On the other end of the scale is completely free antivirus software, with vendors such as AVG offering free packages which scan your laptop or desktop for malicious software, and Microsoft Defender built into the operating system of every PC from Windows 8 onwards. (Read my guide to the best VPNs for more detail.) These sometimes includes extras, such as a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, which prevents snoopers spying on your activity online. The downside of this is that you have to pay a subscription of around £20-£30 a year for software which protects multiple devices. But protecting yourself against dodgy websites, phishing attacks and snoopers makes sense, especially if you have less experienced computer users in your household. You can still download ‘simple’ (and mostly free) antivirus packages for PC and smartphones which offer basic protection, but today’s flagship products offer protection across smartphones and laptops, and offer extra functions such as protecting you from identity theft.Īs a tech writer and PC user, I’m aware that the single most important function of antivirus software is getting rid of PC malware (there are far more viruses and malware targeting PC than there are for other platforms). There are often dozens of different digital devices in the home, used by everybody from children to grandparents - hence today’s antivirus packages tend to be built to protect multiple devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets, and do more than simply find and neutralise nasty software. In the past decade or so, antivirus programmes have evolved rapidly, reflecting the fact that today’s households are no longer places where people wait to take turns on ‘the computer’.

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