Malware and viruses have been ongoing threats to everyday web and computer for decades, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. As antivirus software and operating systems learn to tackle existing threats, new and more sophisticated threats pop up. As viruses and threats become more sophisticated, it becomes harder to identify them promptly, leading to a high risk of data breaches, privacy lapses, and other problems.
The best way to protect yourself and your digital ecosystem from threats is through a comprehensive antivirus package. If your household has multiple members or computers, you should ideally get antivirus software that offers family discounts for multiple subscriptions. Choosing the correct antivirus software can be difficult, especially if you don’t know which factors to consider. This article describes the factors to consider when looking for antivirus software for your family.
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Free Trial or money-back guarantee
When looking for antivirus software, your first consideration should be the free trial or money-back guarantee. You shouldn’t commit to any software without first trying it for a few days. You should find an antivirus with a free trial, allowing you to test its features and capabilities before making a commitment. Just because the software promises certain features doesn’t mean it will deliver on those promises, so a free trial is essential.
In addition to a free trial, you should also consider if the antivirus software has an extended money-back guarantee. Free trials are generally limited to one or two weeks, whereas money-back guarantees are usually valid for a month or two, giving you even more time with the software. Furthermore, a money-back guarantee allows you to ensure the software runs effectively on your system for an extended period.
Malwarebytes is an excellent example of antivirus software that can remove malware, spyware, adware, and other forms of viruses and threats from your system before they can compromise your data or system. The Malwarebytes Premium free download comes with a 14-day trial period and a 60-day money-back guarantee. As such, you have up to two months to determine if you want to continue with the antivirus software for the family.
Family pricing
You should definitely compare the prices of different antivirus software before making a commitment. However, your goal shouldn’t simply be to find the cheaper software available. Free antivirus programs, for example, have extremely lax privacy policies and minimal features, so their ability to protect your system is questionable, at best. When comparing prices, you should also look for software that offers discounts for multiple devices, especially if you need to protect multiple devices.
Malwarebytes is the ideal antivirus software for your family because you can protect up to 5 devices with one membership. The subscription for one device is worth $5 per month, but you can protect 5 devices for only $8.33 monthly or $99.99 each year. You can also lock in the same price for your next renewal, which means you don’t have to worry about the subscription cost increasing every year.
Lightweight software
Your antivirus software should be extremely lightweight, capable of running in the background without sapping away your CPU resources. If the antivirus takes up considerable processing speed, it may prevent you from running high-intensity video games or editing tools. You should thoroughly cross-check the software’s system requirements with your current specifications to ensure your computer can run the software seamlessly.
Real-time scanning
You must select an antivirus software with real-time scanning and on-demand discovery features. The program should thoroughly check all online and offline files the moment your computer encounters them without any lags or delay. As such, you’ll be able to browse the internet comfortably, knowing there won’t be any security lapses or interruptions. Malwarebytes uses artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to ensure real-time protection, keeping your digital ecosystem safe from online threats.
Email scanning
Phishing scams are the biggest threats to online security - these are fake sites that trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card information. The sophistication of phishing scams is such that even highly-informed users can fall prey to them. Malwarebytes automatically detects and blocks online scams, infected sites, and malicious emails and links, keeping your system safe.
Browser guard
You should ideally find antivirus software with a browser guard that automatically scans all the web pages you explore. The software should automatically detect and block annoying ads and potentially infected sites, ensuring you are completely safe while browsing the internet. Malwarebytes automatically removes ads from web pages, blocks third-party ad trackers, and blocks infected websites and browsers. The browser guard feature is automatically available with Malwarebytes Premium, so you don’t have to pay extra.
VPN privacy
VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a must-have for all internet users. It’s a nifty tool that allows you to change your IP address, making it seem like you’re located in some other part of the world. This is an essential privacy tool that allows you to change your computer’s geo-location while preventing third-party individuals or institutions from tracking your usage. The Malwarebytes Premium + Privacy VPN bundle gives you access to a next-gen VPN with 400+ servers across 30+ countries.
If you consider all of the factors mentioned in this article, you’ll soon find the best antivirus software for your family. The Malwarebytes Premium + VPN bundle meets all the requirements mentioned above, and it gives you access to all-inclusive antivirus software with an inbuilt browser guard and VPN.