Antivirus Software How-To Guides

Antivirus software is like fire extinguishers: You know you need one, but you hope you never have to use it. With all the emerging computer viruses, however, it’s important to know how to buy, set up, install, and use antivirus software.

That’s exactly what you’ll learn in this guide. We’ve created step-by-step instructions on how to setup and use antivirus software. As a bonus, we’ll explain terms you’ll encounter when shopping for antivirus software, like trojan, ransomware, adware, and many more.

Ready to take your device security to the next level? Let’s get started.

Antivirus How To

Installing antivirus software is one of the most important cybersecurity tips we can offer, but many people don’t know where to start. Don’t worry; we’ve got it covered.

Antivirus 101

If antivirus is new to you, that’s okay. Start with our basic guides.

• How Does Antivirus Software Work?
• How Much is Antivirus?
• Does Antivirus Stop Hackers?

To summarize, antivirus software detects and neutralizes malware, which is malicious software. Typically, antivirus software scans an entire device and all of its files for anything suspicious. That could include files or programs acting suspiciously. That type of detection is called behavior-based detection, and we recommend finding antivirus software with that feature.

As opposed to behavior-based detection, antivirus software typically offers signature-based detection. This type of detection looks at the code (a.k.a. signature) of each file and compares it to signatures of all known computer viruses. As you can probably imagine, signature-based detection isn’t always reliable, particularly against viruses that aren’t on antivirus databases yet. Fortunately, antivirus software can have both detection features.

Cyber Threats

Antivirus software protects against different types of malware, including spyware, adware, and computer worms, but what do these terms really mean? Find out exactly what antivirus software protects you against.

• What Is Spyware?
• What Is a Computer Worm?
• What Is a Trojan Virus?
• What Is Adware?

Do You Need Antivirus Software?

The truth is that not everyone needs personal antivirus software or business antivirus software. If you have an iPhone or iPad, for example, you don’t need antivirus software. But for most devices, it’s a necessity. Find out if you need to protect your device below.

• Do You Still Need Antivirus?
• Do Macs Have Built-in Antivirus?
• Does Windows 10 Come With Antivirus?
• Do Chromebooks Need Antivirus Software?
• Do iPads Need Antivirus?
• Can an iPhone Be Hacked?

Once you’ve determined if you need antivirus protection, read about the best Mac antivirus software, the best PC antivirus software, the best Linux antivirus software, and the best Android antivirus software.

How to Use Antivirus Software

Now that you’ve selected your software, here’s how to implement it, from running your first antivirus scan to handling malware.

• How to Get Rid of a Virus on an Android Device
• How to Prevent Ransomware
• How to Get Rid of a Virus on PC
• How to Turn off Antivirus
• How to Run an Antivirus Scan
• How to Remove Adware
• What to Do If Your Phone Has Been Hacked

We recommend letting your antivirus software run in the background of your device at all times, but note that this may slow down your computer slightly. We also recommend turning on real-time protection if the feature is available. Basically, everytime your device runs a program or you open a file, real-time protection kicks in to check the program or file first. This could cause your programs to take a couple more seconds to run, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for digital security.

Recap

Antivirus software constitutes a large part of the global cybersecurity market, which in 2021 is expected to be nearly $203 billion in the U.S.2 And it’s growing, as data breaches and cyberattacks become common occurrences.

According to our original research, as of February 2021, 82 percent of U.S. households use antivirus software. Of course, that’s not absolutely everybody. If you’re still not sure what the best antivirus software for you is, learn what to look for in our antivirus software buying guide.

Got your antivirus software up and running? We also recommend using a VPN to hide your IP address and browsing history, particularly when you’re on public Wi-Fi networks. If you’re new to VPNs, read our VPN how-to page for all of the information you’ll need. And remember, be secure.