The most effective antivirus software should not just shield your PC against malware and viruses, but also shield you from hackers and dodgy sites. It should provide a variety of additional features for example, the use of a VPN, password protection and phishing detection. There are a variety of options available including basic ones that only focus on removing malware to complete suites that provide all the basic features and extra features like identity theft protection or a password manager. A majority of these are offered as yearly subscriptions, so be sure to research before making your choice.

Kaspersky is a household name in the antivirus industry, but it also has privacy issues that haven’t been resolved due to suspicions the company is associated with the Russian government. It’s got impressive features and great protection against viruses in AV Comparatives tests. It offers standard security tools www.defencesoftware.net/eset-antivirus-products-general-overview such as firewalls, as well as brute force protection as well as zero-day exploits, which can help protect you from attacks that target your passwords, usernames, or bank account details.

Malwarebytes is another good alternative. It has a good reputation for malware detection, and it has a great collection of security tools. It has excellent heuristic detection and behavior monitoring, as well as a strong VPN. It’s slightly more expensive than other premium suites, however it offers a user-friendly interface and many additional features, including dark web scans and a virtual keypad.