transactions, and warnings if you’ve missed important security patches. It aces many of our own hands-on tests, too, including a challenge involving real-world ransomware.īut the benefits don’t stop there. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus excels at those basics, as its consistently excellent lab scores attest. Wiping out malware that made its way onto your system and fending off any further attacks-these are the basics of malware protection. Read on for our top picks, followed by everything you need to know about how to keep your devices free of malware.

We’ve reviewed over 100 products designed to combat malware and are including the best ones here. You’ll also find security suites that shore up protection in various ways, and programs specific to a task such as ransomware protection. But never fear there are plenty of ways to fight back against the scourge of malware.Īt a minimum, installing a simple antivirus utility should keep most threats at bay. Keyloggers capture your login passwords along with everything else you do at your computer. Ransomware encrypts your essential documents and demands a no-trace payout to restore them. Trojan horse programs masquerade as useful tools, hiding activities such as tapping your online bank transactions. But there’s a shadier ‘ware lurking, one we call malware. Some go so far as to use “wetware” to name the brain that uses the software. The apps and programs that run on your hardware, they’re called software. The computer, smartphone, or table you use every day is an example of hardware.

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