In the present escalating cybercrime environment, a basic antivirus program is not enough to safeguard your devices. A top-quality antivirus program will provide additional protections that go beyond basic malware detection, including the use of a VPN and performance optimization tools, and password managers. You should also consider an antivirus that is compatible with all operating systems and will not slow down or use up your system’s resources.

The most effective antivirus software can detect and block a range of threats like viruses, worms trojans, ransomware secure board video conferencing spyware, adware rootkits, and keyloggers. They can also protect against phishing attacks, by checking for the presence of malicious websites, as well as identifying fake or unsafe links.

Many companies offer a free trial of their software, or a money-back guarantee. Many offer 24/7 customer service and a complete knowledge base online to help troubleshoot problems.

Microsoft Defender is the most popular antivirus software for Windows (which is installed on the latest Windows computers). It has a high score in tests by independent labs such as AV-Test or AV-Comparatives and is light and non-intrusive however it’s not at the same degree of sophistication as premium standalone products.