What is an antivirus software?

Antivirus software is a class of program that was traditionally designed to identify and remove malware infections on computers and networks.

These days, with the increased level of threats, antivirus software has evolved to protect against a wide variety of threats, including spyware, adware, and ransomware, keyloggers, browser hijackers and more.

With new technologies including smartphones and tablets, this again increases the vulnerability of your devices, and so a good antivirus package will also provide protection for all the digital devices you own.

Benefits of an antivirus software?

These days your computer and devices store a lot of your personal information. One of the major benefits of antivirus software is adding a layer of protection onto this information, to stop it being leaked, and used in identity fraud, theft, or other malicious ways.

Antivirus software will also protect your device from virus’s, ad pop-ups and more, that at best will just slow your computer down, and at worst, render your computer useless and your information leaked.

The relatively small price you pay for your antivirus subscription is always far less than even just the monetary value you are vulnerable to without it, let alone the frustrations that come with using a virus-riddled computer.

How much does antivirus software cost?

Antivirus software subscriptions come in all shapes and sizes. Typically, antivirus software companies will offer a free version, together with multiple paid subscription plans, with more inclusions, and multi-device protection, added with the more you pay.

Free versions typically will identify existing virus’s on your device, and then prompt you to take up a paid option to actually remove them. Paid options are usually an annual fee, starting from around $20 per year, up to $150. The top end of these subscriptions will usually cover up to ten devices, so will be suitable for an average sized family or small business. For anything larger than that, companies such as Norton, McAfee and Kaspersky will tailor a solution for you.

One notable exception to this typical structure is PCProtect, which simply offers a single subscription, with all other features offered as add-ons with their own individual fee.

One thing to look out for is first year discount options, and auto-renewals. Companies will incentivise you to sign up to a paid subscription with a heavy discount, sometimes up to 80%, and then on your first-year anniversary date, the pre-selected auto-renewal option kicks in and charges you a massive resubscription fee. ScanGuard is a great piece of software, but is renowned for doing this, so while we certainly recommend them, the first thing you should do once the software is installed, is go to your settings and turn off auto-renewal. At your anniversary date, they will then offer you another significant discount to keep you as a customer.

How to choose the best antivirus software for your operating system?

Many antivirus software options, particularly the more common ones such as McAfee, Norton, TotalAV and Kaspersky, offer solutions for all the major operating systems, including Windows PC, Mac, Android and iOS.

It is fairly common these days for one customer to have devices on separate operating systems, hence why most will cover all of these bases.

There are some to look out for that do not cover all of these operating systems. Panda does not offer coverage to your iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad, while Intego offers a dedicated Mac solution. So this is great if all of your devices are on the Mac operating system, but best to look elsewhere otherwise.

Conclusion

Your devices are vulnerable all day, every day. An attack can become a major issue for you, with individuals and business alike being heavily impacted when this happens.

Luckily antivirus software these days is very affordable, and adept in staying on top of new threats that are appearing every day. It is only a small price to pay for digital protection, and the peace of mind knowing that your online information is secure.