Ed thinks he might need to upgrade from his free virus software and wants to know what protection is best.
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Q. Ed
A good friend of mine had a virus run through his computer recently, and when he took it in to get it serviced they told him he would be better off replacing his whole system. This has made me think about upgrading from the free antivirus software I currently use on most of my devices.
What are some of the best antivirus software programs available and do I need to buy different programs for my laptop, which is a PC, and my tablets, which all use iOS?
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A. Many of the best antivirus programs these days allow you to cover all of your devices on the one subscription.
PCMag Australia recently announced the winners of the best antivirus protection for 2021 and one of the most important categories is the best protection for multi-device households.
The winner of this category was McAfee AntiVirus Plus because the subscription lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household.
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According to PCMag: “Other products may score better in testing, but none of them offer a deal like this.”
It costs $59.99 per year for unlimited licences, which is very rare. Most other companies will only offer up to 10-licence subscriptions.
The software that delivered the best lab results in the PCMag tests, however, was Kaspersky Anti-Virus, which took perfect or near-perfect scores from all the independent testing labs, while acing the ransomware protection test.
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It costs $59.99 per year for a three-licence Kaspersky subscription, or $79.99 for five licences, so it really depends on how many devices you are looking to protect as to what provides the most value.
The other security software worth noting was Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which took out the top gong for offering the best bonus features.
The Bitdefender package also comes in cheaper than the other two options at just $39.99 per year for one licence.
The PCMag review explains: “It could take on many security suites and win. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus remains a top choice when it comes to protecting your PC’s security.”
What antivirus software do you use at home? Do you use free antivirus software or do you pay for premium protection? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
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