Anyone who uses the internet regularly, especially for work, needs antivirus protection. It's an extra layer of safety between your computer and the wider online world. Even if you think you're at low risk for a cyber attack, know that hackers are always looking for ways to lure unsuspecting users into visiting web pages or clicking download links that contain malware. They achieve this by targeting keywords they know will get plenty of interest and traffic.
Why "Breaking Bad" Can Break Your Device
Surfshark, a cybersecurity company, recently released a list of the most dangerous pop culture search terms. When you search for these terms, malicious links will pop up in the results.
According to the report, Robert De Niro is the most dangerous pop culture term to search for, with more than half (54%) of all URLs containing potential malware. Nearly 40% of "Breaking Bad" searches result in URLs with potential malware, making it the most dangerous TV show to search for. On the video game front, Mortal Kombat 11 has the highest malware risk.
Those are shockingly high numbers, and an excellent illustration of why you need antivirus. Here's what you need to know.
Antivirus Features You Need
To search safely online, you need software that combats a variety of threats. As PCMag lead security analyst Neil J. Rubenking notes while introducing his top picks for antivirus in 2022, modern malware is about making money, so ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are all the rage. There are also bots that let a bot-herder rent out your computer for nefarious purposes. Modern antivirus utilities handle Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more.
When picking antivirus software, look for some or all of the following features:
- real-time malware protection
- spyware detection
- phishing protection
- ransomware protection
- spam filtering
- application whitelisting
- sandboxing
- a VPN
Rubenking explains in detail what each of these features does in his reviews for both free antivirus and premium packages. You may even want to invest in a high-powered security suite to ensure total protection online.
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