Look for programs capable of detecting 98–100% of malware you’ll come across.

An effective antivirus software should be able to detect a minimum of 95% of malware for your operating system, but even that is a little low. The primary duty of an antivirus software is detecting malicious software. We’ve put together a full guide to antivirus software with advice on how to choose a package that works for you and recommendations for both paid and free antivirus software. If you’re not a techy or have never sought out antivirus software before, you might not know what to look for. If you’re getting a new laptop for college (you can check out our laptop recommendations for students here), it’s something you’re definitely going to want to shield your computer and protect your private information. A good antivirus software will help fight off viruses, Trojans, malware, and adware.

Though Macs have fewer vulnerabilities and are targeted less frequently than PCs, they are still at risk for infection by malware. Anybody who owns a PC should think long and hard about getting antivirus protection.