Like other computer viruses, it usually finds its way onto a device by exploiting a security hole in vulnerable software or by tricking somebody into installing it. These are fake emails that can look surprisingly legitimate. If you get tricked into clicking a link or providing information, thieves can get your passwords and account numbers. Buying subscription-based antivirus software that specifically targets phishing is one way to help protect against being scammed.
Keeping antivirus software up-to-date can help keep a computer protected against ever-evolving threats. Antivirus software can block offending emails that come from a suspect source or contain phrases common to many phishing attempts. But the most important way to protect against phishing is to be informed. No reputable company will ever ask their customers for account numbers, credit card numbers, logins or passwords.
A Smart Firewall is the network security in Norton that monitors the traffic to and from your network and can either allow or block that traffic based on a defined set of security rules.
Norton Smart Firewall helps protect your device and your data from malicious attacks and intrusive eyes by monitoring and blocking suspicious network traffic. Keeping your devices free from viruses is at the heart of what we do. Cloud Backup for PC stores and protects important files and documents as a preventative measure to data loss due to hard drive failures, stolen devices and even ransomware. Norton comes with easy-to-use Parental Control that allows you to set screen time limits for kids 11 , block unsuitable sites, monitor search terms and their overall activity history.
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information for their gain and your loss. Personal information can include your Social Security number, birth date, email address and passwords. Criminals could potentially steal from retirement accounts, rent property and even commit crimes — all in your name. Sometimes it could take months or years before anyone notices and the restoration process can also be lengthy. LifeLock identity theft protection uses innovative monitoring technology and alert tools to help proactively safeguard your credit and finances.
If identity theft does occur, a U. This is an underground online community where criminals can go to buy and sell your personal information. A stolen wallet could mean a stolen identity. You will be covered for personal expenses you incur and money stolen as a result of identity theft, up to the limits of your plan.
We recommend that you help protect additional family members with their own membership. Having credit monitoring is a good proactive step but you could miss certain identity threats by just monitoring your credit. With Norton with LifeLock Ultimate Plus, we monitor key changes to your credit file at the three leading credit bureaus and alert you to help detect fraud. Any credit monitoring from Experian and TransUnion will take several days to begin after your successful plan enrollment.
Secure VPN helps protect your online privacy by blocking intrusive activities like tracking or controlling your online activities or location by Internet service providers, mobile carriers, advertisers, and websites. A Virtual Private Network VPN creates a private network within a broader network, adding security by using encryption and tunneling mechanisms. And this number is growing. Additionally, each country has at least two servers, so you won't always connect to the same IP or data center when you turn on the VPN and connect to any specific region.
In addition, with the evolving threats facing consumers as well as the proliferation of free public Wi-Fi, the timing is right to provide consumers with a strong trusted VPN-focused product like Norton Secure VPN. Connecting your device to a password-protected Wi-Fi access point does not protect your data as it is broadcast from your device to the hotspot. Passwords on Wi-Fi access points only ensure authorized users are connecting to the hotspot.
So, your data may be at risk as it traverses the airwaves between your device and the hotspot. Also, if you are using public Wi-Fi where all users have access to the same password, it may not be secure from hackers and snoops. Free is not always free. Often, free VPN products trade your information to help offset their costs. Norton Secure VPN does not impose data or bandwidth limits or advertisements on you.
An unlimited data and bandwidth VPN service has significant ongoing costs. Those costs are necessary to ensure your privacy. We also offer a day money-back guarantee for annual subscriptions if users are not satisfied with the product. The webcam on your PC is a great way to keep in touch with family, friends or business associates. But it can also be vulnerable to hacking. For detailed instructions on how to install and turn on Norton , please visit our Support Page.
For detailed instructions on how to remove Norton , please visit our Support Page. The system requirements for the Norton plans are not significantly different from our current offerings, please visit our Support Page. Not all features are available on all devices and platforms. Some protection features are not available in Windows 8 Start screen browsers. Current and previous two versions of Mac OS. Norton Secure VPN may be used on the specified number of devices — with unlimited use during the subscription term.
No one can prevent all cybercrime or identity theft. Policy terms, conditions and exclusions at: NortonLifeLock. If a Norton expert is unable to remove the virus from your device, then you may receive a refund based on the actual price paid for the current term of your qualifying subscription.
Any refund will be net of any discounts or refunds received and less any shipping, handling and applicable taxes, except in certain states and countries where shipping, handling and taxes are refundable. The refund does not apply to any damages incurred as a result of viruses.
See norton. It does not monitor or track YouTube videos that have been embedded in other websites or blogs. Reimbursement does not apply to identity theft loss resulting, directly or indirectly, from phishing or scams.
Feature defaults to monitor your email address only and begins immediately. Sign in to your account to enter more information for monitoring. LifeLock identity theft protection is not available in all countries.
All rights reserved. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. Another security suite worth considering is one from BullGuard , which offers multi-layered defenses backed by advanced machine learning to stop current and future malware threats. BullGuard Premium Protection also gives gamers a treat with its Game Booster optimization feature, which is designed to improve performance while gaming and it works well enough, by all accounts.
Furthermore, BullGuard Premium Protection represents a solid value proposition for those looking to cover many devices. So, while a firewall and parental controls might be missing from Avira Prime — and any kind of backup facility for that matter — you do get some nifty stuff instead. That includes a decent VPN — with full unrestricted access — and some seriously high-quality PC maintenance tools.
In fact, in the latter case, Avira Prime works out as storming value for money, providing a solid engine to keep you safe, and that Avira VPN on top to keep you safer still online. Others, however, may miss the aforementioned core suite features like parental controls, of course.
Whereas antivirus software provides a basic level of protection for your system, full internet security expands on capabilities such as scanning files and software, activity monitoring and vulnerability search with features tailored for Internet use. These might include a firewall, anti-spam controls, ad blockers, webcam protection, keylogger protection, parental controls and credit card safeguards.
There might also be additional protection against web-specific types of malware such as spyware and adware. However running so many different types of program might mean that internet security suites use more of your system resources than conventional AV. There are many advantages to purchasing a premium internet security suite from a trusted vendor, but it is perfectly possible to create your own modular suite by picking the most suitable free products. While this might mean you save money, it does mean you have to do much of the work yourself.
You will have to identify the best components, whether its virus protection, firewall or backup software, and fix any problems yourself.
The more components you introduce will increase complexity and system resource use. You will also suffer from the pitfalls of using free services such as frequent adverts urging you to upgrade. Using a premium internet security suite means the vendor integrates several services into a single package that can be managed from a single interface. If you do want to build out your own suite, then you can pick the best of individual components in the following advice guides:.
All of the products on this list offer effective capabilities, so the difference is in additional capabilities. If there is a particular type of threat that concerns you, such as ransomware or phishing, check to see if there are specific protections included.
Banking safeguards, firewalls and parental controls are also areas you should consider — especially if there are multiple users on your computer. And of course, you should consider whether you need protection across multiple devices, such as smartphones.
Finally, think about usability and the impact on system performance. Do you want a high level of customization or do you want an easy-to-use interface and do you want a program that is capable of fast scans or one that requires minimal system resources? He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in North America.
If you're looking for an antivirus that goes above and beyond simply protecting your computer from malware, Trojans and scammers, then a full-on internet security suite may be a better choice. Bitdefender Total Security. Beefy protection across all fronts with great protection and features. Maximum devices covered: Stand out features: Safepay online banking protection, high-quality ransomware defenses, web protection module.
Reasons to avoid - PC maintenance tools are basic. Norton Deluxe. Maximum devices covered: 5. Like Bitdefender, Kaspersky offers anti-theft features for laptops, ransomware rollbacks and a secure browser mode for online banking, but Kaspersky's browser works on Macs as well as on Windows. It also offers file encryption and unique protection against "stalkerware" used by jealous partners. However, while Kaspersky offers backup software, like Norton, it doesn't provide online storage for those backups, but instead sends you to your own Dropbox account.
Read our full Kaspersky Total Security review. Norton isn't the only antivirus maker with an identity-theft-protection service. The package also includes McAfee's protection against malware, the True Key password manager, Safe Kids parental controls, file encryption, file shredding, a firewall and unlimited VPN service for up to five devices.
Like many McAfee antivirus subscriptions, Total Protection Ultimate nominally protects up to 10 devices but in practice is unlimited. The downsides are that neither the VPN nor the parental controls work on Macs, and that there's no webcam protection, hardened browser or backup software. But if you want all-encompassing protection at a bargain rate, you could do a lot worse than McAfee.
There's also what Trend Micro calls "ID Protection," which actually just monitors the dark web for your data and can be accessed only through mobile apps. On the antivirus side, Trend Micro does very well in lab tests of malware detection and also provides ransomware rollbacks, a file shredder, file encryption and a system optimizer.
Trend Micro's malware engine has a remarkably small impact on Windows system performance when running in the background, but can eat up a fair amount of resources during full scans.
Read our full Trend Micro Premium Security review. ESET is one of the biggest names in antivirus protection in Europe, and while its top-end Smart Security Premium suite doesn't pack in VPN service, backup software or identity protection, it's still remarkably light, fast and efficient. ESET Smart Security Premium does have a password manager, parental controls, anti-theft protections for laptops, dedicated webcam protection, a dedicated secure browser and even home-network-management software.
It even includes bare-bones antivirus software for Linux machines, and its Windows malware-detection engine does very well in lab tests. The only downside is that the parental controls don't work on iOS. Most antivirus brands tier premium subscriptions at five, 10 and sometimes 15 devices. So do you really need all these extra features with your antivirus software? Well, it's hard to argue against using a password manager.
Beyond that, you have to consider your personal circumstances. If you've got young kids or teenagers at home, then you might want parental-control software to keep tracking of what your children are doing online or to track the physical location of their phones. If you're a person of means, then investing in identity-theft protection might be wise.
If you travel a lot, you'll want to use a VPN while in hotel rooms and airport lounges. To get a better idea of the stand-alone services these premium security suites compete with, visit our buying guides for the best identity theft protection , best cloud backup services, best parental-control apps and best password managers.
You just have to decide which ones you really need. Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor.
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