Get instant access to hundreds of expert product reviews
Find out which products earn Best Buy status - and which ones are woeful impersonators - trial Which? for just £1.
Make sure you get the best antivirus firewall software
Antivirus software is something no computer user should be without, and this video guide to buying the best antivirus software will show you what to look for.
Video guide to buying the best antivirus or internet security software
Please enable JavaScript to access this content.
Confused about whether you need a firewall, anti-spyware, anti virus or parental controls? Not sure whether free internet security software is any good? The Which? video guide to buying antivirus software is packed with expert advice on choosing the best program for you and your computer.
Choosing the best antivirus firewall software for your needs
Free vs paid-for antivirus software
Internet security suites sell themselves as a complete security software package and offer a variety of security software – such as antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware programs – in one. They cost around £40 and will usually include a year's subscription to antivirus software updates. After this, you'll need to pay another year's subscription in order to keep receiving the software updates.
When choosing the best antivirus and security software, you don't necessarily need to spend money on an entire software suite. There are some excellent free software tools available to download and most are easy to use. However, you're unlikely to get the kind of support you'd receive with a paid-for suite, and you'll need to download and install separate programs to create a 'pick and mix' suite.
- Which? Best Buy internet security software
- Choosing the best security software
- Protecting your PC from spyware
Different types of internet security software
You'll need more than just antivirus software to keep your computer fully protected. A decent firewall is important as it blocks unwanted communication to and from the internet, while anti-spyware protects you from programs that monitor your actions online.
Some internet security software includes anti-phishing features, which will block potentially fraudulent websites. It's also worth looking out for anti-spam software, which filters out spam mail to prevent it from arriving in your inbox, and parental control software, which allows you to limit and mange your child's internet use.
Tips on protecting your PC
As well as choosing the best antivirus and security software, there are other things you can do to protect your computer when you're online. Choose strong passwords and never use the same password for more than one account.
Regularly delete your browser history and cookies, which store personal details, and be alert when you’re asked to enter credit card details into a webpage. A secure web page is prefixed ‘https’ (the ‘s’ at the end stands for secure). You should also check for a padlock icon in your address bar.
Watch out for antivirus and security software that's difficult to use
The best antivirus, firewall and security software should be easy to use. There's no point having it if it works well, but you can't figure out how to set it up properly.
In Which? antivirus and security software tests, we install each software package on a clean PC, then rate how easy it is to install, navigate and update. The Which? Best Buy software not only offers impressive protection against threats, but is simple to set up and use.
Which? tests more thoroughly than any other organisation
Which? has tested more than 30 security software packages against a range of threats, so you can be confident that your PC will be safe with one of our Best Buys.
Good security software is free of nasty surprises
Which? thinks it’s important to take a real-world approach when testing antivirus and security software. The friendliness of a package is important – we deduct points for any alarming, confusing or overbearing alerts. We also assess how the security software responds when otherwise clean PCs are ‘infected’ by test viruses.
