In Today's Fast-Paced World of Technology, Cyber Criminals aren't Far Behind to Rob You of Your Money or Even Identity: Patch Up the Vulnerabilities in Your Systems with these 10 Best Antiviruses of 2020

Overview
An entry-level programme, the Kaspersky Total Security, provides excellent malware protection capabilities along with a negligible impact on the performance of the system. The antivirus also provides excellent ransomware protection. It also comes with parental controls along with a virtual keyboard. Kaspersky was also among the first antivirus software to implement two-factor authentication.

Pros
All products undergo heuristic monitoring along with AI analysis. This helps the products to prevent malware from attacking your system. Kaspersky has 100% detection scores at various tests in June 2019. Apart from protecting your phones and tablets, it also prevents webcam hijacking. The user can easily schedule scans as per their policy. There are settings for vulnerability, quick or full scans.

Cons
It can use up a lot of resources of your device. It makes the performance of your system a tad bit slower than its competitors.

Cost
The cost of the barebones Kaspersky is also a bit higher than some of its competitors.
The Essential version costs Rs. 720 for a term of 2 years. You can buy online on the their website.

Overview
It runs on Windows and Mac and has been revamped as AntiVirus Plus in 2019 through a slew of advanced features. It provides high-quality protection during browsing, PC maintenance support services, and an intelligent firewall. It also allows unlimited access to the VPN along with security for your webcam and monitoring of the dark web and blocks malicious domains while browsing. The presence of Norton Power Eraser helps to eradicate far trickier threats. There is also an Insights tool that provides reports on the reputation of the files on your terminal.

Pros
The antivirus software comes with a backup toll with 2 GB online storage. The installation does not make any flimsy demand on the system resources. It is straightforward with fast scans available through clicks.

Cons
If you subscribe to the Norton 360, you would be unable to subscribe to the Norton AntiVirus Plus. The subscription for the AntiVirus Plus is removed from the cart without informing the user. The Norton AntiVirus Plus is slower in finding newer threats and sending out a warning than its peers.

Cost
A one-year subscription costs Rs. 899, and you can buy it on Norton’s website.

Overview
It could be the ideal antivirus for you due to its malware removal capabilities coupled with faster scans. The cheapest version also has ransomware protection and a hardened browser. It comes with an anti-tracker that provides the user with security while browsing and shows the blocked items. Along with webcam protection, it also prevents microphone hijacking. It also comes with parental control and is also able to scan emails.

Pros
Detection of malware starts with the detection of known threats along with a lookout for behavioural signs for infection. A password manager makes banking and online purchases safer as it forces an encrypted HTTPS connection and prevents browser add-ons. An on-screen keyboard is provided that stops all keylogging malware. It is known for its fast scans and superior system performance.

Cons
The performance of Bitdefender can be said to be good but not without flaws. On testing, Bitdefender had fallen behind some of its peers.

Cost
The basic protection level for Bitdefender comes at an annual rate of Rs. 1,549 for three devices. There's also a free version you can try out. You can check it out at bitdefender.com

Overview
While, on the one hand, the Trend Micro Maximum Security is known for its heightened security levels, it leads to a fall in the performance of the terminal. It comes with parental control, a file shredder, and a system optimiser. The suspected files are uploaded to the Smart Protection Network and tested further. On disclosure of a threat, it updates its database and sends the information to all clients. It can also scan your emails on Gmail and Outlook to search for phishing emails.

It supports browser extensions for browsers like Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer. It also blocks malicious websites and works with Trend Micro's password manager.

Pros
It protects your terminal from rootkits, phishing, spam, malware, and ransomware. Its performance matches those of its competitors. The Pay Guard features secure browsers and forces an encrypted data connection wherever possible. It has a Folder Shield that protects essential files, including those stored on the cloud.

Cons
The malware scanner often creates false detections, which could lead to wrong quarantines and deletion of vital records. It does not come with a two-way firewall, and there is no protection from microphone and webcam hijacking. Protection comes at the price of lower system performance and slowing down of computer.

Cost
The antivirus software comes at Rs. 1,574 for an annual subscription. It covers a single device only. Available on trendmicro.com.

Overview
While Avast bought over its competitor AVG, both of them have not merged yet. The reason being that some of the clients prefer one over the other. The latest edition can reduce the load on the system and mute pop-ups if you are playing a game that utilises lots of resources. It also has a password manager to help you in handling the security of your terminals.

The Avast Premium version comes with a firewall, secure file deletion, and a spam filter. You can also have webcam hijack protection. It also comes with an anti-ransomware solution to prevent unauthorised apps from modifying files. It prevents malware from hijacking your DNS and blocks malicious downloads.

Pros
It comes with a sandbox to enable users to run suspicious programmes and apps. It is configurable to the extent that you can choose which features you wish to enable. You can have more scan options that most of its peers; viz. a boot-time scan, a quick scan, and a full scan. You can also create a custom scan of your wish.

Cons
The setup programme installs the antivirus and also automatically selects it as your default browser.
When setup is complete, you must know that it eats up one GB of your data space.
Avast may impose some issues on the speed of your desktop or other devices.

Cost
The Windows version of Avast Premium comes at an annual subscription of Rs. 1,999 for one device. Give their free version a try first to test out the product.

Overview
If you are looking for a no-frills software, the Windows Defender is ideal for you. Surprisingly, the free version has essential features like parental control and browser protection. It comes pre-installed with Windows 8.1 and 10 versions. It scans your system for malware and monitors software to find the infected files. As for prevention against ransomware, it controls access to main folders along with network protection and prevents data from being stolen.

Pros
It can browse through the malware code and get to the dangerous portions.
The features have developed immensely and count among the best free antivirus software.

Cons
Its performance is not as good as the industry leaders and offers only a barebones software. It is not always easy to manage and shoots up many false positives after a scan.

Cost
It comes along with Windows operating system. Remember to keep it activated.

Overview
The NOD32 is ideal for home users with a sharp focus on anti-ransomware and anti-phishing techniques. It supports Windows, Linux, and Mac devices. Moreover, it comes with a secure browser, parental control, and a spam filter feature. Unauthorised programmes cannot access your webcam, and it also can locate your missing laptop.

Pros
It comes with a feature to monitor dangerous traffic patterns and a firewall. You can also scan your home devices. It allows your essential files and folders to be encrypted. Apart from checking files for malware, you can also check its reputation. It has two filters for URLs: one protects from phishing sites, and the other blocks general website dangers.

Cons
Though known to be lightweight, it uses up 800 MB of space. It allows limited scan types only; viz. removable scan, full system scan, and custom scans, but you can include the drives, folders, and files of your choice. There are issues with its abilities to detect malware and does not score highly like its peers.

Cost
It is reasonably priced at Rs. 1,279 for three years. Buy it from ESET’s website.

Overview
It is another of those antiviruses that have significantly improved but still a long way from the top guys. They can run on OS X, Windows, Android, or iOS. It also includes the best password managers available in the market. You can get the benefits of parental control if you are on a specific license plan. A Vulnerability Scanner that checks for weaknesses in passwords. A two-way firewall can find vulnerabilities in your network. The three performance boosters help to speed up the applications, tidies up the temp files and registry files, and balances battery life with overall system performance when playing online videos.

Pros
It has a data shredder with four levels of protection. You can also protect your terminals from cryptojacking software in addition to rootkits, worms, viruses, and trojans. If you are on a specific plan, you get unlimited access to the VPN.

Cons
While it can detect well-known malware, it is unable to identify "zero-day" malware or the newest ones. It also shows up more false positives than its peers.

Cost
An annual subscription of the McAfee AntiVirus costs Rs. 1,299. You can buy it online through McAfee‘s official website.

Overview
It was ranked among the best free antivirus software until its peers upped their game. It runs on Windows 7 (with Service Pack 1), Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10. Browser extensions rate websites based on their earlier reputation. It is a barebones software that pinches you towards its paid version. An applet adjusts the Windows firewall. A password manager, a VPN service, and a system optimiser are all available at an extra price.

Pros
Like most of its peers, infected files are updated to the signature updates that are sent to all its global users. It has three-layer protection, including a malware scanner comparing files against an incumbent library, and monitoring to examine code and indications of any infected files. Users can quickly start a scan from the main window.

Cons
The scans undertaken by Avira slows down the system too much and have lagged behind the other brands. It is not counted among the best in blocking phishing attempts and malware, coupled with a massive system load during scans. Emails have to be opened manually and not when they arrive.

Cost
The Avira Antivirus Pro version annual subscription is available at Rs. 1,529 and is available online at their website. It is for one device only.