5 Best Free Antivirus Software for 2023

A computer virus is malicious code that replicates by copying itself to another program, computer boot sector, or user document and affects the performance of a computer. With human intervention, they can spread from the infected computer to another computer(s) and wreak havoc. Human intervention can be intentional or unintentional in the form of opening an email attachment from an unknown source, running a suspicious program file, visiting an infected website, etc.

Malware Spread to Rise in 2023

In 2018, 10.5 billion malware attacks were reported worldwide. This was the highest number in recent years. According to the Statista Research Department, during the first half of 2022 alone, malware attacks worldwide reached 2.8 billion. Now, this is an alarming figure.

As per a report, the main reason for virus spread is employee-to-employee sharing of files in offices and understaffed cybersecurity teams in most organizations.

Based on the number of malware attacks in the first half of 2022, we can expect that it would have surpassed the 10.5-billion mark of 2018. SonicWall’s 2022 mid-year report identified over 270,000 new malware variants in the first half of 2022. It is also expected that malware attacks will likely increase in 2023, with all eyes on Russia, China, and North Korea.

What’s Best for Malware Protection

Computer viruses or malware are designed to harm or gain access to your computer by selling your personal data or demanding money through a ransomware attack. Luckily, there are a number of antivirus software options available to protect your device, and many of them are free. We have rounded up the five best free antivirus software to protect your devices in 2023. Let’s have a look at them.

1. Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender (erstwhile known as Windows Defender) is one of the best free antivirus software options for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that comes inbuilt. Microsoft Defender is turned on by default, and Microsoft frequently releases new updates to keep your device protected from the latest online threats.

Microsoft Defender allows you to customize the level of protection you want. On installing any third-party antivirus software, Microsoft Defender will automatically get disabled. It will turn back on when the third-party protection is uninstalled.

2. NortonLifeLock

NortonLifeLock (earlier known as Norton Security) has earned good ratings from AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, and SE Labs for producing industry-leading security software with virus and malware detection abilities. The leading antivirus software of NortonLifeLock includes Norton Secure VPN, Antivirus Plus, Norton 360 for Gamers, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, and many more.

Although the NortonLifeLock antivirus software is not free, you can avail of the free 30-day trial on your PC, Mac, or mobile devices. Besides malware and virus protection, the NortonLifeLock antivirus suite offers 100GB of backup to the cloud, tools for safe Internet browsing, a secure VPN, parental controls, a password manager, and LifeLock identity theft protection and fraud alert.

3. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender’s free antivirus software for Windows 10 and 11 offers real-time monitoring for malware, viruses, spyware, and ransomware protection. It can be easily installed and functions smoothly in the background without affecting your everyday activities on your computer. The protection offered by the Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is solid.

For its antivirus protection and usability, it has earned top marks from the AV-Test independent testing lab. The free version of Bitdefender Antivirus protects one Windows PC only. For more devices, you can choose the subscription antivirus suite that protects five devices (Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android), set up parental controls on a kid’s computer, and run a VPN.

4. Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes can protect your PC from a virus or malware attack for free after the 14-day trial period expires. Malwarebytes scored reasonably well in independent testing for protecting against malware attacks.

To get the free antivirus version of Malwarebytes, download this trial version, which “downgrades” to a no-fee on-demand cleaner with fewer features that identify and remove viruses and malware on running an on-demand antivirus scan after 14 days.

5. Avira Free Security

The Protection Cloud feature of Avira Free Security software suite makes it stand out. This optional “in-the-cloud detection” feature lets Avira’s antivirus tool identify and prevent threats before they get out of hand. Avira Free Security software can scan and remove existing threats, automatically detecting and stopping new ones. It protects your devices from Trojans, ransomware, spyware, and other types of malware.

It allows you to scan your device for malicious files or programs on a schedule, check files with any suspicious file extension, scan primary boot sectors, scan the Windows Registry, and automatically repair, rename, quarantine, delete, or ignore threats when they’re found, manage Windows Firewall settings, password protect the program’s settings, block autorun on removable devices, and much more.

In addition, you can use its tune-up tool to improve the speed of your device, find the best online shopping deals, and warn you of malicious websites or software bundles before you download them.

So this was all about the best five free antivirus software available on the market. However, keep in mind that free antivirus software can be good enough as long as you also make sure to follow the best online safety practices like updating the software regularly, visiting only HTTPS websites, downloading files responsibly, using strong passwords for online accounts, avoid connecting to unsecured networks, etc.

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