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The best protection against viruses and malware is reliable, up-to-date, antivirus software. Fortunately, there are a lot of AV software to choose from that are good at their job. However, to answer the question ‘which antivirus should I use?’, it’s best to have at least a basic understanding of how antivirus (AV) software works as well as what features the best ones offer.

Antivirus software runs in the background on your computer, scanning, and checking, in real-time, every file and program you download for viruses and malware. The primary scanning techniques used by antivirus software are the following:

*   Signature-based detection, which looks for certain known patterns or malicious instructions and compares them to a signature database of known threats. 
*   Heuristics-based detection, which scans for threats by using rules and algorithms to identify commands that might indicate malicious intent.
*   Behavioral detection, which identifies threats by evaluating a file’s behavior, such as abnormal requests for access to files, processes, or services, for suspicious activities. 

If the AV software identifies a threat, using one of these detection methods, it will send an alert and stop the file or program from executing and put it into quarantine. 

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_525983038-e1578840600619.jpg)

In addition to real-time scanning, the best antivirus programs should also include the following features:

1.  All inclusive protection – AV software should protect against viruses, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, Trojans worms, network attack, web threats, and adware.
2.  Browser protection and anti-phishing toolbars that protect against phishing sites.
3.  A child filter that blocks access to sites that are inappropriate for children.
4.  Email protection that recognizes spam and helps stop you from opening it.
5.  Patch management for making sure that third-party applications such as Adobe Acrobat are secure and up-to-date so that hackers can’t exploit their weaknesses.
6.  An intuitive interface that is easy to understand and operate.
7.  Minimal impact on your computer’s performance.
8.  Good technical support options.

shutterstock_525983038-e1578840600619.jpg

Cybercrime is on the rise; it is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and menacing. From private individuals, to small and medium sized-businesses, to large enterprises and government organizations, and all around the globe, cybercrime is not just the purview of a select few, it is everyone’s problem. This means that individuals and businesses alike need to be ever vigilant in the protection of their data. One of the best ways to do this is to install a powerful antivirus. But how do you know which is the right antivirus for you? How do you know which one will best suit your needs? The answer is neither as simple nor as complicated as you might think, but just by asking ‘which antivirus should I buy?’ you’ve already taken the first step towards becoming cyber secure. To help you take the second step in becoming cyber secure and actually choose your antivirus, below we list and describe the most important features to look for in antivirus software.

For starters, the best antivirus software have high detection rates, use detection technologies that can find both known and emerging malware, minimally impact your system’s resources, update automatically, and have an intuitive user interface.

In addition, there are also other less obvious features that you should look for in antivirus software. For example, your antivirus software should not have a high rate of false positives. In order to detect new and emerging threats, antivirus software rely on other detection technologies besides a signature database of known viruses. Often, these other detection technologies return a high rate of false positives so that files that are not actually infected are flagged as infected. When shopping for an antivirus solution, look for solutions with false-positive rates of zero or close to zero.

Another important feature to look for is safe browsing technology, which keeps you from navigating to malicious URLs. And if you think you already browse safely, just remember the statistic from helpnetsecurity.com that 1 in 50 URLs are malicious. Protection from phishing emails is also critical. Phishing emails are one of the most common ways (1 in 99 emails is a phishing attack, according to smallbiztrends.com) that viruses are spread, and businesses are especially vulnerable to this type of malware. Your antivirus should protect you from malicious email attachments and different forms of phishing such as spear phishing and whaling. Ransomware detection and prevention is also extremely important, particularly for businesses. If you doubt this, securitymagazine.com’s statistic that there were 151.9 million ransomware attacks in the first three quarters of 2019 ought to eliminate any lingering doubt that you may have. Lastly, securing your personal or business’ web microphone and camera are essential components of a comprehensive antivirus solution as well. Left unprotected, cybercriminals can hack into both and steal your private and personal information.

### Cybersecurity isn’t just for techies and large conglomerates

Cyber crime is an issue we all face and the first line of defense against hackers is a powerful antivirus. To make sure that you get the protection you need, look for an antivirus solution that has the important features listed above.

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