Microsoft Defender isn't bad, but it's not enough to fully protect your PC. You don't have to pay extra, though—just use one of the top free antivirus apps we've tested.

The importance of anti-virus programs in safeguarding our digital experiences cannot be overstated, especially when our lives are connected to the internet more than ever. The online world has become ...

Computers of any kind are at risk of receiving malware, and even though Windows 11 comes with Microsoft Defender Antivirus ...

In 2025, most devices feature built-in antivirus software that scans files you attempt to download, blocking anything it deems suspicious. Antivirus tools also perform automated scans to remove ...

Both Avast and Bitdefender originally built their reputations on their high-quality, free solutions. Even though they've both grown into professional-grade security companies, they still offer ...

Antivirus has become these days a catch-all term. It doesn’t just mean blocking literal computer viruses, trojans, and other bits of malicious code meant to attack your PC. When you opt to go beyond ...

Unlike your built-in laptop antivirus protection, modern antivirus software doesn’t just protect you from dodgy downloads—it can keep the kids from looking at web pages they shouldn’t or make sure ...

Zephin Livingston is a former staff reviewer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing privacy and security software, like VPNs, antivirus software, password managers and more. Zephin ...

Avast Free Antivirus for Mac delivers on its historically strong antivirus/anti-malware tools and offers some interesting network tools. However, the inConsistent web filtering and the failure of its ...

Marshall Gunnell is a Tokyo-based tech journalist and editor with over a decade of experience covering IT, cybersecurity and data storage. Alongside CNET, his work has appeared in ZDNET, Business ...

Over 300,000 new types of ransomware and other malicious software are discovered daily, according to the IT security research institute AV-TEST. Computer viruses can slow your devices, create a slew ...

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that ...