Cybercriminals are constantly improving their techniques, so you require a comprehensive antivirus to guard against the latest threats. A good antivirus program will detect, scan for and eliminate trojans, viruses malware, worms, and spyware. Certain antivirus programs offer additional security features such as virtual personal networks as well as parental and password management controls as well as protection against phishing.
The antivirus software must also safeguard you from rootkits and keyloggers which secretly record every single word you type into your keyboard, including passwords and credit card numbers. It should also protect against ransomware, which can hijack your computer and keep files hostage until you pay a ransom.
The most effective antivirus software will have a high detection rate for known malware and consistently excellent scores in independent labs of testing. A robust security suite also has other safety features like a detection system based on algorithms that look for the types of behaviour that viruses are known to exhibit. It should also have a firewall, and a few software packages have a sandboxing option that allows you to run malicious programs in a virtual environment that will not cause damage.
A good antivirus program should update frequently, typically once a day or more. It should work with many devices, including PCs, Macs, smartphones and smart homes. The price for antivirus programs can vary and some offer low introductory rates. Some offer monthly or yearly subscriptions and others charge per device. The price of a program should be based on the number of devices and kinds it safeguards, the frequency of updates and user-friendliness this and other safety features.