An antivirus is software that protects against computer viruses, a type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other software programs. The best antivirus programs scan files to protect your computer and devices from such threats, while keeping resource consumption to a minimum.

What is the Difference Between Malware and a Virus?

Malware is a term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent or how it’s distributed. A virus is a specific type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other programs.

Should I go for free or paid antivirus?

Usually free antivirus software offers baseline malware protection that may not be sufficient to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape, particularly when it comes to the wide variety of zero-day threats and/or digital threats that go beyond just antivirus. Rest assured that with our free 30-day trial you’ll get all the features of our flagship McAfee® Total Protection suite, including antivirus, web protection, password manager, file encryption and more. Take advantage of our free trial and gain greater peace of mind every time you use your devices.

How to avoid a fake antivirus software?

Fake antivirus software is one of the most persistent threats on the internet today. Masquerading as legitimate antivirus software, fake antivirus software is in fact a malicious program that extorts money from you to “fix” your computer. And often, this new “antivirus” program disables legitimate security software that you already have, exposing you to real threats. These rogue programs try to hook you while you’re browsing the web by displaying a popup window that warns you that your computer may be infected, and that you need to download (fake) security software to fix the problem. This type of software is often referred to as “scareware” since the pop-ups use messages like “You have a virus,” as a way to get you to click. Most of us are eager to get rid of any potential problems as quickly as possible, which in turn has made the bad guys who make fake antivirus software so successful. Once you agree to the purchase, the cybercriminals end up with your credit card details and other personal information, and you get nothing but malware in return.

What is McAfee's Virus Protection Pledge?

When you purchase a qualifying McAfee antivirus suite and opt-in for automatic renewal, you will gain access to our Virus Protection Pledge. With this, you have our 100% Guarantee that if a supported device gets a virus, a McAfee expert will remove it, and if we can’t, we will offer a refund on your purchase price. From the moment you subscribe, you can rest easy knowing that we’re here to help keep your devices virus-free with our multi-layered protection.

Award-winning antivirus software protects your data and devices

Our award-winning antivirus software in McAfee® Total Protection frees you to live your connected life safe from threats like ransomware, malware, phishing, and more.

{{finalPriceAfterCashback(digitalData.offersGroup.dropdownSelected)}}*

Save {{discountedAmountAfterCashback(digitalData.offersGroup.dropdownSelected)}}

Introductory pricing for new customers

Get protection now

*First year price. See offer details

Windows^® | macOS^® | Android™ | iOS^®

How does McAfee antivirus secure your devices?

Real-time threat protection

24/7 protection for everyone’s devices from ever-evolving malware and online threats.

Easy to use

Connect all your computers and smartphones and easily manage them from a single dashboard.

Leader in consumer security

Trusted protection for over 600 million devices. Keeping you safer online is what we do best.

Virus Protection Pledge

100% guarantee we’ll remove viruses on your devices, or we’ll give you your money back**

We’ve got your back

Guided, personalized online protection that makes being safe simple, wherever you are.

Committed to excellence

All the confidence you need

You do you and we’ll protect the rest with our purchase and protection guarantees. And if you have any questions, our security experts are available to help..

Our virus protection
pledge

We pledge to remove viruses on your devices or give you your money back, 100% guaranteed.**

30-day money back guarantee

If you’re not completely satisfied, we’ll be more than happy to give you a prompt and courteous refund.

Security Experts & Online Support

Get assistance and peace of mind from our dedicated security team and support knowledgebase.

What is antivirus?

An antivirus is a software program used to prevent, detect, and eliminate malware and viruses. It works for all types of devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. An antivirus usually runs in the background to provide real-time protection without interfering with your browsing experience.

Many antivirus programs include additional features to keep your computer optimized and resource consumption at a minimum. Here are the main features of an antivirus:

Malware detection, quarantine, and removal

Real-time, on-demand, and scheduled scanning of files and applications

Advanced firewall for home network security

What is the difference between paid and free antivirus?

Usually, free antivirus software offers baseline malware protection that may not be sufficient to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape. This is particularly true when it comes to the wide variety of zero-day threats and digital threats that go beyond just antivirus. Some features may be limited in use – even worse, some free programs can even gather your personal data in exchange for their services.

On the other hand, paid antivirus subscriptions give you up-to-date, advanced security protection against a wide variety of malware and digital threats. Paid solutions also tend to come with richer features and services. For example, McAfee® Total Protection includes identity protection to protect your personal info.

Rest assured that with our free 30-day trial you’ll get all the features of our flagship product, including antivirus, web protection, password manager, and more. Take advantage of our free trial and gain greater peace of mind every time you use your devices.

Learn more

Knowing when a site is spoofed

Have you ever received a congratulatory text about a contest you never entered? Or maybe gotten a poorly drafted email from your bank about an overdue bill you know nothing about? These, and the infamous Nigerian Prince messages, are examples of phishing. Phishing is a tactic used by cybercriminals to mislead you into thinking you’re about to engage in a legitimate transaction. In reality, you may be about to enter your banking credentials or credit card into a fake site.

If you’re unsure about the legitimacy of some links or emails, you can type the address of a website directly into your browser instead of clicking the link you were sent. Checking the domain (or .com) that the email was sent from is another good practice. These simple steps can help you stay ahead of website spoofing or URL spoofing.

With McAfee® Web Protection, you can sidestep malicious sites with clear warnings of risky websites, links, and file downloads.

How does an antivirus detect emerging malware and threats?

Security tools of the past relied on manually gathering malware definitions (the different types of malicious software that had been found in the wild, like viruses, ransomware and spyware). As threats have advanced in nature and complexity, industry-leading antivirus software like McAfee Total Protection, also quickly developed to stay ahead of cybercriminals. At McAfee, we use strategies like behavioral detection and machine learning to ensure we can detect, isolate, and eliminate all recognized malware and even zero-day digital threats (brand new threats that haven't been seen before) to keep you safe online.

5 signs that your device may be infected

Depending on the type of malware, your device may exhibit varying behavior. For example:

Screen takeover – a screen filled with a matrix of numbers or skull-and-crossbones accompanied by ransom instructions are consistent with being infected by ransomware. 
Spikes in data usage - if your data usage is increasing but you're not sure why, malware may be to blame. It's possible that a program is running in the background and transmitting your sensitive information to cybercriminals.
Browser pop-ups - while in general pop-up ads are just annoying, if you’re seeing these ads when your browser is closed, you could be dealing with malware. 
Overheating - phones and computers are high-performance devices, but if your device unexpectedly gets hot while idle, it’s possible that malware could be stealing performance from that device and using those resources for cryptomining. 
Faster battery drain - similar to overheating, if your battery life becomes unexpectedly short, it could be because malware is running in the background and draining your power.

With all the advances in phishing attacks and malware, bad actors no longer need physical access to your devices to wreak havoc. For example, an intruder could sign into your accounts as you, spam your contacts with phishing attacks, add new mobile lines, and even request new credit cards. The good news is that many of these attacks can be avoided with strong security software that can prevent these intrusions before they can cause any harm.

Advice from our security experts - just for you

View all blogs

Less Is More: Why One Antivirus Software Is All You Need

Continue Reading ➜

Myth-busting Antivirus Software Assumptions

Continue Reading ➜

My email has been hacked! What should I do next?

Continue Reading ➜