We
live in a world where our every move is monitored and recorded. This isn’t some
dystopian future; it’s the reality of life in the early 21st century. The loss
of privacy doesn’t just apply to big corporations and the state spying on your
emails, phone calls, and web browsing. It also applies to the way we interact
with each other. Social media platforms are designed to track your every
interaction and use that data to predict what you’re going to do next. Online
advertising companies routinely track your browsing habits and use that
information to show products you might like.
Thankfully,
there are tools available to help us fight back against this relentless
invasion of privacy online. Here are some free software tools that can protect
your privacy:
1) Microsoft
Security Essentials-
Why
should you trust our top choice, Microsoft Security Essentials? Because it’s
the only antivirus software that earned certification from AV-Test–an
independent research organization that conducts regular tests of security
products. The one downside? Some users complain about its sluggish performance.
https://thepirateproxybay.com/ is a torrent site that
provides magnet links to facilitate peer-to-peer file sharing using the
BitTorrent protocol. It is very safe and secure to use.
2)Avast
Free Antivirus-
Both
Kaspersky and Avast earned six points overall in their evaluations by AV-Test,
but they each picked up perfect scores for protection against malware during
specific periods. However, while Kaspersky has a 14-day free trial available,
there’s no way to try Avast before installing it. But if you do install this
product, be sure to turn off Avast’s toolbar installation during the setup
process.
3)AVG
Anti-Virus Free-
AVG’s
Anti-Virus software offers good protection against malware, and it was one of
the quickest products to earn certification from AV-Test. However, as with
Avast, you can’t try it out before installing it. And AVG also installs a
toolbar by default during the setup process.
4)Bitdefender
Antivirus Free Edition 2012-
Bitdefender
Antivirus Free Edition is a great product, but–like many other free antivirus
solutions–it nags you to upgrade to a paid version sooner rather than later.
You can live with the nag screens for a while, but eventually, you’ll get tired
of them and want to upgrade.
5)ClamWin
Antivirus Free-
You’ve
probably never heard of ClamWin because we couldn’t find any independent lab
tests that reviewed the product (though founder and lead developer Gregory Duck
is hoping to change that). Still, ClamWin did reasonably well in our own
hands-on malware blocking test. Plus, it supports nearly a dozen different
languages.
6)BitDefender
Free Edition-
Along
with Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Avast Free Antivirus, Bitdefender earned six
points overall from AV-Test for security protection–but perfect scores for
usability during specific periods. However, while there’s a 7-day free trial of
Bitdefender Antivirus, there’s no such trial for Bitdefender Internet Security.
7)Comodo
Internet Security-
Comodo’s
free security suite is one of the most comprehensive you’ll find, and it earned
certification from AV-Test. However, during installation, it tries to upsell
you on other Comodo products, which can be overwhelming for first-time users.
8)Emsisoft
Emergency Kit-
This
freebie from Emsisoft is a barebones but practical malware scanning utility. It
doesn’t include all of the bells and whistles of some of the other entries on
this list, but it will keep your PC safe from viruses, Trojan
horses, and other malware.
9)
Spybot Search & Destroy-
Spybot
Search & Destroy is a venerable old product around 2002. It’s been updated
regularly, and it still does an excellent job of keeping your PC free from
spyware and other unwanted software.
10)Sophos
Anti-Virus Free Edition 2009-
Sophos
is one of the most respected names in the antivirus industry, and its free
product has earned praise from numerous sources. But it recently went through a
significant interface redesign that many users complained made it more
difficult to use. We recommend skipping Sophos’s latest version for now–go with
this older edition instead.
11)Symantec
Norton Antivirus Basic-
Norton
is easily one of the best-known PC security names, but Symantec’s products
aren’t always our favorite. This edition scored well on AV-Test‘s hands-on
malware elimination test, but some competing products did better at blocking
attacks in live environments.
12)Trend
Micro Titanium Antivirus Free-
Trend
Micro’s Titanium AntivirusFree product is a good choice if you’re looking for
an antivirus solution that also offers some essential protection against online threats like phishing and
spam. But it doesn’t include features like parental controls or a firewall.
13)Windows
Defender-
If
you’re running Windows 8, you already have Microsoft’s free Windows Defender
security software installed. It doesn’t offer the same level of protection as
some of the other products on this list, but it will protect your PC from the
most common malware threats.
14)ZoneAlarm
Free Antivirus+ Firewall-
ZoneAlarm
is undoubtedly one of the better free antivirus products out there, and it
includes a simple firewall. However, ZoneAlarm’s primary business is selling
its cyber threat solutions to enterprises rather than consumers. As such, its
product will only appeal to those looking for essential protection–not those
who want Web content filtering or parental controls.
Conclusion:
So there you have it:
our picks for the best free antivirus software currently available on the
internet. All of these products will keep your PC safe from the most common
malware threats, and most of them offer additional features like firewalls and
parental controls.
