What is an antivirus?

Antivirus is a dedicated program that prevents malware infection, identifies it, and removes it from the device following an infection.

Are free antiviruses any good?

Today, some reputable free antivirus solutions offer satisfactory protection against most known malware threats. However, they may be annoying due to ads. They are also relatively slow to update with the latest virus definitions compared to paid programs. In comparison, some other free tools may lack fancy protective tools.

Is "antivirus" and "antimalware" the same thing?

Apparently, yes. Both tools protect your device from malicious programs. However, they're different in the way they work. Antivirus programs have a more preventive approach, protecting your device from being infected in the first place. In contrast, antimalware programs do not often prevent infection. Instead, they destroy the malware once it arrives on the device.

Is it safe to use antivirus and antimalware together?

Yes. Since both tools work differently, you can have them installed together for robust protection. However, ensure you do not have two antiviruses or two antimalware simultaneously, as they will counter each other's activity. If you have two similar programs installed on your device, make sure to disable one of them before running the other.

Do I need antivirus software on Windows 10?

Microsoft ships Windows 10 operating system with a built-in free antivirus Windows Defender. Though it's good enough as a free security tool, it may not yet match other paid solutions' security levels. So, it's better to equip your Windows PC with a robust paid antivirus. Or, you can consider installing antimalware on your machine.

Which is the best antivirus for Windows 10?

Norton360, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and McAfee are all great. Whereas, if you're looking for a free solution, you can try Avira Free Security for Windows, which also comes with a password manager and device optimizer.

Does running an antivirus affect my PC speed?

Like any other software or app, an antivirus program also consumes your PC resources. So, if you're a keen user, you may notice some sluggishness in the overall performance. But that won't be huge, and unless there's a potent malware running on your device that needs time for removal, you won't be bothered by the slow speeds.

Will an antivirus prevent phishing attacks?

Yes, to a certain extent, depending upon the program. For example, some antivirus services offer dedicated email protection, filtering out any suspicious or phishing emails. But this feature isn't super-smart. So, you need to be vigilant about phishing attempts when interacting with unsolicited emails.

10 best antivirus software for 2023 (Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS)

Sneak peek at using an antivirus software

With rising malware threats, an antivirus is a must-have security tool for every device. But unfortunately, the diversity of the device’s operating systems and configurations makes it difficult to find an inclusive tool that offers similar protection for all of them. Nonetheless, services like Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer excellent cross-platform compatibility, empowering users to protect all their devices with a single subscription.

Whether it’s about your Windows PC, laptop, Mac, tablet, smartphone, or anything, all devices remain continuously exposed to malware attacks. Thus, having a stealthy antivirus program today is inevitable for every device you use.

Indeed, with time, traditional viruses and malware have evolved drastically to become unbeatable. Therefore, you cannot choose an average antivirus software that can’t fend off severe threats.

So, the question here is, what is the best antivirus software you should install?

Since the needs of individuals vary, we can’t list one as the best for all. However, this article has gathered the ten premium antivirus tools to protect your device in 2023.

Top 3 antivirus software – The quick list

In a rush? Here are the top antivirus protection tools for your device:

Norton 360: Thorough virus protection with additional features.
Kaspersky Security Cloud: Nominal security plans with multi-device support for free.
Bitdefender Total Security: Supports up to 10 devices with multi-platform compatibility.

Do you really need virus protection software?

It is the most common question people ask today. Given the preloaded or built-in virus scanners and protection tools, many users wonder whether they should go for a third-party antivirus program or not.

Also, some (pseudo) cybersecurity experts argue that you don’t need to have an antivirus until you follow safe browsing habits.

However, if you ask us the same question, then, in one line, the answer is, YOU DEFINITELY NEED AN ANTIVIRUS!

Why?

At first, the threat actors keep working on ways to create and improvise malware. Hence, we now have many different types of viruses that do not look or sound malicious initially. Some of them do not even steal your data or do financial harm to you. Instead, they execute other activities, such as malvertising.

These seemingly innocent programs occupy space on your device and use your resource. Still, they do not warrant staying harmless in the future. You never know when simple adware will start stealing your data.

Also, these programs give control of your device to hackers, which is a security breach.

Lastly, no matter how careful you remain while browsing, you can’t be sure when a previously safe-to-visit website turns malicious. For example, there might be stealthy scripts running on it. Or maybe, a new virus has stepped into the market, all set to ditch the security features online.

How will you protect your device from such attacks?

Unless you have an antivirus, you cannot protect your device from adware, worms, trojans, spyware, ransomware, or any other type of malware.

Can viruses ditch the top antivirus too?

Another argument that some people present against antivirus software is the occasional skipping of malware detection.