Are you still following the same thought process that nothing is going to impact your system? Well, if that’s so, you’re in the wrong zone. Gone are the days, when cybercrimes didn’t exist. In the present time, technologies have advanced and so do cyber crimes. Therefore, get up and don’t wait until it’s too late to secure your PC against viruses and malware. Protect yourself now with an antivirus program that is trusted by millions of users like you. These days, it’s more important than ever to guard against viruses, cybercrime, and other emerging threats. Protect your sensitive personal information and your Windows PC with a strong antivirus tool. No doubt, you might be intrigued with questions like why is it necessary and which one to choose. Don’t worry! We have got you covered.

Why Is Antivirus Protection Required?

One can avoid several forms of malware by practising smart digital habits like using secure messaging applications and checking whether they’re accessing a safe website or not. As the hackers are smarter than ever. The list of forms of cybercrimes is endless. To name a few, social engineering tricks, phishing scams, malicious URLs and infected downloads are some of the most practised ones.
Cybercriminals find their ways to reach even the most careful among us. Moreover, with advanced cybercrime techniques like ransomware, once it infects your data, it becomes too late to recover. Moreover, you might also end up with issues like QuickBooks error 6094 that hamper your-going work and bring it to a standstill. Considering all these situations, it’s essential for one to have an extra line of defence in the form of an antivirus. Thus, you need to make sure that you choose one of the best security software options that provide robust protection against all kinds of online threats. At times, mobile devices may also become susceptible to malware, thus, you need to protect your device with a security program that can remove malware from your smartphone.

Factors To Consider Before Choosing The Best Antivirus

You have tons of choices when it comes to the best virus scanners and best anti-malware tools. However, there are certain factors that you must take into consideration before downloading your antivirus solution:

  1. Effectiveness: No doubt, one of the most important factors is how effective the antivirus engine is against malware and other threats. You’re more likely to face ransomware, phishing scams, malicious URLs, and other sneaky internet dangers in the present scenario. While looking for antivirus software, choose the one that protects against the full spectrum of threats while offering real-time protection so there’s never a lapse in your defences.
  2. Impact on system resources: Not a single person would choose an antivirus that might slow down your PC. Thus, make sure the software you’re downloading has a light system load and minimal impact on your normal computer experience. Moreover, if you’re into optimizing your gaming machine, it can become one of your key factors.
  3. Costs and discounts: You might come across many high-quality free antivirus programs that can keep your PC and your sensitive personal data protected. And, what’s a better discount than getting something worthy for free, isn’t it? Thus, we would suggest you to try your hands on one of the strongest best free internet security options as mentioned ahead.
  4. Privacy: To protect your system, Antivirus programs need access to all parts of your machine. That means you should choose a program from a reputable developer with a reasonable and transparent privacy policy. Moreover, it protects your system from issues like QuickBooks error 6094 that restricts you from accessing your company file.
  5. Protection for other platforms: You might find some of the below-listed antivirus to be the best for Windows 10. But, there might be a possibility that you’re having additional devices, right? Malware, phishing, and other threats also affect Macs, Androids, and even iPhones. Some companies offer multi-device subscriptions so you can easily protect yourself with free antivirus software for Mac, cybersecurity for Android, and mobile security for iOS.

Free Vs. Paid Antivirus Software- Is Free Protection Enough?

You must have heard the saying, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as quality free antivirus software, and we have listed some of the best ones below. Most companies offer advanced features, add-ons, and customization options in their paid products. But the mentioned best free programs contain options for excellent virus and malware protection. Moreover, most of them provide great features in their free versions, too. If you’re among those who want to keep their devices protected and away from issues like QuickBooks error 6094, but don’t necessarily want to tinker around with advanced settings or tons of extras, then free antivirus protection is an ideal choice for you.

Top Picks Of Free Antivirus Program

Below we have mentioned some of the free antivirus programs that can become one of the top picks and also, tend to protect your system from any malware:

1: Avast Free Antivirus
Avast is one of the oldest antivirus companies, has been protecting people since 1988. It is trusted by more than 400 million users around the globe. Avast secured PCMag’s coveted Editors’ Choice designation in 2021.

a.Essential protection

  • Avast Free Antivirus consistently ranks extremely high for its core virus protection engine and malware removal tools.
  • Top antivirus test lab AV-Comparatives named Avast Product of the Year in 2018 and Top-Rated Product in 2019 and 2020, in addition to giving Avast awards for Real-World Protection and Advanced Threat Protection.
  • Avast continues to support Windows 7, even though Microsoft has stopped updating that operating system.

b.Features

  • Offering an easy-to-use interface, a secure web browser, a network security scanner, and more, Avast has a wide range of useful bonus features.
  • You might find its Do Not Disturb Mode beneficially. It blocks pop-ups while you watch movies or play games.
  • Lifewire also highlights the Behavior Shield, which keeps an eye on your apps to make sure they don’t start acting strangely, a potential sign of a malware infection.

2: AVG AntiVirus FREE

One of the pioneers of free antivirus software for Windows, AVG has consistently won awards from AV-Comparatives over the past decade, including Top-Rated Product in their most recent test.

a. Essential protection

  • PCMag praises AVG AntiVirus FREE for achieving strong scores in a variety of independent tests, and for its excellent protection against phishing.
  • AVG’s on-demand virus scanner searches for hidden malware, which includes viruses as well as other sneaky malicious software such as spyware and ransomware.
  • AVG AntiVirus FREE is simply one of the best free malware removal tools available.

b.Features

  • AVG AntiVirus FREE offers several bonus features, including a free File Shredder to securely delete sensitive files and prevent your personal data from being exposed.
  • PCMag notes that although AVG scans to find junk files and clutter that are slowing down your device, you’ll need AVG TuneUp to fix those problems.

3: Avira Antivirus

Avira has been creating antivirus applications for a long time, with the first one dating back to 1986.
a. Essential protection

  • While PCMag awarded Avira Antivirus a solid score in their malware blocking test, they also found the on-demand scan slow and cautioned that its “real-time protection missed some malware EXEs and identified some valid programs as malware.”

b. Features

  • You might find many of Avira’s extra features are really trialware. It means you’ll be asked to pay for them after a short trial period. Plus, there’s a “heavy impact on system performance.”

Read more: What Triggers Intuit Sync Manager Discontinued ?

Summing It Up

We hope the above-provided information would have helped you get aware of why you need a free Antivirus program for your system at the present time. However, if any query persists, we would suggest you get in touch with a certified professional who can answer all such queries.