Eco-friendly and cost-free protection options are available.
Eco-friendly and cost-free protection options are available.
I believe we really need some reinforcement here, or suggest using software in general. This question comes up too often. The discussion thread should remain active, but it’s important to review it for mistakes beforehand. On the other hand: for free antivirus protection, choose Avira or Bitdefender. Bitdefender is lighter on resources but offers fewer customization options. If you prefer a paid option, consider Bitdefender or Kaspersky. I’d likely pick Kaspersky because their team has uncovered many security vulnerabilities in the past. You might also explore AVTEST, an independent organization that evaluates antivirus programs (Bitdefender and Kaspersky rank first). Avoid Avast!—it’s not reliable. Visit their site to understand why. Also, consider running Malwarebytes weekly (or as often you’re comfortable with), but remember: it’s not an antivirus itself. Don’t install it alongside your main protection, only use it as a scanner. Make sure you don’t accept the trial and turn it off at startup.