Top rated pc security programs

Cylance provides a good AI-based malware scanner and not much else. Cylance is available for up to 10 users, and it offers a day money-back guarantee. Download Cylance Now. Yes, most Windows 10 computers come pre-installed with Windows Defender, which is much more useful now than it was a few years ago.

However, it does not provide the same malware protection that the other antiviruses on this list do. But if you keep any kind of sensitive info on your computer — logins, passwords, banking info, photos, etc.

While there are a few free Windows antiviruses that do a decent job of protecting your PC, none of them will fully protect all of your data. Antiviruses like Norton and McAfee have a huge range of internet security features that make sure your computer and all of your most important data is fully protected from the latest cyber threats. All of the antiviruses on this list will run smoothly, quickly, and without performance issues.

The top Windows 10 antivirus of — Norton — will not slow down your PC system at all, regardless of how you use it. Many antiviruses cover multiple operating systems across Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac devices, including most on this list. All of these antiviruses have been ranked and rated for Windows, but they all have other OS support which is equally as impressive.

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Malwarebytes — Best for Basic Cybersecurity Protections Short on time? Comes with a VPN, parental controls, secure storage, and a password manager. Here are the top Windows 10 antiviruses for 1. McAfee — Secure antivirus with a PC optimizer and web protection.

Avira — Lightweight antivirus with great extra features. Frequently asked questions about antiviruses for Windows. They often include multi-device licenses and antivirus software for Mac and Android devices.

At the top are the premium "security suites," which toss in all the extra security tools an antivirus brand can offer, such as password managers, VPN client software, backup software, online storage and even identity-protection services.

The password managers are often quite good, but the online storage can be paltry and the VPN services often don't give you unlimited data. We've collected the best premium antivirus packages on this list of the best internet security suites. Our evaluations are based on each antivirus program's interface, performance, protection and extra features. Was the interface intuitive and user-friendly? How badly did malware scans slow performance? How well did the program detect and remove malware?

Does the program offer useful additional tools? Some of our newer performance tests were done on a Lenovo ThinkPad T with a 2. To assess a program's impact on system speed on both Windows and macOS, we used our own custom tests, which measure how long a CPU takes to match 20, names and addresses on an OpenOffice or Excel spreadsheet.

The longer it took the laptop to finish either test, the heavier the performance impact. Each lab subjects the major antivirus brands' products to stress tests involving thousands of pieces of malware, including hundreds of previously unseen samples.

Kaspersky antivirus products have been banned from U. Because the company is Russian and antivirus software can peer deep into a PC, using Kaspersky software would create an unacceptable risk for persons and organizations involved in national security and critical infrastructure.

However, we still think Kaspersky software is perfectly safe for home users. We've seen no evidence to convince us otherwise. Kaspersky researchers are well respected throughout the antivirus industry, and the company has publicly exposed Russian cyberespionage campaigns as well as those from the United States and other countries around the world. Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor.

He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than 15 years at FoxNews. If you use a Windows PC, you'll need to have one of the best antivirus programs installed, whether free or paid.

View Deal. Bitdefender offers the best value in antivirus software. Norton packs in everything but the kitchen sink.

Kaspersky Total Security. Specifications Anti-theft: Yes. Backup software: Yes. Firewall: Yes. Game mode: Yes. Hardened browser: Yes. Parental controls: Yes. Password manager: Yes. Ransomware rollback: Yes. Webcam protection: Yes. Virtual keyboard: Yes. VPN: Limited upsell. Wi-Fi scanner: Yes. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus.

Specifications Anti-theft: No. Backup software: No. Firewall: No. Parental controls: No. Webcam protection: No. Reasons to avoid - Heavy background system impact. Norton Deluxe. Hardened browser: No.

Ransomware rollback: No. VPN: Unlimited. Reasons to avoid - Heavy slowdown during full scans - Pricey. McAfee Internet Security. Virtual keyboard: No. Reasons to avoid - Very heavy performance hit - No parental controls on mid-priced tier. Trend Micro Maximum Security. Specifications Backup software: No. Reasons to avoid - Heavy performance hit during scans - Many false positives on some tests.

Game mode: No. Password manager: No. Wi-Fi scanner: No. Reasons to avoid - So-so malware protection - Moderate performance penalty during scans - Lacks VPN, password manager, file shredder. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free. Specifications Email scans: Yes.

Password manager: Limited. Ransomware reversal: Yes. Scan scheduler: Yes. Support options: FAQs, forums. Upsell nag factor: Moderate.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. 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.

In the end, even though no one has ever publicly produced a "smoking gun" linking the company to Russian intrigue, we think any of the options listed above are a safer bet. And if you are a US government employee or work with the federal government, you'll want to steer clear of Kaspersky internet security products -- and perhaps use one of the antivirus software products mentioned here instead. Picking the best antivirus software for Windows means finding one that keeps your PC safe, doesn't take up a lot of system resources, is easy to use and stays out of the way till you need it.

Here's what to look for. Antivirus software runs virus scans for known viruses and malware, of course, and can offer real-time protection. And it watches for shady websites and suspicious links to keep you out of trouble. It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware. You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives.

Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service. The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts. Don't just pay the sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check for discounts on a company's website. Another way to save: The prices we list above are for 10 devices -- if the company offered that package -- but you can trim your cost with antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices.

You may also find discounts on an app's Amazon page. To be effective, antivirus software needs to monitor what's going on with your PC, check in with company servers about unusual behavior and should provide sound banking protection.

The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy. But if you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share.

Protection for other platforms. AVG Antivirus is a corporate endpoint security solution designed for security of small and medium-sized organizations. It is one of the leading computer security software offering all kinds of protection needs to prevent viruses, worms, trojans and other malicious threats from spreading into user devices.

The smart scanner feature of this antivirus analyses data in detail. The firewall and antivirus powered with new cloud-based features as CyberCapture enhance the protection level making it one of the most-trusted antivirus.

It is a powerful all-in-one endpoint, server and network protection antivirus package for small and medium-size businesses. Avast Business Antivirus Pro Plus is a computer antivirus software that looks into the complete device giving protection to each file, email, server, and blocks all malware, virus, trojans and other such threats. A free day trial is also available. Being an on-premise and cloud-based security solution designed and developed by the Russian company, Kaspersky, it is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses.

Kaspersky Endpoint Security has a central administration control that gives the ultimate anti-malware and firewall protection for the devices.

It protects the users from any kinds of intrusion, known and unknown and also defends against new and emerging threats by combining signature-based malware detection with the pattern-based technologies. The costs vary with the number of devices. The antivirus software also offers a free trial for 30 days. WebTitan is a computer security software that has a DNS based web content filter blocking malware and phishing attempts.

It also prevents ransomware and allows businesses to have full control over web traffic. A simple and easy to use security solution built for Hotspot and WiFi providers, managed service providers, Internet service providers, etc. Every day it filters over half a billion DNS requests and identifies , malware iterations. It also offers a day free trial. Webroot SecureAnywhere Endpoint Protection gives protection against viruses, malware, trojans, keyloggers, phishing, back-doors, rootkits, etc.

It is highly advanced and has a built-in identity and privacy shield that stops data from being stolen or captured when the device is active and has an internet connection. It is an innovative and predictive protection solution that leverages machine learning and cloud computing while effectively preventing malware and other digital threats.

The efficacy of scans and updates stays intact all this while. They also offer a comprehensive free trial for 30 days. It detects, records, and prevents malicious user behavior in addition to helping teams driving productivity and efficiency. Top features of this software include flexible deployment, customizable platform, secure data centers, live employee monitoring, etc. Organizations from finances to manufacturing and from energy to healthcare and government sectors use this software to prevent any loss of data and information.

ZoneAlarm Pro is one of the leading solutions to protect millions of PC users from different kinds of cyber attacks like ransomware, malware, trojans and identity theft.

It offers enterprise-grade protection to home PC users and has features like anti-virus, internet usage monitoring, intrusion detection system, web threat management, IP protection and spyware removal. It is the most popular and successful Internet security product available to the users. It hides you from hackers. Alternatively, you can opt to try the solution for free for 30 days.

The Barracuda Web Security Gateway lets organizations benefit from online applications and tools without exposure to web-borne malware and viruses, lost user productivity, and misused bandwidth. As a comprehensive solution for web security and management, it unites award-winning spyware, malware, and virus protection with a powerful policy and reporting engine.

Advanced features ensure that organizations adapt to emerging requirements like social-network regulation, remote filtering, and visibility into SSL-encrypted traffic. That, in turn, helps achieve the minimum IT overhead. It has CyberSec feature that shields devices from any malicious online threats. It diverts internet traffic through remote servers around the globe.

It is one of the most trusted VPN and computer security tool. It protects online activities against hackers, own ISPs, and from others who are likely to be spying on the user. It is a very reliable computer security software and is one of the top-rated VPN available today.

Top features of this software include Anti-VPN app, Team Bear, secured public connections, zero log setting and numerous servers around the globe. At present, its ever-growing network of servers is spread across over 26 nations. TunnelBear is available in three plans: Free, Unlimited and Teams. The Free one offers restricted usage. Acunetix is an automatic web security and testing technology that scans and audits all kinds of a web application. It brings an extensive feature-set of both automated and manual penetration testing tools which enables security analysts to check and clear complete vulnerability assessment, repair detected threats, etc.