More and more of our purchases and information gathering is taking place online, and as we clock more time on the internet the risk of exposure to viruses and malware increases. Anyone that browses the internet, no matter how safe the sites may seem, needs to have an antivirus program on their computer. These programs will protect you from spyware, hacking and other malware. They are doubly important if you do any type of purchasing online or complete any forms requesting personal data. Based on our research, we have found Norton, McAfee, and Avast to be the top 3 antivirus software products currently available on the market. Read on to learn more about the features offered by each.
Top 3 Antivirus Software Products
- Norton
- McAfee
- Avast
Norton
Norton offers a full complement of options starting at $19.99 for three months and increasing as the time period and number of devices covered goes up. The basic software covers one device for a full year for $44.99 but the company does offer many discounts throughout the year. If you are looking for reliable protection that spans all devices, the Norton packages are fairly complete in their protection against malware, spyware, and phishing. This software will protect your identity and keep all of your financial data protected when shopping online. Norton is constantly updating their software to protect customers from viruses as they occur so you can expect updates during your usage period.
Highlights
- 24/7 customer service
- Full protection from malware with real-time updates as new viruses are created
- One software package to protect all devices
McAfee
McAfee offers full protection on up to 10 devices starting at $44.99 on sale. Protection for one device starts at $24.99. These prices are for the first year of subscription only. The protection includes wifi and password protection along with the True Key service that creates and stores difficult to crack passwords. The Total Security Package is comprehensive and protects from viruses launched on the internet and apps. McAfee also offers the ability to permanently delete sensitive files. The McAfee antivirus protection software is quite complete and has a few nice add-ons included which makes it a great protection choice.
Highlights
- True Key service is included to provide full password management
- Data backup, antitheft, and app security service are all part of the software package
- Offers the option to permanently delete files containing sensitive data
Avast
Avast is currently offering a 30-day free trial to customers for its three different levels of antivirus protection. The most comprehensive, or Premier, version includes features not found on most commonly used antivirus products. The security includes advanced firewalls, the ability to use a suspicious looking app in isolation to prevent the infection of your total device, and their ransomware protection is also impressive. The premiere version is currently on sale for $52.99 and is worth the extra cost over the ProAntivirus which starts at $49.99. Avast offers automatic updates when new viruses hit the web, and their anti spam software is offered as a free download.
Highlights
- 30-day free trial to try out their services
- Firewall protection and ability to access suspect apps without contaminating your entire device
- Free anti-spam download
Conclusion
Antivirus software has become a necessity in today’s online environment and these top 3 antivirus software products will keep you surfing the net in safety.