The news is full of stories of millions of users’ Internet devices being compromised or hijacked. While a good portion of these hacks can be blamed on the hackers’ experience however, there are other variables at play as well — including the absence of proper security tools. Fortunately, there are plenty of free antivirus software to choose from that provide strong protection against the most prevalent threats.

When choosing an antivirus for free, be sure to look for malware detection that is strong. A program’s ability to distinguish malicious attackers like viruses or worms, phishing attack and ransomware from harmless software is the most important indicator of its effectiveness. Look for a scanner that is able to recognize all kinds of malware including trojans and rootkits, and that has perfect or near-perfect rate of detection for viruses.

Also, look for programs that won’t slow your system excessively. When you perform a scan take a look at the site here or other intensive functionality, some programs can seriously impact your computer performance and make it difficult to stream videos or play games. Choose an antivirus that is lightweight, easy to install, and uses minimal resources.

Other features are also crucial. Certain antivirus software offers cleaning tools that can boost OS performance as well as speed up startup times and get rid of junk files while others provide the virtual private network (VPN) which lets you hide your online activity from being watched by the public. The majority of paid antivirus programs offer live chat or email support. However this isn’t always the case with free antivirus products.