Antivirus software list download

The CCleaner revelations, while concerning, were self-disclosed, which is important to building user trust. We hope Avast's more privacy-friendly policies mean that there will be no further Jumpshot-style activities and it returns to glory as one of the best antivirus software. In the meantime, we'd recommend using one of the many other solid choices in this realm listed above.

Because the company has been in the news the past few years, let's talk about Kaspersky Lab -- specifically about the federal ban that blocks US government agencies from using Kaspersky Antivirus products.

Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has for years produced some of the best antivirus software for business antivirus needs and home customers.

But in the US government prohibited Kaspersky security cloud software on federal government computers because of alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government. But as with China-based Huawei , the question remains: If the federal government doesn't think the products are safe enough for its own devices, should consumers avoid them as well?

In a statement sent to CNET, the company said, "Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never, nor will ever, engage in cyber offensive activities.

Kaspersky Lab maintains that no public evidence of any wrongdoing has been presented by the US government, and that the US government's actions against Kaspersky Lab were unconstitutional. In Kaspersky's favor, it continues to earn top scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs. And it's reasonably priced.

In the end, even though no one has ever publicly produced a "smoking gun" linking the company to Russian intrigue, we think any of the options listed above are a safer bet.

And if you are a US government employee or work with the federal government, you'll want to steer clear of Kaspersky internet security products -- and perhaps use one of the antivirus software products mentioned here instead. Picking the best antivirus software for Windows means finding one that keeps your PC safe, doesn't take up a lot of system resources, is easy to use and stays out of the way till you need it.

Here's what to look for. Antivirus software runs virus scans for known viruses and malware, of course, and can offer real-time protection. And it watches for shady websites and suspicious links to keep you out of trouble.

It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware.

You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives. Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service. The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts. Don't just pay the sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check for discounts on a company's website. Another way to save: The prices we list above are for 10 devices -- if the company offered that package -- but you can trim your cost with antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices.

You may also find discounts on an app's Amazon page. To be effective, antivirus software needs to monitor what's going on with your PC, check in with company servers about unusual behavior and should provide sound banking protection.

The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy. But if you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share. Protection for other platforms. Microsoft is by far the biggest target for viruses and malware.

While the Mac does come under attack via side-loaded apps, it's rare, and if you download apps only from the Mac and iOS app stores and keep your guard up when clicking links and download files, you should be OK without an antivirus app on Apple devices. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Best free Windows antivirus Microsoft Defender. Jump to details. See at Microsoft. See at NortonLifeLock. See at Bitdefender.

Best on-demand Windows malware removal Malwarebytes. See at Malwarebytes. It protects your PC from internet threats, hackers, phishers, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and viruses. This freeware automatically scans your PC once a week. But you will also perform the manual scan by configuring its settings. Roboscan is a free antivirus software. It offers antivirus and antispyware protection to you in real time.

To scan your PC with this freeware you can choose from three types of scans. Quick scan, basic scan and advanced scan. It also includes system status scanner, privacy scanner, self protection and firewall protection. Rising Antivirus Free Edition is a free antivirus software for your PC to protect it from malicious programs, rootkits, viruses, Trojans and worms.

These viruses and malicious programs are very dangerous for your PC. To scan your PC with this antivirus you can choose from three types of scans: Quick scan, overall scan and custom scan.

The main features of this freeware are 1. ClamWin is a free antivirus application to protect your PC from malicious threats, malware, Trojans and viruses through on demand file scanning process. This freeware comes with virus database, scanner and scheduler. The main disadvantage of this free tool is that it does not provide URL scanning or access scanning option. It will regularly update its virus database. Immunet Free Antivirus is a handy and free antivirus software to protect your computer from viruses, malware and online threats without downloading another virus removing application on your PC.

It provides real-time protection to your PC. Immunet Free Antivirus is a lightweight application. To update virus definitions you need to connect to Immunet Cloud. Comodo Antivirus is a free antivirus software to remove internet threats, hackers, worms, Trojans, malware and viruses from your PC. It is an intelligent virus protection system that offers hi-tech protection against various known and unknown threats.

Comodo Antivirus updates automatically in the background and provides real-time protection to your computer. All these companies send you the reports based upon the analysis of these virus effected files. It will automatically scan your PC and does rootkit scanning as well.

If you are not able to boot into windows due to virus problem then in that case boot your computer into safe mode and run this utility from command prompt. And it will effectively remove viruses from your computer. This freeware also detects and eliminates adware and spyware software. Zillya Antivirus also cleans and scans your email attachments to ensure virus free mail. Digital Defender is a free, fast and lightweight antivirus application for your PC.

It lets you protect PC from malware, spyware and virus infection. This software is completely free from spyware, adware and virus and you can safely use this freeware on your computer. It provides real time protection from viruses, worms and malware.

The one limitation of this freeware is that you can update virus definitions once a day only. Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility Sardu is a free antivirus application to remove and detect viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and malware from your computer. If your computer is heavily infected by viruses then in that case you can boot your PC by Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility Sardu to get rid of viruses, malware, Trojans, worms and spyware.

Web CureIt is a free antivirus application to scan your PC for threats and detects malicious objects, spyware, Trojans, rootkits and viruses on your PC and lets you offer means to remove malicious files from your PC. This freeware does not need any installation. Web CureIt runs in conjunction with your existing antivirus software and is not a replacement for that.

ZenOk is a free antivirus application to protect your PC from different types of malware, viruses, Trojans, worms and spyware. It is a complete solution for all your PC protection needs. Its main feature is heuristic detection technology that detects and eliminates zero day viruses based on their complex behavior. ZenOk also includes an ultra-light scan engine which continuously monitors your PC for malicious software. SmadAV is a free antivirus software. It is not a replacement for your existing antivirus.

But it works alongside your existing antivirus to provide an extra layer of protection to your PC. It also removes and detects viruses from your USB flash drives. This freeware also fixes registry problems in your PC. It removes and detects worms, Trojans, viruses, spyware and malware from your PC. It scans your PC for viruses and malware and protects your computer from internet threats.

Unlike other antivirus software it does not consume much disk space and is light on system resources. It prevents, detects and removes worms, Trojans, viruses, spyware and malware from your PC. It has various useful features such as: lock drives from virus, real-time protection, registry repair and hybrid scan. It updates automatically in the background and check for the latest virus definitions.

UnThreat Free AntiVirus is a free antivirus software for your computer. Without an antivirus your pc will not be protected from internet threats and malicious files. It also scans all your email attachments.

It protects your computer from worms, Trojans and viruses. The real-time protection in this freeware lets you prevent any attempt of malware intrusion. It scans your PC with a unique algorithm. It updates automatically in the background and always checks for latest antivirus definitions. Xyvos Antivirus is a free antivirus to protect your computer from online threats, viruses, malwares and sypwares.

Unlike traditional antivirus software which are signature based, this freeware is based upon behaviour based detection method, which is a safe method against unknown and known attacks and threats.

It is a lightweight antivirus software. Cellframe Antivirus Free Global Community Edition is a free antivirus and antispyware software specially focused on social networking sites and it is specially designed for Twitter and Facebook.

For additional information about virus and malware prevention, visit the following Microsoft website:. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

For more information about how to prevent and recover from viruses and worms, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Summary This article discusses antivirus software vendors for consumers. More Information Antivirus software is software that is specifically designed to detect and prevent viruses. For more information about how to prevent and recover from viruses and worms, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Computer viruses: description, prevention, and recovery The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft.

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