NOVEMBER 2019 PCWorld 83program you choose, and optionally leave
Defender in place to periodically check for
threats as a secondary measure. (Go to
Settings > Update & Security > Windows
Security, then click on Virus And Threat
Protection. Scroll down to Windows
Defender Antivirus options and make sure
periodic scanning is toggled on.)
Here you have a wealth of free antivirus
options, from AVG to Avast to Avira and many
more. BitDefender Internet Security’s free
option (go.pcworld.com/btdf), however, is
so effective and unobtrusive that you’ll forget
that it’s there—which, really, is what you want
in an antivirus program that guards your PC.
It, too, is rated as a top product by AV-test(go.pcworld.
com/avtt) and
AV-comparatives
(go.pcworld.
com/avct),
though both
tested the paid
versions. (To our
knowledge,
there is no
difference
between the
paid and free
versions in terms
of anti-malware
protection.)
Again, we’d
rate Windows
Defender as sufficient protection for everyday
use, with Windows’ ability to layer on
additional antimalware capabilities as a
security blanket.WHO SHOULD BUY A PAID
ANTIVIRUS PRODUCT
The reason you may still want a paid antivirus
and antimalware solution is if you want more
services, tied up in a neat package. The
leaders have moved beyond traditional
protections, offering related services such as
VPNs, credit monitoring and protection, and
online vaults for your passwords and other
critical documents.
While some attackers simply want toThere’s a number of free antivirus solutions from which to choose, though
BitDefender is a preferred choice. (Note that this screen has been taken from the
paid security suite.)