The world we live in today is a fast-paced world where it takes less than a second for things to get better or worse, depending on our choices. The cyber-environment as always, if full of ever-growing risks and threats that put us, our privacy, our businesses, and our investments at risk of infiltration by cyber-crime syndicates and malicious individuals. Therefore, it is important to stay protected. Especially on the devices, with which we interact with the rest of the world and conduct our businesses.
However, staying protected on our computers and mobile devices is becoming more expensive every day due to the effort of antivirus providers to update their engines to keep up with this malware and viruses that seem to be multiplying at unbelievable rates.
The good news, however, is that you can always find an excellent free antivirus software to use if you don’t have a fat purse or enough to budget for a paid solution. That is why this article has researched some of the best free antivirus programs you can bank on to keep you safe in the coming year 2020.
What’s an Antivirus?
I’m sure most of us already know what an antivirus means and what it does, but it is essential that we mention it again for the sake of those who might not know what it means or what it does.
Antivirus software is simply a program that helps to detect infected software or files and remove them from your device.
Functions of an Antivirus?
Antivirus software is designed to protect computers from viruses and malware by preventing, detecting, and removing malicious software like spyware, adware, trojans, worms, and much more.
What Makes a Good Antivirus?
There are no fixed rules for what makes a good antivirus. It all depends on what platform you’re on and what you need the software for. So, the debate is subjective at best because it all depends on what works for you. But, good antivirus software generally has the following features:
- It must be good at scanning through your files and programs to detect any malicious content and remove them.
- It must be good at analyzing, identifying, and removing malware from your computer.
- It must be able to analyze the health of your computer correctly.
- It must be able to protect your internet activities.
- It must be able to run automatic scans to frequently check your files and ensure that you’re safe and secure.
Any antivirus software that has these basic features is already a good antivirus, and the truth is that most of the available solutions have these features, but which ones are reliable enough for use in 2020?
Free Antivirus Solutions in 2020
The following (in no particular order) are a few free antivirus software that you can trust in 2020.
Bitdefender Free
Bitdefender Free Antivirus comes with rave reviews from independent AV tests, consistently performing way beyond what is expected of free antivirus software. It does give some false positives, but it’s hard to take away from the good that it does. The antivirus engine is continuously updated to ensure that it keeps up with new virus definitions. Users of the app will immediately fall in love with the user-friendly interface and how easy it is to use. With Bitdefender, even the toughest malware doesn’t stand a chance.
Avast Free Antivirus
Avast is a cybersecurity company that doesn’t need any introduction. All their products are top-of-the-shelf, excellent, and among the best available on any platform. With Avast free antivirus, not only will you get reliable protection for your devices, but you will also enjoy some extra features like VPN service, game mode, and an overall boost in the performance of your PC.
Kaspersky Free Antivirus
Kaspersky Free Antivirus offers just the essential features that you need to protect your device, but that’s all you’ll need to stay protected. It’s not a demanding software. It’s as lightweight as software programs can get, but it works perfectly. Some of the features available in the app include email protection, anti-phishing, and all-round malware protection.
Avira Free Antivirus
Avira free antivirus is not only a reliable option. It is one of the best antivirus software your money can buy. In this case, you won’t need to buy it as they also have free antivirus software that you can use to ensure that your devices are protected all day, every day. Apart from Windows, Avira is available across many platforms, including Mac, ios, and Android. It has a beautiful user interface, and it is tough on viruses and malware.
Symantec Norton
Symantec is one of the oldest and most effective antivirus programs out there today. It is known for its all-round cybersecurity engine that has come to be trusted by many over the years. It’s an excellent choice to protect your computer, though it might demand a lot from your computer in terms of performance.
AVG Free Antivirus
AVG antivirus is a well-known software that has been tested and trusted over the years. The free version of the antivirus has more than enough features to provide reliable protection for your devices. Some of the features of the software include scanning and updating results in real-time, checking, and stopping suspicious content from being downloaded to your PC without your permission. It also has a nice and easy-to-use interface to go along with the lightweight installation package. In all, it’s a good choice to protect your computer.
These antivirus programs are just a few of the thousands of available software that offer practical solutions for your devices. Other worthy mentions include Malwarebytes, Microsoft Defender, and Sophos Home. With these antivirus options, you have no other excuse to ignore the need to stay protected on all your devices.