The reported cyber attack involving Canvas and the subsequent ransomware payment will inevitably trigger familiar debates around paying ransomwares.

Most organizations facing ransomware attacks avoid publicly confirming whether a payment was made. Even where payments occur, communications are typically cautious, limited, or deliberately ambiguous.

Admitting to a ransomware payment creates legal, regulatory, reputational, and ethical complications. It can invite scrutiny from customers, insurers, regulators, and shareholders. It may also create concern that the organization has become vulnerable to future extortion attempts.

On one hand, transparency can be viewed positively. Stakeholders increasingly expect honesty during cyber incidents, particularly where personal data is involved. Attempting to conceal the reality of an attack can create longer-term trust issues if details later emerge through other channels.

For many organizations, the decision to pay a ransom is ultimately driven by operational and financial calculations rather than principle alone. If they don’t have things like ransomware protection, backups, or logs it makes it an almost impossible task to recover.

Cyber insurers, legal advisers, and incident response firms may conclude that prolonged recovery, forensic investigation, service restoration, regulatory management, and reputational damage could cost substantially more than the ransom demand itself.

Pressure to restore services

In sectors like education, where downtime directly affects students, exams, coursework, and institutional continuity, the pressure to restore services quickly can become commercially and socially overwhelming.

That does not make payment risk-free or strategically desirable, but it does explain why some organizations determine that the immediate cost of disruption outweighs the uncertainty and expense of a prolonged recovery process.

However, transparency also exposes a more uncomfortable reality within modern ransomware incidents: it does in fact pay to be a cybercriminal.

Yet focusing solely on the ransom payment itself misses the larger issue.

This incident appears to reinforce a wider trend emerging across modern digital platforms: attackers are increasingly exploiting trust itself.

Reports suggest threat actors abused Canvas “Free-For-Teacher” accounts, leveraging a legitimate platform capability designed to support accessibility and adoption. Rather than forcing entry through traditional technical weaknesses, the attackers operated within accepted trust boundaries.

For education providers, this creates a particularly difficult balance. Platforms are intentionally designed to reduce friction for teachers, students, and external collaborators. Accessibility is part of the value proposition. However, the same openness that enables rapid adoption can also create opportunities for malicious actors to blend into normal platform activity.

This is not simply a security engineering issue. It is a governance issue around how digital trust is granted and monitored at scale.

Identity has become the primary security boundary

Cybersecurity strategies historically concentrated on protecting networks, endpoints, and data centers. Increasingly, those controls sit behind identity systems that determine who is trusted, what access they receive, and how quickly they can move through interconnected platforms.

Modern ransomware groups and financially motivated actors increasingly prefer credential abuse, social engineering, and exploitation of trusted workflows because they are often less visible than conventional intrusion methods. A valid account can bypass many of the controls designed to detect malicious behavior.

The challenge becomes even more pronounced in education as, unlike tightly controlled corporate environments, educational ecosystems are inherently decentralized. Institutions regularly support temporary users, external educators, contractors, collaborative learning environments, and remote access requirements. The result is a digital environment where trust relationships are broad by design.

That creates a difficult strategic question for providers and customers alike: how do you preserve accessibility without creating exploitable trust pathways?

The human consequences are often underestimated

Cyber incidents are still frequently measured through technical metrics: records exposed, systems encrypted, or hours of downtime incurred. Those measures rarely capture the wider societal impact.

In education environments, disruption affects students during formative periods of their lives. Exam preparation, coursework submission, academic continuity, and communication channels can all be interrupted simultaneously. Parents and educators face uncertainty around outcomes they cannot directly control.

There is also a more uncomfortable consideration in that educational platforms frequently contain data relating to minors. Even where sensitive information is not immediately weaponized, long-term exposure risks remain difficult to quantify. Personal information tied to younger individuals may retain value for years through identity fraud, social engineering, or future credential abuse.

The emotional dimension of cyber attacks is still poorly understood within many boardrooms because it does not fit neatly into conventional risk reporting.

The due diligence dilemma

Most schools, colleges, and mid-sized organizations cannot realistically perform deep technical assurance assessments against large SaaS vendors. Procurement teams are often left reviewing compliance certifications, security statements, audit summaries, and contractual language that may provide only partial visibility into actual operational practices.

This creates an accountability imbalance.

Customers remain responsible for protecting their own stakeholders and data, yet their ability to validate supplier resilience is constrained by commercial scale and information asymmetry.

That challenge is not unique to Canvas. It reflects a broader maturity gap across the SaaS market.

Many providers publish extensive security documentation, but external assurance still struggles to address practical questions such as: What assumptions are made about “legitimate” users? What controls exist around free-tier or trial account creation?

For customers, obtaining meaningful answers to these questions can be difficult without substantial procurement influence and the result is a market where trust is often inferred rather than verified.

The larger issue beneath the incident

The reported Canvas ransomware payment will understandably drive debate around criminal incentives and incident response decisions. Yet the more strategic question sits elsewhere.

The challenge for organizations is no longer confined to protecting infrastructure from external intrusion. It is understanding where trust is granted, how legitimacy is established, and what happens when a trusted platform becomes the weakest link in a much larger interconnected ecosystem.

That is not merely a cyber security concern.

It is becoming a fundamental business risk question about dependency, governance, and the fragility of digital trust at scale.

We've featured the best cloud antivirus.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• NordLayer’s Web‑based Threat Report 2026 found a gap between confidence and reality: 73% of firms feel prepared, yet 82% suffered browser‑based attacks
• Malware harvested 1.8M credentials and 68.8B cookies last year, with stolen logins enabling silent intrusions as SaaS reliance grows
• Researchers stress browsers are the critical boundary, urging stronger DLP and controls to address uneven coverage and escalating web‑threat sophistication

Most businesses believe they are well-prepared to face cyberattacks, but the number of successful breaches in the last year alone paints a different picture.

Earlier this week, NordLayer released a new report, called “Why Browser Security Can’t Wait: Web-based Threat Report 2026.” In it, the company states that while 73% of organizations claim to be prepared for web-based attacks and are confident in their solutions, 82% experienced some form of web-based attack.

The paper is based on an analysis of 504 “highest rated and most reviewed work applications”, an analysis of data stolen from various infostealers, and a survey of 405 US cybersecurity and IT professionals.

Hackers don't hack anymore

NordLayer stresses that coverage is “modest and uneven”, with data loss prevention tools (DLP) leading at just 53%, followed by other security controls. Nearly all IT professionals reported that their organizations are concerned about web-based threats (98%), and most expect escalation. In fact, 81% expect greater sophistication and 73% believe there will be more incidents in the coming years.

“There’s a clear gap between recognizing the threat and knowing how to address it,” says Buinovskis. “Concern is high, but awareness of which controls actually solve browser-specific risks is low. Much of the initial confidence most likely comes from having general security controls in place, yet they rarely adequately cover risks in the browser.”

The researchers also stressed that 100% of the tested applications were browser-accessible, and almost four in five (78.8%) were browser-only. At the same time, malware was able to harvest 1.8 million credentials and 68.8 billion cookies last year.

“Hackers don’t hack anymore, they just log in,” says Buinovskis. “Stolen cookies and credentials grant immediate access without raising alarm bells — a login looks legitimate. It’s low risk, high reward, and as reliance on web-based SaaS grows, so does the value of stolen data. Attackers will keep exploiting this until organizations secure the browser as a critical boundary.”

• NordVPN rebrands its app across three pillars: connect, protect, monitor
• Threat Protection's tools are now under a newly launched anti-gen antivirus
• Anti-gen antivirus tools blocked 4.8 million threats in April alone

NordVPN is officially changing. The cybersecurity giant has announced a major rebrand, shifting its focus from a standalone VPN provider to an all-in-one digital security app.

The revamped NordVPN application is now organized around three core pillars: "connect," which refers to the virtual private network tech; "protect," where what's known as the Threat Protection suite becomes next-generation antivirus; and "monitor," which includes tools like Dark Web Monitor.

As Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, said in a press statement: "Such an approach reflects what users increasingly want from digital protection: stronger security, less complexity, and fewer separate tools to install and manage."

The need for a next-gen antivirus

The rebranding of Threat Protection features as next-generation antivirus capabilities is especially significant to grasp how the company is adapting to an online landscape where threats are diversified.

Many of today's most common and damaging digital dangers, including phishing pages, fake online stores, scam messages, and account takeover attempts, do not rely on downloadable files at all. Instead, modern cybercriminals use deception, compromised credentials, and social engineering to target unsuspecting users.

Yet, as Briedis explains, people still use the word 'antivirus' as a "shorthand" for digital security. "Modern protection should address the real risks people face online today, from phishing and scams to malicious downloads. Protection needs to evolve, without compromising the standard of privacy people expect from us," said Briedis.

Traditional antivirus software, in fact, has historically focused on reactive file scanning. NordVPN's next-generation antivirus aims to redefine this concept for private customers. It focuses on proactive, real-time protection to stop phishing, scams, ads, trackers, and malware before they ever reach a user's device.

Over the last year, we have tracked how NordVPN has steadily integrated broader defense features against online scams and malware. And these tools are already working hard. In April alone, NordVPN's next-gen antivirus tool blocked 4.8 million threats. Malware made up the majority of these blocks, accounting for over 3 million stopped threats.

Now, those extra layers of defense are taking center stage. A massive evolution for a service that already ranks among the best VPN options on the market.

Privacy-first security by design

One of the biggest concerns for users adopting all-in-one security suites is privacy. Antivirus software historically requires deep system access, which can raise surveillance concerns.

NordVPN claims its security approach is designed around collecting the minimum signal required to make a threat decision, avoiding turning security tools into surveillance products.

This privacy-first ethos extends across NordVPN's entire suite, from its core VPN capabilities to its dedicated machine learning models used to catch specific threat categories.

For users looking to streamline their digital setup, this rebrand also seeks to reduce the clutter of managing multiple subscription services.

"Consumers should not have to choose between convenience, protection, and privacy," says Briedis. "Our goal is to bring together advanced VPN technology and next-generation antivirus in one streamlined app experience that reduces complexity and better matches how people think about digital safety today."

This rebrand follows what has already been a highly active period for the provider; you can catch up on their other recent updates in our recap of everything NordVPN released in early 2026.

Formula 1 is one of the most popular sports in the world today, boasting over 827 million highly passionate fans across the world in 2025, all tuning in to watch wins, losses, crashes, and (occasionally) disqualifications.

To say Formula 1 fans get emotional is an understatement, and when there is a chance to win, many will go to extreme lengths to watch it happen - and not always legitimately - and for a threat actor, that pool of 827 million fans is an unmissable opportunity.

But participation goes beyond just watching the sport. The allure of cheap or discounted merchandise, dubious free streaming services, and the too-good-to-be-true offers play on the high-stakes nature of the sport, and the emotions of passionate fans - we spoke to security giants (and Ferrari partners) Bitdefender to find out more.

Bitdefender Threat Index

At Pista di Fiorano, Ferrari’s private racetrack in Italy, I was part of a group of journalists given exclusive access to Bitdefender’s Fan Threat Index, which has collated data on the threats facing fans since March 2025.

Bogdan Botezatu, Senior Director of Threat Research & Reporting at Bitdefender, was on hand to guide us through the report.

“Scams are evolving. Last year, cybercrime was making about $9 trillion in losses at the global scale. Out of that $9 trillion slice, about $1 trillion is responsible for scamming,” he said. “This Fan Threat Index is our response to how scams are evolving.”

The Formula 1 teams themselves face a huge array of threats. There is the potential for not only malware and ransomware, but also physical infiltration to steal intellectual property and secrets - and that is why teams form partnerships exactly like Ferrari’s partnership with Bitdefender, which can offer the teams the expertise and solutions they need to stay protected.

“At home though, things are fundamentally different,” Botezatu notes. “When things are moving fast, people make mistakes, and those mistakes cost.”

He explains there are four major threats that Formula 1 fans face. “The motorsport ecosystem is dominated by speed; you have to source tickets fast; you have to get the right merchandise from the right vendor; you have to find a streaming partner to watch the show at home; you have to face that emotional involvement that happens on race weekend.”

Last minute tickets and counterfeit merchandise

The ultimate thrill for a Formula 1 fan is almost certainly the opportunity to watch a race in person. In order to make cheap or discounted tickets even more alluring, scammers will seek to lower the cost of entry by offering ticket lotteries and giveaways.

Attending in the merchandise of a fan’s chosen team adds to the allure, and these forms of scam usually spike in the run up to a race as eager fans look for last minute tickets, and finalize their race-day outfits.

The main target for scammers is the theft of financial information. Drawn in by the urgency of an “80% OFF” banner and a storefront that looks legitimate, many fans will trade their banking details for a knock-off hat.

These websites are hosted on short-lived domains that are quickly recycled once the event is over, and are most commonly disseminated through social media.

“These cybercrime groups are using stolen accounts that have credit cards attached to boost promoted posts,” Botezatu explains. “That's how they reach the right audiences, and that’s how they advertise their offers in front of the right people.”

“They are maximizing their profits using social media tactics,” he adds, explaining that they can abuse the data social media conglomerates such as Meta collect on users to serve their adverts and promoted posts to people of a specific demographic, in a specific geographic area, or those above a specific income.

Free streaming serving up malware

As the build-up to a race reaches its highest intensity, threat actors will begin offering free streaming services to fans desperate to tune in. These websites won’t necessarily only show Formula 1, but will serve a range of content from around the world to funnel in as many users as possible.

In many cases, the dubious streaming service will require that you install a VPN in order to watch. While this is sometimes a legitimate way to watch content that typically would not be available in a user’s region, the services these streaming providers offer are sometimes far from legitimate.

In a best case scenario, Botezatu explains, you’ll end up purchasing a legitimate streaming service that you don’t actually need and you still won’t be able to watch the race, but it will provide the service owner with a source of affiliate revenue. “Worst case, that VPN kit will be malware. and you’re going to infect your computer or device.”

For those on Android devices, some services will require the installation of a third-party video player in order to access a stream, and again, you will install malware. In these circumstances, Botezatu notes, the malware will often monitor your clipboard or your screen to track everything you type into your device, including sensitive banking and financial information.

The alternative some fans turn to is the dodgy-streaming dongle. Where legitimate streaming dongles such as the Amazon Fire Stick start from around $30, some groups will disseminate streaming dongles with preinstalled software for far less, and sometimes at a loss.

While a fan may feel like they’re just got a great deal and free access to every upcoming race, the reality is far sinister. “The people who are selling these are using Formula 1 as a pretext for you to open a proxy; an exit node in a VPN used for cybercrime,” Botezatu says.

“These people give you hardware for free, but instead can sell access to your household to various cybercrime groups that are doing money laundering, illegal content distribution, child pornography, all sorts of things,” he adds.

These devices use your IP address to distribute their illegal content, meaning that when law enforcement investigates these crimes, it could be your house they’re raiding.

Social engineering to dodge antivirus

Hollywood and modern TV has taught many people that hacking is a highly complex, intelligent pursuit that requires the layman to say, “In English, damn it!”

But the malware distribution scams Bitdefender has spotted targeting some Formula 1 fans are incredibly simple that they border on genius.

Those in the know may have heard of ClickFix attacks, whereby an attacker presents the user with a problem that needs to be solved in order to access a website or service. When many of us are presented with a CAPTCHA to solve, we recognize the familiarity of the branding and will trust that it's legitimate.

But ClickFix attacks abuse this trust, and rather than clicking on all the bicycles in an image, the user will instead be prompted to open the Windows Terminal using a keyboard shortcut, and then use the “Ctrl” + “V” shortcut to paste in a line of code that the hacker has snuck into the clipboard.

For many antivirus suites, even first-rate protection, this activity appears to be legitimate human activity. The antivirus will do nothing to stop it, and the code will launch a powershell application that immediately installs infostealing software onto the infected device. The infostealer will then harvest browser passwords, session cookies, saved credit cards, VPN credentials, and email access - leading to even bigger problems for fans.

Our advice to Formula 1 fans? Always be on your guard when hunting for online streams, tickets and merch sales, and other linked activity - and remember, if an offer feels like it could be too good to be true, then it probably is.

• Avast unveils new free modular platform
• Avast One offers free antivirus and scam protection, with optional extras
• Users only pay for the features they use

When it comes to choosing antivirus protection, there has always been a clear separation between the protection offered by free and paid services - an issue that has troubled money-savvy prosumers and budget-lovers alike.

But Avast may have just changed all that. From the baseline, its new Avast One platform includes powerful antivirus protection alongside the essential privacy protections required for the internet of today.

The free tier starts with industry leading antivirus protection, scam protection, and web protection. Should any extra features be needed - such as AI agent protection, a no-log VPN, data breach monitoring, or device cleanup - they can be added as individual modules, so users only pay for what they need.

A free, no-frills, essential online security suite

The new Avast One user journey starts on a single dashboard with free antivirus enabled. From this foundation, users can add the individual modules they need.

Avast One now does away with rigid subscription tiers with locked-in features that some users never use, instead allowing them to flexibly add the individual modules they need.

Outside of the free foundation, users can choose from a range of free and paid addons to improve security and privacy coverage. For example, users can opt to use the platform's free cleanup service to save hard drive space and remove dysfunctional shortcuts and software.

The same goes for the free BreachGuard personal information protection which can scan the dark web for exposure, and stop advertisers from loading sites with targeted advertisements.

"People know what they value and how they want to protect their digital lives," said Travis Witteveen, Head of Products and Portfolios at Gen. "Avast One has been designed to give you greater choice and control making it easy to personalize protection, manage features, and only pay for what you truly need."

For those that require enhanced protection to scan for suspicious emails, banking protection, and remote access protection, users can opt to include Premium Security as a paid addition. Or if a VPN is required, users can choose to pay for Avast’s SecureLine VPN, which comes with a 60-day free trial.

Cleanup can also be upgraded to Premium to include extra space-saving and speed-optimizing features. The same goes for BreachGuard to include leaked personal info alerts, data breach scanning, and access to a cornucopia of security tips and privacy advice.

• Microsoft has a new post on the Windows Learning Center
• It asks: "Do you still need third‑party antivirus in 2026?"
• The conclusion is that Windows 11's built-in protection should be fine for most people, but situationally, you may want to consider an alternative

Ever wondered whether Microsoft Defender can protect your PC from whatever malware might be lurking out there? You're not alone, and Microsoft has just addressed this issue.

Windows Latest noticed that Microsoft has a new post on its Windows Learning Center advising people on the subject of the best antivirus software, and whether the default option in Windows 11 is good enough.

The key question in respect of the latter point comes later in the article, where Microsoft asks: "Do you still need third‑party antivirus in 2026?"

The answer is clear enough: "For many Windows 11 users, Microsoft Defender Antivirus covers everyday risk without requiring additional software. The choice to add third‑party antivirus depends on how you use your PC and which features you value."

Microsoft elaborates that Defender antivirus is "usually sufficient when Windows 11 runs with default protections enabled, updates are installed regularly, and software downloads are deliberate".

The company also notes that SmartScreen plays a part in protecting the average Windows 11 PC, too, and that the coverage given by this feature plus Defender should be fine, bearing in mind the noted caveats.

Situationally, where you might want to consider installing a third-party antivirus or security suite is if you share devices with other family members who may not be as careful as you (or indeed you might want to manage multiple family devices across one dashboard).

Microsoft further notes that you'll need an independent solution if you "want services like identity monitoring or parental controls", which aren't provided by Defender.

Analysis: I don't think Microsoft is wrong here

What Microsoft is essentially saying is that for most people, certainly individual PC owners, Windows 11's built-in antivirus should be just fine. It's mainly family scenarios, where you may want the ability to control internet access for your children, in which you'll need to look for something more extensive in the way of a security suite.

Is Microsoft correct to assert that Defender works well for everyday users? I would say that yes, it is. There was a time in the past where Defender wasn't very highly thought of, but Microsoft has come a long way since then, and relying on Windows 11's default antivirus is not a risky proposition these days.

It covers the basics and keeps you safe from malware, although as Microsoft notes, there are other pieces of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring your PC isn't compromised. That includes applying regular updates (for Windows 11 and other apps), and a sensible dose of caution regarding what you download onto your system (don't underestimate the importance of the latter).

No, Microsoft Defender doesn't offer the best antivirus protection going, but it is good enough. However, it's just the core basics, and other security solutions offer a lot more in the way of features, some of which may be valuable to you.

The other benefit of Defender is that because it's already there in Windows 11, it fits neatly away in the background — updating itself as and when — and the app doesn't require a separate installation (and consumes little in the way of resources).

That said, even if you don't want to pay for an antivirus, there are still relatively lightweight free antivirus apps from major vendors that perform slightly better than Microsoft Defender in terms of malware protection (based on independent tests). The days when Defender was appreciably lagging behind those security top dogs, though, are well and truly in the rearview mirror.

• Huntress sinkholes adware signed by Dragon Boss Solutions LLC
• Malware disabled antivirus, left open update domains exploitable for $10
• Tens of thousands of endpoints compromised, including universities, OT networks, governments, and Fortune 500 firms

Security researchers Huntress recently stumbled upon a piece of adware that, by all accounts, should have been a boring, run-of-the-mill ad-displaying nuisance. However, what they found under the surface raised a few eyebrows and warranted deeper investigation.

In late March 2026, Huntress was alerted to a piece of software signed by a company called Dragon Boss Solutions LLC. This company, allegedly working on “search monetization research” (but instead just displaying unwanted ads and redirects to people) came with an advanced update mechanism that disabled antivirus programs and prevented them from being started again.

While analyzing how the malware worked, the researchers discovered that the threat actors did not register the main update domain, or the fallback one which, at the same time, presented a major risk and a huge opportunity to do good.

Severing the ties

“More concerning is it turned out to have an open door baked right into its update configuration, one which anyone with $10 could have walked straight through,” Huntress said. In other words, someone could have registered these domains and thus taken control over a vast network of infected computers.

Instead, it was Huntress who bought the domains, effectively sinkholing the connection from all infected hosts.

“Within hours” they saw “tens of thousands of compromised endpoints reach out looking for instructions that, in the wrong hands, could have been anything.”

Analyzing incoming IP addresses, Huntress researchers found 324 infected devices in high-value places, including 221 academic institutions, 41 Operational Technology networks in the energy and transport sectors, 35 municipal governments, state agencies, and public utilities, 24 primary and secondary educational institutions, and 3 healthcare organizations. Furthermore, networks of multiple Fortune 500 companies were compromised, as well.

To stay safe, the researchers recommend system admins look for WMI event subscriptions containing “MbRemoval” or “MbSetup,” scheduled tasks referencing “WMILoad” or “ClockRemoval,” and processes signed by Dragon Boss Solutions LLC.

Phishing has evolved beyond obvious tells, such as bad grammar and spelling, or fake email addresses.

In fact, most obvious phishing red flags – unprofessional design, faulty website links – no longer apply. Phishing attacks are polished and often look exactly like a message from a colleague or a bank.

And gone are the days when hackers worked alone out of random premises. That’s another misconception: today’s cybercriminals operate like fully-fledged corporations. They’re licensing tools to partners – ready-made “all in one” phishing kits – who execute attacks.

‘Phishing as a service’ or PhaaS works like any other software subscription service – Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other product delivery service. Attackers pay a monthly fee which varies depending on chosen features, and in return get fake login pages, email templates, and website hosting that resists takedown.

The tactics and techniques behind PhaaS

PhaaS has evolved into a thriving business model on the dark web. It saves time and effort for criminals who don’t know how to build phishing emails or the infrastructure to host fake login pages. They also use clever methods to avoid detection, such as using links to compromised websites and platforms that look misleadingly legitimate.

There are typically two purchase models; a one-time purchase of a ‘phishing kit’, which can be simple or advanced. More advanced kits include features like geo-blocking and antidetection elements to evade antiphishing bots and search engines.

The other purchase model customers can go for is a subscription-based model where a PhaaS operation takes care of the entire phishing campaign, or a large part of it, for the customer.

A good example is the application ‘Frappo’, which helps cybercriminals create and use premium phishing pages called ‘phishlets’. This works to collect victims' information, like their IP addresses, login credentials, and user-agents. It’s anonymous and doesn’t require its users to even register or create an account.

What is particularly dangerous about these kits is that they are evolving, as cybercriminals are constantly evolving their methods to avoid being detected. But these attackers aren’t even necessarily smarter-they’re just faster.

Keeping pace will require businesses to adopt a layered, proactive strategy which is built around visibility, automation, and trust minimization.

Monitoring is the name of the game

Set against this backdrop, businesses should adopt the mindset that a breach could occur at any moment. This means ensuring requests from users and devices are verified. Integrating identity and access controls helps limit who can do what, and when. That way, if businesses are attacked, the fallout is minimized.

The MITRE framework recommends continuous monitoring, as the only way to spot the subtle patterns that signal an attack in progress. Businesses should monitor application logs, network traffic, and file creation.

This entails using software that can monitor network traffic and perform packet inspection, as well as conduct offline analysis on emails. And organizations should be on the lookout for any new files created from phishing messages. This could be the result of an adversary trying to gain access to vulnerable systems.

There are software tools which can provide businesses with analytics to detect techniques and sub-techniques used to carry out phishing attacks or attempt to gain initial access.

How to prepare for threats

Businesses should be taking action to protect employees – many who don’t even realize they’re at risk. For example, they could implement phishing-resistant MFA such as biometrics, hardware security keys and passkeys, without adding friction to the user experience.

Phishing-resistant MFA is designed to be extremely difficult to crack and to provide protection against device-code compromise. It’s a crucial step on the battle to stay ahead of the phishers, which can also be helped by deploying user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) profiling to spot anomalies.

Similarly, security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) capabilities can be used to automatically execute workflow profiles and assign tickets to security admins to quickly remediate a phishing attack.

It’s also useful for businesses to examine endpoint security and identify any blind spots. Organizations should be set up to deploy patches quickly, detect and defuse threats like ransomware, enforce least-privilege access with MFA, and protect sensitive data wherever it resides.

Adopt a company-wide cybersecurity culture

Businesses should be treating cybersecurity defense like a continuous operation, not a quarterly checklist. This means ensuring buy-in across the organization, and making security everyone’s purview, rather than just that of the IT team.

To build a culture which is cybersecurity conscious, businesses must be sharing threat intelligence across teams. They should also be educating employees into why cybersecurity defense is important, by running red team exercises to simulate attacks.

Conducting regular training sessions on recognizing phishing attempts and using strong passwords is a great first step in the right direction. Employees should be kept aware of how phishing attacks are evolving and getting ever smarter: from artificially intelligent phishing emails to deepfake impersonations and self-evolving malware.

Protecting businesses against PhaaS requires rethinking how they can stay ahead. It’s not just about firewalls, antivirus tools, and endpoint security: it’s also about building a security-aware culture that adapts and anticipates attacks.

We've featured the best secure email provider.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Hackers used Hugging Face to deliver Android malware via fake antivirus app TrustBastion
• Malware steals screenshots, lock codes, and payment logins, exfiltrating data to attacker servers
• Campaign persisted with new repositories despite takedown, highlighting risks of unverified app source

Hackers are abusing the Hugging Face platform to deliver Android malware which can entirely take over compromised endpoints, experts have warned.

Hugging Face is an open platform for AI tools and machine learning, where users can host and distribute AL, NLP, or ML models - but it seems it also sometimes used as a launchpad for poisoned models too.

In this case, the crooks used it to deliver Android malware, cybersecurity researchers at Bitdefender noted, starting with a dropper app called TrustBastion.

Thousands of commits

This app acts like an Android antivirus solution - it offers virus protection, defense against phishing, malware, and fraudulent SMS messages. However, TrustBastion engages in scareware - as soon as the victim installs it, it says the device is infected with malware. Then, it demands the user update the app, which is when the malicious code is actually installed.

To deliver the malware, TrustBastion connects to a third-party server, which redirects to a Hugging Face repository where the malicious APK is hosted. From there, the malware is downloaded and delivered via Hugging Face’s CDN.

While these types of campaigns are rather common, unfortunately this one was also successful. In less than a month of activity, it accumulated more than 6,000 commits, Bitdefender said. To make matters worse, as soon as the campaign was spotted and terminated, a new repository popped up, named ‘Premium Club’, using new icons, but retaining the same malicious code.

The malware itself is rather powerful. It can grab screenshots, display fake login interfaces for popular payment services, and steal the lock screen code. Everything is then exfiltrated to a third-party server.

The best way to defend against this type of malware is to only download Android apps from reputable sources, such as the Google Play Store, or the Galaxy Store. Also, make sure to read through the reviews, and be mindful of the number of downloads and overall rating.

Via BleepingComputer

Technology can protect you from certain cyber threats, but it cannot protect you from falling in love with an AI sweetheart carefully created by cybercriminals.

Some of you may remember the late 90s and early 2000s, when peace of mind was achieved simply by installing antivirus software on a PC with an Intel Pentium 4 processor, 80GB hard drive, and NVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 graphics card.

Those were different times, when for ordinary people like myself even a mediocre firewall was completely sufficient.

It was a world before tempting financial offers from Nigerian princes or news of a generous inheritance from an uncle in the United States, Canada, or Australia you never knew existed. Back then, “scam” wasn’t a buzzword.

But times have changed. According to the latest CrowdStrike Global Threat Report, 79% of intrusion detections are now malware-free. This means that attackers simply log in with stolen credentials instead of relying on malicious software.

With the rapid development and accessibility of AI tools, the ability to launch highly personalized scams and identity theft at scale has only increased.

I would go further: we are now accelerating into a new era of fraud. The AI revolution has shifted cyberthreats from cold, abstract malware to the most vulnerable corners of human emotion – love, compassion, fear, loneliness. Basic feelings have become humanity’s greatest security weakness.

Criminals focus on vulnerable users online

While malware did not choose its victims, today’s cybercriminals deliberately target the most vulnerable internet users. Grandparents and romance scams, as well as fraudulent job recruitment offers, are among the fastest-growing digital crime categories.

News headlines are filled with stories of people swindled out of their life savings after believing in a fake relationship with an AI bot impersonating the person of their dreams.

With vishing attacks increasing by 442% last year, many victims were deceived by voice-cloning scams where fraudsters pretended to be relatives “in trouble.”

The FBI’s Internet Crime Report reveals that Americans lost $16 billion to cybercrime in 2024, a 33% increase compared to 2023.

The Federal Trade Commission reports a dramatic rise in impersonation scams targeting older adults: combined losses for people aged 60 and over who lost more than $100,000 reached $445 million in 2024, compared to just $55 million in 2020.

Even more concerning, these crimes are now supported by global infrastructure. Fraud centers are being set up in underdeveloped countries, entire villages are dedicated to scams, and organized groups collaborate seamlessly across borders.

Many victims feel ashamed of being scammed. It is understandable – no one wants to appear foolish – but the truth is that scams exploit emotions, not intelligence. Everyone can fall for them.

Even cybersecurity professionals sometimes fall victim to social engineering. Being scammed should be seen as no more shameful than being pickpocketed in Rome or having your house robbed. The stigma must disappear.

At some point, becoming a victim of fraud may be as ordinary as experiencing theft in any major city. And just as we protect our homes and belongings to minimize losses, the same approach must shape the future of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity can no longer be limited to blocking malware – it must evolve the way home security has.

Digital protection requires full spectrum of tools

Technology remains central to this. Despite what I wrote earlier, malware, malicious ads, and digital exploits have not gone away. Failing to install proper protection is like leaving your doors unlocked: you may not be robbed immediately, but eventually it will happen.

Yet, as we know, locked doors alone do not stop burglars. That is why people invest in alarm systems and surveillance.

The same logic applies to identity theft. The most sophisticated social engineering and scam attacks usually begin with leaked personal data. If your identity is exposed in a data breach, it becomes a key that unlocks larger fraud attempts.

This is why identity monitoring – “digital eyes” that scan for compromised data – has become increasingly important.

And even if you take every precaution, crimes still happen. That is why homeowners turn to insurance companies for coverage. The same must apply to cybersecurity. As noted earlier, many victims lose their entire savings to scams. Insurance may become the safety net that helps people recover.

According to multiple market projections, the cyber insurance sector is expected to grow 15–25% annually by 2029. In other words, cyber protection is moving in the same direction as home security. Unfortunately, with the scam industry growing at record speed, we are still lagging behind.

We've featured the best private browser.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Microsoft's clarified that Defender Antivirus will continue to get updates on Windows 10 even though support for the OS has now ended
• The antivirus will receive updates and new virus definitions through October 2028
• That'll help keep these PCs safer, but it's not the full story

Microsoft has made it clear that its Defender Antivirus will still provide protection against malware on Windows 10 PCs, which have just reached their End of Life in terms of support.

Neowin picked up on a blog post where Microsoft stated that: "Microsoft Defender will continue to provide detection and protection capabilities to the extent possible on Windows 10 and other legacy systems."

The company adds that: "For Windows 10 customers without Defender, Microsoft will continue to provide security intelligence updates for the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus protection through October 2028."

It's the latter bit that we're interested in, as consumers continue to run Windows 10: this is the built-in antivirus that comes by default with the OS, and, as noted, it'll keep working with updates and virus definitions provided until October 2028. 'Microsoft Defender' refers to the broad suite of security features as a whole, including the antivirus and more.

So, if you've got security updates for Defender Antivirus through to 2028, are you safe sticking with Windows 10, even without monthly cumulative updates for the operating system?

No is the short answer to that, as Microsoft points out: "Defender Antivirus alone isn't a comprehensive risk mitigation posture", and you need to sign up for Windows 10's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program as well as keep Defender Antivirus running.

Analysis: what's safe enough?

This is something I've already discussed in a recent article about whether using Windows 10 is safe after the end of support deadline. While it's true that you may be okay if you pursue this route, and you're very, very careful about what you do online, and you have a good antivirus backing you up (Defender is decent enough), the reality of this situation is that most of us simply aren't cautious or careful enough – even if we think we are.

And even the ultra-cautious could be hit by malware if they're unlucky - and without Windows 10's monthly security updates, as time goes on, the risks increase because there will be a growing number of unpatched holes in the older operating system. It's just a simple matter of odds, and given that extended support (for an extra year) is free to consumers (bar a slight catch, albeit that caveat isn't present in Europe), you'd be silly not to take up Microsoft on that offer, frankly.

Don't rely on Microsoft Defender or any other antivirus in place of Windows 10 updates, as Microsoft advises, even if its own security app is still getting regular updates through to 2028.

You might also like

• I was about to upgrade to Windows 11, but I've decided to stick with Windows 10 – here's why
• Is using Windows 10 still safe after the End of Life deadline? All your questions answered
• Microsoft exec's vision of Windows 12 and beyond could terrify some of you

From halting fuel pipelines to crippling hospital IT systems, cyber attackers are seeing continued success in targeting the infrastructure that underpins society.

Some of these attacks are the work of high-level, state-backed operatives seeking to weaken rival powers. Other incidents stem from opportunistic criminal gangs aiming for digital extortion, such as the recent spate of attacks using the Medusa ransomware-as-a-service.

Whatever the motivation, the objective is the same: cause maximum chaos and disruption. In sectors like energy, manufacturing, and healthcare, even a brief outage can be economically devastating or, worse, life-threatening. And that’s exactly what threat actors are counting on.

These attacks are especially effective at the intersection of digital and physical systems, which means they are increasingly targeting operational technology (OT) systems interconnected with IT networks.

To protect vulnerable OT systems and keep operations running, organizations must shift their focus from prevention to containment, limiting the reach and impact of inevitable breaches.

How attackers are exploiting OT’s unique weaknesses

OT environments weren’t built for today’s threat landscape. Most systems were engineered decades ago for reliability and continuity, often with local-only access in mind. Any security measures were concerned purely with physical access to control panels.

Today, those same systems are increasingly connected to broader corporate networks to facilitate remote access and automation. It’s common to find protocols like Modbus, PROFINET and DNP3 still running unmodified from their legacy pre-digital days without encryption or authentication.

Industrial controllers and field devices rarely support modern defences like endpoint agents or patch management. In some cases, even identifying which assets exist on the network is a challenge.

Add in remote-access VPNs, retrofitted TCP/IP, and shadow IoT devices, and the once-isolated OT domain becomes an open playing field for attackers. They don’t need sophisticated exploits; gaining a foothold in a flat network is often enough to start causing chaos.

Many of these OT systems aren’t just vulnerable, they’re predictably exploitable, and adversaries know it. According to recent research 77% of companies suffered an attack compromising confidential data or disrupting their OT over the last 12 months

Why OT needs more than prevention

One reason so many attacks succeed is that many organizations still pin their hopes on traditional perimeter defense, tools like firewalls, antivirus, and access controls, which are geared to keep threat actors out.

But it’s been clear for some time that this approach has reached its limit against modern attack strategies, and nowhere is this more evident than in OT environments.

Industrial systems often rely on hardcoded passwords, unpatched firmware, and/or decades-old hardware that can’t support modern security tools.

In many cases, installing endpoint protection or making configuration changes isn’t possible without risking system instability.

In OT environments, breaches are increasingly inevitable. And when a threat actor gains network access, the real danger begins. Lateral movement allows them to hop between systems, turning a single breach into a full-blown incident that can grind an entire operation to a halt.

Relying solely on prevention creates a false sense of security. The smarter strategy is to assume the perimeter will fail, and build in controls that limit the damage. In critical environments, containment must be the foundation of a resilient defense

How containment builds true resilience

Containment isn’t about locking everything down. It’s about understanding your environment and how systems are connected, and putting guardrails in place so a breach can’t spiral out of control.

OT environments often consist of a piecemeal collection of legacy tech added over time, with no unified inventory. That makes getting started on security feel overwhelming.

Visibility is the first step to making it manageable, using discovery tools to build a complete inventory of the OT environment. From there, the priority is identifying the minimal set of systems critical to operations such as PLC shutdown functions and SCADA historian databases.

Next, it’s time to apply microsegmentation, one of the most critical capabilities in containing intrusions and preventing lateral movement. Apply microsegmentation to one surface at a time, starting with high-priority assets that are likely to be targeted by attackers seeking to cause maximum chaos.

One effective OT approach is to group assets by function, such as emergency shutdown systems, historian databases, or engineering workstations, and place them in separate security zones.

Once assets and connections have bene identified, policies can be set up to govern system access using exception-based allow-listing and behavioral baselining. Disabling all unused ports and protocols and permitting only multi-factor-authenticated operational flows will drastically reduce the attack surface.

Applying Zero Trust principles to microsegmentation ensures that access is never granted without the right level of authorization. Allowing only verified traffic between authorized systems prevents attackers from using tools like RDP or SMB to skirt around defenses and achieve lateral movement.

Finally, AI-driven security graphs can learn normal communication patterns, enabling security teams to automatically isolate anomalous commands before they can escalate into full-blown attacks.

With the right strategy, this containment approach will protect what matters most, without disrupting what keeps the lights on.

Organizations should regularly test their defenses against real-world threats, including quarterly “network unplug” exercises that manually validate SCADA and PLC operations under simulated attacks.

Why shifting to containment demands a cultural change

Alongside the technical challenges of securing complex OT environments, cultural blockers can be a major obstacle. In many industrial settings, change is seen as risk. Some systems may have operated for decades without incident, and any initiative that threatens uptime, even temporarily, can face strong resistance.

This resistance often extends to risk and security management. Some organizations still rely on outdated frameworks like the Purdue model, which no longer aligns with the open, interconnected nature of today’s digital environments.

There’s a persistent ‘if it ain’t broke…’ mindset around OT systems, but in today’s threat landscape, that attitude is increasingly dangerous.

Securing the OT systems that power our most critical infrastructure demands a shift in mindset, from prevention to resilience. Embedding this approach starts with tracking what matters. Metrics like mean time to containment, blast radius size, and operational impact offer far more meaningful insights than the number of alerts closed.

OT environments can’t afford to wait for new regulations, major incidents, or board-level directives to act. Containment is achievable now, and it doesn’t require a complete overhaul.

Start with the basics: visibility, segmentation, and access control. Identify what matters most and make it harder to reach. Resilience, not perfection, is the new security benchmark. For OT environments facing adversaries bent on chaos, that shift in mindset might be the most important upgrade of all.

We've featured the best online cybersecurity course.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Fortect may not be one of the biggest names when it comes to the best antivirus and security, but this German business demands attention thanks to an ethos that prizes transparency, trust and user empowerment.

They’re all good qualities when trying to identify your next piece of security software, and it means that we’re eager to evaluate the company’s specific antivirus credentials in this review.

If you need a free antivirus product, then Fortect does have one option available – but it’s very limited. You can view and fix issues one-by-one using a manual repair system, but automatic repairs are only supported in the paid versions of the product.

Fortect’s paid antivirus module is found within a wider product called PC Suite, which also includes a slate of PC tweaking, optimization and repair tools alongside security features.

Fortect’s most affordable paid product, Essential, protects one system for one year and includes all of the app’s core features for $38.

Upgrade to the multi-device plan for $47 and you get unlimited annual usage for three devices. The Ultimate product, which costs $65, includes licenses for five devices.

Those single-device and three-device plans are priced reasonably, but the Ultimate product feels a tad expensive: Norton 360 Deluxe supports five devices for $49, for instance, and you can get Sophos Home Premium protection for ten devices for $44.99.

Fortect: Interface

Installation is easy and, once it’s complete, Fortect runs through a comprehensive system scan. Because this is a PC suite rather than just an antivirus scanner, its results outlined a host of issues, but Fortect was comprehensive when tackling security: it detected a vast array of potential privacy issues, for instance.

Get beyond that initial scan and Fortect has one of the best interfaces we’ve seen on a PC security and tweaking app.

It’s modern and mature, with navy blue shades throughout, and the dashboard has a huge “On” button that starts a full system scan.

The front page has indicators so you can see if malware and real-time protection are both activated, and on the left-hand side there are links to the app’s performance, security, privacy and VPN modules.

Delve into the Security section and you can deploy quick and custom scans and toggle malware and real-time protection, and drag and drop folders and files for custom scans.

In the Security settings menu you can enable real-time protection, cloud-based analysis and the browsing shield, which blocks harmful sites. You can also customize the frequency of security reports and tweak file quarantine settings.

The app’s Privacy module includes browser cache cleanup, and a unique tool that enables users to remove traces of Office apps from their system. You’re also invited to install an effective, free Chrome browser extension that monitors your browsing activity and highlights any issues.

Fortect: Antivirus and Protection

Fortect’s Antivirus module delivers real-time malware and web browser protection, comprehensive scanning for malware and unwanted apps, and cloud-based technology that provides the app with updates of new and emerging threats.

The app automatically fixes and removes threats, repairs your system if it becomes unstable, and can be used to create system restore points. Malicious files, folders and apps can also be quarantined.

Fortect’s macOS version also includes real-time protection, cloud-based security, full system scanning, quarantine management and detailed security reports, and its Android and iOS apps include all of those abilities alongside network scanning, website blocking, data breaches alerts and a system advisor.

To access these features across multiple devices, you’ll have to pay for one of the pricier tiers that supports multi-device usage.

Most of the antivirus products we cover have been independently tested by AV-Comparatives and AV Test – or a reputable alternative like SE Labs.

Sadly, none of those organizations have evaluated Fortect, so we’re turning to Virus Bulletin and AppEsteem.

VirusBulletin is a global authority on the antivirus industry and has been testing consumer and enterprise security software for over two decades. VirusBulletin’s publications include reports by leading researchers and details about new threats, with archives going back to 1989.

VirusBulletin’s VB100 certification is awarded to apps that “meet the basic standards required to be recognized as legitimate and properly functioning anti-malware solutions.” Fortect has earned that certification with a Grade A result, with 99.19% of malware detected and only 0.007% false positives.

AppEsteem certifies apps using the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization’s protocols to provide consumers can see which apps offer effective antivirus performance without false positives and over-aggressive monetization tactics.

AppEsteem’s testing saw Fortect rated as a Contender, with an 88% rating for Deceptors and a 94% pass mark for certification. That’s not the best score and it means you’ll likely see some upselling attempts in this app – and we can vouch for that, given that upon installation we were presented with an offer to upgrade to a multi-device app.

Apps from Avast, AVG, Sophos and others provided a cleaner experience than Fortect, but tools from Malwarebytes, Bitdefender and Norton received poorer ratings – so Fortect is not the worst offender here, and you shouldn’t let the occasional special offer put you off.

Fortect: Other features

As Fortect Antivirus is included in a wider PC Suite, that means you get a solid range of additional features in the app.

Fortect’s Performance Scan identifies junk files and crashed apps that can slow your PC down, and the app also has a Driver Updater that will make sure your system is always up to date.

Those PC performance features are not particularly extensive, though, and there are plenty of features missing elsewhere if you compare Fortect to apps like Norton 360 and Sophos Home Premium.

Norton, for instance, included an unlimited VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, a password manager and a private browser. Sophos had more in-depth web filtering. None of that is available with Fortect.

Support options are underwhelming, too. If you need help with Fortect, you can complete a web form and get a response within 48 hours – below the industry standard in 2025. Norton has live chat and phone support options and paid options for more extensive help, and Sophos has chat options.

It’s worth mentioning that Fortect is a slightly different product to those two rivals: it concentrates on PC optimization and security. But given the pricing parity between all of these tools, it makes Fortect’s value proposition look a little underwhelming.

Fortect: Final verdict

The antivirus testing that we’ve found indicates that Fortect does an excellent job of protecting devices from the latest threats.

That said, its lack of testing from our favored testing sites means that we’re reluctant to give a wholehearted recommendation when compared to tools that have scored well across a wider array of testing services.

There’s no doubt that this app is a slick, easy to use tool: it’s got an excellent interface with straightforward design and sensible organization. But that does mean that Fortect lacks the in-depth tweaking and customization options that are commonplace on tools that will appeal for a more technical audience.

Go beyond its core antivirus and PC performance functionality, though, and there’s not much on offer here compared to other tools – rivals routinely include VPNs, password managers, parental controls and more, alongside better support.

Fortect may do a good job with antivirus abilities, but rivals offer more functionality and customization. Fortect is not bad, but there are better options available.

We've listed the best firewall software.

• Crypto24 ransomware group was seen disabling AV protection before deploying the encryptor
• In some cases, it can even uninstall the AV programs
• A layered defense is the best approach to mitigate the threat

Security researchers have found another antivirus-killing tool out there that hackers are using before dropping any additional payloads.

Experts from Trend Micro have uncovered custom variant of the open source tool called RealBlindingEDR.

This tool comes with a hardcoded list of antivirus company names:

Trend Micro
Kaspersky
Sophos
SentinelOne
Malwarebytes
Cynet
McAfee
Bitdefender
Broadcom (Symantec)
Cisco
Fortinet
Acronis

When it is deployed on a device, it looks for these names in driver metadata, and if it finds one, it disables kernel-level hooks/callbacks, essentially blinding detection engines. Trend Micro’s researchers found the hackers are also able to silently uninstall antivirus programs altogether, opening the doors and enabling easy deployment of stage-two malware.

Crypto24

The tool was seen in the wild, used by a hacking collective called Crypto24, a nascent ransomware group first spotted in September 2024.

However, the researchers believe the group consists of former members of other, defunct hacking collectives, since its members are highly skilled and experienced.

When it gains initial access, establishes persistence, and removes antivirus roadblocks, the group usually deploys two pieces of malware - a keylogger, and an encryptor. All of the stolen secrets are exfiltrated into a Google Drive using a custom tool.

The identity, or location, of Crypto24 is currently unknown. However, researchers are saying that in its short lifespan, the group successfully hit a number of large organizations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Most of their targets are in finance, manufacturing, tech, and entertainment.

There are many ways to protect against attacks looking to disable antivirus protection, including opting for a layered defense strategy.

Companies can use a reputable antivirus with tamper protection, enable real-time protection and firewalls, and use a separate anti-malware tool that can work alongside an AV.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Top antivirus tools targeted by "killer" malware
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

The recent surge in cyberattacks on major UK retailers such as the Co-op and Marks & Spencer has brought home the harsh reality of today’s threat landscape. These breaches haven’t just exposed sensitive data—they’ve caused millions in lost revenue, long-term operational disruption, and reputational damage. For cybercriminals, attacks of this scale serve as proof of the damage they can inflict—and a blueprint for future campaigns.

Cyber threats are no longer rare occurrences. They are relentless, increasingly automated, and difficult to detect. Attackers are exploiting misconfigurations, weak credentials, and unseen trust relationships to move laterally and escalate access—rendering traditional defenses like firewalls and periodic scans no longer sufficient.

Thanks to advances in AI, launching a sophisticated cyberattack now costs next to nothing. Today’s adversaries—from nation-state actors to cybercrime groups—are deploying AI-powered agents capable of disrupting not only individual organizations, but entire sectors. The UK retail incidents may have made headlines, but similar techniques are being used across industries—quietly eroding systems over time.

If there’s one takeaway from these breaches, it’s that they are a wake-up call—an opportunity to separate what’s assumed to be secure from what’s proven to be. Marks & Spencer’s decision to accelerate their tech transformation is the right move, but only if it’s grounded in security that’s continuously validated, not just promised.

Why passive defense is no longer enough

Traditional cybersecurity measures—like firewalls, antivirus software, and compliance checklists—were built for a slower, more predictable threat landscape. They aim to block known threats and tick regulatory boxes, often relying on periodic assessments and static defenses.

But today’s threat actors move faster than these systems can react. They use automation and AI to adapt, persist, and exploit weaknesses in real time. In a world where threats evolve daily, a reactive approach simply can’t keep pace. Organizations need strategies that assume compromise, move proactively, and adapt with the same agility as the attackers they face.

A radically faster threat landscape

We’re in a new reality. With generative AI, developing weaponized exploits no longer requires deep technical expertise—just the right prompt. What once took weeks of work by highly skilled attackers can now be achieved in minutes by anyone with access to the right tools. This levelling of the playing field has dramatically accelerated the pace of cyberattacks.

The moment a vulnerability (CVE) becomes public, attackers begin exploiting it almost instantly. There’s no longer a buffer for defenders to respond. The asymmetric advantage we thought we had—people, process, tools—is eroding because the adversary has something more powerful: tempo. The result is a cyber environment defined by speed, where hesitation or outdated defenses can be costly.

Offence is the best defense

As cyber threats evolve in both speed and sophistication, traditional security measures—while still necessary—are no longer enough on their own. Tools and audits tend to focus on ticking regulatory boxes rather than addressing the weaknesses most likely to be exploited in real-world attacks.

To stay ahead, organizations need to go beyond passive defense and adopt a more adversarial perspective. Offensive security does just that—actively probing systems for weaknesses using techniques such as penetration testing, red teaming, and social engineering simulations. These controlled exercises expose gaps that conventional tools often overlook, giving teams the chance to fix them before malicious actors do.

This shift in approach is becoming crucial. As attackers grow faster and more opportunistic, defenders must become equally agile. Offensive security replaces assumptions with evidence—offering a clear, action-oriented view of where security holds firm and where urgent improvements are needed.

What UK businesses must do now

Many organizations are responding to rising cyber threats by increasing patching cycles and ramping up alert monitoring. But volume alone doesn’t equal security. The real challenge is not visibility, but prioritization. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, security teams must understand where cyber criminals are most likely to strike—and act accordingly.

This is where adversarial testing plays a vital role. Simulating the techniques used by real attackers helps uncover the vulnerabilities that matter most. It moves businesses away from reactive models and towards a more strategic, evidence-based approach to defense.

For UK companies—especially in exposed sectors like retail—key steps include:

• Implementing continuous security testing to keep pace with constant change
• Reviewing and updating incident response strategies to reflect evolving threats
• Investing in threat intelligence and red-teaming to sharpen detection and resilience

Speed isn’t the enemy—assuming you're secure is. Modernizing in a post-breach window can make you stronger, but only if every new system, integration, or control is tested like an attacker would.

Too many organizations skip this step. They make the mistake of equating 'new' with 'secure' and implement changes without knowing what risks they’re introducing. We’re not in the age of zero-days anymore.

We’re in the age of zero hours. The organizations that stay secure won’t be those that react the loudest—but those that challenge assumptions and prove their defenses work, day in and day out.

The role of leadership

Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a siloed IT concern — it’s a critical business issue that belongs on the board agenda. From operational continuity to customer trust, cyber resilience underpins every facet of modern enterprise. That’s why leadership alignment is essential. Security decisions must be cross-functional, embedded into digital transformation efforts and tied directly to business risk and reputation.

Security-by-design isn’t a checkbox—it’s a mindset. And the only way to know you’re getting it right is to validate like the adversary. That’s how you build real resilience, restore trust, and come back stronger.

From assumptions to assurance

In a threat landscape defined by speed and unpredictability, being proactive isn’t optional — it’s essential. UK retailers and businesses across sectors must move beyond reactive measures and start thinking like attackers. The organizations that will lead in security aren’t those with the most tools, but those with the discipline to test, question, and validate every assumption — before it’s too late.

We've featured the best encryption software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Connex Credit Union confirm suffering major data breach
• Customer data stolen, and the attackers have not been identified
• Users are warned to be wary of suspicious incoming emails

Financial cooperative Connex Credit Union has revealed it suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive data on around 172,000 customers.

The company confirmed the news in a new filing with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, as well as via data breach notification letters it sent to affected individuals.

In the letter, the company said it experienced “unusual activity” on its network on June 3, 2025, and after an investigation concluded that an unauthorized third party stole sensitive files the day before. After almost a month of investigating, Connex determined that the threat actors stole people’s names, account numbers, debit card information, Social Security numbers (SSN), and other government identification information needed to open an individual’s account with the company.

Shifting strategies

“Connex has no reason to believe the incident involved unauthorized access to member accounts or funds,” it was said in the letter.

The letter then goes on to say the usual - that the company is further strengthening its cybersecurity posture, and that it is offering 12 months of free credit and identity theft protection services. It picked Cyberscout as the service provider in this case.

Connex Credit Union is a well-established, member-owned financial cooperative based in Connecticut. It is one of the largest credit unions in Connecticut, with more than 70,000 members and over $1 billion in assets.

At the same time, a San Francisco law firm - Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, is said to be investigating this data breach under the suspicion the company took too long to notify its customers of the incident.

In a press release, the law firm said the breach occurred in June 2025, but Connex “did not begin notifying affected individuals until or around August 7, 2025, which may have violated state and federal laws.”

In the State of Connecticut, the deadline for notification is “without reasonable delay, but no later than 60 days after discovery of the breach”. That is, unless shorter time is required by federal law.

How to stay safe

There are numerous ways cybercriminals can abuse the stolen files.

They can create accounts with different financial and government institutions, running wire fraud and tax evasion schemes.

They can also engage in spear-phishing attacks to deploy malware, or even ransomware, against the victims.

To stay safe, users should be careful when opening unsolicited communications, and should keep a close eye on their bank statements.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Cybercriminals launch new malware that can completely wipe out your antivirus
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

• EDRKillShifter is getting a dangerous upgrade
• The new malware can disable AV and EDR from reputable vendors
• Sophos, Bitdefender, and Kaspersky among the tools being targeted

Cybercriminals appear to have improved their antivirus-killing capabilities, as recent research suggest a new tool being shared within the underground community.

In a new report, security researchers from Sophos said multiple ransomware groups are successfully disabling endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems before deploying the encryptor.

Originally, the group known as RansomHub developed a tool called EDRKillShifter, which Sophos says is now made obsolete thanks to this new and improved variant. The new tool can disable security software from multiple high-end vendors such as Sophos, Bitdefender, and Kaspersky.

Shifting strategies

The malware is often packed using a service called HeartCrypt, which obfuscates the code to evade detection.

Sophos found the attackers are using all sorts of obfuscation and anti-analysis techniques to protect their tools from security defenders, and in some cases, they’re even using signed drivers (either stolen or compromised).

In one case, the malicious code was embedded inside a legitimate utility, Beyond Compare’s Clipboard Compare tool, the researchers explained.

Sophos also said that multiple ransomware groups are using this new EDR-killing tool, suggesting a high level of collaboration between players.

EDRKillShifter was first spotted in mid-2024, after a failed attempt to disable an antivirus and deploy ransomware.

Sophos then uncovered that the malware dropped a legitimate, but vulnerable driver.

Now, it seems there is a new method - taking an already legitimate executable and modifying it locally by inserting malicious code and payload resources (as was the case with Beyond Compare’s tool). This is often done after the attacker has access to a victim’s machine, or when creating a malicious package that pretends to be legitimate.

To defend against this threat, Sophos suggests users check whether their endpoint protection security products implement, and enable, tamper protection.

Furthermore, businesses should practice “strong hygiene” for Windows security roles, since the attack is only possible if the attacker escalates privileges they control, or if they can obtain admin rights.

Finally, businesses should keep their systems updated, as Microsoft recently started de-certifying old signed drivers.

You might also like

• Cybercriminals launch new malware that can completely wipe out your antivirus
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Fifty years ago, it was heists like the one that hit the Baker Street Bank that had the power to shock the nation. Now, in the digital world, heists look starkly different and cybersecurity threats are constant, with banks like NatWest facing a “continuous arms race” with around 100 million cyber-attacks every month. What used to be gangs of robbers digging tunnels and smuggling deposit boxes full of cash are now groups of hackers sending phishing emails and holding some of the most notable companies to ransom for hundreds of millions of dollars.

This transition from physical to digital theft is evident. No longer confined to vaults and getaway cars, today's high-stake heists are executed remotely, by online threat actors. These modern-day criminals operate across borders, targeting vulnerabilities in systems and human behavior to extract data and money. The sheer volume and relentless nature of these digital assaults, as exemplified by financial institutions battling millions of cyber-attacks monthly, highlight a new era of crime.

The growing problem of cyber-attacks

Cyber-attacks are a growing problem, amongst a growing number of sectors, and confronting this escalating issue is vital. It’s not just banks that are facing the constant threat of cyber-attacks; cyber threats are growing at an exponential rate, while becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeted.

Data breaches have hit a myriad of industries: from luxury brands like Dior and supermarkets like M&S, to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and UK government organization Legal Aid.

The dangers to personal data are being felt across all sectors, at all digital touchpoints. Amid this battleground of immediate cyber threats comes a growing demand for robust security solutions that address company concerns.

From advanced antivirus technologies to endpoint backup software, AI-powered security is evolving rapidly to stay ahead of such attacks - and it’s essential that companies invest in these defenses in order to stay more than one step ahead.

Evolution of technology

As technology evolves at a rapid pace, companies must keep up with advancements made by cyber-attackers. As businesses of all sizes continue to embrace digital transformation, the need to strengthen their cybersecurity grows increasingly critical.

The UK Government’s recently published Cyber Governance Code of Practice highlights that management of cyber risks is vital for modern businesses to function, and effective management requires collective input from across an organization. This Code of Practice and governance framework package guides boards and directors in managing digital risks and safeguarding their businesses and organizations from cyberattacks.

The framework encourages companies to take four employee-focused actions: foster a cybersecurity culture; ensure clear policies support a positive cybersecurity culture; improve their own cyber literacy through training; and use suitable metrics to verify the organization has an effective cybersecurity training, education, and awareness program.

The report is a clear reminder that the human firewall, that is, the employees who encounter an attack and respond, is just as important as technological defenses.

More than a simple fix, a culture shift is needed

It’s not enough to roll out generic training. The reality is that in today’s world, one wrong click can bring a business to a complete halt. According to the latest insights, the approximate amount of ransoms paid globally in 2024 reached $813.55 million.

When requested to pay a ransom, companies know that refusing to do so runs the risk of their customers’ personal information being leaked publicly, which would additionally require them to pay the associated financial penalties and legal payouts, not to mention reputational damage.

Addressing the threat of cyber-attacks must be embedded in a company’s culture, given the fact that if threat actors are successful, the impact of their actions would be felt not only company-wide but also by the ecosystem within which the organization operates.

Leadership and security

Organizations can bolster their security by cultivating strong leadership, providing tailored training, and building a proactive security culture to create a ‘human firewall’ of colleagues armed with know-how.

Employees of all skillsets and seniorities should undergo comprehensive and ongoing cyber awareness training, whatever their role and seniority, to drive the defenses forward and cultivate a mindful culture.

When employees are provided with the knowledge and tools to maintain awareness of the dangers their company is facing, they can be the most effective method to keep the business secure.

Building a mindful culture

Building a mindful culture can be complemented by a Zero Trust approach, which creates a robust defense against evolving cyber threats. This strategic approach mandates rigorous verification for all access requests, irrespective of their origin or the user's location within the network, thereby yielding exceptionally strong results that effectively eliminate a significant portion of potential threats.

For example, when an employee receives an email requesting sensitive information or a link to a suspicious website, they should be trained to recognize it as a potential phishing attempt right away, verify the sender's identity, and report the email to the IT department for further investigation.

This proactive stance, ingrained through a Zero Trust philosophy and continuous education, significantly reduces the likelihood of successful breaches. It’s better safe than sorry, and in the realm of cybersecurity, this means being diligent about taking the extra steps to fortify an organization's digital defenses.

Don't stop at basic protections

Don't stop at basic protections, make ongoing training a priority.
Defenses can’t stop at antivirus technology and endpoint protection, and training isn’t a one-time solution. While these are the necessities, they are simply not enough for the twenty-first century heist as businesses continue to battle millions of cyber-attacks each month.

As threats advance or teams become complacent, ongoing phishing simulations, tests and education are key in maintaining a robust human firewall. Companies must invest in technology and ongoing training to equip employees across all roles and levels with the skills and awareness to stay alert. A company’s greatest weapon can be its workforce, if leveraged.

Cybersecurity needs tech, but it's nothing without people who are well trained to understand the latest attack methods and protect against the digital transition's inherent risks.

We list the best ransomware protection.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

An AI Accelerator is a deep learning or neural processor created specifically for inference and to improve the performance of an AI task. While Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are the most common type, other specialized accelerators include Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Data Processing Units (DPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs).

With so many acronyms to remember (and even more accelerator types left unnamed), we will focus on GPUs because their highly parallel architecture makes them incredibly versatile for a wide range of AI workloads.

GPU acceleration

GPUs are an in-demand commodity throughout the IT industry. Manufacturers like NVIDIA and AMD are powering the world's insatiable appetite for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.

An AI GPU accelerator is responsible for making hundreds of thousands of calculations in parallel, and it's used in every facet of AI, large language models (LLMs), data analytics, and high-performance computing.

Such widespread adoption not only highlights their critical role in advancing modern technology but also explains why GPU demand continues to outpace supply. This leads us to a crucial question: Can your cloud hosting provider truly deliver the AI GPU hosting you need? Let's dive into what that really means with 5 things you need to know.

1: Pick the GPU your workload requires

This might sound like common sense, but it’s important to understand the GPU accelerator hardware available from your hosting provider. GPUs are not created equal; they vary massively in specification and capability.

It's important to know what VRAM does, what tensor cores are, and what an NVLink interconnect does; otherwise, it's very easy to overspec and overpay for GPU resources if you don't understand exactly what's needed.

Understand your workload: Do you want to train your own AI model, use private LLMs, or perhaps need a chatbot application? Different AI tasks require different GPU specifications.

Understand data size and IO: AI models are typically trained on huge datasets, so you need a GPU that can process data at a good rate, and you need underlying storage, ideally NVMe SSDs that can keep up to prevent bottlenecks.

Consider future scalability: Ask yourself: Will your AI project grow? You need a hosting provider that can grow with you because you may need a bigger server (more memory, faster CPU) in the near future.

Get developer feedback when choosing a framework: Does the hosting environment support your preferred framework tools out of the box? Ask your devs what they want to use; popular AI frameworks include TensorFlow, PyTorch, and JAX.

2: Choose a provider with the necessary hardware platform

GPUs are very important for AI workloads, but it's also important to consider the underlying hardware and ensure that it's fit for purpose. Network architecture and interconnects are critical for maximizing the performance of AI accelerators when hosted in the cloud.

Don't forget the importance of CPUs: CPUs are still critical for AI as they control the throughput of data to all aspects of the cloud platform. You need a provider that uses the latest CPU architectures, such as Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC, and examines the number and the speed of the CPU cores.

Go beyond high-speed networking: Fiber-optic connected networking is essential for AI platforms to function with low latency. There are 3 types of networking commonly deployed:

InfiniBand provides very low-latency and high-bandwidth communication between nodes (servers) containing GPUs. This is ideal for large-scale distributed AI clusters.

NVLink is NVIDIA's high-speed interconnect for direct GPU-to-GPU communication within a single server. It's needed for multi-GPU setups and is great for preventing bottlenecks.

High-Bandwidth Ethernet (e.g., 100GbE+) offers affordable performance for distributed AI and high-performance storage.

Latency: The ultimate goal is to choose the best hardware that will achieve the lowest latency. This is crucial because rapid GPU IO prevents bottlenecks and improves efficiency.

3: Embedded cloud AI ecosystem

One major benefit of GPU hosting is the fact that it's easy to integrate with existing services from a provider. Pick managed services that work for you. Popular integrations include hooking into cloud storage layers, picking managed security services, and backups.

If you are a business, server management options are a great way to ensure optimal performance and uptime, letting you focus on developing your AI application whilst the provider manages the underlying infrastructure, load balancing, MFA, Antivirus, Intrusion Prevention, and DDoS Protection behind the scenes.

4: Cost optimization

It's essential to keep on top of your operational expenditure, especially when using GPU accelerators. Costs can spiral if you make inefficient deployment decisions, overspecify your server requirements, or leave resources running idle around the clock. Costs vary significantly, so shop around and pick a provider that offers the hardware you need for a cost that is sustainable.

Cloud GPU hosting is the way forward (unless you can afford about $40,000 for a decent-spec GPU), do not forget about all the cooling and power requirements too. Remember to optimize your instance sizing, monitor and turn off idle resources, and take advantage of multi-instance GPU capabilities, where providers essentially slice up a GPU into smaller and very affordable partitions.

5: Support, reliability, and compliance

These factors underline a provider's ability to deliver GPU hosting that meets the needs of modern business. You may run into blockers or issues that could prevent you from releasing on schedule. Having 24x7x365 support skilled in AI/ML available for when things go wrong is vital to business continuity.

Look for strong uptime guarantees and providers that back up their claims with service credits if the unexpected happens. They should also demonstrate proven redundancy capabilities, disaster recovery, and a proactive approach to monitoring to safeguard your expensive GPU operations.

Beyond that, ensure your chosen provider meets all necessary compliance standards for your industry, whether it's GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2. Understand where your data will reside and confirm the provider has strong security controls like encryption and proper access management in place. Finally, always clarify the shared responsibility model so you know exactly what security aspects the provider handles versus what falls to you.

Key takeaways

Choosing the right cloud GPU hosting means looking beyond just raw power. It's about picking a provider that meets your specific requirements, delivers strong, flexible server infrastructure, and offers comprehensive tools for integration.

By optimizing costs and prioritizing critical areas like expert support, reliability, and adherence to compliance standards, you ensure your operations run efficiently and without unexpected hitches.

We've featured the best cloud storage.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

AVG often tops the best antivirus software lists, though more frequently the list of best free antivirus. It does offer a paid plan, but then it enters the realm of heavy hitters such as Norton and Bitdefender.

However, AVG users prefer a more lightweight AV that won't break the bank; therefore, finding a suitable upgrade is not always easy.

That's why I have rounded up some top-tier AV that have powerful features and a range of use cases. Below, I have laid out exactly why these are the best alternatives to AVG AV.

Best AVG alternative overall

Features:

Outside of Norton's excellent antivirus and firewall protection, the 360 Standard plan will provide you with several additional features across 3 devices.

You'll be able to browse the web securely with Norton's AI Genie Scam Protection, a tool that can analyze the content of texts, phone calls, emails, and websites to check for hidden scams or fraud.

Additionally, you'll be able to use a password manager and an unlimited VPN to encrypt your internet traffic, and protect your sensitive files in a secure 2GB cloud backup. Norton 360 Standard also includes breach monitoring to score the dark web for any exposed credentials.

What Norton 360 lacks is a performance optimizer and a driver updater, but Norton's lightweight performance means it shouldn't have too much of an impact on your devices.

Security:

Norton has been one of the top-rated antivirus providers for some time, up there with the likes of Bitdefender, McAfee, and Norton.

In the latest tests by AV-Comparatives, Norton achieved a protection score of 99.5% with 9 false positives, making it one of the highest scoring antivirus solutions tested by AV-Comparatives.

In AV-Test real-world testing, Norton secured a 6/6 across the board for protection, performance, and usability, earning it a 'Top Product' badge.

Price:

Norton is the most affordable alternative to AVG, with a first year price of just $39.99, or $3.33 per month. After the introductory year, the renewal price rises to $99.94, which is also the lowest renewal cost on this list.

Best AVG Alternative for multi-device protection

Features:

McAfee+ Premium is the 'Core Protection' package, but it does include some additional features that make it a better alternative to AVG.

You get McAfee's tried and tested antivirus and firewall, alongside safe browsing protection, scam protection, a password manager, unlimited VPN, and dark web scans for credential breaches and personal information leakage.

For those with a household full of different devices, McAfee+ Premium is the definite choice. You can secure antivirus protection across an unlimited number of devices.

Security:

McAfee is one of the highest scoring antivirus solutions in terms of protection. In AV-Comparatives testing, it achieved a malware block rate of 99.96%. However, it did log 15 normal programs as malware during testing.

In the AV-Test results, McAfee also scored highly, achieving 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability, also earning it the 'Top Product' award.

Price:

McAfee's pricing sits nicely in the mid-point on this list at $49.99 for the first year, or around $4.16 per month. The one thing to be wary of is the renewal pricing, which ups the price to $149.99, making it one of the most expensive antivirus solutions on this list when it comes to renewal by around $50.

Best AVG Alternative for protection score

Features:

As you'll read below, Bitdefender's reputation for protection is not unfounded. It has been one of the best performing antivirus solutions for several years. Outside of Bitdefender's antivirus and firewall, you'll be provided with safe browsing capabilities, scam detection, leaked credential monitoring and a VPN. The VPN does have a daily cap of 200MB/day however.

Security:

As I mentioned, Bitdefender's protection is near perfect. In Av-Comparatives testing, Bitdefender missed hitting top marks by just 0.2%, with a surprisingly low false-positive rate of just 3, making it the best performing antivirus in the latest testing.

As expected, Bitdefender also scored very well in AV-Test results, 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability. Again, Bitdefender also earned AV-Test's 'Top Product' award.

Price:

Protection of this level does come at a cost. Bitdefender Total Security's introductory price sits at $59.99 for the first year, or $4.99 per month. The renewal price is also quite high at $109.99.

Best AVG Alternative for the essentials

Features:

When it comes to features, Avast Premium is a little sparse. You get the essential antivirus and smart firewall, but outside of a performance optimizer and scam protection, there isn't much else to add.

Avast Premium does include browser based password protection, but falls short of offering a dedicated password manager. There are a few other nice-to-haves included in the plan though, such as a tool for permanently and securely deleting files, and a sandbox that can be used to open 'risky files' without them potentially infecting your device.

On the upside, you do get protection across 10 devices, making it another good choice if you're looking for multi-device protection.

Security:

Avast scored very well in the latest AV-Comparatives testing, with a protection score of 99.5%. It did however pick up 15 false-positives, which could be an issue for those who don't want frequent interruptions from their antivirus.

On the AV-Test side of things, Avast also holds up under pressure, again scoring 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability with Avast matching up to the other alternatives on this list and earning the 'Top Product' award.

Price:

Avast is the most expensive alternative to AVG on this list, with the introductory pricing for the first year sitting at $69.48, working out at $5.79.

However, the renewal pricing jump isn't too bad, with renewal costing just $99.99 per year. Avast is therefore the best alternative to AVG for the essentials, offering excellent protection across 10 devices.

Comparison

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

If you are among the millions of users affected by the ban on Kaspersky sales by the US, then fear not. Rest assured that there is other equally, if not better, antivirus software to keep you protected online.

Equally important, you should try and find a reputable supplier that offers similar functionality so you do not miss out on any critical features that make your life easy.

Luckily, there are a range of Kaspersky alternatives that offer exactly the same level of protection, and some even through in some extra features to keep you safe online!

Best Kaspersky alternative overall

Features:

The Norton 360 Standard suite contains almost everything you need to replace your Kaspersky antivirus, and even throws in several extra goodies to tempt you.

This package includes Norton's award winning antivirus software that frequently scores highly in both our own testing and in testing done by third party laboratories.

You also get access to a highly configurable firewall, alongside safe browsing protection that includes payment protection, and dark web monitoring, and even includes Genie scam protection; and AI powered tool that can quickly spot nefarious scams.

As an added bonus to your personal privacy, Norton 360 standard also throws in a password manager, VPN with kill switch and IP rotation, and a 2GB cloud backup for important files.

The one tool that Norton 360 Standard is missing is a performance optimizer, but Norton has earned top marks in the latest AV-Test performance scores, so you'll hardly know its there.

Security:

When it comes to protection, Norton is one of the best performing antivirus solutions on the market. The software frequently receives three stars from AV-Comparatives in their real-world testing scenarios without letting malware slip through the net or picking up too many false-positives.

In the latest testing from June 2025, Norton detected 99.5% of the sample threats with 9 false-positives, making it a more than capable solution to replace your existing Kaspersky antivirus.

Price:

Norton 360 Standard is priced at an introductory rate of $39.99, putting the per month cost at $3.33. Norton 360 Standard only provides protection for one device.

However, after the first introductory year, the price jumps to $94.99. While not the most expensive renewal cost on this list the pricing can appear quite steep. However, with Norton 360 Standard you are getting a wide range of features at an excellent price point compared to the other services on this list - making it the best Kaspersky alternative.

Best Kaspersky Alternative for all-in-one protection

Features:

Avast Premium Security offers everything you would expect from antivirus software at this price point. You'll have access to Avast's signature antivirus software complete with firewall, and safe browsing protections including secure payment protection.

Unlike Norton 360 Standard, Avast Premium Security includes an Email Guardian scam filter. Plus, you'll also to dark web monitoring to spot compromised credentials linked to your email account.

What this package is missing is a password manager and cloud backup, but for a price as low as this I think it is still worth the money, and definitely a good budget alternative for Kaspersky.

Security:

Avast is another name that frequent the top of the list when it comes to antivirus protection. In the latest testing from AV-Comparatives, Avast blocked 99.5% of threats, but had a rather high false-positive rate, detecting 15 files as malware.

When it comes other lab testing, Avast scored top marks from AV-Test, achieving a maximum score of 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability, awarding Avast the Top Product badge.

Price:

Avast is the budget option on this list for a reason, with an introductory price of $31.20, or $2.60 per month.

The renewal price also makes it a great budget alternative to Kaspersky, offering the lowest renewal price on this list at just $77.99.

Best Kaspersky Alternative for multi-device

Features:

Bitdefender has maintained our top pick for the best antivirus software for some time - and with good reason. Bitdefender has consistently been one of the highest performing antivirus solutions on the market, consistently raking in top marks in our own testing and in the testing done by AV-Test and AV-Comparatives.

Bitdefender Total Security gives you 1 account to use with protection across up to 5 devices, alongside a firewall, safe browsing protection, online payment and scam protection, and a system optimizer to keep things running smoothly.

Additionally, Bitdefender Total Security includes a VPN with a 200MB/day limit, and dark web monitoring for breached accounts.

Security:

As mentioned before, Bitdefender consistently scores highly in tests. The latest AV-Comparatives test from June 2025 place Bitdefender's protection at 99.8% with just 3 false positives.

Bitdefender also received an 'Outstanding' rating by AV-Test in their latest results, with a 6/6 for performance, protection, and usability, also earning Bitdefender the Top Product award.

Price:

Protection levels such as these do come at a premium, with Bitdefender Total Security costing $59.99 at its introductory rate, or $4.99 per month. The renewal cost rises to $109.99.

Keep in mind however that Bitdefender Total Security gives you protection across 5 devices compared to the other plans on this list, which may offset the increased price if you have more devices to protect.

Best Kaspersky alternative for simplicity

Features:

Compared to the other solutions on this list, AVG Internet Security offers fewer features at a similar price point.

You get access to all the essentials, including protection for one device, firewall, safe browsing and payment protection, a performance optimizer, and scam protection.

The list of features is slightly less than the other solutions, with the lack of a password manager, breach monitoring, and VPN being significant reductions in protection compared to the other plans.

However, if you are looking for a simple plan without too many frills, bells, or whistles, AVG Internet Security is the choice for you.

Security:

In the latest AV-Comparatives testing, AVG scored a protection rate of 99.3% with a false positive rate of 13. It is still a very capable software, and these tests are by no means a comprehensive display of antivirus performance, but there is the potential for this antivirus to pick up normal software as malware during scans.

AVG almost scored top marks in recent AV-Test testing, with a 6 in protection, 5.5 in performance, and 6 in usability. The tests showed slightly slower launching of software while the antivirus is running, but it is fairly minimal and shouldn't impact day-to-day activities too much.

Price:

AVG Internet Security sits in the middle of the road when it comes to pricing, matching Norton 360 Standard's $39.99, or $3.33 per month. Renewal is slightly higher though, at $99.99.

For the features on offer, AVG Internet Security seems slightly overpriced compared to some of the protection and features offered by the other plans. However, if you are looking for simplicity with good protection, AVG is the one for you.

Comparison

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

Q&A

While it may be true that McAfee has been around for quite some time, and that it holds a sizable market share among the best antivirus software, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best at what it does.

Numerous new devices come preinstalled with McAfee, but users occasionally complain about its missing features, higher costs and, at times, slowdowns they experience on their machines while using it.

Nevertheless, McAfee has a lot to offer in terms of its protection prowess, so finding a suitable alternative may prove to be a challenge. For this exact reason, we would like to share the best alternatives we’ve found for McAfee. Let’s take a look!

Best McAfee alternative

Features:

At this pricing tier, Norton 360 Deluxe offers the greatest range of features compared to any other McAfee alternative on this list.

Outside of the obvious inclusions in an antivirus product (antivirus, malware removal, firewall), this plan provides you with the additional online browsing nice-to-haves such as safe browsing protection, payment and scam protection, a password manager and an unlimited VPN.

As for the features that improve day-to-day life, Norton 360 Deluxe adds a 50GB cloud backup, dark web monitoring for compromised accounts, and parental controls to keep the household safe.

The one feature that Norton 360 Deluxe is missing is a PC performance optimizer, but considering the price point and array of features, this is a fairly minor sticking point.

Security:

Norton is one of the top performing antivirus solutions around. Norton has received the full three stars from AV-Comparatives in their real-world testing scenarios, blocking 99.5% of the malware samples with only 9 false-positives.

AV-Test scores are also impressive, with 6/6 across the board for protection, performance, and usability, earning it the 'Top Product' badge.

Price:

When it comes to price, Norton 360 Deluxe gets additional points for being the cheapest on this list. It also matches the price of McAfee Premium while offering significantly more bang for your buck.

The first year is currently $49.99, working out at around $4.16 per month. The renewal price on the other hand is the most expensive on the list, sitting at $199.99, so the cost over two years is somewhere in the middle.

Overall, for the number of features and the excellent level of protection, this is definitely a worthwhile investment to keep your files and devices safe.

Best McAfee Alternative for multi-device protection

Features:

When it comes to features, AVG Ultimate offers a good range, but maybe not quite everything you're looking for.

It includes all the essentials such as antivirus, malware removal, firewall, safe browsing and payment protection, scam protection, a VPN and breach monitoring, but doesn't include a cloud backup, password manager, or parental controls like Norton 360 Deluxe does.

But considering you can protect 10 devices with everything you need to keep your data safe and your device free from malware, its quite a good feature set overall.

Security:

In AV-Comparatives testing, AVG scored slightly lower than Norton with a protection rate of 99.3%, and a false positive rate of 13, making it a highly capable bit of kit that might recognize a few more of your programs as malware.

Recent AV-Test testing saw AVG score very well, with a 6 in protection, 5.5 in performance, and 6 in usability. AVG might make it take slightly longer for your other programs to launch while your system is being scanned, but the impact is negligible.

Price:

The initial cost for AVG Ultimate is slightly more expensive than Norton 360 Deluxe, with a first year price of $59.88, rounding out at about $4.99 per month. However, the renewal cost is $139.99, making it a potential option for those looking for long term protection across a large range of devices.

Best McAfee Alternative for protection score

Features:

Bitdefender Total Security gives you protection across up to 5 devices, alongside a firewall, safe browsing protection, online payment and scam protection, and a system optimizer.

Additionally, Bitdefender Total Security includes a VPN with a 200MB/day limit, and dark web monitoring for breached accounts.

However, just like AVG Ultimate, you don't get access to a password manager, cloud backup, or parental controls.

Security:

Bitdefender has consistently been one of the highest performing antivirus solutions on the market, frequently raking in top marks in our own testing and in the testing done by the third-party labs.

Bitdefender received an 'Outstanding' rating by AV-Test in their latest results, with a 6/6 for performance, protection, and usability, also earning Bitdefender the Top Product award.

The latest AV-Comparatives test from June 2025 place Bitdefender's protection at 99.8% with just 3 false positives, making it the most capable antivirus in terms of real-world protection.

Price:

Bitdefender Total Security puts a premium on such high performance, with an initial cost of $59.99, or $4.99 per month. The renewal cost is one of the lowest however, at just $109.99, making it a fairly good choice for a long term budget.

Best McAfee alternative for PC performance

Features:

Avast Ultimate's feature set is fairly sparse compared to the other options on this list. Outside of the essentials (antivirus, malware removal, firewall, safe browsing and payment protection, and scam protection), Avast only includes a VPN. However, if you are looking to have your device perform at the optimal level, this could be the choice for you.

Avast's Cleanup Premium is included in this plan, giving you tracking protection, junk cleanup that can be automated, and a disk-cleaner to keep your storage optimized and free from clutter.

Security:

Avast also offers great antivirus protection. In the latest testing from AV-Comparatives, Avast blocked an impressive 99.5% of threats, but had a rather high false-positive rate, detecting 15 normal files as malware.

When it comes other lab testing, Avast scored top marks from AV-Test, achieving a maximum score of 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability, awarding Avast the Top Product badge.

Price:

Avast Ultimate has the highest initial cost on this list at $69.99, or $5.83 per month for the first year. This compounded by the fact that you only get protection on a single device, also making it the most expensive option on a per-device-protection level.

After the first year, things don't get much better. The renewal cost is $139.99, but for the suite of device cleanup and optimization tools, it could be worth it for some.

Comparison

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

For two decades now, Bitdefender has been offering great features in the antivirus software and anti-malware space, protecting over 500 million devices across the globe.

Its Ultimate Security Plus package covers almost everything you may need from an antivirus suite; however, that doesn’t mean that there are no alternatives to it. If you want to move away from Bitdefender or simply see what else is out there as a good alternative, then you’re in the right place.

Below, we present our best alternatives to Bitdefender antivirus as well as features that would make us switch.

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

Best Bitdefender alternative overall

Features:

The Norton 360 with LifeLock is probably the most comprehensive security suite you can get. It includes Norton's award winning antivirus software, alongside numerous privacy and security features, and LifeLock identity theft protection with credit monitoring.

On the security side, you'll pick up a configurable firewall, safe browsing and payment protection, dark web monitoring, and Genie scam protection.

On the privacy side, Norton also throws in a password manager, VPN with kill switch and IP rotation, and a 250GB cloud backup for important files and documents. All of the security and privacy features are available across 10 devices.

The identity theft protection is some of the best in the industry, with Norton offering LifeLock protection that includes up to $1,000,000 for lawyer fees, up to $1,000,000 stolen funds reimbursement, and up to $1,000,000 personal expense reimbursement.

LifeLock also includes three bureau credit monitoring alongside 401(k) and Investment Account monitoring.

The one thing Norton doesn't have is a built in performance optimizer. Luckily, Norton frequently scores very well in third party testing and our own testing for having a very minimal impact on system performance while running.

Security:

Norton is one of the best performing antivirus solutions on the market, and has been for some time. In the latest tests, Norton antivirus was awarded three stars from AV-Comparatives in their real-world scenarios. Norton detected 99.5% of the sample threats with 9 false-positives, making it more than capable of replacing your Bitdefender protection.

Price:

Norton 360 with LifeLock has an introductory rate of $99.99 for the first year, putting the per month cost at $8.33. For comparison, Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus costs $119.99 for the first year.

The renewal price does jump to $189.99. While not the most expensive renewal cost on this list the pricing can appear quite steep. But for the cost, you are getting a comprehensive security suite for 10 devices with some of the strongest identity theft protection around.

Best Bitdefender Alternative for budget

Features:

Avast Ultimate is another antivirus suite that offers an excellent range of features to replace your existing Bitdefender antivirus. You'll have access to Avast's signature antivirus software complete with firewall, and safe browsing protections including secure payment and scam protection across up to 10 devices.

Alongside access to an unlimited VPN with over 50 server locations, Avast Ultimate also includes several performance management tools, including an automatic software updater, app optimizer, disk cleanup, and a driver updating tool.

Avast Ultimate doesn't include identity theft protection, nor does it have a password manager or cloud backup, but as a replacement for Bitdefender, Avast is a solid choice in both protection and pricing.

Security:

Similar to Norton and Bitdefender, Avast has been a brand that offers award winning antivirus protection. Avast scored top marks from AV-Test, achieving a score of 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability. Avast blocked 99.5% of threats in the latest testing from AV-Comparatives, but detected 15 safe files as malware.

Price:

Currently, Avast sits at a very fair price point, especially with the current discount that cuts the introductory cost to $69.48 for the first year, which to translates to $5.79 per month.

The renewal price is also very fair, and offers an excellent long term solution as an alternative to Bitdefender, with the price after the first year sitting at $139.99.

Best Bitdefender Alternative for data protection

Features:

ESET is a lesser-know antivirus software that offers good levels of protection, with a set of particularly good features that revolve around data security.

In the Home Security Ultimate package, you'll get antivirus, a firewall, malware removal, safe payment, scam, and browsing protection, alongside a password manager and dark web monitoring. ESET also include a VPN with unlimited bandwidth. The plan covers 5 devices.

On the identity side of things, ESET Home Security Ultimate offers up to $1,000,000 in reimbursement if your identity is stolen, with 1 bureau credit monitoring.

Now, the data protection features include file and folder security settings, so only programs you approve can modify or access your files, an encryption tool to keep documents and external drives secured even if they are lost, and the ability to remove metadata from images before uploading.

Security:

Despite being a smaller name than the big providers, ESET is also tested by the third party labs. In a recent AV-Comparatives test, ESET protected against 99.1% of malware samples, giving it the lowest score on this list, but still providing excellent protection. During the test it only picked up 3 false-positive detections. In AV-Test testing, ESET scored 6/6 across the board.

Price:

ESET Home Security Ultimate is the most expensive software on this list, with a first year price of $125.99, or $10.49 per month. The renewal price matches the others on this list at $179.99.

The price may be a bit steep for some, but for those looking for a solid antivirus suite with a focus on data protection, ESET is the pick for you.

Comparison

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

Microsoft Defender keeps millions of users safe as it's the default antivirus software for all Windows machines. This, however, doesn’t mean that users usually don’t reach for a third-party solution that now comes bundled with a plethora of useful tools.

We would argue that Defender is good enough for most users, though if you’re in the camp of proactive internet users, reaching for a more comprehensive solution may be needed.

We have identified the best alternatives to Microsoft Defender, and we will look into why we think it's worth upgrading if you’re looking for an alternative.

Best alternative to Microsoft Defender

Features:

Avast Free offers a fair amount of features and tools at the free tier. You'll have access to Avast's antivirus, alongside an AI assistant that can help you spot scams and fraud.

By also using the Avast Free Browser, you can add safe browsing, payment protection, and scam protection to the list of features, alongside built-in ad blocking and anti-phishing capabilities.

Even at the free tier, Avast provides password leak notifications that scan the dark web for your credentials and notifies you if they appear in a breach.

The main difference between the two is that Microsoft Defender does include a firewall, which you can only get from Avast if you choose to upgrade. Luckily, the two software can be used together to double up your protection.

Security:

Avast has scored top marks from AV-Test in the latest testing, receiving a score of 6/6 across protection, performance, and usability. As for AV-Comparatives testing, Avast blocked 99.5% of threats but had a fairly high false-positive rate, detecting 15 safe files as malware.

Price:

Both Avast Antivirus Free and Avast Free Browser are both completely free. If you do choose to upgrade your protection, the next step up is Avast Premium Security which adds a firewall, email detection, and a secure sandbox to open risky files.

Best Microsoft Defender alternative for lightweight protection

Features:

There is a reason that Bitdefender Free Antivirus is our pick for the best lightweight alternative to Microsoft Defender - it doesn't have any unnecessary bells and whistles that could impact performance or distract you.

Bitdefender includes the necessities, including its excellent antivirus, safe browsing protection, payment protection, and even throws in scam protection for good measure.

For a free service its quite a good package that has been optimized to minimize its impact on your device. It doesn't have a firewall, but in our testing it did play fairly nicely with the built-in Microsoft Defender firewall, so the two can be used in conjunction to maximize protection.

Security:

Bitdefender has frequently held the top spot for antivirus performance. In AV-Comparatives testing Bitdefender scored an impressive 99.8% malware block rate, with only a mere 3 false positives.

As for AV-Test scores, Bitdefender achieved 6/6 across the board for protection, performance, and usability.

Price:

Bitdefender Antivirus Free is entirely free, and as an added bonus it won't constantly pester your with adverts asking you to upgrade.

The next tier up, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, costs $24.99 and adds in a firewall, VPN with a 200MB/day cap, and breach notifications for one device.

Best paid Microsoft Defender alternative

Features:

If you truly want to beat the features offered by Microsoft Defender, it might be worth opting for a paid plan - Norton Antivirus Plus specifically.

This plan provides Norton's excellent antivirus protection, plus a firewall, safe browsing and payment protection. Additionally, you will be able to Norton's flagship Genie scam protection tool, with a password manager and 2GB cloud backup thrown in for good measure.

Security:

Norton is one of the best performing antivirus solutions on the market, and for good reason. Norton Antivirus did very well in the latest AV-Comparatives real-world scenarios, detecting 99.5% of the sample threats with 9 false-positives.

As for AV-Test, Norton also scored 6/6 across the board for protection, performance, and usability.

Price:

Norton Antivirus Plus starts off with a 30-day free trial, and then costs $29.99 for the first year, or $2.49 per month. The renewal price does rise to $59.99 after the first year.

Comparison

Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives

If a recent uptick in cybersecurity threats inspired you to tighten your defenses, power to you. Granted, an intention is only half the battle. The trickiest part of the process is settling on which type of software to invest in, especially when you consider the sheer number of options out there.

While the best antivirus software and internet security suites are both viable (and popular) options, each offers a different level of protection. Since this is often an annual commitment, we can’t blame you if you’re worried about making the wrong choice, thus leaving yourself ill-prepared for a cyberthreat.

To put your mind at ease and decide which option will fulfill your needs better, here is a detailed breakdown of antivirus and internet security, their features, and the type of threats they’re effective against.

What is antivirus?

An antivirus is software that detects and eliminates malware. Depending on the underlying engine, an antivirus leverages various techniques to recognize harmful programs.

Traditionally, AV products primarily relied on signature-based detection, where they checked if the signature of the file matched the signature of malware in their database. Still, due to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, modern antivirus engines may also employ heuristic-based detection (among other techniques), which is a fancy way to say they analyze programs to see if they exhibit characteristics commonly linked to malware.

Since an antivirus scans files on your device, you can look at it as a sort of local protection, at least for the purpose of clarity. In the past, these programs were limited to local files (i.e., files already on your device), but today’s versions aren’t “offline-only” anymore and employ additional security layers to better shield you from incoming online threats.

What types of threats is antivirus effective against?

Although the name may lead you to believe that antivirus software can only remove viruses, it’s actually great when put to work against most types of malware (a broad term for malicious programs).

Malware can come in many forms. For instance, viruses are infamous because they can self-replicate by attaching to other files and programs, thereby infecting a device or a network. On the other hand, worms don’t require any other programs to replicate.

Then, there are the aptly named Trojan horses that pose as legitimate software and can perform their real functions once you execute or install them.

Depending on the type, the damage malware can cause ranges from stealing system resources for crypto mining or sending spam emails, to stealing your sensitive data, spying on you, or simply damaging your system.

Either way, an antivirus will stand its ground against most malware, meaning it should be an integral part of your digital security stack.

What is internet security?

In contrast to an antivirus, internet security suites include a wide array of tools aimed at protecting you online by preventing malicious files from finding their way onto your device.

Besides including an antivirus to protect you locally, internet security software also provides continuous monitoring that proactively busts threats while you’re browsing the web. Thus, it may also come packed with essential utilities such as VPN, password managers, parental control features, a comprehensive firewall, and so on.

What types of threats is internet security effective against?

For almost any threat you encounter online, there’s a high possibility that a robust internet security program will be able to shield you against it.

Take shady websites, for example. Threat actors can hack sites and use them to infect users with malware to grab hold of their information. Internet security software has up-to-date databases of malicious websites, so when you try to access one of them, you’ll receive a nifty warning that will help you stay out of harm’s way.

Furthermore, due to defenses like a firewall and VPN, internet security suites also address vulnerabilities hackers can exploit to steal your private details by hijacking your session and intercepting your data.

Another huge advantage of internet security programs is that they protect against phishing. Even if you don’t partake in torrenting or streaming movies on shady sites, you may still end up with malware if you fall for a phishing scam (which are sadly also getting more sophisticated).

The most common avenue for phishing is email. Scammers may mimic a legitimate service or an organization and con you into opening a malicious link or downloading a malware-ridden attachment. As these emails are indistinguishable from the real thing, thanks to cybercriminals using ChatGPT and similar AI language models to perfectly imitate company language, there’s always a chance you may fall for the scam.

Fret not. Internet security software can protect your inbox and stop these messages from ever reaching you.

Additionally, this suite may have features like a password manager. This will significantly up your security as it will help generate complex passwords, which you won’t have to remember because password managers have auto-fill capabilities.

Beyond the marketing

Before proceeding, here’s a quick summary of the differences between antivirus and internet security

• Antivirus protects against malware by scanning local files, whereas internet security monitors your online activities and protects you from downloading malware.
• Antivirus provides more basic features, while internet security programs are a combination of various security tools that include antivirus functions.
• Internet security stops hackers from exploiting network vulnerabilities.
• Antivirus and internet security are largely interchangeable when talking about the latest iterations of AV programs, which use cloud-based threat intelligence (previously limited to internet security) to identify and eliminate newer threats.

Vendors are now bundling antivirus and internet security together, so the distinction is pretty much about pricing tiers in the same line of products. Norton Antivirus and Norton 360 are good examples of this tiered approach. The former includes antivirus and basic security options, while the latter expands the offering to include extras like dark web monitoring, cloud backup, parental controls, and so on.

In a sense, it’s more about marketing than anything else, meaning that if you opt for an antivirus, you’ll also receive online protection, as well as the classic local file scans.

Which suite should you choose?

There are plenty of antivirus suites with powerful internet security capabilities to select from.

Let’s start with Avast, which has a capable free tier. In addition to a regular antivirus that detects threats in real time, it also scans for Wi-Fi security features, protects from ransomware, and spots fake sites. Opting for premium tiers unlocks more security tools, like a firewall, VPN, and sandboxing.

Same goes for Bitdefender, which has an excellent antivirus engine, while also blocking phishing emails and zero-day threats even in its free tier. Premium options are much more comprehensive, offering security bells and whistles that include a VPN, password manager, and data breach protection.

Norton Antivirus and its “heavier” version, Norton 360, are both great solutions. Along with AI detection, depending on the plan, you can also receive powerful identity protection services and parental controls, just to name a few.

These are just three examples. Whichever antivirus you go with, you’ll typically also receive internet protection in the basic subscriptions. Naturally, this doesn’t make your choice any easier, as most of these suites have overlapping functionalities, and are, as a rule, pretty good against various incarnations of malware.

Malware tests conducted by AV-Comparatives are a testament to this fact, as the majority of vendors on our list of best antivirus software boast offline and online detection rates that go as high as 99.6% in some cases. Thus, you’ll probably need to decide what features you want to have at your disposal and how much money you’re willing to pay for them. If you don’t care about the more sophisticated capabilities, then the free versions of these antivirus solutions may suffice, depending on your browsing habits.

You can read more about how to choose the best antivirus for you here.

Is a security suite enough?

In conclusion, internet security and an antivirus are indispensable tools for those who want to ensure that they’re doing everything in their power to safeguard their data and devices from cyber threats. As luck would have it, you no longer need separate programs as these two are often bundled together, so you can pretty much view them interchangeably.

A word of warning, though. Never let software lull you into a false sense of security. Despite how sophisticated these suites are, they’re not 100% foolproof. So, arm yourself with information on how to stay safe online and keep your eyes open at all times.

Every time you establish an internet connection (which is pretty much as soon as you power on the device), there’s a small possibility of contracting malware.

The best antivirus software is a nice way to minimize the possibility of this happening, but still, deciding on a vendor is generally not easy.

For instance, if you’re undecided between Avast and Norton, the issue is that they’re both so effective in safeguarding users from malicious software that settling on one is pretty challenging, especially when you consider that getting an AV is a long-term commitment.

Fortunately, the differences become apparent when you stack them up against each other, feature for feature. By extension, it gets a bit easier to find the security solution that works best for you.

Avast versus Norton: Background

Despite starting as far back as 1988 in Czechoslovakia and establishing itself as a capable antivirus (at one point it even licensed its engines to popular AV vendors like McAfee), Avast only became mainstream in the early 2000s when it switched to a freemium model. Today, in addition to providing a total security suite with advanced features, Avast’s core protection is still available for free and safeguards millions of devices around the world.

Norton started life in 1982 and built up such a solid reputation so fast that it completely dominated the home antivirus market in the 90s and early 2000s. Despite facing competition from equally capable solutions, its name is still associated with the term antivirus in some circles.

It’s interesting that these two are often pitted against each other, because they technically come from the same company, so to speak, as Norton acquired Avast back in 2021.

Avast versus Norton: Security features

Before breaking down the features, note that Avast and Norton will dramatically boost your overall security, as both vendors knock it out of the ballpark in terms of core malware protection. Unsurprisingly, the reason for this is that they’re powered by the same Avast antivirus engine.

Since they operate almost identically, the features, resource usage, and pricing will be what ultimately decides which product is better.

So, without further ado, it’s time to commence the Avast vs Norton deep dive.

Real-time threat detection

Avast actively monitors your device and scrutinizes both file and app behavior, springing into action by blocking any potentially harmful activities before they wreak havoc on the system. Moreover, its Wi-Fi security scanner keeps an eye on remote connection requests, while also checking if your email address was a part of a data breach – super useful.

Similarly, Norton employs AI and machine learning to provide real-time defense against threats ranging from phishing and ransomware to malware. Despite blocking over 95% of test links we used during our evaluation, Norton and Avast tend to throw a lot of false positives your way (more on that later).

Firewall

A strong firewall is a necessary part of every powerful AV suite, and Avast and Norton deliver the goods.

Avast takes full control of both the ingoing and outgoing traffic, blocking any unauthorized connections and activity. The thing we like is the simplicity in terms of protection levels, as you can add extra limitations for stronger defense or make the firewall more lax, allowing it to let additional connections through.

Norton is similar in that it protects outgoing and ingoing traffic and offers an equal level of customization. However, its Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) tips the battle in its favor. This functions as another layer to the firewall that monitors traffic that has already passed through, which, logically, provides a stronger defense against more advanced threats.

Identity theft protection

If your identity is compromised, you can rely on Avast and Norton to get things under control. That is, if you opt for their most expensive premium tiers.

With Avast One, you get the basics like credit monitoring, professional assistance from Avast’s experts, and up to $1M identity theft compensation.

Norton’s Select tier identity theft protection is much more powerful. By partnering up with LifeLock, Norton supplies a full-on service with comprehensive features such as identity lock, credit monitoring, SSN and credit alerts, as well as wallet protection. Similar to Avast, Norton includes personal assistance, courtesy of identity theft restoration specialists and up to $1M in compensation.

VPN

Since VPN enhances your online security by keeping everything you do under wraps, most vendors include a VPN in their AV suites.

That’s good news for those strapped for cash, as Avast offers a basic VPN even in its free subscription. While this is a welcome treat, you’ll have to contend with a weekly 5GB data cap, meaning that streaming or other bandwidth-heavy activity is out of the question. You also can’t choose locations yourself, as the VPN will automatically connect you to the nearest server. Upgrading to any paid tier eliminates these limitations and allows you to connect to 59 locations.

Norton’s VPN is much more serious and can even rival some of the best VPN services on the market. For starters, its server network includes 100 global locations. There are also some additional “big boy” features that provide more security and value, including a kill switch, IP rotation, simultaneous device connections, and ad blocking.

Password manager

The majority of antivirus vendors integrate password managers into premium packages. Sadly, Avast isn’t one of them. Despite offering a dedicated product, Avast doesn’t include it in any of its Avast One subscriptions.

Norton is much more generous in this regard, offering a nifty browser-based management tool that allows you to share credentials across devices. It may not be as comprehensive as some of the top password managers, but Norton does have auto-fill capabilities and a handy password generator.

Parental controls

Another thing missing from Avast is any semblance of parental control features. Although there’s no shortage of parental control apps you can use instead, this omission is disappointing, considering most of the big vendors offer some features.

Norton delivers in this department. In addition to easy-to-use parental controls that provide insight into your child’s browsing habits, app activities, and screen time, you can easily blacklist websites and block whole content categories.

The most powerful feature is GPS tracking that helps monitor the whereabouts of juniors, and you can even go as far as limiting geographic areas, allowing you to receive a notification if the child you’re tracking breaks some of the rules.

Other security features

Along with these more essential features, Avast and Norton come out of the box with some extra goodies that can serve as a nice addition to your security arsenal.

The file shredder feature (Norton refers to it as a Data Shredder) is amazing if you want to make certain that deleted files will be gone for good and aren’t recoverable by threat actors. Both providers also have security functions that prevent untrusted apps from accessing your webcam. Avast is a bit better here as its Webcam Shield also protects your microphone.

Norton makes up for this slight oversight with Dark Web Monitoring, a powerful way to be in the loop if your private data has been leaked to the dark web. Avast One may not be as comprehensive, but it does allow you to check if your email addresses were involved in a data breach.

The two also include private browsers designed to enhance your browsing security, but Norton takes it up a notch with cloud backup functionality – a proactive way to preserve your files from data loss.

Lastly, Avast comes prepackaged with useful tools such as PC Speedup (optimizes apps that are slowing down your system), a Disk Cleaner that helps free up space, and a driver updater tool.

Avast versus Norton: System performance

When compared to Norton, Avast may seem unimpressive. Yet, it comes close to bridging this gap when you take a closer look at its low resource usage.

The latest performance test by AV-Comparatives paints a positive picture. The vendor had a 3.8 impact score (the lower the score, the faster the AV), which means that Avast is second only to McAfee in terms of system performance.

During the same series of tests, Norton achieved an impact score of 4.6, closely trailing behind Avast with a marginally slower performance.

Factoring in that some reputable AV solutions like Avira, Malwarebytes, and Bitdefender have impact scores over 15, you really can’t go wrong with Norton or Avast.

Avast versus Norton: Ease of use

The key design principle with all Avast products has always been simplicity. Regardless of the solution you choose, you can always expect the customer experience to be enjoyable, and the Avast One suite is no exception.

Opting for a more cartoony look with a white background (Avast is generally known for its darker theme), the interface is as intuitive as ever. For example, you’ll find the most important features on the ‘Home’ screen. That way, you can quickly take action if any pressing matters pop up.

To run scans or configure advanced features such as the VPN or the firewall, simply navigate to the ‘Explore’ menu on the left sidebar.

A sleek and streamlined UX is certainly welcome, especially for users who are unfamiliar with antivirus solutions and lack the technical know-how. Still, more technically inclined users may find this approach too simplistic and restrictive.

Norton also offers a well-designed, intuitive interface, though it’s slightly more complex.

For starters, it includes more information and settings. Those looking for granular control over their AV will feel right at home, but beginners may find the whole thing more confusing and frustrating. Some functions also require more effort to access, like Dark Web Monitoring and parental controls not being included in the app. Rather, they’re browser-based, which may turn off users who want a more centralized suite.

It’s only fair to crown Avast a winner in this department, though ultimately, the choice is down to personal preference.

Avast versus Norton: Protection

Password managers, PC cleanup tools, and snappy interfaces are all good and well. Still, the most important thing for an antivirus is its efficiency against malware.

Fortunately, these two are right on money. As we previously mentioned, they use the same antivirus engine, so the results are pretty much identical.

Malware protection tests from March 2025 conducted by AV-Comparatives confirm this. Both had a 99.3% online detection rate, 99.96% online protection rate, and 99.7% offline detection rate. These high scores come at a slight cost, as the duo raised 10 false alarms during the course of the testing.

That minor issue aside, Avast and Norton are highly effective when it comes to core protection and will likely work great against all known threats you may encounter.

Avast versus Norton: Pricing

Though the engine they use is the same, the list of features is quite different, and so is the price.

Let’s start with Avast, which is the more economical of the two.

If you require the basics, the aptly named ‘Basic’ tier will likely have everything you’ll ever need, considering that there are no limitations in terms of the core antivirus protection. However, the best way to describe its features is a ghost town, as you’ll be limited to one device and have to deal with a VPN that has only one location and a data cap.

The next tier is Avast One Silver Individual, which costs $35.88 per year. It sheds most of these restrictions and unlocks features such as the firewall. Yet, the real fun starts with Avast One Gold, since it comes with identity protection features and extends the protection to five devices for a reasonable yearly price of $83.88.

The family version of both plans exists, costing $59.88 or $113.88 per year, and extends the protection to a whopping 30 devices.

More expensive overall, Norton not only comes with more features but also offers more variety in terms of plans.

Pricing starts at $29.99 annually for one device with the AntiVirus Plus tier. The Standard plan costs $39.99 per year for three devices, while Deluxe offers protection for five devices at $49.99 annually. The most comprehensive option, the Select package, supports up to ten devices for $99.99 per year.

Avast versus Norton: Which is best?

While it seems like an underwhelming end to an epic antivirus battle, the fact that both solutions are cut from the same cloth is a good thing. So, the decision completely rests on personal preference:

If you need a low-cost AV with a minimal impact on your system and a clean interface, then go with Avast. In case you require a comprehensive security suite with an amazing VPN and advanced features like identity theft protection and parental controls, you can’t beat Norton.

Bottom line, you’ll be safe with either provider.

When it comes to the best antivirus software, ESET and Avast are routinely in the conversation, and for good reason - they deliver on their promise of online freedom and protection for individual and business users. Solutions aimed at the former group will be the focus of this article, so if you’ve narrowed down the choice to these two vendors, you’re off to a great start.

Now, it’s a matter of getting into the nitty-gritty to figure out which one does what exactly, as antivirus software these days includes all kinds of stuff. In the next 10 minutes or so, we’ll cover every aspect of ESET’s and Avast’s antivirus offerings, from their malware detection rates and ease of use to available features and everything in between.

Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll supply you with both so you can make the best (and informed) decision on which one is better for your needs.

ESET versus Avast: Background

Founded in 1992 in Bratislava, Slovakia, ESET is a privately-owned, global cybersecurity company whose origins go back to 1987, when two of its founders developed their first antivirus program called ‘NOD’. The company’s NOD32 antivirus is a, well, nod to its beginnings, and highly popular with individual users due to its lightweight performance and excellent detection capabilities. ESET also has a notable presence in the business security market, especially for SMBs.

Some 330 kilometers to the northwest, Avast was formed in 1988 in Prague, Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia). As another multinational cybersecurity software player, the company pioneered the freemium model in 2001, which largely helped it shoot to the top of the consumer antivirus market. In September 2022, Avast was acquired by NortonLifeLock (rebranded to Gen Digital Inc.), operating as a subsidiary under the Gen Digital umbrella - much like Norton, AVG, LifeLock, and Avira.

Both hold a significant share of the home user market, and more importantly, offer a similar antivirus product portfolio, either as core security technologies or add-ons found in their highest-tier packages. So, the only tangible difference might be the level of user-friendliness and, of course, the price tag.

ESET versus Avast: Security features

As the company’s most comprehensive AV solution, ESET Home Security (you might know it by its previous name, ESET Internet Security) comes with three subscription tiers, starting with solid core protection and adding more security (and utility) layers with each plan.

On the other hand, Avast One is the all-in-one consumer option that balances antivirus with privacy and performance tools, ranging from the Basic (and free) plan to the Gold subscription. Family options are included for each tier.

What’s important is that the two companies supply robust core antivirus protection, so you'll find a common set of essential security features in their offerings. This includes potent real-time threat detection, a capable firewall, anti-phishing and anti-spyware mechanisms, and ransomware protection, among other things.

Real-time threat detection

In the antivirus circles, ESET is renowned for its sophisticated, lightweight malware detection. It employs a multi-layered engine that contains advanced heuristics, machine learning, signature- and cloud-based scanning (called ESET LiveGrid) to identify and neutralize emerging threats with remarkable accuracy, often without causing unnecessary alerts. Its effectiveness in catching new and unknown threats is a consistent highlight in independent lab tests, earning it high marks for protection.

Avast, potentially provides even more powerful malware-stopping abilities, consistently performing well in independent evaluations for its real-time defense. Its massive user base contributes to a vast threat intelligence network, and in conjunction with AI-driven heuristics, allows it to quickly identify and respond to new dangers. The provider prides itself on near-perfect detection rates, even for new online threats.

Firewall

ESET's firewall is highly regarded for its configurable options, offering users granular control over network traffic and incoming connections. It works diligently in the background, identifying suspicious network activity and providing advanced users with the tools to fine-tune their network security. It does a great job of blocking unauthorized access and alerting you to potential vulnerabilities on your network.

There is also a handy firewall Learning Mode meant to ease the initial configuration, as you can automatically create and save rules based on specific parameters you define. That said, ESET warns against its permanent use since all outgoing and incoming communications are allowed, which means your device is not fully protected by the firewall.

Avast's firewall is designed in the same vein, safeguarding against network attacks and controlling which applications can access the internet via application and network-based rules. It works as intended to prevent untrusted programs from communicating externally and is integrated into the broader Avast One suite to offer comprehensive network defense.

The firewall also has a few handy options, such as ‘Gamer Mode’ to pause notifications and maximize performance when gaming sessions kick in, Leak Protection to prevent your computer from leaking potentially sensitive information to the network, and Port Scan Alerts to alert you in case threat actors or malware attempt to scan your device for open ports.

Identity theft protection

This is arguably the first area where the two companies diverge, reflecting their philosophies and market strategies.

ESET's focus on identity theft protection is reserved for its Ultimate tier, where it focuses more on proactive dark web and social media monitoring and alerts, notifying you if your data is exposed, and offering somewhat limited assistance for recovery. The company frames this aspect as part of its broader "proactive identity protection" rather than a deeply integrated identity theft service.

That is best evidenced in lower tiers that don't come with identity theft protection per se, relying more on essential security features to prevent data breaches on your device (like anti-phishing and secure banking). In other words, while they protect your device from malware that could lead to identity theft, they don't actively monitor your identity data for leaks or provide recovery services.

Avast One's approach to identity theft protection is a bit more meaningful, as it's integrated into all of its plans and notably more encompassing in higher ones. Avast One Gold steps up from the basic dark web monitoring found in lower tiers and introduces features like BreachGuard, which is a more advanced level of data breach monitoring, generally offering a more proactive approach to safeguarding your identity.

However, it stops short of the full-scale restoration services and credit monitoring you’ll find in Avast One Platinum, a product primarily targeted at the US market. It acts as one big identity safety net, offering SSN tracking, lost wallet assistance, and hands-on restoration services with financial reimbursement.

VPN

ESET offers a VPN, but it's included solely in its highest-tier solution. If you have money to splurge on that package, then the VPN you’ll get will come with unlimited access and a host of usual VPN features like split tunneling (you set which apps are covered by your encrypted VPN tunnel and which ones bypass it), public Wi-Fi and DNS leak protections, and over 60 locations to choose from. Though it can’t compete with the best VPN service and their array of bells and whistles, it’s more than a capable addition to the overall security posture.

By contrast, Avast bundles its VPN in all Avast One offerings, including a relatively generous data allowance (5 GB/week) in its free tier, though with location limitations. While functional for basic privacy needs, it doesn’t offer an extensive server network nor as many features as its competitor today, even with paid plans. Instead, the VPN feels more like a supplementary feature, likely because Avast offers a separate VPN product called Avast SecureLine VPN, where all the advanced features and server options are stashed.

Password manager

ESET includes a password manager for Android, iOS, and Mac, as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. It provides secure storage and generation of strong passwords with multi-factor authentication options, thus simplifying the management of credentials securely across devices. You can also import passwords from various browsers and password managers.

Interestingly, Avast doesn't always offer a full-fledged password manager in the traditional sense, so you can forget about the basics like password creation and auto-filling. Its emphasis is on alerting users if their credentials have been exposed in a breach. There is a feature called Browser Shield, which limits access to passwords stored in your browser, so there’s that.

Parental controls

Through fundamental parental control app functionalities, ESET focuses on content filtering and activity logging. While it allows for blocking of certain content types and monitoring online behavior, it offers a more streamlined set of features compared to some competitors in the AV field, lacking more advanced options like time restrictions for device usage.

Nonetheless, it’s far better than what Avast One brings to the table, which is nada. It doesn’t include built-in parental controls, but rather supplementary features like Web Shield to block specific websites (along with a basic VPN) for online protection of the little ones.

ESET versus Avast: System performance

For many years, ESET has consistently been praised for its minimal impact on system performance. Independent lab tests often highlight ESET as one of the lightest antivirus solutions, praising its ability to keep your computer running smoothly even during scans or when performing demanding tasks. The latest April 2025 tests from AV-Test put the company’s Ultimate package as one of the lower-rated (but still very good) Windows 11 AVs in terms of performance, earning a score of 5.5 out of 6.

During the same tests, Avast came ahead of ESET, scoring a maximum of 6 points. This isn’t surprising, since Avast has a reputation for being very light on resources, even during intensive operations. Both companies are clearly committed to making sure that their solutions don't bog down your system, allowing for a seamless digital experience.

In the Performance Test by AV-Comparatives from the same month, Avast’s free offering was a runner-up with an impact score of 3.8 (the lower the score, the better), while ESET’s HOME Security Essential 18.1 came up seventh with a 9.5 impact score. Both solutions earned the ‘Advanced+’ award - the highest one.

So, if you’re operating on an older machine or prioritize speed, ESET and Avast will be excellent choices.

ESET versus Avast: Ease of use

It’s no secret that interacting with your antivirus can greatly impact how (and in some cases, if) you use its features. There are minimal differences here in terms of user-friendliness, but there are some slightly contrasting preferences apparent.

ESET's user interface is best described as clean, professional, and highly configurable. It might appear simpler on the surface, but once you scratch beneath the veneer, you’ll see that it offers considerable depth for advanced users who want to tinker with settings. That’s not to say that beginners will face hurdles on their way, since the main dashboard provides a clear overview without being overwhelming.

Avast's interface is designed to be sleek, modern, and exceptionally user-friendly. It’s a great example of how ease of access should be implemented when there is a broad range of features in the mix. Its intuitive layout and friendly graphics contribute to a smooth user experience, making it approachable for all users, including those new to cybersecurity.

In the end, more advanced users may prefer ESET’s clean layout and the depth of its settings, while their casual counterparts may find Avast more intuitive and straightforward.

ESET versus Avast: Protection

Ultimately, the effectiveness of every antivirus out there boils down to its threat-stopping capabilities. Based on the previously mentioned tests that also covered protection levels, ESET and Avast bring their A-game.

The former scored top marks in the ‘Protection’ (protection against malware and other attacks) and ‘Usability’ (false alarms and possible limitations in using the internet) categories during AV-Test trials, both for its macOS and Windows apps. Avast had the identical score on both platforms - a big reason why it is the best-performing antivirus in our list of the best antivirus software when it comes to malware-busting abilities.

Tests performed by AV-Comparatives for malware protection from March 2025 corroborate the narrative. Both antiviruses passed the test with flying colors, with Avast registering a 97.7% offline detection rate, 99.3% online detection rate, and 99.96% online protection rate.

ESET had negligibly lower percentages, with a 96.5% offline detection rate, 97.2% online detection rate, and 99.95% online protection rate. That being said, it had fewer false alarms at 6, compared to Avast’s 10.

ESET versus Avast: Pricing

ESET's pricing can be customized depending on your needs. For example, a single device license of ESET Home Security Essential for one year is $34.99, increasing by $3.50 with each extra device added. This tier includes ESET's excellent antivirus and privacy protection, including anti-phishing and Wi-Fi protection tools.

The second tier, Home Security Premium, costs $41.99 for a single device for one year, and also increases by $3.50 per device added. This tier includes all the goodies in the Essential tier, plus a password manager, file encryption, and additional threat-detection tools.

The final tier, Home Security Ultimate, comes as a 5 device license as standard, with the cost coming in at $125.99 for a single year. Each additional device is, you guessed it, $3.50. Along with all the previous inclusions in the Essential and Premium plans, you can add a VPN and identity protection to your basket of antivirus tools.

Avast One is a little bit kinder on the wallet. Avast offers a free ‘Basic’ tier which provides you with malware protection and security features on a single device, but it does impose a VPN data cap, and has no identity protection tools.

The first premium plan is Avast One Silver Individual, which gives you a three device license, removes the VPN limitations, and costs $35.88 per year. Avast One Gold Individual is the next tier up at $83.88, and supports five devices as well as unlocking the identity theft protection features.

If you really wanted to, you have the option to extend the protection to up to thirty devices using the ‘Family’ variants for both ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold Tiers’ of Avast One, priced at $59.88 and $113.88, respectively.

Note that these exact prices refer to the first year of use. Renewals will generally cost twice that.

ESET versus Avast: Which is best?

The decision to settle on either of the two AVs will largely depend on your priorities. The notable differences between ESET and Avast lie in their configurability, which ESET excels in, and in the beginner-friendly interface, which is where Avast has the edge.

Performance-wise, they’re pretty similar, exercising razor-sharp detection and protection, so you’ll be in good hands with either.

Ensuring that your network and your computer are safe from cybercriminals is of paramount importance. To do this, the two most often used tools are the best antivirus software and a firewall.

While they work great in combination, both have different roles and functionalities, often leading users to ponder which one is more important or whether both are needed. There are numerous technical definitions for both terms, but in a nutshell, a firewall represents a software and hardware-based system that tracks incoming and outgoing network activity on a machine.

Conversely, an antivirus is a software product that removes threats from our system or recovers it from viruses.

• Looking for even more protection? Grab the best VPN
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• See why we rate Bitdefender so highly in our testing

What is a firewall?

Think of a firewall as a security barrier that stands between your computer (or network) and the wide expanses of the internet. It keeps an eye on all incoming and outgoing traffic, blocks unwanted traffic, as well as malicious attacks.

Average users usually see a firewall in the form of a software program, however, there are hardware-based firewalls, which are more often seen in corporate surroundings and less among average home users.

Firewalls operate on a set of rules that help them determine which packets (traffic) are allowed to pass through and which will be blocked. Here is a quick list of features you should look for in a good firewall:

1. Packet filtering - Traffic is filtered based on IP addresses, protocols, and ports
2. Intrusion prevention system (IPS) - Offers real-time protection
3. Deep packet inspection (DPI) - Each packet is analyzed for potential threats
4. VPN support
5. URL filtering
6. Ease of use
7. Cloud integration
8. Reputation

Firewall: the types of firewall

There are numerous types of firewalls, all used to protect networks. While for most users, a software firewall is usually enough, there are more complex variants that are usually found in enterprises or small businesses that need higher levels of protection.

1. Packet filtering - each packet (in and out) is checked against a predetermined set of rules; if a packet meets the rules, it is allowed to pass through, otherwise it is blocked
2. Stateful - all connections that pass through it are logged
3. Application-level gateway - an intermediary between a client and a server, inspecting traffic based on application-specific rules
4. Hardware - a physical device installed between a network and the internet
5. Software - installed on the user’s machine, the most common form of firewall, used both in the home and business

Firewall: Limitations

Firewalls are not perfect solutions and can only do a few things, so here is a quick list of their limitations:

• Cannot prevent internal attacks
• Cannot identify authorized attacks
• Can slow down a system significantly if not optimized properly
• Cannot defend a system if you download a virus

What is antivirus?

Antivirus is a software solution that focuses on preventing malicious software (malware) from being executed on your PC.

When talking about what an antivirus protects against, you will usually hear these terms: viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and spyware. An antivirus usually detects viruses via scans, either real-time ones or ones triggered by the user.

When detected, viruses are either deleted or quarantined. Real-time protection ensures that threats are quarantined before they can do any real damage.

Here is a quick list of features you should look for in a good antivirus:

1. Strong threat detection validated by independent testing labs
2. Real-time protection
3. Performance - doesn’t slow down your PC and has minimal effect on your laptop battery duration
4. Constant updates
5. Ease of use
6. Reputation
7. Packaged features - newer variants come packaged with a VPN, password managers, etc.

Antivirus: Types of antivirus

Similar to firewalls, there are different types of antivirus’ as well. While most users just one an antivirus installed on their PC to stay protected, it is important to distinguish which types are out there, to be able to choose the best one for your needs.

1. Malware signature - the antivirus compares patterns in programs that match those in malware; if found, programs are flagged and quarantined
2. Heuristic - monitors unusual behavior in apps, and if noticed, the apps are scanned for malware
3. Monitoring - the system is monitored for malware, any change in file size, or unusual file creation triggers the removal of potentially infected files
4. Machine learning (ML) - a newer type of antivirus, using AI to learn patterns used by malware and virus programs

Antivirus: Limitation

Like firewalls, antivirus solutions are not perfect, no matter how reputable or advertised it is. Here is a quick list of its limitations:

• Antivirus cannot be run on read-only files
• Supports only the Common Interface File System (CIFS)
• No new virus or malware will be spotted unless updated
• Files that are being read and written simultaneously cannot be protected by an antivirus software

Note that cybercriminals are constantly developing new malware and viruses.

Cybersecurity experts are trying to keep up, so there are times when new viruses are causing havoc and no new virus definitions are available, so you need to rely on common sense and other methods of staying safe.

Antivirus vs firewall: how do they differ?

In essence, the differences between the two focus on three main areas:

• Focus - antivirus focuses on internal threats (virus, malware); firewall focuses on external threats through traffic management
• Location - an antivirus is installed locally on a PC; a firewall can be installed on a PC or at the network level
• Method - an antivirus scans for malicious code; a firewall creates a barrier to block access

Firewall vs antivirus: Similarities

While there are differences between the two, due to constant evolution of both of these tools, they’re increasingly becoming similar since companies now bundle their antivirus solutions with a firewall, VPN, password manager, etc. Here is a quick list of the similarities between the two:

• Goal - both have the goal of protecting you from threats, filtering malicious agents, and protecting data
• Adaptation - firewalls can be adapted via the help of rules, while antiviruses can be customized with the help of lists, alerts, and scheduled activity
• Cloud native - with the recent evolution of both tools, we can safely say that both are equally cloud native
• Integral - they work well together, and both are considered essential tools for a proper cybersecurity strategy

Example: Windows Defender Antivirus

A larger portion of users are on Windows machines, and by default, they get a firewall and virus protection included in their OS called Windows Defender Antivirus (WDA). Since it's “free” and comes included, they may rightfully ask if WDA is enough to stay protected in 2025. If you’re a more advanced user who can spot phishing sites and emails easily, then we would say, yes, WDA is more than enough for your needs.

Independent antivirus testing laboratories gave WDA the highest grades across all of their tests that focus on protection, performance, and usability. The tests used over 11,000 malware files, and WDA flagged each one correctly, and overall did not throw out any false positives. European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) also tested WDA and gave it a 2 out of 3, failing it in the area of phishing protection.

WDA also comes with a built-in firewall, which is among the better options that you have on Windows machines. From the Firewall & network protection page, you can perform simple actions pertaining to your built-in firewall, but you can also access the advanced firewall configuration settings.

It comes well-adjusted out of the box, and in conjunction with the SmartScreen filter, it will prevent you from venturing too far into the dangerous waters of the internet. If you understand exploit prevention technologies that are abbreviated under CFG, DEP, and ASLR, you can configure them under the advanced settings; if you don’t know what these mean, then we would recommend leaving everything at default and not touching anything.

Finally, WDA comes with parental controls, and if you pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription, you get access to additional security features from Microsoft. It’s by no means perfect, but for the average user, it offers a great starting point.

Firewall vs antivirus: Do I need both?

The answer to this question will, first of all, depend on the machine you’re using. If you’re on a Mac, the answer would be no; if you’re running a Linux machine, the answer is a bit more complicated. Finally, if you’re on Windows, then the answer is probably yes.

As you can see from the short overview of WDA, even Microsoft thinks you need both, as it comes built into the Windows OS itself.

We would recommend getting a robust antivirus solution to complement WDA’s firewall component, as for most users, the firewall from Microsoft is good enough to keep most, if not all, threats at bay.

If you’re considering what to get for a small or medium-sized business, then a recommendation would go more towards a bundled solution from one of the premium providers in the market. Such bundled solutions usually come with both antivirus and firewall, but also add a VPN, a password manager, and much more.

Firewall vs antivirus: Best practices

Considering that most users could fall under the umbrella term of “average users”, fine-tuning your firewall and antivirus settings can help you stay protected in more challenging situations. Here is a quick list of what you should do to keep your system running smoothly.

Firewall best practices:

• Default settings - if you’re relying on WDA, leave everything at default; it's a great starting point
• Update - regularly update your system
• Sift through the logs - watch for any suspicious activity
• Advanced settings - block specific traffic (advertising, malicious links, etc.), but be cautious since adding your own rules can break features

Antivirus best practices:

• Update - keep your antivirus software updated at all times, new threats are emerging by the hour, so never turn off automatic updates for your antivirus
• Regular scans - run or schedule regular scans to ensure no malware is residing on your system
• Be mindful - watch your actions, check links, and don’t open suspicious emails

To all of these, we would also add that you should use strong passwords that will be unique for all of your accounts. Education about safe computing practices and potential threats is always welcome, and if you’re worried or using your home PC for gig work, a hybrid approach of software and hardware firewalls should be considered to stay on the safe side.

Firewall vs antivirus: Conclusion

Whether a firewall or an antivirus is right for you is typically no longer a decision that needs to be pondered, mostly because they have distinct roles.

Firewalls act as barriers, shielding networks from external threats. They check data, enforce rules, and prevent access. On the other hand, an antivirus detects and removes malicious content from a system. It is worth also noting that firewalls have now evolved to a stage (next generation firewalls) where they often have antivirus functionalities. Though this does not mean that it replaces dedicated antivirus functionality.

Ideally, you would use both for a layered approach, but the notion of choosing between the two is becoming less plausible due to the complementary nature of security architecture and modern offerings targeting the security niche.

So, which is right for you? Both would be the answer, since they serve different functions.

If you’re on a Windows machine, you can save some money by using WDA and layering a free or paid antivirus that fits your budget and needs.

For a more comprehensive approach, layering a hardware firewall and a bundled antivirus premium offering would ensure you stay safe while performing almost any activity on your computer.

It’s no secret that the sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks have been growing steadily for the last few years, in part due to AI opening the doors to even low-skilled threat actors to launch successful attacks. So, if you think you’re too small a target, think again - there’s a high possibility someone will target you at random in a spray attack.

That said, you can certainly minimize any potential damage and circumvent the danger by investing in capable cybersecurity software. The question is which one?

This is where the best antivirus software and best anti-malware tools come into play. While they’re often used interchangeably, these tools actually serve different purposes and are complementary parts of modern security efforts.

Join us as we explore the key differences and help clarify which one you should use.

• Looking for even more protection? Grab the best VPN
• See why we rate Bitdefender so highly in our testing
• We've rounded up the best firewall software

Anti-malware: Targeted protection

As the name suggests, anti-malware software is designed for zeroing in on a specific cyber threat referred to as malware. Granted, this can be confusing as malware is often labeled as a virus and vice versa, but they’re actually different.

Malware is an umbrella term for different types of attacks or software that includes ransomware, trojans, spyware, and viruses. So, a virus is a type of malware that harms your devices through self-replication.

So, where do the anti-malware tools fit in?

In simple terms, they generally employ advanced detection techniques and removal capabilities to protect your device against all sorts of malware, not just viruses.

Take behavioral analysis, for instance. Many anti-malware offerings rely on it to recognize suspicious activity on a device, proactively safeguarding you from security threats.

Sandboxing is another technique that’s quite popular as it isolates the troublesome file and allows it to run freely in a simulated environment separate from your system. In this sandbox, the tool can safely analyze the suspect file’s behavior without putting your device in jeopardy.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Even if you used an antivirus, there’s a small possibility that a piece of harmful software snuck through your defenses. In that case, anti-malware programs are very helpful as they can recognize hidden malware that regular antivirus software is unable to identify (at least not yet).

Arguably, the best example of this is rootkits- malicious programs designed for stealth that embed themselves deeply within your device computer and can modify system processes. This provides remote access to attackers, who then have free rein to do their shady business, such as stealing your data or using your computer to launch further cyberattacks.

However, the biggest advantage of anti-malware programs is their ability to handle emerging threats (which are often more sophisticated) and new exploits that are popping up at an alarming frequency.

Antivirus: Overarching protection

As mentioned previously, viruses are a type of malware that self-replicate to infect new devices (hosts). For example, file infector is a popular virus that latches onto a file, and once opened, the virus code executes and damages other programs or replicates itself to other files.

Although the name alone may suggest an antivirus only goes for, well, viruses, today’s incarnations are effective against different types of malware. The primary difference is in terms of detection.

While anti-malware takes on a more real-time approach to detect threats, an antivirus relies on signature-based detection that compares code or files against a database of signatures (fancy word for patterns). This isn’t to say that antivirus is paralyzed when faced with an unknown threat, as it often also employs heuristic analysis to examine suspicious behaviors in the code to recognize modified or unfamiliar pieces of malware.

Still, even though anti-malware is better at catching emerging threats, antivirus solutions go beyond malware. In addition to the core protection engine, these apps can do wonders for your overall security and often come with extra features such as a password manager, firewalls, VPN, and a secure browser.

Who are these solutions built for?

Answering everyone would be a cop-out, but in broad terms, antivirus software is practically built for most general users. This makes perfect sense as it often includes phishing protection (blocks websites that can steal your personal information) and spam filters that block malicious emails, which everyone can benefit from.

Anti-malware, on the other hand, is generally employed by high-risk users, like remote workers, gamers, or those who partake in activities such as P2P sharing.

It’s also useful for general browsing, especially since cybersecurity threats are only becoming more of a problem with each passing day. So, everyone can benefit from installing anti-malware, regardless of their perceived risk level.

Can antivirus and anti-malware work in tandem?

The short answer is yes.

A combination of broad protection afforded by an antivirus software and more sophisticated defense from anti-malware can become the crux of your layered digital security system.

Look at it this way – an antivirus is ideal for the frontlines and is enough to safeguard you from common threats you’re bound to encounter online. If any sneaky piece of malware gets through it, your anti-malware tool will be ready to neutralize the threat.

In case you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of having to install two different pieces of software, you have nothing to worry about. While you can definitely go for separate tools, a fortunate fact is that plenty of vendors recognized the need for software that combines the best of both worlds. Thus, you’ll have no trouble finding antivirus suites that utilize sophisticated anti-malware techniques to get rid of online vermin.

Best antivirus software with anti-malware capabilities

Though by no means an extensive list, some of these popular antivirus solutions have powerful anti-malware capabilities.

For example, Bitdefender refers to its behavioral analysis as a “Process Inspector” and is certainly capable of providing you with a layered defense that gets the job done. In addition to using machine learning to mitigate threats, Bitdefender also employs sandboxing to evaluate the true risks of suspicious files – no wonder it’s on our list of best antivirus software.

Another option is Norton 360, which is capable of AI-powered detection and comes packed with nifty security features such as Dark Web Monitoring, Cloud Backup, Parental Controls, and a Secure VPN (among others).

Other vendors like McAfee and Avast are all viable options. In fact, Avast’s ‘Behavioral Shield’ is a default protection that is included even in its freemium version.

Considering that anti-malware capabilities are becoming a mainstay in the world of antivirus suites, it’s hard to make a choice. Don’t fret it, though. Your quest for the optimal security solution will probably boil down to pricing, features, and how well they run. In other words, most of the big-name vendors are quite effective in defending you against malware.

Case in point, most third-party tests confirm that these solutions are pretty darn powerful when it comes to malware protection. For instance, recent malware tests conducted by AV-Comparatives lab on various AVs reveal that the top providers often have online detection and protection rates as high as 99% (99.6% in the case of Avast).

Offline detection numbers are often similar, meaning that you can rely on these vendors to keep you safe from harm when browsing the web.

Are these tools enough to protect you from malware?

Antivirus and anti-malware share quite a few common traits, with the key differences being that the former delivers targeted protection and the latter offers a broader level of security. If you fear using just one will leave you with glaring holes in your defenses, you’re free (even encouraged) to run both in tandem or purchase a solution that combines both to ensure all bases are covered.

Keep in mind that the best defense against cyberthreats is your common sense. Despite having near-perfect detection rates, there’s always a possibility that a hacker will find some way to sneak a harmful piece of software onto your device that an anti-malware solution may overlook.

Depending on how you look at it, an antivirus with all the security extras can be potentially dangerous if it leads you to throw caution to the wind. Think of it as nothing but a helpful tool that is there only to make things easier for you, not as an infallible shield that will keep you safe in all scenarios.

While staying on top of cybersecurity threats is not an easy task, threading lightly through the digital realm and making full use of contemporary protections will significantly minimize your chances of falling prey to a cyberattack.

Investing in the best antivirus is a long-term commitment, and in a world where cyber threats are becoming more concerning with each passing day, you don’t want to make the wrong choice.

However, when choosing between two reputable antivirus solutions such as McAfee and Avast, it’s difficult to ascertain which one is better. First, both are effective in defending your devices against malware. Once you get down to the list of features and realize their offerings are similar in quite a lot of ways, it gets even harder to pick.

This is why it’s necessary to take a proverbial magnifying glass and look at the performance and features in much more detail.

McAfee versus Avast: Background

Created by John McAfee way back in 1987, McAfee Antivirus has consistently outperformed other offerings by the company and has grown to become one of the most trusted security products in the world – a label that has stuck to this very day.

Avast, on the other hand, began life only a year later in former Czechoslovakia. As a testament to this vendor’s quality, McAfee even licensed the Avast AV engine and tried to acquire the company at one point in the late 90s. Despite a slow adoption rate, Avast hit the mainstream after switching to a freemium model.

Today, both providers offer powerful premium (and a capable free-tier antivirus in Avast’s case) security suites that include additional tools aimed at improving users’ defenses against different types of cyber threats.

McAfee versus Avast: Security features

McAfee and Avast will greatly enhance your overall security, considering that both solutions are robust in terms of core malware defenses. Thus, details such as the features, their individual quality, and the price are the most logical deciding factors.

In addition to evaluating the detection rates and the resource usage, we’ll also go through the list of advanced features such as VPNs, firewalls, password managers, and other security bells and whistles that modern antivirus suites offer.

Real-time threat detection

Besides recognizing known threats by cross-checking programs with malware databases, McAfee employs sophisticated real-time threat detection that helps it spot new malware. Powered by machine learning, this function detects patterns and unique behaviors often found in new threats, which, of course, allows for proactive protection.

Similarly, Avast continuously monitors app behavior, scans files, and screens your online activities to recognize real-time threats. Plus, it blocks unknown remote connection requests and keeps an eye on your email address, notifying you if it pops up in a data breach.

McAfee has a small edge in this area due to its machine learning threat detection, but it comes at a price of false positives, as the algorithm has the tendency to target safe files.

Firewall

Because it shields devices from unauthorized access by continuously monitoring inbound and outbound connections, a firewall is an indispensable tool in every security suite.

McAfee has a solid one that works pretty well in blocking suspicious connections. Although it’s competent, more configuration options would have been nice, since McAfee only grants you the option to accept a blocked connection or block the ones that the firewall deems safe.

Whereas McAfee monitors outgoing connections but leaves inbound traffic to the native OS firewall, Avast’s firewall takes full control over firewall defenses, and by proxy, the cake in this segment. You can fine-tune the protection levels by introducing additional limitations or allowing more programs or connections through.

Identity theft protection

Opting for McAfee’s ‘Premium’ subscription provides you with a range of identity theft protection features, such as personal data scans and identity monitoring. If you require more punch, the ‘Ultimate’ plan hooks you up with a personal data cleanup service and powerful credit, bank, and credit card monitoring. Moreover, it gives you access to the security freeze feature, $25K in ransomware coverage, and if things go haywire, you may also receive up to $2M in identity theft coverage.

In comparison, Avast One’s ‘Gold’ subscription also provides identity protection features, which are slightly less comprehensive and feature credit monitoring, one-on-one assistance from identity specialists, and up to $1M in identity theft reimbursement.

VPN

VPN serves as a secure tunnel for your connection, enhancing your overall security by keeping your online activities safe from prying eyes.

McAfee’s VPN is available in all subscription tiers, and the good news is it doesn’t come with any data caps. When it comes to efficiency, McAfee offers a selection of over 9000 servers across 48 countries, alongside features like auto-connect, an on/off switch, split tunnelling, and a kill switch.

Avast includes a limited VPN (5GB data cap and just one location) even in its freebie Avast One subscription. Upgrading removes the data cap and provides access to 59 locations.

Many VPNs bundled in antivirus packages don't quite match up to the likes of dedicated services such as NordVPN or SurfShark. You may want to take a look at our guide to the best VPN, as many of the dedicated VPN services provide better coverage, locations, and deals.

Password manager

McAfee kindly incorporates its True Key Password Manager in all subscription tiers. While somewhat restrictive when stacked up against dedicated password managers, it packs a hefty punch by introducing various multi-factor authentication functions while also allowing you to import passwords from other password managers and different web browsers. However, it doesn’t support form filling or password sharing.

Avast One doesn’t come with a password manager. Shame, because it’s a puzzling limitation in an otherwise powerful package.

Parental controls

To sweeten the deal, McAfee throws in an amazing set of parental controls. These allow you to track which apps and websites your children are interacting with, monitor their screen time, and block different categories of content. If that wasn’t enough, by leveraging GPS, McAfee also enables you to keep track of your juniors’ geographic location, going as far as to send you a notification if a child leaves or visits a specific area.

Avast has no parental controls. You could invest in one of the best parental control apps, but the fact that other vendors such as Norton and Bitdefender have this functionality is a major letdown.

Extra features

McAfee and Avast have some extra tricks hiding under their sleeves that provide even more bang for your buck. For instance, both have a file shredder feature that erases your files permanently, eliminating the risk of a recovery job by a threat actor.

Avast partially redeems itself for the lack of parental controls by throwing in a collection of maintenance tools, such as PC Speedup, which allows you to optimize apps that are slowing down your system. There is also a useful driver updater and Avast’s Disk Cleaner, which gets rid of leftover files.

Whereas Avast is dead set on helping you handle leftover files on your PC, McAfee is more concerned with your unused online accounts (which can be a major security liability). As a result, the latter has a handy feature that finds and erases such accounts.

McAfee versus Avast: System performance

Though Avast’s lack of parental control and password manager functionalities helps McAfee come out ahead in the battle of features, it’s impossible to declare a winner without taking a closer look at the system performance.

According to recent April 2025 tests conducted by AV-Comparatives, McAfee and Avast are actually at the forefront of lightweight antivirus solutions. In other words, their impact on your system will be minimal, regardless of the antivirus you go with.

During the test, McAfee snagged an impact score of 2.6 (lower impact score means the AV is faster), making it the most resource-friendly antivirus in the world. Avast came in second with 3.8, which is more than impressive since solutions noted for being lightweight, like Bitdefender, had a score of 25.

While McAfee takes the gold by a hair in system performance, if you prefer Avast, you likely won’t notice much of a difference, as both are super fast.

McAfee versus Avast: Ease of use

When your security is at stake, you really don’t want to struggle with your AV suite and waste time searching for critical features. Fortunately, both Avast and McAfee are top of the crop in regards to design and user experience.

With McAfee, the interface is sleek, modern, and most importantly, well-organized. It doesn’t matter what function you’re trying to reach since you’ll do it in a few clicks, as the entire tool set is available on the left sidebar. Kudos to the designers for also adding shortcut tiles for the big functions, thus making the app a joy to use.

Avast was intuitive from its inception, and nothing has changed here, save for an artistic update in the Avast One suite, which now opts for a more cartoonish look. All the pressing matters are on the ‘Home’ screen, which ensures nothing important ever escapes your attention. The ‘Explore’ menu is located on the left sidebar, allowing you to run scans and access more advanced features.

While the more user-friendly approach is a good thing as it makes software much more palatable for the masses (most of whom aren’t technically inclined), some security aficionados may find both interfaces too simplistic for their liking.

McAfee versus Avast: Protection

Accessories like VPNs and parental controls are important pieces of the cybersecurity puzzle, yet, the antivirus lives and dies by how good its protection is.

Avast is slightly more effective here, but you’ll be happy to learn (or disappointed if you’re still unable to pick a vendor) that both solutions work admirably. Look no further than malware protection tests by the AV-Comparatives lab from March 2025.

Let’s start with McAfee.

Testing shows that its detection rates are top-notch, scoring a 99.6% online detection rate and a near-perfect 99.96% online protection rate. However, McAfee seems to be struggling when it comes to offline detection, scoring a 79.3% in this area.

It’s also worth mentioning that McAfee doesn’t fare well with false positives. The very same tests reveal it raised 15 false alarms, which is quite a lot. While it’s easy to assume that it’s better to be safe than sorry, McAfee’s trigger-happy temperament will only confuse and annoy you.

Avast, in contrast, had a 99.3% online detection rate (a tiny bit lower than its counterpart) and the exact same online protection rate (99.96%), but it swept the floor with McAfee in terms of offline detection rate, logging a high 97.7%. Avast was also slightly more precise, as only 10 false alarms were raised during these tests.

McAfee versus Avast: Pricing

McAfee may be more comprehensive feature-wise, which naturally reflects in its price. The ‘Basic’ plan has limited features and covers one device at a price of $29.99 per year. From there, the ‘Essential’ subscription can be used on up to five devices and costs $35.99. The most economical plan is McAfee+ Premium, which supports unlimited devices and comes in at $44.99.

From there, you also get the choice of McAfee+ Advanced ($80.99) and McAfee+ Ultimate, which offers a complete security package but is priced at $199.99 per year.

Avast One is much more economical. For instance, even the free ‘Basic’ tier is super powerful regarding malware protection and security features, even though it’s limited to one device, imposes a VPN data cap, and has no identity protection features.

The first premium plan is Avast One Silver Individual, which extends the support to three devices and eliminates VPN limitations, and costs $35.88 per year. The next upgrade is Avast One Gold Individual, which is $83.88, supports five devices, and unlocks the identity protection features.

To extend the protection to up to thirty devices, there’s the option of ‘Family’ variants for both ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold Tiers’, priced at $59.88 and $113.88, respectively.

Note that these exact prices refer to the first year of use. Renewals will generally cost twice that.

McAfee versus Avast: Which is best?

It may be underwhelming, but the choice of an antivirus (at least when picking between two great vendors) is ultimately down to personal preferences.

In fact, the free Avast may be enough if you don’t require too many security tools. However, if you’re interested in significantly enhancing your defenses and investing in sophisticated identity protection, you may be better off with McAfee’s higher-priced subscriptions.

Either way, both excel in malware protection, so you’ll be in good hands with either of them.

The cybersecurity profession is always on high alert for new attack tactics as criminal groups adapt to overcome improved defenses against phishing and ransomware. But alongside the new innovations, some old-school tactics appear to be evolving making a comeback – or rather they never quite went away.

Document-borne malware is one such tactic. Once considered a relic of early cyber warfare, this method continues to pose a significant threat, particularly for organizations handling large volumes of sensitive information, such as those in critical infrastructure.

The appeal for attackers is clear. Everyday files - Word documents, PDFs, Excel spreadsheets - are inherently trusted and flow freely between businesses, often through cloud-based platforms. With modern security more focused on endpoints, networks, and email filtering, these seemingly mundane files can act as the ideal Trojan horse.

Understanding this evolving risk is key to stopping seemingly innocuous documents before they can wreak havoc.

Why are cybercriminals still using document-borne malware?

On the surface, attacks using malicious documents feel like a bit of a throwback. It’s a tactic that’s been around for decades at this point, however, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous for organizations.

Still, while the concept is nothing new, threat groups are modernizing it to keep it fresh and bypass standard security controls. This means the seemingly old-school tactic is still a threat even for the most security-conscious sectors.

As with other email-based tactics, attackers typically seek to hide in plain sight. Most attacks use common file types such as PDFs, Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets as malware carriers. The malware is usually hidden in macros, embedded in scripts such as JavaScript within PDFs, or hidden with obfuscated file formats and layers of encryption and archiving.

These unassuming files are coupled with popular social engineering techniques, such as a supplier invoice or customer submission form. Email attack tactics, such as spoofed addresses or compromised accounts, further camouflage the malicious content.

The rise of cloud-based collaboration tools has increased the attack surface. We’re all used to receiving any number of emails throughout the day with links to SharePoint, Google Docs, and other common platforms. This makes it harder to detect malicious files before they enter networks.

What makes document-borne malware particularly dangerous for critical infrastructure?

Most attacks seek to breach networks unnoticed to maximize their impact and eventual rewards. The potential gains for exfiltrating sensitive data or shutting down a system means groups are willing to invest more time and resources in trying new tactics that can pass unnoticed.

Further, document-borne attacks are all about blending into the background. For example, in the financial sector, the ecosystem offers plenty of opportunities with the thousands of incoming documents from customers, suppliers, and partners daily. Most firms have a constant inflow of financial statements, loan applications, compliance paperwork, and myriad other files entering their system.

If opened, a single malicious document can spread malware across critical networks. Attackers leverage document-based threats to deploy ransomware, steal credentials, or exfiltrate sensitive data, so one wrong click can come with catastrophic consequences, especially for critical sectors that rely heavily on a reputation for trust and reliability.

Strict regulatory compliance demands can raise the stakes further and, depending on their region and function, firms could fall under the remit of the GDPR, DORA, NIS2, and more. Failing to meet these demands can result in severe financial penalties and a significant blow to the firm’s reputation.

Why are organizations struggling to defend against these threats?

From our experience, document security is often overlooked in favor of other areas like network perimeter and endpoint protection. Document-borne attacks are mundane enough to slip down the priorities list but advanced enough to defeat most standard security tools.

Security teams may lack the visibility or tools to inspect and sanitize every incoming file, particularly in fast-moving digital workflows.

There tends to be an over-reliance on signature-based antivirus solutions, which often fail to detect modern document-borne threats. While security teams are typically aware of malicious macros, formats like ActiveX controls, OLE objects, and embedded JavaScript may not be on the radar.

Attackers have also latched onto the fact there is a significant mental blind spot around documents seemingly delivered through familiar cloud-based channels. Even when employees have received phishing awareness training, there is a tendency to automatically trust a document coming in through an expected source like Google or Office 365.

What steps should businesses take to mitigate document-borne malware risks?

As with most evolving cyberattack tactics, a multi-layered strategy is the key to fending off document-borne threats.

One key step is adopting a multi-engine approach to malware scanning. While threat actors may be able to fool one detection engine, having multiple different tools will improve the chances of catching hidden malware and reduce false negatives.

Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) tools are another important element. These sanitize and remove malicious macros, scripts, and active content while preserving document integrity. Suspect files can then be run through advanced standboxes to identify previously unknown threats by detecting their malicious behavior whilst in a contained environment.

The network should also be set with strict file policies, restricting high-risk file types and enforcing user authentication before document uploads. Setting file size limits can also help catch malicious documents where hidden code has made them larger than normal.

Efficiency and reliability are also key here. Organizations need to be able to identify malicious documents hiding in their typical incoming traffic, but without disrupting a workflow that customers expect to be fast and consistent.

Stronger email security measures will also help to detect and block malicious attachments before they reach users. Moving away from signature-based detection and towards behavioral analytics will improve the chances of catching out attackers posing as trusted contacts and services.

Including document-based threats in employee awareness efforts will also help staff spot signs like unexpected macros and spoofed invoices in case they make it through other measures. In particular, more scrutiny is needed for files shared through cloud platforms.

Companies should adopt a zero trust mindset, treating every incoming file as a potential threat until it has been scanned and sanitized.

We list the best document management software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The best antivirus acts as most people's go-to for device protection, but as I have already discussed, there are some threats that antivirus can't protect against.

With online threats are becoming ever more prevalent, an increasing number of people have an “it won’t happen to me” attitude about their security.

It’s easy to understand why – the web standards have drastically increased over the years, and vanilla browsers and operating systems have become better at identifying all kinds of dangers.

However, with the rising sophistication of cyberthreats (and an uptick in hybrid working environments), a robust antivirus software in combination with one of the best VPNs is necessary for complete protection of your computers.

The new threats emerging

Artificial intelligence is, unfortunately, ushering in an era of more sophisticated malware and phishing attacks. If AI-generated phishing emails that are indistinguishable from the real thing weren’t bad enough, cybercriminals can now use AI to modify malware in real time, making it more likely to slip under the radar.

There’s also a major uptick in ransomware. In the past, threat actors would implant malware that would encrypt the data and demand a ransom in exchange for decryption. Now, they exfiltrate the data and threaten to leak it on the dark web.

Not only are ransomware kits freely available for purchase, thus lowering the barrier of entry for cybercrime, but attackers also use AI to optimize their methods and choose their next target.

Remote work environments are simply adding fuel to the fire. Hackers will often compromise unsecured home or public networks to gain access to company systems through vulnerable personal and work devices.

Unfortunately, not all cybersecurity risks happen at the hands of a shady external individual. People also have to contend with internal threats, such as children or the elderly who may inadvertently expose systems to malicious actors.

Again, people that enjoy remote working practices get the short end of the stick. Companies that allow staff to connect to the company network with personal devices may get their system decimated by malware on the employee’s own device.

Regardless of the nature of the threat, your entire home network including your personal device can completely fall apart due to a cyberattack, and the financial toll can lead to some serious headaches.

How an antivirus can help

While safeguarding your computer from the wide scope of emerging cyber threats requires continuous effort, a dedicated antivirus software is the bare minimum.

It protects your devices from malware and viruses by scanning files and applications, as well as keeping an eye on the network. In other words, a good AV can stop viruses and malware before they cause damage to your device and files.

Now, we get what you may be thinking – modern devices usually have pre-installed antivirus software like Windows Defender. However, such solutions fall short of the comprehensive security that you might need to face modern threats.

For instance, even the best free antivirus may not have a centralized dashboard for monitoring security across different devices on your network. Windows Defender also doesn’t protect against sophisticated threats like targeted attacks or zero-day exploits, and is notorious for its slow response time. Put differently, it may not recognize the malware immediately, and if it does, it may only identify the attack when a device is already infected.

On the other hand, a robust antivirus will safeguard your information and offer additional security layers. Modern tools also implement AI to identify issues more quickly, allowing you to proactively boost your network security.

It’s also worth noting that investing in antivirus software is cost-effective, especially when you compare it to all the expenses that a cyberattack could incur.

How a VPN can help

A VPN (virtual private network) is a piece of software that routes your data through an encrypted tunnel to a secure server, encrypting your data in the process. In even simpler terms, it changes your IP address and makes internet traffic unreadable by third parties, even if they somehow manage to intercept the connection.

This simple tool is vital as it helps protect your sensitive data regardless of how secure the network it travels over is, thus allowing you to also securely access your company’s network and resources, or your cloud storage, in a safe and responsible way.

Compared to an antivirus, implementing a VPN is one of the cheapest ways to strengthen your cybersecurity. To put things into perspective, NordVPN, TechRadar's top choice for the best VPN, can be snagged for just $3.39 per month. That’s practically nothing when you consider the benefits it brings to the table, and costs far less than a potential data breach.

Plus, VPNs often offer applications for different devices, including smartphones – useful if you require protection across all platforms.

Do you need both?

The more the merrier also applies to your cybersecurity. While implementing just one measure is definitely a step in the right direction, both a VPN and an antivirus are necessary if you want to cover all your bases.

In short, a VPN protects the data transmitted over the internet and the connection itself. An antivirus is great against threats attempting to infiltrate the system. You can see a thread develop here, but these solutions are complementary and will lead to a better security posture.

For example, even if you’re using a VPN, you might still fall prey to phishing and download an infected file. What’s more, the opposite is equally dangerous. You may have solid AV protection, but if you connect to a public network, a hacker may be able to intercept the data in transit.

Should you invest in more advanced types of software?

Both an antivirus and a VPN are the essentials when it comes to protecting personal devices. However, businesses are more prone to cyberattacks, and need therefore need to stay on top of the latest developments. A good upgrade is the best endpoint protection solutions, which are becoming the golden standard in digital security.

For consumers this is definitely overkill, as I have discussed before. Most of the time, the combination of antivirus, VPN, and one of the best password managers is enough to secure you against most threats. But it is worth understanding the capabilities an EPP can provide.

Whereas an antivirus is limited to a single endpoint and uses signature-based detection (rendering it useless against fileless malware or threats that don’t use a signature), an endpoint security suite scans all devices connected to the network for suspicious behavior. Put differently, it continuously scans all endpoints and can recognize threats a lot faster.

Investing in such a solution may often end up being more economical in the long run for many businesses. EPP can include a VPN, as well as the basic AV functionality (such is the case with Avast Business Security), which centralizes the protection of the entire network and eliminates the need to deploy separate applications.

You can also get some extra goodies like USB protection, which disables the use of unauthorized removable storage devices. Other providers also employ advanced correlation engines that help identify green zone threats that a regular antivirus might overlook.

The good thing is that despite the advanced nature of an endpoint security software, it’s as easy to implement as a traditional antivirus. You can get it up and running in a few minutes and instantly start protecting thousands upon thousands of endpoints.

Are these tools enough?

Despite being rather effective, the trio of antivirus, VPN, and endpoint security software may not erase all the vulnerabilities in your system, and that’s a fact. We can go as far as to claim they may be dangerous if they lull you into a false sense of security.

Look at it this way:

VPNs and antivirus software are just tools and will always be fallible unless you implement the right personal practices and cybersecurity awareness.

For individuals, this includes being wary of dodgy websites and questionable emails, and also making sure that what your are downloading is legal and from a reputable source. There are many horror stories of people looking to dodge paying for a game or service and being greeted with ransomware the second they launched their new 'software'.

For businesses on the other hand, training to recognize fake login pages and phishing emails goes a long way in preventing you from becoming a target of a cybercrime. In addition to all the technological gizmos, you also need to work on your password policy by creating strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts that support it.

Once you minimize the possibility of human error (which is still the leading source of cyberattacks), your VPN and AV will be a lot more effective in your hands, and significantly help you avoid becoming a cyberattack statistic.

In today’s world of cybersecurity, the best antivirus software plays an important role in securing sensitive data - whether it’s for individual or business use. Not all are created equal, however, and whereas some excel at malware blocking, others focus on a more general protection. Ideally, you’ll want an antivirus that covers all the bases and isn’t too impactful on your system performance.

That being said, how would one know if an AV checks those boxes?

Due to technology (and cybercriminal activity) constantly advancing, testing antivirus software isn’t as simple as running a scan and calling it a day. As such, a reliable and trustworthy method is a must, one that covers every aspect - from detection to the impact on device performance and everything in between.

We’ve written countless guides for antivirus and other cybersecurity software, helping users make informed decisions. In this guide, we’ll uncover how we assess solutions, what tricks we use to make sure the antivirus in question is adequate, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive in.

Our approach

We’ll preface this by saying that the TechRadar Pro team has several decades of experience in testing and reviewing antivirus software, as well as anything regarding cybersecurity. Because of this, you can always rely on our expert recommendations. We’re transparent and regularly refresh our reviews and guides as time passes by and new updates and versions get released.

Our approach involves doing several things with hands-on experience firmly at the center of each product review.

One of the first steps is to deliberately access websites that are known to have all kinds of malicious threats, be it malware or something else. The reason we do this is that we’re trying to check if the antivirus can locate those threats, figure out what they are, and deal with them. We also examine how fast the antivirus reacted (if at all) to these threats, and if its performance was satisfactory.

This is a good starting point that informs us about the software’s capabilities and how it handles familiar cybersecurity risks.

Then, we use EICAR files to experiment with how an antivirus behaves in certain situations. For those unfamiliar, EICAR is short for European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research, and these files are made and used as a pretend threat. Basically, they are simulating the malicious programs and their behaviors without actually being damaging to the device.

It’s a harmless yet productive way to see how the software we’re testing is performing, which plays an important role in the final evaluation. Still, there is an issue with this type of testing if you really want to get in-depth (which we do). Namely, EICAR files are a well-known method, and because of that, cybersecurity companies do their own tests to ensure their antiviruses are up to the task. In other words, they are made to recognize EICAR files as a threat.

Luckily, our team has an extensive background in IT, and we put that expertise to use when it comes to reviews and tests by creating our own malware files. It’s specifically tailored for reviews, so we can check how the antivirus performs in our own environment.

Naturally, we keep that malware under control, but we do let it go wild to figure out how the antivirus combats it. This is a key part of the entire process, because our malware is a new threat, not known on the internet, and as such, no antivirus is or will be familiar with it.

Doing so allows us to thoroughly evaluate the software’s performance when dealing with the unknown. If it’s successful, that’s a big plus for the antivirus and usually a sign of a quality product.

Third-party evaluations

While we do comprehensive testing ourselves, we don’t just take our findings into consideration, as we rely on other tools as well. There are a bunch of different ways for testing, including referring to labs that often share results and inspect various antiviruses.

For instance, we tend to use the results from AV-Comparatives and AV-Test to help us get a better understanding of the software’s capabilities. Also, it’s a reminder of sorts to double-check if we missed anything.

Both AV-Comparatives and AV-Test are highly respected in the cybersecurity industry, and they don’t accept payments from vendors to influence results, which makes them noteworthy and valuable assets in our case. One can find a wide array of results on those websites, from real-world protection tests to false alarm trials.

Performance and customer support

Apart from the safeguarding capabilities and the related features that come with it, we also evaluate two rather important aspects - impact on the device’s performance and customer support.

So, we check how it affects the speed of the device, how much of the system's resources it uses, and just how much it influences your everyday activities. This goes for the installation as well, although it’s less impactful in our final score.

While it’s inevitable that resources will be used, we examine how much of a slowdown there is. This means opening files, browsing the internet, measuring website loading speed, uploading something, and similar. More or less, things that an average user does frequently.

Online speed test websites come in handy here, as we can compare the results with our own when it comes to browsing while the antivirus does its thing.

Sometimes it tends to be overlooked but performance can make or break an antivirus software. An AV that makes your device a sluggish mess (or slows down your device to the point it makes it hard to operate) is not going to be good, no matter how great it might be at catching threats. With proper testing, one can measure the impact on the system performance and see how much CPU and RAM are consumed.

Then, there’s the customer support. It’s true that you often won’t need to get in touch with it, but it’s nice to know you can rely on someone to help you troubleshoot and correct whatever issue you’re having.

This is a short, but nevertheless notable element of our reviews, as we look for what kind of support options there are and how speedy the actual support is. We check for live chat, email, phone support, tutorials, and guides on the website. When we do get a reply, we make notes on how detailed it is and how fast it was.

Why testing is so important

When push comes to shove, an antivirus software is your first line of defense against malware, ransomware, phishing, or any other cyber threat. The thing is, every vendor advertises that they stop those dangers, but the reality is completely different. Some just aren’t good enough, and you need to know you can depend on your AV to do the job as it should.

Hence, this is why we go deep into our tests and why rigorous testing is an absolute must. Cybercriminals don’t rest, and they constantly develop new ways to infect your device and scam you. As such, not every antivirus program will and can keep up, and unfortunately, many will fail. Without proper examination, users might unknowingly have false confidence that their software will keep them protected.

Thorough testing helps weed out those that just aren’t up to the standard, and can assist with the false positives as well. These can be a major annoyance for users, as the antivirus could flag your important documents as malicious. Once again, testing is the best way to deal with this and figure out which programs have a high false-positive rate.

We also review the best free antivirus software, which, surprisingly, can be good enough for most casual users from time to time. Still, paid versions have a bunch of goodies and extra defenses that tend to be worth it in the long run, depending on your needs. It’s worth mentioning that our tests also find out that some can be overpriced and not worth your money and effort.

In the end, detailed testing is there to ensure that the security software does what it promises. That’s why we go through all of these steps and more to determine what truly keeps users safe without unnecessary drawbacks. With our methods and extensive background and knowledge, we can separate the best from the rest and help our readers choose protection that’s effective and reliable.

Picking the best antivirus can be hard, especially when choosing between two solutions that many consider to be in the upper echelons of the personal security industry.

Case in point: both Bitdefender and McAfee are known for their stellar track record in battling malware. Both also come packed with a similar bag of extra security functions, so a glance at the list of features is enough to induce the dreaded case of analysis paralysis.

Thankfully, a deeper dive into the intricacies of those overlapping security bells and whistles may help you decide which one will work better for your personal cybersecurity needs.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Background

Bitdefender’s beginnings are certainly humble. Originating in Romania in 1997 as AVX (Antivirus Expert), its parent company quickly gave it a massive makeover in 2001 and rebranded it as Bitdefender. The rest is pretty much history, as it eventually became one of the most popular pieces of cybersecurity software in the world.

McAfee, on the other hand, is the name synonymous with antivirus software. Starting as the brainchild of John McAfee in 1987, it has been at the forefront of the industry since the early days of personal computing, and is still at the very top.

History aside, McAfee and Bitdefender adapted over time as cybersecurity expanded. These days, they provide user-friendly digital suites for a plethora of different devices, with a great deal of useful security features that go beyond just malware protection.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Security features

The core protection is solid with both providers, so the decision on which antivirus will find a home on your device will greatly rely on other functionalities (that most cybersecurity companies now offer).

We’ll evaluate the quality of real-time threat detection, identity theft protection, and indispensable features like firewall protection, VPN, parental controls, and password managers. As you’ll soon see, despite a similar bag of goodies, the way they go about implementing these is somewhat different.

Real-time threat detection

Bitdefender will undoubtedly put your mind at ease with its real-time threat detection that’s 98% effective (offline and online detection rates) and its Advanced Threat Defense aimed at detecting zero-day threats. This high-level defense monitors all applications and processes on your devices, and if it notices anything out of the ordinary, it will swiftly block the suspicious app until it does any damage.

McAfee boasts a similar function. By leveraging machine learning, it looks for patterns and unique behaviors in new threats, which allows it to safeguard against threats not found in malware databases. Unfortunately, McAfee can be considered a bit trigger-happy in this regard, since its machine learning algorithm often ends up targeting safe files, leading to a lot of false positives.

Firewall

No security suite is complete without a firewall, a function that monitors inbound and outbound connections on your devices to protect from unauthorized access.

Bitdefender’s firewall does the job. Albeit a bit basic, it’s configurable and allows you to select which apps get to connect to the internet. Mind you, this feature is not available on macOS devices.

McAfee takes things a step further with its firewall protection by implementing a series of smart features for extra security, and allows you to track all devices connected to your network – something that makes Bitdefender’s firewall seem pretty outdated in comparison.

Identity theft protection

Bitdefender offers a separate Digital Identity Protection service, which is a bit of a copout, as plenty of antivirus vendors provide this feature in their security suites. Still, it’s worth noting that Bitdefender’s identity theft protection service is highly affordable at $3.33/mo.

McAfee includes various identity theft protections. In the ‘Premium’ subscription tier, you’ll receive options like personal data scans, online account scans, and identity monitoring and alerts. As you move up the tiers, the identity protections get a lot more sophisticated.

For instance, the ‘Ultimate’ plan includes a full personal data cleanup service, bank and credit card monitoring, credit monitoring, security freeze feature, $25K ransomware coverage, and up to $2M in identity theft coverage, plus identity restoration support.

VPN

While Bitdefender offers a VPN in all its subscriptions, it implements a 200MB daily data cap in each of its packages except the most expensive one (you also have the option of purchasing a $69 per year premium VPN add-on for lower-priced tiers). This is a shame as the VPN is quite comprehensive, offering a network of 3k servers in 100 countries, and powerful functionalities like a kill switch and split tunneling, which you can routinely find offered by the best VPN services.

When it comes to McAfee, it provides an unlimited VPN in all its McAfee+ subscriptions, with over 7000 servers across 48 countries, a kill switch, split-tunneling, and auto-connect, making it a fairly good addition to McAfee's range of plans.

Password manager

Let’s preface this by saying that password managers provided out of the box by Bitdefender and McAfee have some limitations compared to the top password managers in the market. Yet, both do the job admirably.

Bitdefender has a bunch of practical little functionalities like the ability to sync passwords across devices, auto-save, auto-fill, password wallet, and a password generator. The only drawback is that it doesn’t support two-factor authentication.

Its competitor is known for the True Key Password Manager, which is available in all McAfee subscriptions from ‘Basic’ to ‘Premium’, and comes with a slew of robust multi-factor authentication options. While it doesn’t support password sharing or form-filling, it allows you to easily import stored passwords from most web browsers and other password managers.

Parental controls

As expected, Bitdefender has a set of straightforward, yet powerful parental controls that provide insight into the apps and websites your child has access to, allow you to track their screen time, and even block content (or whole sites) in accordance with different categories.

McAfee’s parental controls take the cake here. In addition to everything available in Bitdefender, McAfee’s Safe Family parental controls provide the ability to check your kids’ locations on a map and receive alerts if they leave or wander into specific areas.

Additional features

The fun doesn’t stop there as the two vendors offer more firepower that provides better value for your money. A good example is the file shredder offered by both McAfee and Bitdefender that allows you to permanently erase files, thus stopping them from being recovered by nefarious threat actors.

Beyond that, Bitdefender has a nice microphone and webcam protection (you can finally remove that piece of tape from the webcam), while McAfee allows you to scan and scrub for unused online accounts.

Before we delve deeper, it’s worth noting that McAfee currently has a small edge over Bitdefender strictly on the merits of its security extras. While the latter is no slouch, it does have a few limitations, like the VPN data cap and missing functions on MacOS devices. Add to that granular parental controls and more powerful identity theft protection, and McAfee has a more well-rounded arsenal of tools.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: System performance

Bitdefender spent years amassing a reputation as a lightweight antivirus solution that won’t slow down your device, but it appears McAfee beats it in terms of optimization, according to the latest third-party tests.

Don’t let this discourage you, as Bitdefender is still an admirable performer. In fact, it earned a “Top Product” award and had top scores on tests conducted by AV-Test in February, but McAfee is simply performs better when it comes to system performance.

According to a more in-depth AV-Comparatives April 2025 test, Bitdefender received an impact score of 25, which is pretty average considering that a low number indicates superior performance. McAfee, by contrast, came out as an all-around winner, snagging a 2.6 score.

Although Bitdefender probably won’t slow down your PC significantly, McAfee is a solid choice if you need an antivirus that will have a minimal effect on performance.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Ease of use

Only a few things can sour your day like struggling with a confusing piece of software. The good news is that both antivirus suites have sleek apps and well-designed interfaces that are approachable for total beginners and cybersecurity aficionados.

With Bitdefender, clear organization is the name of the game, as the suite groups are divided into three tabs where you can access individual features in a few clicks. For example, the ‘Protection’ tab houses the main features, and the ‘Privacy’ tab is where you’ll find the VPN and the password managers.

Furthermore, you can customize your dashboard by implementing quick actions, which are super useful if you’re keen on specific tools. Since it has some degree of customization, we’d also have no problems recommending this piece of software for more advanced users.

What about McAfee?

It bolsters an uncluttered design where you can perform most actions with just a few clicks. Most functions have shortcut tiles, and even the most advanced tools are within reach on the left sidebar.

As such, it’s ideal for non-technical users, although more experienced individuals may find this approach too simplistic.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Protection

After a round of appetizers, it’s time for the main dish - the antivirus protection.

Spoiler alert: both vendors do a darn good job, although McAfee struggles slightly with its offline detection rates, according to the March 2025 malware protection tests by AV-Comparatives.

Bitdefender had an impressive offline and online detection rate of 98.7%, and an impeccable 99.97% online protection rate. Another impressive metric logged during these tests is the low false alarm count (false positives) of five.

McAfee did have a low offline detection rate of 79.3%, but it did slightly outpace Bitdefender in online detection rates, scoring a commendable 99.6%, with a 99.96% online protection (only 0.01% lower than Bitdefender). As we mentioned earlier, McAfee is a bit too keen here, raising 15 false alarms over the course of these threats. This can be considered many and a nuisance in your day-to-day work.

It’s also worth mentioning that McAfee can struggle with ransomware or phishing, which is something we found out in our recent tests.

Tiny snags aside, data shows that McAfee and Bitdefender are among the world's best antivirus programs in terms of protection. Whichever you choose, you’re in good hands.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Pricing

Bitdefender may have a few limitations with its features, but credit where credit is due - it’s much more affordable than McAfee. Rudimentary free tier aside, Bitdefender’s first paid plan, Antivirus Plus, costs just $9.99 per year (for the first year) for one device. For more features and more devices (three), you can upgrade to the Total Security plan for $19.99, or go all in on the most powerful Premium Security that supports up to ten devices for a reasonable $79.99 per year.

McAfee isn’t as economical. The McAfee Basic plan, which protects one device and has a few restrictions (most notably in terms of identity theft protections), is $29.99. McAfee Essential comes at $35.99 and extends the support to up to five devices. McAfee+ Premium costs $44.99 and supports unlimited devices, while for total protection, it’s recommended to upgrade to McAfee+ Advanced or McAfee+ Ultimate, which run $80.99 and $199.99 per year, respectively.

Bitdefender provides a much better price-to-feature ratio and is more wallet-friendly. However, if you require advanced identity theft protection (and we do mean advanced), then McAfee is a superior choice.

It’s worth pointing out that these prices are limited to the first year of use, and renewals often end up costing double the amount.

Bitdefender versus McAfee: Which is best?

Bitdefender and McAfee are amazing antivirus solutions that will perform well and protect you against malware and a variety of other digital threats. The answer to which one is better depends solely on your needs.

If you want a budget AV that doesn’t sacrifice quality, then Bitdefender is great and even outpaces McAfee in some areas. For a more comprehensive security suite that protects your device and helps safeguard your digital footprint, McAfee is a better choice.

You’re safe regardless of the vendor you go with, which should theoretically alleviate some of that stress, because you really can’t go wrong with either of the two.

As two of the best antivirus providers in the world, having been around since the dawn of the internet, McAfee and Norton certainly deserve their stellar reputation. On the surface, they’re quite similar - offering superior online safety to both individuals and businesses.

But dig deeper and you’ll find quite a few differences that determine which brand’s solutions are the best for you in the face of the growing cyber threats. Individuals, businesses, and IT admins should understand both the similarities and distinctions between these two behemoths - for all of our sakes.

So give us your attention for the next few minutes as we compare the background, security features, system performance and resource usage, user interface and ease of use, and malware protection of McAfee and Norton’s digital safety platforms.

McAfee versus Norton: Background

McAfee is a leading cybersecurity company with a rich history dating back to the early days of personal computing, founded in 1987 by a Santa Clara computer programmer that the company is named after - John McAfee. Throughout its history, including being the first to have antivirus software, McAfee has been at the forefront of the cybersecurity industry, adapting to evolving threats and technologies.

Norton is an impressive competitor. Much like its counterpart, it has long had the reputation of a strong AV software provider and continues to beef up the security industry, even into its most basic packages. Founded by Peter Norton in 1982, Norton’s antivirus products have been developed and distributed by Symantec (now Gen Digital) since 1990.

Though the two companies offer overlapping tools, Norton focuses more on providing all-in-one digital security suites, for instance, integrating its LifeLock identity theft protection for premium users and a built-in VPN. On the other hand, McAfee combines flexible, multi-device, and identity protection with a user-friendly experience.

McAfee versus Norton: Security features

There’s no doubt about it - both providers are strong in core antivirus protection. They even have the same list of security features that no major self-respecting company in the cybersec business should be without.

This means potent real-time threat detection, a firewall, identity theft protection, a VPN, a password manager, and a set of capable parental controls. What they differ in is how they implement these features.

Real-time threat detection

McAfee boasts powerful protection against malware, which entails correctly identifying and stopping new threats that haven’t yet been officially identified or added to malware databases. To achieve this, it deploys machine learning technology that helps the AV vendor understand unique behaviors and patterns in new threats. However, it does sometimes have trouble leaving legit files alone, giving lots of false positives. It also didn’t do great against ransomware or phishing in our tests.

Norton’s malware-stopping abilities are in the same rank, catching dangerous files before they can launch, and demonstrating impressive results in third-party analyses. But, like its competitor, it also seems to struggle with false positives, which ultimately affects its total score. Unlike McAfee, it performs better in battling ransomware, while it’s not completely foolproof nor super quick to act there. As far as anti-phishing protection goes, Norton managed to block a very acceptable 95% of our test links.

Firewall

McAfee’s firewall boasts smart features that provide added security to your network, looking for threats sneaking in through your internet connection. It also keeps an eye on other machines connected to the same network as your computer (like mobile and smart devices) that can get infected this way.

Meanwhile, the firewall tool in Norton’s solutions protects you from incoming network attacks and prevents untrusted apps on your device from connecting to the outside world. It does all this without raising a single alert and is exceptionally configurable, right down to customizing how it handles specific traffic types.

Identity theft protection

Depending on the product and subscription you choose, McAfee has a long list of identity theft protections in place, including monitoring for suspicious activity, keeping tabs on your credit, its history, and locking it if necessary. It also offers automatic cleanups of personal data and online account information, and identity restoration after an ID theft with live agents to walk you through every step of the way. Yes, they even help you write letters, fill out forms, and provide you with correct phone numbers.

To provide similar service, Norton has partnered with LifeLock, the leading identity theft protection company and a veteran in both monitoring and recovering identities. This way, it provides credit monitoring, SSN and credit alerts, stolen wallet protection, identity lock, up to a million dollars compensation for lost funds and expenses, and assistance by identity theft restoration specialists.

VPN

McAfee offers unlimited VPN access in all of its McAfee+ subscriptions, routing your information through a secure server and assigning you a different IP address from your own, making it impossible for your online browsing activity to be logged, stored, tracked, or traced back to you. McAfee offers a kill switch (or Safe Reconnect in this case), over 7000 dedicated servers across 48 countries, an on/off switch to connect you to the nearest server by default, and settings that let you connect manually or automatically when you access the internet via WiFi or wired networks.

Norton offers unlimited VPN with some of its subscription packages, which fires up automatically when you’re connecting to compromised or unsecured networks or P2P. It also features split tunneling that allows you to decide which apps use the VPN and which don’t, a kill switch that blocks all internet access if the VPN drops, ad and tracker blocking, automatic reconnecting after device restart, VPN access to local devices on private networks, and the use of Norton VPN even if another VPN is active. It connects quickly to servers in 29 countries and achieves solid speeds.

Its worth noting that if a VPN is the deciding factor in your choice of antivirus, it might be best taking a look at our guide to the best VPN, as many VPNs bundled in antivirus packages don't quite match up to the likes of dedicated services such as NordVPN or SurfShark.

Password manager

Unsurprisingly, both McAfee and Norton offer a password manager with their subscriptions.

The former has it in the form of the True Key Password Manager, which allows for creating and syncing passwords across devices, and boasts strong multi-factor authentication - email, fingerprint, a second device, Windows Hello, and more. Still, it doesn’t offer general form-filling or secure password sharing. It can import stored passwords directly from Edge, Chrome, and a couple of the best password managers in LastPass and Dashlane. Generic CSV support might allow True Key to read logins from elsewhere.

The latter has a simple password management tool to organize your logins, generate secure credentials, and share them across all your devices. It is available as a Chrome and Firefox extension, with standalone Android and iOS apps for mobile users. Norton Password Manager also allows you to import existing data from Chrome, Firefox, and a few other popular password managers: 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane, and - McAfee True Key.

Parental controls

Finally, each has some form of parental control system in place. McAfee’s comes in the shape of a Safe Family feature in its family plans, and Norton has its Parental Control set of capabilities.

Specifically, McAfee’s Safe Family parental controls include blocking websites by content type, restricting access to specific apps, and limiting device access to particular times of the day. They’re also easily configurable and flexible. Furthermore, the tool lets you check the location of your kids’ devices on a map and receive alerts when they visit or leave specific areas.

Where Norton’s Parental Control tools are concerned, they go well above and beyond the usual, adding detailed content filtering, mobile GPS tracking, and in-depth monitoring. They allow you to keep track of anything from your kids’ search queries and the websites they visit to the videos they view. It also helps you manage their screen time and device usage, control app use, and more.

In summary, as far as the security features go, Norton has a slight advantage, primarily thanks to its LifeLock integration and a more comprehensive identity protection suite. This is especially true for the customers in the United States, where its identity restoration specialists are located. Having said that, McAfee doesn’t fall that far behind, with its bountiful platform filled with all sorts of impressive additional features.

McAfee versus Norton: System performance

For at least a decade, McAfee has scored highly (5.5 to 6/6) for the past 10 years, consistently demonstrating superior results in terms of protection, performance, and usability during tests conducted by third-party independent lab AV-Test, earning its ‘Top Product’ award.

At the same time, Norton’s various solutions have also scored top marks (5 to 6/6) from the same antivirus testing platform, also receiving a ‘Top Product’ award. This is because, like McAfee, it has minimal impact on system speed, even during installations or file transfers.

Another third-party lab that tested the performance of both brands’ products is AV-Comparatives, which has put McAfee Total Protection and Norton Antivirus Plus side-by-side with 17 other major names in the cybersecurity industry in its April 2025 test.

Here, McAfee took the lead position with an impact score of 2.6 (in this case, the lower score is better), receiving the ‘Advanced+’ mark. Norton did slightly less well but still got a 4.6, with the same mark. Between them, Avast and AVG share the second spot, with an impact score of 3.8.

In the long run however, McAfee has consistently outperformed not only Norton, but also all the other antivirus software in AV-Comparatives PC performance tests from April 2024, September 2024, and April 2025.

McAfee versus Norton: Ease of use

Speaking of user experience with antivirus platforms, a lot of it depends on how easy their interface is to navigate without appearing overly basic. And here as well, points go to both sides thanks to their modern and stylish apps, which are all decently user-friendly - though that might be subjective and depend on the level of expertise in all-things cybersecurity.

For instance, McAfee’s UI is very approachable and therefore ideal for non-technical users who might get confused and overburdened with all the advanced features. It emphasizes simplicity and device status, which is why it might be optimal for families or first-time users.

By contrast, Norton’s sophisticated, professional interface might scare away beginners, but advanced users will feel right at home with more depth and tons of hidden, complex features to tinker with. Be that as it may, the learning curve isn’t too steep, so casual users will get used to the platform in no time.

In general, McAfee appears to be more user-friendly and straightforward for newcomers to the space, whereas Norton is a bit more complex and tech-oriented, which experts will appreciate, but it still isn’t impossible for a novice to grasp.

McAfee versus Norton: Protection

A long list of security features, long-term presence in the digital sphere, ease of use, and minimal system impact are all fine and dandy, but witnessing an antivirus platform in action against real-world hazards is where you’ll determine its true value and distinction from the competition.

In the most recent round of malware protection testing by AV-Comparatives - for March 2025 - McAfee and Norton did famously, blocking 99.96% of all threats they encountered, although the former mistakenly reported more legit files as threats (15, which is considered ‘many’ false positives) than the latter (10, considered ‘few FPs’).

Concurrently, SE Labs gave both McAfee Total Protection and Norton LifeLock Norton 360 an ‘AAA’ rating, as it had a perfect 100% score in protection, legitimate accuracy, and total accuracy, with 0% false positives in its Home Endpoint Security tests.

McAfee versus Norton: Which is best?

All things considered, McAfee and Norton differ in a lot of ways, but they’re similar where it matters - efficiently protecting users against the malicious actors lurking in the darkest corners of the World Wide Web. Ultimately, choosing between them depends on your specific needs.

So, pick McAfee if you need user-friendly protection for multiple devices, or go for Norton if you want advanced features and prioritize identity protection (provided you’re in the US). Still, whichever you end up with, you’ll be in good hands.

Purchasing one of the best antivirus subscription is a great way to enhance your overall security and safeguard your devices from malware. However, picking a security suite that provides good value for money isn’t easy, considering the sheer number of options out there.

Norton and Bitdefender both stand out from the crowd with their excellent detection rates and a wide range of extra features that further boost your security. Still, there are a few differences between them that affect their overall price-to-quality ratio.

So, without further ado, let’s compare Bitdefender and Norton to see how they stack against each other in a head-to-head comparison.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Background

Bitdefender originally started as AVX (Antivirus Expert) in 1996, until it was rebranded into its current form by SOFTWIN in 2001. While its beginnings are certainly humble compared to industry giants like McAfee and Norton, it eventually built its name as a dependable and resource-light antivirus, dominating the market as the most popular mobile antivirus software in North and South America in 2022.

The name Norton is well-known in the cybersecurity industry. Created by Peter Norton back in 1982, this piece of software was almost on every computer during the early days of Windows, when Symantec took over the product and introduced a slew of nifty Auto-Protect features.

Today, these providers are fighting for the same piece of pie as they offer all-encompassing security suites for all types of budgets. That said, there are key differences that put one slightly ahead of the other in a few noteworthy areas.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Security features

Thankfully, both antivirus suites are very effective in terms of antivirus protection, so you won’t miss out on anything in terms of core protections, regardless of your choice.

Let’s see what these two antivirus solutions bring to the table:

Real-time threat detection

Bitdefender is known for its top-notch threat detection capabilities, with third-party tests confirming it scores over 98% in online and offline detection rates with only five false positives. In addition, it uses an Advanced Threat Defense, which detects zero-day threats in real time by monitoring processes and applications running on your device.

If the AV detects any suspicious activities, such as injecting code into regular processes or installing unauthorized drivers, the danger score will increase. Once it reaches a critical threshold, Bitdefender will block the offending application.

Norton is no slouch either. While it lags slightly in offline detection rate (97%) and has a far greater rate of false positives, its online detection rate exceeds 99%, according to third-party test results. Norton is also great in safeguarding users from ransomware, as well as in anti-phishing protection by blocking 95% of the test links we threw at it.

Firewall

A firewall is a critical piece of any antivirus suite as it safeguards your system from unauthorized access by blocking outbound and inbound connections under a predetermined set of rules.

Bitdefender’s firewall is rather configurable, and you can choose which applications to let through or block. That said, this functionality is available only in Bitdefender’s Total Security package and is not supported in Bitdefender’s antivirus suite for Mac devices.

Norton has no such limitations and offers a potent firewall that shields against all sorts of incoming attacks. It’s also heavily customizable, allowing you to configure how exactly it handles different traffic types.

Identity theft protection

While plenty of security suites nowadays include identity theft protection, Bitdefender isn’t one of them. Nonetheless, it offers a separate Digital Identity Protection service, which takes care of your digital identity for a price as low as $3.33/mo.

On the other hand, Norton provides identity theft protection via LifeLock in its highest Select subscription tier. With it, you get a full service that includes credit monitoring, identity lock, credit and SSN alerts, stolen wallet protection, and professional assistance by identity theft restoration experts. If things get completely messed up, you may also receive compensation for expenses up to $1 million.

VPN

Bitdefender offers a VPN in all its paid packages with a severely unfortunate twist – the standard version has a 200MB daily data cap. You’ll have to opt for the most expensive tier to remove this limitation, or purchase a $69.99/y premium VPN to add it onto a lower-priced tier.

While Bitdefender’s VPN can’t compete with dedicated VPN providers, it does include some nifty features like auto-connect, split tunneling (allows you to select which apps bypass the VPN connection), and a kill switch (disconnects you from the internet if VPN connection drops).

Norton, in contrast, offers an unlimited VPN option with all subscription tiers with the exception of its cheapest offering. It’s also packed with bells and whistles that make it similar in quality to what Bitdefender offers, and is capable of achieving speeds that even rival some premium VPN services out there.

Its worth noting that if a VPN is the deciding factor in your choice of antivirus, it might be best taking a look at our guide to the best VPN, as many VPNs bundled in antivirus packages don't quite match up to the likes of dedicated services such as NordVPN or SurfShark.

Password manager

No modern cybersecurity suite is complete without a password manager, and both Bitdefender and Norton rise to the occasion.

Integrated straight into the dashboard, Bitdefender allows you to sync passwords across all the devices where you installed the app and includes nifty features like auto-fill, auto-save, a password wallet, and an easy-to-use password generator. Notably, it doesn’t support two-factor authentication, making it seem somewhat limited in comparison to top dedicated password managers.

With Norton’s offering, you can share credentials across different devices, with the added benefit of being available as a standalone service in the form of browser extensions or iOS and Android apps.

Both allow you to import data from web browsers and other password managers such as Chrome, Firefox, Bitwarden, 1Password, and others.

Parental controls

Bitdefender has a nice set of parental control features that are very straightforward to set up. The options are plentiful: you can track all the basics like screen time, applications used, and check which websites individual juniors are visiting. Moreover, you can blacklist or whitelist websites and block content in accordance to categories like weapons, suicide, and so on.

Norton’s parental control includes everything that Bitdefender offers, with a more-than-welcome addition of mobile GPS tracking. Using geo-location, it’s possible to keep an eye on your child’s whereabouts, and even set up geographic limits and areas of interest to receive notifications if the child goes out of bounds or visits a place you designated as a no-go.

Extra features

While some security extras overlap, there are a number of unique functions each provider brings to the table.

Bitdefender sweetens the deal with a file shredder that allows you to permanently erase files, a vulnerability scan that grants you insight into the potential vulnerabilities of the app, and microphone and webcam protection.

Right now, Norton has a SafeCam option, which protects your webcam from hackers, but it doesn’t protect your microphone like Bitdefender does. It’s not a big deal, though, as Norton bridges the gap with other powerful features, including Dark Web Monitoring that helps you uncover if any of your private information is up for sale on the dark web. Moreover, there is a cloud backup functionality (the amount of storage will depend on the subscription tier) that will come in handy to prevent data loss.

Lastly, both providers include similar private browsers for more browsing security and safer online purchases.

Peeking in the bag of goodies doesn’t make it any easier to decide which antivirus suite offers more. Puzzling limitations found with Bitdefender, like the daily VPN data cap, are already somewhat of a ridicule in tech circles, and basics like a firewall not being available on MacOS are another huge minus that alone are enough to give Norton a slight edge. Add on top of that more powerful parental controls and helpful additions like cloud storage, and it’s only fair to give Norton the victory in the “battle of features”.

Bitdefender versus Norton: System performance

Bitdefender won’t make much of a dent on your system resources and is famous for being one of the most lightweight antivirus programs out there. During a February 2025 test conducted by AV-Test, it earned the “Top Product” award, scoring a 100 for both performance and usability.

Interestingly, in the April 2025 test by AV-Comparatives, Bitdefender didn’t perform as well, receiving an impact score of 25. Mind you, this isn’t good, as a lower impact score is better.

Norton also earned the “Top Product” award from AV-Test (showing identical results as Bitdefender), but swept the floor with most other antivirus solutions during the AV-Comparatives test with an impact score of 4.6.

While we experienced no performance issues with Bitdefender, the AV-Comparatives test is enough to prove that Norton is one of the fastest in the industry. So, Norton takes the cake in terms of overall performance.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Ease of use

Bitdefender’s interface is well-organized and easy to navigate, with suite groups divided into just three tabs. You’ll be able to access all the main features, such as threat prevention in the ‘Protection’ tab, while the VPN and other features like password managers are grouped under the ‘Privacy’ tab. The rest is easy to access in the ‘Utilities’.

Another positive is the option to customize your dashboard by adding all sorts of quick actions, so you can fire up your favorite tools even faster.

All of this makes Bitdefender comprehensive enough for advanced users and super easy to use for the less technically inclined.

Norton is a bit more sophisticated, which may be an issue for beginners. This doesn’t mean the app isn’t functional, as it’s actually well-designed, but it caters more toward experienced users. A good example of this is the fact that some of Norton’s features, like Dark Web Monitoring and parental controls, are not a part of the main app interface. Once you get used to it, it’s not much of a problem.

In conclusion, Bitdefender is a more user-friendly solution, which drastically increases its overall appeal and makes it a more approachable choice.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Protection

Of course, all of the features above are a welcome addition, but an antivirus lives and dies by how good its protection does the job.

In AV-Comparatives tests from March 2025, Bitdefender and Norton both did well, with the former beating out its rival by a literal hair in terms of offline detection and online protection rate. While Norton scored marginally higher in online detection rate, it did churn out double the amount of false positives (ten compared to five).

Either way, these detection and protection rates place Bitdefender and Norton into the upper echelons of home antivirus software, meaning you can’t go wrong by choosing either. However, Bitdefender can be considered slightly more precise simply due to the lower number of false positives.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Pricing

The amount of cash you’ll have to part with also plays a major role in choosing an antivirus. Norton may be more feature-packed, but it also comes at a higher price point.

The lowest tier is AntiVirus Plus, costing $29.99 per year and supporting one device. For $39.99 per year, Standard protection extends the coverage to three devices, while Deluxe covers five devices for $49.99. The complete Select package costs $99.99 per year and supports up to ten devices.

When it comes to Bitdefender, it has a limited free tier, with the first premium upgrade Antivirus Plus costing $9.99 per year for the protection of one device. For $19.99 per year, you get more features and support for three devices in the Total Security package. If you need all features and support for up to 10 devices, you can opt for Premium Security for $79.99 per year.

Bitdefender versus Norton: Which is best?

When comparing two robust antivirus solutions like Bitdefender and Norton, the choice is anything but easy. Yet, the fact that both are equally effective in protecting against malware and other sorts of digital threats means that the details and personal preference will ultimately decide which software is for you.

If you need a simple and affordable solution that gets the job done with a minimum amount of add-ons and customization, then Bitdefender will be at home on your computer. But if a more comprehensive set of features is what you’re after and are willing to spare an extra $20-30 for the pleasure, then Norton will likely be the better fit.

Thanks to the advent of AI, cyber threats are evolving rapidly and some even have the ability to adjust their code on the fly to penetrate a system.

While all of this sounds dystopian and scary, the good guys are equally fast in erecting barriers and protecting user systems.

Enter the best antivirus.

Long gone are the good old days when an antivirus was just a simple piece of software that had one functionality and was mostly optional. Today, antivirus apps are usually bundled with other security tools like password managers, VPN, and numerous other helpful and not-so-helpful additions.

With all of that being said, it’s to be expected that users worry about the performance of their system once an antivirus bundle is installed, and rightfully ask: “Will antivirus slow down my PC?”

The short and easy answer is yes, but it’s a bit more nuanced than that.

Why does an antivirus slow down your PC?

Every program on your computer that you are running in the background or using actively eats up your resources; antiviruses are no different. Most often, an antivirus will eat up your RAM (Random Access Memory) or the quick access part of your PC.

Of course, your CPU will also be taxed, but usually at a lower rate than your RAM, especially for antivirus software that offloads some of the work into the cloud. Once your RAM is depleted, more noticeable slowdowns occur as the system waits for portions of your RAM to free up so it can complete another task.

If you’re worried that your PC will slow down because of an antivirus, you should consider the following:

• How old is your hardware?
• Is the antivirus of choice known as a resource-intensive product?
• Which OS are you running?
• Do you have bloatware on your machine?

If you’re using a newer Chromebook to browse the internet and you have an antivirus in the background, most likely you will not notice or experience any slowdowns. However, if you’re doing heavy video editing, running dozens of Chrome tabs, listening to music, and running a full antivirus system scan - slowdowns should be expected.

How do I know if an antivirus is slowing down my PC?

The simplest way to diagnose this is to fully turn off your antivirus. Make sure it's not set up to boot with your PC, next restart your computer. If you notice that the machine is running smoother without slowdowns, then your antivirus might be at fault. Here are some other tell-tale signs that your antivirus might be causing slowdowns:

• Scans take a long time to complete
• You cannot use your PC during full scans
• Your PC is hot to the touch (or hotter than usual)
• Your PC crashes or freezes

Another way to diagnose what is slowing down your PC is to open up the “Task Manager” on Windows or “Activity Monitor” on Mac and check which programs are eating up your RAM and CPU. If you notice that your antivirus is eating a lot of resources and you’re not running a scan, then it might be time to switch to another antivirus.

How to speed up your PC

Here are some general tips that you can use to ensure that your computer is running a bit smoother. This should also help if you’re running a more resource-intensive antivirus software.

1. Limit the number of startup apps: you can do this easily on both Windows and Mac. Having too many apps starting up along with your OS is usually not a good idea, so leave only those that are necessary for your PC to work properly.
2. Remove unused or dubious programs: make it a habit to audit the apps you have on your computer. Any app that is not being used actively or one that you’re unsure whether you even installed, remove it.
3. Update drivers and OS: make sure you keep your OS and all of your drivers updated.
4. Maintain your device physically: check for clogged fans or dust buildups, which can cause a system to overheat, leading to a computer slowdown.
5. System optimization tools: while you can opt for commercially available solutions here, tools that come with your OS of choice can also be useful. Defragmenting your hard drive, for one, can speed up your PC somewhat.

How to choose the best antivirus

A lot has been said about system optimization, but if you have a bad antivirus, how can you choose a good one? Sure, you can simply focus on a lightweight option, but there are other important factors to consider.

Cloud-based scanning is a great option, where an antivirus offloads some of the work to the cloud, keeping your PC resources free. If you also get a zero-trust or zero-day protection with your antivirus, you can rest assured that every app that comes into contact with your PC will be checked.

Next is the real-time protection, which constantly monitors your PC. Finally, file caching rounds out the must-have features. This, in essence, means that your antivirus remembers which files or areas are good, so it skips over them in the next scan, saving time and resources.

Conclusion

Putting security first is non-negotiable in today's technology-driven world. This means that you will have to find an antivirus solution that is tailored to your needs and to the system on which you plan to run it.

Independent antivirus labs such as av-test.org and others test the influence of an antivirus solution on a computer’s speed.

Usually, these labs post various tests that pit antivirus solutions against each other and against a benchmark for a standard PC. While this can be useful, whether an antivirus will slow down your PC will, in large part, depend on you.

So an antivirus does slow down your PC - but how you maintain your computer, which apps you’re using in parallel, and what kind of hardware you have all play a role in how much the slowdown affects your computer.

Whether you’re running the best antivirus software or just plain old Windows Defender, you can browse easily knowing your computer is protected from all sorts of malware. Although it’s recommended to keep the antivirus on at all times, there are some situations in which you may want to temporarily disable it which we will discuss further down.

Since we don’t suggest establishing an internet connection without any protection, it’s also necessary to talk about the dangers of turning off your antivirus and the precautions to make the entire experience safer.

How to disable Windows Defender

First, let’s focus on the vanilla Windows Defender on Windows 11 (which was most likely forced on you sometime in 2025). The first method will disable the AV real-time protection, but you can also shut down other safety measures like anti-tamper protection (for whatever reason) from the same menu.

Do this:

• Locate the ‘Windows Security’ icon, which you can find in the system tray in the lower right corner (if it’s missing, check under hidden icons).
• Click the ‘Virus & threat protection’.
• Click ‘Manage settings’ under the ‘Virus & threat protection settings’ tab.
• Turn off real-time protection by switching the toggle to ‘Off’.
• If prompted, provide administrative access by entering your password.

Here’s an extra tip if you’re disabling the native Windows defenses because you’re blocked from using a particular piece of software. Navigate to the bottom of the ‘Manage settings’ window and use the ‘Add or remove exclusions’ function to add the problematic program to the exclusion list. Check if the new program is playing nicely, and if it is, you don’t actually have to disable Windows Defender.

How to turn off a third-party antivirus on Windows

In case your dedicated third-party antivirus is mucking up, you may need to put it out of action. While the exact steps may slightly differ between providers like McAfee or Bitdefender, the general process is almost the same:

• Navigate to the icon for your AV in the system tray in the lower right corner.
• Most antivirus programs have a context menu that you can access by right-clicking.
• Click the ‘Disable’ or ‘Pause protection’ option, pick a timeframe, and confirm the choice (may require administrative access).

With antivirus software like Malwarebytes or Avast, you may need to launch the program first. In both cases, you can disable the antivirus by navigating to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Protection’. There, you can toggle the switches and sliders – easy peasy.

How to turn off antivirus on Mac

While macOS does have default protections like XProtect and Gatekeeper that work similarly to Windows Defender, you won’t be able to turn them off unless you resort to some advanced jailbreaking. The situation is a bit different in case you are using a third-party antivirus (which is still recommended despite Apple fanboys claiming the OS is impervious to malware).

The process is identical to the one on Windows:

• Control-click the app icon in the menu bar
• Pause or disable protections
• Enter your admin password

If this doesn’t work, you’ll find the option to switch off the real-time protection in the ‘Settings’ menu of the antivirus.

Why even turn off antivirus?

An antivirus may inadvertently eat up those precious system resources. Modern antivirus programs (as well as Windows Defender, which is a known resource hog) continuously run in the background and use up a significant amount of RAM and processing power.

This isn’t much of an issue with general browsing, but it can slow down your computer if you’re running intensive apps.

Granted, we’re not that keen on pulling the AV plug, especially when gaming online, since gamers are prime targets for cybercriminals. Fortunately, the best antivirus software often includes a gaming mode that significantly reduces the strain on your computer without making any sacrifices to your security.

Antivirus programs may also stop you from installing other software or block you from using it. While you can circumvent this issue by adding exceptions and playing around with the settings, we understand it’s sometimes a lot easier to simply temporarily turn off the thing. Similarly, an AV may falsely flag some files that you’re trying to download. If you’re certain that the files in question are safe, there’s no harm in shutting down the antivirus to overcome this slight hiccup.

It’s also worth noting that some users may want to get rid of the antivirus to protect their online privacy. You’re perfectly justified in feeling iffy about providing a third party full access to the files on your computer and, in some instances, even your internet traffic.

Regardless of how much antivirus vendors try to convince users they’re not collecting any data, it’s really hard to buy into this, as all antivirus programs track files and programs, then compare them to malware databases. Some can also scan your browser activity and emails to safeguard you from phishing. Yes, this is super helpful, but it’s also feeding the vendor more of your private data.

It’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to an antivirus. Thus, it’s completely on you to decide if privacy matters more than a malware-free device. In our book, your data being sold in an anonymized form is a small price to pay for avoiding the growing cybersecurity threats. If you’re not comfortable with a company having this much access, at least opt for the built-in Windows Defender, as it’s the bare minimum for staying safe online.

Is turning off antivirus software dangerous?

If you plan on turning off your antivirus or disabling Windows Defender for a few minutes, you can be perfectly safe by taking just a few precautions (which we’ll get to in a second). On the other hand, if you want to turn off an antivirus for good, then there is no way to absolutely guarantee your device won't be infected if you continue to use the internet.

Most people assume everything will be fine if they’re cautious and limit their browsing to reputable sites or avoid downloading files from shady sources.

However, this is similar to driving without a seatbelt. Sure, you may be an amazing driver who respects all the rules of the road (including the speed limit), but you can’t control the actions of other drivers. Case in point: even if you only visit legit sites, there’s still a small possibility that a site you connect to is infected. Likewise, a seemingly safe file is riddled with malware.

Despite flawless digital practices, one tiny mistake can turn your computer into a hidden crypto mining facility, or in the worst case scenario, may get your data stolen.

How to keep yourself as safe as possible when turning off antivirus

Now that we’ve ascertained that it’s very risky to go about life without antivirus protection, there are some precautions you should take if you plan on switching off this crucial layer of defense for any amount of time.

The safest thing to do is to simply disconnect from the internet if possible. That way, no viruses or malware can get to your device. You may also want to avoid connecting USB flash drives, as they may also be infected.

If you absolutely must be online, connect only through a trusted network. Hackers have the ability to exploit unsafe connections and do some serious damage.

It’s also wise to close non-essential apps like your browser. After all, if you’re installing a new program, there’s probably no reason to keep 10 tabs open.

In cases where your goal is to download files, make sure that you’re getting them from a legitimate source. If you’re downloading an email attachment, only do so if you know who the sender is.

One of the big reasons why people “unplug” Windows Defender and third-party antivirus apps in the first place is to get their hands on pirated software. It doesn’t take a cybersecurity expert to know this is a bad idea. Even if the pirated site claims their stuff is safe (often saying that Windows Defender will flag their DLLs as false positives), there’s simply no way to know. In our humble opinion, the risks far outweigh the rewards of a cracked game or program.

Apart from that, limit your browsing to secure sites only. Check whether they have a valid SSL certificate if you’re feeling paranoid (HTTPS in the URL means the website is a-okay).

All in all, turning off antivirus is straightforward and can be done in a few seconds, since most vendors understand you’ll eventually have to pause your protection.

That said, antivirus exists for a reason, being the minimal prerequisite for staying safe on the internet. As soon as you’re finished with your “protection-free” activities, turn it back on to keep your device safe and happy.

When it comes to protecting devices from malware, there a numerous tools on the market. But two of the most common technologies used by individuals and businesses alike are antivirus and endpoint protection.

Cybersecurity threats have been getting out of hand lately. Despite all the wonders of modern AI technology, it has lowered the entry barrier for cybercrime. Not only that, but ever-existing types of malicious software like ransomware are now much more sophisticated and dangerous, leaving many cybersecurity-conscious individuals wondering if their traditional defenses can protect them from these AI-fueled threats.

Considering that every device you use to connect to the internet is a potential doorway for nefarious individuals, it’s easy to jump the gun and assume you need top-of-the-crop defenses such as endpoint security.

While it’s true that such a solution is much more effective than a traditional antivirus, the question remains whether bringing out the big guns is really necessary when talking about personal use.

The current landscape of cybercrime

AI-driven cyberattacks are a problem, sure. Yet, many common security problems realistically stem from the continuous connectivity in our lives. Many of us now enjoy the benefits of modern technology and opt to work from home or any number of public places with a Wi-Fi connection.

Moreover, it’s now commonplace to own multiple devices with shared log-ins or saved payment details for one-click purchases. All of this is super convenient, but it’s tough to ignore the fact that these practices are making even the average person a lucrative target for a cyberattack.

Unfortunately, many assume they’re too small to be targeted. However, your information alone is valuable enough to cybercriminals as they can use it to commit identity theft and fraud. Because of this misconception, a lot of people forgo implementing any defenses against cyberattacks, making them very vulnerable to dangerous malware and other types of attacks.

Can a good old antivirus help?

Time to look at the key differences.

What does an antivirus do?

Antivirus is software that leverages signature-based detection to identify, block, and remove malicious software from devices. In simpler terms, most antivirus tools scan files and system memory, then search for patterns matching known malware signatures.

When an antivirus detects dangerous software, it sends an alert that prompts the user to take certain actions. In most cases, it categorizes danger levels by priority and moves questionable files into quarantine.

It’s possible to set up scheduled scans to provide ongoing protection, though users can also manually scan specific files or folders. You can learn more about running an antivirus scam here.

Along with the basic functionality, modern antivirus solutions also come with web and email protection that scan incoming emails and downloads to battle phishing. This generally works as the antivirus isolates the email in question and identifies suspect senders and links. Moreover, you also get a firewall that provides you with deeper control of outgoing and incoming traffic.

What does endpoint security do?

Endpoint security is a suite of integrated software measures created for a holistic approach to network security. It may integrate different moving parts like firewalls, a VPN, antivirus, and intrusion detection, thus safeguarding all endpoints (servers, laptops, smartphones) even if one part of the network is compromised.

Such solutions provide a centralized view of all defenses, allowing you to manage all endpoints from one dashboard. For instance, it’s possible to control which apps are allowed to run, preventing unauthorized software from executing on any of the connected devices.

It also safeguards each device on a network with a customized firewall while encrypting all data on each device. This drastically minimizes the chance of cybersecurity risks in case a hacker compromises the device (or if it’s stolen, for that matter).

That’s not where the fun ends, so to speak. While an antivirus cross-checks files with a database of known threats, endpoint security solutions leverage AI and ML behavioral analytics models to accurately recognize unknown threats.

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest developments in the world of cybersecurity, you might have noticed that ransomware is experiencing quite a comeback. These attacks involve hackers slipping malware into business systems, encrypting the company data, and demanding a ransom in exchange for decryption. They may also exfiltrate the data and threaten to leak it if the company doesn’t give in to their demands.

Fortunately, ransomware is not something you should worry about, as this type of attack is usually limited to businesses handling sensitive information and governmental agencies. Still, to safeguard yourself from it, endpoint security generally comes with data loss prevention software that protects from data exfiltration.

How different are they?

In the simplest of terms, endpoint security and antivirus software are very different. Antivirus, despite its popularity, uses an on-access model, which means it triggers when the operating system recognizes that a shady file has been opened.

Hence, it’s unable to provide any actual, real-time protection. An antivirus is also unsuccessful against fileless malware and unknown threats. It seems weak when compared to endpoint security and its behavioral analysis that delivers continuous monitoring 24/7 while also protecting you from scary zero-day threats.

Endpoint security automatically busts threats, whereas an antivirus generally requires manual intervention, which can sometimes leave enough room for the malware to spread.

Since modern-day threats generally extend beyond viruses and trojans (the bread and butter for antivirus software), endpoint security is much more effective. It protects against the common threats, as well as against sophisticated attacks like rootkits, fileless malware, ransomware, and even advanced persistent threats.

Antivirus is device-specific, which can be a major drawback in networks that are running multiple endpoints. That’s the key phrase, though. Endpoint security is primarily aimed at businesses with complex networks with a high number of endpoints.

An antivirus may be outdated in a business context (in part because the development of hybrid working environments made modern networks needlessly complex), but it’s still a very capable security solution for individual use.

Is endpoint security overkill for personal use?

Although it’s really easy to assume bigger is always better, even in some business instances, getting an endpoint solution is akin to bringing a gun to a knife fight. Case in point: an antivirus is largely sufficient for organizations with only a few network devices, and more than enough for personal or family use.

Endpoint security is the crème de la crème of cybersecurity, with its primary aim safeguarding large business networks. Plus, such complex software is generally recommended for organizations that work with sensitive information. Though it’s true that you are a potential target as an individual, you realistically don’t require all the bells and whistles provided by endpoint security.

The elephant in the room is, of course, affordability. As enterprise-grade software, endpoint security can be quite pricey, much so that some smaller businesses have to carefully budget for its monthly subscription.

Since it’s simpler by design, an antivirus is much cheaper, offering solid protection for the money.

How to enhance your security further

If you’re really serious about protecting your devices from harm, you should also consider getting one of the best VPNs. A VPN (virtual private network) is a simple and affordable software that encrypts all your data by routing your connection through an encrypted tunnel.

It masks your IP address, making it appear as if you’re browsing the web from a different location. As such, even if a hacker manages to intercept your connection, they won’t be able to read your internet traffic.

A VPN will add another layer of security to your antivirus. An antivirus will be able to protect you from malware trying to enter your device, while a VPN will protect the data you transmit over your internet connection.

A tool is only as good as the hands that wield it

The trifecta of endpoint security, an antivirus, and a VPN sounds good on paper. Yet, multiple security layers, despite doing their job as advertised, will never make you bulletproof against online threats. In fact, they may even lull you into a false sense of security.

To put things into perspective, cybercriminals may exploit unsecured Wi-Fi networks, hit misconfigured firewalls, or simply waltz into your home network because you forgot to change the default router password. Despite the advancements in technology, a moment of carelessness or a simple misconfiguration could render all your defenses useless.

Besides implementing specific tools, you should also educate yourself and your family about the importance of cybersecurity and solid cybersecurity practices. After all, the leading cause of data breaches isn’t some foreign hacker faction - it’s human error.

So, in addition to getting a fancy new piece of software, you should also think about everything you do online. Only then will you be able to use your defenses to their maximum capacity.

When choosing the best antivirus software for your device, its important to know how to use it - otherwise you could be paying for a service that isn't actually protecting anything.

Running a virus scan is actually quite easy. You open an antivirus of your choice, click the usually prominent ‘Scan’ button, wait for the program to do its thing, and take care of anything that gets flagged. Or at least, that’s the gist of it and the bare minimum a user can do.

In reality, the process can have a bit more to it than. So, we decided to write a detailed guide for conducting virus scans and everything else that comes with it, such as protecting all of your devices.

Select the right security software

Before we get to the matter at hand, picking the right software for the job is the first step in doing a proper virus scan. Personal antivirus tools are a dime a dozen, with a lot of features and additional security options that go beyond just running a virus scan.

With no shortage of options on the market sporting different features, the key is to discern between the stuff you need and what you can do without. That said, it’s always a good idea to pick an antivirus that has these features:

• Real-time protection
• Automatic updates
• Ransomware protection
• Web protection
• Firewall integration
• Email scanning

Bonus points if the software is lightweight so that it doesn’t slow down your system. That said, you want to avoid any free tools with excessive ads, poor reviews, or that come bundled with bloatware.

Keep your antivirus up to date

It’s prudent to do some preparation work prior to the scan, as keeping antivirus software up-to-date is something you don’t want to forget. This includes doing (boring but important) stuff like updating antivirus definitions and signatures, applying the latest software patches, and similar, either automatically or manually.

The main reason you need to do this is that malware evolves rapidly, no thanks to the increasing use of AI. As a result, users face all kinds of attacks, such as advanced persistent threats, ransomware-as-a-service, or targeted attacks. Granted, it’s more likely that businesses (big and small) will be attacked by more advanced threats, though individual users aren’t exempt from it either, especially if they have valuable data on their devices.

Hence, outdated software can easily miss these threats or just fail to protect you altogether, and then you’ll be in quite a pickle. In the best-case scenario, your device will now be very slow with subpar performance, prompting a big clean-up, and that’s always a hassle.

Also, if you’re using a subscription-based software, it might be an idea to keep the renewal option on, so you don’t end up without any protection.

If you’re unaware that your device has been infected, do note that there are always signs. These include, but are not limited to, sudden slow performance, excessive ads, new browser toolbars or search engines, apps opening or crashing on their own, unknown files or shortcuts on the desktop, and more. In case any of these happen, run a full scan immediately.

Choose an appropriate scan type

When it comes to actual scans, there are several types available, with some more suitable than others depending on the needs. A quick scan can be a good choice for routine operations and daily or continuous monitoring of high-risk areas like memory or system files.

A full or deep scan takes time and is more fitting for weekly or monthly checkups across all files, especially after patch cycles or any security incidents. It checks every file, app, folder, and system component on your device, but it takes a long time.

In the event of newly introduced devices, a custom scan will do the trick, more so if a targeted scan on high-value assets and suspicious directories is required. USB drives are a good example.

In some instances, a boot-time scan might be the best option if malware is deeply embedded. This type of scan runs before an operating system starts, catching hidden or rootkit malware.

Whatever the occasion, automated and policy-driven scan schedules are essential as they minimize manual work and guarantee consistency.

Executing scans

With all the preparation in place, we’ve reached the crux of this guide - actually running a scan. There shouldn’t be any complications here, as with the right tool, performing a scan is straightforward and easy. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

For instance, don’t use heavy apps while scanning because they may slow down the scan and your system. Antivirus software has the ability to pause the scan, so use that if the device is busy or if you ever need to take a break for other reasons.

If you’re using a laptop, keep it charged and plugged in. This might sound silly, but people sometimes forget the simplest things.

During the scan, your antivirus may detect potentially unwanted programs called PUPs. It’s usually adware, but don’t ignore them since they can very easily be malicious.

Remember, the goal here is to minimize operational disruption while still maintaining a thorough security coverage.

Analyzing scan results and taking action

After the scan is done, it’s time to go over the results. Simply detecting malware isn’t enough. Detailed reporting is a must, and the reports should include threat names, severity ratings, affected files, and recommended actions. This is obviously under the assumption that something harmful was found.

In that case, you should try to correlate detections with known vulnerabilities if there are any. Otherwise, make sure you thoroughly read the report so you’re aware of what you’re dealing with.

If the threat is detected, there should be a structured response to it (preferably a fast one) before the damage is done. At a minimum, you want to reduce its impact.

Get to know what kind it is, and either quarantine or delete it. Normally, malware or suspicious files are auto-quarantined or erased from the system, but it never hurts to check.

In some situations, you’ll have to perform a device restart since some malware can't be removed while the operating system is running. For particularly pesky threats that keep returning, try boot-time scanning and reinstalling the antivirus.

You can always manually remove the infected file by following the antivirus instructions. This shouldn’t be an issue, as most top-rated AVs are capable of dealing with problems like these. If all else fails, perhaps pick a different antivirus - you might have more luck with it.

What’s more, it’s not a bad idea to maintain exportable logs in case you need to learn more about the threat or Google it.

Afterward, its a good idea to analyze how the malware entered. For example, malicious files often enter your system through phishing, unpatched vulnerabilities, or some other method. It’s essential to know so it doesn’t happen again.

Post-scan security measures

Once the immediate threat is neutralized, there is still some work left. Namely:

• Patch operating systems and applications to remove vulnerabilities
• Change passwords if keyloggers or credential-stealing malware were detected
• Perform a system backup after confirming the system is clean
• Maintain a regular backup and recovery plan

Most antivirus programs allow you to automate scans and enable real-time protection, so absolutely make sure you do that. You can schedule weekly quick scans, run full scans monthly, get notified if definitions are out of date, and so on.

Generally speaking, antivirus works best when set and forgotten - that is, after you’ve configured it correctly and thoroughly. Make sure to always check the reports, though.

There is a human element to keeping your device free of viruses, namely:

• Avoid clicking on unknown links or email attachments
• Only download legitimate software from official websites
• Use strong, unique passwords for each account
• Back up important files to a cloud service or an external drive
• Keep your browser and plugins up to date
• Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible

Regular virus scans make all the difference

In today’s technology-led world, cybersecurity plays a huge role that only grows with every new attack and data breach. So, regular virus scans go a long way in helping you stay secure online. They will protect intellectual property, financial data, and personal information, as well as avert downtime, performance and time loss, and numerous other things that can hurt an everyday user.

As such, consumers ought to consider integrating virus scanning into their daily online activities and device use. After all, prevention is the best medicine.

• A security researcher built a program that the OS sees as an antivirus
• Since two AV programs can't run at the same time, Windows Defender turns itself off
• Previous iteration was taken down for copyright infringment

Hackers can now easily turn off your Windows Defender program by registering a fake antivirus on your computer. To do that, they use a new tool called Defendnot, recently released by a security researcher with the alias es3n1n.

As they explained, Defendnot leverages a previously undocumented Windows Security Center (WSC) API, which third-party antivirus programs use to tell the operating system if they're running on the device or not.

Usually, two or more of the best antivirus programs cannot run on a single device at the same time due to various conflicts. As a result, Windows Defender disables itself automatically, when it learns that another antivirus has been installed.

Spotted by Defender

According to BleepingComputer, this is the researcher’s second attempt at building this type of solution. The original program, which “blew up” and went viral soon after its release, was taken down after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act request. As it turns out, es3n1n used code from a third-party antivirus product to spoof registration with WSC for a program they named no-defender.

This apparently did not sit well with the developers of that third-party solution, which subsequently demanded that es3n1n take the program down.

After the takedown, the researcher built Defendnot with a dummy antivirus DLL from scratch. It also comes with an autorun feature, allowing it to start automatically as soon as the user logs into Windows.

Obviously, the tool was not designed to be used in a malicious way, but it’s safe to assume it will be abused (or threat actors could simply create their own versions). In the past, threat actors were seen deploying various tactics to turn off people’s antivirus programs, such as abusing admin rights, tampering with the registry, blocking updates, installing fake antivirus software, or exploiting various flaws in third-party solutions.

Luckily, Microsoft Defender can now detect and quarantine Defendnot as a 'Win32/Sabsik.FL.!ml;.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Privacy of millions worldwide compromised as huge data location broker got hacked
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

• IPVanish's malware and tracker blocking technology has been confirmed as one of the best on the market
• VIPRE Advanced Security received the highest rating in the latest AV-Comparatives' Malware Protection Test
• This achievement follows a successful independent audit confirming that IPVanish's no-log policy

Independent auditors have just confirmed that the technology behind IPVanish's malware and tracker-blocker tools is one of the best on the market.

VIPRE Advanced Security received the highest rating in the latest Malware Protection Test carried on by AV-Comparatives in March 2025. The antivirus bundle service stood out for its strong performance across several potential attack scenarios.

The results come about a week after an independent audit also confirmed that IPVanish never logs users' data, in line with what is stated in its no-log VPN policy.

A win for IPVanish users' security

In its latest Malware Protection Test, experts at AV-Comparatives checked the ability of 19 security products to detect and prevent infections from a wide range of malware threats. These include some of the best antivirus services like Avast, Bitdefender, McAfee, Norton, and more.

More than 10,000 of the most recent malware samples were tested on a fully updated Windows 11 machine, with the evaluation including offline and online scanning as well as live execution and mirroring real-world conditions.

VIPRE Advanced Security was among 10 providers to earn an Advanced+ rating from AV-Comparatives after excelling in all key metrics. Specifically, the tool detected 98.7% of threats consistently both online and offline, gaining a 99.93% protection score during live execution evaluations. It did all that while producing a minimum amount of false positives, too.

"This award is a win for all IPVanish users because the same cloud-based threat intelligence that earned VIPRE top marks is already working behind the scenes in IPVanish’s Threat Protection feature, along with our QR Code Checker and Link Checker security tools," the provider told TechRadar.

IPVanish released its Threat Protection feature in March last year across all its apps, placing the provider alongside some of the best VPN services already offering a similar tool.

IPVanish Threat Protection works by filtering out third-party content before loading to preserve data usage while blocking third-party cookies and tracking scripts as well. At the same time, it prevents you from accessing known malicious websites, including phishing schemes and malware-embedded sites, to further protect users and their data.

Last June, IPVanish also launched a Link Checker service built on VIPRE's tech. The tool comes as a standalone website and is free to use for everyone, whether or not you're an IPVanish subscriber, to verify the safety of URLs before clicking and protect against phishing scams.

The provider has recently integrated a similar tool on its iOS and Android VPN apps. This is a QR Code Checker that allows users to scan QR codes to detect malicious links and phishing traps.

You might also like

• Millions of free VPN users have inadvertently sent their data to China
• Google warns of legit VPN apps being used to infect devices with malware
• NymVPN officially launches and claims to be "the world’s most secure VPN"

ZoneAlarm is one of the cybersecurity pioneers, offering its firewall protection not just to businesses but also to consumers back in the 1990s, when consumer firewall wasn’t really a thing. What’s more, it instituted the concept of hardening a device’s firewall against direct attacks, today featuring an inbound intrusion detection system and the ability to control outbound connections by apps.

In 2004, ZoneAlarm, which was developed by Zone Labs, was acquired by Check Point Software Technologies, a major software and combined hardware provider for network, endpoint, mobile, cloud, and data security, as well as security management.

Over the years, ZoneAlarm has changed and adapted its offering (as well as its interface) to be more in line with the times. Nowadays, ZoneAlarm offers three main tiers of its antivirus product, courtesy of Check Point’s powerful cybersecurity platform.

These include ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus, ZoneAlarm Pro Antivirus + Firewall, and ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen, all of which offer different levels of protection and features. The company offers other standalone products, such as ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware.

As it happens, the free version comes equipped with the usual antivirus and anti-spyware function, an advanced firewall (monitoring apps, stopping new and so far unknown attacks), and a two-way firewall (making your PC invisible to hackers) application control, anti-bot, and 24/7 online support - for one PC.

That said, real-time cloud security, anti-phishing, threat extraction, safe browsing, and threat emulation for up to five PCs is reserved for the paid upper tier, Pro Antivirus + Firewall, whereas the top-of-the-line Extreme Security NextGen throws in content filtering, anti-keylogger, anti-ransomware, and mobile security, while supporting up to 50 PCs at the same time.

The ZoneAlarm Pro for one device costs $24.95 for the first year, renewing at $39.95. If you need coverage for three PCs, you can get it at $32.95 per year initially, renewing at $49.95. A five-device service starts at $35.95, renewing at $54.95, 10 devices are covered by a $64.95 payment renewing at $99.95, while the coverage for as many as 50 PCs would cost you just $259.95 for the year one, renewing at $259.95. Do note that Pro Antivirus only supports Windows PC devices, making it a bit of a limited option.

Meanwhile, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen charges $34.95 for one device during the initial year, increasing it to $59.95 for each subsequent 12-month period of use. For three devices, it charges $42.95 (renewing at $64.95), five devices would cost you $44.95 for the first year ($69.95 for each subsequent year), while 10 devices would set you back by $89.95 during the first year (renewing at $139.95).

You may also get coverage for 25 devices, with this plan at $189.95 initially, after which you’ll pay $289.95 per year, while coverage for 50 devices comes with a price tag of $357.95 for the first year, renewing at $549.95. Extreme Security supports Windows, Android, and iOS devices.

It is also important to note that both carry certain discounts if you take a 2-year subscription. For instance, protecting five devices for the duration of two years will cost you only $61.95 for the first year, which would otherwise cost you $90.90 if you took it on a year-by-year basis. In other words, you’re getting an impressive 68.17% discount.

For the Extreme Security package, the discounts are very similar. In this case, a 2-year subscription package covering five devices goes for $72.95, which is a 63.51% reduction compared to the $114.9 you would pay if you signed up for the package to renew each year.

Finally, both Pro and Extreme Security NextGen have a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you enough time to test the service out before making the final decision.

However, the free trial doesn’t give all that much and actually doesn’t differ in any way from the free tier, considering you need to activate it to access more than just its firewall and antivirus features. A pity, as someone might be attracted to actually buying the platform if they had the opportunity to check it out in more depth for free.

Setup

Downloading ZoneAlarm Free takes an unusual amount of time. At first, the downloader told us we would have to wait for two hours, changing the time to anywhere between 20 minutes and 20 hours, making our system very sluggish while it was doing this.

As it turns out, we waited for about 30 minutes, which is a lot longer than any other antivirus we had installed before. Still, installing the platform went a lot faster than this (although not nearly as fast compared to the competition).

Features

ZoneAlarm has gotten its name thanks to its method of controlling program access - by dividing all network connections into so-called ‘zones.’ Hence there are several such zones in ZoneAlarm’s vocabulary: the ‘trusted zone’ which typically includes the user’s local area network and can share resources like files and printers.

Then, there’s the ‘public zone’ that includes everything outside the trusted zone, and in which the user can grant permissions to apps before they try connecting to the Internet (such as before the initial launch) or ZoneAlarm will ask the user to grant these permissions.

Finally, the ‘blocked zone’ is where all the devices, networks, and/or apps that you decided you don’t trust with making traffic to or from end up. The firewall is on by default as soon as you install your ZoneAlarm software, and you don’t need to do anything unless you really want to change the default configuration or temporarily turn off the firewall for any reason.

Having said that, ZoneAlarm’s firewall currently allows access to every program by default, without letting you know when it finds something suspicious. If you want to modify an app’s permissions, you’ll have to go manually digging for it in the Application Control and change the settings yourself for each of the programs.

Open your ZoneAlarm app, and you’ll see a sleek green-white window that provides you with your protection status, a ‘Scan’ button, the time and date of the next automatic scan, as well as four icons - Firewall, Antivirus, Web Secure, and Hacking Protection.

The Firewall itself opens a set of features, including managing the rules for your ‘zones’ or networks (public or trusted), setting up the public and trusted zone sensitivity, as well as observing the previous firewall events, with a button to add a new entry (IP address, IP range, or subnet) as a zone rule. Its above-mentioned ‘Application Permissions’ section lists all the apps on your device and allows you to set the default action to ‘Allow Connection,’ ‘Block Connection,’ or ‘Terminate Process.’ Finally, you can turn on/off the anti-bot service.

Next is the Antivirus section, where you can view the quarantine, add exceptions, start a full scan, scan a particular folder, or schedule a critical (quick scan to identify threats) or full scan (deep scan of the entire system), on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

The Web Secure dashboard features Anti-Phishing, Safe Downloads, and Content Filtering options, whereas the Hacking Protection area contains Anti-Ransomware, Advanced File Protection, and Anti-Keylogger capabilities (none of which is accessible with the free version).

Previously, the ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus offered an entire year of simple identity protection by its partner Identity Guard, with a feature known as Identity Lock to prevent anyone from stealing your sensitive personal data from your device. However, these now seem to be gone.

On top of that, it seems to have also dropped the free Chrome extension, which was a phishing-oriented version of its Web Secure for free users to protect their credentials against phishing attempts and malicious document downloads.

Protection

Once ZoneAlarm is up and running, its protection begins, automatically updating the virus definitions and running occasional scans, which you’ll only find out from the notifications triggered by these events. Starting a full scan takes about 50 minutes, which is a bit long, but we’ve seen longer.

That said, it doesn’t get any faster with the subsequent scans, which also took about 52 minutes. This means that ZoneAlarm doesn’t use its first full scan to optimize for future procedures, as opposed to some of its competitors.

Upon testing with a recommended malware testing file, ZoneAlarm sprang into action immediately, recognizing the threat and moving it to the quarantine, letting us know what happened with a full-sized popup message that doesn’t go away until you dismiss it. You can reveal further details about the file and click again to access the list of all quarantined files.

The Web Secure mechanism is nothing to write home about, only working in Chrome, and not at all successful against malware-hosting websites - blocking only phishing sites. In other words, ZoneAlarm has no efficient ways to protect us from accessing a dangerous site, something that even the built-in Microsoft Defender can do without much effort.

Meanwhile, the personal firewall that comes equipped with even the free version might be a bit unnecessary, but it’s a nice addition considering it doesn’t cost a thing. ZoneAlarm also has its firewall available as a standalone, free product.

SE Labs hasn’t tested ZoneAlarm since Q4 2019, when it scored 85% in total accuracy rating, 87% in protection rating, 100% in legitimate accuracy rating (how well it tuned its detection engine to classify legitimate applications and URLs), a protection score of 97 points, and receiving a high AAA award.

Similarly, AV-Test did its last test of ZoneAlarm in December 2019, when it tested the paid Pro Antivirus + Firewall product, giving it a 6/6 for protection, a 6/6 for usability, and 4.5/6 for performance, as it underperformed in area of installing frequently used applications.

The same testing firm also analyzed the business version of ZoneAlarm, called Check Point, which lends its virus-defending platform to consumer products, for the period of July - August 2024, awarding it a 6/6 in all three observed areas - protection, performance, and usability, albeit also noting a slightly poorer performance in terms of installation of frequently-used applications.

A bit more recently, MRG-Effitas analyzed ZoneAlarm Mobile Security in Q2 2023, observing 82.30% accuracy in overall non-PUA (‘potentially unwanted applications’) detection, 100% accuracy in PUA detection, 86.76% in detecting trojans, 81.13% in accurately identifying spyware, but missing 100% simulator samples.

Meanwhile, the most recent test comes from AV-Comparatives, which tested ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen as a non-dedicated fake-shop detecting solution in its Q4 2024 Fake Shops Detection Test, in which its detection rates in November were between 21% and 30%, with no false positives.

Final verdict

ZoneAlarm used to have a stellar reputation as the security industry’s pioneer looking out for the consumer back when no one really cared and business data safety was the primary concern.

However, it has since degraded and today lags behind its competitors, many of which have much more advanced, faster, and richer platforms in terms of their antivirus and anti-malware capabilities, speed and performance, built-in features, extras, and configuration options.

This is perhaps best illustrated by the lack of interest demonstrated by the leading antivirus testing labs, which haven’t been actively reporting on ZoneAlarm’s performance for years. Other than that, it’s a solid firewall solution for the price and ease of use.

• We've also featured the best antivirus

Panda Security is a Spanish-based company with a strong record of antivirus innovations. From launching daily signature updates in 1998 to introducing behavioral monitoring in 2004 and cloud scanning in 2007, Panda has been involved with a host of technologies we might now take for granted.

The company has several plans for its home users - Panda Dome Essential, Panda Dome Advanced, Panda Dome Complete, and Panda Dome Premium - all building upon each other in terms of features, and each offering a firewall, Wi-Fi protection, online shopping security, a Dark Web Scanner, and at least some VPN.

Higher tiers offer even more tools, including parental control, anti-ransomware, PC optimization, password manager, file encryption and shredding, update manager, and so on. And the best part? All tiers have a 30-day free trial.

Panda Dome Essential

At a reasonable price starting at $34.99 (renewing at $49.99) for a one-year, one-device license, the Essential package goes well beyond the basics of real-time antivirus and URL protection and covers up to 10 Windows, Mac, and Android devices (the price increasing depending on this number).

To complement its real-time antivirus protection with link filtering, Panda Dome Essential adds a simple firewall to block network attacks and even free VPN access. Okay, with no choice of location and 150MB of free data per day, you won't be using it for streaming movies or heavy torrenting, but it's fine for emailing on public Wi-Fi hotspots when you're out and about.

Setup

Panda Dome Essential is downloaded and launched within a few seconds. Once the setup was complete, Dome Essential asked us to register the program by providing our email address. Some may prefer an antivirus program that allows you to stay anonymous, but many competitors do much the same as Panda. And at least we didn’t have to hand out any payment details.

The installation procedure itself was relatively speedy, with no complaints about ‘incompatible’ software or other hassles. In terms of being one of the most antivirus apps around, this seems to be quite true in Panda’s case, as its four core background processes only consumed a minimal 20-50 MB RAM during normal PC use.

Features

To launch a scan, you can simply click the Scan button on the top-left, choose the scan type (Critical Areas, Full, or Custom Scan) and wait for the results. Scans can run concurrently with no impact on the speed of either one of them or the system.

Although the regular scan buttons give you almost no control over how your system is checked, the Scheduled Scan feature is a little smarter. You can select which drives and folders to scan, exclude particular locations, and customize how the scan works in a few ways.

Scan times are average, at least initially. So, for instance, even the fastest Critical Areas scan took four minutes to check our test system. But effective optimization sees this drop over time, and our second scan took barely two minutes. A full scan took a little under 40 minutes the first time, and only 26 minutes the second.

Dome Essential’s firewall does its best to keep life simple, with a basic opening screen that just asks you to choose your current Wi-Fi location between Home, Work, and Public Place - enough for a basic user.

That said, if you know what you’re doing, heading off to Settings > Firewall enables defining its operating rules, and provides expert-level intrusion prevention settings relating to port scans, ping handling, flooding, and more.

A handy Process Monitor displays all the running processes, highlighting any that are accessing the internet and warning you of potential threats. That’s all very straightforward for beginners, but again, real power is only one or two clicks away.

The full Process Monitor report lists the name of every process, when it was detected and last scanned, where it was downloaded from, how many HTTP connections it has established, and lets you view whatever resources it was trying to access.

A welcome option is to create a bootable USB rescue drive to help remove malware that the regular package can’t reach. Other nice features include a software whitelisting system to control what runs on your PC, and a virtual keyboard to protect against keyloggers.

There’s also a monitor that raises alerts if you connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, and an option to ‘vaccinate’ USB keys to reduce the chance of infection by autorun viruses.

Another great addition is the Dark Web scanner that constantly monitors the dark corners of the internet and notifies you by email if your credentials appear in a new security breach, so you don’t have to worry about periodically performing these checks yourself.

Protection

Panda Dome has earned an AAA award from SE Labs for the period between October and December 2024, as it has shown a Total Accuracy Rating of 99% and not a single false positive - better than Microsoft Defender and Webroot, but not quite at the level of Avast, Kaspersky, or McAfee, all of which had the perfect 100% score.

At the same time, AV-Test’s Product Review and Certification Report for September - October 2024 has given Panda a 6/6 score for protection, 5.5/6 for performance, as it performed just a tad poorer than the industry average in some segments, and 6/6 for usability.

On the other hand, Panda Free Antivirus had a bit more false flags than recommended in AV-Comparatives’ False Alarm Test for September 2024, with 28 misidentified cases, with only Norton delivering more, and all the other tested platforms having significantly fewer.

It also had a rather poor offline detection rate of 36.6% in AV-Comparatives’ Malware Protection Test for September 2024 and a somewhat better online detection rate of 77.6%, albeit its online protection score was a strong 99.25%.

Essential final verdict

Panda Dome Essential is a likable product that is easy to use and includes some genuinely valuable extras, especially for experts, but it still can't quite match the virus-detecting power and accuracy of the market leaders.

Panda Dome Advanced

If Dome Essential isn’t powerful enough for you, opting for the $41.99 (renews at $59.99) Dome Advanced for a one-year one-device plan gets you everything from the lower tier, plus parental controls and additional layers of protection - against ransomware.

Antivirus

Like Essential, Panda Dome Advanced has several scanning options. A Critical Area scan checks the most commonly infected areas of a PC; the Custom scan only inspects the files or folders you specify; and the Full System scan, of course, checks everything.

If that's not enough, you can also set multiple scheduled scans. These start with a Critical Areas, Full System, or Custom scan, but you can also exclude particular folders or file types (handy for speeding up scans.)

Scan times were reasonable during testing. Panda Dome Advanced checked our 50GB of test executables in 39 minutes for the first scan, within the 15–50-minute range we typically see. There's some optimization for subsequent scans, and Panda took 24 minutes for scan #2.

Ransomware

Panda Dome’s anti-ransomware relies on behavior-based detection, file access control, and whitelisting, as well as generates backup copies to recover files in the event of infection.

Among its tools is a data shield that configures the control and whitelists, decoy files used as bait, and shadow copies of files and folders to restore their previous versions in case of data loss, file corruption, or any other issue.

Parental control

Panda Dome Advanced includes Parental Control, but this has barely any features you'd expect from a specialized parental controls application. You can't control app use, there's no way to limit screen time or restrict internet access, and no clever geofencing support. The only option is content filtering.

The platform does at least give you lots of categories. Instead of a single catch-all Adult category, for instance, you can individually block or allow subcategories like 'Lingerie and Swimsuit', 'Nudity', 'Sex,' and 'Sex Education.' Although this works, it's nonetheless extremely basic.

Advanced final verdict

Panda Dome Advanced has a decent core antivirus engine, detecting and removing malware with ease. And although other big names in the industry might outperform its capabilities, it’s still a solid solution with plenty of basic and advanced features.

Panda Dome Complete

The next step up, Dome Complete, adds system clean-up tools, and a password manager for $53.99 for a one-year one-device license, renewing at $89.99 for each subsequent year of service.

Cleanup: PC Optimization

With PC Cleanup, you can free up space on your PC by removing various files (including trash, temporaries, registry, cookies, browsing history, and the like), you can select which programs you want to run at startup, schedule a cleanup task with specific parameters, or defragment your hard disk.

Password manager

Panda’s password manager does pretty much what any other such product does - managing all of your passwords under a single master key, auto-filling forms, generating strong passwords, and syncing them across all your devices.

It also supports the creation of ‘secure notes’ - encrypted virtual Post-It notes only you can access using your master generic-addon, as well as deleting your browsing history and closing your web pages and services remotely.

File encryptor

This tool allows you to encrypt any file with a password or an automatically generated key through the right-click menu, transforming data into a sequence of unreadable characters that no one can decipher without the corresponding encryption key.

File shredder

Finally, this feature facilitates an irreversible and secure shredding process of your confidential or sensitive information to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. It does this by overwriting a file’s contents with random data or zeroes to hide the original content and make it extremely difficult or impossible to recover.

Complete final verdict

Panda Dome Complete provides a few useful extras anyone might appreciate, including a file encryptor and shredder, a password manager, and PC optimization tools. However, if you don’t need these, then Panda Dome Essential or Advanced might be a better choice.

Panda Dome Premium

Finally, the top-of-the-range Panda Dome Premium gets you unrestricted VPN access to all available server locations, an update manager, and unlimited premium technical support - all that at $56 per year for one-device coverage initially, renewing at $139.99.

Premium VPN

Panda Dome Premium also removes any limitations to its VPN use from the lower-level packages and equips the user with unrestricted VPN for secure browsing, connectable to any location where it has servers, including 60+ countries, for up to 5 devices.

Testing the VPN connection to the recommended server hailed solid download and upload speeds, not much slower than our basic connection, and connecting took only a couple of seconds. Connecting to more distant locations (like Thailand) than our own (in Europe) was only slightly lagging.

Update Manager

Panda Dome Premium’s Update Manager helps keep your computer up to date to prevent any security breaches. It lets you perform a critical or in-depth scan for any available updates to the operating system or apps installed on your device or even schedule these scans.

For each program detected and included in the list, the product provides the possibility of applying the patch separately or ignoring it. It also includes an option to update all programs at the same time.

Premium final verdict

Panda Dome Premium is a perfectly rounded antivirus suite that is well worth the price when taking into account the free trial and significant discounts for the first year of its use, particularly if you plan on relying on the VPN, Update Manager, and Dark Web Scanner. However, renewing might be a bit costly if you intend to continue.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software in this roundup

As we did some digging on Scanguard, we came across the fact that it seems to be owned by Total Security LTD. Hopefully, this means that it’s benefiting from the same minds that are behind the Total AV products. We’re optimistic that this could translate into numerous updates over time, potentially crystallizing Scanguard into a more premium offering in the antivirus & security space.

Nevertheless, Scanguard is its own thing at the moment, and it has a lot to offer regardless. It’s essentially a total security and optimization suite that covers everything from viruses to PC improvement through junk file removal, a password vault, and even a VPN.

The offering starts off with security features, which include: advanced real-time protection against various threats, including malware, ransomware, spyware, and adware, through specialized guards like Malware Guard, Ransomware Guard, Spyware Guard, and Aware Guard. You can give most of the functions a free try, as the company offers a free version of the application for Windows.

The time it took to update and apply the definitions in the free tool was a bit worrying, we’re not sure whether it was a connection issue or the free version just being slow. The initial scan, however, was quite quick on a 512 GB SSD filled roughly to 30% of its capacity. The entire scan took under five minutes, going through a malware scan, junk removal, browser cleanup, and startup app check.

A note of caution here, as the app scans your PC for any tracking cookies it finds, it will notify you, with an attempt to upsell you to the Pro version, so the cookie, or malware, can be removed. To be fair, the company does offer a 90% discount if you’re trying out their software and musing whether to purchase a license, which means you can get Scanguard Essential Antivirus for as low as $9 for the first year. Beware of the price for the renewal license, though!

Features

The initial scan that we ran with Scanguard, called “smart scan” as we mentioned, was quite quick, covering malware, security and privacy issues, PC performance issues, system junk, and duplicate files with just one click.

However, if you want to do a full system scan, which runs a more comprehensive check, be ready to wait up to 20 minutes. Of course, there is the Custom Scan option if you want to specifically target some folders in the scan, potentially speeding up your scan times. In the settings menu, you can additionally tweak your scan options with a toggle for scanning: removable drives, inside archives, specific file types, or scheduling a scan.

Moreover, the above-mentioned four features make up the core security offering, with the Malware Guard protecting your PC from trojans and worms. The Ransomware Guard guards from hackers taking over your PC and files, Spyware Guard deletes and blocks tracking software, and finally, Aware Guard blocks pesky adverts.

We would also add the WebShield to this core, which protects you from malicious sites in real-time. Additionally, this feature offers a web cache cleaner, which can be useful if you do opt to visit the “Low Trust” websites the WebShield designates for you. It works quite well, preventing access to most well-known sites featured on PhishTank, though we did manage to access some more obscure sites, which were blocked by other security solutions, so stay vigilant regardless of which security solution you use.

You can enhance your security by installing the free ScanGuard web extension for browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. It’s quite handy in blocking unwanted browser notifications and clearing up your cookies with just one click. Note, the Ad Block Pro is only available if you have the Pro version (paid plan) of the solution.

Speaking of web extensions, another useful one offered by Scanguard is the Password Vault browser extension, but for it to function properly, you need to set up the Password Vault on the Desktop app first. If you do so, you will have access to auto-fill and auto-save features, as well as the password generator that will help you create secure passwords.

We would have liked to see some features like 2FA for the vault itself, and options to share passwords, save notes, and files securely, but none of that was available. Standalone password managers, like 1Password, offer much more, but Scanguard does cover the basics, so if you need a more advanced password manager, you will have to buy an additional one.

If you opt to pay for the VPN, which is an extra feature, you will get the industry standard features such as data encryption, a kill switch, and encryption protocols like IKEv2 and OpenVPN. There are roughly 100 servers, most of which are located in North America and Europe, thus providing solid options for circumventing geo restrictions. The speeds are acceptable when streaming or torrenting (available only for non-US servers). We feel that other premium providers like Nord offer a much better VPN, with stable and higher speeds, as well as additional features.

If you’re worried about identity theft protection, apparently Scanguard offers some solid features in this regard. Note, we did not test out the offer, nor purchase it. It’s an additional service (paid separately), which covers dark web and social media monitoring, identity restoration, lost wallet assistance, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. You also get the Data Breach Check, which scans whether your passwords have been compromised as part of an online data breach. All you need to do is provide your email, and Scanguard does all the heavy lifting.

Rounding off the offer is Scanguard's system optimizer or tune-up utility, which covers junk file cleaning (including duplicate files), an application uninstaller, start-up manager, and a browser cleanup. The junk cleaner seems impressive as it ran under a minute, removing some odd 300 MB of junk files from my PC in the first run. The duplicate scanner, on the other hand, is not perfect; it flagged two different videos as duplicates hidden in a wide tree of folders, both had different names, lengths, sizes, and content, so make sure you double-check before letting the app remove the files by itself.

The browser cleanup offers to clear your browsing and download history, cookies, and junk files from your browser, speed up the loading of websites, and put idle tabs to sleep. During our test, it worked quite well, we did not notice any issues with it. Despite having some useful features, we would have liked to see some disk optimization features as well as some gaming boosters, as seen in some other premium offerings. Sure, there is a “game mode,” but it simply makes sure no notifications or scans come up as you game, but there are no PC performance tweaks for gamers with Scanguard.

If you’re an Android user, there is a dedicated app for you; however, if you use an iPhone, then tough luck, there is no Scanguard app for you. On Android, you can not get the app from the Google store, you have to find the link to it in the Scanguard website’s help center. Google will warn you that the app is not safe. Most of the Desktop features are available on the mobile app as well. They work without any issues, but you don’t get advanced security features like SMS filtering, scam call filtering, etc. So all in all, the mobile experience is a bit underwhelming, to say the least.

Pricing

Luckily, Scanguard gets it right with its pricing plan approach, offering just two pricing plans. The first one is the free one, giving you some basic protection and a taste of what the suite encompasses and offers. The paid plan costs $29 for the first year if you purchase through the site, and here is where things get complicated.

The site advertises $29 for the first year instead of $99, which is your annual renewal price. Yet, if you install the free version of the app and from the options menu click on upgrade, you get a price of $9 for the first year, and a renewal price of $99. But wait, there’s more! If you decide to make the purchase, be ready to pay for it using only PayPal, as there is no other payment option. Furthermore, once you do go through the purchase, an upsell moment arrives, offering the VPN as a service at an extra cost, as well as the Ad Blocker Pro.

The initial pricing strategy and plan started off quite promising, but the various offers through the site and the app just left a bad taste in our mouth, loathing the entire process. Sure, we understand that some marketing magic needs to be used to get the best sales results, but communicating everything in one place and transparently makes much more sense in our book.

The offer on the website for the paid plan includes the following: real-time virus and phishing protection, cloud-based threat detection, and tools to defend against adware and spyware. It also includes a secure password vault, system tune-up tools, disk and browser cleaners, and even a web shield extension to block harmful sites. With added Android protection, 24/7 customer support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Protection

Checking reliable testing sites, you will only come across a VB100 test result for Scanguard from October 2023. It successfully passed the test at the time, but the website states that Scanguard is not VB100 certified, as the test results have not been refreshed or done recently.

However, the test from October 2023 states that it achieved a detection rate of 96.94%, successfully identifying 1,871 out of 1,930 malware samples. Just as importantly, it scored a perfect 0.000% false alarm rate, meaning it didn’t flag any clean files as malicious across 100,000 legitimate test samples. This balance of strong malware detection and zero false positives demonstrated at the time that Scanguard provides reliable protection.

Ease of use

Scanguard has a beautiful design philosophy, with a modern UI, a black, green, and blue color scheme, and large icons that are intuitive and informative once you hover over them. Initial installation may take some time since all of the databases need updating, but it's not concerning. Under the settings tab, everything is laid out logically, with most settings offering a toggle switch for easy customization. Despite having numerous customization options, it never felt overwhelming.

Final verdict

In the end, Scanguard represents a peculiar offer in the security suite space. Some things, like the malware protection and web protection in general, it does well; we would argue on par with some more renowned companies.

On the other hand, there are major issues with the mobile app, which is difficult to install. To this, we would also add the pricing fiasco from the app to the website, and the fact that no independent lab has tested Scanguard in 2025 to offer an insight into how well it compares to the others.

All in all, if you’re not too picky or demanding, Scanguard can keep you safe online, but knowing that there are much better offerings in the field, priced similarly to Scanguard, it’s simply difficult to recommend it as a go-to solution.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software in this roundup

Windows 10 end of life is rapidly approaching, with updates ceasing on October 14 2025, and many are starting to make the switch to Windows 11.

But questions still remain. Do I really need to use the best antivirus with Windows 11?

Is Windows Defender good enough? Can I trust it to protect me from hackers especially when Windows is the most widely used operating system in the world? Let's find out.

Should I upgrade?

In short, yes. Once Windows 10 reaches its end of life it will stop receiving critical updates such as new security patches that stop known vulnerabilities from being taken advantage of.

Considering Windows has a considerable market share for PC operating systems, it is a very lucrative target that cybercriminals are constantly trying to hit.

Let me put it this way - one of the main reasons the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 was so devastating was because many organizations were using Windows operating systems that were well past their end of life.

Even though Microsoft had released a patch that could have prevented the WannaCry ransomware from infecting their devices, some had chosen to turn off updates or were using outdated systems.

Additionally, if we follow the trend of Windows 10 which was released in 2015, Windows 11 will likely also receive updates for at least the next 10 years, making it a worthy update for those who haven't made the switch already. What's more, if you are already running Windows 10, you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free!

I understand that there are some purists out there who insist on using the operating system they are most familiar with - and I can sympathize.

I miss Windows Vista. But aesthetics aren't everything, and its never too late to learn something new.

How big of a target am I?

It's easy to think that you are not a target when it comes to this big digital world we all live in, but there are hundreds of ways a hacker might see value in targeting you.

For example, they could be looking to add your computer to a global botnet that they use to launch attacks on businesses without you even knowing.

Or they could be looking to steal your social media accounts to use in disinformation campaigns, or they just want to disrupt as many people as possible with their latest malware.

The Malwarebytes' State of Malware report places ransomware as the biggest threat in 2024 and attacks have grown 13% year-over-year.

In 2025 this trend is likely to continue, boosted by the increase of AI agents to distribute malware and help write phishing emails that are more convincing and harder to spot.

While cybercriminals have turned to targeting big companies with bigger budgets in order to make a living, small fries such as you and I are still viable targets for smaller, less advanced cybercriminal groups.

Lets not also forget that a cybercriminal could be looking to steal your identity, or commit credit fraud in your name using data they can steal from your computer. Some groups just want to cause disruption and make a name for themselves by hitting anyone and everyone.

Windows Defender Antivirus: is it enough?

Windows Defender Antivirus comes pre-installed as standard with Windows 11.

In numerous tests, Windows Defender Antivirus does a pretty good job of protecting against new malware threats including those distributed through the web and via email.

In AV-TEST's February 2025 testing, it managed to detect 100% of 0-day threats and widespread/prevalent threats discovered in the last 4 weeks. Not bad.

But, Windows Defender Antivirus is a very simple, barebones solution. Yes, it protect against malware, but it doesn't offer additional security features such as a VPN or dedicated parental controls.

So when people say "Windows Defender Antivirus is enough", what they mean is it is enough for malware-based threats, not everything else that could put your device or those who use it at risk.

For example, if you don't use a VPN while using a web browser, your internet traffic is likely unencrypted, meaning that anyone could intercept it and see what your are doing, or pull potentially sensitive information from your traffic.

Windows Defender Antivirus' feature set is gradually catching up to the features offered by many of the best antivirus providers, but it will likely always be one step behind in its offerings as a free service.

Is antivirus for Windows 11 worth it?

As a security expert who is constantly writing about new attack vectors, data theft, and service outages, it would seem that using a premium antivirus service is probably a good choice for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Windows Defender Antivirus only protects against your Windows machine, and doesn't offer any protection for the rest of your devices.

Many antivirus services offer compatibility across Apple, Android, Chromebook, Windows, and Linux, allowing you to protect all of your household devices under one umbrella.

But computer security doesn't just start and end with antivirus, as every single online account you use is also a potential target for a hacker.

That's why many services offer password managers as an included tool, providing you with passwords that would take billions of years to crack, autofill capabilities to help you log in faster, and in some cases an authenticator app to keep your accounts super secure.

And best of all, you don't even have to spend a penny to increase your protection. There are tons of great free antivirus apps that you can install on your Windows 11 device, and as an added bonus Windows Defender Antivirus can be put into passive mode to work alongside another third-party antivirus solution.

• Read more: How to choose the best antivirus for you

Many business backup solutions require a dedicated Windows Server host, but Nakivo’s Backup & Replication (NBR) is far more amenable as it can be deployed to just about any platform you care to name. It will run happily on a Windows host, but also supports Linux, VMware vSphere, Nutanix AHV, AWS EC2, Raspberry Pi and all the main NAS appliance vendors, including Qnap and Synology.

On review is NBR 10.9, which includes bare metal recovery where you use its new Bootable Media Wizard to restore physical Windows and Linux servers from selected backups. Malware protection is now available, with NBR integrating with a range of third-party antivirus products, and all MS365 components, including Teams, can be protected.

Licensing is equally versatile. There are five versions available, with options for perpetual licenses or per-workload subscriptions. Nakivo cuts through any confusion with a cost calculator on its website. We’ve shown the price for an Enterprise 10-server perpetual license with a two-year 24/7 support contract here.

For testing, we chose Qnap’s TS-855eU-RP short-depth 8-bay rack NAS and used the QuTS Hero App Center to load the NBR package. NBR comprises three service components, with a Director for browser-based management, Transporters to handle backup, replication and recovery operations, and Repositories for storing backups.

After adding protected systems to NBR’s inventory, it pushed the transporter service to our physical Windows servers and workstations; note that Mac clients are still not supported. For Hyper-V, the service just needed loading on our host, while for our VMware vSphere host, we only had to provide its credentials for agentless VM backups.

Our Qnap appliance received a default local repository but this was on its system SSDs, so we created another on a large-capacity RAID5 pool. During creation, you must enter the absolute path, which can be found from an SSH session using the Linux List command.

Other possibilities for repositories are local storage, network shares or cloud stores. Ransomware protection comes into play with NBR supporting immutable cloud storage from Amazon EC2 and S3, Microsoft Azure Blob, Wasabi and Backblaze B2.

Creating backup jobs is simple as options are based on the systems in your inventory. Just choose those you want to protect, assign a repository, set a schedule and decide how daily, weekly, monthly and yearly recovery points you want retained.

For our Hyper-V host, we chose the VMs to be included, and protecting our VMware vSphere system only required the host to be selected so any new VMs would be automatically added to the schedule. To use malware protection, you declare a “scan server” to NBR, which has the required antivirus software running on it.

MS365 licensing is separate, with ten users costing £252 per year, and it requires a special SaaS repository to store backups, which we found isn’t currently supported by QuTS Hero 5.1. Nakivo’s attentive support suggested creating an iSCSI target on the appliance and mapping it to a Windows system running the transporter service – hardly elegant, but it does work.

Recovery features are outstanding. Along with files and folders, granular restores can be used for MS365 items, SQL databases and on-premises Exchange objects. Disaster recovery is just as good, with Flash Boot jobs creating new VMs directly from the backup repository and facilities for replicating VMs as clones.

SMBs that don’t want their backup software tied to a Windows Server host will love Nakivo’s Backup & Replication 10.9 as they can run it on almost any hardware platform and OS they want. It’s good value, MS365 protection is handled well and it provides extensive data recovery services.

We also rated the best file-hosting services.

• Insecure solar systems allow cybercriminals to steal data and ransom access
• Millions of solar inverters remain vulnerable to severe cybersecurity threats
• Forescout – Vedere uncover flaws allowing attackers to take full control over solar systems

The increasing use of solar power has exposed critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities in inverters, cloud computing services, and monitoring platforms, creating an insecure ecosystem where hackers can manipulate energy production, disrupt power grids, and steal sensitive data, posing serious risks to global energy infrastructure, experts have warned.

A study by Forescout – Vedere Labs identified 46 new vulnerabilities across three major solar inverter manufacturers, including Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA. Previous findings showed that 80% of reported vulnerabilities were high or critical in severity, with some reaching the highest CVSS scores.

Over the past three years, an average of 10 new vulnerabilities have been disclosed annually, with 32% carrying a CVSS score of 9.8 or 10, indicating that attackers could fully compromise affected systems.

Millions of solar power systems face security risks

Many solar inverters connect directly to the internet, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. Attackers can exploit outdated firmware, weak authentication mechanisms, and unencrypted data transmissions to gain control.

Exposed APIs allow hackers to enumerate user accounts, reset credentials (ideally stored in password managers) to default values, and manipulate inverter settings, leading to power disruptions.

Additionally, insecure object references and cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities could expose user emails, physical addresses, and energy consumption data, violating privacy regulations such as GDPR.

Beyond grid instability, compromised inverters create further risks, including data theft, financial manipulation, and smart home hijacking - some vulnerabilities allow attackers to take control of electric vehicle chargers and smart plugs.

Cybercriminals could also alter inverter settings to influence energy prices or demand ransom payments to restore system functionality. As a result, the report recommends that manufacturers should prioritize patches, adopt secure coding practices, and conduct regular penetration testing.

Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and adhering to cybersecurity frameworks like NIST IR 8259 could help mitigate risks.

Regulators are also urged to classify solar inverters as critical infrastructure and enforce security standards such as ETSI EN 303 645 to ensure compliance with best practices.

For solar system owners and operators, securing installations requires isolating solar devices on separate networks, enabling security monitoring, and following guidelines from organizations like the U.S. Department of Energy to reduce risks.

Installing the best antivirus software adds an extra layer of defense against threats, while deploying the best endpoint protection solutions further safeguards connected devices from cyberattacks targeting solar infrastructure.

You may also like

• These are the best green web hosting providers
• We’ve rounded up a list of the best web hosting providers
• Adapting the UK’s cyber ecosystem

The AT-AR4050S-5G from Allied Telesis targets SMBs and remote offices seeking a single solution that combines tough network perimeter security with total WAN redundancy. This desktop firewall appliance sports dual 5G SIM slots and offers WAN failover services for businesses that cannot tolerate any internet downtime.

You can add two 5G SIMs, which are automatically configured as primary and backup mobile network connections, and the appliance supports cards from different carriers. You can also use one of the appliance’s wired WAN ports as the primary internet link and back it up with a 5G connection.

The appliance teams up its dual gigabit WAN ports with an eight-port gigabit network switch for LAN systems. It has plenty of power on tap, with its quad-core 1.5GHz CPU claiming a maximum raw firewall throughput of 1.9Gbits/sec, dropping to 750Mbits/sec with the intrusion prevention service (IPS) enabled.

The appliance’s base license enables an SPI firewall with deep packet inspection and includes IPS, web filtering, built-in application controls, bandwidth management and support for IPsec and SSL VPNs. Free central management of five Allied Telesis TQ series of wireless access points is included, with a feature license extending this to 25.

Two optional security licenses are available, but you can only choose one as they can’t be run together. An advanced firewall option activates more extensive application and web controls, while the advanced threat protection version adds tougher IPS and IP reputation services, with each costing £521 per year.

Our system came with a Vodafone 5G SIM and we used this as the backup connection with the first gigabit WAN port providing the primary connection. Deployment is simple: the appliance’s browser interface provides a quick-start wizard that runs through choosing the primary WAN connection and assigning a DHCP server to the default LAN subnet.

In dual 5G SIM deployments, you set a failover interval in seconds for the primary SIM and, if it fails, the appliance automatically swaps over to the backup SIM. To test wired WAN redundancy, we removed the network cable but found the backup SIM would only step in after the appliance was rebooted, although we did note that after reconnecting the network cable it reverted back to this without any intervention.

The web console’s widget-based dashboard shows a graphic of the appliance along with tables and graphs for traffic activity, appliance hardware utilization, security service activity and the top applications. A minor complaint is that the graphic only shows active LAN ports and doesn’t highlight which Ethernet WAN ports and SIM slots are active.

The appliance uses entities to define a logical map of the network, which can be zones, networks and clients. Top-level zones describe boundaries such as the WAN, LAN and DMZ, with each containing networks of IP subnets and addresses while clients are individual systems.

These come into play when you create firewall rules as they comprise a source and destination entity and an action that blocks or permits traffic between them. You can also add rules to manage bandwidth usage for specific applications and assign them to entities.

The advanced threat protection license enables IP reputation lists and stronger IPS courtesy of ProofPoint’s ET-Pro ruleset. The web console has options for anti-malware and antivirus, but we were advised that these Kaspersky-managed services are no longer available.

The built-in application library contains around 200 signatures, and the advanced firewall license activates the Procera app visibility library, which increases the signature count to nearly 2,000. Likewise with URL filtering, as the integral OpenText list can be upgraded to the Digital Arts service which offers around 100 web categories.

The AT-AR4050S-5G neatly integrates advanced network perimeter security with redundant 5G mobile connections. Failover for wired WAN connections isn’t perfect and some security features are no longer available, but this appliance will appeal to businesses and remote offices in rural areas with limited broadband services, and it’s offered at a very competitive price.

We've also ranked the best business computers.

• Norton is adding AI-powered scam protection directly to its plans
• The tools cover SMS messages, emails, web browsing, and more
• It comes free for all with purchased Norton plans

Norton is adding new AI tools to its solutions, to help its customers better protect from internet scams.

The antivirus giant has announced AI-powered Scam Protection and AI-powered Scam Protection Pro, which it says provide “advanced AI protection in all the usual hotbeds of scams: texts, phone calls, emails, and web.”

Norton says that AI-powered Scam Protection analyzes “the meaning of words, not just links” to spot hidden scam patterns that even the most trained eye can miss. Norton’s most comprehensive plan, Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus, also offers Scam support and Reimbursement coverage.

Fighting AI with AI

The company introduced Norton AI-powered Scam Protection back in 2023, to help users analyze suspicious messages and images in real-time. Now, by building it directly into Norton plans, the company wants to build a “set it and forget it” solution that works proactively to keep people safer.

Whoever bought Norton’s Cyber Safety products on desktop, or mobile, (including Norton AntiVirus Plus, Norton Mobile Security, and Norton 360), will get the AI-powered Scam Protection for free.

Depending on the set of purchased features, users can expect the AI to help scan SMS messages, internet websites, calls, emails, and more. They will also get an AI-powered “scam assistant”, which integrates the Norton AI-powered Scam Protection app to provide “instant guidance on scams and suspicious offers”.

The tools are available in the US now, with other regions soon to follow.

For Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen, adding AI to cybersecurity solutions is a logical step, since crooks have been using AI in their attacks for a while now.

“Scammers are tapping into AI to speed up their schemes and make them more believable,” Elias said. “Couple that with the sheer volume of emails, texts, and calls we’re getting every day; it’s clear we need technology on our side to help us avoid becoming the next scam victim.”

In the near future, Norton says it will also integrate deepfake and scam detection into AI-supported PCs.

You might also like

• These are the most common PayPal scams around right now - so stay alert
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app