Free anti­virus

What is an anti­virus?

As its name suggests, anti­virus soft­ware fights against viruses. These are a great threat to both desktop computers and mobile devices, such as smart­phones and tablets. Without an anti­virus program installed on your device, you are susceptible to malware that can be used by online criminals to steal your money, compromise your private information and destroy valuable files on your computer. Information stolen with malware can be used for identity theft and blackmailing the victim, for instance.

The purpose of anti­virus soft­ware is to prevent all this by catching viruses and other malware before they infect your device or finding and removing malware already on your computer or smart mobile device. Anti­virus stops malware by scanning files and programs on your device and checking if the web­sites you visit are safe to use. Although many are tempted to down­load a free anti­virus to save money, they may in fact be doing more harm by allowing an unsafe program to access their computer or mobile device.

Are free anti­virus programs safe?

The alarm bells should be ringing if you are offered any­thing for free on the internet, especially if you normally would have to pay for it. Anti­virus soft­ware is no exception. Although many reliable anti­virus programs have a free trial you can try out for a limited time, entirely free anti­virus soft­ware is another thing.

If you are not paying for anti­virus protection with money, you are most likely giving away some­thing else, perhaps without knowing. Just like a free VPN, a free anti­virus can collect your data that can be used for different purposes, such as being sold to advertisers and other third parties. On top of that, a free anti­virus may in fact be a piece of malware in disguise.

You may get some basic protection for your device with a free anti­virus. However, you will be lacking the more advanced protection features that help catch even the newest and more sophisticated online threats. When paying for premium anti­virus protection, you have access to frequent updates that protect you against novel viruses that free alternatives are unable to stop. To keep you protected at all times, F‑Secure Total’s anti­virus updates itself when­ever new patches and updates roll out.

Does my mobile device need an anti­virus?

Mobile devices tend to be safer and better protected against malware than computers. This is because mobile users generally down­load new applications via official app stores that are good at catching malicious programs. However, this has not stopped online criminals and hackers from developing special mobile malware, such as banking trojans that can impersonate actual banking apps used for two‑factor authentication. Therefore, it is always a good idea to protect your smart­phone and tablet with a premium anti­virus as well.

F‑Secure Total can be down­loaded both for your computer and mobile devices. That way you can protect all your devices with the same reliable anti­virus soft­ware.

Premium vs free anti­virus soft­ware

One benefit of a free anti­virus soft­ware over a more advanced, yet paid one is its price. However, you are most likely missing out on many additional features that improve your cyber security by choosing a free option. You are also more prone to putting your safety at risk by using a free anti­virus.

• Better performance. A premium anti­virus that has been optimized to run smoothly in the back­ground takes up less of your device’s resources than a heavier free version. A poorly optimized free anti­virus can use more memory and processing power which can lead to slow performance and even crashes.
• Automatic and frequent updates. An up‑to‑date anti­virus soft­ware is your main line of defense against malware and various vulnerabilities. With a premium anti­virus, you can turn on automatic soft­ware updates that improve your protection when­ever new threats are found. It will catch up to new and emerging threats much faster than a free anti­virus.
• Extensive user support. Getting help quickly when you need it makes staying safe simple. Most likely free anti­virus soft­ware does not provide proper customer support, if any. F‑Secure Total’s expert support team helps you without extra cost with your cyber security questions.
• Additional parental features. If you share your computer, phone, and tablet with children or the young ones in your family have their own internet-connected devices, consider getting an anti­virus with parental features. Nowadays, kids are well‑versed in the digital world, yet do not always have the skills to navigate it safely. F‑Secure Total’s Family Rules also let you limit daily screen time and block harmful online content or web­sites.
• Mobile and desktop support. Both mobile devices and computers are susceptible to viruses and other malware. Therefore, you need an anti­virus to protect all your devices. An advanced anti­virus solution works seamlessly on mobile and desktop with the same description and user account.
• All features in a single app. If you do not want to install numerous apps or juggle with different user accounts to stay protected, then a premium anti­virus is the way to go. In addition to our advanced anti­virus, F‑Secure Total provides every­thing you need with the same subscription, including a VPN, pass­word management tools, and more.