Choosing anti-virus software

Anti-virus software

Viruses, spyware and other malicious software or malicious code (malware) can stop your computer working properly, delete or corrupt your files, steal information, or allow others to access your computer and your personal or business information.

Anti-virus solutions differ in effectiveness and the range of malware types they cover. Before choosing an anti-virus product, consider reviews on reputable and trustworthy websites or magazines.

At a minimum, all anti-virus software should provide:

protection and detection capabilities for malware, adware and spyware
comprehensive anti-virus scanning.

Some anti-virus products may also include:

a site adviser so your browser alerts you when visiting a suspicious or dangerous website
malware protection with an integrated firewall.

Note if you install an anti-virus product with firewall functionality, you may need to disable your operating system's built-in firewall. See your anti-virus and operating system vendor for more details.

Before choosing an anti-virus product, consider reviews on reputable and trustworthy websites or magazines.

Use anti-virus software

Turning on Ransomware Protection for Microsoft Windows 10

Performing a malware scan using Microsoft Defender Antivirus for Windows 10

Terminate ransomware programs with Task Manager (Microsoft Windows 10)