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Antivirus is software that detects, protects against and removes viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware and other malware. It scans files, programs and incoming email for malicious code that hackers create and spread to cause damage or steal data.

The best antivirus programs use multiple types of detection to find and eliminate threats. Look for a program that uses signature-based detection, which compares incoming files and programs to known malware to identify them; heuristic detection, which looks for tendencies in the behavior of a file or program and detects when something doesn’t fit those patterns; and sandbox analysis, which runs suspicious programs and files inside a virtual environment to determine whether they are dangerous before allowing them into your system.

Most of the best antivirus vendors have extensive databases of known viruses and keep their virus detection systems up to date by releasing frequent updates. Some have a subscription-based business model that covers different devices; others offer free versions of their software with limited features. Look for a program with a low false positive rate, which is the percentage of secure files or programs that are identified as malware by the software.

Some antivirus vendors also provide extra security features, such as a VPN, password manager and parental controls. They also have mobile protection to shield smartphones and tablets from infection when downloading apps or browsing the internet. Look for a vendor that provides these additional options and makes it easy to adjust privacy, subscription and payment settings and add features or devices.