To choose perfect antivirus app/software by considering these key factors…
Quality antivirus engine
An obvious primary consideration to ensure you get good protection from your antivirus app – which is clearly the point of installing it in the first place – is to make sure that it has a highly-rated antivirus engine. That’s the key part of the application used when scanning your PC and defending it from malware, and the better that engine is, the more likely that any given malware won’t be able to avoid its radar.
To pay, or not to pay?
Another important decision you’ll need to make is whether you’re willing to fork out any money for antivirus protection. There are plenty of perfectly viable free antivirus products out there from all the big-name vendors, and you don’t have to pay anything to get robust protection from malware, and other extras besides. So why would you buy a paid product? Well, premium versions often offer perks in terms of extra features that keep you even more secure online, and some folks may find these highly useful. However, remember that a free antivirus can protect you just fine. Even Windows Defender – which is a no-effort freebie given that it comes included with Windows 10 – can protect you well enough on a basic level…
How much protection do you need?
If you just need core antivirus protection and basic defenses against malware, perhaps only for one PC (or just a couple of devices), then you can buy a baseline antivirus product (or get a free one. So if you have a lot of devices, and particularly if that’s because you have a number of family members all with different bits of hardware, a top-of-the-line internet security suite will likely be your best bet.
Detection rates
When it comes down to it, the most important factor when choosing antivirus software is how well it can protect your system against both known and unknown threats. Given that there are so many vendors that can provide protection rates well above the 95 percent mark, there really is no excuse to go with a vendor that offers substandard security. Be wary of any antivirus software that consistently scores poorly on independent tests (more on this later!) and don’t hesitate to cross repeat offenders off your list.
To sum up, then, consider whether you want a free or paid app, and how many extra features you need – and perhaps whether you’d like extra security via a cost-effective bundled VPN, or even integrated online storage for backups. Make sure that you pick a package which is suitably user-friendly and streamlined, or has a ton of options and potential tweaks, depending on your preference.