You need antivirus software for your computer to protect it from a wide range of threats that can compromise your data, privacy, and system functionality. Here are the key reasons:

1. Protection from Malware: Antivirus software detects and removes malicious programs such as viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and spyware that can damage your files or steal your data.

2. Safe Internet Browsing: Many antiviruses include features like web protection and phishing detection to prevent you from visiting fake or dangerous websites that could trick you into giving away sensitive information.

3. Data Security: Antivirus software helps prevent unauthorized access to your personal, financial, and work-related data by blocking hackers and malicious software.

4. System Performance: Viruses and malware can slow down your computer or cause it to crash. Antivirus software helps keep your system running smoothly.

5. Email Protection: Many threats come through email attachments or links. Antivirus tools scan emails to block harmful content before it can harm your system.

6. Peace of Mind: Knowing your device is monitored and protected lets you work, browse, and communicate without constantly worrying about cyber threats.

7. Preventing Spread of Viruses: If your computer gets infected, it can spread malware to others via emails or shared files. Antivirus software helps stop that chain.

In summary, antivirus software is essential for maintaining security, protecting sensitive information, and ensuring your computer runs effectively and safely.

Avast is a famous antivirus service that offers solid protection against malware, even with its free tier. It continues to offer valuable features like ransomware protection and webcam shielding, as well as one of the best free antivirus plans available on the market.

There’s good reason to be concerned about malware and viruses. Now more than ever, cybercriminals are using malware to steal data for personal gain, and as AI continues to proliferate, it’s going to be easier than ever to create malicious programs. Being proactive today can save you a world of hurt tomorrow.

Avast aims to be an all-encompassing cybersecurity solution for everybody. It provides elaborate customization options in a simplistic application, which suits casual and tech-savvy antivirus users alike. Simultaneously, Avast identifies a variety of online threats going beyond standard malware protection.
I was pleasantly surprised by its free version. It offers 5 virus scans, inspects the network for dubious connections, and provides limited ransomware and firewall protection.

Additionally, Avast offers a Do Not Disturb mode and a Software Updater, which reveals all outdated apps and updates them without leaving the Avast dashboard. The Core Shields is an essential Avast virus protection feature, which consists of 4 shields:

• File Shield scans opened or added files on your device
• Behavior Shield alerts about suspicious app behavior
• Web Shield is Avast's real-time online protection feature
• Mail Shield inspects email attachments for malware

Web Shield is a core Avast component that blocks malicious websites and unsafe downloads. To evaluate the effectiveness of this feature, together with the Cybernews research team, I accessed 10 malicious URLs, with 5 being based on IPv4 addresses and the remaining 5 using domain names. The antivirus program detected and refused access to all 10 (100%) malicious websites. Upon threat detection, Avast provided some details about the malware the website contained.

Learning to code is a big investment of time, and learning to write malware that can escape the notice of security scans requires a high level of skill. Phishing fraudsters don’t bother with any of that fussy nonsense. Instead of looking for vulnerabilities in the operating system, they focus on the most vulnerable element—the unsuspecting user. They design websites that look like sensitive sites, such as PayPal or your bank. If you log into the fake, the fraudsters steal your credentials and thereby own your account. Yes, highly observant folks can learn to recognize phishing frauds, but it’s nice to have some help for those days when you’re a little muzzy.

One of the most common methods of phishing is through email. In an email, a scammer will send links or attachments that lead you to malicious websites and attempt to steal your information. Avast's paid plans include the Email Guardian feature, which scans your direct emails and flags anything suspicious.

Avast also scans websites to verify you’re visiting legitimate sites and not fake scam sites meant to look genuine. That makes using your financial credentials safer when shopping and banking online