Internet security programs are a must in today’s world.
There’s no question that we’re living in a digital world. We use the internet to do everything from work to socializing, and this makes us much more vulnerable to cybercrime than ever before. It seems that every day a new virus or malware is being released into the wilds of cyberspace. There has been a 300% increase in ransomware attacks alone in the past five years!
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To protect yourself against these threats, you need an internet security program for Windows that is up-to-date with the latest protection technologies and offers excellent malware detection.
In this article, we will discuss 7 of the best internet security programs for Windows computers. You’ll easily find out which one is best suited for your needs and keep your browsing and system clean.
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 Bitdefender Premium Security |
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 Kaspersky Total Security |
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 Norton 360 Deluxe |
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 TotalAV Total Security |
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 McAfee Total Protection Ultimate |
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 Malwarebytes Premium |
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 MalwareFox Antimalware |
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Why are Internet Security Programs important?
Internet security programs are important as they protect your computer from various types of malware and viruses. These programs can also protect you from online fraud, identity theft, and other scams. Most of these programs come with a wide range of features like antivirus protection, web browser extension, firewall protection, and parental controls. Some programs might come bundled with VPN but if not, you can check out companies providing VPN with free trial.
What features to look for in Internet Security Programs?
It is hard to pick out the best antivirus and internet security program. However, there are some features you need to look for in such programs before settling with one:
Security Features: First of all, an Internet security program should provide robust protection against malware, viruses, phishing attacks, spammy websites, etc. The other essential things that it has to do are ensuring safe web browsing and safeguarding your sensitive data from snoopers.
Additional Features: Apart from the usual security features found in other antivirus software, a few added features can make a huge difference. Although not every antivirus will provide them, having a password manager or VPN included make things easier. You can also check if they have anti-spam tools or parental controls.
Ease of Use: The best security software is the one that you barely need to think about. It should be easy to install and configure with minimal user input. Make sure to check out the interface of the security program before making your purchase decision. The interface should be easy to understand and use so that you can get the most out of it. You should also be able to run it in the background without any issues.
System Requirements: Always check the system requirements of a security program before downloading and installing it on your computer. Make sure that your computer meets all the needs; otherwise, the program might not work as expected or might even slow down your system.
Price: Last but not least, price is an important factor to consider when looking for a good internet security program. Most antivirus programs are affordable and will not put a hole in your pocket, but there are a few that can be quite expensive. Choose the one that suits your needs and budget.
Best Internet Security Programs for Windows
After knowing what to look for in an internet security program, select one of the following programs for safeguarding your inline activities.
Bitdefender Premium Security
Overall Rating: 9.2/10
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Bitdefender has been a prominent name in the field of security programs for a long time. Hence, it is no surprise that the Bitdefender Premium Security is number one in the list of best internet security programs. With features like a password vault, webcam protection, microphone protection, file shredder, parental controls, and unlimited VPN, it is one of the robust security programs on the list.
It has an excellent detection rate and a pretty simple, straightforward user interface to work. Bitdefender uses an advanced cloud-based scanner in its anti-malware detection engine. One of the best things about Bitdefender is, it provides multilayered security against dangerous Ransomware malware. Apart from blocking the ransomware program on detection, it also prevents unauthorized access to personal files and folders if anything suspicious is detected. The program is also capable of auto back up files if any ransomware program is noticed.
As far as other security features are concerned, parental control will allow you to limit device usage, filter content, monitor apps, and even set up location tracking. There is no limit to VPN usage, and you will get encrypted access to a number of servers across the globe, ensuring total security while web browsing.
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Kaspersky Total Security
Overall Rating: 9/10
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When it comes to security programs, no list is complete without mentioning Kaspersky. It has been one of the most versatile security programs for a long time and has a vast user base. The Kaspersky Total Security comes with some amazing internet security features. These include a VPN, Safe Money, a secure browser for online finance work, parental controls, webcam security, and more. However, unlike Bitdefender, the VPN is limited in Kaspersky Total Security.
When you try to initiate a financial transaction on the web, the Safe Money feature of Kaspersky will automatically detect it and open the secure browser that will analyze the link for anything suspicious, block the pop-ups and trackers, and open the onscreen keyboard to negate the keyloggers.
The parental control features in Kaspersky Total Security are pretty extensive. You can set time limits, filter content, restrict app usage, and even track the location of the child’s device. The webcam security will activate the camera cover if any unauthorized person tries to access it.
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Norton 360 Deluxe
Overall Rating: 9/10
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Another name that has been on the list of security programs is Norton. The Norton 360 Deluxe offers excellent protection against all kinds of viruses, malware, and ransomware programs. This one of the best internet security suites has many great features like PC SafeCam for webcam protection, email scanning, Firewall, dark web monitoring, and password management. It also comes with a cloud backup storage of up to 50 GB to make sure you never lose access to your files.
The password manager in Norton 360 Deluxe is one of the best. It can manage all your passwords and also create strong and unique ones for you. The email scanning feature is also perfect and will protect you from any malicious attachments or links in the email. Norton 360 also comes with unlimited access to a VPN that offers encryption connection to servers of over 30 countries.
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TotalAV Total Security
Overall Rating: 8.8/10
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The TotalAV Total Security is a very capable antivirus protection and one of the best internet security programs that come with a lot of features. Some of the best features include a VPN, firewall, ad-blocker, anti-phishing, web extension for browser security, and more. The VPN service in TotalAV is one of the best and is actually better than most standalone VPN applications. It provides unlimited bandwidth and access to servers in over 20 countries, with almost zero slowdowns. This makes it perfect for streaming or downloading content from other countries.
Though it does not come with many extra features like parental control, webcam protection, file shredder, still the available features are pretty robust compared to many other security programs on the list. Its identity protection is next to none and is available for users in the US, Canada, and most of Europe.
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McAfee Total Protection Ultimate
Overall Rating: 8.8/10
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McAfee is another well-known name in the list of antivirus programs. It has been one of the most popular and among the best internet security suites providers for over a decade now. The current version, McAfee Total Protection Ultimate, comes with all kinds of features that will protect your PC from any kind of malware or internet threats. It has a very powerful antivirus engine that can detect and remove even the most stubborn malware and viruses. For internet security, McAfee comes with a safe web browser extension, unlimited VPN, file encryption, and more.
The parental control feature in McAfee is one of the best and can be used to manage the screen time, set website restrictions, and even locate the child’s device. It also comes with a file shredder to permanently delete files from your PC so that they cannot be recovered.
The only thing that McAfee lacks is a good password manager. But other than that, it is a very comprehensive internet security suite. The installation process is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. The program also consumes minimal system resources, so you can keep it running in the background without any issues.
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Malwarebytes Premium
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
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Malwarebytes is a fairly new name in the antivirus and internet security suites market, but it has quickly become one of the most popular. The current version, Malwarebytes Premium, comes with all kinds of features that will protect your PC from any kind of malware or internet threats. It has a very powerful antivirus engine that can detect and remove even the most stubborn malware and viruses.
For internet security, Malwarebytes comes with a safe web browser extension, unlimited VPN, file encryption, and more. It also has a built-in anti-phishing feature that will protect you from any type of online fraud or scam.
However, unlike other programs in the list, Malwarebytes lacks some additional features like password management, VPN, parental controls, and more. Nonetheless, if you are looking just for malware and web protection, it is one of the best with its extensive detection engine.
The installation process is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. The program also consumes minimal system resources, so you can keep it running in the background without any issues.
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MalwareFox Antimalware
Overall Rating: 8.8/10
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MalwareFox is another top name in the world of internet security. It comes with all kinds of features that will make your PC virtually impenetrable to any type of threat. The main thing that makes it stand out is its powerful anti-malware engine that can remove the latest to oldest, any kind of malware from the system. Its web protection is robust enough to guard you against phishing sites and other dubious websites that try to infect your system.
Though MalwareFox does not come with additional security features like password vault, VPN, web extension, and others, it does best what it’s meant for, i.e., providing robust security.
Other than that, it has a very user-friendly interface and does not consume much processing power in the background.
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Final Thoughts
Choosing the best internet security suites for your computer is not an easy task. As you can see, there are a variety of different internet security programs available on the market, each with its own set of pros and cons. So, it is vital that you do your research and find the program that best suits your needs. By going through the programs listed in this post, you can make an informed decision.
We hope this article has been helpful and provided you with some useful information. Stay safe online!
FAQs
The best internet security program is the one that fits your needs the best. All of the programs on this list offer excellent protection against malware and viruses, but some come with additional features like password management and VPN that might be useful for you. Choose the program as per your requirements and budget.
An antivirus is a very basic security program that fights against viruses, malware, and other types of malicious files. On the other hand, an internet security suite defends against all kinds of cyber threats. It provides robust protection by integrating virus protection with firewall and parental controls. Usually, it also includes web filtering to keep you safe when surfing the web, spam filters to prevent junk emails from entering your inbox, identity protection to safeguard your sensitive data from snoopers, etc.
Hackers and cybercriminals are after your private information to fetch a good amount of money on the black market. Therefore, they make use of phishing attacks to get their hands on your passwords, credit card details, banking credentials, etc. Unfortunately, most free antivirus software either fails to detect phishing scams or provides limited protection against them. In order to prevent such frauds from happening to you, you need a powerful internet security suite with robust security features that protect your sensitive data from hackers and other snoopers.
Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.
