Can Macs get viruses?

Yes, absolutely. While macOS contains some great built-in security protections, these protections aren’t enough to keep you safe from serious cybersecurity threats like spyware, adware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. Just because you’re being careful online, doesn’t mean your network and your devices aren’t vulnerable to a wide range of attacks. That’s why it’s so important to get a high-quality Mac antivirus like Intego , which comes with features like real-time malware scanning, web protection, and network protection.

Are free antiviruses for Mac good enough?

Not really, no. However, they can be good tools to remove malware from your disk, and Avira even offers real-time protection to keep your Mac protected after you’ve cleaned up your system. But paid antivirus software provides better malware scanning, network protections, web protections, and helpful extras like parental controls, VPNs for online privacy, and disk cleanup tools to keep your device running smoothly. Norton 360 is a Mac-compatible internet security suite that contains a ton of excellent features to keep you (and your family) safe online.

Can I just use a free online virus scanner and not download anything?

You can, but you really shouldn’t. Most of these online programs that offer free virus scans scare you into thinking your computer has malware — even though it doesn’t — and then force you to download the product to “remove” it. Even worse, many online virus scanners are actually exploit kits in disguise. Don’t risk it. It’s much safer to just download a reputable antivirus software that comes with a free trial, like Intego .

Why do these companies offer free antiviruses?

It depends. Many companies lure users with promises of amazing features, and then put all of those features behind a paywall in the actual app (unfortunately, even some of my favorite antiviruses, like TotalAV , are guilty of this kind of upselling). Brands like Avira (which provides tons of free internet security tools) seem to think that providing genuinely high-quality free products is an investment in their user base. I’m sure I’m not the only user that downloaded a free Avira app or plug-in, realized the company makes excellent software, and became a customer. Free stuff on the internet is never really free (you either pay with your data, or are forced to watch ads, or your device gets infected with spyware or adware, etc.), which is why it’s usually better to just pay for the services that you consider to be valuable.

Doesn’t my device/browser already have a free password manager?

Browsers like Chrome and Firefox as well as mobile operating systems like Android and iOS have free built-in password managers, but they just aren’t as useful as third-party password managers. All third-party password managers provide better features and security than the ones already built into Chrome, iOS, and Android. Free third-party password managers include a variety of unique features that aren’t on built-in password managers, like: Password auditing. If your passwords are simple and repetitive, it’s super easy for a hacker to crack your logins. Password auditing scans your entire vault for simple and repeated passwords, and LastPass even offers to automatically replace some of them. Two-factor authentication (2FA). Many password managers, like LastPass and 1Password , are compatible with third-party authenticators which use a one-time password to verify your identity. This means that your password vault stays secure, even if your Master Password gets stolen. Secure encryption. Password managers use 256-bit AES encryption, which is the same encryption used by banks and militaries around the world. Many built-in password managers don’t have as good encryption. Built-in authenticator. Products like Avira Password Manager include a built-in authenticator, saving time when trying to log into 2FA-enabled websites.

Are free password managers good enough?

Free password managers have a lot of great features, but every free password manager has some limitations that will affect your user experience and security. For example, LastPass Free doesn’t include emergency access, which means that no one else can access your account in the event of a crisis. And Bitwarden’s free version doesn’t include password auditing or encrypted data storage. Paid password managers aren’t very expensive, and the best ones include dark web monitoring, encrypted chat and storage, unlimited password sharing, and emergency access in case you’re unable to access your account. Dashlane Premium even provides a surprisingly fast VPN! Free password managers may be good enough for some people, but I still recommend paying a few bucks a month for a high-quality premium password manager.

Are third-party password managers safe?

Password managers are designed to protect all of your passwords, as well as credit card information and private notes. It can be scary to trust all of this sensitive information to one program, but password managers actually make you safer online . Here’s how: Secure encryption. Most password managers store your vault on their servers, which makes it easy to sync between devices. Before your data leaves your device, it’s encrypted using end-to-end 256-bit AES encryption, which scrambles your data so thoroughly that it’s impossible to decipher. Zero-knowledge architecture. End-to-end encryption means that only the device which generated the encryption can read the encrypted data — no one but you knows what your password are. Even in the case of a data breach or government subpoena, there’s no way to decrypt your data on the password manager’s servers. Auto-fill. Hackers often steal user passwords using screen logging and keylogging spyware — this dangerous malware can record what’s happening on your screen, as well as every keystroke on your keyboard. By auto-filling your passwords, password managers keep your login data from being seen on your screen or entered into your keyboard. Password generators. If you aren’t using a password manager, then your passwords are probably easy for you to remember and easy for a hacker to crack . Password generators are built into every password manager, and they create completely random and complex passwords with tons of symbols, numbers, and letters that your password manager can easily remember, but which are super difficult to crack. Password managers increase your security by protecting you from screen loggers, generating hyper-complex passwords, and protecting your data behind secure encryption. It’s much safer to use one of these password managers than to try and juggle all of your passwords on your own.

How do accounts get breached?

Password breaches most frequently happen because of user error. Passwords can be stolen using keylogging malware or cracked through brute force attacks — which throws thousands of passwords in the login field until one of them clicks. LastPass allows you to protect your password vault using authenticator apps like Authy, which generate a temporary one-time password — you need both the one-time password and your Master Password to log into LastPass. This means that anybody using your Master Password to hack your vault remotely can’t do it without also having your physical device with the authenticator app on it. Large websites can also succumb to data breaches — hackers will break into a company’s servers and release all of their users’ login information to the dark web. Hackers can then access your account on the breached site and use the information from your account to crack into more and more of your accounts. This is why it’s so important to use a password manager that provides breach notifications — like Dashlane , 1Password and LastPass .

What’s the catch with free antiviruses?

There is no such thing as a truly free antivirus. You‘re always going to “pay” with something. Most antivirus companies limit the free version of their software to only offer basic protection. This leaves a lot of holes in your computer’s cybersecurity defense. The antivirus company hopes you’ll recognize you’re not well-protected, and they’ll try to get you to upgrade to the paid plan by sending you a ton of notifications and advertisements. Some other antivirus companies even sell free users’ data to large corporations for marketing purposes — the popular free antivirus Avast (who also owns AVG) was just accused of doing this exact thing. If you’re only using your device for simple online browsing or word processing, you’re probably fine with a free antivirus (and the ones on this list are the best free antiviruses out there). But, in general, if you store any kind of sensitive information on your Windows device, it’s always better to invest in a full-featured internet security suite than it is to trust a free antivirus.

Why should I use another free antivirus instead of Windows Defender?

Windows Defender is not a bad antivirus — it even ranks a little bit better than some third-party free antiviruses. But it just can’t compete when top cybersecurity companies like Avira and Panda are handing out excellent free antivirus software, almost all of which offer free protection against threats Windows Defender doesn’t protect against (like phishing sites, malicious web trackers, data breaches, etc.). Indeed, most of the products on this list have substantially better free antivirus protection than Microsoft’s built-in Windows Defender antivirus. You can read this blog post if you’d like to learn more about why Windows Defender isn’t good enough to keep users safe in 2021.

What’s the best free antivirus?

Avira is my #1 pick for the best free antivirus in 2021. It has one of the best antivirus scanners on the market, it’s very easy to use, and it has a great range of additional features (web protection, performance optimization tools, a password manager, a game booster, and a VPN). While Avira Free is a really good antivirus, it does have some limitations — you can only use it on one device, it doesn’t provide ransomware protection, and the bundled VPN is limited to only 500 MB per month (barely enough to watch a few videos). If you want full virus protection, a VPN with no limitations, and coverage for up to 5 Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, I recommend you take a look at Avira Prime .

Yes, Avast does have a free antivirus, but I don’t recommend you use it, as Avast has been accused of collecting and selling user data for profit — you can read more about what happened here . If you need a free antivirus, take a look at our list of the best free antiviruses in 2021 or just download Avira Free . But please keep in mind that all free antiviruses have some limitations — for example, Avira’s excellent free antivirus doesn’t have ransomware protection, and you can only use it on one device. If you want the best protection for all of your devices, you need to pay for a premium antivirus program like Norton or Bitdefender .

What are the most common types of viruses that affect Windows computers?

While there are literally billions of malware attacks reported annually, trojans and adware are consistently the most common types of malware found on Windows computers. Trojans look like other files with extensions like .exe and .doc — but once downloaded, trojans can initiate a backdoor attack to steal user data, to incorporate a Windows device into a botnet, to give a hacker direct access to a computer, or to simply crash and erase the entire OS. Because hackers are constantly developing new malware for Windows, it’s crucial that your antivirus uses a malware database that’s consistently updated. Avira’s malware scanner is based in Avira’s cloud, so its malware database is always up-to-date, with no need for users to worry about downloading or installing database updates.

Will Windows allow me to install a free antivirus?

Absolutely! Windows will automatically turn off Microsoft’s built-in virus protection when a new third-party antivirus software is installed. If you decide to uninstall your third-party antivirus, your PC will automatically ask you to reactivate the Windows Defender antivirus. That said, if you’re going to replace Defender, you should consider investing a little bit into premium cybersecurity protection. Free antivirus software just isn’t as good as paid antivirus softwares — you really do get what you pay for, and when it comes to keeping all of your devices and digital data safe, a paid antivirus like Norton 360 is definitely worth the investment. If you’re looking for advanced protection and a lot of other great cybersecurity features, check out this list of the best premium antivirus products on the market .

Is Windows Defender enough to stay protected?

It depends what you mean by “enough”. Windows Defender offers some decent cybersecurity protection, but it’s nowhere near as good as most premium antivirus software . If you’re just looking for basic cybersecurity protection, then Microsoft’s Windows Defender is fine. But if you have a lot of sensitive information on your device which might attract hackers — banking info, login details, private files — then no, it’s not “enough”. Windows’s antivirus has some serious problems in terms of online security, multi-device protection, poor-quality updates, and malware protection. You can read more about my analysis of Defender’s security offerings here .

Can Windows Defender remove malware?

Yes. If Windows Defender detects malware, it will remove it from your PC. However, because Microsoft doesn’t update Defender’s virus definitions regularly, the newest malware won’t be detected. Relying on Windows Defender as your sole antivirus puts your entire PC at risk of infection. While there are better free antiviruses out there, no free antivirus can offer the kind of guaranteed malware protection that the best anti-malware software can. If you’re looking for the best malware protection and internet security tools, a premium antivirus like Norton or Bitdefender is much more capable.

Does Windows have built-in phishing protection?

Mostly, yes. Microsoft’s SmartScreen is designed to protect Microsoft Edge users from a wide range of online cybersecurity threats, including phishing emails and malicious sites which attempt to steal your personal information. However, if you’re using a different browser, like Chrome or Firefox, the SmartScreen browser extension honestly isn’t worth installing — it doesn’t detect phishing sites as accurately as Google and Mozilla’s built-in detection. If you’re looking to improve your web security, McAfee provides superior phishing detection for all major browsers, as well as a “Smart Firewall”, Wi-Fi security, and a fast VPN to keep your browsing 100% anonymous.

Is Windows Defender free?

Yes. Windows Defender is automatically installed for free on all PCs that have Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10. But again, there are better free Windows antiviruses out there, and again, no free antivirus is going to provide the kind of protection that you will get with a full-featured premium antivirus .

Should I replace Windows Defender with another antivirus?

Microsoft’s Windows Defender is closer than it’s ever been to competing with third-party internet security suites, but it’s still not good enough. In terms of malware detection, it often ranks below the detection rates offered by top antivirus competitors . In terms of system performance, Defender’s scans take longer and cause more slowdown than most third-party antiviruses. And finally, in terms of essential security features, Defender is severely lacking. Using Windows Defender as a standalone antivirus, while much better than not using any antivirus at all, still leaves you vulnerable to ransomware, spyware, and advanced forms of malware that can leave you devastated in the event of an attack. I recommend one of the following options: Option 1: Choose a better free antivirus to replace Microsoft’s Windows Defender. If you’re on a really tight budget and you can’t afford a paid antivirus, there are a few free antivirus products that are significantly better than Defender. I like Avira’s free antivirus the best. But it’s important to remember that all free antiviruses have limitations that premium antiviruses don’t have. Option 2: Optimize your PC’s protection with a premium antivirus. No free antivirus will offer you 100% protection, and Windows Defender has repeatedly shown to be vulnerable to malware, ransomware, and spyware. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep you and your PC safe, so investing a few bucks a month in a premium internet security suite is hands-down the best way of protecting yourself and guaranteeing your cybersecurity.

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