As we move further into 2024, the need for reliable antivirus software remains as important as ever. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and prevalent, it's crucial to have a robust antivirus program that can protect your computer and personal data from malware, viruses, and other online hazards.

However, with so many antivirus options available on the market, choosing the right one for your needs might not be the easiest. That's why we've done the research and testing for you, and in this article, we'll be sharing our top picks for the best antivirus software in 2023.

Is Windows Defender enough in 2023?

As we enter 2023, many Windows users may be wondering if Windows Defender, Microsoft's built-in antivirus software, is enough to keep their computers secure. While Windows Defender has improved significantly in recent years and provides basic protection against viruses and malware, it may not be enough to protect against more advanced cyber threats. 

In particular, Windows Defender may struggle to detect and remove more sophisticated types of malware, such as rootkits and zero-day exploits. In order to keep your hardware safe and protected, it’s recommended that Windows users supplement their antivirus protection with additional security measures.

You can find a choice of highly-reviewed antivirus software at affordable prices at Key-Soft - check out our inventory.

Top 5 Antivirus Software to protect your device in 2024

Since built-in antivirus software might not be enough to protect our devices, we’re going to need something better. Without further ado, let’s try to answer the question “What is the best antivirus software in 2023?”

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is one of the best-reviewed and most award-winning antivirus applications, offering a complex suite of cybersecurity software. The suite takes advantage of advanced algorithms and machine learning technology to detect and remove threats in real-time, making sure your computer stays protected at all times.

One of the key features of Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is its multi-layered defence system that comes with web protection, anti-phishing, and anti-fraud features, keeping your personal data protected from malicious attacks. The defence system also includes a firewall that monitors your internet traffic and blocks unauthorized access attempts.

In addition to its core antivirus protection features, Bitdefender offers a range of additional functionality, including:

Password management software to keep your online accounts secure, by generating very strong passwords and storing them in an encrypted vault.

A secure internet browser that keeps your online activity away from prying eyes.

A file shredder that makes sure your sensitive data is permanently removed from your device when you delete it, so that it can’t be recovered by hackers.

Overall, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is definitely a powerful antivirus software, and takes the first place in our 2023 antivirus ranking. The multi-layered defence system, private browser, VPN functionality, and many additional cybersecurity features makes it a great overall choice. A yearly licence of Bitdefender Antivirus Plus costs £29.99.

Norton 360

Including a massive list of features, Norton 360 takes the second place in our best virus protection software for 2023. The suite offers advanced cybersecurity measures that protect your device from spyware, ransomware, and any other malicious software. It offers both a full-scan and real-time protection, as well as a password manager that securely stores your login credentials and helps you generate strong passwords.

Norton 360 also provides a VPN functionality that can help protect your online privacy by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address, preventing hackers and other cybercriminals from intercepting your online activity and stealing your personal data. 

In addition, Norton also includes parental control functionality, backup and restore features, and device optimization software that helps keep your computer running smoothly by cleaning up junk files and optimizing system resource usage. Overall, Norton 360 is a great choice 

McAfee Total Protection

McAfee Total Protection is an advanced antivirus software that provides comprehensive protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and other online threats. It uses advanced technologies such as behavioural analysis and machine learning to detect and remove threats in real-time, ensuring that your computer stays protected at all times.

The McAfee cybersecurity suite offers extensive features, including no-limit VPN access, advanced phishing protection, identity theft protection, intrusion prevention, web protection, and a comprehensive firewall. The identity theft protection can monitor your credit card activity and personal information to detect any suspicious actions that may indicate identity theft. 

The combination of all of these features make McAfee Total Protection one of the most feature-rich cybersecurity suites you can find - available now at Key-Soft.co.uk.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

With great lab scores, ESET NOD32 Antivirus is one of the most popular antivirus software online, providing advanced protection against viruses, malware, spyware, phishing attempts, and other types of online threats. ESET NOD32 is easy to install and configure, allowing even beginner users to protect their data to the fullest extent in a matter of minutes. 

ESET NOD32 Antivirus has a low system impact, as it was designed to use minimal system resources, making sure that your computer runs smoothly without any performance issues. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want a powerful antivirus suite to supplement their built-in defences, but don’t want to sacrifice system performance.

Overall, ESET NOD32 is a solid software - even though its malware blocking capabilities sometimes appear to underperform in tests. Some of the advanced features may also be difficult for most users to understand intuitively, especially device control.

Malwarebytes

Last but not least, Malwarebytes is another popular antivirus software with comprehensive scanning capabilities and real-time threat detection. Malwarebytes also includes a powerful quarantine system that isolates and removes infected files as soon as it detects them, preventing further damage to your computer.

Malwarebytes is known to remove malware that traditional antivirus software may normally miss. Malwarebytes can detect and remove zero-day exploits, ransomware, and other advanced threats that may go undetected by other antivirus software. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want powerful malware protection without relying solely on traditional antivirus software.

In addition, Malwarebytes includes a range of additional features, including web protection, application hardening, and ransomware protection. The application hardening feature adds an extra layer of protection by preventing vulnerable applications from being exploited, while the ransomware protection feature helps to protect your files from ransomware attacks by detecting and stopping the encryption process before it can be completed.