These are the best antivirus software package and security suites in 2018 to protect you and ensure that your devices are free of malware and safe from phishing scams.
Unfortunately, cybercriminials and the viruses, Trojan Horses and phishing scams they try to con us with aren’t going anywhere. That means keeping your PC protected with the best antivirus software possible is as important now as it’s always been – that’s why we’ve created this handy list of the best security packages in the world for 2018.
In fact, protecting yourself and ensuring your laptop is virus free is possibly even more important these days, owing to how much information we now store online. And because our lives are no longer exclusively carried out on home computers, some of the very best security software we’ve highlighted can also be used over a number of devices. That means your phone, tablet and multiple family laptops can all be covered by the same package.
Hackers are always coming up with new ways to gain access to your PC and other internet enabled devices, whether it’s cunning phishing scams, the latest ransomware encrypting all of your files or even hardware exploits, like Meltdown, Spectre and even AMD’s own hardware exploit, letting hackers control your machine – it’s incredibly important to have the best antivirus package for your PC or Mac.
You want to make sure you get a complete suite of antivirus tools that the best paid antivirus software can provide. If you’re looking for all-round protection against the latest cyber threats, then investing in the best antivirus software is the best solution you can hope for in 2018. That doesn’t mean you have to start spending big money either, as our guide also gives you the best available prices for your PC’s protection.
In a world packed with free security software, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2018 ‘s annual fee may look expensive, but there’s plenty of bang for your buck.
Bitdefender’s engine is one of the most accurate and reliable around, for instance, loved by all the big independent testers.
Web filtering blocks access to malicious sites, a secure browser keeps your online financial transactions safe, and there’s a password manager which auto-completes credit card details in web forms.
An excellent anti-phishing module alerts you to malicious links in your search engine results, and blocks access to dangerous sites.
There are one or two issues – it grabs more resources than average, and might conflict with some programs – but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2018 is still a likeable package which offers excellent detection rates, great performance, and more than enough bonus features to justify the price.
Bitdefender Internet Security 2018 builds on AVP 2018 and triples the number of devices covered plus offers anti-spam, firewall, parental advisor, file encryption and anti-theft features.
Strangely, it’s cheaper than the basic Bitdefender Antivirus Plus at the time of writing and for a little bit more you can purchase the Total Security 2018 edition. It adds all of the above and covers up to five PCs, Macs and Android devices (iOS is ‘coming soon’).
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Norton AntiVirus Basic 2018 is a top quality malware hunter which can automatically protect your PC all on its own – that’s a given. But one of the main reasons we’ve boosted it to number two in our best antivirus software rankings is because it’s also one of the very best value paid-for security software solutions on the market in 2018. You can get it at a rock bottom price.
Norton offers plenty of tweaks, options and settings for those who need them, as well as features like a handy URL blocker that keeps you away from malicious websites. If that misses something, an excellent file reputation service recognises suspect downloads immediately. And if malware still finds a way through, intelligent behaviour monitoring kills it at the first sign of trouble.
If you’re a more hands-on type, you can easily run scans on demand. Maybe set up and save custom scans to check just the areas you need. Even schedule them to run at a particular time, but only if your system is idle, and it’s not running on battery power.
There can be problems with some of the browser extensions. The bundled Norton Identity Safe is a capable password manager when it’s running properly, but we’ve found the Chrome version sometimes stops working for no apparent reason. We’ve seen plenty of reviewers reporting similar problems, so there does seem to be a real issue here.
Still, you don’t have to use Identity Safe at all, and Norton AntiVirus Basic’s main functions deliver on all fronts: it’s easy to use, has the configuration options experts need, comes highly rated by the testing labs, and is carefully designed to have the least possible impact on your system performance.
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Just about every antivirus tool claims to be ‘lightweight’, but Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is the only one to really deliver on this front. Installation takes seconds, the program files barely grab 2MB of your hard drive, RAM footprint is tiny, and there are no bulky signature updates to tie up your bandwidth.
There’s no compromise on features, though. Along with the core antivirus protection, there’s smart behaviour monitoring, accurate real-time antiphishing, a firewall and network connection monitor, enhanced anti-ransomware, and other interesting extras.
It’s not easy to compare Webroot’s accuracy with the competition, as the big testing labs rarely evaluate the company’s products. But when they are reviewed, they generally score well, and our own tests show solid and reliable protection.
There’s a lot to like about SecureAnywhere AntiVirus, and Webroot’s 70-day 100% money-back guarantee suggests it’s confident in the product, too. If you’re tired of overly complicated and bloated antivirus engines, Webroot must be on your shortlist.
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If you judge an antivirus on the length of its feature list, ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2018 Edition might be a disappointment. There’s no firewall, password manager, file shredder, vulnerability scanner or any of the bundled extras you’ll often find elsewhere.
This doesn’t mean the package is short on power, it’s just more focused on the antivirus fundamentals. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2018 Edition comes with real-time malware protection, an anti-ransomware layer, exploit protection, URL filtering to block malicious websites, and modules to prevent attacks using PowerShell and malicious scripts.
A Device Control module limits the risk of infection from other devices by controlling access to USB sticks, external hard drives, optical storage media, even devices connecting by Bluetooth and FireWire. It’s an unusual extra, but could make a difference if others are regularly plugging devices into your PC.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2018 Edition isn’t aimed at beginners. The interface is clumsy sometimes, some features are very advanced, and even the Help isn’t always exactly helpful.
Experienced users will appreciate ESET’s power and configurability, though. Above-average protection does a good job of keeping you safe, and a lightweight design ensures the package won’t slow you down.
One of the new features in the 2018 Edition is the UEFI Scanner which protects you from threats that attack your PC before Windows has even started.
ESET Internet Security builds on NOD 32 and triples the number of devices covered plus offers firewall, botnet protection, webcam protection, antispam and more.
Alternatively, you can purchase the E SET Smart Security Premium edition for not much more. It adds all of the above as well as password management and secure data.
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F-Secure Antivirus SAFE is a great collection of antivirus software tools, and while it’s a bit more expensive than some of the other antivirus software on this best of list, the amount of features you get makes the cost worthwhile.
With F-Secure Antivirus SAFE, you get the brilliant antivirus software from F-Secure, along with banking protection for safe online shopping, family safety tools and a device finder that lets you track your lost Android or iOS device, and if needs be remotely lock or delete it as well.
